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View Full Version : It's a Small World facade, 40 years in the making.



AliKzam
04-28-2002, 01:10 PM
I was just watching my Disneyland DVD, from the treasures collection. I was onto the show "Disneyland: 10th Anniversary", and Walt was showing the new ambassador of Disneyland what was in store for the park. Among the future attractions was It's a Small World, and he was describing how the facade would look with the help of Mary Blaire. According to Walt, the facade was supposed to have colors surging all through it. So it's nice to think that one of the ideas for the 50th anniversary of Disneyland is to give the ride a fiber-optic facade. Not only would it be stunning to look at, but it's what Walt wanted.
I don't know if this topic was mentioned before, but I like it when the imagineers and all those at Disney want to do things right.

Ghoulish Delight
04-29-2002, 08:09 AM
I would love to see that! I've hated the current facade since the day they redid it. Although, I like it better than the all white of the past, why the heck did they go with pastels!?!? If you're going to do color, do it right. I mean, look how much better it looks during christmas. A vibrant fiberoptic display is just what it needs.

blusilva
04-29-2002, 10:23 PM
I would really like to see that happen, if they would keep the Mary Blair design but rebuild the facade in light panels that change color like those big columns out near the airport and then layer fiber optic effects over it. That would be so awesome. Then they wouldn't really need to add Christmas lights over the holidays, just reprogram the display. They could even add in effects like falling snowflakes during the holidays and fireworks around July 4th and stuff....

I don't know if that's even possible, but I'm sure a real Imagineer could figure out how to do it.

Not Afraid
04-30-2002, 08:20 AM
I have a lithograph of the original Mary Blair facade design. It was originaly hanging in the DLH. The colors are actually quite deep and rich with a lot a gold leaf. There's a Moorish feel to the piece. You can see a reproduction of the it here. (http://www.bobstaake.com/artists/maryblair/disneyland.html) Its the last picture on that page.

I think the original concept was to have the facade act as a canvas to project light onto for effect. Why this never really happened, I don't know.

AliKzam
04-30-2002, 11:28 AM
You're right. On the program, it appears Mary Blaire has made a 3-dimensional version of the facade with styrofoam. Then, she (or Walt, I can't remember) holds up a light that has pinks and blues in it and pans it slowly across the model.
It wasn't very impressive on the show (it was just a prototype), but the way she and Walt described how it would look upon completion sounded really spectacular. Somewhere along the line, they must've changed their minds about how the finished product would look. Maybe it was lack of funds, maybe lack of technology, or maybe they just liked her initial sketch, better*? I'm not really sure how that worked out.
*Before she shows us the 3D model, Mary shows the audience a colorful sketch, mostly in blues of the idea she was trying to put on the facade. It's mostly of shapes and patterns, and is pretty much what the facade looks like, today. I remember the blues being on the facade in the 80s.

AliKzam
04-30-2002, 11:32 AM
Sorry about that. Mary BLAIR. Not Blaire. I sympathize with misspelled names, seeing as how mine gets misspelled and mispronounced on a regular basis.

Morrigoon
05-01-2002, 12:37 AM
"I like it BLUE" - Merriweather

zapppop
05-01-2002, 01:17 PM
Does anyone have some good pictures of the Small World facade prior to 1992 ?

Also, sometime in the 90's. the music was changed.
Does anybody know when the music was remixed ?

Hyperboy
05-01-2002, 11:55 PM
They still need to hand out softballs before getting on Small World. Now *that* would be worth riding for.

Uncle Dick
05-02-2002, 12:13 AM
Originally posted by zapppop
Does anyone have some good pictures of the Small World facade prior to 1992 ?
A quick Google Image Search (http://image.google.com/) found this nifty pic (http://www.ratcage.com/disney/parks/disneyland/attractions/images/its-a-small-world.jpg).


Also, sometime in the 90's. the music was changed.
Does anybody know when the music was remixed ?
According to this page (http://www.mouseplanet.com/merchandise/list.htm):

When it’s a small world was being built for Disneyland Paris, the decision was made to rescore the attraction’s music. John Debney was brought in to rewrite the music. The new recordings were then used at Disneyland.
So I'd say '91 or '92. Looks like the new sound/facade work was all done at the same time.

Personally, I've never been very impressed by fiber optics for anything other than simulating a starry sky. I can't help but think that any attempt to add 'em to "it's a small world" will come off looking a bit dinky, especially compared to the brilliant display during the holiday season.

Hyperboy
05-02-2002, 02:09 AM
WOW I really like the facade when it's blue! (from the link Uncle Dick posted) Who decided to paint it pepto bismol colored???? Ick!

Morrigoon, you are most definitely right about that one!

zapppop
05-02-2002, 05:24 AM
Originally posted by Hyperboy
WOW I really like the facade when it's blue! (from the link Uncle Dick posted) Who decided to paint it pepto bismol colored???? Ick!

Morrigoon, you are most definitely right about that one!
My understanding is, they were considering getting rid of the Small World facade but since Euro Disneyland was being built with a new Small World color scheme and mix of music, they decided to copy it.

To sum it up; blame the french !

Also, Euro Disneyland's Discoveryland was the inspiration for the look of the "new " Tomorrowland here in Disneyland. The music coming from the Observatron is from Euro Disneyland's Space Mountain.


Uncle Dick: thanks for the pic !

justagrrl
05-02-2002, 06:22 AM
Originally posted by Uncle Dick

A quick Google Image Search (http://image.google.com/) found this nifty pic (http://www.ratcage.com/disney/parks/disneyland/attractions/images/its-a-small-world.jpg).


Hey - there's some other really great pics on that site too:

I liked the photo of the old saucers and the one of the monorail going through the old parking lot. :)

AliKzam
05-02-2002, 09:57 AM
Thank you for that picture, Uncle Dick. That's the facade I grew up with. It looks more like an ornate clock in those shades, rather than a large toy. But that's terrible that they were actually considering removing the facade alltogether, zappop. If you ask me, the facade is the best part of the ride.
I don't know what it would look like if they used fiber-optics. Maybe that's not the plan, exactly? Maybe they'll use another form of technology, who knows? Originally, I think the light was supposed to be projected onto the facade. They probably just couldn't get the effect they were looking for. What we have, more than likely, is plan B.
But it's a really pretty plan B.