Lowell's Disney Page

"Faith I have, in myself, in humanity, in the worthwhileness of the pursuits in entertainment for the masses. But wide awake, not blind faith, moves me. My operations are based on experience, thoughtful observation and warm fellowship with my neighbors at home and around the world."

I first came to Disneyland as a small boy in 1956. I still remember that you couldn't see much from the street because it was surrounded by an orchard which you actually drove through when you entered the property. Even the parking lot was still dirt. It was quite an eye-opener when I was cast during the winter of 1991 in this 'nutcracker' adaption with Mickey and all the gang on the former 'Videopolis' stage. It was directed by Rob Roth and choreographed by Matt West. Rob and Matt went on the next year to produce Disney's first Broadway musical version of Beauty and The Beast, which was a tremendous success.

The Videopolis stage being readied for opening. The cluster of flakes at right rotates into the Narrator set.

The Narrator's set is a great study of Disney's attention to detail even on the smallest facade. It revolved on a "lazy susan" on the apron at the right wing of the proscenium. If you look carefully at the lower left under the andirons, you'll see the outline of the trap door I used to "magically" enter the set from below
in the reverse angle.

...was my wonderful Boss at Disney and is now running a successful consultancy at
OnMyGo.com

"You know, the only way I've found to make these pictures is with animators. You can't seem to do it with accountants and bookkeepers."

— Walt Disney

A Message from Roy E. Disney...
To all the faithful visitors of SaveDisney.com:

July 14, 2005 - First of all, please accept my most sincere thanks for your faith and trust in us, and for sticking with us through thick and thin during this campaign. You have been our biggest help in the tough times, and the good times... and there is no way to say "thank-you" any more sincerely than I do now.

It's been a while since last I wrote to you about how much nicer Disneyland has been looking lately, and as you probably know, a lot has happened in that time... maybe the single most important thing being that we here at SaveDisney have come to an agreement with the new management at the Walt Disney Company regarding our mutual relationship.

Accordingly, on August 7th, we will permanently close down this website... with regrets, of course, but also with the satisfaction that it has served its purpose... to inform and educate all of you about the future of the Disney legacy.

One result, which pleases me personally, and my family (which has endured these months alongside me), and of course Stanley Gold and many others here at Shamrock, is that I have been asked to rejoin the Company, as a Consultant, and as Director Emeritus, and to take part in whatever way I can help as a part of the Company, its art and its business. It is my intent to fully be a part of the Company again, to the best of my ability, and I can never fully describe what a joy it is that I will soon be re-connecting with so many friends - - from my past, from my present, and from my future.

There is so much more that can not be addressed here, but there are plenty of encouraging signs toward the future vision of the Walt Disney Company, visions that we share and have shared through these difficult times.

So for the moment, let me thank each of you and all of you for sharing your emotions and your ideas and your passion for what my Father and Uncle Walt created. Join with us as we enter into this new era, and its promise for a "great big, beautiful tomorrow."

On a purely personal note, I only hope than I can come close to living up to all your hopes and dreams, and maybe even play a part in creating some new dreams!

“When I started on Disneyland, my wife used to say, 'But why do you want to build an amusement park? They're so dirty.' I told her that was just the point- mine wouldn't be.”

During December 2001, the Disney Company carried on a year long celebration for what would've been Walt's Centenary. In honor and celebration, here's a few goodies I've picked up over years of studying Disneyana.

Plane Crazy (1928)- Although you hear a lot about Walt's first SOUND cartoon "Steamboat Willie", many have mistaken it as the first Mickey Mouse Cartoon. To quote Walt from an episode of the early "Disneyland" TV series (1953) "We must never forget the contribution of our first major star Mickey Mouse when he made his initial appearance the year of Lindberg's historic flight." About 8 months later in 1929, "Steamboat Willie" was released and "Plane Crazy" was re-called to add a sound track. Also Ubbe (Ub) Iwerks animated "Plane Crazy" almost single handedly.

Flowers and Trees (1932) - Many have also expounded that "Snow White" (1934) was the Studio's first Color endeavor. According to Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston ("Disney Animation, The Illusion of Life"), "Flowers and Trees" shares a similar foible with "Plane Crazy" except that Walt perfected his color processing while still in production so weeks of Black and White footage were re-called and reshot in the new 'glorious' technicolor.

More Disneyland Stuff- During the last weeks of park construction as well as having an overseer's perch, Walt had an apartment residence right off Main Street Plaza. If you check over the Fire House you'll notice that it has an extra floor. This was where Walt stayed when overnight confabs were necessary. Park Legend has it that there is still an old telephone inside and although disconnected for the last 30 years, will still give off the itinerant ring. Is Walt checking in from beyond??

At one time during the fireworks, "Tinkerbell" would fly across the park and disappear. I could always see her coming from the tip of the Matterhorn but until I went to work there, I never knew where she disappeared to. Finally while walking behind Gepetto's restaurant (Fantasyland) in the service alley, I saw a small derrick tower erected about 12 ft. on the west wall, cable still attached and realized it was there for Tink.

There are three employee restaurants available. One is a service window at the rear of Gepetto's (near the Tink tower), one is directly behind the Plaza Inn (called the "Inn-Between") and one is actually UNDER the "Pirates of the Caribbean" attraction. I won't go into Disney rumors but you can get the scoop on them at Snopes.com .

In 1953 before Disneyland was a going concern, Walt had no other help to turn to than the guys that had originally done the cartoons. You never really heard their names as much as his even though they were the actual craftsmen.

It was the early animation staff that formulated much of the park's attractions and realized them on a three dimensional scale. Rides like "Mr. Toad" and "Alice In Wonderland" still look pretty much as they did when Fantasyland opened excepting outer facades. Miniature conceptualization was raised to a high art by the Disney Company. The stage and sets pictured above were all fabricated at 1/16th of an inch to one foot scale right down to the teacup and saucer on the antique end table before construction began.The same applies to all the park structures and near New Orleans Square there is an exquisite model of the Sleeping Beauty Castle at one inch to the foot including the Snow White grotto on the left with wishing well, waterfall and all the finely detailed character sculptures. The foundation of this procedure is one of the park's greatest treasures and testament to the artists labor. Pictured here are the original miniature villages in the Storybook Canal which were made as the artists models.