Mailbag

Readers write
about Disneyland’s 50th:

Would bringing back these attractions bring guests back?
Well, I am sure that if something like this was to occur, I’d
arrange a trip from Atlanta for that.

Since they failed at recreating Tomorrowland in 1998,
bring back the one that we loved!

1. Motor Boats (without the “Care Bears” theme, removed in cheap cut backs, currently a waste of space)

2. People Mover (now a waste of space, AGAIN, after the
Rocket Rod failure. Bring back the PeopleMover we loved, with
Tron)

3. Skyway (removed for no good reason)

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4. Adventure thru Inner Space

5. House of the Future

6. Carousel of Progress

7. America Sings

8. Rocket to the Moon or Mission to Mars

9. CircleVision (current waste of space as the Carrousel
storage area)

10. Bring back the two-story Tomorrowland Starcade (wasted
space right now, and is the only true arcade in the Disneyland
Resort)

For PeopleMover what I’d love to see
that would appeal to kids as well as nostalgia fans AND promote a
new film, would be to work some type of transport vehicle into the
upcoming movie Tron 2.0 and make that vehicle the new
PeopleMover, with Tron Tunnel(s) based on the new movie. The
Disney Studio is happy — and we get a PeopleMover back!

I just read your “Golden Dreams” column and
wanted to tell you what a fantastic idea you have about the 50th
Anniversary celebrations. I’ve been going to Disneyland since my
’70s childhood, but have only recently become interested in the
park’s history. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve read about
a Yesterland attraction and sighed with disappointment that I’ll
never be able to experience it.

I sure hope Marty Sklar reads your column…

It would be sooo cool if Disneyland actually does what you
suggested for its 50th anniversary. I think the “Flashback
Fridays” could be done so easily, and it’s genius! I would
have a blast at one of those.

I hope they get a clue and listen to you, because for once
I read something on MousePlanet that didn’t leave me feeling
bitter, but hopeful. So you definitely have the right angle.
Let’s keep our fingers crossed.

I think putting portions of vintage attractions throughout
the entire Innoventions would be a great and easily executed
idea. Innoventions could be reborn as a time machine type
attraction (perfect for Tomorrowland.). In fact, they could
rename it The Retro-Link.

I like your suggestions for Disneyland’s 50th anniversary.
The only thing that doesn’t work is that most people don’t
remember Yesterland attractions. Your suggestions seem to be
geared only towards extreme Disneyland fanatics (like me). But
for a general audience: a large celebration, speeches from some
execs, a fireworks show so big you can see it from Walt Disney
World, Main Street Electrical Parade, and some rededications.

Seeing the Golden Horseshoe Revue circa 1970 with Betty
Taylor, Fulton Burly and Wally Boag — enjoying a Pepsi and a
bag of Fritos during the show — that is my golden dream!

I got a little wistful reading your column today. My vote
is definitely for the 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea exhibit.
Thanks for a trip down the memory lane of my childhood.

If *they* did *that*, I would fly all the way out from
Minnesota and bring my four kids plus wife. Let me tell you what
they need to do:

1. Make a fake Inner Space show. Collect 200 atomobiles,
aim them toward a screen, project a best effort movie of the
ride, and pipe the entire Paul Frees audio track into each
atomobile’s speaker.

While you’re in line, you get to look at the Mighty
Microscope so as to get the living daylights scared out of you
before the attraction. You never know… It COULD be real.

Oh yeah, one more thing. When you exit, you get to see
this two-story high hourglass “thing” made out of
fiber optics with water dripping down changing colors. (Hey! How
come no one else ever remembers that?)

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2. Restore the original Tiki Room. We need a
representative from Dole selling little pineapple spears. We
need ALL the preshow gods to work properly.

And, most important, put those songs you took out BACK IN!
I’m talking about restoring all seven verses of the theme song
(not the measly four) and the Offenbach number. Hey, if they
want me to stay offa their back, they’re gonna need to stay offa
my back!

3. Take an empty submarine, stick it on the ground, put
TVs in front of the port holes, pipe a best effort video to each
TV, play the original audio, and let people aboard.

