Imagineer Herb Ryman's Rustic Disneyland Art

My blog post earlier this month about Imagineer great Herb Ryman's concept art for Walt Disney World got me thinking about his earlier work at Disneyland. So, here is his piece for Sleeping Beauty Castle at Walt's park. By the time he did his work for the new Magic Kingdom, Disneyland had become an international sensation. The second Disney park would therefore be designed and built to a more grand scale and would use everything they learned from Anaheim. The more "rustic" look of Herb's work for California seemed to reflect a less assured outcome for such a risky venture. This piece is less refined but still quite beautiful in its own way.

(Concept art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Imagineer Dorothea Redmond's Beautiful Concept Art for Cinderella Castle

While we fans await the return of Cinderella Castle to its initial and carefully planned color scheme, we can take a glance at this genuinely lovely piece of concept art by Imagineer Dorothea Redmond. She may be best known for her atmospheric pieces for New Orleans Square at Disneyland, but the woman could pull off anything! The delicate water colored hues she uses for the courtyard of the Florida park's icon is design at its best. There's no need to scream look at me; the design detail speaks for itself. In a new Disney world where subtlety may be a truly lost art, the old school Imagineers understood the value of guests slowly discovering the rich atmospheres they created. This added to the charm of the castle parks and all others that followed.

(Concept art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Happy 69th Birthday Disneyland!

Happy Birthday to the granddaddy of all Disney theme parks- The one, the only, the original Walt Disney's Disneyland. Sure, Florida's Magic Kingdom is grander, Tokyo Disneyland incredible, and Disneyland Paris the most beautiful- but you, castle park in Anaheim, are the one that started it all! So Happy Birthday! And thank you, Walt!

(Concept art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Rapunzel's Castle for Hong Kong Disneyland???

Hong Kong Disneyland's Rapunzel's Castle? Yes, that was one of the plans Imagineering considered to transform the carbon copy of Disneyland's Sleeping Beauty Castle into something different. Here is the concept art via user IMDREW on the WDWMagic Boards.

What they choose could have become a Tangled mess anyway. (Not really!) A new castle in homage to thirteen princesses. But the end result? It's beautiful! 

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Fantasyland Without It's A Small World

Can you even imagine a Fantasyland without It's A Small World? No, I can't- at least not anymore. And yet, here's a 1965 Disneyland guidebook map showing a big, open area where the attraction now stands. I do see the Motor Boat Cruise, Midget Autopia, and Snow White's Adventures. I also see the Welch's Grape Juice bar and the Chicken of the Sea Pirate Ship. 

You now have to go to Disneyland Paris to see the pirate ship as the Anaheim original was, very sadly, unintentionally damaged beyond repair during the New Fantasyland makeover of 1983.

I tried to clean this up a bit so things could be more easily seen and read. Varying success, but no matter. Even back then without the voyage around the world, Walt's Fantasyland was full of Disney magic thanks to the great old school Imagineers!

(Copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Rare Disneyland Castle Concept Art

You may think the current color scheme of Sleeping Beauty Castle is too bright or saturated, but as you can see in this piece, playing with the colors of Disneyland's icon is nothing new. This rare rendering first appeared in a 1955 guidebook for the park. It's one of many unique pieces in my collection.

At least to my eyes, this castle color palette feels much less playful than the version we got, more masculine, grand, and Arthurian in presentation. The deep blues and maroons give it a whole new serious presence. 

There are many variations on the castle parks' centerpieces over the years. One of my favorites is the darker colors used at Tokyo Disneyland and the pure fantasy version of the Disneyland Paris castle.  Actually, I prefer any of these treatments compared to the infamous "Castle Cake" at Walt Disney World!

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Early Morning at Disneyland

Rise of the Resistance has finally opened at Walt Disney's original Magic Kingdom. The crowds are insane, the boarding groups are a "novel" approach that seems to be full of challenges, and Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge will finally be complete months after the Millenium Falcon: Smuggler's Run debuted. Problems and crowds aside, Disneyland is still pretty magical! This photo, taken from "Th3 DUd3" at the WDWMagic Boards shows the park in its early morning grandeur. 

