Princess & Pixies

D23 Fan Expo is just around the corner and I though today’s blog post we can take a look at the Fan Club that started it all!

Named for the company’s name sake and the year of the companies establishment, D23 would launch March 10, 2009 by Bob Iger, then CEO of the Disney Company. In 2010, it was announced D23 Fan Expo would be hosted at the Anaheim Convention Center biannually and Destination D23 in Orlando Florida yearly.

D23 has hosted many events within the Fan Club including VIP studio tours at Walt Disney Studios located in Burbank, CA, Behind the Scenes Experiences, movie and theater screenings for members and events celebrating film history.

This year was my first time becoming a D23 Gold Member and I was lucky to have gone to the Muppets Treasure Island 30th anniversary screening at a LA outdoor screening. This will also be my 7th time visiting the D23 fan expo, but will be my first time going to the Honda Center as part of their theme park experience event!

I do recommend following Disneyd23founder on IG for fun behind the scenes stories and photos of D23 Fan Club. ⬇️

https://www.instagram.com/disneyd23founder?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==

Disneylands First Halloween Party

With Oogie Boogie Bash & Halloween Time coming early this season, I thought today’s post would be special as we get ready for the fast approaching pumpkin spice and trick or treat season begins!

Before Oogie Boogie Bash & before Mickeys Halloween Party at the Disneyland Resort there was a spooky limited time celebration that started it all!

Mickeys Halloween Treat debuted in 1995/1996 as a separate ticket event featuring costume cavalcades, pumpkin carving, and themed entertainment throughout Disneyland. This would be a precursor to the Mickeys Halloween Parties we would eventually get from 2005-2019 when it would be moved permanently to Disneys California Adventure Park re themed Oogie Boogie Bash, a villainous takeover featuring Oogie Boogie and various Disney Villains.

Finding video or any footage of this event was hard to come by, but I was lucky enough to come across some awesome sound and video footage of the event uploaded by one of my favorite YouTubers!

Who else is ready for Halloween?!

Before Starbucks made its way to the parks, Disneyland had Market House was the place to go and get your favorite pick me up.

The original Market House would replace the Swift Market House which had occupied the building in 1955. Later on in 1986, Disneyana would open right next door. This store originally carried home wears, coffee mugs, and delicious provisions. For a long time, you could listen to pre recorded phone conversations located on the walls known as party lines.

Coming to the Market House was always a late night stop for us as kids, especially when you get a free cup of Hazelnut hot coffee when you bought a mug! My other favorite part of this store was it was another entrance to Disneyana, the collectables shop.

Sadly in 2013, the store would be renovated into one of the three Starbucks locations on Disneyland property and would carry Starbucks products and drinks.

In 1956, Disneylands Skyway attraction opened to guests & would later go through a major refurbishment in 1959 when the Matterhorn Bobsleds would open to feature a pathway for the Skyway Buckets.

This fan favorite attraction would sadly close forever in 1994, but not all of the attraction would completely disappear. The original Fantasyland Skyway station would be hidden away from guest view behind greenery and the stairs leading up to the entrance would be chained off.

In 2016, in making way for the new Galaxy’s Edge, this beautiful structure would be forever taken from us.

I remember walking by Fantasyland and always seeing this thinking it was something to do with The Hunchback of Notre Dame film since this was the 90s after all. Eventually I would become a cast member and learning more about this building. I’m very sad it’s gone I wish I had a chance to walk up those stairs.

I was able to find videos of Disney urban exploration of what was left behind.

Fantasyland is the home of many Disney Fairytale characters from Snow White to Peter Pan since 1955. But, Alice and her adventures in Wonderland would make their way to Disneyland in 1958.

Originally conceived as a walkthrough attraction based on the 1951 film, guests would be taken into the world of Wonderland as Alice once saw it. Eventually this was scrapped and made into the iconic ride we know today. This would be a very unique experience compared to the other dark rides in Fantasyland since this would be a multi level attraction and would continue to use theme attraction vehicles since they would use the hooka smoking Caterpillar from the movie. Kathryn Beaumont, the original voice for Alice, would return to narrate the different segments of the story.

The original 1958 attraction had been vastly different from the rise that is currently there today. This version was said to be scarier and eventually would get makeovers between 1971, 1984, and 2014. The version I’m discussing today is the version that started it all.

