Looking for Mary Blair (Part One) ...

Me making my "Shucky darns" face at the closed "Small World".  Please note I am wearing my Mary Blair "Small World" concept art t-shirt and carrying my Mary Blair-inspired Le Sportsac.  I take The Blair seriously, yes I do.

So, as part of a trip my hubby and I recently took to Southern California, while Chicago was swallowed up in yet another polar vortex, we decided to visit Disneyland - as one does. And, after receiving my wonderful 23-month calendar from D23 and knowing I'd soon be receiving my next D23 issue that was all about "It's a Small World" at the 1964-65 World's Fair, I decided to hold our Disney Day under the lens of the art of the magnificent Mary Blair, the Disney artist who was Walt's favorite, the woman who was responsible for the concept art for "Cinderella", "Peter Pan", and "Alice in Wonderland", and the driving force behind the ride, "It's a Small World", celebrating its 50th anniversary this year,. Little did I know I'd embark on quite an interesting journey.  You see, the aforementioned ride was closed for refurbishment, as was the Alice ride. The two bastions of Blairness, the places where one can actually ride through Mary's Wonderful World, were closed to us. Let the pouting begin: It was quite interesting to be encountered by a variety of folks, middle-aged, teens, college-aged, all asking us (while I was taking photos of the IASW ride area), "Man! I love this ride! When will it be running?" "Is the ride closed for just an hour or so?" "I came all the way here today to visit the ride. Bummer." Perhaps it was the way I was outfitted with Blair, but lots of folks asked me if I knew what was up.  What I learned was that the ride was being refurbed to meet all OSHA standards, would be up again in early April, then down again to complete the facelift, re-opening in time for its 50th birthday celebration. 

 

 

Undaunted, what I did was to seek out the art of this great creator of whimsy wherever I could find it. And I was heartened by the fact that the spirit of Ms. Blair dots Disneyland in a delightful way.

 

There's lots of "Blairness" to be had in the area right near the ride:

 

One of the delightful Children of the World, inside the gift shop at the ride's exit

Some of the swag inside aforementioned gift shop.  Next time, I'll be purchasing the "I conquered" t-shirt!

More great IASW swag.  Loving the throws!

Little Hawaiian Mary Blair girl

Ride attraction poster inside the gift shop.  Oddly, I could NOT find a copy to purchase anywhere at the park or at Downtown Disney, unless I wanted to do the "purchase and Print" option, which I didn't.  Wanted one of the pre-matted ones.  A "must get" to celebrate the anniversary!

Even a "Small World" - inspired trash can ...

 

 

Check in soon for part two of my "Looking for Mary Blair" at Disneyland escapade! 

16 Things That Are Awesomely Hidden at Disneyland!! (a.k.a. I'm having a FREAK OUT!!)

http://www.buzzfeed.com/peggy/awesome-hidden-gems-you-must-experience-at-disneyland

Back in 2011, yours truly getting ready to leave for her Disneyland visit for the book,
holding the Mickey doll bought for her by her Mom back in 1972.

First of all, full thanks to Peggy Wang at Buzzfeed for assembling this magnificent collection of gems.  Click the link above to see the whole story.  Nicely done!

And now: the freak out ...

You can get a death certificate at the Haunted Mansion??

Take a ride in the Lilly Belle train car???

Get a free map of the Jungle Cruise?????

I pride myself in knowing all the details of what makes Disneyland THE most magical amusement park of them all (and remember: I visited a boatload for the book).  It's the original; there would be no Disney World, Disney Paris, Disney Tokyo or China or the other one I keep forgetting, if it wasn't for the first one built by Walt himself in 1955.  I worship at the altar of Madame Leota (and still get freaked out by Little Leota, but that's another story).  I genuflect at the light emanating from the second story of the firehouse, telling all that the magic and the story lives on.  Point being: I KNOW my Disneyland lore.  I KNOW "my" park.

But I did not know a BUNCH of these gems.  And it makes me mad.  Because I won't be back at Disneyland until March.

Yeah, I know, I know.  You're saying, "Oh, you have to wait a full three months plus, poor baby.  Here's my tiny violin playing 'My Heart Bleeds for You'".  But when a class A Disneyfanatic learns about things hidden at the park she owns tons of books about, has visited countless times, and owns a PIECE of (two chunks of one of the Mary Blair Tomorrowland murals, savagely ripped apart to make stuff that isn't half as charming or memorable), she needs to revisit and she needs to do so NOW.

I'll be in southern California for a class in March (nothing having to do with Disney whatsoever), but then, well, I'll just HAVE to swing on by the park.  And now, I've got an agenda.

