my disney collection blog

Happy 2012

2011-12-30T17:44:00.001-08:00

Christmas Goodies 2011

2011-12-27T13:50:00.000-08:00

Mrs. MyDisneyCollection was very kind to me on Christmas Day. I received "The Archive Series: Layout & Background" (hardback; 274 pgs). This is the fourth book in the Archive Series. Each of these books focuses on a specific portion of the animation process. These books are very light on text and just let the drawings due all the talking. Also, in the same vein, I received "The Art of Pixar: The Complete Colorscripts and Select Art From 25 Years of Animation" (hardback; 320 pgs). Another gorgeous book that details the story line of Pixar films and Shorts in pastel drawings. And, finally, a collection of 100 postcards from the Toy Story trilogy.

PDL X3

2011-11-14T16:05:00.001-08:00

I recently picked up three different Hallmark PDL postcards thanks to Ken and his amazing collection.

Trapped On Treasure Island

2011-10-23T07:45:00.000-07:00

Several months ago I posted about a new collection of daily Mickey Mouse comic strips. Well, volume 2 is now available. (Trapped on Treasure Island. hardback, 312 pages). Like Volume 1, this volume does not disappoint. It's jam-packed pull full of lovingly restored daily strips. Some of the strips are definitely a product of their times. My only complaint is the color choice for the cover. Green? Seriously? And, not even a good shade either.

Poster Postcard

2011-10-15T08:02:00.000-07:00

I love it when Disney embraces their history. Currently, there's a collection of merchandise that features Disneyland attraction posters. Of course, I had to pick up the postcard.

Four Color Donald

2011-09-17T08:32:00.000-07:00

BOOM! Comics has published Vol 1 of "Disney's Four Color Adventures" (paperback; 160 pgs). In an earlier post I talked about their publication of "Comics and Stories Vol 1". Both books are very similar in that they explore the very early days of Disney comics. And, both books are similar in that the printing quality isn't the best. But, I'm still looking forward to further volumes when the story lines start getting further developed and the comics weren't just reprints of daily strips.

Magical Hotel

2011-08-29T16:44:00.000-07:00

Don Ballard, who probably knows more about the Disneyland Hotel than the Disney Company does, has written another book. (Disneyland Hotel 1954-1959: The Little Motel in the Middle of the Orange Grove. Paperback. 136 pgs). Like his first book, this one is also jam-packed full of vintage photos. (Actually, I think this one contains more photos.) The last time I checked, this book was not available at Amazon, but you can purchase it directly from Don's web site. A must-have for fans of early Disneyland history.

Mary's Small World

2011-07-24T08:13:00.000-07:00

The Disney Gallery in Disneyland is currently featuring an exhibit of the artwork from Imagineer Mary Blair (small world, Peter Pan, etc). Of course, there's lots of available merchandise to purchase. I picked a collection of 14 postcards that come packaged in a tin. The entire collection of cards can be see here (near the bottom of the page).

Comics and Stories

2011-07-08T16:07:00.000-07:00

I picked up another book dedicated to reprinting early comics. This one is from Boom Studios (Walt Disney's Comic and Stories Archives Vol. 1 softback, 160 pgs) and features comics from the very first edition of Comics and Stories. I have a soft spot in my heart when it comes to Comics and Stories. I still have a pretty large collection of these from my youth. So, when I found it they were going to be reprinted, I jumped at the chance.
First, the good. It does bring back a sense of nostalgia reading this book. It's about the same size of a comic book and even contains reprints of some of the ads and puzzles that were featured. It was also cheap, or rather, inexpensive. I picked up my copy on Amazon for about $11.
Now, the bad or not so good. I found out why it's only $11. The printing quality isn't the best. There's even a comment in the forward that the editors are creating a "facsimile" reprint. The colors in the book come off a little dull and some of the text is not very crisp.
If you're a fan of early Disney, I would still recommend it. Volume II should be out later this summer.

Quick Trip Report and New Postcards

2011-06-23T18:33:00.000-07:00

Just got back from a Father's Day weekend to Disneyland - no place I'd rather be. Of course, we had to take in Star Tours 3D. Rode it five times in two days. In a word, AWESOME. I also picked up the new Star Tours postcard folder. The folder comes with ten cards attached by a perforated edge. (There's actually only nine cards, but they count the back cover as a card.) You can see the whole collection here near the bottom of the page.

We also ventured over to DCA to ride Little Mermaid. It's an absolutely gorgeous building - beautifully themed inside and out. I thought the attraction was very well done, although I've heard people complain the ending wraps up too quickly.

Race to Death Valley

2011-06-08T17:04:00.000-07:00

I think we might be entering another golden age of comics. Or should that be, a golden age of comic reprints. I just picked up "Mickey Mouse Race to Death Valley" (hardback, 288 pgs). These are reprints of daily comic strips from the 1930s by Disney legend Floyd Gottfredson. Between now and the end of the year, I think there are at least five books coming out that we feature old, classic Disney comic book stories. If you're a fan of early Disney, or early Mickey Mouse, or just comics, this book is a must have.

Walt Before Mickey

2011-05-01T09:03:00.000-07:00

I picked up, yet another, biography of Walt Disney. (Walt Before Mickey: Disney's Early Years, 1919-1928; hardback 340 pgs.) This book is unique in that if focuses on Walt's very early career. I thoroughly enjoyed reading "Walt in Wonderland"and hope that "Early Years" is just as good. But, to be perfectly honest, I tend to loose interest quickly when reading Walt biographies - it's a subject that's been ccompletely exhausted.

Toad

2011-05-01T08:24:00.000-07:00

During the 1980s, the Disney Gallery produced a small run of unusual postcards. Most of them were cards featuring concept artwork of attractions. But, we also got some unusual cards, like Mr. Toad pictured as Blue Boy and Pinkie.

Diorama-orama

2011-04-22T13:56:00.000-07:00

Sometimes you just get lucky.
I've got a very large postcard collection. Over 1,100 cards at last count. There's not very many cards that I still need. And, the ones I do need are pretty rare and come at a hefty price. So, when a rare / uncommon card appears on eBay, I don't hold my breath.
But, every now and then, I'll score a rare card, in great condition, at a great price.

WOC PC

2011-03-08T07:51:00.000-08:00

I picked up a new postcard from the Resort. Chalk this one up to "better late than never". World of Color opened in June 2010 and it took almost nine months to produce a postcard. But, it's nice to see the use of real photos. This postcard also features the new California Adventure logo.

Working With Disney

2011-02-08T08:29:00.001-08:00

I picked up Don Peri's latest book - Working With Disney (paperback; 183 pgs). I guess you could call this a sequel, or volume II, of Don's previous work Working With Walt. Don was fortunate to interview many of the Disney artists who worked with Walt Disney. Within the pages are stories of what it was like to work for the Disney Company during the Walt era. These books are fun to read as every artist had their own personal insight into who was Walt. Plus, you really don't need to read the book in order; you can jump around and read any chapter.

Multi Resort PC

2011-01-31T10:50:00.001-08:00

I picked up a brand-new postcard. This card is a bit unusual in that it features attractions from both Disneyland and DCA. And, in a little bit of jumping the gun, also features the brand new Little Mermaid attraction (which isn't scheduled to open until Spring).

WD Family Museum

2011-01-23T15:31:00.000-08:00

I took a very quick trip to the Walt Disney Family Museum this week. (Saw Diane Disney Miller hanging out in the lobby). I picked up their latest book "Picturing The Walt Disney Family Museum" (hardback, 96 pgs). This book relies heavily on images of the galleries and displays in the museum while their first book, "The Walt Disney Museum: The Man, The Magic, The Memories" was mostly a biography of Walt Disney. I also picked up some new postcards.

Harbor Blvd

2011-01-20T12:53:00.001-08:00

I typically don't collect unofficial Disneyland postcards but I just had to pick this one up. I took my very first trip to Disneyland in the summer of 1969. I remember driving down Harbor Blvd and seeing the Matterhorn rising in the distance. You could spot this landmark from blocks away. Now, this view is obliterated by high-rise hotels, DCA and Space Mountain. This postcard just reminds me of a simpler time.

Happy 2011

2011-01-15T17:48:00.000-08:00

I realize we're already two weeks into 2011, but I didn't pick up the new annual postcard until today.

Goofy About Disneyland

2011-01-12T10:15:00.001-08:00

I'm still plugging away at completing the set of Art Corner postcards. I just picked up the "I'm Just Goofy About Disneyland" card. I think I still have about a half-dozen more cards to go in this set.

Archive Series: Design

2010-12-28T20:14:00.000-08:00

In what's become an annual event, Disney released the third in a series of books. The Archive Series: Design (hardback, 256 pgs). And, in another annual event, Mrs. Disneycollection got it for me for Christmas.

If you're a fan of animation, these books are "must haves" in your collection. The first one released was "Story" in 2008 followed by "Animation" in 2009. The books are very thin on text but are just jam-packed full of drawings, many never published before.

Merry Christmas and a New Postcard

2010-12-23T14:39:00.001-08:00

Just got back from a very wet and soggy trip to Disneyland. Three days of record rainfall, but we still managed to have a great time. Didn't do a lot of shopping on this trip. Only picked up one brand new postcard (seen above). I'm pretty sure this is a new image - I don't remember seeing it last year.

And, to all Disneyana fans, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

New Postcard Folder

2010-10-15T07:28:00.000-07:00

My fellow Disney collecting buddy, Mike, just returned from Disneyland with a bag-full of goodies for me including a new postcard folder.

