Early Morning for Three Kings Day Celebration at Disneyland Park
posted on January 6th, 2012 by Shannon Swanson, Senior Publicist, Disneyland Resort
Mariachis, media and Mickey were all up early this morning to help kick off the first official Three Kings Day celebration at Disneyland park. More than 20 crew members started setting up late last night for local stations to broadcast live from Zocalo Park in Frontierland.
The video below shows a little bit of how we made it happen and what guests can expect this weekend during the unique, three-day event.
A Unique Point of View: Santa at Disneyland Park
posted on December 23rd, 2011 by Shannon Swanson, Senior Publicist, Disneyland Resort
Do you see what he sees? Well now you can when you take a look at this video of Santa in “A Christmas Fantasy” parade at Disneyland park. Four cameras were used to capture every angle of Santa’s journey starting just backstage at ‘it’s a small world’ Holiday and continuing all the way down Main Street, U.S.A.
Santa’s Sleigh is the last float in the parade and one of the largest, measuring 30’ long x 11’ wide x 18’ high and weighing 16,600 pounds … without Santa!
‘it’s a small world’ Holiday Transformation at Disneyland Park
posted on December 7th, 2011 by Shannon Swanson, Senior Publicist, Disneyland Resort
Valarie recently shared a few videos showing how some of the magical holiday transformations happen here at Disneyland park. Getting into the spirit myself, I had the opportunity to take our Disney Parks Blog camera inside ”it’s a small world” to see how the iconic attraction becomes “it’s a small world” Holiday. It was amazing to get a glimpse at the Technical Services cast members painting, building, rigging and lighting the sets. They were working on the finale scene when we taped this video, finishing the 18-day merry makeover. Being in the attraction during this process gave me a new perspective and appreciation for the detail and work that goes into making “it’s a small world” Holiday so special. Next time my tree lights go out at home I will happily replace them, even if I have to do it one at a time!
“it’s a small world” Holiday Fun Facts:
- “it’s a small world” Holiday – The holiday version of this Disneyland classic debuted in 1997. The original attraction was inspired by Mary Blair’s storyline: a group of housebound kids on a rainy day create an international art project using all their dolls, toys and decorations.
- All That Glitters – Each holiday season, an estimated 50,000 Christmas lights are installed on the façade. The breathtaking and intricate lighting design calls for six brilliant colors that interplay with clear twinkling lights. The nighttime splendor comes aglow with more than 300,000 watts of light.
- Yuletide Treats & Merry Surprises – As you float along the canals of Europe, the scent of freshly cut pine lingers near a 20-foot Christmas tree in a scene that pays homage to “The Nutcracker.” The sweet smell of candy canes will tantalize as you pass by Italy’s hanging candies. (Both are enhanced aromas, added to the attraction.) Merry bubbles float down as you voyage through the South Seas, where a plate of fish has been left out “for Santa” (by Ariel and the mermaids).
- A Sparkling Seasonal Wish – Wishing you “Happy Holidays” in the attraction’s final scene is a 14-foot sparkling snowman, dressed in his wintery best with a gold top hat, golden scarf, and hundreds of twinkling lights. A frosty snowflake mobile twirls over his head, flickering with an icy translucent glow. The snowman’s “Happy Holidays” sign is a jolly sight, too. It’s sculpted out of ice that changes color.
- Storage Space – 100 percent of the holiday overlay props and scenic elements used are actually stored inside the attraction all year ‘round!
- Up On The Housetop – Santa’s reindeer can fly to the top, but the elves that make holiday magic at “it’s a small world” Holiday use four high-reaching lifts, including one that stretches to 80 feet into the air. Riggers repel off the back wall using special safety rope access.
- Secret Elf Society – It takes 12 Technical Services cast members 5 nights a week for 7 weeks (35 days!) to install the glittering yuletide façade. Inside the attraction it takes more than 20 Technical Services cast members 18 days in a row to decorate the holiday attraction’s dazzling interior!
- “Fa La La La La” – The attraction’s soundtrack is a merry mix of “Jingle Bells” and “Deck The Halls” in counterpoint with the classic “it’s a small world” tune. Children’s voices sing along in English, French, Italian, Spanish and Scandinavian languages. If you listen closely, you’ll hear the South Seas Mermaids singing their own holiday carol: “Jingle Shells.” Holiday greetings in many other languages – French Canadian, Dutch, Chinese, Asante (of Ghana) and Hawaiian to name a few – can be discovered on banners and signs throughout the entire attraction.
