What a wonderful day I had with Renie Bardeau, pouring through some of the historic photographs he took during his 39 year career with Disney! I’ll post his interview in the near future!
Historic Disney photographer
Category Archives: Disneyland Resort
Snapshot Sunday: Monsters, Inc. at Disney California Adventure
Today’s photo is a scene from the Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue! attraction in Disney California Adventure. Disney sure has seemed to have perfected the art of making you feel like you’re in the middle of one of their animated films, and the Monster’s Inc. attraction is chock full of beautiful scenes!
Shooting in dark rides is a challenge. Using a flash is not only frowned upon by Disney but it would totally wipe out the carefully chosen lighting of the scene. Just look at how the characters pop out in this scene, thanks to the lighting. I wanted to capture the characters, but it was also important to capture the doors which are much more dimly lit.
I chose an ISO of 3200 which I thought was the lowest I could go. The difference between 3200 and 6400 can be quite noticeable with this camera, and although you would see a bit of grain if you blow this up to poster size, it’s relatively low for such a high ISO. In rides, I almost always want to use the lowest aperture simply because it gives me the chance to use a higher shutter speed which works well when you’re moving on a ride. The first time I went through this I tried a shutter of 1/125 and this scene was just too dark for that. Although I was in a moving vehicle, I know the characters weren’t moving much so I took a gamble and tried a bunch in this scene at 1/60 and this one came out really well.
Give it a try, and if you get any monstrously good photos, share them with me!
Feel free to write or comment if you want any more details about the photos, such as settings I used, etc.
Disney’s music man Stan Freese retires after 43 years
After 43 years, Stan Freese is retiring from Disney today. Stan began his career in the Walt Disney World band for the resort’s opening in 1971 and he became their first band leader! He soon moved to Disneyland where he led the Disneyland band and even fronted his own Disneyland big band at Carnation Plaza Gardens. Stan is retiring today as the director of talent booking for Disneyland.
I’m so grateful to Stan, not only for his friendship and all that he’s done for me over the years, for which I’m so grateful, but also for his support of Mouse Clubhouse! He’s responsible for a number of the interviews you see on here, and has been so kind to let me record some of his own stories, despite that there’s no way I can share some of them with you until he’s loooong retired from Disney! 🙂 You can read Stan’s interview here.
One of the things I love about Stan is his attitude – he’s just fun! I’m sharing a video below from a day where Stan and I were wandering around Disneyland, visiting some of the groups he hired, and we went over to the historic Tomorrowland Terrace stage, and the next thing I know, Stan pulls out a harmonica and is up on the stage with the band. And the crowd loved it! It’s such a wonderful memory for me, too!
Stan is truly responsible for helping to shape Disney entertainment as we know it today, and Shani & I wish him all the best in this new adventure in his life!
Interview: Lee Fugal (Disneyland’s “Golden Horseshoe Revue” entertainer)
I just posted my interview with Lee Fugal on my Mouse Clubhouse website. In this conversation, Lee discusses his time as the pre-show entertainer for Disneyland’s famed Golden Horseshoe Revue, and how he ended up in an episode of Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color. CLICK HERE for the interview and more photos
Jack Lindquist, Disneyland/Disney World marketing genius has passed away
We’re so sorry to hear about the passing of our friend Jack Lindquist. We’ll sure miss getting together with him and hearing his wonderful stories, but we’re pleased to share some of them with you below! He was truly Disney royalty!
Jack Lindquist was Disneyland’s first advertising manager, beginning in 1955. He continued with the company in marketing for Disneyland. Walt Disney World and international Disney resorts. His many accomplishments include the creation of the Disneyland Ambassador program, the creation of the Walt Disney Travel Company, the international waters ceremony for the opening of the it’s a small world attraction, Disney Dollars, and in 1990 Jack became the first president of Disneyland.
Below are links to four conversations I had with Jack, that I think you’ll really enjoy!
