Disleelandia

Herbie the Love Book

2012-02-02T06:00:00.060-05:00

by Vic Crume

Scholastic Book Services

1977

This great little paperback novel only cost me $4 even, and it's turned out to be worth every penny. Of course, at $4, that isn't saying much!

But seriously, the cover art alone is worth the price, along with the black and white photographs from the movie inside. The story is written in a simplified way for children, but gives some interesting insights into Herbie that didn't come across in the movie.

Novel adaption of the third Herbie movie

To give you an idea of the style of writing, and how the book helps us to see Herbie in a more intimate way, here is a reprint of the opening lines:

What a sight!

Swinging safely in a cargo net from the big ship's unloading crane, Herbie had a bird's-eye view of the busy docks below. In fact, he could see quite a lot of the port city of Le Havre, France.

Herbie is a white Volkswagen bug with a big, bright "53" painted on his hood and sides, and the view wasn't quite what he'd expected. A small frown crept between his pistons. Not a race track in sight! Odd! Herbie was sure that Jim Douglas, his driver, and Wheely Applegate, his mechanic, had brought him across the Atlantic Ocean especially to race. Then the cargo net started to descend, and Herbie spotted his friends down on the docks. He'd soon find out where he'd be taking them!

(break)

"There he is!" Wheely sang out when he saw the VW. "Look out Europe! Here comes Herbie!" They broke into a fast trot.

They knew their little white bug, Herbie, was someone extra special. Wheely knew every inch of Herbie - from front to back bumper - and he had never located anything unusual tucked away in the fierce little racer, but he and Jim were sure that Herbie had a mind and a heart of his own hidden somewhere. No wonder they rushed to the unloading dock to meet Car 53.

I'm planning on reading the entire novel soon to enjoy more insights into Disney's most famous car.

Stills from the movie

With all of the merchandise out there, I'm surprised that I have never come across a die cast model of Herbie, or rarely seen any type of Herbie collectible! For such a huge franchise, one would expect more product.

Be that as it may, I'm glad I found this book!

To conclude this post, I'll leave you with the closing lines, that give us yet more insight into Herbie... and one of his co-stars:

In the shadows, two sets of headlights blinked gently on and off. Herbie and Giselle!

As they (Jim and Diane) watched, there was a gentle thump of two doors touching.

Softly, the Mediterranean moon beamed silvery light upon two silvery door handles. There was no doubt about it -

Herbie and Giselle were holding doors!

All together now: Awww!

Lost & Found: Disney/Kodak Watch

2012-02-01T06:00:00.003-05:00

As I've talked about in past posts, I have a lot of stuff. Much too much to display all at once. And, in my youth, I moved frequently, so would put stuff in boxes, not to be seen again for years. Many items are in our attic, basement, and garage. I often will see something out at a flea market or antique shop, and say "I have that." My wife will say "Really? Where?". To which I will sheepishly reply "I have no idea.". Sad, really.
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While putting some stuff away in the garage, I opened a box, and there sitting on top, was this watch:
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I remember this watch, just like I remember the magic. What I couldn't remember, is how it was distributed. I knew, obviously, it was a Disney World/ Kodak promotion, but could not remember if it was in store or mail away. A Google search has revealed it could be obtained with a proof of purchase from a roll of film and $7.95.
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I had a couple, and wore one. I put this in a box, to be rediscovered 15 (!) years later.
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Made for Eastman Kodak Company, 1997.
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I found another item in that box, also celebrating Walt Disney World's 25th Anniversary.
Please stop back soon to see what it is!
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Mickey Mouse Clubcookie

2012-01-31T06:00:00.000-05:00

Tin

Mickey's Clubhouse may be filled with magical gadgets and the wonderful Toodles, but this Mickey Mouse Clubhouse tin is filled with:

Cookies!

5 kinds of cookies

Go ahead: choose one!

Hot dog, hot diggity dog, but these look tasty! I'm going to enjoy eating my way through this collectible for sure.

Cookies with milk. Cookies with coffee. Cookies with... more cookies...

Tomart's Disneyana - Issue 8

2012-01-30T06:00:00.012-05:00

Previously, Lee discussed this wonderful magazine (covering issues 1-6) in the post entitled Tomart's Disneyana - Part One (and covering issues 7-13) in the post entitled Tomart's Disneyana - Part Two. But he excluded issue 8.
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I have all 74 issues, most in one place, but I need to locate others. But here is issue #8:
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This issues coverage starts out on the inside cover with merchandise from Indiana Jones Adventure in Disneyland.
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Next it covers Sotheby's Art of the Lion King auction.
One of the things I love about this magazine, is it's coverage of animation art auctions. I worked for a short time in an animation gallery, doing background paintings for collectors to display their cels over. In exchange, I would get credit towards animation art. I have several original sketches, drawings, and production art pieces, which I will share here eventually.
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Next, an article about Disneykins. Disneykins are tiny little plastic figures that came packaged individually or in groups.
I actually featured a Grumpy Disneykin yesterday, one of which is pictured on the cover of this issue.
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After that, information on Big Little Books.
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Then, a 1995 Toy Fair Report on Pocahontas. I actually collected Meeko merchandise, and have several of the items pictured here.
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Next up, coverage of the 1995 Disneyana Convention. At that time, I couldn't afford to attend these events, and that is probably for the best!
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Then there is info on U.K. Disneyana, Walt Disney Classic Collection, and buttons and pins.
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They even had a section on Disney Store merchandise. As I was a Cast Member at the time this issue came out, this was incredible. I can now point at this page and say: " I have that, and that, oh, I didn't get that, but remember it coming in."
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Finally, on the inside back cover, theme park collectibles.
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Did I mention I love this magazine?

How Grumpy Kin You Get?

2012-01-29T06:00:00.002-05:00

Originally, individual Disneykins sold for $.15 each. I got this Grumpy Disneykin at an antique shop about 16-17 years ago, and while I can't remember the price, I am absolutely certain it wasn't for $.15.
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To this day, they are hot collectibles, and there are several sites dedicated to them and their history, but in (very) brief: Disneykins were small little hand painted plastic figures made from around 1961 thru the early 70's by the Marx Toy Company. They were sold individually or in packs.
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My favorite thing about them, to be honest, are the graphics on the boxes:
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This box has seen better days.
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The other thing I love: The great little character sheet:
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Another favorite thing about this line, though, is that it is from an era when Walt Disney was alive. This was likely something he had some supervision of, even if it was small (no pun intended). There is something very special about that to me, and makes this one of my favorite little collectibles.
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For more fun with the Disneykins, see the post Min-Belina from the Archives!
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Holiday Planner - Part Six

2012-01-28T13:00:00.000-05:00

Disney Institute and Florida

We now arrive at the end of our coverage of the 1996 Holiday Planner for the 25th Anniversary of Walt Disney World. And it's been a great ride!

What I really enjoyed was seeing many attractions that had long ago ceased to be. But as said before, some things only changed, such as:

The Disney Institute

Indulge your creative side

I wish The Disney Institute was still operating! You could study animation, watch films at the Film Festival, and indulge in many other recreational pursuits. But now you might better know this property as Saratoga Springs Resort, the home of the Disney Vacation Club.

The WDW section ends

'Return To Your Senses In Florida' tag line

The video concluded with a rather lengthy look at almost every other attraction to be found in Florida. Each section of the State was taken in turn in a series of photo montages, showing the main features of each region. It seemed to be designed to promote the State of Florida, and so makes me wonder if there wasn't some collaboration between Disney and Florida heads for this portion of the video.

