Dining Cars

Next door to Engine-Ears Toys are two more railroad cars for the California Zephyr pulled into the station at Sunshine Plaza. These form the entrance to Baker's Field bakery and Bur-r-r Bank Ice Cream (plays on words, of course, referencing Southern California cities Bakersfield and Burbank, home to the Walt Disney Studios).

The inside of each looks like a dining car on a train, complete with small tables along the windows, a slight curve to the ceiling and connecting passages between the cars. The walls are decorated with photos of the original California Zephyr, as well as a large shadowbox displaying a real antique place setting, original menus and other paraphernalia from the Zephyr's heyday.

Of course the train car entrances are just facades, examples of "California Crazy" architecture. The full spaces which make up Bur-r-r Bank Ice Cream and Baker's Field take their design inspiration from Union Station, which opened in Los Angeles in 1939. Designed by architect Donald B. Parkinson, the Union Passenger Terminal combines Spanish Mission and Moderne styles, with a touch of Arts and Crafts influence as well.

The light fixtures, flooring and style of the murals recall Union Station. Look for the time zone clocks on the wall at Bur-r-r Bank Ice Cream. Over at Baker's Field, you'll find a custom touch: graphic representations of steaming cups of coffee, subtly worked into the Moderne ironwork around the room.

The mural on the back wall of the bakery presents a dramatic scene of a Western Pacific railroad train, coming through the mountains bound for California. The engine nose depicted in the mural is actually the same one that can be found outside at the front of the Zephyr.

While most of the train from Bur-r-r Bank Ice Cream to Engine-Ears Toys is just a facade, this engine is real. It's a 1954 EMD F-9 train engine (EMD was the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors), found by the Imagineers in Moline, Illinois, and relocated to the park. It's the same kind of locomotive once used to pull the California Zephyr, a passenger train that operated from 1949 to 1970, servicing a route from Chicago to Oakland, California (passing through Denver and Salt Lake City along the way).

The California Zephyr, also called the Silver Lady because of its stainless steel cars, brought millions of people to California over the decades. The train was especially known for its Vista Dome cars, affording incredible views of what was considered America's most scenic rail route. Almost all of the Zephyr's 77 cars remain in existence today. Some are even still in use, although modifications over the years have rendered them nearly unrecognizable.

Orange You Sorry You Missed It?

As Disney's California Adventure undergoes its transformation, the park is leaving several extinct attractions in its wake. The Sun Wheel (above left) has already reopened as Mickey's Fun Wheel, bringing a bit of period Disney style to the boardwalk, and the Orange Stinger has recently been completely deconstructed in preparation for its renewal.

In its original incarnation, the Orange Stinger presented the classic wave swing ride as a "California Crazy" tribute to the state's citrus and honey industries. Guests entered the four-story orange structure via steps alongside a giant beekeeper's hive box. Once inside, they took a seat in swing chairs once designed to actually look like bees (the Fiberglas bee shells kept banging into each other and didn't even last a month after the attraction opened in February 2001).

As the ride began, the smell of oranges was joined by the buzzing of a single bee. Soon, as the ride lifted off the platform and really got going, that bee was joined by the sound of hundreds of others.

The Orange Stinger took its bees and passengers on their final flight July 13, 2009. When the attraction reopens, it will feature a more-traditional look and take on the name Silly Symphony Swings. Inspired by the 1935 Mickey Mouse short "The Band Concert" (his first in Technicolor), the ride will feature a figure of Bandleader Mickey at its top and reveal the tornado from the film as riders are hoisted into the air and spun around with the concert's musicians.

California Crazy

California Crazy is a style of architecture popular in the Los Angeles area during the early to mid part of the 20th century. Some of the best examples, such as the Darkroom duplicated on Hollywood Boulevard at Disney's Hollywood Studios (above), were outrageous physical representations of what was offered inside. The Darkroom is a photo supply shop (the Hollywood original is now a restaurant). Tail o' the Pup, shaped like a giant hot dog, sold... you guessed it... hot dogs!

There's another great example of California Crazy at Hollywood Studios, on the far edge of Echo Lake. And the fun of it extends to other details beyond just the architecture. Approaching from the area of the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular, you might first notice these enormous footprints pounded into the pavement:

A little further, and you'll discover the culprit: a giant, concrete dinosaur which has apparently stepped over the fence, down the grass, and into the lake:

It's Dinosaur Gertie, home for Dinosaur Gertie's Ice Cream of Extinction. Steam flows from Gertie's nostrils, and a coating of snow lies across her back. The connection to ice cream is somewhat tenuous (at one time, the theory was that dinosaurs were driven to extinction by the last Ice Age). The connection to Hollywood and animation history, however, is much cooler.

"Gertie the Dinosaur" was the first character animated with true personality. The creation of animator Winsor McCay, Gertie made her debut before vaudeville audiences in 1914. McCay himself would appear on stage and "summon" Gertie to step forward. As the animated film of Gertie played behind him, McCay timed his movement to appear as if he were interacting with the dinosaur in real time.

As for the ice cream. Today, Studios Guests can find a selection of soft serve flavors here. Back in 1989, though, the offering truly was ice cream "of extinction." For a short time after opening, the location specialized in the sort of ice cream treats once popular in America, but hard to find in modern times. Sadly, those treats became more and more difficult to keep in stock, so the original concept itself became extinct.

Importers/Exporters of the Stars

The tramp steamer permanently moored in Echo Lake at Disney's Hollywood Studios is known as Min & Bill's Dockside Diner. On the surface, it's a convenient place to grab a bite from their galley of good eats, but it's also much more.

For one, the location is a tribute to a classic MGM film from 1930, Min & Bill, starring Wallace Beery and Marie Dressler. Dressler won an Oscar for her portrayal of Min Divot, a waterfront innkeeper who takes an abandoned little girl into her care. Beery earned his Oscar the following year for his work in The Champ. The image on the marquee above the entrance is a caricature of the actors.

Aside from the movie tribute in the title, Dockside Diner is also a great example of California Crazy architecture. Themed buildings like these became popular in the 1930s. The wacky designs served to capture the attention of consumers and sometimes provided a visual clue of what product or service was offered inside. Other examples of California Crazy at Disney's Hollywood Studios include The Darkroom photography shop on Hollywood Boulevard and Dinosaur Gertie's Ice Cream of Extinction on the opposite shore of Echo Lake.

Enhancing the dockside theme of the restaurant are these crates stacked nearby. Look closely, and you'll notice even more fun details. Each crate is a reference to a classic movie from the American Film Institute's Top 100 list.

First up is #1 on the list, Citizen Kane (1941):

Here's AFI's #2, Casablanca (1942):

Gone with the Wind (1939) appears at #4 on the list:

While It's a Wonderful Life (1946) resides in spot #11:

Finally, a nod to a film which was not included in the original Top 100, but can be found at #11 on AFI's list of the Top 100 comedies in American cinema... The Producers (1968):

I should mention that these are the crates as they appeared in April 2009, when the above photos were taken. Over the years, the crates by the Dockside Diner have been at various times either blank or labeled somewhat differently (previously references have included The Wizard of Oz and Lawrence of Arabia). Being natural wood exposed to the Florida elements, the crates occasionally weather and need to be replaced, giving the writers at Walt Disney Imagineering another opportunity to work their clever brand of magic.