Walt Disney - A Magical Life: The Real Story and Some Rare Photos from the New York Public Library

With the opening day of Disneyland's "Walt Disney - A Magical Life" behind us, I thought this piece would add a fun bit of research opportunities for those of you that enjoy such a thing. The new show may play in rotation with Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln at the Main Street Opera House but the stories the Imagineers could tell can't be contained to short a short time frame.  Let me share with you a unique and rare series of photos. 

A few years ago, a very large number of photographs have been made public domain from the New York Public Library, including these related to Walt Disney. Some are great, others not so much, but they all focus on an aspect of the man, his work, and the company he left behind.

At the top of this article, there's a cigarette ad for Mitchell's Cigarettes. Walt Disney advertising cigarettes. How ironic to uncover this more than 50 years after his passing. It is certainly of historic value. But you can bet the suits at the company are making sure this is one photograph you don't get to see very easily.

Disneyland's iconic Golden Horseshoe. A most appropriate image to have on file if any of Walt'd beloved park and an opening day fan favorite attraction.

Walt Disney World has not been left behind either. Here's the Hall of Presidents, an opening day attraction in Walt Disney World. It was one of the must-see presentations in the park when attractions such as the Mickey Mouse (Musical) Revue were also still around.

EPCOT Center's Spaceship Earth. Futuristic elegance defined.

Two great vintage postcards from guests. The second one is worth reading. Click on all these for the largest size, by the way.

The man as I prefer to remember him. Thank you, Walt, and thank you New York Public Library for sharing these!

Here's Audio-Animatronic Walt, above, and an unskinned AA figure below. 

Now for the real story behind that Walt Disney Audio-Animatronic...

Disneyland fans had long heard about a rumored Walt Disney Audio-Animatronic that would be placed into the Main Street Opera House by the Imagineers. This would be for the 100th Anniversary of the Walt Disney Studios aka Disney100. Was there any truth to this? I can tell you first hand, the answer is "Yes!"

The story definitely carried weight, and Jack Kendall from DSNY Newscast referenced my story in a May 2024 YouTube video.  

Even back then there was talk about a Walt Disney Audio-Animatronic show! Imagineer Eddie Sotto shared the details of it in an interview with Didier Ghez way back on January 20, 2009. I was sent a series of audio discs by Didier detailing this extensive interview. Eddie discusses a variety of topics including unrealized plans for Disneyland Paris and Disneyland's Indiana Jones Adventure, and yes, the idea for a robotic version of Walt that he personally worked on. 

I tried to upload an edited MP3 of that portion of the interview, but I had no luck. Instead, here is the transcription:

"As embarrassing and weird as it may seem, I worked on a show that had an Audio-Animatronic Walt Disney in it. And it was in the Opera House, and the way we were going to do it, I think, would have been respectful and done in a real tear-jerker, you know, made for the Disney fan kind of way, and it was the Walt Disney story. But the idea of the Walt Disney story, the way we would do this, we would have a scrim or a translucent background we could project on. We'd have several of these, so when we projected on them the guests could almost get the impression of seeing in 3-D. 

And to tell you about it, you'd see a short brief film of Disney's history and then coming up to what's going to come to Disney's future. And in all this stuff I remember somehow - you know I worked on this for Tokyo Disneyland too - it'd say "And your host, like in the television show, Walt Disney" and up would come the desk from his office and he'd be sitting on the corner of his desk kind of in silhouette, and you would see Walt Disney kind of in silhouette, and just softly lit, and he would talk about and gesture and we'd project Tinker Bell flying around him and all these amazing things going on. 

It wouldn't be like Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln, where he's being sole focus of the show, he's kind of hosting you a little bit, throughout the history of Disney and America and all the things that we were doing. So I remember working on that. Never happened. But you know, the idea was that you wouldn't lean on it as the sole element of the show. It was like American Adventure at Epcot you see these characters that come and go and they're part of a bigger picture."

Olga's Cantina was Not the First in Disneyland

Given all the publicity, it'd be very easy to think that Oga's Cantina in Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge would be the very first cantina in the park. This concept art proves otherwise. Frontierland was it's home, and in the days of the rollicking Wild West, there was more than just Slue Foot Sue's Golden Horseshoe to whet the townsfolk's whistle. Now, the truth of the matter is neither place served adult beverages. That honor would first go to New Orleans Square's private Club 33 (where I had the pleasure to dine once with my wife/soon-to-be fiancee).  

In other Disney theme parks, Frontierland is either renamed and/or re-Imagineered. The best version is found in Disneyland Paris. In France, it feels like a real town and not a theme park land. A single IP land if you will long before The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. It's bigger, bolder, better, and filled with consistently thematic excursions into the Phantom Manor (a western themed Haunted Mansion) or a journey into the "wildest ride in the wilderness" which has the distinction of the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad going under the river and onto an island. Talk about an exciting beginning and end to a classic attraction! And they said it couldn't be done. Imagineer Tony Baxter proved them wrong.