The ten cards in this collection are all black and white or sepia-toned. Eight of the cards are contemporary with the ninth card being an old photo of Walt Disney which was probably taken in the early 30s. While the side binding states that there are ten cards, the last one is actually the back of the folder that shows all the cards and also contains the UPC code. I wouldn't count this one as a usable card. The cards can be removed by tearing along the perforated edge that links them together.

A pretty cool collection of cards. My only complaint is that the backgrounds in the photos are nondescript which allows Disney to sell the cards in any of their theme parks. The backs of the cards are actually stamped "Disney Parks". The entire collection can be seen within this group.

Vault of Walt

2010-10-04T18:31:00.000-07:00

I picked up The Vault of Walt - Unofficial, Unauthorized, Uncensored Disney Stories Never Told (paperback; 478 pages) written by Jim Korkis (or more commonly known by his pen name on MousePlanet; Wade Sampson).

Jim strings together many stories about Walt Disney by placing them within four different sections of the books: Walt, The Films, The Parks and Miscellaneous. The stories are rather short and the themes are very familiar, but Jim is able to flesh out details and expand on topics that other authors have probably ignored.

It's a fun read. And, each story is self-contained. You can read the book from beginning to end, or hop around.

Pixar Treasures

2010-09-27T18:53:00.001-07:00

Mrs. Disney Collection ordered me this book as a Christmas present last year. Amazon contacted her and said the publication date had been delayed (again and again and again). Much to my surprise, we got an email stating the book was on its way.

Was it worth it waiting almost a year for delivery? Well, I don't know about that, but the book is pretty darn cool! Like The Disney Treasures, The Disney Keepsakes and The Mickey Mouse Treasures, the book fits in a slip-case. Within its pages there are replicas of never before seen art and ephemera from Pixar's history. (For a company who's medium is based mostly in digital, it's surprising the amount of paper stuff they can offer).

These books are extremely cool and I highly recommend any of them.

Chip n Dale from the Art Corner

2010-09-06T08:07:00.000-07:00

I'm still plugging away at adding Disneyland Art Corner postcards to my collection. I just picked up a card featuring Chip n Dale.

Postcards From The Art Corner

2010-08-14T10:11:00.000-07:00

I picked up a couple of Disneyland Art Corner postcards. These feature flicker images on the front of the cards.

Two Joes

2010-08-10T17:00:00.001-07:00

As a general rule, I don't buy biographies. I'd rather read about the entire artistic process rather than the contribution of a single artist. But, for the release of "Two Guys Named Joe" (hardback, 192 pgs), I made an exception.

First, it's written by John Canemaker; a highly respected author in Disney circles, and secondly I found the concept rather intriguing. It's actually a double-biography following the careers of Joe Grant and Joe Ranft. Grant was 97 when he died in 2005. Ranft died the same year but was only 45.

Joe Grant was an early player in Disney history and was involved with films such as Snow White, Pinocchio, Fantasia and Dumbo. Joe Ranft was on the other end of the timeline. His career straddled both Disney and Pixar. He was a storyboard artist for Nightmare Before Christmas, Toy Story (1 & 2), Bugs Life, Monsters, Inc and Cars.

I've just started reading this book, but so far, it's a great read.

Disneyland Goodies Part 2

2010-07-21T06:57:00.000-07:00

I just got back from a whirlwind trip to Disneyland. Had to check out the new World of Color. In a word; AWESOME! And, it just so happened, I was also there for the 55th birthday.

In the previous post, I commented that I wanted a Disneyland Before and After book. Something that had pictures taken from the same vantage point but separated by many years. Jeff Kurtti, Disney author extraordinaire, posted on my blog that such a book was indeed coming. Of course, this was now number one on my shopping list. I had no trouble finding the book within the Park. It's available at many different locations.

"Disneyland From Once Upon A Time To Happily Ever After" (paperback 64 pgs) is jammed full of photos, color and black and white, and has minimal text. (In a book like this, it's best to let the pictures due the talking). We do get great shots of early Disneyland compared to the 21st Century Park, but the special treat is that so many of the early photos contain images of Walt. With a Park that has 55 years under it's belt, I'm sure there's plenty more pictures laying around for another book. This is a sequel I'd love to see.

I also picked up a couple more postcards. There are two new cutout postcards. Mickey is posted above and there's a matching Minnie Mouse too. I also noticed that Disneyland isn't using spinning postcard racks anymore. I believe there was only two locations where cards were displayed in this manner.

Disneyland Goodies

2010-06-22T11:53:00.001-07:00

My fellow Disney collecting buddy, Mike, just returned from Disneyland and brought me a bunch of goodies.

In addition to several single postcards, he also returned with a new postcard folder (seen above). This "new" collection of cards is really a disappointment. And, I use the term "new" loosely as several of the pictures included are several years old. First off, we get a picture of Fantasmic that was taken in 1992 - this picture was part of the original press package and actually includes details that aren't even part of the attraction. There's also a picture of Space Mountain that was taken before it was repainted white in 2005. Disneyland has also produced several fantastic firework shows, but we just get this nice boring shot. And, with the current trend in Disney postcards to leave people out of the pictures just makes the Park look lonesome and empty. It's not difficult to produce excellent looking postcards. Disney has some very talented photographers on staff. It's just that the people behind the real photo postcards must have no interest in publishing accurate, artistic or current images.

Next up, is the book "Disneyland Through The Decades" (hardback 160 pgs - also seen above). Looking at Disneyland since its beginning is not a new theme. The author, Jeff Kurtti, even points out in the forward that this subject has been covered many, many times. Just off the top of my head I can think of several books such as Randy Bright's brilliant "Disneyland: The Inside Story", "Disneyland: The Nickel Tour" (which is probably still the gold standard on Disneyland history books) and the official "Disneyland: Then, Now and Forever". While "Through The Decades" is an entertaining book, it's not exactly ground-breaking.

I'm still waiting for someone to produce a photographic before and after book.

3D PC

2010-06-06T06:24:00.000-07:00

In 1966, Disney produced a very small series of oversized 3D postcards. There were only four different cards in this series. There was a character shot aboard the Omnibus outside City Hall, the obligatory shot in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle, a rather odd shot from the Monorail and the posed shot above taken in Frontierland. While the other three cards feature famous Disney characters (and two of the cards include a Tour Guide), this Frontierland card features models trying to set the mood from a bygone era.

I've had the other three cards for quite a long time. It wasn't until recently that I finally tracked down the missing fourth card. And, it wasn't until I had it in hand that I noticed the plants in the foreground are fake. Most likely dragged over from the Flower Mart on Main St.

While putting this postcard away, I decided it was time for a recount. It had been about six months since the last time I counted my postcards. I've now got 1220 postcards! Good thing they're pretty easy to store.

More Imagineering

2010-05-18T20:40:00.001-07:00

I just received my latest package from Amazon - "Walt Disney Imagineering. A Behind the Dreams Look at Making More Magic Real". I don't know whether to call this a reprint of the 1996 edition; an expanded edition or Volume II. Whatever term you choose, it doesn't disappoint.

This is your basic coffee table book - over sized, hardback and coming in at almost 200 pages. And, it's jam-packed with illustrations and photos. As I stated many times before, I'm a sucker for concept artwork and behind the scenes photos. When the first edition came out, Disney had six theme Parks. Now, in 2010 the count is at 11 (If my math is correct) and a couple of ocean liners. That's a lot of updating that needs to take place.

These books aren't divided by Parks, but rather are broken-up by concepts. The current book has the following sections: Theory, Tools and Portfolio. Yeah, the chapter headings don't make a lot of sense, but that really doesn't matter. These books are all about the pictures.

Just Got Back - New Postcards

2010-04-17T14:25:00.000-07:00

I just got back from a trip to Disneyland which means a new batch of postcards. Nothing too spectacular in this group of six new cards. We keep seeing the same views over and over. Although, we now get a small world postcard featuring an interior view of the new Disney character based dolls.

I also created a What's New folder to make it easier to link to the brand new cards.

Cast Member Trading Cards

2010-03-07T13:07:00.001-08:00

It's been a long time since I've added some Trading Cards to my collection and these were one of those stumbled upon finds.

During the 50th anniversary, Upper Deck produced a series of official trading cards. It turns out, there was also an exclusive set produced for Cast Members (although not quite the same quality as the mass-produced cards). I recently picked up 45 of these cards. I'm guessing this is an incomplete set. It would makes sense that there would be 50 cards in all. Also, it appears that they kept going after the 50th as I also have two cards from 2006 (in a slightly different format).

If you know anything about these cards including the total number of cards in the set, or have any information to share, or extra cards you'd like to get rid off, I'd love to hear from you.

Trading cards can be found here. The most recent addition are at the bottom.

California Adventure Postcards

2010-01-29T16:02:00.000-08:00

When the billion dollar addition / remodel was announced for Disney's California Adventure, I thought I better get on the ball and start grabbing up postcards before the landscape changed dramatically.

Recently, I picked-up three very unique postcards. Each of the cards is designed to look like the label of a fruit crate and features the sections of DCA. There's also some not-so subtle hidden mickey's in the images. Also, these postcards are stickers so that you can create your own fruit box.

I thought this was a clever bit of marketing to link the new Park with California's history in agriculture.

Disney Princess Art

2010-01-18T08:06:00.000-08:00

I picked up another book from the "Art Of" series - well, I don't know if these can be called a series, as the titles seem to come out in a very randomly. Anyway, it's "The Art Of The Disney Princess" (hardback: 176 pages). These books usually follow the same format. Artists focus on a single subject while at the same time reinterpreting the subject in a manner very different from its original form.

