Who Lives and Works on Main St.?

The tradition of Main Street windows goes all the way back to Disneyland in the 1950s. Walt and his designers crafted what appeared to be ads for second-story businesses above the Main St. shops, all as a way to pay tribute to those individuals who helped build the park and make it a success. That tradition continues today in all the Disney Parks around the world.

In Paris, you can find nods to everyone from Disney family members to the leaders and Imagineers who played roles in the park's 1992 opening. The windows in the offices of the Main St. Gazette (above) feature the names of Disney Legend Marty Sklar (who began his career creating the Disneyland News in 1955 and went on to lead Walt Disney Imagineering), Tony Baxter (the chief Imagineer on the Disneyland Paris project), as well as the names of individuals who directed the original marketing and publicity campaigns for the park.

There's also a window nearby for the Main St. Marching Band, honoring "Conductors" Michael Eisner and Frank Wells, the top executives at Disney who brought the resort to France. The window says they've been "Leading the Parade Since 1884," a reference to the year (1984) in which Michael and Frank joined the company.

Michael Eisner and Frank Wells had a very successful working relationship, one similar in many ways to the founders of the company. They're honored many places, but specifically on the window for Two Brothers, Inc. Roy O. Disney and Walt E. Disney are listed as Founders and Partners, Dreamers & Doers.

Some windows pay tribute to hobbies, pastimes and other elements from Walt Disney's life, like this shingle for the business office of the Carolwood Pacific Railroad. Carolwood Pacific was the miniature railroad Walt had built in his backyard.

It's not just Walt and his hobbies, though. Roy E. Disney, Walt's nephew, was a key executive in the company at the time of the Disneyland Paris opening. He was also an avid sailor, so it's appropriate that he's listed as Captain of Pyewacket Cruise Lines. Pyewacket is the name Roy used for a series of sailing boats he owned and raced over the years (the Disney-produced film Morning Light tells the story of one such race, the Transpac).

Main Street at Disneyland Paris is unique in that some of the windows, ads and businesses are also used to refer to characters or stories from Disney films and TV shows. Harrington's Fine China & Porcelains shop is named for Polly Harrington, played by Jane Wyman in the 1960 Disney film, Pollyanna. The movie is set in the same time period as Main St., U.S.A. In the story, Aunt Polly is the wealthiest woman in town, so it's fitting that the interior of the Harrington's shop is one of the most ornate on the street.

A window above the Market House Delicatessen promotes Digby's Messenger Service, a reference to Digby Popham, the character played by Michael J. Pollard in Summer Magic (1963). In the movie, Digby dreamed of leaving Beulah, Maine, and moving to the big city. Looks like he may have gotten his wish.

Right next door is Evans and Markham Advertising. This refers to the 1950s "Mickey Mouse Club" serials, "The Adventures of Spin and Marty." The main characters' names were Spin Evans and Marty Markham. (On a personal note: My son Evan got his name from Spin Evans, too. His twin brother, Riley, was named for Dexter Riley, Kurt Russell's character in The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes. Yes, my wife and I are BIG Disney fans!)

One last window I'd like to share with you is that of M. Jones Electronics. I particularly love it, because it not only refers to a classic Disney film, but also carries forward the story of Main Street, U.S.A., and its theme of progress. M. Jones, of course, comes from The Misadventures of Merlin Jones, a 1964 comedy which starred Tommy Kirk as a "scrambled egghead" of an inventor (A sequel, The Monkey's Uncle, came out in 1965). Here, he's offering Edison Talking Machines, bringing the latest in early-20th century technology to the citizens of Main St.

Road Trip

Bonjour, mes amis! I'm back (finally) from my trip to Europe and have lots of fun details and stories to share with you. First up, though, is something a bit closer to home. Guests visiting the Backlot of Disney's Hollywood Studios right now are discovering that the Luigi's Casa della Tires set, the former photo location for Lightning McQueen and Mater, is being rebuilt for the launch of Cars 2 in June. In its place is a construction wall with this incredibly detailed image (above ©Disney/Pixar).

The image, printed on a giant billboard, conveys some of the international fun and excitement in store for audiences with Cars 2. A cursory glance reveals some of the locations in the new film, including Tokyo, Japan; London, England; Paris, France; and Porto Corsa, Italy. Look closely, though, and you'll spot lots of really fun details, like this sign in Tokyo that's a tribute to the last Pixar film, Toy Story 3.