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

 

An Evening at Disneyland's Golden Horseshoe in 1955

Golden Horseshoe Saloon. The beloved Disneyland original is still open since day one. This piece of concept art by Imagineer Harper Goff shows the elegant building at the end of the main Street in Frontierland. 

The original cast.

The first and best show featured the lovable comedian Wally Boag. Along with the beautiful and smart Betty Taylor as proprietor Slue Foot Sue, the gave guests a show that was energetic, family friendly, and fully memorable. All for the price of admission. No uncharges, no tricks, no 60 days out advanced booking. 

The man.  The visionary and the wife who supported his dreams.

It was a must-see attraction. Walt Disney himself enjoyed his time there the night before the opening of the park. As you will see by looking at these attraction posters for the area, Frontierland was once a real world on the move with multiple forms of transportation in the Wild West. You might even discover some attractions you didn't know existed. 

The original show eventually gave way to others, but it did bring about another fan favorite featuring Billy Hill and the Hillbillies. It's been a mixed bag since, with food ranging from pedestrian fare to little more than snacks and drinks. But there's hope!

As Disney discovers there's a market for nostalgia, Epcot's Figment popcorn bucket sales as an example, the suits may decide its high time to go vintage and bring back something this terrific. Retro is in- and following up a late night show at the Saloon with a cruise around the Rivers of America on the Mark Twain Steamboat would sure be a great way to end an evening at the Anaheim kingdom.

(Images copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Disneyland Paris' Lucky Nugget

The spiritual successor to Disneyland's iconic Golden Horseshoe is not surprisingly found in Walt Disney World's at the Magic Kingdom straddling Frontierland and Liberty Square, where earliest guidebooks list it in the same land as The Hall of Presidents and The Haunted Mansion. In Japan, Tokyo Disneyland's Diamond Horseshoe fits perfectly in the frontier's renamed Westernland. But there's a French cousin as well! Take a look at this concept art for Disneyland Paris' Lucky Nugget Saloon. 

The real food star restaurant of the area, however, belongs to the Silver Spur Steakhouse. It's quite expensive, and walking in the door alone seems to cost a fistful of dollars (Euros). But oh the smell of that sizzling meat! Heavenly! And the place is hard to book as well. At least it was once upon a time.

Back in better days on any of the three continents, the Revue was worth the wait! Can-can Girls, a great piano player, and a funny man made an afternoon away from the rides worth the time. Now, it's just a beautiful building of a by-gone era. 

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Sunday at Disneyland's Golden Horseshoe

There's something sweet and innocent about Disneyland and its attraction roster at opening. Don't get me wrong- it was very much ahead of its time, but it concurrently represented an America that no longer exists. 

The Golden Horseshoe- one of Walt's favorite opening day attractions.

The forward focused optimism of a sparkling new Tomorrowland stood alongside the nostalgic sweetness of an old fashioned Main Street and the dreams of childhood in Fantasyland.  It was Frontierland, however, that seemed the most authentic and certainly the most patriotic. 

Celebrating how the West was won, it also showcased how the West was fun. Nowhere was this more evident than in the rousing revue found within the Golden Horseshoe. 

The constantly sold out show quickly became a Disneyland institution as well as a favorite of Walt himself. Betty Taylor, aka Slue Foot Sue, and Wally Boag her comedic sidekick, made quite an entertaining team! 

Here's a color version of that poster behind Walt-

painted right on the brick!

The show remained a beloved one for decades, winning a slew of adoring fans and becoming a family tradition for each visit to the park. Pepsi and Kodak were its main sponsors. 

Promotional poster from Kodak.

A proposed poster concept courtesy "Matterhorn".

The famous Pepsi version.

Now, I'll end this with a nostalgic black and white photo, courtesy OC Attractions:

(Art and photographs copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Looking back on Disneyland over the decades, 
Old Frontierland

Rare Disney Images from the New York Public Library

A very large series of photographs have been made public domain from the New York Public Library. Thousands up on thousands, including these related to Walt Disney.

First up, above, looks to be a cigarette ad for Mitchell's Cigarettes. Certainly fully of irony 50 years after his passing, but definitely of historic value.

Disneyland's iconic Golden Horseshoe. A most appropriate image to have on file if any of Walt'd beloved park and an opening day fan favorite attraction.

Walt Disney World has not been left behind either. Here's the Hall of Presidents, an opening day attraction in Walt Disney World. It was one of the must-see presentations in the park when attractions such as the Mickey Mouse (Musical) Revue were also still around.

EPCOT Center's Spaceship Earth. Futuristic elegance defined.

Two great vintage postcards from guests. The second one is worth reading. Click on all these for the largest size, by the way.

The man as I prefer to remember him. Thank you, Walt, and thank you New York Public Library for sharing these!

Disneyland Attraction Posters: The Frontierland Collection

Disneyland's Frontierland has seen so many changes, it is almost impossible to keep track!As one of the original lands in the original kingdom, Frontierland had so much of Walt in it. This was a good thing as Walt Disney was a man who loved the United States of America, appreciated its history, and had respect for the ideals on which it was founded. This deep sense of patriotism permeated the area.