Subject to change: Do tell!

And there you have it. A snap-shot in time (1996 to be exact) of Walt Disney World and the things you could plan to do there.

Holiday Planner - Part Five

2012-01-28T06:00:00.001-05:00

Resorts

We're winding down now in our coverage of the WDW 1996 Holiday Planner. But perhaps this post will cover one of the most expansive parts of the World:

Who has more Resorts than WDW?

And how many of these have you stayed at? (Is that a cool slide, or what?)

Hot Tip: Early-bird entry. You gotta love that!

The last part of this series will cover the final moments of the planning video which touches on The Disney Institute and Florida itself. See you at 1PM.
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Holiday Planner - Part Four

2012-01-27T13:00:00.002-05:00

Recreation and Pleasure Island

Golf. The only four letter word allowed on WDW property! And there is a lot of it. The Holiday Planner video picks up with a look at the various courses available.

Then we move on to other conveniences, like Water Parks:

The defunct River Country caught my eye

Buy a suit if you forgot yours, or lost yours on a slide

Another defunct area of WDW: Pleasure Island

Who knows when or if Hyperion Wharf will rise from the ashes of this pleasure area, but until then, only empty buildings remain. But back in 1996:

This Glam Girl was hip to tell you all about the happening spots!

Holy 80's Batman!

Next we will be treated to a brief overview of the main Resorts to be found all around Walt Disney World. So be sure to come back tomorrow at 6AM!
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Holiday Planner - Part Three

2012-01-27T06:00:00.001-05:00

EPCOT

The experimental prototype community of tomorrow is one of my favorite Parks! It's always made me wonder why the Simpsons declared it the most boring. But then, what do you expect from fictional rude people?

The word 'EPCOT' flew in from the bottom left to land on the passport

Beautiful establishing shot of EPCOT

3 anamatics of Test Track

This anamatic only lasted about 10 seconds, but was a wonderful previsualization of the ride that was to become Test Track. Anytime we can get a peek behind the scenes of Imagineering is a real treat!

So remember: Line up for parades 30 minutes early, not 2 hours!

Couldn't resist including this great shot of the Contemporary Resort

Our next visit to WDW via the 1996 Holiday Planner video will introduce us to recreational opportunities and Pleasure Island. See you at 1PM.
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Holiday Planner - Part Two

2012-01-26T13:00:00.002-05:00

The Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios

Each section of this video is introduced with a 'title card' of sorts. As you will see, a lot of the design style is more rooted in the 1980's than 1996 when the video was released.
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Let's begin with The Magic Kingdom:

Somewhere between Mickey's Birthdayland and Mickey's Toon Town Fair

Many of the attractions in this video have changed over the years, with new ones coming and old ones leaving. This Land changed many times and then, just recently, vanished for all time to make way for the expanded Fantasyland.

The dreaded Castle Float and Cake Castle

The Castle Float started here, but has been reused in almost every WDW parade since. By simply changing the banner, or by adding some new trinket, the old Castle Float is 'new' again. And again. And again!

The Cake Castle also has its detractors. I just wish I had have seen it for myself to judge whether it was really that bad.

Hot Tips

Each section has one or two Hot Tip cards, like this one. A Cast Member gives you interesting tips on the Park being covered, which are spelled out for you on the right of the screen. The most interesting tip here is to tour the Park in a clockwise direction. It probably would decrease congestion if we all did that!

Great anamatic of the Tower of Terror

You can't have too many Hot Tips!

So be sure to return tomorrow at 6AM as our 1996 tour continues with EPCOT.
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Holiday Planner - Part One

2012-01-26T06:00:00.039-05:00

25 Years: Walt Disney World

I found this old VHS copy of the 1996 WDW holiday planning video at a flea market a while back. It only runs about 25 minutes long, but is filled with cool features. These old Holiday Planners become snap shots in time of the Parks, and make great nostalgic viewing!

Contents included, with the video, 2 advertisements

Goofy makes 'Hillbilly' look good!

This was one of the opening, or establishing, shots for the video. It was followed by a brief overview of what would be found during the rest of the program.

The infamous Anniversary Cake Castle

Huge Sorcerer Mickey in Disney's Hollywood Studios

After these introductory images and remarks, the video was divided into sections: The Magic Kingdom; Disney Studios; EPCOT; Recreation; Pleasure Island; and Resorts.

It concluded with a look at the other attractions that could be found in Orlando. 'Return To Your Senses In Florida' was the theme of this last portion.

So get ready for the rest of this 6-part series commemorating the 25th Anniversary of Walt Disney World! We'll post the series two a day until it concludes on Saturday.

Ludwig Von Drake

2012-01-25T06:00:00.013-05:00

In a recent post, I highlighted a terrific box set, "Music of Disney: Legacy in Song".
Upon hearing this for the first time, waaaay back in 1992, I heard a song titled "The Spectrum Song", by voice actor, Paul Frees, as Professor Ludwig Von Drake. I knew I'd heard that song before, a memory from childhood.
Jump ahead to a few years ago, and I'm searching iTunes for Disney music. I came upon this:
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Ludwig Von Drake on iTunes

I downloaded it, and when I heard the whole thing, I realized I must have had this at some point, as I recognized every song.
It is a very "wacky" record, with what seems like a lot of improvisation.
The songs on this album are:

"I'm Ludwig Von Drake"
"The Spectrum Song"
"Green with Envy Blues"
"It Gets You"
"Von Drake Variations on 'The Blue Danube"
"Professor Von Drake Discourses On Sound Recording and Takes You On an Adventure In an Echo Chamber"

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If you want a fun, entertaining and off-beat listen, check it out for yourself.
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Oh, and who is Ludwig Von Drake? More on him in a future post!
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Big Al Patch

2012-01-24T06:00:00.048-05:00

From Frontierland

The Country Bear Jamboree is still alive and well at Walt Disney World, and I for one am grateful. I always take in the show during each and every visit to The Magic Kingdom!

But whether you like the corny jokes and hokey singing or not, I'm almost certain that you get a kick out of Big Al:

"There was... BLOOD on the saddle... and ..."

D23 Member Exclusive

Not sure how one goes about getting the other patches

Each issue of D23 Magazine is sent to members with an exclusive gift inside. The patch above was my first one, and with the latest issue, I got a set of vintage Christmas cards.

I also got this offer

I'm sorry, but nearly $50.00 for a binder that holds 4 magazines seems a bit steep to me! It's a great idea, but hard to justify financially.

Another D23 Member Exclusive

I've always thought that most of the special perks extended to D23 Members are for the rich among us, and this Limited Edition Cel Replica does nothing to dispel that thought at $995.00 US!

Even if I had a thousand dollars to drop on a reproduction, I would be hard pressed to see the value in such a purchase. But I'm sure many will send in their orders!

As for me, I'll settle for my free patches and await my little surprise every 3 months.

Representing

2012-01-23T13:00:00.015-05:00

A cool blog,

And that's no lie!

Nick and his wife just got back from Walt Disney World recently and had a great time. But it wasn't all fun and games, as he did manage to fit in a little shameless promotion for Disleelandia!

