4th, 26th and 60th - A California Road Trip - Day 13/1

Day 13 - 15th July 2015 - Following the leader OR
Dreams can come true - Part One

This morning Darrin and I have a tour booked."Walk in Walt's Disneyland Footsteps". I am so looking forward to this. We have to meet at the Disneyland Tour Gardens Kiosk which is just on the left of City Hall. We check in and are then aked to sit at tables with reserved signs on them:



A CM sits down with us and asks to check our home address. It would seem that whilst they have the special pin that we'll get at the end, we will also receive a further gift which will be mailed to us. They don't tell us what this might be. We are issued with our name badges:



Our tour guide will be Sandi. She is dressed in the typical riding hat, tartan skirt and waistcoat and carries a riding crop. She may have to use iton some of us if we don't toe the line!



You'll note the large D pin above Sandi's name badge. These are only issued to the guides once they have completed a rigorous training course. It starts by being one of the Cast Members at City Hall handling all manner of queries and keeping a smile on your face whilst doing it, no matter how dfficult the guest. This can last up to two years. A guide must never exhibit boredom. They should be enthuiastic and encouraging at all times. Their turnout has to be inpecable. The costume was deliberately created to a Disney image and you must never step outside that image. Back to the gold D - they are owned by Disney, never the Cast Member and must be surrendered if the Guide ceases to carry on their role.

So on with the tour...

We walk towards the fire station. Sandi explains how Waly had the apartment created above this so he had somewhere he could stay whilst the park was being built and developed. it meant he was on site. Later on it would be used by the Disney family. Unfortunately, it is not included on our tour today. As we pass on Chip n Dale aredoing meet and greets. "How do you tell which is which?" asks Sandi. Answer: Chip has a chocolate "chip" coloured nose. Dale has a pinkish red nose.On into Main Street and we we are shown the various tribute windows above the shops which record all the people responsible in creating Disneyland. Walt'sis actually a window in the Casting Agency door:



At the hub we take a stop and Sandi explains that Walt had learned from visiting other amusement parks that people had to walk vat distances to get from one attraction to another. As his park was going to have lands he wanted his guests to reach them easily and thus the ideas of the spokes of a wheel gave rise to the hub. Whilst Sandi is trying to explain this to us she is competing witha Disney photographer who is shouting instructions to guests going through various poses in front of the Partners Statue. The statue itself is Waly and Mickey looking out on their creation - Dineyland. He is NOT pointing to Roy (a WDW myth)as there is no Roy statue at Disneyland. If you look carefully at Walt's tie you'll see it bears the initials STR. They stand for “Smoke Tree Ranch,” an area in Palm Springs where Walt once owned a vacation home.
The statue was designed by Blair Gibson and in an earlier development stageMickey was holding an ice cream cornet in his left hand. It was unveiled in 1993 to celebrate Mickey's birthday. The WDW version followed in 1995. There is also a copy at the Walt Disney Studios Park at Paris, the actual Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, Tokyo Disneyand dnd also at the Hong Kong Park.



We are now taken over to the Alice in Wonderland ride. This is unique to Disneyland. We are taken into the exit line and asked to keep to the left so we don't block the guests exiting off the ride. It originally opened in June 1958 and had had two upgrades in its lifetime, the latest being several projections that enhmce certain scenes. Walt never really liked the film itself. He regretted making it because it lacked a connection to the audience's hearts.





Whilst we are in this area Sandi expalins about the Matterhorn Bobsleds. Walt had visited the Alps and had become intrigued with Matterhorn. He came back with an idea in his head about the possibility of riding down it. He put it to his team and they examined the possibilty ofsuch an atraction. Existing coasters were waggons with wheels that ran on a track. They wanted something smoother and thus the round rails with wheels gripping either side were born. Known as the first tubular steel continuous track, all today's coaster type rides owe their creation to the Matterhorn ride. At one time the Skyway cable cars passed through holes in the mountain but on the demise of that ride the holes wee filled in. It's also worth noting that Tinker Bell's flying mechanism is attached to the mountain at this side of the castle. More of that later in a later report. Disney's Matterhorn is a visually correct creation standing at 80 feet high.