I thoroughly enjoyed the first book in this series - The Art Of Mickey Mouse from 1991. This book is the standard of this series in that it contains a wide variety of artists, including Andy Warhol, and artistic styles.

The second book, The Art Of Winnie The Book 2006, was a bit of a dud. I think the subject matter was too limited to get a wide variety. After all, you can't get a lot of facial and body variations from a stuffed animal.

Which now brings us to the Princess book. I have to admit that I bought this book because I collect books. I really wasn't driven to it by the subject matter. But, I was surprised by the content. While some of the artwork looks like it came directly from Disney products, the remaining artwork really pushed these Disney woman into a different light.

Birthday Double Dip Book Update

2010-01-10T19:10:00.000-08:00

One of the nice things about having a birthday so close to Christmas, is that I get to capitalize on all the Fall book releases. One of the bad things, is that I get behind in my reading. Well, I guess that's really not a bad thing.

Two new books have arrived. First up, is "The Art of The Princess and the Frog". Disney has been producing these books for years, and they're a joy for anyone who is a fan of concept art or who really enjoys the process behind creating an animated film.

The second book is "The Archive Series: Animation" (the sequel to the 2008 "The Archive Series: Story"). The Archive series books are very thin on text, but are just jam-packed with drawings.

Christmas Double Dip Book Update

2009-12-29T08:35:00.001-08:00

Mrs. Disneycollection got me two new books for Christmas. First up is "South of the Border with Disney". The book retells the stories behind the trips to South America as part of the Good Neighbor Program, which was initiated and guided by Nelson Rockefeller as head of the Coordinator of Inter-American Affairs (CIAA), a new government post created by President Roosevelt in 1940. Fans are probably more familiar with the results of this trip. The two films Saludos Amigos and The Three Caballeros.

I also received a copy of "Wally Boag: Clown Prince of Disneyland" (an autographed copy, no less). Wally spent 27 years of his career working at the Golden Horseshoe in Disneyland and was there on opening day. The book follows his life from birth to the current day - yep, Wally is still with us. And, the best part is the book is jammed with photos. Currently, this book is only available thru the Wally Boag web site.

Guess I'd better get busy reading.

More Mary

2009-11-28T06:35:00.001-08:00

I picked up the third, and probably the last, concept art book of Mary Blair. This one details Mary's work on Peter Pan (Hardback, 64 pages). The other two books are Cinderella and Alice in Wonderland.

This book, like the others, uses the artwork during the development of the film to retell the story. Those familiar with Mary's artwork know that her drawings are simple, but at the same time, richly detailed. The text of the book is written by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson. Most likely chosen to tie-in with the latest release in the Peter and the Star Catchers series.

Of course, if you're a huge fan of Mary Blair, there's also her biography, The Art and Flair of Mary Blair.

Museum Companion Book

2009-11-21T08:39:00.000-08:00

I finally received the companion book to the Walt Disney Family Museum (The Man, The Magic, The Memories. Hardback, 96 pages). When I first visited the Museum back in September, this book was not in stock; then it was delayed, etc.

The book is laid out in the same manner as the museum - it follows the timeline of Walt Disney's life. While there is accompanying text, there's nothing earth-shattering here and the comments are quite brief. What makes this book a gem, is that it's jam-packed with rare photos. Many of the same photos viewed at the museum. This book was most likely sent to press before the museum was completed as it only contains one page of concept art of the museum itself.

Browsing through this book makes me want to plan another trip.

The Hidden Mouse

2009-10-22T13:55:00.000-07:00

There's another guide book (The Hidden Mouse, paperback 118 pgs) available about the Hidden Mickeys of the Disneyland Resort. For those of you who do not know about this phenomenon, Disney Imagineers often place a silhouette of Mickey's head within an attraction or elsewhere in the Disney Parks. The majority of the hidden Mickeys take the shape of three circles. A larger circle for the head and two smaller circles for the ears. What makes tracking down hidden Mickeys difficult is that they are often in places or areas that are not easily visible and Disney has no official list of where they are located. Documentation and cataloguing are left up to the fans.

The Hidden Mouse is not the first book to catalogue Hidden Mickeys. Stephen Barrett's Hidden Mickey's has been out for a number of years and has gone through several editions and covers multiple parks. So, since we have two books covering virtually the same subject, a side by side comparison is in order.

Page Count: Hidden Mickeys - 96 pgs; Hidden Mouse - 118 pgs (both books are in paperback)

Photos: Hidden Mickeys - none; Hidden Mouse - at least one color photo per page

Coverage: Both books cover Disneyland, DCA, Downtown Disney and Park Hotels

Writing Style: Barrett's Hidden Mickey's is written as a scavenger hunt leading you on a path through each land. This book reads better if you're standing in Disneyland. Joyce's Hidden Mouse is written in an informative style. He also includes some hidden Mickeys that probably should not be included and gives well thought-out reasoning why. Joyce also includes trivia about attractions.

It'll probably come down to readers choice on which book to buy, but I tended to enjoy The Hidden Mouse better due to the photos.

Three New Disneyland Books

2009-10-21T08:21:00.000-07:00

Greetings everyone. I just got back from a trip to Disneyland which was all decorated for Halloween. The Halloween Screams fireworks show was the best pyrotechnic display since the 50th celebration, but the Ghost Galaxy overlay on Space Mountain was just so-so. Anyway, I picked up three new books.

The first is Disneyland Challenge (seen above). This spiral-bound paperback book comes in at 128 pages. It's part guidebook and part trivia challenge. It's an interesting read but I feel that the Imagineering Field Guide to Disneyland is a better book.

Next up is Finding Nemo in the Disney Theme Parks. This was an interesting concept. The authors go from Park to Park to see how the characters from Finding Nemo are used in attractions. (paperback; 24 pages)

And, finally we have Windows On Main Street (paperback; 24 pages). A book that is long overdue. As any Disney fan knows, those names that appear on the windows of the shops on Main St. are real people. Quite often the description features a play on words or a personal hobby of the person being inshrined. This book contains photos of the windows and description of the persons contribution to Disney and the story behind the window. The back of the book also contains a map of Disneyland and Walt Disney World where each window is located. But, on the downside, the book is incomplete. The map lists 63 different windows at Disneyland, but the book only details about half of those. (An even worse ratio for Walt Disney World.) Also, the photo quality of the windows is horrible. Quite often there is shadow or glare across the window so the description is not readable.

Walt Disney Family Museum Preview

2009-09-28T10:34:00.000-07:00

I had an opportunity on Sunday to visit The Walt Disney Family Museum in San Francisco through the D23 Preview weekend. Here's my first impressions, both good and bad:

Signage: Being a Northern California native, I knew how to get to the Presidio without any problems. But, once on the grounds, direction signage for the museum is almost non-existent. Driving directions provided by the Museum web site just link you directly to the Presidio web site which weren't that good. Once you find the museum, the sign out front is pretty small. (I realize this isn't Disneyland and I shouldn't be looking for some gigantic landmark such as Space Mountain to find my way. I just feel this is an area that needs improvement.)

Parking: Tons of free, self-parking right in front of the Museum.

Staff: During our visit there was was a ton of very friendly and informed staff members on hand. The Museum also did an excellent job with the pacing. Never at any time did I feel that I couldn't view any of the exhibits and displays due to crowding.

The Building: The Museum is housed in three old barrack buildings that were constructed in the 1890s. While the outside of the buildings show charming simplicity in their brick structure, the inside is completely modern. The buildings are also interconnected, so you never have to leave one building to enter another. At one point, you walk along a hallway with a glass wall and an absolutely stunning view of the Golden Gate Bridge. The weather was absolutely perfect during our visit offering a breathtaking view.

The Displays: Having a very extensive Disney book collection, I often see the same photographs over and over. I would estimate that for every one photo I recognized in the Museum, there were 10 that I had never seen before. The displays also range from traditional museum displays to very high-tech, user interactive. The Museum is laid out in a timeline of Walt Disney's life. And, as with any timeline, no time travel is allowed. (You can't skip rooms). My favorite room has to be the era between mid 1950s to mid 1960s (Mickey Mouse Club, NY World's Fair, Disneyland, etc.)

Gift Shop: This is probably my only really true negative. While the Gift Shop was stocked with very unique items, I over heard the employees say several times "That's our last one" or "We're sold out". Also, the companion book for the Museum will not be available until mid-October. This is an area that will need some fine tuning right away.

I'll definitely be going back.

The Disney Song Encyclopedia

2009-09-04T09:07:00.001-07:00

I added another book to my ever-growing collection - The Disney Song Encyclopedia (Harback: 350 pages). I'm a sucker for reference books, so when I saw that this title was available I knew I'd need to pick up a copy.

I've just begun to make my way through it's pages, but so far it doesn't disappoint. This book contains every single song used in a Disney production, (shorts, full-length animated, live action, theme park and Broadway shows from 1930 to present day - at least I assume it's every single song. I'm going to have to take the authors word on that one.) Songs, of course, are listed in alphabetical order with each entry containing notes about who wrote the music and lyrics, where the song appeared (some songs have been used multiple times) and any historical notes behind the song.

But, it doesn't stop there. The back of the book is loaded with appendices:

Appendix A: Alternate Song Titles

Appendix B: Song Writers Directory

Appendix C: Sources and Songs

Appendix D: Guide To Recordings, Videos And DVDs

Appendix E: Academy Awards For Disney Songs and Scores

Keep Your Childhood Toys!

