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cstephens
08-05-2007, 04:13 PM
Since the Disney Gallery is closing on Tuesday, we decided to make a last visit today. We stopped at Stage Door to pick up some food, which we brought with us up to the Gallery, and we enjoyed our lunch in the courtyard. There was one other table of people up there, with lots of people wandering around the Gallery, some browsing or shopping, and many of whom were taking pictures. You could tell that a lot of people were there to see the Gallery one last time. It was nice to sit up there and be able to hear the water from the fountain - until the pirate show from Tom Sawyer's Island could be heard from up there. Gosh, they're awfully loud.

The husband says we would occasionally bring food to eat up there. I don't recall that and only remember eating up there the two times we've taken the Walk in Walt's Footsteps Tour, which included lunch in the courtyard of the Gallery. The Tour now apparently holds lunch at the Tour Gardens, which doesn't seem nearly as appealing to me.

After we had the regular food portion of our lunch, we took our dessert portion and went out on the balcony so we could have dessert on the balcony one more time. I've only done the Fantasmic Dessert Balcony seating once, but I quite enjoyed it. We sat and enjoyed our dessert and looked out on the river and all the people in New Orleans Square. It's a great place from which to people watch. The river was quite busy this day, with both the Mark Twain and the Columbia running, with canoes going past, with rafts crossing to and from the island and then other rafts further in the back ferreting cast members to and from the island as well. I'll miss this view of the park as there's really no where else to go to get it. OK, you can get a similar view from the Club 33 balcony, but it's more obstructed, and I don't have unfettered access to Club 33.

We then went around to the different rooms, looking one more time at things, and taking pictures of everything. I never noticed before how different the chandeliers are in each room. I've always loved looking at the pictures in the one alcove off the main room that show the concept for how the living room was going to look as part of Walt and Lillian's apartment. We spent a bit of time talking to one of the CMs that we knew and what she was going to be doing next.

In years previous, we used to spend quite a bit of time at the Gallery, and I was wondering why we hadn't been doing that in the past couple of years. There are some inconveniences to the Gallery - if you have someone in a wheelchair or using a stroller, it's a bit more work to get up there. There's no restroom up there or anywhere to get refreshments, not even a drinking fountain. But that never seemed to stop us before - so why had we been spending so little time in the Gallery in the last year or two? And then I figured it out. We rarely went up to the Gallery just to hang out. We usually went up there to see the exhibits, and then afterward, we would hang out in the courtyard or the balcony for a while. In the past year or two, we haven't been that interested in the exhibits that they've had, so subsequently, we didn't go there much. And it wasn't about changing the exhibits often. There were exhibits up there previously that were there for a long time - but we enjoyed looking at them over and over again. When the Space Mountain model which currently resides Opera-House-adjacent used to be in what was supposed to be Walt and Lillian's bedroom, we would go up there often to marvel at it, to look at the structure, to follow the track as we walked around and around the model. We'd look at the little model of the Adventures in Inner Space ride vehicle. We'd enjoy listening to the soundtrack of various defunct attractions. We'd get thrown out for spending too much time there and enjoying it too much...

But the recent exhibits didn't hold any repeat value for us. So when a new exhibit went in, we'd go up and see it, but we didn't make that many return visits, so consequently, we didn't spend as much time as before just enjoying the ambience up there.

I'm sorry to see the Disney Gallery go, but I really hope they turn it into something guests can enjoy, in one form or another, rather than turn it into just more office space. That would be a shame.

Andrew
08-05-2007, 04:26 PM
Thanks, cstephens, for writing and posting that. I couldn't make it to the final weekend of the Gallery, but I feel I have through you.

I just hope you weren't too disruptive.

bag3lbit3s
08-05-2007, 06:22 PM
the gallery is closing!?!?!?!?? no!!! I'm glad me and my girlfriend went up there this week. That's sad, the gallery would be one of my favorite places to just go and look at all the wonderful art it's not usually very crowded. :crying:

what are they going to do with it?

seanutbutter
08-05-2007, 06:48 PM
^ Here's a link to the thread with more information on the closing. :)

http://mousepad.mouseplanet.com/showthread.php?t=73137

Thanks for writing this up. I'm arriving at DL tomorrow, so I hope to make one final visit as well.

bag3lbit3s
08-05-2007, 06:50 PM
*tear* this really makes me sad. I wish I could see it just one more time and take pictures. Hopefully they don't completely destroy it and at least leave some of the history of Walt behind. :crying:

PanFan
08-05-2007, 08:20 PM
I went for a last visit today as well. As soon as my shift was over, I changed clothes and entered as a guest to pay my last respects. Some people were looking at me funny as I ran around snapping pictures of everything, but I wasn't the only one. I hope they have the Art on Demand moved to another location because that was amazing.