The ride would begin taking you through a rabbit hole and through crash doors. There, you would meet the White Rabbit in the Upside Down Room. Guests would find themselves upside down which were just mirrors and black light special effects. Guests would then enter the Oversized Room surrounded by large furniture where they would meet face to face with the Cheshire Cat sitting on a large table. The Cheshire Cat appears laughing maniacally at the riders and would disappear and reappear. 

Leaving the frightful place, guests would travel to the flowers from The Golden Afternoon segment of the movie similarly to what we have today. Eventually, you would end up in the Tulgey Woods meeting various characters and meeting the eyes of the Jabberwocky. Most of these characters in the Tulgey Wood scene would be kept on for the 1983 refurbishment. After traveling thought the woods, guests entered the Mad Tea Party scene which was in the upper level of the ride, which is now the Queen of Hearts scene in today’s Alice ride. The sequence would have giant cutouts of the Mad Hatter and March Hare and fully dimensional tea cups.Just like the current rides exit to the outside, guests are taken through a series of doors featuring screams and yells featured by Pinto Colvig, the first voice of Goofy, from the 1951 short Hello Aloha. This was known as the Wilham yell. After going down the winding leaf path, you were taken back through the outside garden and back into the loading area.

Typically I like to focus on my blog towards Fantasyland topics, but lately I’ve been finding all kinds of lost content of my other favorite land, Critter Country I thought this was something I must post. Sadly we lost Splash Mountain around 2022/2023 to make way for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. Although it does coincide with its theming since it’s next door to New Orleans Square, I do miss my childhood favorite.

Splash Mountain opened on July 17, 1989 on what was Disneylands 34th birthday. Inspired by Disney pictures live action/animated film Song of the South, this would be Disney parks first flume ride originally named Zippidee River Run but was later changed to Splash Mountain. Around the time the ride was conceived, Micheal Eisner, then CEO of Walt Disney Company wanted the imagineers to add a mermaid to the ride as a promotional tool for the 1983 film Splash. Imagineers said no since it wouldn’t work within the theme of the ride, but did change the name of the ride as a nod.

The ride would feature over 100+ animatronics from the defunct America Sings which closed in 1988 as a cost cutting measure to not only save money for build new animatronics, but in a way preserve Disney parks history.

Splash Mountain would eventually open to great fan fare, including a tv promo special called Ernest goes to Splash Mountain in 1989. While you can still find footage of this tv special, finding opening day media footage is not. Online there has been videos of Splash Mountain’s Grand Opening in Florida around 1992, but finding footage for Disneyland wasn’t so easy to come by. I came across this video which launched 2 years ago from a guests perspective of Disneylands Grand Opening. The footage is pretty good even though it’s taken far away, it’s the closest to the event that I’ve found.

This was a treasure to find & I’m so happy this exists

Picture this, it’s halfway to Halloween in 2026 and all of a sudden your finding footage of the opening night of The Haunted Mansion Holiday. Not only that, but maybe lost media of the opening night ceremony and after hours celebration at Disneyland!

On October 3, 2001, Disneyland would debut one of the most popular and successful holiday overlays in park history. This favorite classic attraction would be the temporary home of the Pumpkin King Jack Skelington & citizens Halloween Town as they take over The Haunted Mansion for Christmas!

Tim Burton’s The Nightmare before Christmas premiered October 29th, 1993 as Disneys first stop motion animated film that would later become a cult classic.

Having a Haunted Mansion overlay combining Burtons film was meant to be.

Based on the videos and blogs I’ve recently come across, The HMH hasn’t changed very much, other than a few major and minor things.

In 2003, Oogie Boogie would come join the mansion, brining with him his scary cool roulette wheel. In 2016, Sally finally made an appearance in the graveyard. She was only a featured as a portrait in the hallway of the mansion.

The only thing to continuously change through the rides 25 year history is the amazing larger than life gingerbread house located in the ballroom. Every year, Disney parks amazing bakery and culinary team work their magic to life crating awe inspiring houses based on a theme that year. My favorite house was created to be Zeros grave/dog house from the movie.

Going back to my original subject, finding what might have been lost or forgotten media excited me because I have never seen video evidence of this until recently, including blog posts. Putting two and two together, my understanding, this was either a cast member or press event to commemorate the grand opening. After words, once guests got off the ride, there was a big block party waiting for them featuring characters from Halloween Town saying hello and hanging out with the guests. I’m so thrilled to come upon the treasure! Thank you to all the NBC and Haunted Mansion fans for preserving this for all of us!

