Monthly Archives: April 2013
Keith Lapinig’s Summer 2012 Disneyland Vacation (Part 2)
Apr 27
As promised, I said we would be back with a part two to Keith’s Disney vacation. That is true….and here it is!!!!
Keith Lapinig
http://www.KeithLapinig.com
Disney Trip Planning: Talk to Cast Members
Apr 22
I’m guilty of being too shy to strike up conversations with a stranger, but the Cast Members at Disney parks are some of the best people to talk to! Let’s take a few steps back before I really get going with this subject, because if you are new to Disney parks, you might not know that Disney park employees are actually called Cast Members! Yes, a “cast member” is defined as an actor performing in some sort of production, and it’s no mistake that Disney calls its employees by that same term! The idea is that when they are working with guests, they are on stage playing a part! A Disney theme park is supposed to be one big production! If you visit the parks, you will notice all of the Cast Members working the rides, carts, restaurants, etc. are in “costumes.” There are a few reasons you should take some time to chat with Disney Cast Members:
Find out a little Disney history– Cast Members who are fellow Disney fans tend to know a lot about the company! They love to share their stories, but probably won’t until you ask! Some newer additions to the Cast Member team might not know as much as those who are clearly working there because of their Disney-love, but it’s easy to tell who’s ready to take some time to chat with you and who is just wishing their work day was over!
Find out some Disney secrets– I’d be weary of some of these stories. Sometimes bus drivers throw out tidbits of information which end up being big lies! I’m not sure if they are just messing with the guests or if they themselves really think their story is true.
Learn more about the parks and/or get advice– If you ever have a question, the Cast Members are always super friendly and helpful!
Just to “make their day”– I’ve never worked as a Disney Cast Member, but I can only assume it is not an easy job! So many people to deal with, crying babies, angry dads, it’s hot and humid or cold and rainy… Ay-Yi-Yi! And they just smile through it all. How many hours a day or week do you think they work? They really do work hard and if you start a friendly conversation with them, it’ll be sure to put a bright spot in their day, and in yours!
To say “thank you”– This is my favorite one. Sometimes I get all Disney-fairy-tale-sappy and this is a time when that comes out. It’s great to be able to say “thank you” when you notice one of the Disney Cast Members has done something especially nice for someone, or even if you just notice they have a happy face put on for the sake of making the guests (you) happy, too!
If you browse around on the online Disney fan forums and type in “cast members” as a search, you will find all kinds of stories of excellent service and Disney secrets and history they’ve shared with guests who decided to talk to them! You should take that time to talk to them, too!
Angie Carreiro
http://www.ILoveAnimalArt.com
Keith Lapinig’s Disneyland Summer 2012 Trip
Apr 20
Last year, Keith headed west, kind of like Lewis and Clark, and what he discovered was Disneyland. I mean, it had already been discovered and it wasn’t his first time…..but you get the message here. As he comes home from his Disney Cruise of 2013, we wanted to share these videos from last year. Enjoy the fun and humor. This is part one and part two will be live next Saturday. Enjoy.
Keith Lapinig
http://www.KeithLapinig.com
Disney Film History: Saludos Amigos
Apr 17
Despite his success since Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and his perceived happiness to the general public, the time period following Snow White up until 1941 was a rough one for Walt Disney. With money in their pockets, Walt and his brother Roy moved their parents down to California in 1938, where they could see their grandchildren, but the home they moved into had some troubles and his mother soon died from fumes leaking into the house. Walt heavily blamed himself for her death and his father became frail because of it. At the studio, Walt had seen failures come out in Pinocchio and Fantasia. Not able to earn their money back, he was in debt with banks. On top of all that, a strike broke out at the studio. He had always believed he was one of the boys, but as some people felt they were underpaid and union workers had convinced them to strike, a large portion of “the boys” sat outside the studio instead of at their desks.
The onset of World War II had left the studio a mess due to not being able to make money in overseas markets, however World War II also brought opportunities to Walt Disney that potentially saved the studio and his happiness. He was approached by Roosevelt and the U.S. government to go on a Goodwill Ambassador tour of South America. At the time, South America was a region being clamored for by both the U.S. and Nazi Germany. It was an area crucial to have for the U.S. because they were neighbors and had close range if there ever were attacks on U.S. soil. Walt felt he wouldn’t be someone to send down south just to shake hands with politicians and go to fancy parties. He mentioned he might be better off going down there for research and creating a film out of it. The government agreed to it and in the summer of 1941, Walt Disney gathered up 18 of his employees that weren’t striking, as well as his wife Lily, and took off for Brazil.