I knew about most of these little-known gems at the park, but certainly not all (and I must thank my friend Melissa for posting this link on Facebook in the first place).  When I spent my birthday at the park in 2003, I was thrilled to be gifted with an honorary Disneyland citizen certificate (which you KNOW I have framed and in clear view, so I can remind myself of my elevated status on a daily basis).  During my birthday visit this February, I was knocked to my knees by the rare treat of visiting Walt's firehouse apartment (the post where he'd sit and watch all the happy folks enter his park).  And I knew that you can ride up in the front of the monorail if you ask nicely; the last time (truly last) we took my Dad there, he got to do this and was giddy like a three-year-old).

But to fancy a ride in the Lilly Belle train car, the one named after Walt's wife, the one decorated in fancy red velvet, the one you can sometimes take a meager glimpse of?  I'm blown away.

To come home with a map of the Jungle Cruise is to remind my Dad of that last trip he took there, when he chortled about the hippos' wiggling ears and got a kick out of the tour guide's snappy monologue.

And, the piece de resistance: to actually have a Haunted Mansion "death certificate".  For, as you know (or should), upon leaving your Doom Buggy, Little Leota will remind you to "hurry baaaack" and to be sure to "bring your death certificate" the next time you visit.  Boom!  You can actually DO this now, without the muss and fuss of actually having to die.  Bonus!

I tell you, I am jazzed.  And I'm saving up my pennies for Spring.  Because the Lilly Belle awaits ...

One Man's Dream, shared with so many.

http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/parks/hollywood-studios/attractions/walt-disney-one-mans-dream/

While tweaking some of my Cotton Candy writings, a few events jumped off the pages as having more than a little impact.  One of them was part of a trip that almost didn't happen, touring through a park that's way too new to actually be included in the book.  But I'm adding it as a sizely sidebar because it meant so much to me.

"Walt Disney: One Man's Dream" is an exhibit that'll be running indefinitely at Disney Studios in Walt Disney World.  I highly recommend, no, I urge you with the strength of a team of stallions carrying a large man in a chariot, you MUST take in this exhibit and this film.  If you're a Disney fan, if your'e an artist, if you're a dreamer, it may very well change your life.  It changed mine.

For my 300th post: A 45th Anniversary Tribute

http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2011/05/celebrating-45-years-of-laughter-and-hope-at-disneyland-park/?CMP=SOC-DLRUSENFY11DLR_SocMedBFB0031
They're hiding in the basement: grainy 8MM movies of my family's first visit to Disneyland back in 1966. I was all of three years old and there's footage of me wearing a bucket hat and kiddie sunglasses. There's also a long segment of Pam running in circles; but that's just par for the course and an ode to my temperament over the years.

The real treasure of the footage is approximately five glorious minutes taken while riding "It's a Small World". I clearly remember the images of the Parisian dancing girls and their flirtatious winks, the comical penguins, and Cleopatra, majestically reclining on her settee. My parents were so taken with the magic, color and spectacle of the experience; I kept hoping the ride would stop so I could hop out of our boat and join in with the dancing kids!

Happy 45th birthday to a true Disney classic. And thank you Mary Blair, for sharing your talent and sense of play with the world.

Chicago's 1893 Columbian Exposition

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=031zzmXd350&feature=share
Phosphorescent lamps, Juicy Fruit gum, the introduction of the hamburger to the United States. To speed up the painting process during construction of the fair in 1892, Francis Davis Millet invented spray painting. And let's not forget the vintage amusement park milestone: the first Ferris wheel. The 1893 World's Fair had wonders and miracles aplenty. The structures built specifically for it inspired the Emerald City of L. Frank Baum's Land of Oz and Walt Disney's theme parks. Interestingly, Disney's father Elias was a construction worker on some of the buildings at the fair.

Enjoy this sumptuous video, featuring a collection of historical postcards commemorating the grand fair which opened 118 years ago this weekend.

Nordstrom features Mary Blair "It's a Small World" designs!

http://shop.nordstrom.com/c/disney-small-world



I can't believe I'm writing up a blog post about Nordstrom's. It's fairly expensive and I don't' always go there for necessities, let's just say. But once in a while I will drop in for something special. Now I want to adopt a kid so I can drop in and buy these!

To celebrate the 45th anniversary of "It's a Small World" Nordstrom's children's department is featuring Mary Blair designs on a line of clothing. From the website:

We've collaborated with Disney to celebrate the anniversary with a collection inspired by artist Mary Blair's original, delightful mid-century artwork and evoking Walt Disney's belief that we're united in our love for children and dreams of a better tomorrow. Japanese Spring, the first installment of this limited-edition collection, is now available online and at your local Nordstrom store.

Now to develop my magical stretching machine which will turn these into adult-sized items!