Elsewhere in the Japan portion of the image, you'll spot a sumo match in progress:

In the London portion, you'll see cars racing down The Mall in front of Buckingham Palace. Be sure to note the royal viewing stand and palace guards:

The Italy section includes none other than the Pope Mobile, riding in his very own Pope-mobile:

And then there's one of my favorite details of all. In the village part of the Italy section, you'll find this quaint little tire shop, Topolino's. What's great about it, is this is perhaps one of the most subtle forms of Hidden Mickey. After all, Topolino is the name for Mickey Mouse in Italian.

One of my favorite moments from my recent trip was seeing Mickey in an appearance at one of the Disneyland Resort Paris hotels, where an excited Italian father ran up with his children shouting, "Topolino! Ciao!" It really hit home in that moment how universal the love of Disney truly is.

Hints of Fantasia

As part of its renovation in the 1990s, Disney's Contemporary Resort shifted thematically from a look reminiscent of the American Southwest to a style inspired by modern art. At the time, there was also a desire to bring more of a "Disney" feel to the resort, so designers turned to the studio's most artistic endeavor, Fantasia. Elements from Fantasia were introduced throughout the property, many of which (such as the Sorcerer Mickey topiary above) are still around today.

The influence began as soon as guests entered the resort, where they were greeted by this bronze statue of Mickey Mouse shaking hands with Conductor Leopold Stokowski. Inspired by the scene at the conclusion of "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" sequence in the film, the statue stood inside the lobby of the Contemporary Resort for more than a decade. When the resort was next renovated in 2005, the statue moved for a time to the exhibit gallery at The Magic of Disney Animation at Disney's Hollywood Studios (where the photo below was taken).

Disney's Contemporary Resort has always been a convention hotel for Walt Disney World. The original meeting and event facilities on the second floor still bear names from the resort's earlier era: Ballroom of the Americas, Grand Republic Ballroom, Atlantic and Pacific. The convention center expansion of 1991, however, brought a new series of room names: Fantasia, Nutcracker and Pastoral.

Fantasia and Disney's Contemporary Resort continue to fit well with one another, and the influence of the film has extended even to recent projects like the Fantasia Shop on the Grand Canyon Concourse.

Built into the previously unused space between the existing series of stores (one of which was converted into a new arcade), the Fantasia Shop incorporates fun details which pay homage to Disney's classic film, from the whimsical sorcerer's hat portals to marching brooms and dancing thistles.

Weekend Trivia: Pixar Animation Studios

Ready for another round of Weekend Trivia? This week's challenge focuses on Pixar Animation Studios. Here are the 20 questions I asked this afternoon on Twitter. Come back later tonight for the answers, which I'll post in the comments section below. Good luck!

1) Before going private in 1986, Pixar was part of what other company?

2) Where is the headquarters of Pixar Animation Studios currently located?

3) What is Luxo, Jr.?

4) What early Pixar short film inspired Toy Story?

5) Who or what is the protagonist in the short film Red's Dream?

6) Where in Toy Story can you see a tribute to A113, the room at Cal-Arts where several Pixar animators learned their craft?

7) When Flik arrives in the "big city" in A Bug's Life, a logo is seen for what Disney Broadway production?

8) At the start of Toy Story 2, Buzz is seen flying through an alien landscape created by repurposing elements modeled for what other film?

9) Characters from what other Pixar features are seen in Boo's room at the end of Monsters, Inc.?

10) What is the address of Dr. Sherman's office in Finding Nemo?

11) Who are the three super villains who appear in The Incredibles?

12) Who provided the voice of the Sheriff in Cars, and what role did he play in the film's production?

13) What is Linguini's relationship to Gusteau in Ratatouille?

14) What role did Fred Willard play in WALL*E?

15) Where did Ellie dream of going in Up?

16) What brand of batteries powers Buzz Lightyear in Toy Story 3?

17) What is the name of the secret agent car with whom Mater gets involved in next summer's Cars 2?

18) Reese Witherspoon has been cast in the role of Merida for what upcoming Pixar animated feature?

19) What is the name of the hospital seen in the Pixar shorts Rescue Squad Mater and Monster Truck Mater?

20) How many of Pixar's feature length films have been directed by John Lasseter?

Weekend Trivia: 50 Films, 50 Questions

On Twitter this evening, we played a fun game of 50 questions. That is, I posed one trivia question for each of Disney's 50 full-length animated feature films, from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs to Tangled. For those who don't engage in Twitter, or those of you who may have missed it, I've decided to include the full list of questions here. Do your best, and come back to this post tomorrow night to find the answers in the comments.

1) Which of the Seven Dwarfs in Snow White doesn't sport a beard?

2) Pinocchio was based on a story by whom?