Good job, Nick! You're a credit to the shirt.
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Vinylmation Animation 2: Chaser

2012-01-23T06:00:00.000-05:00

*Please note: Spoiler Alert! If you don't want to know the chaser for Vinylmation: Animation Series 2, go no further!
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On Friday, January 13th, Disney released Animation Series 2 in it's Vinylmation line.
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I was in Walt Disney World's Downtown Disney on that day. I struck up a conversation with a young man who was lifting a box in each hand, and "weighing" it. I asked what he was looking for. He said the chaser is none other than the Headless Horseman! And he's headless! So he weighs less. My wife, hearing this, reached into the box, picked 2 up, and handed me one stating "this is the chaser, it's much lighter than this other one".
I said "okay" somewhat skeptically. Now, let me explain my reluctance. My wife usually does NOT pick me out the best figures. She is usually a very lucky person, but not in this area.
I also picked up the Combo pack, with Jiminy Cricket.
I took the items up to the register, opened the single box, and to my astonishment, the Headless Horseman.
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This is an odd choice for a a chaser. It isn't actually a Vinylmation in the true sense of the word, as it doesn't conform to the standard Mickey shape. Do I care? Not a bit! I love it!
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The Jiminy is also terrific.
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And the figure I got with Jiminy? Sebastian the crab, from "The Little Mermaid". A keeper!
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All of these figures are by artist Casey Jones.
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So, if you are looking for the chaser, remember the telltale lighter box, and remember you heard it on Disleelandia first!
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Cap It Off

2012-01-22T06:00:00.021-05:00

Your Noggin

It's time for another look at a piece of merchandise that almost everyone who visits Walt Disney World buys before leaving. But usually the first day! A Hat. But not just any hat: A character hat; A Disney-themed baseball cap; Mickey Ears...

There's no end to the variations, but here are just three:

A wink from Pluto

This next hat is a baseball cap with the familiar 'M' and Mickey face logo. It is found on a complete line of clothes and merchandise:

My wife has claimed this one

Goofy's Hat Company

This next hat is a cloth cap that features Minnie Mouse in her original costume from the 1930's, but without the pie-eye look:

EPCOT flags from the World Showcase

Canadian flag is most prominent

I wonder if these caps were sold with each of the World Showcase countries having a version with their flag in the front. If so, then this one would have been purchased at the Canada Pavilion. I'm guessing it may have come from the time when EPCOT was known as the Epcot Center, or just slightly after the renaming.

So my hat collection grows, and if I'm going to wear every one that I have, I'm going to have to grow an extra head... or two.

Music of Disney: Legacy in Song

2012-01-21T06:00:00.002-05:00

I bought this amazing CD box set back in 1992. It features music from Disney milestones such as "Turkey in the Straw" from "Steamboat Willie", and "Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?" from "Three Little Pigs" to "Beauty and the Beast", with animated movies, shorts, TV shows, live action movies, and even music from the theme parks represented.
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If that wasn't enough, this set includes a terrific book focusing on each section.
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The play list, courtesy of Amazon:
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Disc: 1
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1. Turkey In the Straw: Steamboat Willie (1928) - Traditional
2. Who's Afraid Of The Big Bad Wolf?: Three Little Pigs (1933) - Pinto Colvig/Mary Moder/Dorothy Compton/Billy Bletcher
3. Heigh-Ho: Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs (1937) - The Dwarf Chorus
4. Whistle While You Work: Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs (1937) - Adriana Caselotti
5. Someday My Prince Will come: Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs (1937) - Adriana Caselotti
6. When You Wish Upon A Star: Pinocchio (1940) - Cliff Edwards
7. Give A Little Whistle: Pinocchio (1940) - Cliff Edwards/Dickie Jones
8. Dance Of The Reed Flutes: Fantasia (1940) - The Philadelphia Orch/Leopold Stokowski
9. Baby Mine: Dumbo (1941) - Betty Noyes
10. Love Is A Song: Bambi (1942) - Donald Novis
11. Little April Shower: Bambi (1942) - Amy Lou Barnes/Sally Mueller/Mary Moder/Alice Sizer/Betty Bruce
12. Saludos Amigos: Saludos Amigos (1943) - Disney Studio Chorus
13. You Belong To My Heart: The Three Caballeros (1944) - Dora Luz
14. Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah: Song Of The South (1946) - James Baskett
15. Ev'rybody Has A Laughing Place: Song Of The South (1946) - James Baskett/Jesse Cryor/Johnny Lee/Nicodemus Stewart
16. The Lord Is Good To Me: Melody Time (1946) - Dennis Day
17. Lavender Blue (Dilly, Dilly): So Dear To My Heart (1946) - Burl Ives
18. A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes: Cinderella (1950) - Ilene Woods
19. Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo: Cinderella (1950) - Verna Felton/Ilene Woods/James McDonald
20. I'm Late: Alice In Wonderland (1951) - Bill Thompson/Kathryn Beaumont
21. The Unbirthday Song: Alice In Wonderland (1951) - Jerry Colonna/Ed Wynn/Kathryn Beaumont
22. The Second Star To The Right: Peter Pan (1953) - The Jud Conlon Chor
23. You Can Fly! You Can Fly! You Can Fly!: Peter Pan (1953) - Bobby Driscoll/Kathryn Beaumont/Paul Collins/Tommy Luske
24. Bella Notte: Lady And The Tramp (1955) - Bill Hamlin/Oliver Wallace
25. Once Upon A Dream: Sleeping Beauty (1959) - Mary Costa/Bill Shirley
26. Cruella De Vil: 101 Dalmatians (1961) - Bill Lee/Lisa Davis/Ben Wright
27. Higitus Figitus: The Sword In The Stone (1963) - Karl Swenson/Ricky Sorenson
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Disc: 2
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1. Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious: Mary Poppins (1964) - Julie Andrews/Dick Van Dyke/The Pearlie Chorus
2. A Spoonful Of Sugar: Mary Poppins (1964) - Julie Andrews
3. Chim Chim Cher-ee: Mary Poppins (1964) - Dick Van Dyke/Julie Andrews/Karen Dotrice/Matthew Garber
4. Winnie The Pooh: Winnie The Pooh And The Honey Tree (1966) - Disney Studio Chorus
5. The Bare Necessities: The Jungle Book (1967) - Phil Harris/Bruce Reitherman
6. I Wan'na Be Like You: The Jungle Book (1967) - Louis Prima/Phil Harris/Bruce Reitherman
7. The Aristocats: The Aristocats (1970) - Maurice Chavelier
8. Ev'rybody Wants To Be A Cat: The Aristocats (1970) - Phil Harris/Scatman Crothers/Thurl Ravenscroft/Liz English
9. The Age Of Not Believing: Bedknobs And Broomsticks (1971) - Angela Landsbury
10. Nobody's Problems: Bedknobs And Broomsticks (1971) - Angela Landsbury
11. Oo-De-Lally: Robin Hood (1973) - Roger Miller
12. Someone's Waiting For You: The Rescuers (1977) - Shelby Flint
13. Candle On The Water: Pete's Dragon (1977) - Helen Reddy
14. Best Of Friends: The Fox And The Hound (1981) - Pearl Bailey
15. Perfect Isn't Easy: Oliver & Company (1988) - Bette Midler
16. Part Of Your World: The Little Mermaid (1989) - Jodi Benson
17. Under The Sea: The Little Mermaid (1989) - Samuel E. Wright
18. Kiss The Girl: The Little Mermaid (1989) - Samuel E. Wright
19. Be Our Guest: Beauty And The Beast (1991) - Jerry Orbach/Angela Landsbury
20. Beauty And The Beast: Beauty And The Beast (1991) - Angela Landsbury
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Disc: 3
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1. A Whale Of A Tale: 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea (1954) - Kirk Douglas
2. Old Yeller: Old Yeller (1957) - Jerome Courtland
3. Pretty Irish Girl: Darby O'Gill And The Little People (1959) - Sean Connery
4. The Parent Trap: The Parent Trap (1961) - Tommy Sands/Annette Funicello
5. Castle In Spain: Babes In Toyland (1961) - Ray Bolger
6. Enjoy It: In Search Of The Castaways (1962) - Maurice Chevalier/Hayley Mills
7. On The Front Porch: Summer Magic (1963) - Burl Ives
8. The Monkey's Uncle: The Monkey's Uncle (1965) - Annette Funicello
9. That Darn Cat: That Darn Cat (1965) - Bobby Troup
10. Fortuosity: The Happiest Millionaire (1967) - Tommy Steele
11. Mickey Mouse Club March: The Mickey Mouse Club (1955) - The Mouseketeers
12. I'm No Fool: The Mickey Mouse Club (1956) - Cliff Edwards
13. You, The Human Animal: The Mickey Mouse Club (1956) - Cliff Edwards
14. Mickey Mouse Club Alma Mater: The Mickey Mouse Club (1955) - The Mouseketeers/Jimmie Dodd
15. Wonderful World Of Color (Main Title): Walt Disney's Wonderful World Of Color (1961) - The Wellingtons
16. The Spectrum Song: Walt Disney's Wonderful World Of Color (1961) - Paul Frees
17. The Ballad Of Davy Crockett: Davy Crockett (1955) - The Mellomen
18. The Swamp Fox: The Swamp Fox (1959) - Leslie Nielsen
19. The Wonderful World Of Disney (Main Tittle): The Wonderful World Of Disney (1968) - George Burns
20. Zorro: Zorro (1957) - The Mellomen
21. Strummin' Song: Walt Disney's Wonderful World Of Color (1961) - Annette Funicello
22. Mister Piano Man: The Golden Horseshoe Review (1962) - Annette Funicello
23. Duck Tales Theme: Duck Tales (1990) - Jeff Pescetto
24. Tale Spin Theme: Tail Spin (1990) - Jim Gilstrap
25. Meet Me Down On Main Street: Disneyland (1956) - The Mellomen
26. The Tiki, Tiki, Tiki Room: Disneyland (1963) - Wally Boag/Fulton Burley/Thurl Ravenscroft/The Mellomen
27. It's A Small World (After All): New York World's Fair (1964) - The Disneyland Chorus
28. Yo, Ho (A Pirate's Life For Me): Disneyland (1967) - The Mellomen
29. There's A Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow: New York World's Fair (1964) - Rex Allen
30. Golden Dream: EPCOT Center (1982) - Richard Page/Marti McCall
31. Main Street Electrical Parade: Disneyland (1979) - Jean Jacques Perrey/Gershon Kingsley
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My next post will showcase a character I rediscovered via this box set.
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Disneyland Monorail Watch

