All Imagineers bring a magic touch to the parks – from artists to engineers to architects. And some don’t neatly fall into one category. That’s the case for today’s spotlight, C. Randy Bright, a true renaissance man within Imagineering. Â Source: D23 Long Beach native Bright (born in 1938) started out on a very non-artistic track, […] Read more…
If you’ve ever seen or attended a media event involving any of the Disney Parks, you’ve probably seen Disney Ambassadors. These figureheads (now appointed for roughly a year term each) make appearances at big events, travel to promote their respective parks, and host special VIP visitors, among other miscellaneous promotional duties. But this program started […] Read more…
You know the old adage, “underpromise, overdeliver”? Well, I unfortunately think Avengers Campus is a really good example of doing the exact opposite. I was looking through concept art for this pretty new land, and was amazed at some of the big differences between what we saw then and what we see now. It’s not […] Read more…
I’ve talked at length on this blog about the powerful ability Disneyland has to create nostalgia, joy, and real *magic* for park visitors. So you can imagine my excitement when I learned about a new book: How Does Disney Do That? How Disney Makes Us Feel and Why It Matters. The book is all about […] Read more…
When you think about water at Disneyland, what comes to mind? Probably the castle moat, Paradise Bay, and maybe the Grizzly River Run? Well, it might surprise you to learn that the Disneyland Resort has a lot more than that going on, from massive rocky waterfalls to sneaky rivers winding beneath your feet. Let’s take […] Read more…
In the era of Disney blogs, podcasts, and YouTube channels, fans have access to more behind-the-scenes information than ever before. I’m loving the newfound excitement around celebrating Imagineering and celebrating contributions of particular Imagineers, which is why I started this “Imagineer Influence” series. Unfortunately, there are still tons of amazingly talented people that remain in […] Read more…
No matter the season, you’ll find an abundance of flowers beautifying the Disneyland resort. But one particular flower holds a special place in the group – a namesake specially cultivated for the mouse. Source: Disneyland Today The Disneyland rose is a rich pink and golden flower that is particular popular with butterflies. In the early […] Read more…
If you have any interest in Imagineering or the development of Disney Parks, you’re likely already familiar with Marty Sklar. He started working on Disney Parks before the first one ever opened, and left his mark on every single park that followed (until Shanghai, which opened after his death). Let’s get to know his story.  Source: […] Read more…
Grizzly Peak towers of California Adventure. This mountain range forms the shape of a grizzly bear, growling up at the sky. In Walt Disney Imagineering lore, the early people inhabiting this land held grizzly bears in particularly high esteem, believing the native land embodied the bear’s traits: strength (from the granite hills), pride (from the […] Read more…
With the reopening of Mickey’s Toontown just days away, I thought it would be fun to look back at the concept art that shaped Disneyland’s wild child land. This redesign gives us two different eras of concept art to look through: the original, leading up to the grand opening in 1993, and the updated, teasing […] Read more…
The internet is mostly awesome. You have access to unlimited information, ALL of the time. But that also means a lot of nonsense gets circulated, ALL of the time. And that’s definitely true for Disneyland “facts” and tips. Most people that have visited the parks know tall tales when they read them, but there’s one […] Read more…
Disneyland cast members being underpaid is sadly nothing new. For decades, cast members and park fans alike have advocated for higher wages, better benefits, and employee support across different roles. In 1984, tensions boiled over and the largest cast member strike in history began. In the early 80s, Disneyland wanted to freeze cast member wages […] Read more…
If you’ve seen my previous posts on concept art, you know that design evolves over time. These images are not meant to be blueprints – they convey the look and feel of a land rather than exact imagery. In that spirit, Buena Vista Street‘s concept art is quite the mixed bag. Some images could be […] Read more…
Imagineers contribute to more than just the parks – and sometimes, they’re best known for their work outside of Disneyland. Meet Marc Davis, the designer behind some of Disney’s most instantly recognizable animated characters. Â Source: 50 Most Influential Disney Animators Marc didn’t start out in Hollywood. Born in 1913, his dad’s oil field development job […] Read more…