4. Hire Werner Weiss.

5. If they still got an old Mark II, run a bubble monorail
around overhead. I mean really, it still FITS the track.

6. Build a temporary circular theater to show the old
Mission to Mars, or better yet, Mission to the Moon show.

7. DEFINITELY bring back America the Beautiful. It will be
really packed, so they’ll have to hire a nice lady with a
pointer stick to walk around and point to each state’s flag
overhead as she asks everyone waiting where they are from.

If that bores you, go up front and play tic-tac-toe
against a real COMPUTER! After the show, set up six
glass-enclosed booths which can seat up to eight people. Inside,
place (get this….) a SPEAKER PHONE!

8. Forget your idea with wasted space inside Innovations.
Instead, set up a mini theater and show the video for America
Sings. You know, some songs are happy, some songs are sad. But,
each is from the heart!

9. Your idea about the vintage costumes is great.

Bravo on the Disneyland 50th article! I started visiting
Disneyland with my parents in ’77 when I was 2 years old, and
reading your books, I realize how much has changed since then. I
can’t help but think how wonderful a promotion this could be,
knowing I would gladly pay $100 for the chance to relive such
things and experience others for the first time.

Pressler, Harris, and all the others would be wise to
listen to you. They would be very wise to put you on the payroll
as a consultant who speaks for the people who truly love what
Disney was and what it could still be. Now, if I could just
convince them to put Roy and Leonard Maltin in charge of
entertainment, that would be something!

My vote: Adventure thru Inner Space! I don’t remember much
about it, except for the fact that the giant blinking eye scared
the CRUD out of me as a child. The Haunted Mansion, Matterhorn,
Big Thunder, Space Mountain? Nothing compared to the giant
blinking eye!

Disney doesn’t have to put me on the
payroll. I’d just love to visit Disneyland 1955 or ’66 or ’77 or
’88 once again. Disney’s fortunes have been down of late, and all
the time I hear people say that Disney has become overexposed and
has oversaturated the market. Hooey.

I say there are thousands and
thousands of people out there dying to give Disney MORE of our
money, we just haven’t been too interested in paying for what
we’ve been offered of late. A trip back in a Disneyland time
machine, though, would be a sure sale for most of us.

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Thanks for the 50th article today. I remember the pack
mules, mine train, and the Indian Village. Most of my friends
don’t. Then again, most don’t share my love and fascination with
Disneyland.

Oh my gosh, David, you really hit the nail on the head
with your ideas for the yesterland 50th anniversary party. I
truly hope that those head Disney ears are listening! Your ideas
are in my opinion just what all of us 40-years-plus people would
go crazy for, they are also within the realm of possibility and
would I believe not be cost prohibitive! By the time I read your
ideas, I was ready to pay my $50 to experience this adventure.

What was really great was your list of one more time
events, is almost exactly what mine would be in the exact same
order!! If both of us are thinking like this, we can’t be the
only two, right?

How ’bout before your exclusive Old Disneyland event, they
have a recreation of the opening day ceremony with Roy Disney
doing Walt’s beloved opening speech, and a man dressed like
young Art Linkletter walking the grounds with a microphone,
interviewing guests for a television special to air on the
Disney Channel?

Your “50th Wish List for Disneyland” — there’s
no way of putting this without being insulting here — has to be
one of the most idiotic and unrealistic suggestions I have yet
witnessed on this wonderful website. I’ll keep it short and just
say we’re talking about Michael Eisner and Paul Pressler here
(Satan’s original son and distant cousin), the “Great
Pennypinchers,” as I call them.

I am only writing to inform you that the way to enact
change on this unfortunately disintegrating company is to
provide realistic and promising ideas and suggestions, not the
garbage you have presented your readers with here.

Asked to provide reasons why he found
my suggestions “idiotic,” “unrealistic” and
“garbage” and how he thought he’d enact change by
calling people names, John did not respond…

First let me say Happy 2nd birthday to the wonderful
MousePlanet, my #1 fave website! Today is also my birthday. I am
a whopping 28 years of age!

