Mickey's Mad Mouse Ride

Blast from the past: Here's a fairly nice piece of Imagineering concept art from the D23 calendar for 2010, Mickey's Mad Mouse. 

The year was 1976, so long before the idea of California Adventure was misconceived by Michael Eisner, Robert Iger, and company. Imagineer Ward Kimball designed this funky little mad mouse coaster for an indoor dark ride attraction celebrating Mickey Mouse and his black and white cartoons. 

Think DCA 1.0's ugly Mulholland Madness fully fleshed out with a story and great indoor special effects. It wasn't Frozen Ever After, but it certainly wasn't Primeval Whirl either. Nor was it Goofy's Sky School. Too bad it never made it off the drawing boards.

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Design Detail: Midway Mercantile

Lots of attention has been paid to the Paradise Pier makeover at Disney California Adventure, particularly its beautiful gardens and dining area. It's a stunning example of what happens when Imagineering is given the mandate to come up with something fantastic- and they do!

As the above photograph reveals, this extreme park makeover has brought great detail to a park previously known for its lack of it. The Midway Mercantile building's gorgeous woodwork was one of the first examples of this new commitment to quality. Isn't it beautiful! And I cannot wait to see Buena Vista Street!

(Photograph copyright Mark Taft.)

What's Goofy About The Sky School

I keep watching all the construction photo updates from Disney California Adventure, waiting for all the little details to come into play. Sun Wheel to Fun Wheel, Orange Stinger to Silly Symphony Swings, and now Mulholland Madness to Goofy's Sky School. If I were to compare this to a Glamour Shots makeover, doesn't seem like too much different than before. But I am left with some questions...

• Other than a change in theme, will the Sky School be enhanced in anyway?
• What musical selections will make the cut when the invariable Disney California Adventure (2.0) music collection comes out?
• When will California Screamin's track receive the rest of its new blue paint job- and what about a new white coat of paint for the rest of it? How about those flags as seen in the gorgeous concept art?
• Will guests be able to access Carsland from a street next door to the Paradise Pier Ice Cream Company? Please, not another like the once dead end road leading to Tower of Terror!
• Will the platforms in Paradise Bay for World of Color ever go down under?
• And what about that ugly color of the water?
• Will we have to wait until Ariel's Adventure debuts before we get an updated Blue Sky Cellar?
• How long will Goofy's Sky School remain?
• How soon will it be until Cars Land receives another dark ride to absorb more folks in the area? Will Cars Land's main drag be the DCA equivalent to the mess found between Indiana Jones and Pirates of the Caribbean next door at Disneyland? (And I've got tons of questions about Disneyland's future. But that is harder to speculate as nothing has been announced. No Star Tours 2 doesn't cut it.)

I have many more questions about the rebirth of California Adventure. Of course, the biggest one is: Will there be much more California without characters in the plans for Phase Two? Let's hope so.

Goofy's Sky School Silliness

According to the Los Angeles Times' article, work will soon begin on another makeover of a California Adventure carnival ride. Goofy's Sky School (notice the new spelling?) will be the new moniker for the old Mulholland Madness ride.

If the end result is like the Silly Symphony Swings or Mickey's Fun Wheel, I'd rather wait for a whole new attraction. But again, it does look like it will fit in better with the overall look of Paradise Pier. Maybe it's time for a new post on the Imagineering a New Dream series?

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Mickey's Mad House

Here's a great piece of art from the D23 calendar for 2010: Mickey's Mad House.

In 1976, years before California Adventure was misconceived, Imagineer Ward Kimball designed this funky little mad mouse coaster into an indoor dark ride attraction. Think Mulholland Madness fully fleshed out with a story and indoor special effects.

In fact, keep thinking about Mulholland Madness- this concept would be a great replacement instead of Goofy's Sky School. As the Paradise Pier makeover continues, its clear the Imagineers believe you can never have too much Mickey in this park. Guess it balances out the Pixar invasion going on!

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)