I love this video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0hNDaY78lA&feature=fvwrel

I love it more than any video I've seen in eons. I love it more than cheese. I love it more than a good caberlot.

But I don't love it more than Disneyland. But darned near. Because it's about Disneyland, the Happiest Place on Earth. In fact, I'll go as far as calling it a love letter to the place. If you're a Walt fan, if you remember Disneyland from the 60s or 70s, you'll flip over the footage.

Enjoy.

Back from relatively sunny but ridiculously cool Southern California!

Five more parks down. That includes the holy triumvirate and two boardwalk parks. One was closed. One was rained out. More about that later.

If we had our druthers, I think Ben and I would move to SoCal. But we have various commitments here and a move would be a Very Complicated Event. So we savor our Cali trips, looking forward especially to wearing sandals in February.

This trip was different on many levels, including the inability to wear sandals in February, because the highest the thermometer got was around 60. And the evenings required flannel-lined jeans -- which I did not have with me.

Still, all that being said, the trip was magical. Very spiritually connected. I'll go into that in greater detail in the days ahead. Let's just say that when you revisit the three parks you visited forty years ago with your Mom on your only mother-daughter trip ever, she finds ways of making herself known. A whiff of nicotine, a perfectly made cocktail, free upgrades: the lady kept busy.

We drove from the John Wayne Orange County Airport down to San Diego and Belmont Park, then looped up to Palm Springs, west to Santa Monica Pier's Pacific Park (in a downpour), up to Universal Studios, down to Buena Park (Knott's Berry Farm) and then down the highway to Anaheim and our Happiest Home Away From Home, Disneyland.

As I said, more to come in the days ahead.. Lots to document,. But today I'll be transcribing my audio notes into actual notes in my laptop. I'm a terrible typist, so that should take about five hours. For about an hour's worth of jabbering.

For now, there's a pile of laundry that's as high as the Matterhorn (might even have an abominable snowman somewhere hidden inside...)


(Walt with model of the Matterhorn Bobsleds. My laundry pile is much larger)

Happy Valentine's Day!

Ben and I have a few favorite places on earth, that spark the romance and make us feel like we're gawky teenagers at the homecoming dance. Disney is, was, and always will be one of those places.

Pictured here are the two of us with Cinderella's Castle lingering in the background. Walt Disney World is technically a tad too young to be included in my book as one of the forty parks, but I'll find a way to finagle something about the place. It was one of Walt's last dreams -- and that's good enough for me.

Thanks,Walt. (that one was from my mom)

Walt Disney once said, "Disneyland is often called a magic kingdom because it combines fantasy and history, adventure and learning, together with every variety of recreation and fun designed to appeal to everyone."

I just read this on Facebook, as I've "liked" Disneyland and they post interesting factoids and fun stuff every day. But none of the posts have moved me enough to repost them, or write about them in my blog even! But this one hits.

Forty years ago this July, my mom took me on our first-ever (and only) girls' only trip. It marked a turbulent time for my mom, having just lost her own mother the year before. I remember watching the ambulance pull up, I remember saying good bye to Baba (hey, we're Czech, it's okay) and I remember the interminable hours spent at the wake, chewing on sugar cubes and running in circles in the basement area reserved for family only.

But what I remember most vividly, and what still makes me shudder, was the despair, the sadness, the greyness that hovered over my mom like a damp fog.

I'm sure my mom needed a great get-away; kudos to her for making it a girls' only trip, even after my sugar cube-fueled scampering freakfest. You'd think she'd want to have some quiet time away from Little Miss Frenetic, or alone time with my dad. But no -- it was Bea (my mom) and the Peanut (that would be me).

Perhaps it was more important for my mom to make sure she and I had a trip so memorable, so special, that bonded us in a way that she and her mother never were. Our trip marked a turning point for my mom. She never spoke of it, but looking back now, after going through my own chrysalis stages and rebirths, I can see that the mom I left home with and the one I returned with were different. I trusted her more. I loved her more. Plus -- she was my new-found playmate (though very nicely dressed and most often with a cigarette perched between her fingers). And much of it was due to what we shared at Disneyland.

We dove into a world of fantasy that both of us reveled in and learned from. We wandered through a mainstreet from another time and embraced its slow, steady sweetness. And we giggled like the little girls we both were.

In my office, on top of my white bookcase is a straw hat, a child-sized "Mary Poppins" hat, complete with silk daisy and plastic cherry, a treasured souvenir from our trip. It reminds me that at Disneyland, dreams do come true.

See you in my dreams, Mom.

