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Disneyana 2002
Page 2 of 4

On Wednesday, The Institute hosted John Canemaker who is an animator, teacher, author, and animation historian. Recently he wrote the book Walt Disney's Nine Old Men. In addition, he was creative consultant and on-camera/audio commentator on the DVD version of such Disney classics as Fantasia, Dumbo, Beauty and the Beast, Peter Pan, and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Because of his wealth of knowledge of animation he was at the Magic Kingdom for a tribute to Ward Kimball.

As we entered the theatre we were given buttons and information about the upcoming platinum release of Beauty and the Beast. After we got settled in out seats we were treated to Ward's appearance on You Bet Your Life with Groucho Marx where Ward said the secret word (hand) and got asked a trivia question where the answer was Pinocchio. After the audience stopped laughing, Jeff Kurtti introduced John Canemaker. John told many great stories about Ward. We got to see clips from the first 3-D Disney cartoon, Melody, Ward's quirky title number from Three Caballeros, and the TV special, One Hour in Wonderland which featured a performance by the Firehouse Five Plus Two.

The night was full of laughs; the way I think Ward would want it. In fact, I think he was watching us because Jeff and John went through about 6 microphones as they kept breaking. The night closed with the Disney Classic Peter Pan, where Ward worked on the Indian Chief. It is always good to see this gem on the big screen. The evening presentations were a nice companion to the Disneyana event and I thank the Disney Institute for inviting us to be a part of these very memorable evenings.

Wednesday morning I participated in my first Disneyana Discovery, these additional activities are presented to Disneyana guests and are my favorite part of the event. Unfortunately, I only got to participate in two this year, but I enjoyed them very much. The first one was Principles of the Mouse. We were bused to the Magic Kingdom to hear stories, and notice some of the small details that make Disney parks so special. Our hosts were Lisa and Mark. These facilitators were excellent. There enthusiasm for Disney was so strong; I wanted them to become my pen pals. Even though I wasn't my personable self because I was sick, I still laughed and had a great time. We started our tour in front of Main Street U.S.A. were we were given a history lesson about Disneyland and Walt Disney World. We learned about transitional experiences and forced perspective, got a special look at The Haunted Mansion, and got a unique Jungle Cruise experience where backstage details and hidden facts were exposed. Did you know that the back part of the plane used in Casablanca in the Jungle Cruise while the front part is in the Great Movie Ride? During our snack in Liberty Square, I got to talk to my fellow participants and there was a special magic being able to share my love of Disney with others. On the bus ride back to Epcot, Mark recounted the classic story of Walt calling Herb Ryman in to the studio on Saturday to draw an early version of Disneyland. Walt was able to share his vision and today we try and continue that vision whether we are cast members or guests. As we left the boss we were given a copy of Walt in one of his electric cars inside Disneyland with Mickey at his side. While this gift might not have much monetary value, it is priceless with sentimental value and is now one of my treasured possessions.

On Wednesday I took the Disneyana Discoveries Field Trip. We started out by going to the new Once Upon a Toy store at Downtown Disney. We were given a tour of the store to learn the "story" of the location. The store is gorgeous and intricately themed. Here are some fun facts about the location:

• Built on the site of the old Harrington Bay, Once Upon a Toy covers 16,000 square feet.
• The display table in the Play Room is 12' x 12' and carries all of the monorail pieces currently available
• Once Upon a Toy is the only location at Walt Disney World to carry every plush bean available on property

After a shopping opportunity we headed to downtown Orlando and the Global Retail Store Development Team. Our facilitators, Lisa and Debbie, a 1971 Cast Member, played Disney Trivia and told stories on the way. When we got there we got to meet the artists that make fixtures and themed pieces for stores at Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. Their artistry is amazing even though we might take their work for granted. Looking at them at work made us appreciate their work with a new set of eyes. We met Joni, a sculptor who has done a lot of great work. She talked with such passion that it was contagious. Just one look at her office made you realize that not only was she a Disney Cast Member, she is also a Disney fan. As we left, we were each given a prototype for the Mouse Gear Store. It was a silver set of mouse ears with a screw coming out of the top. It's a neat piece. This Field Trip was a great experience.

On Wednesday, after my class, it was time to register. A tent was set up at the Wonders parking lot at Epcot. At registration we were given our credentials and event information. In addition, we were given two gifts. The first was a gift certificate for a Leave a Legacy tile. The other was a rare coin that was given to Cast Members of the Walt Disney Company, Government Officials representing the countries of World Showcase, as well as VIP and celebrity Guests to commemorate the opening of Epcot Center on October 1, 1982.

After I picked up my logo and limited edition merchandise it was time for the mystery to begin. In our booklet we got a note from M. Mouse stating that we will be given six clues. Two at registration, two at the auction, and two at the theme park party. At the breakfast, a seventh clue will be revealed that will tie everything together and will allow us to solve the mystery.

Each clue is a missing item. Each item has a corresponding number which can be derived from the clue. The first item is the Beast's Rose: We were told that the NYPD Blue detectives at ABC could find a missing item by adding it all up. We had to figure out that you must add up the "Rose," and that "ABC" was highlighted. We had to add up the ABCs of "Rose," so "R" is the 18 th letter in the alphabet; "O" is the 19th letter, and so on. After we added up the letter we got the answer of "57", which is confirmed by a ketchup reference in the clue.

The second item was the Sorcerer's Hat: There were two cheerleaders running around the welcome center with number on their uniforms and the megaphone. The sign said that we surely know what the hat looks like. On the accompanying sings and on the cheerleaders, only the megaphone resembled the sorcerer's hat. On the megaphone was a "9", but we had to realize that the megaphone only resembled the hat if it was upside down and the number is "6".

There were detectives around the welcome center trying to crack the case but I had a theme park to explore, I went to my hotel to get ready for the animation seminar and tackle the event on its official first day.

 

 

 


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