A Gorgeous View of Hong Kong Disneyland's New Castle

The ongoing transformation of Hong Kong Disneyland from a "nice little park" to one that can certainly hold its own with the other Magic Kingdoms continues. The Imagineering team that designed the old meets new castle at the end of Main Street should be congratulated for the building's impressive new look. You have to really see the large size of this photo to soak in all the details. (Just click on the image.) The spectacular mountains behind the castle create a magical setting unique to this resort. 

The photo above gives us the view from the park's Adventureland. This area benefits from Hong Kong's naturally humid climate and lush landscaping. The Disney Imagineers only added to what God created, but what a good job they did in designing attractions! Their innovative take on the classic Jungle Cruise sets a new standard, and the incredible Mystic Manor lies just around the riverbend.  

(Photograph from HKDLer on the WDWMagic Boards.)

Rare Piece of Fantasyland Art for Disneyland

Here's a little Disneyland surprise, a rare piece of concept art for "Walt's park"- Sleeping Beauty Castle and it's courtyard. Clearly, the Imagineers concept for the area was not used, as this big archway is not to be found anywhere in the park. Yet, it's quite the charming piece- even if it was passed on in favor of something different. These early pieces convey an innocence and optimism about what Walt was striving for. I can't get enough of them!

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

A Beautiful New Disneyland Castle

There's been much talk about the repainting / Re-Imagineering of Disneyland's iconic Sleeping Beauty Castle. Some hate it, thinking it is too saturated. I am not of that opinion. 

I think it looks absolutely stunning. Do you agree?

(Photo by Rob Sparacio, Disneyland.)

Sleeping Beauty Castle in 1956

Some days, only a bit of retro Disneyland art will fit the bill. Today is the day. This piece showcasing Sleeping Beauty Castle comes from 1956 Kodak guide. My father-in-law worked for the company for over 30 years, and they were very good to him! Good to us too, as our early days of marriage were filled with tons of Disneyland passports and free developing on our film. 

Back then, it was a kindler, simpler world. A world where employees worked hard to make others successful and CEOs were not in it to fleece the employees and customers so they could retire with hundreds of millions of dollars!

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Beautiful Black and White Disneyland

The year:1956 The place: Fantasyland at Disneyland in Anaheim California. The map: A piece of artwork designed by someone- most likely in Imagineering- to give a feel of what Walt Disney's magical little kingdom would look like. These pieces were created to spark the imagination of kids and forever kids all over the United States. Flying elephants, spinning tea cups, a pirate ship, and a chance to ride into Monstro the Whale from Pinocchio. Who wouldn't love that? It worked like a charm! 

Millions visited this "Happiest Place on Earth", opening the door to Walt Disney World and then outside the country: Tokyo Disneyland, EuroDisney (now Disneyland Paris), Hong Kong Disneyland, and now Shanghai Disneyland. Where will the next Magic Kingdom unveil itself? My bet is India. We shall see.

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Snow on Main Street U.S.A.

A magazine just for employees of Disneyland, the Cast(le) View takes look at Main Street U.S.A. under a blanket of ice and snow. Of course, to complete the wintery wonderland, the Matterhorn and its Bobsled run are moved next door to Sleeping Beauty Castle. The horses now pull a sled, and all is calm and bright. A beautiful sight for sunny California, but pretty commonplace for those of us in other parts of the country!

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

A Vintage Look Back at Disneyland

Illustrations aren't Imagineering concept art, but that doesn't mean that can't offer a charming look at the Disney Parks. Here, artist Ralph Hulett gives us a vintage look at Disneyland and it's brand new attractions. The Matterhorn Bobsleds and the sleek Monorail make its debut next to Sleeping Beauty Castle as the Horse Drawn Streetcars pass by. For decades, this one and only Disney kingdom thrilled guests from all over the world, and it constantly added a steady stream of new attractions, making it a place that required repeated visits- and all at very affordable prices. 

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Design Detail: Sleeping Beauty Castle

(No, I just don't have the heart to write about one more shooting in the U.S.A. At it's core, it's a sin issue, but it is a complex one.) OK, so on to Sleeping Beauty Castle. The old gal holds up really well after more than 60 years! After being in Disneyland and California Adventure all day long (trip report here), and after having traveled recently to Walt Disney World and staring at theirs (trip report here), let me tell you with full confidence, the small Disneyland castle still has its charms. There's delicate detail to be found on the outside, and inside the walk through attraction oozes lush attention to the most minute aspects. It was almost midnight and I was exhausted when I took this shot. But when I walked around the corner and this was my view, I was hit with a rush of emotions as if I was a little kid all over again. Couldn't help but stare at it and soak it all in. The Imagineers under the leadership of Walt Disney himself knew their stuff! 