Pardon me for the schadenfreude...

but I'm not going to miss this Disney World attraction. Not too much. No, sir:



When we visited WDW in November, I made a remark to my hubby after leaving this attraction that it was, oh, pretty much an abomination and should be stopped. The original Enchanted Tiki Room in Disneyland dates back to 1963 (just like yours truly; it's a good year). Some folks felt its twin at the Magic Kingdom was dated, so they gave it a facelift back in the 90s.

Well, by adding in the wise-cracking Iago character from "Aladdin" and utilizing period music,like "Hot, Hot, Hot", what ended up happening was this "new" version felt even more dated. Because the original is a Disney classic, directly overseen by Walt himself. And you don't mess with what Walt himself hath touched.

So I'm sitting here, sipping some tea, trying not to feel too giddy about the news that a fire has closed the WDW attraction indefinitely. Apparently, the damage was pretty severe. And that severe damage included Iago, who's gone on to animatronic heaven (or elsewhere that's, um, a little more on the "Hot, Hot, Hot" side, where irritating cartoon sidekicks are sent).

I say bring back the classic version and let Iago and his sassy face go down, along with the horrific Superstar Limo ride from California Adventure, as the things Disney really shouldn't talk about in pleasant company.

Sunday on the blog with one great photo!!

A dream is a wish your heart makes...

Happy Birthday to Walt Disney, with much gratitude for all the playfulness, wonder and magic he's given us. Walt means a great deal to Ben and I. And the spirit of Walt permeates a lot of my Cotton Candying.

Thanks, Uncle Walt.

Disneyland, June, 2007

Where in the world is that Pam Turlow and why hasn't she been posting on her blog?

Doing research, in a way.

Earlier this year, Ben and I purchased a trip to Walt Disney World. Then the economy got itchy and jobs got tight and I came very close to canceling the trip. At the very last, and I do mean last minute, we decided it was more important to go than not to go. Besides that, everything was paid for, including food and tickets, thanks to some gift cards and Disney Visa points, plus the cancellation fees would've been just plain dumb for us to have to pay and there would be much crying and gnashing of teeth - especially on Ben's part, as this was a Birthday Extravaganza in the planning for him for at least five years.

So we went. The past week was spent away from computers, away from TVs (except for those that were set up at various rides to show guests what to expect or to spell out safety requirements)and away from things that have sapped us both of our energy, our sense of play, and our usual happy demeanor.

In a way it was research, but more so it was pure escape and fantasy and relaxation. When I tour the parks for the book, I'm ion writing mode, book mode, information absorption mode, so I don't enjoy the parks as I would as a simple, paying customer.

Will I include WDW in my book? Yes, in a way I will. As I plan to include Disneyland.

"But these are huge, well-funded mega parks, Pam! You can't do that! Plus, WDW turns 40 NEXT year, not THIS year! Stop the insanity and get back to the small parks where you belong!"

But if it wasn't for Children's Fairyland, the small fairytale-themed park, there wouldn't be a Disneyland. And if Disneyland never existed, Walt's dream of Disney World would never have been realized.

While they may not have their own chapters, or be counted as one of the 40 parks, both Disney parks will find their way into the book because what Walt Disney brought to the world, places where children and adults could play together, where imagination has its own "happy place", is inextricably linked to the souls of all vintage parks. Disney's spirit has definitely infused itself into the fiber of the message behind my book. And for that, I'm ever grateful. And homage will be made.

We believed in our idea - a family park where parents and children could have fun- together. Walt Disney

A movie review on the blog? "Iron Man 2"? What the heck does this have to do with vintage amusement parks?

Bear with me.

Here's my mini-review for "Iron Man 2" which I posted on Flixster:

3 and a half stars. Big fun! RDJ, brilliant as usual. Mickey Rourke -- thank you for a multi-dimensional villain. Script, FX, direction, all great. But best of all, the acting. A special nod to the creative choice to cast John Slattery as Stark's father, seen in a retro flashback reminiscent of the old footage of Walt Disney presenting plans for Epcot. Inspired!

I Googled John Slattery and Walt Disney and Epcot plans all morning but couldn't find the image I wanted. But I know it exists (what I have pictured is the closest I came). Somewhere I have seen footage or a photo of Uncle Walt presenting his concept model of Epcot, the man the very picture of composed warmth mixed with that dash of little kid. In "Iron Man 2", Tony Stark is sent old 16MM footage of his father presenting a model of a city which... well, I can't very well give out the whole scenario. Let's just say it's integral to the storyline. And let's also say that Jon Favreau, the film's director, took an inspired leap by casting "Mad Men"'s Slattery as the iconic father, dressing him up in the same dapper 60s style that Walt himself would sport -- and even adding the well-trimmed mustache.

Go see the movie for the adventure, the great performances, and the explosions. But if you're a Walt Disney fan and know your Disney history, you'll be blown away by this homage to the great Imagineer.