A Unique Point of View: Mark Twain Riverboat Wheelhouse at Disneyland Resort
posted on November 4th, 2011 by Shannon Swanson, Senior Publicist, Disneyland Resort
Pilots of the Mark Twain Riverboat agree they have one of the best views of Disneyland park. I’ve traveled on the original attraction countless times, but this was my first visit to the wheelhouse. Also known as the pilothouse, the pane windows offer a 360-degree view of the Rivers of America. I was especially impressed to see the pristine captain’s quarters on the way up and loved the photo of Walt hanging on the wall.
If you have the opportunity to visit the wheelhouse for this bird’s eye view, be sure to sign the guest book!
For more in this series, check out the posts below:
Chilling, Thrilling Sounds of the Haunted House – A Disney Halloween Tradition
posted on October 31st, 2011 by Shannon Swanson, Senior Publicist, Disneyland Resort
One of my earliest memories of Halloween was listening to the “Chilling, Thrilling Sounds of the Haunted House” on vinyl. Every year my mother played this album (both sides) while we were getting ready for trick-or-treating. It was such a thrill to hear narrator Laura Olsher telling me I was a “bold and courageous person, afraid of nothing.”
The audio clip below is a compilation of some of my favorite sound effects from the iconic Disneyland album – listen if you dare.
As Greg posted last week, the entire album is available for download on iTunes. I’m so excited to share this tradition with my kids this Halloween, no record-flipping required!
Dapper Dans Sing Special Spooky Songs for Halloween Time at Disneyland Park
posted on October 21st, 2011 by Shannon Swanson, Senior Publicist, Disneyland Resort
Jack Skellington may have taken over the Haunted Mansion and turned it into Haunted Mansion Holiday but you can still hear “Grim Grinning Ghosts (The Screaming Song)” in its entirety on Main Street, U.S.A. The not-so-scary but very Dapper Dans sing a special set during Halloween Time at Disneyland park including this creepy classic created by Disney Legends X Atencio and Buddy Baker.
Other songs with spirit in the set include: “Candy Crony Baby (Coney Island Baby),” “This Is Halloween,” “Main Street Trick or Treat (Sidewalks of New York),” “Cruella De Ville,” “Let’s Go Trick or Treating (Let Me Call You Sweetheart),” “Way Down Upon the Lovely Graveyard (Way Down Upon the Suwannee River),” “Good Ol’ Halloween Time (Good Ol’ Summer Time).”
What’s your favorite spooky song?
A Unique Point of View: E.P. Ripley
posted on September 26th, 2011 by Shannon Swanson, Senior Publicist, Disneyland Resort
The Disneyland Railroad was the original inspiration for my Point of View (POV) series of videos. I saw the train and wondered what it would be like to experience what the engineers get to see every day.
We used 3 cameras for this video; two mounted on the exterior of the E.P. Ripley and one hand-held positioned just behind the engineers.
I’ve traveled the 20-minute journey around Disneyland park many times as a passenger; however, I now have a whole new perspective of the Disneyland Railroad, and I hope you will too.
Point of View: Omnibus at Disneyland Park
posted on August 24th, 2011 by Shannon Swanson, Senior Publicist, Disneyland Resort
Fifty-five years ago today the Omnibus first made its way down Main Street, U.S.A., in Disneyland park. To celebrate, I chose the double-decker as the first vehicle in a new series where our cameras capture a unique point of view (POV) of the Disneyland Resort. Five cameras traveled aboard the Omnibus to tape the entire trip from the Main Street Train Station to Sleeping Beauty Castle and back again.
Next up in the series, our cameras board the E.P. Ripley for a trip around Disneyland park on the Disneyland Railroad.
Summer Hats at Disneyland Resort: Do You Have a Favorite?
posted on August 10th, 2011 by Shannon Swanson, Senior Publicist, Disneyland Resort
Last December I had so much fun taping guests trying on winter hats that I thought I should do it again showcasing some of our summer hats. These caps are a great way to stay in the shade on a hot day at the Disneyland Resort and can all be found at The Mad Hatter shop on Main Street, U.S.A.
Disneyland Resort at Dawn: Grizzly River Run
posted on July 25th, 2011 by Shannon Swanson, Senior Publicist, Disneyland Resort
I have posted several videos for this series featuring Disneyland park so I thought it was time to move over to Disney California Adventure park. Grizzly River Run was a natural choice and Grizzly Peak created a beautiful backdrop to the morning sunrise. It’s a calm contrast to the excitement the attraction hosts during the day. Enjoy!