2009-09-02T13:16:00.000-07:00

It's no secret that I'm an eBay fanatic. One of the things you quickly discover, is that your childhood starts flashing before your eyes. I can't tell you how many times I've stumbled upon an item I used to have from my childhood. Some of the listed items are in horrible condition while others appear brand new. But, it still brings the same response - Why did I get rid of it? Well, sometimes I got rid of those toys by choice. Other times, it was so completely destroyed from hours of play, or misuse, that it had to be discarded. (I melted an entire set of plastic cars in our backyard incinerator. Of course, there's also the time I cut the head off an army man by using a razor blade. Also, cut the tip of my finger off too. But, I digress).

One of the things that I've still held on to from childhood are my Hot Wheels and Matchbox cars collections. I started collecting Hot Wheels the first year they were available - 1967. I continued this hobby into the early 1970s. I treated my Hot Wheels very well. (Unlike Sid from Toy Story). I never took them outside and only played with them in my Hot Wheels sets. I actually got annoyed when other kids would smash their cars together. Sometime in the late 1970's my Hot Wheels went into deep storage in mom's attic. When I got my own home, versus an apartment, mom said it was time to get your stuff out of the attic. So, the Hot Wheels moved into storage in my own home.

Sometime around the year 2000, I decided to price my collection. I figured 30 years had gone by, and some of the cars were sure to have gone up in value. I was shocked to find out that I was sitting on a rare 1967 White Enamel Redline Custom Camaro. At the time, I didn't do anything with that car. It just continued to stay in storage.

Recently, I got to thinking about selling the car. I starting doing my homework, reading price guides, talking to other collectors, scouring the internet. Any type of collector will tell you that research is SO important whether you're a buyer or seller.

Well, today I finally sold the Camaro. Being a gentleman, I can't devulge what I sold it for. But, I can tell you it's time to go shopping for a new camera.

Postcards From The Disney Gallery

2009-08-22T11:05:00.001-07:00

This postcard is from a series that were available in the Disney Gallery. (For those that do not know, the Disney Gallery was located on the second floor above Pirates of the Caribbean in New Orleans Square in Disneyland). The original series of twenty cards were produced to commemorate the artwork that was on sale. I don't know if you can really call these postcards. They were produced in a wide variety of non-standard (square, rectangle and very small) shapes, and printed on lighter weight stock than regular postcards. But, they do contain a stamp-box in the upper right corner, so I guess they're technically postcards.

I'm slowing making my way in acquiring all of these cards.

SHAG Does Haunted Mansion

2009-08-13T09:40:00.001-07:00

SHAG, or more commonly known to his parents as Josh Agle, has created another series of postcards for Disneyland. This set of 14 cards (13 unique images - you get two of the card pictured above) comes packaged in a cool looking tin. Those of you with good memories might remember he did three postcards for the Tiki Room anniversary and a variety of images for Disneyland's 50th anniversary. Just click thru to see the other images in this group.

Hallmark Teacups

2009-08-12T20:06:00.001-07:00

I'm still plugging away at filling in the missing Hallmark postcards from Disneyland (also known as the PDL's). I've just added my 19th card from this series. Only nine more to go.

Little Known Facts

2009-08-05T07:42:00.001-07:00

It seems like I've been trying to track down this book for the past year. Every time I find it on Amazon, it quickly disappears within the week. But, while roaming Barnes and Noble last night, Mrs. Disney Collection spotted a copy on the bargain table. My joy in finally finding a copy were quickly dashed as I started digging into the details.

Little-Known Facts About Well-Known Places: Disneyland comes in at exactly 200 pages. With one "fact" per page that brings us in at about 190 facts. Nothing new is presented in this book. We've all seen these secrets and behind-the-scenes knowledge presented in other forums before. There were several times in which I raised an eyebrow and asked "Is this true?" and there are a couple of facts that are flat-out wrong. The author also strays away from facts and ventures into rumor and speculation in several postings.

Once I spot a single error in this type of book, I begin to doubt everything else that's been presented. Also, the book contains no bibliography therefore making it impossible to double-check the "facts".

Disappointing.

Disneyland Hotel Bags

2009-07-13T09:38:00.001-07:00

A good friend of mine has combined a hobby with a passion and come up with some very good results. Those of you who have stayed at the Disneyland Hotel might recognize the fabric used in these bags (see photo above). These bags come in a wide variety of sizes and feature different Disneyland attractions. (And, don't worry - the fabric was obtained legally).

I've seen these bags up close. Her craftsmanship is excellent. Go check her out on Etsy.

Postcard Cheats

2009-07-11T11:52:00.000-07:00

I hate it when the Disney Company gets lazy. Case in point, the above Fantasmic! postcard that was available for purchase at Disneyland. This card contains images of Jafar, as the snake, from Aladdin, Hades from Hercules and Scar from the Lion King. The only problem is that none of these characters appear in the Disneyland version of Fantasmic! Either this card was originally intended to be sold at Walt Disney World and they just stamped Disneyland on the front thereby allowing it to be sold in both Parks. Or, somebody in the Art and/or Marketing Depts was too lazy to actually research the art work.

Geez.

Issue: Last

2009-07-07T14:15:00.001-07:00

I got the very last edition of the E-Ticket magazine in today's mail. I going to savor every last word...

Happy 4th

2009-07-04T07:02:00.001-07:00

Happy Independence Day! Keep It Safe and Sane.

Disney A to Z

2009-07-02T12:33:00.001-07:00

I have numerous 2nd and even 3rd edition books in my collection in addition to the original 1st editions. Quite often these later editions just contain new covers, corrections of some typos or some pictures are swapped out. This is probably the reason I've been dragging my feet on purchasing the 3rd edition of Dave Smith's Disney A to Z.

The 1st edition of Disney A to Z is usually my "go-to" book when I need to look something up. And, to-date, it has not failed me. On a recent trip to Disneyland, I noticed a copy of the 3rd ed. and couldn't help noticing the size difference between the two books. According to the inside flap it contains "almost 1000 new entries and more than 1,250 changes to existing entries." And a quick check of the page count has the 1st edition coming in at 564 pages while the 3rd is up to a whopping 764 pages.

Maybe I won't be so quick to judge later editions.

Return From Disneyland

2009-06-27T09:29:00.001-07:00

Just got back from a trip to Disneyland. One of the longest trips I've taken in a long time (5 days, 4 nights).

Souvenir hunting was poor - well, at least for this collector. The above card is the only new postcard I purchased. (I did pick up a few older cards to fill-in some gaps in my collection). I didn't return with any new books. Disneyland hasn't published a new Guide Book since 2005.

I did find a brand new watch in the store on Main St. (I've forgotten the name of the store) that took over the old watch store. I'm really picky about my watch requirements (silver, black strap, pie-eyed Mickey AND his hands have to move).

Several new things happening at the resort:

-Magical Fireworks. I really liked this show and the addition of the Flying Dumbo is very cool. But, I'll probably be comparing every new fireworks show to the 50th anniversary show: Remember Dreams Come True. That show, was absolutely brilliant.

-Fantasmic! A couple of new enhancements: A new Croc in the Peter Pan scene who is much more articulated. Flotsam and Jetsam have also been added to the Ursula scene. Alas, still no much-advertised, brand-new Dragon in the finale.

-Electrical Parade. Tink now leads off the Parade and all the floats have never looked better.

40th Anniversary of First Disneyland Trip

2009-06-13T05:46:00.000-07:00

Today marks the 40th anniversary of my first trip to Disneyland - June 13, 1969.

I don't remember a lot of details about that trip, but here's what I've been able to piece together.

We left the Monterey Peninsula bright and early. It was about a 350+ mile drive down Hiway 101. I think it was on this trip that my Dad, or brother, taught me how to read a map. I had a beat-up copy of a California map and I'd follow our progress by coloring our path in pencil. I remember hitting L.A. and just being floored by how hot it was. (The temp. on the Monterey Peninsula rarely gets above 75). We checked into our hotel (most likely it was a motel - one of those tacky places on the outskirts of the resort). I remember seeing the Matterhorn clear as day as we approached. It felt like you could see it from miles away. I also enjoyed another first - a dip in the motel pool.

The next morning we had breakfast at one of the local eateries - probably Denny's or Sambos. Then, it was off to Disneyland. We parked our car in the massive parking lot; took the Disneyland Tram to the front entrance and made our way thru the turn-styles. And, there it was, just like I'd seen it on TV - all those Sunday nights of watching Wonderful World of Color.

This is what we probably rode:

-Disneyland Railroad (which became a tradition in many future trips that we would ride the train first)

-Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln

-America The Beautiful

-Adventures Thru Inner Space (which scared the crap out of me. I never rode it again)

-People Mover

-Rocket Jets (Might have been this trip, or the next trip in 71/72)

-Carousel of Progress

-Fight to the Moon

-Submarine Voyage

-Matterhorn (my first roller coaster experience was either the Matterhorn or the Giant Dipper in Santa Cruz, CA)

-Small World

-Tiki Room

-Mark Twain

-Mine Train

-Pirates of the Caribbean

-I have a foggy memory of a Big Band performing at Carnation Plaza (It might have been Buddy Rich). But, what did I know? I was nine years old. I had no interest in jazz.

-I think we were all impressed with the cleanliness and line management having spent most of the summers of our youth attending local county fairs where efficiency is hardly the norm.

Things we didn't ride/do. Keep in mind this was during the era of A-E tickets. You quite often had to make decisions about what to ride/not ride.