The group from the Walt Disney studio was an interesting one. Commonly refereed to as “El Grupo Disney” by hotel lobby workers in Brazil, they consisted not just of animators, but of musicians, sketch artists, storyboard artists, producers, and directors. El Groupo had such legendary names in it as Lee and Mary Blair, Norm Furgeson, Ted Sears, Frank Thomas, and Herb Ryman. Many of these people would become Disney’s right hand men and women at the studio after the trip as they all bonded closely during it. It was a fantastic 3 month trip to Brazil, Argentina, Chile, and Peru. El Grupo met with locals, drank at parties, danced, played with local musicians, and of course sketched the scenery they saw and the people they met.
When coming back to the studio in the fall, they arrived at a studio not on strike, but one that had been unionized. It was a different place, but Walt was the boss and the film they promised the U.S. government had to be made after such a trip. Energized and refocused at the studio, Walt Disney came up with the film Saludos Amigos, which means “Hello Friends” in English. The film was to be divided into several parts, much like their trip was. They wanted to showcase some of the things they had seen, like the beautiful scenery of Rio in Brazil or the gauchos they rode horses with in Argentina.
The issue arose that many of the people working on Saludos Amigos were not on the trip and turned what was supposed to be a serious film, bonding the North and South Americas, into a gag fest that didn’t display all of the things they saw and enjoyed. Only small portions of the things they did were seen. Take the Lake Titicaca portion for example. It displays beautiful scenery and touches on the markets of Peru, but the short eventually turns into a fight between Donald Duck and a Llama, which doesn’t really represent the region itself. Another cartoon Chileans got upset about was Pedro, the airplane delivering mail. He wasn’t seen as heroic, but more childish and clumsy, which was used for comedic purposes.
The portion of the film many critics will point out is the final segment called Aquarela do Brasil, or “Watercolor of Brazil,” which was based off of the popular Brazilian song written by Ary Barroso and showcases a sense of style and artistry not shown in the rest of the film. The animation is gorgeous and the short brings us a brand new character, and one of my personal favorites, Jose Carioca. Jose not only defines this film, but would also go on to star in The Three Caballeros (which we will get to in a few weeks) and he also makes several smaller appearances in films like Alice in Wonderland and several stints in Disney Channel’s House of Mouse. The suave care-free bird plays well off of Donald Duck, who also stars in the short, and also helps give a good impression of Brazil.
Beyond the animation, the film also includes live action sequences from the trip El Grupo took, giving us a good idea of how some of these artists lived while there and what they saw that inspired them. We also get to see, for the first time, some of these Disney legends, not only at work, but also having fun on a journey of a lifetime, and one that helped change and save the studio.
The film first premiered in August 1942 in Rio de Janeiro as part of the Good Neighbor Policy. Several Disney characters were on hand and the film was made out to be a big deal. The film premiered in the United States in February 1943 with less fanfare. The film recieved mixed reviews from both the North and South Americas. South America felt it wasn’t authentic enough to them, however it helped the world see a bit of who they are considering they weren’t as largerly seen as the U.S. or some European countries. North Americans enjoyed the film for it’s comedy and modern day look at South America, but didn’t understand why they weren’t seeing a full length animated fairy tale from the Walt Disney Studio.
Despite critical reception, the film garnered profits for Disney and helped put the company back on it’s feet, considering what would come very soon with the military takeover of the studio. Saludos Amigos being a money maker also paved the way for the next several films. Walt saw it was quicker and easier to make a film that was chopped up into several segments instead of one continuous story. With the studio busy making propoganda films for the U.S. as well as the lack of markets overseas, the “package” film era begins with Saludos Amigos and several films filled with shorts would follow in the years to come. (We will get to all of them, don’t worry.)
What are your thoughts on Saludos Amigos? Do you love it? Hate it? Does this history lesson change your opinion? Also, have you seen the documentary Walt and El Grupo? (I recommend it for any film fan.) Leave your comments below and until next time, Adios Amigos!