2012-01-20T06:00:00.002-05:00

Please stand clear of the doors

From the Highway in the Sky to the watch on your wrist, along comes a once-in-a-lifetime find! I love it when something like this pops up when I'm not expecting it. I was at a junky flea market the other day, and in the back of a lonely display case, was this:

Walt Disney Signature Series (?)

Leatherette case

Mint condition with plastic still on crystal and back

The Disneyland Monorail Watch

Genuine Leather band

A trip through time and the Mark series of Monorails

Monorails were around in the late 1800's, but Disneyland didn't get one until 1959 when Walt Disney decided to completely renovate Tomorrowland. So along with the Matterhorn and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea came North America's first functioning Monorail system.

Artwork created by a Disney Artist, but it doesn't indicate which

Hidden Mickey clasp

I've both Googled and searched eBay for this watch without success. So I can't, as yet, provide any more information about it.

But what a find! For this Monorail enthusiast, this is the Holy Grail of watch finds. So far, I've left it in its original case and haven't worn it. I'm saving that thrill for a special occasion!

Now please be seated or hold onto the rails. This post will be leaving shortly for a tour around the Magic Kingdom... of Disleelandia!

Grumpy, Name That Tune

2012-01-19T06:00:00.000-05:00

I have a a fair amount of Grumpy Disneyana. The prize of my collection is an actual production drawing from Snow White by animator Bill Tytla. That will be spotlighted in the future.
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(In "the business", we call that a "tease".)
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This post is about this Grumpy Schmid musical figurine, from the 1990's.
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What made me look at this more closely was a post by Lee from September 28th, 2011, entitled Grump Har-rumph! about a Schmid Grumpy figure in his collection.
As I've mentioned several times, what's so great about this blog, is it prompts me to re-examine my collection.
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This Grumpy plays the song "Children's Marching Song".
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What song is that?
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I wind it up and hear what I know as "Knick, Knack, Paddy Whack". Also known as "This Old Man".
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Who knew? Apparently it was adapted for the 1958 film "The Inn of the Sixth Happiness" by composer Malcom Arnold as "The Children's Marching Song", which led to hit singles for Cyril Stapleton and Mitch Miller.
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Disleelandia: Like Epcot, it's edutainment!
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Split Personality Lunch Box

2012-01-18T06:00:00.000-05:00

I love a majority of this 1980 metal lunchbox and thermos. It features wonderful graphics of classic characters enjoying classic rides at Walt Disney World.
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Is Donald standing up on the boat in Pirates of the Caribbean?
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Did Goofy fall out of his Jungle Cruise boat?
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Has Mickey abandoned his Doom Buggy in the Haunted Mansion?
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The top gets a little rough, with a lot of rust and a tape name tag, but you can still see that there was an incident on Space Mountain.
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Open it up, and interestingly, the thermos is not held in with a clip.
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It instead offers a diagram for proper thermos placement.
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Then, this lovely box takes an odd turn. It decides to advertise World on Ice.
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Now, I have nothing against World on Ice. It brings the Disney magic to many people's hometowns. But, as a somewhat obsessive person, this throws me completely off, and as a kid, I would have had to pass if confronted with this as a lunch conveyance device.
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Luckily, it is displayed on a shelf, and the World on Ice side is hidden, and only brought out as a conversation piece. Okay, that has never actually happened, but if you are ever at my house, please feel free to bring it up.
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Upper Deck - DT Part Eight

2012-01-17T06:00:00.003-05:00

Bring on the Villains!

Yes, it's time to take a walk on the wild side of Disney entertainment with a motley crew of Rogues and hissable Villains. Now, where else can you find a sentence like that?

This is our last post from this release from Upper Deck Collectible Cards. So sit back and get ready to be entertained... and scared!

And that concludes, at long last, our look at Disney Trading Cards. For now. For who knows when I might find another pack... out there!

Upper Deck - DT Part Seven

2012-01-16T21:00:00.004-05:00

Last of the Heroes

Special Movie Card, of which I only have one in the series

I hope you enjoyed our look at these trading cards, and especially the last one, featuring Snow White! Next we will revisit Upper Deck and have a browse through the rogues gallery of Disney Villains.

Upper Deck - DT Part Six

2012-01-16T18:00:00.014-05:00

Some Unlikely Heroes

Be sure to come back for one last post called Upper Deck - DT Part Seven for the last of our Heroes, and one very special Movie Card!