Your proposal for the 50th anniversary is WONDERFUL! I
miss America Sings with a passion and would love to see its
return. I think the 50th anniversary should be treated with the
huge respect it deserves. I will be 31 when Disneyland turns 50
and plan to be there. They better sell it, baby!

Like Disneyland, I too am celebrating my 47th birthday
this year and have always held a special place in my heart and
imagination for the Magic Kingdom. Your article brought back so
many great childhood memories and a tear to my eye! The best
part was your list of 10 Yesterdayland attractions — I remember
enjoying everyone of them!

Two of the things that I would love to do again are Inner
Space and walking around in the Disney Store at the Disneyland
Hotel, the one right by the Monorail and the Country Line
Dancing Bar. I’m 24 years old, and those were the things that I
loved doing when I was younger.

For the 50th anniversary, I would love for them to have
another prize giveaway. The anticipation of the ticket taker
taking the admission ticket and running through the computer to
see if you won anything brought joy into a young boys heart
every time he walked through those gates. The three days we were
there, my grandfather won a huge Mickey Mouse doll and I won a
free admission ticket. The weird thing? That’s all I remember
from that anniversary celebration.

Another thing I really enjoyed was the Disneyland
Specials, where Hollywood big wigs and music stars would sing at
Disneyland, ride the rides, and have a great time, having a
crush on Tiffany from The Party was a great feeling too!! I’m
not talking about the kind of show they gave for the California
Adventure, a whole 30 minutes of guys running around the park.

Seeing pictures, or even a small museum, of old Disneyland
stuff would be cool, but not memorable. Painting the castle a
birthday cake would be stupid. Adding rides would be cool, like
Buzz, Tower of Terror, Alien Encounter, and some NEW stuff.
Seeing the old costumes would be cool. But don’t touch that
castle, or we might have to hurt someone.

I loved your idea’s for the 50th Birthday celebration.
Perhaps before Eisner, it would have happened. Not a chance now,
I’m afraid. I’m guessing something like “Celebrate 50 years
by paying 50 bucks to get into a once-great, now
beginning-to-look-run-down-and-haggard park.”

The Disneyland I loved died years ago.

An idea that was tossed around years ago for Walt Disney
World was them to take their big “photo center” on
Main Street (formerly the Walt Disney Story place until after
the 25th) and create virtual attractions from the past. A 3-D
“audience view” movie of the Carousel of Progress in a
small theater. The same could be done with 20,000 Leagues and
other attractions, using simulator or — at the least — 3-D
movie theater effects.

Do you recall hearing this? I’m not sure if it was a rumor
we “heard” about Disney or just babble us net geeks
came up with.

There are many more things I feel should be done for
Disney’s 50th. I suppose we are all armchair Imagineers to some
degree, though.

Redo Tomorrowland (again) to reflect the timeless design
of the version in Paris. This idea has much more longevity, and
could shoehorn nostalgic and modern predictions of the future.
This includes getting rid of that terrible Innoventions (a.k.a.,
Infomercial: The Ride).

Sprucing up the big five rides including a gutting of
Space Mountain and new launch track. With very creative design,
they could create another exclusive dining experience a la Blue
Bayou, where diners can look out at the starfield and zooming
spaceships. (This means more money, Pressler, just think!!!).

And the big crowning jewel for Disneyland’s big
anniversary should be a new land with a new E-ticket. I see some
dead space out behind Frontierland. Ideas anyone?

I’m 48. I spent nine years in the Army, I have two
degrees. I was a wildland firefighter. AND, I have so much
emotional energy invested in the hope that Disneyland will be
fixed up for the 50th, it’s almost pathetic.

I was there about 12 times between 1954 and 1975. I want
to go back, but not unless it’s as at least as nice as it was in
1975.

To your question: I would like to see the Fight Circle one
more time. It made a big impression on me as a boy.

You have some great ideas, especially about bringing back
long-gone attractions. But one idea you left out (and probably
the simplest) would be to bring back a Mark I or Mark II
Monorail.

Nothing says Tomorrowland (or Disneyland) to me more than
a monorail with a bubble top and fins.

