An Interview with Disneyland Resort President Cynthia Harriss - Part One
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LP: Do you have a time table as to when youll be able to announce specifics?
CH: It will probably be the day before - no (laughs). Well try to keep it a secret as long as we can but I dont know if we can from you. Were still formulating and what we dont want to do is talk about "maybe ideas" because as you can imagine, with our Imagineers who are so creative, all the entertainment people and everybody in our company, therere more ideas than you can ever do. In fact, Ill tell you, at the last creative session we had there were so many ideas that we actually have a couple of huge ideas that weve now put in for 06, 07 and 08. What were going to do is over the coming months is really get this nailed as to what we will actually have so that we can cut down on some level of the speculation. But all I can tell you is it will be spectacular.
LP: When might you be ready to announce whats going on in Critter Country?
CH: Come see us in October. I know youre going to come for the opening for Fliks Fun Fair and a bug's land. Well be talking a little more specifically then. (Ed Note: The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh was announced on October 7th)
LP: Tom Sawyers Island has been the subject of a lot of rumors about closures. Can you tell us anything about that?
CH: Tom Sawyers Island is an important part of the Disneyland Resort. Its been a tradition and its also one of the things that the kids love. It needs some attention and so were giving it its appropriate attention. So essentially what youre seeing this year is well go in and make it even safer and get it all spiffed up. Then the following year we hope to be able to add a few things to it. But Tom Sawyers Island is with us. We love it. And all those rumors about were going to do something more dramatic arent really valid. It will be Tom Sawyers Island.
The spot where the Carousel used to be in a
picture taken a couple of months ago
LP: What happened to the Carousel. Why is that taking so long?
CH: Because it is so spectacular. Honestly, this is one of those things that - when I say its so spectacular, you know the history of the carousel so I dont need to take out the time on this. The Carousel is one of those special, special attractions. You know that Walt searched the world to find that carousel and to bring it here and the fact that it is an original and the fact that it has been in this park for so many years. And we needed to rehab it as we do typically on all our attractions. And its such a centerpiece for Fantasyland. Its kind of one of those - Doobie - that while it is down we are doing everything possible that we can think of to make sure that we dont have to take it down again hopefully for decades. On top of that is taking an opportunity to spiff it up. All the horses will be even more beautiful than ever before and all the details that go into that. So its really just so that we can avoid having to ever take it down again for a long, long time. Just doing everything possible that you can think of and it just takes a while to get it done.
LP: Do you know when you expect it to be done?
CH: Were planning to open it for the holidays. The exact date I cant tell you right off the top of my head. But well have it open for the holidays.