Upper Deck - DT Part Five

2012-01-16T13:00:00.011-05:00

Heroes, Old and New

Be sure to come back again at 6PM for Upper Deck - DT Part Six with even more Heroes!

Upper Deck - DT Part Four

2012-01-16T06:00:00.040-05:00

Time for the Heroes

I'm going to let the cards 'speak' for themselves today. Each one of five heroes will be featured with the front on the left and then the back, with copy, on the right. It's going to take four posts to cover all of the Heroes, so I'm going to post them all today (6AM / 1PM / 6PM / 9PM).

The last post will have only four heroes, but will also have a special Movie Card to round out the post. Then we will move on to the Villains!

So get ready to cheer for your favorites:

Be sure to see Upper Deck - DT Part Five at 1PM today!

All in the Disney Family?

2012-01-15T06:00:00.005-05:00

While walking by my Disney collection, this particular PVC figure caught my eye:
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For some reason, the lyrics to the popular 1970's American sitcom, "All in the Family" popped into my head. I know I'm aging myself here.
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Bashful reminds me of Edith Bunker.
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While Grumpy is Archie Bunker.
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In the opening, Edith and Archie sit side by side at the piano, but this is close enough.
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If you have no idea what I'm talking about:
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=znrjbo9QRLk
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Then it got me thinking, are the Seven Dwarfs related? Are they "all in the family"? Are they brothers? Are they cousins? Are they childhood friends? Does anyone else ever ponder this, or do I just have way too much free time?
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Upper Deck - DT Part Three

2012-01-14T06:00:00.002-05:00

Walt Disney Retrospective

Out of 40 Collectible Cards, I only got two of these, but I wish I had many more! This is perhaps the most awesome part of the series.

The first card covers Live Action:

The Nautilus and Ed Sullivan

And Walt did like to show off his toys!

The next card covers Walt's Vision:

The early days of Storyboards are pictured here, along with a young Walt

I also like the sketches around the edges

I don't know if I will ever find any more packs of cards from this series, but if I do, I hope there are more of these wonderful Retrospectives!

Be sure to read the introductory post for this Upper Deck - DT series.

Park Starz Vinylmation

2012-01-13T06:00:00.000-05:00

My wife and I took a short trip to Walt Disney World with another couple, staying in a Fort Wilderness Cabin.
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While visiting the Magic Kingdom's Emporium, I showed them the new form of Vinylmation, the Park Starz line. I stated that before the trip was through, I would have to buy one, in the hopes of getting one of the few figures I was interested in.
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That evening, they went to the Magic Kingdom for evening Extra Magic Hours, while we stayed at the cabin. Imagine my surprise when I awoke the next morning to find that they had bought me a Park Starz figure! I couldn't wait till everyone woke up to open it, as I am like a kid on Christmas morning when it comes to opening gifts, so I took it out onto the deck to see what "Santa" had brought me.
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The packaging is terrific. I love the graphics. The box itself is a work of art.
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What can it be? Is it one I want?! It feels roundish, is it the Yeti. I wouldn't mind the Yeti, but it isn't my first choice. I hope it isn't Big Al, as my wife really dislikes the Country Bears.
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I open the foil to find the figure I actually wanted the most! The Haunted Mansion Bride!
She even comes with an ax!
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Look, they even thought to paint in her shoes on the bottom!
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It gives me chills just looking at it.
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Included is a little fold out pamphlet with a name of each figure, and the year of it's creation at each of the parks it may be in or have been in.
For instance, the Robot Butler, Horizons, Epcot, 1983-1999.
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A fantastic collectible. A big thank you to my friends!
Now, I of course want more!
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Upper Deck - DT Part Two

2012-01-12T06:00:00.004-05:00

Filmography

These are a fantastic addition to the Disney Treasures Collectible Card set! I love the old Shorts, and these cards display them beautifully.

Each card is titled and dated for the Short being pictured:

MM1

Features include a synopsis and Did You Know? trivia

MM4

MM6

MM27

MM45

My partner in collecting, Nick, did a great post on Runaway Brain which I highly recommend you revisit! And if you're into Vinylmation figures, check out his post featuring Runaway Brain Mickey.

Next in the series will be Upper Deck - DT Part Three featuring two very special Walt Disney Retrospective cards.

Flea Market Find: Tiny Plush Mickey

2012-01-11T13:00:00.000-05:00

I picked this up the other day at the flea market.
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From 1991, it's a small Mickey Mouse from the McDonald's House of Mouse set.
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I don't know anything about this set, and I don't have any other toys from this series. I also couldn't figure out what "Soft Toy With Melody" meant, but I thought it was worth a look for the $.50 asking price.
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Free of the confines of the bag, Mickey looks much happier, but still, no melody.
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It does feel like something is inside, and perhaps it used to be a music box of some sort, but it doesn't function now.
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Melodic or not, it's a neat little Mickey for my collection.
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Back When I Was a Kid

2012-01-11T06:00:00.000-05:00

Back when I was a kid, I had to walk to school, uphill, both ways.
Television? We had 3 networks and PBS. That's it.
And we had to get information out of things called books.
For instance, if I wanted to know something about a favorite animated Disney character, such as Humphrey, instead of Googling, I'd open up this wonderful tome.
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The Encyclopedia of Walt Disney's Animated Characters by John Grant was purchased at the Disney Store I was a Cast Member at back in 1993.
There is a forward by Disney Archivist Dave Smith, as well as a special forward from Roy E. Disney for this Second Edition.
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With the dust jacket off.
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This book is a wealth of knowledge, starting way back with the Laugh-O-Grams, The Alice Comedies, and Oswald, and going through to Aladdin, with a description of every character from every short, animated feature, and television series in between.
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Oh, and another thing about television, to change the channel, we had to get up, walk way over to the 13 inch TV, and do it ourselves!
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Upper Deck - Disney Treasures

2012-01-10T06:00:00.004-05:00

Collectible Card Box Set

I finally broke down and bought two more Upper Deck Disney Treasures Collectible Card sets. You can see the first one I purchased here which featured Winnie the Pooh.

But the two I'm featuring today are part of a 4-part release:

Disney Treasures Collectible Cards

2003

Bandleader Mickey and Mickey the Tailor I don't have

Celebrating 100 years of Disney Magic

100 years from 1923, the date of Walt Disney's first company, would put this set in the year 2023. It was actually made in 2003, which misses the mark by 20 years. Counting back 100 years from 2003 puts us at 1903 which misses the birth date of Walt Disney by two years (December 5, 1901). So what event this set is supposed to memorialize is uncertain. Unless Walt Disney did something artistic at the age of only 2 years.

My only thought is that Upper Deck got lost in the controversy that always surrounds Disney dating. But why didn't Disney correct them?

Millennium Mickey I do have

Bobble Heads have title and dates on the base

Each Box Set comes with 4 packs of 5 cards each

Because I purchased two Box Sets this time, I got 40 cards. Only two were duplicates, so I have 38 original cards to add to my collection.

The layout of the cards were the same as the Winnie the Pooh Box Set that I purchased earlier, but I found the cards in the Mickey sets to be a tad better. Watch for each card in future posts entitled Upper Deck - DT Part Two and successive.

Figment in Space

2012-01-09T06:00:00.000-05:00

On a trip to Walt Disney World with friends, they surprised me with a Park Starz Vinylmation, which turned out to be the Haunted Mansion Bride.
They stayed a couple of extra days, and upon their return, they presented me with this:
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This Figment is from Park Series 7, representing Figment in his space suit from Journey Into Imagination.
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And he has his tail painted on.
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By artist Thomas Scott.
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I have some pretty great friends.
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Vintage Postcards

2012-01-08T13:00:00.013-05:00

Dear (whomever),

Having a wonderful time. Wish you were here.