Josh Taylor
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Previous Film: Bambi
Next Film: Victory Through Air Power
Disney Trip Planning: Drink Lots of Water
Apr 15
Sure everyone PLANS on drinking a lot of water throughout the day when you’re at Disney, but we are so distracted by fun that by 3pm most of us are saying, “Gee golly, am I ONE exhausted prince/princess!” You, then you realize the only thing you’ve sipped on all day was that pre-park Sanka and lunch-accompanying fizzy soda. That just wont cut it during a Disney vacation, because if you’re lacking hydration, then you are going to turn into a certain dwarfish man with a silly pointy hat and a bad attitude! Yes, I am telling you that you are going to be a big cranky-pants, just like Grumpy!
I’ve only seen one person pass out in my life and it was due to dehydration. This is serious stuff people. And would you guess this incident happened in line for Splash Mountain!? (Apparently the guy that Josh and Keith discuss in this episode had the exact opposite problem…) Ok, so maybe for you it wont ever reach the point of losing consciousness, but your body’s thirst can sneak up on you and unfortunately come in the form of headaches, exhaustion, and sluggish-ness. Frankly, it could ruin your vacation, and everyone you’re with will make note not to invite you to anymore Disney resorts with them the next time around! This means: not drinking water = no more Disney! And, no more Disney = no more fun ever again! (Aren’t you lucky you are reading this post and know that, now?)
So, right now you’re asking, “Angie, I know I have to drink water in Disney, now that you’ve shared your secrets with us, but how do I go about doing this?!” Oh, do I have some great answers for you, my friends!
1. Buy a Brita or Bobble water bottle- They come in different sizes (to fit easily in your bag) if you search online, and lots of department and sports stores sell them. They are water bottles with filters, which effectively cut out that awful taste that Disney drinking water fountains seem to spit out. I always fill mine at the hotel food court with ice and cold water, and sip on it while waiting in line for an attraction or walking around the parks, then refill throughout the day in the parks!

All of these characters aren’t getting invited back to Disney because they didn’t drink enough water last time.
2. Ask for a cup of water- Any restaurant in Disney is required to give you a complimentary (free) cup of ice water, if they have the means to! You can just pop in to a counter service location or food cart pretty quickly, then you just have to ask for one!
3. Drink from the bubbler/drinking water fountains- The water from these guys isn’t always cold and the water from the ones in Walt Disney World tastes like butt (so try to plan ahead and go with my number 1 suggestion), but in the case of dehydration, you must resort to this if there is no other way!
4. Water bottles- They’ll cost you a small fortune, but Disney parks sell pre-bottled water (like Dasani, Poland Springs, etc.) to purchase in gift shops and restaurants!
If you make a point to stay hydrated throughout the day in the parks you are really going to see a difference, especially if you’ve never paid attention to it before! You will see that you are less sluggish/crabby by the end of the day, and ultimately this is going to improve your Disney vacation!
Angie Carreiro
http://www.ILoveAnimalArt.com
Modern Mouse Radio #17: Armchair Imagineers w/ Safari Mike
Apr 14
Josh and Keith are joined for the 4th installment of Armchair Imagineers by Mike McBride, or as many people know him, Safari Mike. He joins us with his expertise and knowledge of animals and Disney’s Animal Kingdom. We come up with a brand new land idea. See what we’ve got in store.
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DLR Talks #5
Apr 13
This past Sunday, we brought back our live Google Hangout show DLR Talks. We talked Disney animated classics and played trivia. Josh hosts this weeks game as he is the resident historian on Disney films. Amelia and Ryan Brown return and we are joined by Modern Mouse Radio’s newest member, Angie Carreiro for this show. Do you think you know your Disney movie trivia? Watch the video and total up your score. Leave it in the comments below. If you have a suggestion for a DLR Talks live show, we would love to hear it.
Also, our next show will be a live Q&A for the staff here at Modern Mouse Radio. If you have a questions for Ryan Brown, Amelia Brown, Keith Lapinig, Josh Taylor, or Angie Carreiro, leave it in the comments below and we will be sure to get to it in our next episode.
Ryan Brown
https://ModernMouseRadio.com
Cruisin’ the Freeway at 7 MPH
Apr 10
In the 1950’s, cars were a big deal. How big of a deal? Big enough for Walt Disney to build three separate Autopia tracks at Disneyland. Yes, at one point Disneyland had not only the original Tomorrowland Autopia speedway, but it also had the Junior/Fantasyland Autopia speedway, and the Midget Autopia speedway, which was also in Fantasyland. California was known for it’s car culture and Disneyland was no exception to that. President Eisenhower had yet to sign the Interstate Highway legislation but it had been talked about for some time. Autopia was one of Disneyland’s original attractions and has been the symbol of a great American past time for years. People drive in their cars for miles to get to Disneyland, just to jump into an Autopia car and travel at 7 miles per hour. It’s almost a rite of passage and one of those Disney attractions that everyone must do.