3) What are the names of the wine-drinking god and his mount in Fantasia?

4) In what state does the story of Dumbo take place?

5) Over whom does Bambi become twitterpated?

6) What is the name of the mail plane featured in a segment of Saludos Amigos?

7) Name the Three Caballeros & what country they are each from?

8) Which Disney feature includes the animated Peter and the Wolf?

9) Fun & Fancy Free was "hosted" by Jiminy Cricket and what live action personalities?

10) According to the segment in Melody Time, who was responsible for creating the Rio Grande?

11) Who were the celebrity narrators of each segment in The Adventures of Ichabod & Mr. Toad?

12) What job does the Fairy Godmother ask Major to do for Cinderella's trip to the ball?

13) What does the Mad Hatter determine is wrong with the pocket watch in a sequence from Alice in Wonderland?

14) The actor who played Bill, the lizard with a ladder, in Alice in Wonderland provided the voice for what character in Peter Pan?

15) To what name does Tramp answer when he pays a visit to Tony's Restaurant in Lady and the Tramp?

16) What is the signature color of each of the good fairies in Sleeping Beauty?

17) What are the first names of Cruella's henchmen, the Baduns, in 101 Dalmatians?

18) During the Wizards' Duel in The Sword in the Stone, what do the rules say are "off limits?"

19) In The Jungle Book, what does King Louie describe as "man's red flower?"

20) What is the name of the little mouse voiced by Sterling Holloway in The AristoCats?

21) What character narrates the tale of Robin Hood?

22) The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh was compiled from three featurettes with what individual titles?

23) In The Rescuers, the character of Mr. Snoops was inspired by what real Disney author and historian?

24) What had been the working title of the film The Great Mouse Detective?

25) What is Taran's occupation in The Black Cauldron?

26) Since I've been asking the questions in chronological order of each film's original release date, #26 is actually The Great Mouse Detective, so... What film should have been the subject of question #24?

27) Who wrote the song "Once Upon a Time in New York City" for the opening of Oliver & Co?

28) What actor from The Love Bug provided a voice for a character in The Little Mermaid?

29) Music from The Rescuers Down Under is prominently featured in what Walt Disney World theme park?

30) According to production notes, what is the name of the prince in Beauty and the Beast?

31) What character from an earlier film is seen in the tower of toys the Sultan is building in a scene from Aladdin?

32) What is the name of Simba's mother in The Lion King?

33) What two characters in Pocahontas were voiced by David Ogden Stiers?

34) What are the names of the three gargoyles who serve as Quasimodo's companions in The Hunchback of Notre Dame?

35) What character in Hercules is voiced by Paul Shaffer from the David Letterman show?

36) What male pseudonym does Mulan adopt when she joins the army?

37) What does Tarzan mistakenly associate with the word "Clayton?"

38) What images accompany the music of "Pines of Rome" in Fantasia 2000?

39) What creatures were cast as the antagonists in Dinosaur?

40) The Emperor's New Groove was originally conceived as a different story under what title?

41) What sci-fi legend portrayed Kida's father in Atlantis: The Lost Empire?

42) What is Lilo & Nani's surname in Lilo & Stitch?

43) Where do Jim and the crew ultimately find the treasure in Treasure Planet?

44) What totem was chosen for Kenai's brother, Sitka, in Brother Bear?

45) According to the lyrics of a song from Home on the Range, Alameda Slim wears what size chaps & underpants?

46) Why did the aliens come to Earth in Chicken Little?

47) What school does Lewis attend in Meet the Robinsons?

48) What substance does Bolt blame for sapping his powers?

49) What is the name of the band with which Louis plays at the conclusion of The Princess and the Frog?

50) Byron Howard, Co-Director of Tangled, started his Disney career in the early '90s with what theme park role?

Okay, there you have it. That's a lot of questions. Some easy. Some hard. Good luck, and remember to check back here tomorrow night for the answers. I'll post them in the comments below.

The Day the Sky Fell

With each new Disney animated feature, some sort of promotion is typically done to support the film within the Disney Parks. Over the years, these promotional opportunities have ranged from new parades and shows to the introduction of characters from the film. For the launch of Chicken Little in 2005, the star of the movie and his best friend Abby Mallard began making regular appearances at Disney's Hollywood Studios.

Just to make sure no one missed the fact that the movie was coming out, the entire east face of Stage 5 (the Playhouse Disney theater) was repainted for the occasion with an enormous sky backdrop. Adding to the effect were an inflatable Chicken Little on the roof and a hexagonal piece of the "sky," planted on the ground nearby as if it had recently fallen there.