(Photograph copyright Mark Taft.)

The Unfinished Disneyland

Being a Disney park fan is a good thing. Being a collector is a good thing. Being both can bring large doses of headaches, frustrations, disappointments, and empty wallets.

Case in point is my Olszewski Main Street Miniature collection. A good friend of mine, who is an avid Disney fan, had first mentioned these exquisitely detailed replicas way back in 2002. She had showed me Sleeping Beauty Castle, and while impressive, it wasn't something I was keen to collect. Fast forward to 2007, and I'm at the Disney Gallery above the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction in New Orleans Square. Amazed by the intricacy and craftsmanship of the soon to be released Haunted Mansion, the deal closer for me is three interchangeable diorama scenes where you literally pull out one and swap it for another (Gallery, Ballroom, and Cemetery with Hitchhiking Ghosts). The cost was close to $300.00 so I convinced myself that I would limit it to this one iconic piece only and be happy. No sooner had I formed that delusional thought, when at the corner of my eye, I see a six foot table with a huge plexiglass cover. Disney, flexing its sneaky marketing muscles. has the entire Main Street pieces displayed on a custom platform. Now I could resist purchasing any single Olszewski piece in hand, much like I can turn down whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. But throw 'em all together in a bowl and add chocolate syrup and chopped nuts, well, hasta la vista baby! At that moment I was determined to collect the entire series so I could have my own little Disneyland back in Hawaii.

I had a bit of catching up to do, but with time and patience, I eventually completed all of Mani Street. It helped that Robert Olszewski made it a point to rotate out of stock pieces back into production. With the success of the initial releases, Bob forged on to produce Fantasyland. As with Main Street, collectors could order an exclusive base designed to house the pieces. Popular attractions like Peter Pan and Alice in Wonderland Tea Cups were issued as special commemorative issues earlier on, so Storybook Land and King Arthur's Carousel were the last two remaining pieces to be produced. Both were complicated and expensive, but crucial to finishing up the land. 

Somewhere about this time, Bob signed a new deal with Disney where they would handle all of the manufacturing, distribution, and sales of his products. I can see why this appealed to him as Olszewski (along with his dearly missed manager Travis Tokumura) did everything from working with the plants in China to helping box items up for shipping. With Disney handling the production/sales end, Bob would be free to work exclusively on the artistic/creative portion. In theory, this makes total sense, yet since the transition, exactly ZERO new pieces have been introduced. Not sure what it means for the health of the line, but each passing day brings me closer to the realization that my Disneyland may forever remain unfinished...

            (Photos copyright Len Yokoyama 2017)

A Little Halloween Treat

It's hard to give out candy via a blog, so how about a piece of pretty rare concept art??? 

Imagine if you will, a walk through version of the Haunted Mansion!  This was actually planned by the Imagineers at one point in time, but as with some things in all Disney parks, attraction capacity necessitates changes. So, the little walk through Haunted Mansion became a ride on a Doom Buggy. (Speaking of that, do go to Doombuggies.com - an amazing site.)

This piece of concept art was first shown as part of the 50th Anniversary display in Disneyland's Opera House.

Naturally (supernaturally?), the walking tour would brought us to the infamous ballroom. What a thrill it would have been to walk the house and explore it on our own! 

Perhaps a new Mansion would use a trackless system, and the riders could tour different rooms at random. Just think of the repeatability factor! Or on a smaller scale more in line with a holiday makeover, maybe one day Sleeping Beauty Castle could be given a Halloween makeover...

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Sleeping Beauty Awakening Soon

Coming back to a Disney theme park near you- if you live in Anaheim, that is. The Sleeping Beauty Castle Walk Thru was one great little addition to the park. Certainly not an "E" ticket and not something to plan a visit for, it is one of the quiet, understated gems that give Disneyland the charm that is lacking in Florida's Magic Kingdom. It's return is more than welcome. Maybe, just maybe, this is the beginning of restoring all those wonderful "hidden" attractions that kept Walt's touch in the original Kingdom. We can only hope. It's in the hands of Imagineer Tony Baxter, so I'm betting it turns out great.

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)