Interesting ideas for the 50th, but would Disneyland
really want to remind everyone how many great attractions they
removed to save money? I don’t think so. Build one more
“Tony Baxter” spectacular “E” attraction for
the 50th, and the guests would arrive in record numbers.

The guests will be lucky to get a special 50th parade.
They should be thankful the park doesn’t close on Monday and
Tuesday as in the “good old days!” Current Disneyland
management is more interested in maximizing return without
wasting money on the guests that will come no matter what is
offered.

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I love your 50th anniversary ideas, but what are you
smokin’? Most of the things you propose “resurrecting”
are ancient history and would have to be built anew. I doubt,
for example the ride system and boats for the Motor Boat Cruise
could just be pulled out of mothballs and redeployed. They won’t
put up the Skyway again or rebuild the People Mover. Vintage
costuming would have to be recreated from scratch. Any overlays
to attractions would have to be made new as well, and deploying
them in a tight turnaround would mean extra personnel. I can’t
see them doing these things.

A Dixieland cruise would be great — watch them turn it
into a premium event within a premium event, making it exclusive
by limiting attendance to 100 paying customers at $35 additional
a head and serving desserts and coffee a la the Fantasmic
balcony thing.

The parade of decades idea might actually be do-able, as
would limited recreations of old attractions at Innoventions,
but would a recreated Mighty Microscope be cool or just cheesy?

I’m usually right behind you, David, but I think you might
be a little off the mark this time. Shuttering parts of the park
that were not around pre-19XX would undoubtedly backfire. I too
would love to visit the Disneyland of my childhood and the one
that existed before I was born, but as they say, “You can’t
go home again.”

What they will probably do is repurpose a lot of what was
created for WDW’s 100 Years of Magic, and frankly some of that
is appropriate. Maybe we could ride through it this time in some
sort of dark ride. How about a multimedia thing where people
tell their most poignant memories of Disneyland intercut with
their home movies or videos. That’d be a genuine, unstrained
source of heartstring-tugging.

Use the Fantasmic show effects to tell the story of
Disneyland’s 50 years with sweeping music, pyro, and songs,
culminating in the biggest fireworks show over the castle ever.
Tap Gavin Greenaway to write music as stirring as the
Illuminations music. Play off the sentimentality of the occasion
— use the memories and recollections of 50 years worth of
guests to avoid all the self-back-patting.

Make a meaningful rededication to Walt’s original vision
and rededicate the company to his core values (which did include
making money). Give us something that has heart, isn’t syrupy or
self-serious (or frivolous), and is exciting.

Wait a minute! Now what am I smoking???

As wonderful as a multimedia
Disneyland history lesson could be, I don’t think something like
that would generate a serious bump at the turnstiles.

And THAT is half of my argument: a.
How do we convince Disneyland to do something spectacular for the
50th? By showing up in droves and spending lots of money, even
though Disney doesn’t spend a gazillion dollars on new E-ticket
attractions.

b. How do you convince people to show
up in droves and spend lots of money, even though there are no new
E-ticket attractions? Like when they killed the Electrical Parade,
give the people who grew up with Disneyland a chance to “go
home again” — for a limited time only! Act today! To me,
that’s the only sure fire way to get people to travel to Anaheim
from across the country for the first time in years, and to get
locals who haven’t been in decades to give it another peek, and to
get annual passholders to come back again and again — and pay at
the gate each time.

As for the eight or nine rides I
suggested resurrecting, maybe there are better choices, or better
ways to revive them. I have no idea how many Motor Boats or
PeopleMover cars are lying around, but I wouldn’t be surprised if
Disney has kept quite a few of them. No, Skyway is never coming
back, I realize that.

Of course, vintage costuming would
have to be recreated. So what? That can’t be THAT expensive, and
remember I’m talking about a few hundred operating the park in old
costumes, not thousands.

Only rides that could be quickly and
inexpensively sent back in time would get any overlays, and those
would be modest. Could be done with altered lighting on Jungle
Cruise, for instance.

And I see no problem with
“shuttering” Critter Country, Pirates, Mansion, Small
World, etc., for one night. Disneyland does it all the time, just
not all at once. Remember, I’m talking just for a special event;
past merchandise/AP events offered anywhere from just one to a
dozen rides open.