Chicken Little and Abby have since returned to their lives in Oakey Oaks, rarely making appearances in the Parks. The film's title on the side of the building has also long been painted over, but the image of the sky remains as a backdrop for the Hollywood Brown Derby restaurant.

Operetta House

On the blog this week, I'm featuring segments from articles on the new DisneyShawn.com, currently showcasing the attractions of early Main Street, U.S.A. at Disneyland. Be sure to follow the link for more.

The Opera House, on the east side of Town Square, was the first structure erected at Disneyland. It was initially used as a lumber mill for the construction of the rest of the Park, but it was designed to later be a functioning television studio. Money was tight when Disneyland opened, however, so the Main Street Opera House sat empty for several years. At one point, to promote the new Zorro TV series, Walt Disney had photographs and other publicity materials set up inside, but it wasn’t until 1961 that the Opera House hosted its first true attraction.

For Christmas 1961, the interior of the Main Street Opera House was transformed into the Forest of No Return – plus the Toy Factory and the Village Square – from Disney’s latest musical motion picture Babes in Toyland. The sets were the actual ones used for filming, dismantled and brought to Disneyland for the enjoyment of the Park’s Guests – the few who stumbled in or fumbled in anyway. The movie turned out to be a box office turkey, and its namesake Disneyland attraction didn’t fare much better. For those who did venture inside, there were a few fun surprises to be had, not the least of which were the trees that would unexpectedly spring to life in the Forest of No Return scene (courtesy of strategically placed, costumed Cast Members). The Forest disappeared, never to return, in 1962, and Guests drank their last lemonade for Tom and Mary on September 30, 1963, leaving the door open for other attractions to follow.

Babes in Toyland image ©Disney

Legends of the West

Pecos Bill Cafe had been part of the Magic Kingdom landscape since 1971. A much-needed expansion effort in 1998 incorporated the adjacent Mile Long Bar (once located behind the blue facade) and added indoor seating, bringing the Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn & Cafe to Frontierland.

Pecos Bill made his Disney debut in the 1948 package feature Melody Time, in which Roy Rogers and the Sons of the Pioneers told the story of the King of Tall Tales. Legend has it that Bill was raised by coyotes, once rode a twister like a bucking bronco and dug a path to create the Rio Grande.

Pecos Bill could draw faster, shoot straighter and ride a horse harder than any man alive. There's a picture of Bill and his trusty pal Widowmaker just above the fireplace inside.

According to the Imagineering story line, Pecos Bill was encouraged to settle down and open his own watering hole right here in Frontierland. The Tall Tale Inn & Cafe quickly became a popular hangout for Bill's legendary friends, each of whom would leave a little something behind once they paid him a visit.

In the main room, you can find a pair of Buffalo Bill's boots and one of Paul Bunyan's giant axes. Buffalo Bill was best known for his Wild West Show, which toured the US and Europe and has been recreated in Disney Village at Disneyland Resort Paris. The tale of Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox was told in a 1958 Disney cartoon featurette.

The various dining rooms of the Cafe showcase some of the other artifacts Pecos Bill has collected from his friends over the years. Also from Melody Time comes the tale of Johnny Appleseed, who left Bill the pot he wore as a hat as he wandered this great land planting apple trees.

John Henry was a legendary African-American folk hero, whose man versus machine tale demonstrated the power of perseverance. John Henry (in the form of actor Roger Aaron Brown) was seen with Pecos Bill (Patrick Swayze) and Paul Bunyan (Oliver Platt) in Disney's 1995 live action feature Tall Tale: The Unbelievable Adventures of Pecos Bill. He also appeared in animated form in the short film "John Henry," created by the animators at Disney's Hollywood Studios in 2000.

Jim Bowie, known for his prowess with a knife (later popularized as the Bowie Knife), was one of the heroes who fought at the Alamo. He was portrayed by actor Ken Tobey in Disney's "Davy Crockett" TV serial and the movie Davy Crockett: King of the Wild Frontier.

Naturally, there are several items here from Davy Crockett himself, including a satchel and a detailed drawing of Ol' Betsy, his favorite rifle. Like many of the individuals represented at the Tall Tale Inn & Cafe, Crockett was a real person whose legend seemed to grow with each retelling of his story. Many of those exaggerated accounts were crafted by his buddy George Russell, who left behind for Bill this hand-written version of Davy's encounter with Big Foot Mason:

Tucked away in one of the back dining rooms is this mysterious mask and silver bullet, presumably left by the Lone Ranger. The Lone Ranger, a fictional western character popularized in radio and TV serials, has yet to star in a Disney production, although a film is currently in development with some of the team behind the Pirates of the Caribbean series. So just who is that masked man? Perhaps Pecos Bill knows, but he's not telling. The identification plaque has been left blank.

