Post by Dave on Jun 19, 2020 14:45:59 GMT -5
Little-known facts about Disney history die-hard fans should know:
• Almost everything you see at Disney has a story behind it, including nods to closed attractions and notable cast members.
• Some of Disney's concepts never came to fruition, like a California ski resort and a West Coast version of Epcot.
• Disney hides many of its secrets in plain sight, like the "punny" names of the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad trains.
• Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.
Disneyland in Anaheim, California, was the first Disney park to open back in 1955. Since then, Disney has opened five additional parks and a variety of other themed travel experiences, and, along with them, a rich history that many visitors may never even notice without a little digging.
Although Disneyland's haunted mansion now boasts 999 happy haunts, when it opened in 1969 there was one more: the Hatbox Ghost.
While he did carry a hatbox, his true allure came from the ghastly effect that caused his head to disappear from his neck and reappear in the hatbox. Sadly, the effect never quite played out the way it was meant to and the ghost was removed less than a month after the ride opened.
The ghost's absence turned him into a bit of a legend, with most people believing he was simply too scary or that he never existed in the first place. Through photos, videos, and Imagineer accounts, the Hatbox Ghost's existence has been verified and in 2015 he was returned to his rightful home as part of Disneyland's 60th Anniversary Diamond Celebration. And, with today's more advanced technology, his scary effect goes off without a hitch.
In the 1960s, after the opening of Disneyland in California, Walt Disney set his sights on building a ski resort in Mineral King Valley. According to the OC Register, Disney did purchase the necessary land and was in the planning stages of building the resort, but the project was held up by locals and environmentalists who opposed the project. After Walt's death in 1966, the project was dropped.
It's not all bad news, though, because management shifted their focus to an even bigger project in Florida called Disney World. And those Country Bears who so happily perform at Disney World were planned to take up residence at the ski resort, making it technically one of the last attractions Walt Disney personally worked on.
It's hard to describe Disney World's Adventurers Club in Florida because there is really nothing on Earth to compare it to. Shuttered in 2009 along with the rest of Pleasure Island to make way for Disney Springs, Joe Rohde describes the Adventurers Club as part nightclub and part improv theater that never took itself too seriously. The idea for the club came to life when Rick Rothschild, Pleasure Island producer, attended one of Joe Rohde's many themed parties. After noticing the "eclectic nature" of Rohde's home — surely a result of his many world travels — Rothschild, along with Rohde and a team of Imagineers brought the Adventurers Club to life in 1989.
The club was themed after a 1930s club for world explorers, but it was much more than a place to grab a drink at the end of a long day at Disney. Throughout the evening, a (somewhat rowdy by Disney standards) cast of characters, including both humans and animatronic masks, would perform in different areas of the club.
There's an explorer's society with Easter eggs placed throughout the parks.
The first known appearance of the Society of Explorers and Adventurers, or S.E.A., was at Tokyo DisneySea. When guests enter the Fortress Explorations attraction, Attractions Magazine reports that they are given a map of the fortress and the different areas they can explore, with a short introduction to S.E.A. on the back.
Unfortunately, S.E.A's members are not real people so you won't be joining their wordly ranks anytime soon. You can, however, see the society's influence throughout many of the Disney parks, and also Aulani and Disney Cruise Line. The easiest-to-spot instance of S.E.A. at Disney World is the Jungle Skipper Canteen restaurant in Adventureland. The restaurant's proprietor is one Dr. Albert T. Falls, a S.E.A. member, and you can even dine in the S.E.A. room – a secret meeting place for the famed society.
More to come.
• Almost everything you see at Disney has a story behind it, including nods to closed attractions and notable cast members.
• Some of Disney's concepts never came to fruition, like a California ski resort and a West Coast version of Epcot.
• Disney hides many of its secrets in plain sight, like the "punny" names of the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad trains.
• Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.
Disneyland in Anaheim, California, was the first Disney park to open back in 1955. Since then, Disney has opened five additional parks and a variety of other themed travel experiences, and, along with them, a rich history that many visitors may never even notice without a little digging.
Although Disneyland's haunted mansion now boasts 999 happy haunts, when it opened in 1969 there was one more: the Hatbox Ghost.
While he did carry a hatbox, his true allure came from the ghastly effect that caused his head to disappear from his neck and reappear in the hatbox. Sadly, the effect never quite played out the way it was meant to and the ghost was removed less than a month after the ride opened.
The ghost's absence turned him into a bit of a legend, with most people believing he was simply too scary or that he never existed in the first place. Through photos, videos, and Imagineer accounts, the Hatbox Ghost's existence has been verified and in 2015 he was returned to his rightful home as part of Disneyland's 60th Anniversary Diamond Celebration. And, with today's more advanced technology, his scary effect goes off without a hitch.
In the 1960s, after the opening of Disneyland in California, Walt Disney set his sights on building a ski resort in Mineral King Valley. According to the OC Register, Disney did purchase the necessary land and was in the planning stages of building the resort, but the project was held up by locals and environmentalists who opposed the project. After Walt's death in 1966, the project was dropped.
It's not all bad news, though, because management shifted their focus to an even bigger project in Florida called Disney World. And those Country Bears who so happily perform at Disney World were planned to take up residence at the ski resort, making it technically one of the last attractions Walt Disney personally worked on.
It's hard to describe Disney World's Adventurers Club in Florida because there is really nothing on Earth to compare it to. Shuttered in 2009 along with the rest of Pleasure Island to make way for Disney Springs, Joe Rohde describes the Adventurers Club as part nightclub and part improv theater that never took itself too seriously. The idea for the club came to life when Rick Rothschild, Pleasure Island producer, attended one of Joe Rohde's many themed parties. After noticing the "eclectic nature" of Rohde's home — surely a result of his many world travels — Rothschild, along with Rohde and a team of Imagineers brought the Adventurers Club to life in 1989.
The club was themed after a 1930s club for world explorers, but it was much more than a place to grab a drink at the end of a long day at Disney. Throughout the evening, a (somewhat rowdy by Disney standards) cast of characters, including both humans and animatronic masks, would perform in different areas of the club.
There's an explorer's society with Easter eggs placed throughout the parks.
The first known appearance of the Society of Explorers and Adventurers, or S.E.A., was at Tokyo DisneySea. When guests enter the Fortress Explorations attraction, Attractions Magazine reports that they are given a map of the fortress and the different areas they can explore, with a short introduction to S.E.A. on the back.
Unfortunately, S.E.A's members are not real people so you won't be joining their wordly ranks anytime soon. You can, however, see the society's influence throughout many of the Disney parks, and also Aulani and Disney Cruise Line. The easiest-to-spot instance of S.E.A. at Disney World is the Jungle Skipper Canteen restaurant in Adventureland. The restaurant's proprietor is one Dr. Albert T. Falls, a S.E.A. member, and you can even dine in the S.E.A. room – a secret meeting place for the famed society.
More to come.