Weather is great!

We'll be home on Tuesday.

Mickey and Minnie Keyrings

2012-01-08T06:00:00.001-05:00

A matching set

Today I'm featuring two small key rings that my mother bought for me recently. One is of Mickey Mouse and the other of Minnie Mouse.

Let's have a look:

Made out of Lucite

Do many 3 year olds have keys?

Made by Monogram International Inc.

The main company involved in this product seems to be Monogram. If you click this link, you'll see another collectible that I have by this company, but if you click the link under the picture above, you'll see their website where they carry the widest selection of Disney licensed properties anywhere! The site is well laid out and is bound to offer something in your favorite Disney franchise, including Kingdom Hearts, Tron, Dora the Explorer, Nightmare Before Christmas, and even Marvel.

This article also bears the logo of Insignia Trading, but this is the first time I've seen the company show up on a Disney licensed item. They're currently handling many Disney products, and you owe it to yourself to check out their site! It's kinda fun with many Disney characters popping up all over the place.

Brave Little Musical Figurines

2012-01-07T06:00:00.009-05:00

My favorite Mickey Mouse cartoon is "The Brave Little Tailor". Released in 1938, this was one of the last of the old, and in my opinion, best, style Mickey cartoons, before his retooling for "The Sorcerer's Apprentice".
To me, this is Mickey's finest hour. If you haven't seen it, it can be found on the Walt Disney Treasures: Mickey Mouse in Living Color DVD set.
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I have quite a few Mickey as The Brave Little Tailor collectibles.
I picked these 2 musical figures up while working at a Disney Store in the mid 90's.
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Mickey didn't battle the giant for 6 million golden pazoozas, he did it for the hand of Princess Minnie.
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Wind her up and Minnie plays "Someday My Prince Will Come".
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The killer of seven with one blow, Tailor Mickey.
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Mickey plays "When You Wish Upon a Star".
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Stop back in the coming year for even more Brave Little Tailor.
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Disney Color-Clings

2012-01-06T13:00:00.037-05:00

Window Decorations

These three fun window cling sets come from the Mickey Stuff for Kids line of merchandise. You can see the tell-tale logo in the upper left corner of each.

There are three different themes:

Sports / Beach / Celebrate

I was looking on Kijiji for Disney stuff when I came across an ad for two trunk loads of (what the seller called) Disneyland toys. I figured this was too good to be true, but followed up on the lead anyway. Turns out the objects were just Disney toys from both North American parks, but mostly from common retail stores.

They were actually being sold off by a flea market vendor in Kingston. I bought some hats, a bag for my wife, and these window clings.

Not a bad find, as I got 7 items for just $15.00 total.

Recycled Stars

2012-01-06T06:00:00.001-05:00

Hey, wasn't that...

Walt Disney wasn't one to leave talent sitting around. So you can usually see a core group of actors showing up in one Disney production after another. Now, you probably are familiar with the more obvious Stars of whom this is true, but perhaps the two I have for you today may have escaped your notice.

Davy Crockett and the River Pirates is a 1956 live-action Walt Disney adventure film starring Fess Parker as Davy Crockett. It was shot in Cave-In-Rock, Illinois. This film acts as a prequel to 1955's Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier and is an edited compilation of the fourth and fifth stories featured in the Disney television series Davy Crockett:

Davy Crockett's Keel Boat Race (first broadcast November 16, 1955)
Davy Crockett and the River Pirates (first broadcast December 14, 1955)

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Do you recognize the Indian below? He had a small part in the above movie:

Indian Chief / George J. Lewis

Don't be embarrassed if you don't recognize George J. Lewis in this cameo role. But perhaps you will recognize him in the next photograph:

Don Alejandro de la Vega / George J. Lewis

Yes, George J. Lewis starred alongside Guy Williams as Don Diego de la Vega's hot-headed father in the 1950's series Zorro. The picture above is from Season Two (1959). His role lasted just two years, but was a much more prominent one for the talented character actor.

The next example features a character that still lingers in Theme Park lore:

Mike Fink / Jeff York

Here we have 0 degrees of separation as this character also starred in Davy Crockett and the River Pirates as the famous Mike Fink, King of the River! He also went on to fame (without fortune) as the namesake for the Mike Fink Keel Boats attraction at Disneyland, which plied the Rivers of America from opening day until 1997.

As a side note, Wilson's Cave Inn (seen along the Rivers of America in Walt Disney World) also came from this movie.

But Jeff York wasn't done with Walt Disney yet! He reappeared for a long story arc in Season Two of Zorro:

Mountain Man / Jeff York

Zorro Meets the Mountain Man aired on March 19, 1959, and was one of the most entertaining story arcs of the series. Jeff York is an excellent character actor with a flare for creating memorable ruff-and-tumble men.

Our 0 degrees of separation is complete in that both men appeared in both series.

No doubt there are more examples to be found, and you just know I'll be watching every old Disney movie to find them!

Flea Market Find: Another Stuffed Figment!

2012-01-05T06:00:00.000-05:00

In the post entitled Flea Market Find: Stuffed Figment, I presented a stuffed Figment I found at the flea market.
Well, recently, I found this at the same persons table.
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Although it was marked $12, the woman recognized me, and remembered me asking if she had any more Figment. She had brought this just for me! The really wonderful part of this story, however, is she only asked me for $1 for it!
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Why does it have Disneyland on it's tag along with Walt Disney World? Did they sell Figment at Disneyland? Why?
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A little Disney magic at the flea market!
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100 Years of Magic in Glass

2012-01-04T06:00:00.000-05:00

In 2001-2002, Disney celebrated what would have been Walt Disney's 100th birthday with the 100 Years of Magic Celebration.
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McDonald's released this glassy, er, classy, set of glasses.
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Each of the four glasses featured a park icon, with movie and character trivia, and even a quote from Walt!
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This first glass features Spaceship Earth.
Park Trivia: EPCOT originally stood for Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow
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The Walt Disney quote: "Today we are shapers of the world of tomorrow."
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Movie Trivia: Buzz Lightyear said "To Infinity and Beyond" only 2 times in "Toy Story"
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Character trivia: Belle is the French word for beauty.
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The inside bottom of the glass.
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This glass displays Cinderella Castle.
Park trivia: Tinker Bell starts the fireworks nightly at the Magic Kingdom.
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The Walt Disney quote: "Fantasy...lies beyond the reach of time."
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Pinocchio had to be "brave, truthful and unselfish" to become a real boy.
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Dumbo's real name was actually "Jumbo Jr.".
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Bambi was taught that "twitterpated" meant falling in love.
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Park Trivia for this next glass: There are 325 animal carvings on The Tree of Life at Disney's Animal Kingdom
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The Walt Disney quote: "...nature herself writes the most interesting stories"
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Goofy-first known as "Dippy Dawg"-stars in "Mickey's Jammin' Jungle" Parade.
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"Simba" is the Swahili word for "lion".
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The outside bottom of the glass.
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Mickey's Sorcerer Hat at the Disney Studios is 122 ft. tall.
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"Kiss Me" were the only words ever spoken by Pluto.
Donald's middle name is "Fauntleroy."
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"...it was all started by a mouse." Walt Disney
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Here's to the next 100 years of Disney Magic!
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Tomart's Disneyana - Part Two

2012-01-03T06:00:00.002-05:00

Issues Seven and Nine Thru Thirteen

As I mentioned in Part One of this post, I'm missing issue eight. But starting with Issue Seven, Tomart's Disneyana entered it's second year of publication, being a bi-monthly magazine.