LISTEN: Jack’s pre-Disney days in Hollywood
LISTEN: The opening ceremony for the class it’s a small world attraction
LISTEN: Creating the Walt Disney Travel Company
LISTEN: The opening of Walt Disney World; World Showcase; Jack’s work philosophy
Also, LISTEN to Jack and others talk about their experiences at Disneyland on opening day
Interview: Jack Lindquist (The opening ceremony for “it’s a small world”)
I just posted my interview with Jack Lindquist on my Mouse Clubhouse website. In this conversation, Jack discusses how he came up with the idea for the very unique grand opening of the classic it’s a small world attraction at Disneyland. CLICK HERE for the interview and more photos
Vintage Disney California Adventure photos
Since today, February 8, 2001, is the 15th anniversary of Disney California Adventure, I thought I’d post some of my old photos from when it first opened. It sure has evolved since then! Even the name used to have “Disney’s” instead of “Disney.” Bountiful Valley Farm became A Bug’s Land. The ABC Commissary Soap Opera Bistro became the Animation Academy, and Toy Story Midway Mania was not even a thought yet. The photos below might bring back a few more memories for you.
Upon entering Disney’s California Adventure, you would find yourself in Sunshine Plaza, which included the “Greetings from California” shop. The music was themed to… (ready for it?) California!! You might hear the Al Jolson hit, “California, Here I Come,” “San Francisco Bay Blues” by Peter, Paul and Mary, or “Surfin’ USA” by the Beach Boys. Today, this is all Buena Vista Street, themed to 1920s Hollywood, when Walt Disney first came to California.
At the end of Sunshine Plaza was the park’s icon, the “Sun Icon.”
Where “Silly Symphony Swings” spin today, Guests originally got swinging in the “Orange Stinger.”
Today, the Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue attraction transports Guests to Monstropolis, but when California Adventure opened, you could board a “limo” through Hollywood for the big premiere of your new movie.
Inside Superstar Limo, Guests traveled through a stylized Hollywood, seeing the likes of Drew Carey, Cher, Tim Allen, Whoopie Goldberg and, as pictured above, Regis Philbin. This was, after all, the height of the “Who Wants to be a Millionaire” game show craze.
Where the Little Mermaid resides today, was the Golden Dreams theater, offering Guests a short recreation of the history of California.
Through projections, Whoopie Goldberg was seen as part of the theater’s decorations, and served as the host and narrator of the “Golden Dreams” film.
As I mentioned before, when California Adventure opened, it was the height of the “Who Wants to be a Millionaire” craze, so at the Hollywood Studios Backlot, next to Superstar Limo, you could see a recreation of the popular game show, and Guests were chosen to be contestants.
What would a Disney park be without a parade? Disney’s Eureka! The California Adventure Parade featured floats representing many of the cultures in the Golden State.
Over in Paradise Pier Guests could board the Maliboomer, to be launched 180 feet high.
While California Screamin’ has remained, the theming has changed a little, and Mickey is now found on Mickey’s Fun Wheel. The photo above displays that attraction when it was still the Sun Wheel.
Interview: Sonny Anderson (His career as Disney’s talent booker)
I just posted my interview with Sonny Anderson on my Mouse Clubhouse website. In this conversation Sonny discusses his Disney career starting as a drummer in the Disneyland Band in 1956 and becoming a legendary talent booker for Disneyland and Walt Disney World. Disneyland’s director of talent booking Stan Freese joins me for additional insight. CLICK HERE for the interview and more photos
Star Tours debuted on this day in 1987
A long time ago… Star Tours took flight at Disneyland with a 60 hour party! It was on this day in 1987 that Guests were first able to hop aboard a Starspeeder 3000 for an exhilarating trip to Endor, even if that meant waiting in a line which stretched from Tomorrowland, down Main Street, and past the Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln theater. The new attraction replaced Adventure Thru Inner Space, and rather than inner space, would now blast off Guests to outer space. Although the lines for the popular new thrill ride subsided throughout the sixty hours, Guests were also able to enjoy such things as the new Captain EO 3-D film, eat at the all new Big Thunder Barbecue, enjoy the new Golden Horseshoe Jamboree stage show, or get caught up in the upbeat Totally Minnie parade. Although the new updated Star Tours: The Adventures Continue debuted five years ago, here are some of my photos I took back when the original was just five years old.
Interview: Peter Marshall (Career and music; Hollywood Squares; Big Bands at Disneyland)
I just posted my interview with Peter Marshall on my Mouse Clubhouse website. Peter Marshall reminisces about his career as a big band singer, actor, and television and radio host including “Hollywood Squares” and “Big Bands at Disneyland. CLICK HERE for the interview and more photos