The original (or OG) Autopia attraction is the Tomorrowland version. That’s because in 1955, cars traveling on the multi-lane interstate highway system was seen as a futuristic idea. At that time, cars had to travel neighborhood or local streets instead of using the much faster freeways. That meant, this attraction looked into the world of tomorrow and was suited for it’s themed land. Unsurprisingly, the attraction was popular, especially amongst the younger guests who didn’t have their driver’s license yet. As great as its popularity was, the cars themselves took a serious beating because of it. It might seem unfamiliar but in the early years of Autopia, the cars were not kept in place by a barrier rail going down the center of the road. That allowed drivers to smash into each other in any way possible. The center rail wouldn’t be installed on Tomorrowland’s Autopia track until 1965. In Disneyland’s first 3 years of operation, Autopia went through 4 fleets of cars for the attraction alone. That’s quite the bill for motor cars.
Due to the popularity of the Tomorrowland Autopia, the Junior Autopia was built in 1956 in Fantasyland. This attraction did have the center rail, keeping cars from getting too banged up. I guess they learned their lesson the second time around. This track was practically the same as Tomorrowland’s version. It had the same freeway theme and some of the same signage. Junior Autopia was renamed the Fantasyland Autopia in 1959 but didn’t get any major updates until 1991 during the Disney Afternoon takeover. Disney Afternoon took over part of Fantasyland as a promotion for the television block of animated cartoons. That’s when this version of Autopia became the Rescue Rangers Speedway. The attraction featured Chip, Dale, Gadget, and the rest of the team from the popular cartoon series for an entire year before the makeover was torn down and it once again became the Fantasyland Autopia in 1992. The attraction continued to stay open until both Tomorrowland and Fantasyland versions closed in 1999 for a complete overhaul. (We will come back to that in a moment.)
The third version of Autopia was the Midget Autopia. It opened in 1957. It sat near the Storybook Canal and took up the space that eventually went to It’s A Small World. Again, this attraction was built due to the popularity of the other two versions. The nice thing about the Midget Autopia is that adults weren’t even allowed on it. The smaller cars and smaller track allowed for kids to have their own version without having Mom or Dad drive them, as the other versions needed a parent on board if you were 7 years old or younger. As you can imagine, this attraction only lasted a few years because it would be replaced by It’s A Small World in 1966. (Thanks a lot Rolly Crump!)
The remaining two versions of Autopia got a new fleet of cars in 1967. These cars cost $5,000 each and were designed like the new Corvette Stingrays. These cars, dubbed the Mark VI fleet stayed as the fleet until Autopia closed down in 1999. These cars were kept so long due to their expense. They were deemed cheaper to fix up than replace, plus their body style looked nice. By 1999 they had gotten their use and were scrapped for new cars.
The new cars debuted with the new Autopia attraction in 2000. The Fantasyland and Tomorrowland versions were no longer separate. The new version had a longer track, an entrance in Tomorrowland, and was sponsored by Chevron. Several types of cars are all now available. An off road jeep, a sports car, and a Volkswagon Bug are the cars riders will get. These cars even have personalities and names; Dusty, Sparky, and Suzy. This was even before Pixar made Cars so keep that in mind. This wasn’t a rip off. The new Autopia also had some new scenery including new billboards, an off road area, and a scenic view, including a nice passover by the Monorail if you time it right. The longer track also allowed for more cars which now helps keep lines moving. The newer cars are also more green. They still use gas, but don’t use as much and produce less pollution.
Autopia did lose it’s Chevron sponsorship in 2012. The loss of it’s sponsor plus the debut of Carsland at California Adventure has taken it’s toll on the attraction. It’s become less popular over the last few years, especially with the continuing Space theme in Tomorrowland. Autopia seems to be out of place. Will it see it’s end in the near future? That’s uncertain. The attraction has inspired duplicates at every major Disneyland style park so far so it may be an attraction that never dies. Only time will tell what’s in store for the cars of Autopia.
What are your thoughts on Autopia? Do you like it? Do you hate it? What are your favorite memories or stories? Leave your comments below, and until next time, keep on cruising.
Josh Taylor
http://www.GPlus,to/ModernMouseJosh
https://ModernMouseRadio.com10