-Main St. transportation

-Monorail

-Skyway

-Autopia

-Motor Boat Cruise

-Fantasyland dark rides

-River transportation other than Mark Twain

-Tom Sawyer Island

-Pack Mules

-Jungle Cruise

-Swiss Family Robinson Tree House

-Haunted Mansion (we missed the opening of Haunted Mansion by two months!)

-Pirate Ship Restaurant (in all the times that I went to Disneyland between the late 60's and early 80's, I never set foot on the tuna boat).

-Take enough pictures. I think my dad took about 8-10 black/white pictures.

We're off to Disneyland in a couple of weeks. Too bad we couldn't have been there on the exact anniversary.

Concept card makes 1100

2009-06-12T10:53:00.001-07:00

A couple of milestones reached in today's post. The above card makes the last concept card I've been searching for. I now have all 23 concept cards. For those of you who didn't know, the first series of postcards produced for Disneyland all used artwork from the development process rather than actual photographs.

The above card also makes the 1,100 postcard in my collection.

whew.

Update: Back to Bloggin'

2009-06-10T15:09:00.001-07:00

In my last post, about a month ago, I blogged that I would be taking down my web site. Who knew that something as simple as that could turn into a month of headache.

Step 1) Cancel my web hosting service (Hello, Yahoo?) and start removing all the content from the site. In less than 24 hours my site was completely gone.

Step 2) Move all the content to a photo hosting service. I had already backed-up all the images from my site to my hard drive, so having deleted them via the web hosting dashboard was no big deal. I decided to go with Picasa since there was already a direct link with Blogger. (You can find all of my collection here.)

Step 3) Move all my family photos off Picasa. I wanted these two parts of my life hosted in different places. This process took much longer than I thought.

Step 4) Start blogging again. I fired up Blogger and boy, was I in for a big shock. All the images and links that I had used all pointed to my old web site. So, for the past week I've been repairing broken images.

Hopefully, I've got everything in working order now.

Goin' 404

2009-05-09T12:54:00.001-07:00

Well, after about five plus years of running my web site, mydisneycollection.com will go the way of the SkyWay, Adventure Thru Inner Space and the Pack Mules. I've decided it's time to retire the site. Effective June 1, 2009 the site will be no more.

I could find a service that would host the site for free in exchange for a boatload of ads, but that's not I want to do with this site. And, I always get annoyed at all those old, abandoned sites that litter the internet.

But, I'll still continue to run this blog.

thanks,

tom

Disneyland Stamp Book 1956

2009-05-01T11:17:00.001-07:00

I've been collecting Disney ephemera for years, and I'm still amazed at what you can find. Case in point, the Disneyland Stamp Book (seen above). Here was an item that was meant to be torn apart and used.

This book contains 50 stamps of Disneyland and each stamp was to be removed from it's place in the front of the book and stuck in its appropriate section among the pages. There are also numerous black and white drawings throughout the book that were meant to be colored. (It even says right on the front of the book - "drawings to color".)

I've often asked myself, why would somebody buy a souvenir like this only to stuff it away in a drawer for the next 50+ years. Well, somebody's lack of interest becomes my great find.

I also believe this is the only official Disney publication that features a photo of the Phantom Boats. I would like to show-off more pictures of the stamps, but I'm afraid of breaking the binding during scanning.

Piles o' Postcards

2009-03-09T09:30:00.000-07:00

You know, I actually started collecting Disneyland postcards by accident. It was the mid 1990's and after years of purchasing random Disneyana items, I started focusing on books. I was strolling through a local antique store, looking at their collection of Disneyana, when I saw the postcard of Walt Disney (see above). I thought it was cool, but it seemed just a little expensive for a paper item. Well, the next day, I received my copy of The Nickel Tour in the mail. Anyone who's a fan of Disney, Disneyland, Disney history and postcard collecting considers this book the Holy Grail. Of course, I rushed right out the next day and picked up that postcard of Walt. (The Nickel Tour has catalogued this card as Disneyland postcard #1).

So, now what? I've got one postcard and about 2000 to go. Well, I guess the first step was to register with eBay. And what do you know, there were a ton of Disneyland postcard collectors out there. Then, I discovered one of the new employees at work was not only a Disney fan but a postcard collector. (It's always fun to brag and share with a fellow collector.)

I still felt overwhelmed with what was available. That anal, completest side of me wanted every single card, but I felt I needed to filter my collecting just a little bit. So, at first I started collecting just cards that featured closed attractions. Then, I had a goal of collecting cards between #1 - #100. Then, it was just cards in the landscape format. (What was I thinking! I guess I had some random thought about how to display them). Then, it was just cards in the 3.5" x 5.5" format - No cards after 1985.

The trouble with buying cards off of eBay is how the seller groups them. Yes, some sellers will sell cards in single lots, but a lot of the time cards are sold in batches. And, it was usually from this experience that I started expanding my collection. So, no more filters - I just opened up the flood gates.

While The Nickel Tour has done an excellent job of cataloging and sorting all of the cards between 1955 and 1999, that wasn't the end of the story. Disney still continues to produce new cards every year (although not quite in the same volume of cards in the early years). I've met both Roger Le Roque and Nick Farago - the guys behind the checklist featured in The Nickel Tour - at postcards shows. Unfortunately, there is no interest in publishing a revised 3rd edition that would feature cards after the year 2000.

I really avoided buying any new Disneyland postcards. Without a checklist, how would I know what order to put them in; how would I know which cards I was missing? But, I finally decided that too much time had gone by. There was never going to be another checklist to work from, and I better start filling in those gaps in my collection.

I may not been quite so picky about my postcard collection, but I'm still very picky about what Disneyland pins I buy.

Disneyland Guide Book 1956

2009-01-27T10:43:00.001-08:00

I picked up the 1956 edition of the Complete Guide to Disneyland. In the first two years that Disneyland was open, this is the third, completely different format. The first edition featured concept art work as Disneyland was virtually under construction until opening day and there was no time to include actual photos. There was a second Guide Book, also published in 1955, but this one was basically a collection of photos that were already available as postcards.

With the 1956 Guide Book, Disney would lock-in to a format that they would keep for many years. The Guide Books in the early years weren't jammed packed with information. This edition only comes in at 26 pages. But, what is included are gems for Disney collectors. The Crane Bathroom of Tomorrow, The Flight Circle, and we also get concept art for Rainbow Caverns Mine Train, Tom Sawyer Island and Storybook Land (seen below).

A Pair From Mary Blair

2009-01-17T06:33:00.000-08:00

During the 1990s, Disney produced a series of books using artwork from the archives from films that were never made. We got a look at Chanticleer and the Fox, The Steadfast Tin Soldier (which eventually made its way into Fantasia 2000), The Emperor's Nightingale and Jabberwocky.

Now, we get a twist on this idea. Disney has published a new series from familiar films, but using the artwork from a single artist. This time around we get the artistic stylings of Mary Blair. (Disneyland fans may know her as one of the leading designers on it's a small world, and really old Disneyland fans will remember the Mary Blair mural in Tomorrowland). These books are a treat to look at, especially Cinderella, as her vision was often quite different from the finished product.

Watercolor Postcards

2009-01-12T11:16:00.000-08:00

During the 1960s, Hallmark produced a series of postcards for Disneyland. (Collectors refer to these as PDLs due to the serial number that appears in the stamp box.) In addition to a nice collection of standard views there was also four watercolor cards.

Above is the entrance to Adventureland. There was also a card depicting the entrance to Frontierland and a nice view of the Flower Carton Main St.

I'm still missing the watercolor card of Sleeping Beauty Castle.

Alchemy of Animation

2009-01-06T09:13:00.000-08:00

Don Hahn, Producer of Disney films such as Hunchback, Lion King and Beauty and the Beast has penned a book on the process of creating an animated film - The Alchemy of Animation.

The subtitle of the book is "Making an Animated Film in the Modern Era" so the focus is more of the current process rather than during Walt's time. The book also explores the multiple types of animated films such as hand-drawn, computer generated, puppets/stop-motion and performance capture. Even though the focus is on the current creative process, the past isn't ignored and is often cited in examples.

And, animation fans will love the fact that it's jammed-packed full of color illustrations.

Disneyland Field Guide

2009-01-06T09:11:00.000-08:00

Mrs. DisneyCollection got me the following birthday gift - The Imagineering Field Guide to Disneyland.

Being a west-coaster, and an ardent Disneyland fan, I'm always annoyed when the Florida Parks get a series of books before we do. Both the Hidden Mickey series and the Field Guide series were first published for WDW before we got one.

Anyway, on to the book review. The Field Guides are actually written by the Imagineers. So, we're getting details, from what one would hope to be, the ultimate authority on theme parks. The book is broken into lands, and each land has details on the majority of attractions. For such a tiny book (it measures roughly 4"x 8") it is full of details. I have found myself saying multiple times, "I didn't know that".

My only complaint is that the pictures in the book are rather small. There's a fabulous painting of an early design for Indiana Jones in which the mammoth show building actually houses three attractions. When this picture is shrunk down to two inches, all of the hidden details are lost. But, the great text makes up for the itty-bitty pictures.

Spiral Bound Postcards

2009-01-01T12:54:00.000-08:00

My first post of 2009. Happy New Year everyone!

I added a third spiral bound collection of postcards. Judging from the scenes included, I'd peg this as the second one in the series and published sometime between 1955 and 1959. These collections measured in at about 4" x 2.75" and contained 10 different scenes with the Hi-lites collection containing 12 scenes.