And, yes, I agree Disney most probably
will give us a generic yet slick “50 Years of Magic”
promotion. Doesn’t mean I have to like it.

My 50th Disneyland anniversary wish list is basically
getting Tomorrowland back to its awesome state that it was
BEFORE the changes:

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1. Bring back the PeopleMover! Sure this will cost them
money but seriously that was a great ride for lazy guests and it
was just awesome for the overall feel of Tomorrowland. It was
fun looking around and seeing both Monorails and PeopleMover
cars looming overhead. There’s just something about that I
always loved. Now it’s really dead up there. And, of course,
with bringing the People Mover back, brand new trains with it
that reflect the *new* theme.

2. CircleVision. Either bring it back or put in a new
attraction in there. Whether it be Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger
Spin or something completely new for Treasure Planet, a dark
ride in Tomorrowland is definitely needed.

3. Atlantis ride. I know this would be costly, but a brand
new ride would be nice in the Submarine Lagoon, something with
an Atlantis theme (it matches the rest of Tomorrowland, too). I
know the film did poorly at the box office, but I still think
it’s a great animated film that has ride possibilities all over
it. Perhaps an underwater sub adventure similar to a motion
simulator. I think the Tokyo DisneySeas motion simulator that
makes you believe you’re underwater would be a perfect match for
Atlantis. Of course, this would require a lot of touch up in the
submarine show building, but they can leave the lagoon for show
and put something cool in there.

4. Astro Orbitor. Put it back over that silly spinning
thing. The funnest part of the original Rocket Jets was that you
were that high up off the ground. Sometimes I question the
people who make the decisions.

5. The Parade. Every anniversary celebration needs an
awesome parade. Personally, it would be great to see a HUGE
production with all new floats. Since it’s 50 years of
Disneyland, make the floats celebrate the milestones of
Disneyland. And throw in the Disney characters as well. Wouldn’t
it be fun to see a a float of a stylized Matterhorn with some
characters sitting in a bobsled? Maybe give us the first snowman
character walking about. Or just make the float a giant snowman.
Whatever. I would love to see some Pirates going down the
street, too. And ghosts from Haunted Mansion? It would be fun.
And let’s not forget to have Captain EO in the parade.

6. Aladdin dark ride. I know it might be impossible to fit
this into Adventureland, but it would be great to see a new dark
ride, and Aladdin would be my choice. This would probably fit in
WDW better (since they have so much space), but I can always
dream.

[You have to envision a announcer with a loud, nasal voice
from one of those black and white newsreels]

Dateline July 17, 2005:

Things are definitely shaking at 1313 Harbor Boulevard as
Disneyland celebrates its 50th Birthday, guests young and old
welcome the new additions Mouse head honchos have added to this
illustrious park:

If it’s adventure you’re looking for, grab your fedora,
there’s just one stop for you: Adventureland.

– The Jungle Cruise takes you on a whirlwind trip through
the jungle on a river of thrills. Using technology on the wildly
successful Jurassic Park ride at that other park, animals growl,
run and jump to life here on The Jungle Cruise. The addition of
quickly moving inhabitants, makes the adventure real. It
includes a short stop off at a newly unearthed cavern section of
the Temple of the Forbidden Eye.

– Speaking of that infamous temple, Indiana Jones
encounters additional thrills here at the renovated ride that
features a new room and a villain or two popping out at you
behind every corner. Keep that whip handy, you’ll really swing
for this one!

– Don’t forget to stop off for a bite at the newly
restored Tahitian Terrace… Yum!

Next stop, New Orleans Square.

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– Artwork © Disney

– Next to the newly restored Swiss Family Robinson
Treehouse, we get our pirate booties to Pirates of the
Caribbean! The newly updated ride welcomes another ship to the
sea battle scene and an all new section boats can visit of the
ill-fated town. More pirates, more effects, more fun. Don’t miss
this one, you’ll walk the plank if you do.

