Product description
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On July 17 1955 Walt Disney opened the gates to
Disneyland(R) the beloved American icon that has become a
cherished destination for generations. It was also the day Walt's
sixteen-year dream came true. The centerpiece of this volume is a
captivating and nostalgic film that takes you inside that dream.
Rare archival footage new interviews with key people and Walt's
own words reveal how his innovative vision became a reality. Then
discover more Disneyland(R) secrets with a fun-filled trivia game
and relive the magic of the recently restored PEOPLE AND PLACES:
DISNEYLAND U.S.A. presented in Cinema with a new 5.1 audio
mix. Featuring exclusive introductions by film historian Leonard
Maltin this is a timeless collection from generations past for
generations to come.System Requirements:Running Time: 332
Mins.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: CHILDREN/FAMILY Rating: NR
UPC: 786936702057
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Originally conceived as a fiftieth anniversary tribute
to Disneyland, this 332-minute DVD set celebrates Walt Disney's
vision and drive in imagining, building, and marketing America's
first-ever theme park. This compilation offers fascinating
in into Walt Disney's enormous undertaking through the
documentary "The Secrets, Stories, and Magic of Disneyland," the
retrospective "Operation Disneyland," three episodes from "The
Wonderful World of Color" television series, one "People and
Places" episode, and a collection of historical time-lapse
construction footage from Disneyland in Anaheim, California.
Leonard Maltin and Julie Andrews provide an introduction to the
80-minute "Secrets, Stories, and Magic" which details Walt
Disney's initial vision for Disneyland, considered to be "Walt's
Folly" by many Disney Studio employees, and the various stages of
the park's planning and construction culminating in its grand
opening on July 17, 1955. Extensive new and vintage footage
address virtually every aspect of the conception and realization
of Disneyland from the original site plan and concept art to the
tight construction schedule, logistical problems during
construction and on opening day, the development of new enhanced
motion vehicle technology for the rides, and the shelved ideas
that make up the "Disneyland that never was." Extensive interview
footage includes Walt Disney, George Lucas, Roy Disney, artist
Ryman, retired president of Disneyland Jack Lindquist,
composer Richard Sherman, and many others. After an interactive
Disneyland trivia game that's none-to-easy even in the beginner
mode, it's on to a restored version of the 1956 "People and
Places: Disneyland USA" episode which highlights Walt Disney's
goal that Disneyland serve as a place of enlightenment,
happiness, and the pursuit of fun and takes viewers on a
slow-paced exploration of the five areas of Disneyland. Modern
audiences might be inclined to condemn this particular feature as
a 42-minute-long Disneyland commercial, but in 1956 it functioned
more as an exploration of a distant place that many around the
world had never had the rtunity to visit.
Disc two begins with "Operation Disneyland," a 14-minute black
and white documentary produced for ABC closed circuit television
which looks at the technical aspects of broadcasting the opening
ceremonies of Disneyland on live television. Never intended for
public viewing, the program offers an interesting and
historically valuable look back at the mechanics of live
television in the 1950's. Next are three episodes of Walt
Disney's weekly program "The Wonderful World of Color." "The
Golden Horseshoe Revue" features the 10,000th vaudeville-inspired
performance at Disneyland's The Golden Horseshoe Saloon with
Betty Taylor, Wally Boag, Gene Sheldon, Ed Wynn, and former
Mickey Mouse Club Mouseketeer Annette Funicello. "Disneyland Goes
to the World's Fair" details Disney's contributions to the New
York World's Fair of 1964-1965 including the creation of "It's A
Small World" for UNICEF, "Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln," and
the "Primeval World" audio-animatronic dinosaurs currently on
exhibit in the Disneyland Railroad. "Disneyland Around the
Seasons" celebrates Disneyland's 11th year with a look at special
holiday programming at Disneyland. Finally, footage from several
time-lapse cameras scattered throughout Disneyland during the
park's construction is presented with narration by Tony Baxter
from Disney Imagineering, and Ed Hobbleman and Walter Magnuson
from the Disney Studio Inventory Group. Just about everything one
could ever want to know about the history of Disneyland is right
here in this thorough Disney collection. --Tami Horiuchi