Below is a photo album of the evening!

Here is the video I came across:

Fantasylands Fantasia Juice Bar 🍇

Disneyland is known for having the ultimate caffeinated Black Caf Cold Brew, but did you know Disneyland had another “viral” beverage, Welch’s Grape Juice.

Located in the Mickey Mouse Theater, now Fantasyland Theater, opened from July 1955-1981 guests could enjoy a nice cool glass of semi-frozen grape fruit juice and 100% juice ice pops.

Welch’s Grape Juice Bar was designed based on the 1940’s Fantasias Pastoral Symphony segment as the bar was home to a beautiful mural featuring characters from the sequence including Centaurs and Centaruettes pained by Disney Legend Eyvind Earl.

In 1981, Disney Imagineering would begin the massive overhaul of New Fantasyland, thus closing the juice stand to make way for Pinocchios Daring Journey and Village Haus Restaurant.

Have you ever wanted to meet a fairy in person? Pixie Hallow gave you the magical opportunity to meet Tinkerbell and all her fairy friends in Pixie Hallow.

Meeting Tink was often challenging, since she could only be seen during the nighttime firework shows, but Tink would used her tinkering skills to good work and help bring Pixie Hallow to life!

After the popularity of the Tinkerbell film was released in 2008, Pixie Hallow was created to answer the huge cult following both the film and Pixie Hallow book series had. This new meet and greet would replace another popular meet and greet, Ariel’s Grotto. (I did a previous blog post of Ariel’s Grotto meet and greet. Check it out!)

Guests would walk up a path to the fairy garden where you would find nods to each of the fairies including Rosetta, Iridessa, Fawn, Silvermist, and Periwinkle. Further up the path you began to slowly shrink to the size of a fairy, curtsy of Tinks pixie dust.

As you enter in further into the hallow you would run into all your pixie pals including Tinkerbell!

Around 2012, Tinkerbells sister Periwinkle would arrive to the Hallow after her film debut Secret of the Wings.

Today you can still meet Tinkerbell, but it is very rare to run into Tink’s pixie pals since before the 2020 pandemic. On rare occasions or special event nights, the Pixie Hallow pals will return for special meet and greets.

On regular evening hours, Pixie Hallow has a whole new kind of magic! With the help of Iridessa and Silvermist, the Pixie Hallow lagoon and trees awaken with music and beautiful lights. This is another experience I have only seen a handful of occasions and has yet to return.

Pixie Hallow is an exciting and adorable meet and greet that needs more love like it did in its early years.

Since 1992, Fantasmic has been the most captivating spectacular in Disney Parks history with its beautiful water effects, musical performances, and amazing special effects. While Maleficent steals the show as she takes on her dragon form, there was another iconic Disney Villain making her way floating across the Rivers of America.

When Fantasmic premiered in 1992, Ursula, the sea witch from 1989s The Little Mermaid made her debut as a major player in the Villains segment of the show. Ursula would use her magical dark powers to help defeat Mickey & his imagination!

While she was truly a fabulous character featured in Fantasmic, Ursula’s performance was fraught with technical difficulties. In 1997, due to frequent frustrating breakdowns, Ursula’s physical appearance had retired.

But not all was totally lost. As of today, Ursula continues to make her presents known as she is now projected across the Rivers of America through animated water projections. History would repeat itself once again. As tribute to the 1992 floating Ursula, in 2009 during Fantasmics summer update of the show, Ursula’s slippery henchman Flotsam and Jetsam were added. The two would slither across the Rivers of America, helping Ursula and the other villains to defeating Mickey. Similar to Ursula, the two floating eels also shared technical issues and were omitted from the show in 2017.

With the current Fantasmic still performing its 34th year, it still is a wonderful and exciting show!

In 1959, the world would be introduced to Sleeping Beauty. When Sleeping Beauty premiered it was the most artistically animated film made to date & Princess Aurora is one of the three of the original princesses Walt Disney oversaw. It also happens to be one of my favorite movies!

What makes this movie also famous is the iconic Make it Pink/Make it Blue dress sequence between the fairies Flora and Meryweather. But this wasn’t just a comedic moment for the film, but a real character crisis! Animators who were involved with the production fought over what color dress Sleeping Beauty would have, either pink or blue. So, they decided to keep this gag in the film. Throughout the movie, Aurora had been seen wearing the iconic blue gown, even having her true loves kiss wearing it.