The earliest incarnation may have been politically incorrect in its reference to America's native population, but the presentation of frontier life for both the natives and those who explored beyond the citified country was handled with sincerity, dignity, and honesty.Unlike Golden Dreams, the film presentation found in the all too trendy California Adventure park almost 50 years later, Walt saw no need for making a statement, instead he choose to simply honor those who had gone before him.

First and foremost, Walt was a showman, and he never forgot the main purpose of Disneyland was to entertain and delight his guests- and Frontierland was stuffed with attractions! From the mighty Mark Twain Riverboat to the smaller Mike Fink Keelboats, river travel was highly encouraged. After journeying through the stockade at the entrance, the beautiful Golden Horseshoe Revue reigned as the ultimate expression of frontier frolic. In short, there was something for everyone.

Stagecoach excursions led guests through a carefully planned American West. Frontierland was intentionally designed with both wide open spaces and carefully designed nooks and crannies to explore.

Once Tom Sawyer Island opened the following year, kids of all ages had a totally different way to play. Caves, grottoes, Fort Wilderness, and suspended and floating barrel bridges were among the offerings awaiting kids anxious to burn off some energy in a very unstructured way.

Love it or not, in 2007, pirates invaded the island full force, partially to capture the love of the Pirates of the Caribbean film series starring Johnny Depp. The island was due for some help with many of its elements being closed or having lack of maintenance- but fans did end up with this great poster.

Come a few years later, the area would receive its largest expansion at the debut of the Mine Train Thru Nature's Wonderland. It was an instant fan favorite. Although the flora and fauna couldn't have been more different, and creatures on display from another continent, this attraction was the American Frontier version of Adventureland's Jungle River Cruise.

The rickety old train ventured through the barren deserts and its paint pots and spouting geysers. When in the lush valleys, the passengers were treated to bears and beavers and other wide life. The carefully planned excursion provided close up views of native animals in realistic and awkward, sometimes funny, situations. Much of the same humor of Imagineer Marc Davis is found here. It was a fine example of the genius of Walt Disney and his Imagineering crew to vary the experiences along the way. 

They did, however, save the best for last, as the ending was an absolutely spectacular journey through the mysterious Rainbow Caverns. Waterfalls of all colors spilled around stalactites and stalagmites- everything punctuated with sounds from an ethereal choir. Magical! (Note: Find the Disneyland 50th Anniversary CD collection for the full narration. Retro fun for everyone!)

Also found in the Wild West were the requisite Shootin' Gallery, the originally named Indian War Canoes, and since 1958, the Sailing Ship Columbia brought yet another way to cruise the Rivers of America. This river was full of activity- a wilderness world on the move!

As I mentioned earlier, Frontierland was always changing. Even the gorgeous Nature's Wonderland gave way to Tony Baxter's thrill ride disguised as a scenic tour, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. (The hard to find poster is above.)

Make no mistake, this attraction is a strikingly beautiful piece of work. It's full of the detail and fun found in groundbreaking attractions like Pirates of the Caribbean and The Haunted Mansion. It's just unfortunate that there is now no way for guests to tour the beautiful landscapes without the coaster thrills.

More change was soon to come. On the farthest side of Frontierland at the distant bend in the river, the Indian Village celebrated Native American culture and life. Unfortunately, this was also on the cutting block, eventually giving way to the new Bear Country. The Country Bear Jamboree debuted in 1972. It was a fun musical show, but an important piece of Americana and the heart and soul of Disneyland was lost in the transition. As beloved as this show is (in Florida and Tokyo) /was (at Disneyland), the change signaled a move away from historic based attractions to ones which seemed to showcase the latest of technologies and characters just for the sake of being able to do so. Certainly, the Imagineers could have found a way to leave the teepees and tribal dance performances somewhere in a land which celebrates the American frontier!

Since the opening of Big Thunder Mountain, the changes have been few and small- aside from the Pirates Lair addition to Tom Sawyer Island. Overall, I found it to be quite well done and a strangely fitting combination of both Frontierland and New Orleans Square, on whose land the dock actually sits. On the entertainment front, Slue Foot Sue turned over the lease of the Golden Horseshoe to Billy Hill and the Hillbillies. They are good- but something about can can girls and the Old West seems more fitting.

In 1992, Disneyland premiered one it's most loved evening shows: Fantasmic! Since it takes place on the Rivers of America and uses parts of Tom Sawyer Island, it seemed most appropriate to display the attraction poster here.

Change could still be on the way. Walt Disney Pictures has announced their intent to create a film series on the Lone Ranger, starring Johnny Depp as Tonto. This could be an excellent opportunity to revamp and retune the unbuilt Walt Disney World attraction, Western River Expedition. It would be a terrific way to bridge the movie and interest a new generation about life in the Wild West. Frontierland could have new life and atmosphere, something it has lacked in its current incarnation. As beloved as Pirates of the Caribbean is for local audiences, I can only image they would wholeheartedly embrace another attraction of this caliber. But could the somewhat stingy accountants at the Walt Disney Company stomach the investment?

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)