KDR
08-06-2007, 09:47 AM
I was one of the ones walking around taking photos (4:30-ish). Ended up getting a few print on demand items, as well. I will definitely miss it, but in a way, I'm just happy that it was put to that use at all. I mean, that space was completely closed off to the public for what, 30 years? They could just as easily have kept it that way.

I'll just start hoping to win a stay at the new suite!

jswtsang
08-06-2007, 09:22 PM
wow i'm out of it, i didn't realize it was closing! That's a real bummer b/c the last time we were there was the first time I discovered it was more than that one area with the print on demand, there was that little room off to the side that looked like people shouldn't go though and then my b/f just walked right in and we saw all the fronteir land inspired art.

I liked how it was a quiet place to get away, but I never bought anything so I can understand why they'd close it.

jt

Circarama
08-09-2007, 09:07 AM
Great report. I could really feel the sense of disappointment in the OP.

I too have been left a little underwhelmed by the exhibits that the Disney Gallery has had over the last couple of years. It's too bad, because Disneyland has such a rich history that there was really no reason for the lackluster exhibits lately... well, unless you count shameless merchandising as a good reason for poor exhibits.
Trouble is that the exhibits weren't even interesting enough to cause guests to want to buy the merchandise.

The part I'm troubled by the most is the possibility that once the "Year Of A Million Dreams" is over, the "Family Suite" is going to give way to additional dining space for Club 33. With a nine year backlog of Club 33 applicants, and the opportunity to possibly double their memberships at $7500-$10,000 per membership, it's easy to see why this would be an attractive proposition. To Disney.

There are several places in Disneyland that are very special to folks who are fans of Walt Disney and Disneyland. One is Walt's Apartment over the firehouse on Main Street USA, and another is Club 33 in New Orleans Square. Yet another is the Disney Gallery, because it was to be Walt and Roy Disney's personal family suite after NOS was completed. These places are special because they were very personal to Walt, and many Disney fans want to be part of that, if only for a few minutes.

With Walt's passing in 1966, the suite sat empty for 20 years before being converted to the Disney Gallery. This was a wonderful way to honor the memory of Walt and Roy, because the Gallery gave Disney a way to exhibit some of it's finest... both artwork, artists and scale models. Plus, it gave an opportunity to the general public an area that was special to the Disney family... something that was not possible for the general public with Walt's Apartment and Club 33.

I mourn the passing of the Disney Gallery because it's closure prevents future Disneyland fans (some of whom haven't even been born yet) the opportunity to see firsthand one of Walt's special places. Unless, of course, you have money, influence, or both.

The Blue Parrot
08-10-2007, 05:04 PM
The part I'm troubled by the most is the possibility that once the "Year Of A Million Dreams" is over, the "Family Suite" is going to give way to additional dining space for Club 33. With a nine year backlog of Club 33 applicants, and the opportunity to possibly double their memberships at $7500-$10,000 per membership, it's easy to see why this would be an attractive proposition. To Disney.

Oh, horse hockey...

If Club 33 had wanted to expand, there is the space intended for a jazz club over the French Market that has sat unused since New Orleans Square opened. I doubt Club 33 will expand (any more) into either one. As for exclusivity, that's one of the things the current management is trying to keep as is.

IMHO, the best use is as a VIP space inside the park. That's what it was intended for in the first place. Consider us lucky we got to enjoy it while we did.

Disneyland isn't an entitlement or a museum. Life goes on.

olegc
08-10-2007, 06:27 PM
Oh, horse hockey...


Disneyland isn't an entitlement or a museum. Life goes on.

maybe not - but how many times have folks lamented, like yourself, on the loss of vision at times by current waves of Disney planning and strategy (your essays over time have had some of that). That's what the Gallery gave us at least - insight into the thought process and the ideas that drive the park and it's wonderful sites and sounds. Sure - more exclusivity and VIP space is nice - but once in a while you wish that not EVERYTHING becomes EXCLUSIVE! GOTTA HAVE! and tabloid-style marketing...