– The Haunted Mansion Ghost Host and his 999 pals welcome
you to their humble abode. A recently discovered passageway in
this house of mystery unveiled by Disney Imagineers takes us to
a never seen before set of rooms with happy haunts of all shapes
and sizes. Room for one more? This announcer’s staying put but
I’m sure there’ll be volunteers abound!

Giving you tomorrow today: Tomorrowland welcomes new
additions and returns of classic crowd pleasers.

– The CircleVision Theater has returned in all its glory
with a newly developed film showcasing the land of the free:
America- Then, Now and Beyond. Splicing old footage from
Disneyland classics as America the Beautiful and others, Disney
has shot new footage to show us side by side then and now
comparisons of the land we love. Glad to see you back,
CircleVision.

– Space Mountain launches you into space as Jules Verne
envisioned it through a cannon. The new launching system propels
you through the newly renovated Mountain that has extra tracks
that makes the music-enhanced experience all the better. Any
volunteers? Sign up now!

– Star Tours offers you now a choice of two different
flight adventures. The classic Endor romp and now a new journey
through Coruscant as your StarSpeeder is commissioned to help
the Rebels defeat the growing Empire. Hang on to your little
ones, this one’s a lulu!

– The now defunct home of Innoventions welcomes you to
America Rocks. An updated version of the classic America Sings,
takes you through our music history and where its going from
here. Leave grandpa on the bench, Junior, this one’s for the
kids.

– Adventure 20,000 Leagues below. The Submarine Voyage
returns…

– The newly enclosed Rocket Rods track welcomes kids young
and old to Buzz Lightyear’s Cosmic Adventure! You travel in your
rocket through time and space as you follow Buzz on an
interactive adventure where you’re armed with your Buzz blaster
earn points competing with your rocket mate. Who’s the winner
here, folks? Why you, the lucky Tomorrowland guest.

Disneyland welcomes you all to their celebration. Join us
for the new 50th Birthday parade down Main Street USA and the
new “Complete History of Disneyland Show” at the
Fantasyland Theatre that showcases ALL of Disneyland’s 50 years
of attractions and events in a 30 minute spectacular.

Don’t miss this one, folks! Fifty years of magic and
adventures celebrated at Walt Disney’s Disneyland. So much fun,
the party will last for two years.

I have been wondering since Disneyland’s 45th birthday
what the Imagineers would dream up for the 50th celebration.
Time is running out to do something spectacular, so hopefully
they get things finalized soon. I agree with you that it has to
be BIG. You seem to want a nostalgic trip back, where I’m hoping
that it is a mixture of both past, present, and future.

Speaking of the future, Tomorrowland needs work! What
happened? The idea to change Space Mountain to be more like the
Paris Resort’s is a great idea. Imagine Space Mountain with
inversions! I was just wondering the other day why you don’t
take off or blast into outer space, and if they added the cannon
like in Paris it would be more realistic in a sense.

How about a new Star Tours? How about having six different
films with multiple endings? What if they made it more like
Stormrider at Tokyo, where there are explosions on the inside?

Next, Disney should think about simply resuscitating the
PeopleMover. It’s basically worthless as an empty track. Then
there are the empty buildings where the Rocket Rod queue was;
how about finally building the Buzz Lightyear ride? Or Alien
Encounter? How about a space chase ride modeled after the
opening sequences of Lilo and Stitch?

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– Artwork © Disney

My most progressive idea lies with the Autopia/Submarine
Lagoon area. Raze it! What is Autopia doing in Tomorrowland?
Ever since they retooled, it is worse than ever before. It is
slow and dull. I say we take the whole area and make Mysterious
Island like at DisneySeas, complete with a rehabbed 20,000
Leagues attraction and a new Journey to the Center of the Earth.

Or maybe they could do a large scale flying saucers ride
or something completely new? I also wonder why the old Motor
Boat area has remained vacant for so long… how about an
Aquatopia ride or an indoor Little Mermaid ride reminiscent of
the opening to Pirates?