We now go into the gardens of the Haunted Mansion and into the Fastpass line. Sandi tells us how Walt wanted a Haunted Mansion on Main Street. It would be a walk through attraction. Because of the need to get the park finished and opened quickly this project was bypassed. The Haunted Mansion would resurface but went through many concept changes before its facade was completed in 1963, six years before it would open to the public, delayed by Disney's involvement in the 1964 New York World's Fair. At one point, the attraction was still conceived as a walk-through that would empty out into an exhibit called "The Museum of the Weird." Conceptual drawings were done for this but the Museum would be left on the drawing board due to the walk-through idea being shot down in favour of making the attraction a ride-through. How to move people through the ride was also a consideration. Walt wanted it to be a "people eater". The Omni-Mover would prove to be the answer. We know them better as Doombuggies.

In what might be considered to be an odd twist to a supposedly abandoned structure, the exterior appears pristine in its antebellum style and the surrounding grounds are meticulously maintained. Designers wanted to make the exterior of The Haunted Mansion look like a stereotypical run-down and decrepit haunted house, but Walt himself overrode the idea, claiming "we'll take care of the outside and let the ghosts take care of the inside."

During the years it stood empty a sign hung outside inviting spirits to apply for residency. They were directed to apply through GHOST Realtions!

Our group of about 20 or so are admitted en masse. This "jumping the line" is really great and makes us all feel that little bit special. Sonn we are in the stretching room and then making our way to the ride itself. I'm eager to capture the newly installed Hatbox Ghost. This ghost made his appearance in the early days of the Haunted mansion but his effect where his skull like head transferred from his shoulders into the hatbox and then back again proved trublesome and so he was retired. For Disney's 60th celebrations Hatty is back.We are told he appears just as you are leaving the attic and before your carriage falls backwards down to the graveyard:





Our next port of call is the Railroad Station at New Orleans Square.Sandi talkes about how Walt was too discover that one of his artists, Ward Kimble ran a miniature railroad in his garden. A miniature that could be ridden. Walt wanted one in his garden and so the Carolwood Pacific was born. He had a contract drawn up for his wife Lillian making her Director of the Railroad's Board. This was a ploy so he could run his train through and under the floweer beds which she lovingly tended at their home. When developing the Disneyland park, he was keen to include a railroad which could transport guests around the park's perimeter. Whilst Sandi is talking we can hear the clicks of the telegraph office sending a message. The message is the opening day speech given by Walt Disney when dedicating the park.



On to the new entrance of Club 33. Sandi explains how the club came tobe. A place whereWalt could entertain would be investors and where they could relax with an alcoholic drink. Many know my views about the expansion. It has been done to accommodate more members. The trophy room is no more and the rooms upstairs have been graetly enlarged by stretching them back into other buildings. For me they have ruined the original concept of what the Club was about. Darrin and I are glad to say that when we dined there it was the original layout.

New entrance (used to be the Christmas shop) :



The old entrance next to the Blue Bayou restaurant. (Still there but no longer used):



What has really angered guests is that there is no longer access to the Court of Angels - a peaceful spot where you could sit and relax. It's all been covered infrom public view. Sandi, of course, has to take the Disney line when people comment on the alterations.

Now comes the highlight of the tour. We are to visit the Dream Suite. This is the equivalent of the Cinderela Suite at WDW. The space was created above the Pirates of the Caribbean ride. The entrance to Pirates is somewhat different to the Magic Kingdom version in that it is housed in a New Orleans Customs House. Above it are ornate verandas. Walt's idea was to create a larger dwelling for himself and the family and it would be situated so that the kitchens could serve it as well as the Club 33 across the alley. IT was never excuted because of Walt's death. For many years the space was the Disneyana gift shop. To enter we climb a staircase which has a chain across and says "Cast Members Only". There is also an elevator for disabled guets and this is hidden behind a cleverly designed door which closes over its entrance giving the appearnce of a warehouse doorway.

Here is a night time shot of the staircase we climbed:



Here we all are waiting to enter:




We are told that there will be no photography allowed aart from one photo which the CMs will take. Any images that follow of the interior are Libarry pictures and were not taken by me unless I actually say so.