The first one (seen below) was actually copyrighted 1955. The third one (Hi-Lites) contains photos of both The Matterhorn and the Submarine Lagoon which would put this one sometime after 1959. All of the scenes depicted in these series can be found produced in standard postcards.

The Archive Series: Story

2008-12-29T07:45:00.000-08:00

Santa paid me a visit.

I received the latest coffee table book from Disney Editions. It's very thin on text - there's only an introduction from John Lasseter, but it's jam-packed - 224 pages - full of storyboard art from Steamboat Willie 1928 to Lilo and Stitch 2002.

As I've stated before, I'm a sucker for any type of concept art. Whether it's early designs for theme park attractions or character development sketches from the latest animated film. Animation fans will truly enjoy flipping thru this book. There's an amazing amount of detail in some of these drawings.

I only have one or two small nitpicks. I would have liked to have seen more sketches that occurred early in the development process. The pictures that are included in the book are almost identical from the scenes that made it into the movie. Although, the Alice In Wonderland sketches are completely different from the final product. Also, all the films details (animator, director, etc.) are listed in the back of the book. I realize this allows for a cleaner layout, but I found myself flipping back and forth to find out more about each film.

Happy Holidays

2008-12-24T10:27:00.001-08:00

Happy Holidays to the entire Disney online community!

Vacationland 1959

2008-12-10T09:24:00.001-08:00

As I noted in the previous post, I've started hunting down copies of Vacationland. These magazines often appeared in the hotels surrounding Disneyland. Today, we have the Fall 1959 issue featuring the brand new Monorail, Matterhorn and Motor Boat Cruise on the front cover.
And, we have the Spring 1959 issue with a shot of Town Square on the cover. This view is practically unchanged today. A lot of the Main Street tenants have changed, but the buildings have remained virtually the same.
I also included a scan of one of the interior pages. We get some great shots of the World Clock, Frontierland Mine Train, Rivers of America (with the original mill before the huge Fantasmic stage was built) and some cool shots of The Viewliner and the Tomorrowland lagoon.
You might also notice that the covers of these issues were stamped Jack & Jill Motel. The woman who sold me these issues commented that the motel was owned by her parents. That's them in the above postcard. The Budget Inn currently sits on this site today.

Obsessive Collector

2008-11-27T10:42:00.001-08:00

Things have been kinda slow here at the blog. I've gotten to the point in my postcard collection where I'm only adding about a new card a month (if that frequently). And, I also haven't added any old books in quite awhile. My wife and I have an agreement that we won't purchase anything for ourselves after Veterans Day. (That tends to make Christmas shopping just a little bit easier). So, you probably won't see any new books posted for awhile too.

So, what's a Disney collector to do? You start expanding your collection. While hunting for both postcards and books on eBay, I've purchased some random lots. Most likely an assortment of items from a family trip. Included in those lots are copies of Vacationland - the Disney published magazine that appeared in surrounding hotels. Each issue was usually 80% Disneyland with the remaining 20% covering other things to do in Southern California.

Stay tuned as I start adding more issues.

Worlds Fair Part III

2008-11-06T09:04:00.000-08:00

I picked up a third postcard (Part I, Part II) from the 1964/1965 New York World's Fair. This one featuring The Ford Rotunda. The back of the card states "This unique building has a glass rotunda with 64 towering pylons at one end and a large exhibition hall at the other. It contains a variety of exhibits, a number of which were designed by Walt Disney."

The Nickel Tour included this description of the attraction. "What visitors lived through - in twelve minutes - was the whole story of mankind (and dinosaurs-kind, too) from it's very beginning in the steaming jungles of prehistory through the discovery of fire and the invention of the wheel. Caveman peered out from behind the rocks and giant dinosaurs towered above the trees as guests rode along the Magic Skyway in the modern-day comfort of a real Ford convertible. Just ahead lay the future, through a room filled with multicolored wheels that marked the entrance to "Space City".

What really made this attraction unique was its Magic Skyway feature. Guests didn't board your basic theme park vehicle. They actually rode in the latest Ford cars that were pulled along a track.

Alas, at the end of the World's Fair, Ford ended their sponsorship with Disney and the only part of this attraction that made its way to Disneyland were the dinosaurs that ended up in the Grand Canyon Diorama on the Disneyland Railroad.

Disneyland 40 Years of Adventures

2008-11-04T10:40:00.000-08:00

This 1995 edition of the Disneyland Guide Book actually turned out to be very difficult to track down. I've found numerous copies of the 93 edition, but for some reason the 40th anniversary edition alluded me - until now.

In comparing this edition to the previous 1993 edition, the front cover stays the same but drops the words "The Original" and adds the "40 Years of Adventures" logo. Indiana Jones gets a two-page spread. The short-lived Aladdin's Oasis is added. The One-Of-A-Kind shop in New Orleans Square gets bumped (although the text remains). It's A Small World goes pastel along with numerous other photos changes in the Fantasyland section. ToonTown goes from a single photo of concept art to two-pages of photos. Gone are photos of Mission to Mars and the Sky-Way buckets. The Disneyland After Dark loses two pages.

There's also an alternate version of this edition in which the 40th logo is replaced with a generic logo.

Sleeping Beauty Jumbo

2008-10-31T09:08:00.000-07:00

The postcard seen above marks my 34th Sleeping Beauty Castle postcard. And, if you add in all the character postcards that were photographed in front of this Disneyland icon that brings the total up to 55.

This postcard also marks a new series that I've started working on adding to my collection. In addition to producing the standard 3.5" x 5.5" postcard, Disneyland also sold jumbo sized cards. These were available in a 6" x 9" format. The bulk of the jumbo cards were just blown-up versions of the regular cards, but there was also some unique cards.

One of the main reasons I started putting my collection online, was just to keep track of my what I had. Too many times I bought duplicates because I couldn't remember exactly what I owned.

Worlds Fair Part II

2008-10-15T09:09:00.000-07:00

Picked up another 1964/1965 New York World's Fair (Part I here) postcard featuring General Electric's Progressland. Disneyland fans will come to know this show as The Carrousel Of Progress. When the attraction moved to Disneyland, it was stilled sponsored by GE and the architecture of the building was slightly modified.

As a kid, this was one of my favorite attractions. I was thrilled at the use of Animatronics and the fact that the theater rotated was just mind-blowing. (I was nine and easily impressed). For years I would sing the brilliant Sherman Brothers "There's A Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow" song, but there was always one part that I just couldn't remember. When the internet finally showed up, I was finally able to stop mumbling missing verses and find all of the accurate lyrics. I also remembered seeing Progress City, (Walt Disney's scale model of an urban utopia), but for the longest time I couldn't remember where I had seen it. With the publication of the Nickel Tour, my memory was finally cleared as I discovered that the Carrousel building had a second floor which housed Progress City. But, alas Carrousel of Progress would be replaced by America Sings - a show that I never really embraced. Then, we had a period of inactivity (ten plus years of no show?) to be replaced by the awful Innoventions.

Here's hoping something great will soon move in.

Secrets Of The Mouse

2008-10-13T09:49:00.000-07:00

Here's another attempt to provide the Disneyland fan with some insider information. While not quite as detailed a book as The Unofficial Guide to Disneyland it's still an entertaining read.

The book is broken into three sections. The first, and biggest part of the book are the attractions (listed by land). Each attraction is broken-down into the following sub-sections: About The Attraction, History, Behind The Scenes and Quick Facts. There are pictures (black and white) on almost every page.

There's also a section on Hidden Mickey's. While some hidden Mickey's are very obvious (once spotted), I always have a problem with any three circles, ovals or circular blobs being identified as a hidden Mickey.

The final section are Queue Games - things to pass the time while winding your way thru the maze of guests. These defintely go beyond the basic I-Spy games and will acquire quite a bit of attention to detail.

Secrets of the Mouse is the perfect size book for jamming into your backpack and reading during downtime at the Park.

For another review, check out the DisneyGeek.

Small World at the NY World's Fair Postcard

2008-09-06T12:14:00.000-07:00

Not quite a Disneyland postcard, but definitely a piece of Disney history. This postcard details the Pepsi-Cola Pavilion at the New York World's Fair 1964-1965 which housed Walt Disney's It's A Small World. The building was rather plain looking - not quite the Mary Blair inspired facade that we have today. Out front, there's a nice view of Rolly Crump's Tower of the Four Winds. Unfortunately, this piece of artwork was not included when Small World made the move out west.

In addition to the Small World exhibit, Disney also provided three other shows for the fair. General Electrics Progressland which featured the Carousel of Progress; Ford's Magic Skyway (only a small portion of this attraction was used later in Disneyland), and of course, the state of Illinois Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln.

I realize many people aren't big fans of It's a Small World, but the technology used in this attraction, that is the ability to move 1000s of people thru the building in boats, was later adapted for The Pirates of the Caribbean. Prior to the World Fair, the yet to be built Pirate ride was to have been a walk-thru exhibit.

Donald, His Nephews and Uranium

2008-08-29T09:51:00.001-07:00

The other day I'm watching TV (yeah, big shock) and a battery commercial comes on. In the commercial a woman is frantically looking for her wayward son. She whips a device out of her purse and is able to track his location. Cut to happy ending.

Besides thinking this commercial was a little creepy, it also reminded me of a Donald Duck comic. Donald has taken Huey, Dewey and Louie camping, and in the height of laziness, he attaches uranium buttons to the tops of their caps (see above scan) so that he can track them with a scintillator. (yeah, I had to look it up.)

Could you just buy uranium during the 50s?