Enough of Tomorrowland, how about a villain’s land behind
Toontown? There are millions of rides you could dream up there.
The best idea I have is Bald Mountain, which would be modeled on
the same sequence in Fantasia. You would be fly through it a la
Peter Pan’s Flight, but it would be a fast and harrowing journey
culminating in a visit with Chernabog. The whole ride would go
along with the music from the movie. You would twist and speed
through the town while the creatures of the night came alive.
This ride also could ideally be located on Tom Sawyer’s Island
if the lawyers decide to close it down. Imagine seeing a large
mountain amidst the trees of the island, the rafts could change
and the raftsmen could all be in on the ambiance.

Frontierland needs something. Why doesn’t Big Thunder
cross over to the island where the old Mine Train used to go?.
The tracks are all ready there. You could zoom over there and
frighten an audio-animatronic prospector. Also, bring back some
of the old Mine Train elements like the bears scratching their
backs on the trees when you cross back over to the regular Big
Thunder climax. All you really need is to build some faux
rickety bridges. I always thought that the ending to Big Thunder
was rather underwhelming. And, how about a Woody’s Roundup ride
similar to the Buzz one?

Adventureland doesn’t need much, it is the strongest in
the park. Rework the Jungle Cruise like the rumors say and
you’ve got an E-ticket as opposed to the Zzz ticket it’s become.
Then update the Tiki Room and make an Aladdin ride next door in
the vacant Aladdin’s Oasis. Why did they get rid of that
restaurant in the first place? You could replicate the flying
carpet ride at the Magic Kingdom or do something else entirely.
How about something with the Lion King? Jungle Book?

Wow! That’s a lot of dreaming. I hope they have a huge new
parade with all the characters. Or maybe a parade recreating the
best rides. How about a history of Disney ride with an
audio-animatronic Walt? Or is that sacrilege?

I’ve sorry to have taken up so much of your time, but I’ve
obviously been thinking about this for a while. As an AP I have
ample time to ponder these things, and it’s nice to share my
ideas in an open forum because my girlfriend has heard it one
too many times. I only wish that the Imagineers could see all
the good stuff your readers will undoubtedly dream up.

Nice article. I agree completely that nostalgia is what
will pack in the crowds for Disneyland’s 50th anniversary. No
matter who I talk to about the park, fan or casual visitor,
there is some childhood favorite that they dearly miss. What
better service can Disney provide than to bring people’s
childhood memories back to them?

Do this in a significant way (no one is interested in
displays of memorabilia or propogandistic sloganeering and
jingles — we want the meat!), and those adult admissions will
mount to historic levels! Parents would love to share their
childhood favorites with children or loved ones. Why not give
them the chance?

Similarly, I don’t think people want to see major changes
to the historic (and still popular) E-tickets, especially with
the questionable budgets and subjective design tastes that are
sure to come into the picture. This would more likely stir more
controversy than the instant bliss the return of a Skyway or
PeopleMover would bring.

Disney is blessed with existing infrastructure for many
abandoned classic attractions, many not so complex to restore. A
parkwide layover of Disneyland favorites returning — not for a
last gasp, but for good — would be the most promotable and
footage-friendly thing Disneyland could ever do to get people in
the gate. What I would do:

Fantasyland:

Captain Hook’s Pirate Ship and Skull Rock — This powerful
park image (always highly photogenic and promotable) was never
intended to leave for Yesterland, but was the victim of a
construction mishap, old age and budget cutbacks during the
creation of New Fantasyland back in the early ’80s. It could be
rebuilt where Baxter intended it to relocate it… next to the
Storybook Land queue.

This was a powerful image — I used to watch fireworks
from the deck when I was a kid, and Hook once chased me around
Skull Rock. I really miss it. Wouldn’t Chicken of the Sea love
to get the plug in again during all the hoopla?

Skyway to Tomorrowland — The gorgeous Skyway Chalet sits,
deserted on the hill, just waiting to send people off on a
beautiful flight high above Disneyland. The sensation of flying
over the park (especially over Fantasyland and through the
Matterhorn) is one of my most-missed experiences at the park. I
never missed an opportunity to fly like Peter Pan in Disneyland.
I want that back and I’ll wager others do too.

Adventureland:

The Tahitian Terrace — My favorite restaurant at
Disneyland was always the dinner show at the beautiful Tahitian
Terrace (now Aladdin’s Storytime Theater) complete with hula and
fire dancers! Especially with the success of Lilo & Stitch,
there is no reason this favorite shouldn’t return to the park
(along with a rehab of the historic Tiki Room).

