SEARCH SITE

 

FEATURED

TAGS
Abandoned Disney (8) Adventure Thru Inner Space (2) Adventureland (12) America Sings (1) Animal Kingdom (2) Animation (19) Animatronics (20) Area Music (7) Backyard Imagineering (6) Behind-the-Scenes (39) Big Thunder Mountain (3) California Adventure (6) Captain E.O. (1) Carousel of Progress (12) Castle (7) Characters (6) Club 33 (1) Concept (13) Construction (15) Country Bear Jamboree (2) Death (2) Disney Channel (1) Disneyland (50) Disney-MGM Studios (1) Donald Duck (3) Entertainment (5) Epcot (28) Fantasyland (16) Fess Parker (1) Film (25) Frito Kid (4) Frontierland (14) Germany (1) Hall of Presidents (4) Haunted Mansion (10) Hidden Mickeys (2) Holidays (1) Hollywood Studios (1) Horizons (3) House of the Future (1) Illustration (3) John Lasseter (4) Journey Into Imagination (2) Jungle Cruise (15) Lake Buena Vista (1) Liberty Square (3) Lillian Disney (2) Ludwig Von Drake (1) Magic Kingdom (23) Main Street U.S.A (12) Maintenance (1) Management (4) Maps (13) Marc Davis (8) Marty Sklar (3) Matterhorn (6) Monorail (4) Mr. Lincoln (3) Muppets (2) Music (3) Mystery (9) Nature's Wonderland (7) New Orleans Square (6) Orange Bird (2) Paul Frees (1) PeopleMover (10) Peter Pan (2) Photos (1) Pirates of the Caribbean (9) Pixar (5) Pleasure Island (1) Podcast (1) Progress City (1) Props (2) Railroad (2) Resorts (2) River Country (4) Rivers of America (2) Roy Disney (1) Scale Models (21) Skyway (3) Song of the South (2) Sound Effects (2) Souvenirs (3) Space (3) Space Mountain (7) Splash Mountain (1) Tangled (2) The Living Seas (1) Then and Now (17) Tiki Birds (2) Tilt Shift (2) Tomorrowland (39) Tomorrowland 67 (8) Treehouse (1) Vintage Disneyland (3) Walt Disney (15) Walt Disney Family (7) Walt Disney Family Museum (1) Walt Disney World (6) Ward Kimball (1) Wonders of Life (1) World of Motion (2) World's Fair (2) Yeti (1)
LINKS
MORE FEATURED

 

 

MORE MORE FEATURED


Orange Bird Photo Hunt

EVEN MORE FEATURED

ADMINISTRATORS
Friday
Dec252009

Merry Christmas

This is fun to watch during the holidays.  Not directly Christmas-related by it fits the season.  "Ben and Me" was released in 1953 and is a great little piece of animation.  The story is by the great story teller Bill Peet and art direction by Ken Anderson (of Walt's 'Nine Old Men') and Claude Coats who later went on to work for W.E.D. Imagineering (Haunted Mansion, Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, Alice, Subs, Pirades, etc.)  

This has some of that same spirit you get at The American Adventure and Liberty Square.  Enjoy.

Saturday
Dec192009

ABANDONED DISNEY: River Country [Part 1]

A while back I spent some time* at Disney's first water park, River Country.  Yep, it's still there where they left it yet it no longer functions as a park.  More like a watery ghost town.  There are few things in the world that compare to the feeling of walking through an abandoned attraction, let alone an entire abandoned park.

I do not suggest you go jumping over fences to climb around your favorite forgotten Disney destination.  (Maybe you just peak through the cracks in the fences the next time you are at The Hoop-Dee-Doo Review at Fort Wilderness--- located just south of River Country).

With a view of the Contemporary, Space Mountain, and Discover Island in both photos.

A floating yellow inner tube still floats in the swampy water.

 

[Part 2][Part 3], and [Part 4] now available.


For more River Country history go to http://waltdatedworld.com/id220.htm

'Then' photos from printed materials, mgmcinnis, auntierain, and others.
'Now' photos by Fritz and Bing Maps 

*This did not include trespassing.  It was by invitation.  Please to do not tour River Country without permission.

 

Related posts:

ABANDONED DISNEY: River Country [Part 2]
ABANDONED DISNEY: River Country [Part 3]
ABANDONED DISNEY: River Country [Part 4]
River Country Fun [Part 1]

ABANDONED DISNEY: Haunted Mansion Hitchhiking Ghosts
ABANDONED DISNEY: Country Bear- Max
Fake Disney Park in Japan


Wednesday
Dec162009

Roy E. Disney Dies at 79

We are very sad to announce the passing of Roy E. Disney.  He helped save the Disney Company more than once.  He contributed to Disney film making, he supported Disney animation and parks when other company executives would not.  He led the "Save Disney Campaign" in 2004, ultimately leading to the resignation of Eisner.  He knew Walt (his uncle) well and always tried to stand for what he represented.  As a child he literally sat at the feet of Walt to hear first-hand the ideas of the genius himself.

Official Company Statement


A Message from Bob Iger, CEO, The Walt Disney Company: Roy E. Disney Passes
 
Dear Cast Members,

It is with great sadness that I inform you of the passing of our friend and colleague Roy E. Disney. After a courageous year-long fight with stomach cancer, he passed away peacefully this morning at Hoag Hospital in Newport Beach, surrounded by his loving family.

Roy played an important role in our lives here at Disney, and in the success of our Company over many years. Along the way, he touched many of us in a personal way. During his 56-year association with the Company, his true passion and focus was preserving and building upon the amazing legacy of Disney animation that was started by his father and uncle. His commitment to the art of animation was unparalleled and will always remain his personal legacy and one of the greatest contributions to Disney's past, present and future.

Roy not only helped to keep the legacy alive, but he also embraced new technologies, and gave the filmmakers the tools they needed to tell their stories in new and exciting ways. He encouraged talent, and loved working with the creative community. And they loved working with him.

Roy was a Disney Legend in every sense of the word, and his contributions to this great Company have been profound and will always be remembered. For the next week we will be flying the Disney flag at half mast here at the Studio and at our parks, and I know you join me in sending thoughts and prayers to Roy's wife, Leslie, his four children, and his 16 grandchildren. For those who wish to pay their respects, the family has requested that donations be made in Roy's name to the California International Sailing Association (CISA) to benefit youth sailing.
 

Bob