Imagineering Legends

2008-08-27T12:44:00.000-07:00

It's finally here! After waiting and watching Amazon for almost two plus years, Jeff Kurtti's homage to the early years of Walt Disney Imagineering finally arrived on my door-step. And, boy, was it worth the wait.

It's part biography and part Disney history lesson. Each Imagineer gets the multi-page treatment. No more confusing Marc Davis with Marvin Davis. (Yeah, two different guys - for years I thought they were the same person). Or confusing the map makers - Herb Ryman and the map that sold Disneyland to the bankers with Sam McKim, who created the fun maps for sale at Disneyland.

There's a few other reviews posted by the Disney community right now. Check out Werner Weiss's review over at Yesterland, or Ken Pellmans review at Laughing Place.

I'm Semi-Famous

2008-08-07T07:25:00.000-07:00

Shameless self-promotion...

Today, my web site , and an interview, are featured on The Daily Earful.

Go, check me out!

Hallmark PDL Postcard X3

2008-07-18T10:48:00.000-07:00

After going through a dry-spell of not finding any Disneyland postcards, I've come across three different Hallmark PDL cards. These cards were published by Hallmark and sold in Disneyland between 1960 to 1962. The first card (above) features a great close-up from Storybook Land. I don't think any other postcard featured the detailed work that went into this attraction.

Next, we have a great shot of the Tom Sawyer rafts making their way across the Rivers of America. The background includes a nice shot of the mill before this area was super-sized with the Fantasmic stage. And, below the Columbia makes it's way around the bend right next to Cascade Peak.

Sleeping Beauty Part II

2008-07-12T20:08:00.000-07:00

Per request, here's another image from the 1957 Disneyland Sleeping Beauty Castle brochure.

One Thousand

2008-07-10T06:39:00.000-07:00

Nope, not my one thousandth post, but rather my one thousandth Disneyland postcard. I was putting away my latest batch of postcards yesterday and decided to count my collection. And to my surprise I'd crossed over into the 1000s.

I would never have thought that when I started collecting postcards on July 30, 1998 (that's the day I registered with eBay) that I'd have this many cards.

I don't think I have as many cards as my buddy, Mike, though.

Sleeping Beauty Castle

2008-07-09T09:05:00.000-07:00

When Disneyland opened in 1955, Sleeping Beauty (the movie) was still a few years away. (It was finally released on January 29, 1959.) In what was probably an effort to link this upcoming movie with the Theme Park icon this brochure was created in 1957.

It's only eight pages long and contains numerous production stills from the movie including a double-gate fold (I think that's what it's called) in the center. There's also a great picture of Walt Disney in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle.

And in a stroke of luck, the copy I picked up still has the coupon for a free envelope available at the Arts Crafts Store in the Castle Courtyard.

Main Street Jumbo Postcard

2008-07-09T09:02:00.000-07:00

I Picked up a great jumbo (9" x 6") postcard of Town Square on Main Street in Disneyland. Looking at the right hand frame of the postcard (circa 1955) you'll notice no view of the Matterhorn and the never-built International Street. I don't think there were any other postcards that contained a view of International Street.

I also believe of the dozen or so jumbo cards that were produced in this era, this is the only view that wasn't replicated in the standard view (3.5" x 5.5").

Peter and the Starcatchers

2008-07-07T09:25:00.000-07:00

My son and I were browsing through our local bookstore. I was trying to get him interested in reading some chapter books during the summer. That's when we stumbled upon Peter and the Starcatchers. I remember when this book first came out in 2004. I was amazed that Dave Barry (who I truly enjoyed reading his weekly humor column and numerous books) was tackling a beloved children's icon. I was also amazed that somebody would attempt a prequel to one of my favorite Disney movies and theme park attraction. My son didn't show any interest in reading about Peter Pan, but I thought I'd take a stab (no pun intended) at it.

Dave Barry teams up with suspense writer Ridley Pearson. Those who are very familiar with Barry's work will see his sense of humor pop-up in this book. It's a pretty easy read. After all, it's aimed at the juvenile set. But, it's definitely a page-turner. I couldn't put it down. Hat's off to these two writers for creating a new children's book series.

Of course, when I finished reading it, I did two things. 1) I checked to see when it's going to be made into a movie. Disney has purchased the movie rights and rumors are pointing to it being made into a CG movie. And 2) I bought one of the sequels: Peter and the Shadow Thieves.

Happy 4th

2008-07-04T06:57:00.001-07:00

Happy 4th of July Everyone.

I hope you all have a safe and sane holiday.

And in other news, I've fixed my scanner so updates should appear more frequently.

Disney Lost and Found

2008-06-26T14:48:00.000-07:00

It's no secret that I'm a sucker for concept art and unproduced animation. So, when I found out that Charles Solomon was publishing another book on lost animation, I was first in line. I really enjoyed his first book, The Disney That Never Was.

This book comes up a little short in expectations. His first effort covered 50 years of animation. This new book is broken into three sections: Stuff we've already seen before (the soup scene from Snow White) and the remaining two sections devoted to two unproduced films.

The first, "Wild Life", was to have been the first film entirely done in CG. The film was to have taken place in 1970s New York and loosely based on Pygmalion. As most films go through rewrites, this one appeared to have gotten worse instead of better.

The last section is devoted to "My Peoples" described as star-crossed lovers in 1940s Appalachia. I really liked the look of the characters and backgrounds and hope that this one eventually gets made.

As I finished reading the book in all of 20 mins, (there's hardly any text), my initial feeling was "is that it?"

Disneyland: Then, Now and Forever

2008-06-26T14:30:00.001-07:00

I just returned from a trip to Disneyland (see previous post) and I picked up the latest version of Disneyland: Then, Now, and Forever.

I was truly impressed with this book when the first edition came out. It's probably one of the best official publications on Disneyland history and definitely the best of the annual publications.

Of course, the first thing I did when I got home, was to open the 2005 edition and do a side by side comparison. (Hey, when you're a collector, it's all about variations).

Most notable, is the new cover. No more dust cover - the graphics are printed directly on the book. Also, gone are references to the 50th anniversary (no castle decorations, no Julie Andrews and no more 50th logo). Several new attractions have found their way onto the pages: Pirates Liar on Tom Sawyer Island, Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage, and the enhancements to both Pirates of the Caribbean and Haunted Mansion.

There was quite of bit of photo changing here and there. For example, the Matterhorn section in the 05 edition contained no current photos. That's been fixed in the 08 edition. But, they didn't catch all of the mistakes. I still don't recognize where the Buzz Lightyear photo is from. (A different park or created in Photoshop?)

DCA and Toy Story

2008-06-22T07:08:00.001-07:00

I just got back from a trip to Disneyland and Disney's California Adventure to check-out the new Toy Story Midway Mania (or Toy Story Mania, or whatever it's called - the signing is confusing).

Toy Story officially opened on Tuesday, June 17. I didn't want anything to do with the opening day crowds, so we took a side trip down to Legoland. So, on Wednesday morning we made our way over to California Adventure. As we strolled through the esplanade at 9am (DCA is not scheduled to open until 10am), there was only about 50 people milling around the giant CALIFORNIA letters. I took this as a very good sign. We had a leisurely breakfast at the La Brea Bakery, and when we made out way over to DCA at 9:30, the Park had already opened. A surprise early opening? Hardy, we were held in a group right at the end of the Sunshine Plaza. I'm really bad at estimating large crowd size - maybe 500-800 people jammed together? Anyone who's been to DCA early, knows that the concessionaires aren't open yet, so we baked in the 90+ heat without any water. At 9:55am, we make another massive move as a group. (A CM is leading us so that we don't stampede.) And, we stop just short of the attraction. It took about 15 mins for this amount of people to form a single line. And we spot our first time marker - 120 mins. I was mentally prepared to do 3 hrs, so I saw this as a blessing.

We start the meandering in and out of the hot sun. Finally, concessionaires are open and I hop out of line for some refreshments. (I wonder why the water line is moving so slowly. Then, I spot the reason. Everyone in front of me is buying 4-5 waters each). Another time marker and this one is at 50 mins. We're making great progress - way ahead of schedule. Our total wait time turns out to be 1 hr, 15 mins.

I'm not going to give away any details on this new attraction. You could probably find those very easily on the web. But, this long time Disney fanatic was very impressed!

Later in the day, we're walking by Toy Story, and the line is only 50 mins. Of course, we jump right in. And, we got a real treat. Mr. Potato Head "talked" to my son. "Hey, kid. Yeah, you in the orange shirt. What are you hard of hearing? Here, use one of my ears." Mr. Potato Head then pulls his ear right out of his head.

Very, very cool!

Disneyland Encyclopedia

2008-06-11T07:33:00.000-07:00

I finally received my copy of Chris Strodder's Disneyland Encyclopedia. Let me first say that I'm a fanatic when it comes to reference books. I love lists! I'm probably the only person that likes to browse through a reference book.

Anyway, on to Stodder's book. Published in paperback at 480 pages and 500 entries, this book touts itself as being "The unofficial, unauthorized, and unprecedented history of every land, attraction, restaurant, shop, and event in the original magic kingdom." I always have a problem with books that call themselves unauthorized. Will we get a well-researched, well-written book, or something thrown together quickly just to make a fast buck? (Well, since this book isn't about some Hollywood celebrity, I doubt Strodder is out to make a fast buck).

Disneyland presented in an encyclopedic format has been attempted before. The Disneyland Detective was so poorly written and filled with too many mistakes to make it my "go-to" book. So again, I approached Strodder's book with a little bit of trepidation.

