Characters of Disney Past

Over the years, many different characters have made appearances in the Disney Parks. Some have gone on to become regulars, while others have drifted off into obscurity. Today, we take a look at just a few of these characters of Disney past.

The photo above is a promotional shot from 1990, touting the newly-renamed Mickey's Starland in the Magic Kingdom. The Starland show and character greetings in the area drew heavily from the block of animated TV series known as The Disney Afternoon. From "DuckTales," Scrooge McDuck, Huey, Dewey, Louie and Launchpad McQuack can still be seen in the occasional parade or special event. When the mood strikes, Chip and Dale even sport their "Rescue Rangers" garb at times when they pop up in Adventureland. Fellow Ranger Gadget, however, hasn't been seen in these parts for quite a while (although she does live on in name and spirit with Gadget's Go Coaster at Mickey's Toontown in Disneyland). Other character appearances at the time included stars from "Gummi Bears," "Tale Spin" and "Darkwing Duck." (photos above and below ©Disney)

Hot on the heels of the hit film Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988), the movie's star toon could be seen throughout the Walt Disney World Resort, most prominently at Disney's Hollywood Studios. In 1991, Roger became the face of the Florida property's 20th anniversary celebration. A large Roger Rabbit balloon float led the Surprise Celebration Parade through the Magic Kingdom, and Roger himself made surprise appearances in shows from Starland to the Diamond Horseshoe, awarding prizes to lucky Guests. Today, Roger resides exclusively in the Toontowns of Disneyland and Tokyo Disneyland, where he helps guide his Guests through Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin.

Some characters lend themselves better than others to appearances in the parks. Take Nemo, for example. Before the heartwarming theatrical interpretation of the little clown fish debuted in Finding Nemo: The Musical at Disney's Animal Kingdom, this larger-than-life Nemo regularly swam amongst Guests outside The Living Seas pavilion at Epcot.

The Muppets have taken a similar path. For years, starting with this early-90s appearance alongside Jim Henson, Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy greeted their fans in larger-than-life fashion.

Only recently have they come back down to Earth, appearing in the parks as themselves. Kermit and Piggy can now be seen leading off the "Disney's Honorary VoluntEARs Cavalcade" each day ahead of the Celebrate a Dream Come True parade at the Magic Kingdom.

A Few of My Favorite Things

Naturally, the only good time to really experience The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights is after dark... when the lights are on... right? Of course it is... if Christmas lights are all you're looking for. Admittedly though, when the light show is going on, it can all be a bit overwhelming. It's easy to overlook some of the more subtle details. Here are just a few of my favorite things about the Spectacle of Lights by day.

For starters, did you ever notice that Disney swaps out every trash can on the Streets of America for the holiday season? Call me crazy, but I'm a fan of trash can design, and these little beauties with the snowflakes are lots of fun.

I also really enjoy seeing the elves dancing their way up from the subway station, and the toys on display around the street.

Over in the San Francisco area, even Chinatown gets into the Christmas mood. There's a kitschy blue and silver tinsel tree stuck in the window of the China Bowl Restaurant and a snowman using the phone booth.

A little further afield, Santa Claus can be seen climbing the outside of the fire station facade, and the decor in the area of Muppet*Vision 3-D has been appropriately Muppet-ized.

Back on the brownstone side of San Francisco is perhaps one of the most clever details of all. It's a large ball ornament made to look like Jack Skellington from Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas, and it's placed just outside the office of a Funeral Director. Brilliant.

Fun with Graphics

Hollywood Pictures Backlot is a spirited tribute to all things Hollywood. Much of the fun of visiting this section of the park lies in taking your time and appreciating it on every level. One of my favorite aspects is the graphic design, excellent examples of which can be found at the Disney Animation building. The sweeping exterior images and the ever-changing panorama of art in the Courtyard Gallery are incredible to behold, but I also love the simple graphic quality of these posters used to highlight the various elements of the attraction.

With graphic design in Hollywood Pictures Backlot frequently comes some very clever examples of word play in the form of fictional businesses created to dress the facades of this elaborate set.

The Souvenir Itch references the 1955 Marilyn Monroe film The Seven Year Itch. Next door is Gone with the Chin, an obvious allusion to 1939's Gone with the Wind, but here it's meant to be Dr. Nipantuck's cosmetic surgery practice.

There's also pet store Leash! Camera! Action!, Stella's Sweet Shop Named Desire, Award Wieners, Philip A. Couch Casting Agency, La Brea Carpets, Floral Canyon flower shop, the Dial M for Muscle gym, and the epic barber shop and salon, Ben Hair.

The special effects facilities at Muppet Labs are another great spot for fun graphics and word play. Many of the gags here are repeated from the Florida version of the attraction, but there are some great originals, too, like this poster for Pigs in Space: The Movie. The poster includes a not-so-subtle jab at competitor Dreamworks S.K.G. (the film is produced in association with Swineworks P.I.G.), along with the promise you'll "see Starship Swinetrek soar across the sky." Unfortunately, this production has been cancelled for technical difficulties... obvious, considering the state of the Swinetrek crashed into the pavement nearby!

Hello! Welcome to My Park!

Let's step inside Muppet Labs for a demonstration of Muppet*Vision 3-D. Acclaimed scientists from all over the world have been invited to come work here. Unfortunately, none of them showed up. Instead, we're left with an assortment of frogs, pigs, bears, penguins, and whatevers... and one of the funniest attractions in Disney Parks history.

One could spend plenty of time in the pre-show alone, admiring the many details that fill the space. From crates and barrels:

To actual props and puppets used in the production of the Muppet*Vision 3-D film. These fellows can be seen in the grand finale sequence, "A Salute to All Nations (but mostly America)":

Of course, not everything is in 3-D here:

And be sure to look high and low and around every corner. There's humor to be found everywhere. For example, just leaning against the wall behind this drum of banana puree is the lid of a crate. It almost looks like it was just shoved back there and forgotten, but read the stencil, and you know it's there on purpose: "Property of Mikey's TV Rental - It Fell Off the Truck - If It Works, Good Luck!"

Somewhat more well-known, but still fun is this item suspended above the entrance to the pre-show area. For all you 1950s Mickey Mouse Club fans... it's A net, full of Jello!

Finally, high above the middle of the space is this large photo of a Muppet character which bears a striking resemblance to Jim Henson, the Muppet creator himself.

But even here there is more than meets the eye. The small, black engraved sign visible in the lower, left-hand corner of the photo might appear to just be some functional notice for Cast Members or Maintenance personnel. Take a closer look, though. You'll see it reads, "Structure Not Designed to Hold Humans. Muppet Rats Only!"

Water They Doing?

Muppet*Vision 3-D at Disney's Hollywood Studios is home to Muppet Labs, the wackiest of the Studio's special effects houses, but more on that in a later post. Before we head inside, stop to admire this fountain in the courtyard. That's Fozzie Bear on camera, with Gonzo the Great directing the lovely Miss Piggy in a glorious, aquatic homage to the classic Esther Williams water ballets of the '40s and '50s.

My favorite detail? It's the rats in their little boat, using a magnet to fish coins out of the fountain.