Apart from the artifacts left by Pecos Bill's legendary friends, there are plenty of other details to appreciate inside the Tall Tale Inn & Cafe. One of my favorites is the plaque on this fire box. Of course, it houses modern fire extinguishing equipment, but the sign on the outside gets its message across by depicting a period fire wagon.

One of the largest dining rooms is actually designed to look like an outdoor courtyard beside a Spanish hacienda. Take a few moments to admire the wrought iron, beautiful tile work and punched tin lanterns.

Back to the real outside, the exterior of this building presents several facades that further flesh out the town of Frontierland and make it look and feel like a real place. Details like serapes, flower pots and bird cages help tell the story of the people who might live here. The Town Hall has a bell tower for calling folks in for important meetings.

There's even a Chinese Laundry. Chinese immigrants played an important role in the American west, particularly in the California Gold Rush and in the creation of the Transcontinental Railroad.

The western end of Pecos Bill's Tall Tale Inn & Cafe brings Frontierland out of fantasy and into the more realistic settings of Texas and the Southwestern United States. Here, desert-influenced architecture and landscaping create a smooth transition north toward Big Thunder Mountain and south into Adventureland's Caribbean Plaza, with its adobe walls and Spanish tile roofs.

Always Something New at Animation

The Magic of Disney Animation attraction at Disney's Hollywood Studios was originally a tour of a working animation production facility. When Disney's animation operations were consolidated in 2003, bringing everything back home to the Burbank studio, the attraction went through a transition. Today, it has become the place to go to learn about the latest animated feature films, try your hand at being an artist, admire animation artwork, and meet some of Disney's newest character stars.

The main stage at the heart of the attraction changes with each film release. The first to be featured here was The Incredibles back in 2004. Due to their "incredible" popularity, they continued to greet Guests long after the movie left theaters. Bob and Helen Parr spent some time in Tomorrowland at the Magic Kingdom, but can currently be seen on the upper level inside the Animation building.

Not all the characters featured here have stuck around that long, however. Chicken Little and Abby Mallard spent the winter of 2005-06 in the park, but the sky soon fell, sending them back to Oakey Oaks only to make occasional special appearances.

The big film release for the summer of 2006 was Cars. In keeping with the design intent of the attraction, the main stage area was updated for the new movie, but the characters from Cars just wouldn't fit inside the building. Instead, an oversize Radiator Springs postcard was created as a fun photo opportunity for Guests in the traditional character greeting spot, while Lightning McQueen and Mater toured the streets of Disney's Hollywood Studios to meet their fans in person.

Meet the Robinsons followed in the spring of 2007. Lewis, Wilbur and the Bowler Hat Guy were soon sent back to the future, though, replaced by Remy and Emile just three months later when Ratatouille opened in theaters.

The summer of 2008 brought WALL-E and an ambitious plan to bring the little robot to full Animatronic life for real-time Guest interaction. The idea turned out to be a little ahead of its time. The Research & Development Team at Walt Disney Imagineering field tested WALL-E a handful of times (see the YouTube video embedded below), but he was never quite ready for the demands of an all day every day appearance schedule, so a stand-in took his place in the photo op.

Bolt, Mittens and Rhino from Disney's Bolt took their turn in the spotlight from November 2008 to May 2009, before finally deciding to retire from show businesses and live a normal life with Penny.

Their departure made way for one of the most elaborate sets to date, Paradise Falls from Disney-Pixar's Up. Carl Fredrickson, Dug and Russell meet young Wilderness Explorers in the shadow of Carl's flying house... and with an occasional surprise visit from Kevin.

When the decision was made that characters from The Princess and the Frog would appear exclusively at the Magic Kingdom, Carl & Co. got an extended lease at the Animation building, but they can't stay forever. Although details have yet to be finalized, the gang from Up will likely see more adventures in the Disney Parks once they leave here. After all, Up has become one of the most successful animated features of all time.

So what's next? Well, the next animated event comes June 18 with the release of Toy Story 3. The characters from the other Toy Story films are already well represented elsewhere, so look for The Magic of Disney Animation attraction to introduce us to one of the biggest new stars from this newest adventure. Meet Lotso, the Lots-o-Huggin Bear from Sunnyside Day Care. The exact date of his first appearance this summer hasn't been announced, but until then you can check him out in the recently released preview trailer of Toy Story 3.