Swiss Family Treehouse — Likewise, the Walt-devised water
wheels and bamboo gizmos of the Swiss Family Treehouse — and
the pumping strains of Swisskapolka throughout Adventureland — are dearly missed. A restoration layover would be great, since
Tarzan has run its promotional course anyway.

New Orleans Square:

Mike Fink Keel Boats — Sitting in the backlot waiting to
float again.

Critter Country:

Country Bear Jamboree at Hungry Bear Restaurant — If they
don’t find a new home at Disneyland any sooner, I’d opt to
reconfigure the Hungry Bear Restaurant to accommodate the key
Bear band figures for show dining. These beloved Marc Davis
creations really deserve a permanent home at the park in some
capacity. People may be too restless for repeated sit down show,
but for short shows while eating, the Bears are a perfect match.

Frontierland:

The Golden Horseshoe Revue — A no-brainer is the return
of Wally Boag’s Golden Horseshoe Revue, the Can-Can girls, the
corny jokes. This is still a crowd-pleaser waiting to happen,
and an important Disneyland memory for many adults. A fitting
tribute to Walt in this historic locale.

Tomorrowland:

Let’s face it. This is the big problem for Disneyland’s
anniversary, and ground zero for nostalgic pangs (and
complaints) at the park. The new look and rides have been a
disaster, ignoring it won’t help. Fortunately, the
infrastructure still exists for many favorites to (relatively
easily) return.

Rocket Jets — The mechanism is still there, disguised as
the useless and ugly Observatron. There was nothing better than
a third story flight high over Tomorrowland. And it looked great
as Tomorrowland’s moving centerpiece, where Walt himself placed
it on a napkin sketch. Bring it back and send the traffic
flow-blocking new version to Hong Kong Disneyland.

PeopleMover — The track sits, empty, waiting for new
trams. Grandmas and the weary everywhere would be most grateful
to have it back.

Magic Journeys — Honey, I Gave Back the Theater!

Available at MouseShoppe
– Artwork © Disney

CircleVision 360 — America the Beautiful, American
Journeys, jetset stewardesses of the future… empty theater
just waiting for it to happen.

Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress — Still functional
carousel theater sits with nothing interesting inside, while
Walt’s original show is waiting for a new home after a long run
at WDW. It’s all still extant. Just put it back together!

Monsanto’s House of the Future — Still nothing in the
garden to replace it. My sister never goes to Disneyland without
wishing for it back. She’s not alone.

Adventure thru Inner Space — Everyone wants this back
(with some snazzy new effects). Sorry, George, but this
Disneyland original should return in all its melodramatic glory.
This was Tomorrowland’s signature attraction and everyone I know
of a certain age misses it passionately.

Flying Saucers — No doubt new technology can make it
work. Another photogenic blast from the past that would make TV
time everywhere.

Skyway to Fantasyland — Said it before, I’ll say it
again.

Submarine Voyage — This is another of the most lamented
and obviously missed experiences in Disneyland — and one of
Walt’s most proud achievements. Restore the attraction and
retheme the existing subs to Nautilus/20,000 Leagues and you
have another priceless piece of PR footage that will bring home
the bacon. Add live mermaids and pack ’em in.

Mod Tomorrowland — Goodbye brown and bronze, hello white
and silver! The facades are still there to restore to the groovy
modern look that Californians want to see in Tomorrowland and on
the tips of Space Mountain. Keep the neon, but bring back the
spires… and Disney legend Mary Blair’s murals.

Sound too expensive? Not when you consider the flood of
capacity guests that would come back to the park for a line up
like this.

As everyone ages, there is one place they can be renewed
to childhood: Disneyland. By bringing back these beloved
favorites (and plugging the obvious holes in the current
lineup), Disney is providing a service no one else can. That of
time machine and fountain of youth… better than a Botox
injection anytime (and more affordable for the masses).

Get wise, guys: Don’t change the remaining favorites,
bring back the ones we miss!