You enter into a very ornate lobby. A vine on the floor curls outwards and the tendrils stream towards the various rooms.The first bedroom weare taken into is one that they belive was designed for Walt and his wife. How do they know what it should look like? They found the original designs by Dorothea Redmond who was the set designer on the film "Gone with the wind". Walt brought her in to design the apartment. Some of these designs are displayed in the hallway we just walked through.
The bedroom has Adventureland themes with a picture of the Jungle Cruise. Each room is equipped witha "Goodnight Kiss" button. One of our party is invited topress it. The lights dm and music fom Jungle Book starts to play. Jungle foliage is projected on the walls. The waterfalls on the picture above the bed appear to actual run with water. A full moon appears to the right of the bed and the silhouettes of Peter Pan, Wendy, John and Michael cross it. As I turn aroundI see that all the projections are done from a recess above the closet door and as the show comes to an end a panel lowers to hide it all away.



We now enter the bathroom where duck shaped taps are gold plated andavaulted shower /bath are is in front of us. Sombody else is selected to press this room's "Goodnight Kiss" button. The mosaic vaulted ceiling of thebath lights up with stars as classical music starts to play.



In the stars is a Hidden Mickey:



This place is just so over the top!

On to the living room. There are two paintings on the wall. One is Neuschwanstein, the inspiration for Sleeping Beuty castle at Disneyland. The other is a French Chateau. The room itself is done in the French Provincial style. A large carousel horse stand to one sde of the room. The "Goodnight kiss" here consists of the clock chiming as the mirror above the fireplace transforms into a silvery sketch of Sleeping Beauty castle. (Did you know the park's castle was originally intended to be Snow White's but Walt changed it to Sleeping Beauty as the film was in production at the time.) "Let's all sing like the birdies sing" starts to play and the bird in the cage on the mantlepiece starts to tweet. The music changes to the waltz from Cindrella and the figurine of a prince and princess starts to revolve in the china cabinet. Everybody just sits and watches in awe.



One thing I spottedthat wasn't pointed out were the Hidden Mickeys in the carpet:



We move to the second bedroom. This has two queen size beds and its theming is along the lines of Frontierland. I get to push the button for this. What you thought was a locomotive in a glass display case turns out to be a moving train. There is no glass in the ends of the case. Thw whistle toots twice as itt sets off around the ledge which runs along the four wall lengths of the room. Along the way it passes a statuette dedicated to Isigny in France -origin of the Disney name (D'Isigny). The figures start to revolve as music plays. When it passes a horse, the beast rears and neighs. So many magical things happen until the train returns to its case.

One guy, Nate, commented that he'd be all all night just playing with the train.

We are taken out onto the veranda. here I'm naughty and I do get one crafty photo of us all. If you were lucky enoughto stay here - it's by sweepstake or invitation only - you would have an uninterrupted view of the Fantasmic show when it plays at night on Tom Sawyer island. Darrin did ask how many DVC points it might be to everyone's laughter.



Before we are turfed out into the world of commoners they take a picture of us sat in the living room:



Lunch is included in the tour and so we make our way over to the Jolly Holiday bakery to enjoy our sandwich and dessert which we pre - ordered at the start of the tour.
Sandi hands out our exclusive tour pin. It depicts the famous image of walt by the pillars at the rear of the castle:



It's early afternoon. The remainder of this day continues in Part two.


INDEX: http://DIBB.in/10816800

A very interesting read this evening Geoff, thank you.

Wonderful read Geoff! That pin is different to what we had, did the other thing arrive yet? What was it?

Thanks Geoffa I've really enjoyed reading this as with all your reports. Very interesting.

Nothing arrived as yet. Wondered if it might be something to do with the 60th.

A very interesting tour, love the pin...

Great start to the day and the tour is on my bucket list (this list is long). It sounds so great and a shame you didn't get to go in to Walt's apartment. Did they say why you couldn't go in?

The Hatbox Ghost effect looks great! I got a bit excited just reading about it. On to part 2!

How fab, would love to do this tour

Really interesting and lovely photos. Pussycat

Wonderful review of the Walk In Walt's Footsteps Tour Geoff
I did it a couple of years ago and loved it!
Glad you got to visit the Dream Suite :-)