Personally I love her in the blue dress & for a long while there was a time where Aurora visited Disneyland wearing her blue gown. Once again my late night curiosity got the best of me, but what I found was very exciting. Between when the film was released to around the early 90’s, Aurora would be seen walking around her kingdom wearing Meryweathers design. Eventually, the blue dress would magically disappear. Around the early 2000’s & even today, Auora would begin to appear in her pink dress.

The reasoning behind this is simply Disney marketing. To prevent any confusion with another iconic princess Cinderella, Disney theme parks and merchandise would change Sleeping Beauty’s dress to pink permanently and Cinderella would take over the blue dress.

Around 2013/2014, the Disney Princess would all receive newly designed dresses, including Aurora. In 2020, a new parade dress was created for Sleeping Beauty for Magic Happens. This dress would pay tribute to the fairy godmothers.

(1959-1967)

Have you ever wanted to see a real life mermaid? Before Ariel was born, real life mermaids used to visit Disneyland!

In 1959, mermaids began to appear after the Submarine Voyage opened that summer. These beautiful mythical creatures would swim around the Submarines and lounging on the rocks in a small Alton waving hello to the crowds admiring them.

Sadly, in 1967 was the last official swim of the mermaids due to the potential safety concerns of the mermaids swimming near the subs and the chemicals in the water. Fun fact: there are famous accounts that men would actually try to swim out to them!

Behind the scenes:

In early 1959, Disney posted in local papers of an upcoming audition for strong female swimmers for potential mermaids. It was claimed over 90 women would audition at the Disneyland swimming pool in Anaheim, CA. A selection of women were chosen to play these mermaids every summer until 1967.

There are a few articles I’ve found of interviews from some of these mermaids!

This childhood favorite attraction of mine is one of the best hidden gems in Disneyland Park. To watch it change over the years has always been a real treat and to see how much of the original attraction is still there is something special!

Opening in 1956, Storybook Land Canal Boats is a charming attraction that takes you on a journey to see the homes of your favorite fairytales, miniature size. The original 1 by 1 scale models include Pinocchio’s village, The 3 Little Pigs homes, Kensington Garden based on Peter Pan, and Alice’s Cottage, Snow Whites Cottage, Cinderellas Village and Castle and Mr. Toads Hall. The Old Mill, based on the Silly Symphony short, was also featured.

In 1994, Imagineers would add The Sultans Palace from Aladdin, Prince Eric’s Castle & Atlantica from The Little Mermaid.

During Disneylands 50th Anniversary, the canal boat named Tinkerbell and Wendy boats would be painted gold!

20 years since the attraction added the new villages and due to the films popularity, Imagineering would go on to add a new village, Ariendelle and Elsa’s Castle from the 2013 film Frozen. Sadly, this new village would take over the Old Mill segment. In 2025, after a short refurbishment, they would add Rapunzels Tower from the 2010 film Tangled.

These new additions are great, but I wondered why they did not add Belle’s village and cottage from Beauty and the Beast back when Imagineering was working on adding movies from the Renaissance Era.

If you were lucky enough to experience Disneyland’s 50th Anniversary like myself you would remember it as the best of anniversary celebrations!

Not only was the park celebrating, but the opening attractions did too. In honor of those attractions, Disney parks dedicated them with special golden vehicles and plaques.

If you were really lucky, you were able to ride on these specially designed golden ride vehicles!

Opening Day Rides Still Operating:

Disneyland Railroad

Horse-drawn Streetcars

Main Street Cinema

King Arthur Carrousel

Peter Pan Flight

Mad Tea Party

Mr. Toad's Wild Ride

Snow White's Adventures

Casey Jr. Circus Train

Autopia

Mark Twain Steamboat

Jungle Cruise

On July 17th 2005, a special decorated horse on King Arthur’s Carousel named Jingles was dedicated by the Golden Anniversary Ambassador Julie Andrews. During Disneyland’s Year of a Million Dreams in 2008, a new decorated saddle commemorating the anniversary and Julie Andrews legacy to the Walt Disney company was placed on Jingles featuring the silhouettes of Mary Poppins and Mary’s carousel horse from the film Mary Poppins.