Now available on newsstands, each cover has an ugly bar code to mess up the photography or artwork. The magazine enjoyed an 86% re-subscription rate, and was committed to increasing it's circulation for 1995.

Let's look at the highlights:

Issue Seven

The anchor feature for this issue was a Carl Barks article with great pictures of some of his best comic book work; Hagen-Renaker Ceramics were covered well; merchandise from the new Gargoyles series was featured; Pop-up and Mechanical Books were briefly covered; and an expanded section of Classified Ads was included.

Issue Eight had a cover depicting the Disneykins line of merchandise.

Issue Nine

This issue starts out with a review of some fabulous Animation Art; but perhaps the best article involves the cover story about Cookie Jars; Alice's Wonderland Party at Tokyo Disneyland is covered; the Pocahontas Animation Discovery Adventure is shown, which was a mall tour designed to promote the upcoming movie; Disneyland Paris is covered in an article by Sebastien Durand; Home Video is promoted with glorious... VHS? Yup; and the issue is rounded out with Davey Crockett coverage.

Issue Ten

An incredible copious photo spread of more Borgfeldt Bisque Figures is the highlight of this issue; but Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas fills some impressive pages too; 40 Years of Adventures Disneyland has coverage of one of the Parks many birthdays; coverage of the Gene Autry Western Heritage Museum's show entitled Walt Disney's Wild West is included; and not to be missed are the many ads from advertisers, for these have some awesome pictures as well.

Issue Eleven

In the letters page of this issue, the WDCC Goofy's Grace Notes figurine is mentioned wherein it is noted (ha ha) that Goofy's ears are flying free on some figures, but attached to his shoulders on others. This was because of breakage, so the later figures had his ears 'pinned'; Zorro! Need I say more?; a Disneyana Convention Review for 1995 is included; they take us back to The Walt Disney Gallery for some stunning merchandise pictures; Linen-like picture books by Whitman and Kay Kamen are also featured.

Issue Twelve

The final issue of year two starts with more animation art; WDCC featuring the Reluctant Dragon; Cut Out and Punch Out books; page after page of Marx and Linemar Wind-up toys = magnificent!; a Christmas Past and Present section; and Rubber Stamp sets.

So in comes 1996 and Year Three for Tomart's Disneyana magazine:

Issue Thirteen

A new feature called Disneyland Licensed Merchandise appears in this issue filled with character and attraction items cleared for sale outside of the Park; Easter Egg Dye and Transfer kits; Enesco Ceramics; Seiberling Rubber Figures; the Toy Fair of 1996 is reviewed; and the issue concludes with a look at some Hunchback of Notre Dame merchandise.

I would love to have the rest of the issues of this magazine. But I'm not sure I could handle having to review them here! That was a lot of work. But it was fun to review them and see all of the great pictures, and seeing some of the things I own featured was a special treat.

My partner in crime (er... collecting) has the entire set of issues, so maybe with some encouragement we can get Nick to pick up the gauntlet and tackle Part Three and Four and Five and...

From the Attic: Lion King Buttons

2012-01-02T06:00:00.000-05:00

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Back before the pin collecting craze, there were buttons, and I collected them. I used to have a large piece of black felt that I hung them on. During one of my moves though, I took them off, put them in a jar, and never got around to hanging them back up.
They have recently been found in the attic, so I thought every now and again, I'd bring a couple out.
Since you can see some Lion King buttons, I will share those.
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At the Disney Store I worked at in the early 90's, we had buttons to promote movies, and introduce our guests to new characters. There was a little movie called "The Lion King" that was being released in 1994.
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It was about animals apparently.
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I had the great fortune to see it during it's Radio City Music Hall World Premier run.
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Look for more buttons from the jar in future posts.
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Disney Store Cast Member

2012-01-01T06:00:00.004-05:00

Interview and Merchandise

For those of you who haven't picked up on the few hints that my partner has dropped over the past two months, Nick once worked at the Disney Store.

This actual Disney Store, in fact!

The first Disney Store (then titled "The Disney Store") opened in Glendale, California on March 18, 1987. I thought it would be interesting to hear just a little bit about what it was like to work at, if not The Happiest Place on Earth, than perhaps at least A Very Happy Place:

How long did you work at The Disney Store?
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As this was over 15 years ago, my memory is a bit hazy, but I believe it was from the holiday season of 1993 to October or November of 1996.
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You worked every weekend during the '93 Christmas season. How crazy was that?
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I worked a few Christmas seasons, and they were all crazy! This was back in the heyday of the Disney renaissance, and while Disney is still popular, of course, it was just jammed from store opening to close. I left just before the '96 season.
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What awesome perks did you get as a Cast Member?
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Again, hazy, but I believe we got a 20% discount, and after 3 years, which I was just shy of, it would go to 30%. We also got 2 tickets to a Disney theme park, one at Christmas, and one mid-year, which came in cards "signed" by Michael Eisner.

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The best perk for me was the Resort discount. I stayed at what was then know as Dixie Landings, now Port Orleans Riverside for 50% off!

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Also, as a Cast Member, I could shop at the "Company D" employee stores, backstage at from what I recall was a couple of the parks, which offered some terrific discounts. I still have a denim jacket with the CMO (Cast Members Only) logo. I also still have a Donald Duck t-shirt.

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Were you able to pick up any Cast Member exclusives, or first picks, while you worked there?

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Because we got first look at the new stuff, I would often just buy new arrivals on the spot. Off the top of my head, I have a Mickey and Minnie musical figures collectible set, (some may call them dolls, I call them collectible figures!) from the Brave Little Tailor, my all time favorite Mickey Short.

More on these great collectibles in a future post!

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What's your best onstage story?
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The Disney Stores used to host a trivia contest, I don't know if they still do. You would go through I'm not sure how many stages, and the finals were in Disneyland!

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In 1996, I won our store's contest. The next step was to go on to a regional competition. Unfortunately, this was on the same weekend I had already booked for a trip to Walt Disney World, staying at the aforementioned Dixie Landings, which coincided with the 25th Anniversary of the park's opening on October 1st.

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It was a difficult choice, but I went with the trip to Disney World, and I'm glad I did. I got a look at the questions afterwards, and I wouldn't have done well. Imagine if I'd cancelled my trip and lost!

I think you made the right decision! Thanks for sharing your experiences!

So although that concludes our interview portion of the post, we still have more merchandise for you. Actually, only one last piece remains in reference to this post, and that is Nick's Name Tag. Something that only a select few will ever have:

Same style as the Park versions

Nick no longer remembers why he chose to go with 'Nicholas' instead of just 'Nick', but it is what it is now, eh? The Steamboat Willie pin was a gift for 1 year of service.

Official Disney

The Walt Disney Company still owned The Disney Store when Nick worked there. But from November 21, 2004 until May 1, 2008, Disney Stores in the United States and Canada were owned and operated by Hoop Retail Stores, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Children's Place, LLC.

Now Disney owns them again and is in the process of revamping and expanding the franchise by closing smaller stores and opening bigger ones.

This has made it almost impossible to find a good Disney Store location in Canada (at least near me in Ontario) but I look forward to the completion of the change over. Toronto should be getting a good location soon. I hope!