Let's dive into the details. The book opens up with maps of all the lands of Disneyland followed by a listing of all the attractions (past and present) that were part of that land. I find this portion very handy as it provides a reference point for bygone attractions. For example, I can never remember where the Plantation House stood. Then, we jump into the meat of the book, and it's all there. From Adventureland to Yumz.

Each entry contains the name of the attraction (eatery, event, etc.), it's location on the map and its history. Strodder also provides the alternate names this attraction may have had over the years. Such as Astro-Jets, aka Tomorrolwand Jets, aka Rocket Jets. I find this feature very handy as Disney has tweaked attraction names numerous times over the years. Also sprinkled throughout the book are assorted lists - tallest structures in Disneyland, Movies not represented with an attraction, etc.

Alas, the book is not perfect. It does have a couple of shortcomings. All of the photos in the book are black and white. I really can't fault Strodder on this as it probably kept the publishing costs down. All of the photos used in the book were taken in 2007 which I feel is a major problem. While I've read that Disney works painstakingly slow at releasing copyright info, Strodder could have partnered with Werner Weiss at Yesterland for photos from different eras. While the author sticks to "just the facts" he does stray here and there and include rumors, such as Bengal BBQ being removed by the expansion of River Belle Terrace (didn't happen) and the old People Mover / Rocket Rods track coming back rethemed as The Incredibles.

I have to admit I haven't read the book cover to cover (yet), but what I have read I've thoroughly enjoyed.

This is probably the first book I've ever read in which I own 99% of the bibliography. Which also means I could have written it myself. Oh well.

For another, very detailed review check out Jason's review over at Disneyland Nomenclature.

Disneyland's First Guide Book

2008-05-13T09:33:00.000-07:00

1955 - Disneyland is now open for business and we have the very first Guide Book: The Story of Disneyland. It's really more of a pamphlet than a book - coming in at only 16 pages. Produced by Western Printing & Lithographing Company. These are the same folks who brought us early editions of the Little Golden Books. The look and feel of this Guide Book is also reminiscent of the Little Golden Books as it uses pencil sketches and water color drawings. Walt Disney actually apologizes in the introduction for the use of "artist renderings" in this book.

The book is divided into sections, just like every Guide Book that will come after it, into the five original lands in Disneyland. The back of the book features a very difficult to use grid map to the Park. (Let's see, Dumbo is located in section C-E6. Section C is Fantasyland and finding E6 on the map puts Dumbo right next to...a lot of nothing). This type of mapping strategy would be abandoned quickly.

Coming attractions features the Disneyland Hotel. ("This distinctive 650-room resort Hotel and Motor Hotel offers every type of accommodation from comfortable motel units to luxurious garden apartments.")

Disneyland Tenth Annivesary - Comic Book Style

2008-05-05T17:20:00.000-07:00

I've got a pretty decent sized Disney comic book collection with titles from Walt Disney's Comics and Stories, and of course, Uncle Scrooge.

I've had my eye on this copy of 1965 Walt Disney's Vacation in Disneyland (Celebrating Disneyland's Tenth Anniversary) for quite awhile and finally decided to pull the trigger. (Why I waited so long, I don't know.)

I just love the graphics on both the front and back covers. The inside front cover contains four black and white photos of Disneyland, while the inside back cover details the upcoming Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln and a brief article on Miss Disneyland. (I kid you not).

The rest of this comic contains six short stories in which Disney tries a strange tie-in of familiar Disney characters with the decade old Disneyland. Tinkerbell does a one-panel introduction for each chapter.

The first story is Donald Duck in the Scrappy Skipper in which Donald, with the help of Huey, Dewey and Louie, pilots the Columbia.

This is followed up by Mickey and Goofy in Blizzard Bandit featuring The Matterhorn.

The third story features Uncle Scrooge and Gyro Gearloose in which they make a trip to Neverland. Along the way they meet up with the Beagle Boys, Hook and Smee. (Uh yeah, this makes sense.)

And, if the third story wasn't bizarre enough, the fourth chapter has the Big Bad Wolf being the pilot of the Rocket Ship to the Moon in an effort to capture the Three Little Pigs.

In the fifth story, we get an all-girl cast with Daisy, Minnie, Grandma, and Clarabelle in The Scary All-Girl Safari which contains a very brief mention of the Jungle Cruise.

And finally, we conclude with Scamp, Chip and Dale escaping Monstro the Whale in The Tiny Trouble Shooters. Geppetto and Stromboli also make an appearance.

I'm guessing the intent was to have each chapter or story represent a land in Disneyland, but the whole thing just comes off as being just a little weird.

The Disney Gallery Inaugural Exhibition

2008-05-05T16:26:00.000-07:00

In honor of the closing of the Disney Gallery, which was located just above the entrance to The Pirates of the Caribbean at Disneyland, I've tracked down the book that was available during its inaugural season.

This book contains a brief introduction by John Hench (Sr. VP WDI), and then details biographies from several veteran Disneyland artists. There's Harper Goff, Blaine Gibson, Marc Davis, Sam McKim, Herb Ryman, and Mary Blair. For just 20 pages, it is jam-packed full of great images. While most of the art-work used is very familiar, it's always nice to revisit an old friend. The only down-side of this book, is that several images are printed in black and white. These Disney artists put so much detail in their work it's almost a shame to see it reduced to shades of grey.

And, in a bit of irony, the last page details the original private apartment designs by Dorthea Redmond.

I've Returned From Disneyland

2008-04-23T07:25:00.000-07:00

I had a GREAT time at the Original Theme Park. Weather was absolutely perfect, except for the record high in Anaheim on the day we arrived - 102. And, crowds seemed to get lighter with each successive day.

My eight year old son is increasing his ride repertoire. We added five new attractions on this trip. We also have a deal in which he gets a new attraction pin with every new ride he adds. And, since he can never just pick one, he added ten new pins. (I think we just have Indiana Jones and Haunted Mansion left).

My souvenir shopping wasn't that successful. But, I still managed to come home with a suitcase full. The postcard selection was very thin. And, there haven't been any new Park specific books since 2005. I also had trouble finding a new Mickey Mouse watch. But, then again, I'm very picky. 1). Mickey's hands have to move, which probably eliminates 80% of the available watches, and 2) it has to be silver. So, my final choice came down to just one watch. I also noticed there's no longer a free-standing Christmas store. Both prior locations in New Orleans Square and Fantasyland have been absorbed by the latest marketing blitz. The only Chirstmas merchandise was located within the china store on Main St.

Guess I'm just going to have to go back again!

I'm Going To Disneyland

2008-04-06T08:32:00.000-07:00

A week from today I'll be setting foot in the Happiest Place on Earth.

I was just checking my Disneyland trip log (what, you don't keep a log of every time you went, where you stayed, what you rode, where you ate, etc.??) and it's been 14 months since my last trip. Man, I'm going through some serious withdrawals right now.

Hopefully, I'll come home with a suitcase full of souvenirs (worthy of posting).

See yah real soon!

Happy Easter and Is This Right?

2008-03-23T12:07:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter Everyone! Here's a Disneyland Trading card from 1965 showing the White Rabbit and Mrs. Rabbit (I didn't know he was married?!), getting ready for an egg hunt.

While I was going through my trading card collection looking for today's card, I noticed the above card with Mickey Mouse and the Disneyland Marching Band. Something about the card looked a little odd. Being a trombone player myself, I thought that they were holding their instruments backwards. Then, a quick check of other shots of Sleeping Beauty Castle, and BAM! Sure enough, somebody had flipped the negative on this card.

Geez, where's quality control.

Guide Book #28 - Close To The End

2008-03-17T16:19:00.000-07:00

This 1977 Pictorial Souvenir Guide Book makes my 28th Guide Book. I'm getting closer to the end, that is getting every single Guide Book from 1955 to the present day. But, now I enter the territory of hard to find and/or very expensive. We'll have to see how my luck and finances hold out.

With this edition we get the same front cover as 1976 edition but the back cover switches from concept art of Space Mountain to full-page night time shot. Also, almost every section in the book gets at least one updated photo from the previous year.

Here's something I found very surprising. In the aerial photo of Main St. you can still see the America On Parade floats backstage. The parade stopped running in Sept. 1976. I pulled out the rest of the my Guide Books and this photo was used well into the 1980s.

Back to our book. Photos of the Mine Train Through Nature's Wonderland are removed (due to construction of Big Thunder). New photos of the Matterhorn show increased snow coverage on the mountain. The Matterhorn is now almost completely white from top to bottom. Space Mountain gets added to the Tomorrowland section. Main St. Electrical Parade returns to the Disneyland After Dark section after taking a hiatus for America on Parade.

Pictorial Souvenir of Walt Disney's Disneyland 1986

2008-03-11T08:56:00.000-07:00

Tons of changes to the Guide Book in just one year. That is, from 1985 to 1986.

The Golden Horseshoe Revue is replaced by the Golden Horseshoe Jamboree. While the text still says Country Bear Jamboree, the photos have been replaced with the Country Bears Vacation Hoedown. In Tomorrowland, the subs get painted Explorer Yellow - gone is military grey. The sleek Monorail Mark V replaces the old bubble-top Monorail. Captain EO and Star Tours both get the full-page treatment. And, in the back of the book, Walt Disney World get reduced to one page.

If anyone out there in the blogosphere has a complete collection of the Disneyland Guide Books (especially mid-80s to mid-90s), I'd love to hear from you. Just click on my profile photo in the bottom of the right column, and the email link will be on the next page.