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!
Transporting Topiaries to ‘it’s a small world’ in Disneyland Park
posted on July 13th, 2011 by Shannon Swanson, Senior Publicist, Disneyland Resort
Last week, in the middle of the night, some new characters arrived at “it’s a small world” in Disneyland park. The topiary engineering team started around 1 a.m. in the nursery and carefully transported a deer grown from Pyracantha coccinea (botanical name); Firethorn (common name) and a lion grown from Podocarpus macrophyllus maki (botanical name); Shrubby Yew Pine (common name). The entire process took about 5 hours, but you can see it here in less than one minute.
Here are some fun facts I learned from the talented topiary team:
- The deer and the lion took about one year to grow starting with 15-gallon shrubs. Other topiaries can take up to five years to be “show” ready.
- The topiary engineers go through a training program and apprenticeship so they can master the technique of maintaining these iconic figures.
- There are currently 25 character topiaries at the Disneyland Resort and hundreds of geometric and spiraled shaped topiaries.
- The plants are pruned every 2 weeks in the warm season and 1 month in the cool season. All the character topiaries are pruned by hand with the use of sheep sheers and lightweight hedge sheers. Aside from pruning, the team also continues to remove old ties and add new ties that are in place for directional “training” of limbs. A large topiary such the elephant can take 3-4 hours to prune, while a small topiary such as the ostriches only take about 30 minutes.
- Our topiary engineers have been known to give a pet name to each character topiary – including the deer and lion in the video above, who are called Divo the Deer and King Leon.
Disney Legend Takes Flight at Goofy’s Sky School
posted on July 8th, 2011 by Shannon Swanson, Senior Publicist, Disneyland Resort
A very special guest visited Disney California Adventure park last week for the grand opening of Goofy’s Sky School – the voice of Goofy, Bill Farmer. Needless to say Bill was thrilled to see his old pal Goofy star in his very own attraction at Paradise Pier.
“Gawrsh” I really enjoyed interviewing this Disney Legend – he and Goofy seem to have a lot in common! Have you ever met a Disney Legend?
Discover a New You at The Beast’s Library
posted on June 28th, 2011 by Shannon Swanson, Senior Publicist, Disneyland Resort
Some days I feel like Cinderella and other days I feel more like Ursula but there is one sure way to find out what character you are most like anytime at The Beast’s Library in Disney California Adventure park. During a hot summer day the Animation Building, home to The Beast’s Library, is a great spot to enjoy and rediscover your inner beauty or, if you’re having that kind of day, your inner Beast.
I am proud to say I was most like Mulan. What character do you think you are most like?
Disneyland Resort at Dawn: Big Thunder Trail
posted on June 20th, 2011 by Shannon Swanson, Senior Publicist, Disneyland Resort
The inspiration for this “Disneyland Resort at Dawn” video came from my son. When he was younger he wasn’t quite ready to ride Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, so while the older kids went on the attraction we would go check out the fish near Big Thunder Trail. I heard that fishing is best in the early morning, so I had to see for myself if they were jumping.
Do you know the name of this pond, where the fish jump under the shadow of Big Thunder Mountain? Leave your answers in the comments, and I’ll post the answer later today.
See more of the Disneyland Resort at dawn in the posts below:
- Disneyland Resort at Dawn: Pirate’s Lair
- Disneyland Resort at Dawn: Mickey’s Toontown
- Disneyland at Dawn: Sleeping Beauty Castle Time Lapse
Not So Little Mermaid Mural at Disney California Adventure Park
posted on June 10th, 2011 by Shannon Swanson, Senior Publicist, Disneyland Resort
While I was interviewing Imagineer Larry Nikolai during the making of The Little Mermaid ~ Ariel’s Undersea Adventure at Disney California Adventure park, I discovered he designed the beautiful mural located at the entrance himself by creating a scaled rendering in his garage. I had to go back and take another look at the 86.5-foot long painting.
The hand-painted mural is another reminder of the care and detail that goes into all of the attractions designed by our talented Imagineers.
See more from Walt Disney Imagineering in these posts:
- Behind the Scenes at Paradise Pier with Walt Disney Imagineering
- Walt Disney Imagineers Take ‘The Little Mermaid’ To New Depths
- Behind The Scenes: New Ways to Experience the Haunted Mansion at Walt Disney World
Disneyland Resort at Dawn: Pirate’s Lair
posted on May 31st, 2011 by Shannon Swanson, Senior Publicist, Disneyland Resort
Last week, Paul Hiffmeyer shed some light on a possible “duckspiracy” at Disneyland park. I recently experienced some evidence of this phenomenon myself.
I set sail early one morning to see what I could find over at Pirate’s Lair on Tom Sawyer Island in Disneyland park. The island was a bit too serene without any buccaneers running about. Then I spotted some irresistible stowaways. Although some of these feathered friends were just getting their sea legs, they seemed quite comfortable in front of the camera.
See the posts below for more unique looks at the Disneyland Resort:
- More Hidden Mickeys Spotted at the Disneyland Resort
- Disneyland Resort at Dawn: Mickey’s Toontown
- Disneyland at Dawn: Sleeping Beauty Castle Time Lapse
More Hidden Mickeys Spotted at the Disneyland Resort
posted on May 18th, 2011 by Shannon Swanson, Senior Publicist, Disneyland Resort
Last year one of the most viewed videos I produced highlighted “hidden Mickeys,” so I thought I’d take the crew out and tape a few more at Disneyland Resort. This is easier said than done. It takes a keen eye to find some of these mouse-shaped gems. Even with helpful hints and suggestions from other cast members, we had a tough time capturing these on camera. Take a look and see if you know where they are. Some are harder to SPOT than others!