If you're reading this and are a Disney Store employee, why not say hello to us in the comments section!

Welcome to Year 3.5

2012-01-01T00:01:00.117-05:00

We're two and a half years old

Of course I'm talking about this Blog: Disleelandia, is 2.5 years old. So this is the beginning of Year 3.5 (or so.)

For our 1000th Post Celebration, we already changed the look of the site, most prominently by changing our Banner. And the viewers looked on and said:

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"We like it!"

And Year 2.5 also saw the introduction of a new contributor: Nick Maglio. From the amount of comments his posts have been getting, I can only assume you like that change too! You can revisit his first post here.

Things are purring along nicely now, so the only other change we're going to make is in the posting time. Now all first posts (after this one, of course) will appear at 6 AM, one hour earlier than in 2011. Early Birds can thank us later.

If we offer more than one post in a given day, the second will appear at 1 PM, the third at 6 PM, and a fourth at 9 PM. Usually, two posts will be a maximum, unless there is a special occasion.

So it only remains to say 'Thank you' to all our viewers and we hope that you will continue to share our love of Disney, Disneyana, and the disease known as: Collecting!

Oh, and we'll see you at 6 AM for a Special Post by the two of us.

P. S. - Whenever I spell check a post where I mention Nick, Blogger always wants to change his last name, Maglio, to 'Mowgli'. It always makes me smile!

Upper Deck: Villains

2011-12-31T07:00:00.027-05:00

I'm not sure I would have classified the March Hare as a Villain, but I guess he wasn't exactly a Hero either, was he?

That concludes our look at the Upper Deck Collectible Cards. I'm not likely to find any more from this old series.

Be sure to read the first post about these cards entitled Upper Deck Trading Cards.

Upper Deck: Heroes Part Two

2011-12-30T07:00:00.036-05:00

Interestingly, only the Wise Old Owl has a different picture on the back than the front. Why Upper Deck thought to do this only on some cards is unknown.

That concludes our look at the Heroes of the Disney Universe. The next Upper Deck post will cover the Villains.

Be sure to read the first post about these cards entitled Upper Deck Trading Cards.

Upper Deck: Heroes Part One

2011-12-29T07:00:00.022-05:00

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Each of these cards features a 'Hero' from the Disney Universe, and you may have been surprised at some of the choices. I like that thier 'first appearance' date is given.

Be sure to read the first post about these cards entitled Upper Deck Trading Cards.

Upper Deck: Miscellaneous

2011-12-28T07:00:00.001-05:00

Three themes

The first theme from the Upper Deck special Box Set that I will share is the Aladdin cards. This was done to commemorate (read: promote) the release of Aladdin on DVD in 2004.

Let take a look:

Each card in all the series has a story on the back

The next series is Winnie the Pooh. If you remember, the original movie was actually released as a series of Shorts, as it was felt that the individual stories couldn't support an entire feature length project. Later, someone had the brilliant idea of stitching them together, and so we have the longer movie available to us today.

WtP and The Honey Tree - 1966

WtP and The Blustery Day - 1968

WtP and Tigger Too! - 1974

It's amazing how much time elapsed between each Short!

The last series from the miscellaneous category is the Silly Symphony cards. The one I got features the Academy Award winner Flowers and Trees.

1932

The one complaint I might have about the artwork for this series of cards is that the picture on the back is just a smaller version of the picture on the front. But other than that, they are beautiful to look at!

Be sure to read the first post about these cards entitled Upper Deck Trading Cards.

Upper Deck Trading Cards

2011-12-27T07:00:00.001-05:00

Disney Treasures

'A Disney collector's dream come true' is how this Box Set is promoted. I'm not sure that it made any of my dreams come true, but it is pretty cool!

I resisted buying this for some time, but then gave in to my curiosity:

Four different figurines are available

I expected the PVC figurine to be cheaply made...

... I was right.

Made in 2004

Each Box Set comes with four packages of cards

Each package has five cards

The Upper Deck holographic logo

So I got twenty Collectible Cards and a PVC figurine for $15.00 total. There was no indication of how much these Box Sets cost new, but being as they are now seven years old, I suppose it wasn't a bad deal.

The cards are beautifully done, as you will see in future posts. They are divided into Hero, Villain, Filmography, Silly Symphonies, and Aladdin themes. Perhaps there are more themes, as the numbering is in the 200's!

The antique shop where I bought this has three more Box Sets, but they are from a different series, two featuring Mickey Mouse and the other featuring both Mickey and Minnie Mouse with a Christmas theme. I don't know how much longer I will be able to hold out and not buy at least the Mickey ones.

Probably not long...

Figment Bottle Opener and a Smile

2011-12-26T07:00:00.001-05:00

I try not to drink too much soda, but for special occasions, I will have my favorite, bottled Coca Cola.
And what better way to open this treat?
With a Figment bottle opener, bought at Epcot during my first trip in the early 90's, of course.
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Figment is enjoying a beverage himself.
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Now, please excuse me while I enjoy my favorite beverage.
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Walt Disney World's 20th Press Kit

2011-12-25T07:00:00.005-05:00

I don't know where I got this Walt Disney World 20th Anniversary Press Kit. I also don't remember what I paid for it.
What I do know is, it's a fascinating look at a very exciting time in Walt Disney World history.
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Let's turn the handle and see what pops up.
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Roger Rabbit! A character now sadly absent at Walt Disney World.
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Inside is a packet of information, and a small calendar covering park hours for the 3 gates at that time, The Magic Kingdom, Epcot Center, and Disney-MGM Studio from October 1991 to January 1992.
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The information included would make anyone interested in Disney park history, drool.
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An overview of some of the new surprises awaiting guests, such as "Spectromagic" and "Jim Henson's Muppet Vision 3-D".
20 reasons to visit Walt Disney World, such as "Surprise in the Skies" a daytime extravaganza above and around Epcot's World Showcase, and "Sorcery in the Sky", a fireworks display at Disney-MGM Studios.
2 pages of Milestones, Attendance Marks, and Attraction Opening dates.
Park statistics and employment info. 33,000 employees at that time!
Pricing. A one day ticket? $33. 4 day pass? $111. Annual Pass? $190!
Personalities available for interviews, such as Michael Eisner, Frank Wells, Jeffrey Katzenberg, and Roy E. Disney.
A list of the celebrities that would be in the "Parade of Stars" in the 20 Year Homecoming Celebration at Disney-MGM Studios. Stars such as, Sally Struthers, Art Linkletter, and Eva Gabor!
Golf Course info
Information about a new concept in family vacationing called the Disney Vacation Club.

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And if that wasn't enough, there is a plethora of 8x10 glossy photographs, with information on the back.
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The 20th Anniversary "Surprise" Celebration Parade.
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Dinosaurs, I confess, I never ever watched.
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Before it was Old Key West, it was the Disney Vacation Club Resort.
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Muppets!
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I hope Spectromagic returns soon!
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I had the great fortune to see most of the attractions described and shown here, and I must say, a lot of it is missed. The "Surprise" parade in the Magic Kingdom was amazing, and "Surprise in the Skies" at Epcot was also spectacular. And while I know "Fantasmic" is incredibly popular, I am not a fan of the crowds, and preferred "Sorcery in the Sky" at the Studios.
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Also included is a Vacation Guide.
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The back cover of the folder.
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I hope you enjoyed this trip with me down memory lane.
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