Announcing Disneyland Insights: A Multimedia Kingdom of Hidden Magic & Behind the Scenes Tales
In 1958, only three years after Disneyland first opened, Julian Halevy wrote an unflattering piece about Walt Disney and Disneyland entitled “Disneyland and Las Vegas” for The Nation magazine. He wrote that “[a]s in the Disney movies, the whole world, the universe, and all man’s striving for dominion over self and nature, have been reduced to a sickening blend of cheap formulas packaged to sell.”
Up until that point, it was probably the most negative composed set of remarks aimed at the park. Upset, American Author, Ray Bradbury, who in time became a friend of Walt’s and decades later would help create Spaceship Earth for Epcot, wrote a letter to the editor of The Nation:
He criticized the snobbery and cynicism of Julian Halevy’s original piece and then went on to speculate
“…[I have] a sneaking suspicion, after all is said and done, Mr. Halevy truly loved Disneyland but is not man enough, nor child enough, to admit it”
He then shared his own experience:
“I admit I approached Disneyland with many intellectual reservations myself, but these have been banished in my seven visits. Disney makes mistakes: what artist doesn’t? But when he flies, he really flies. I shall be indebted to him [Walt Disney] for a lifetime for his ability to let me fly over midnight London looking down on the fabulous city, in his Peter Pan ride.”
In truth, within the worlds of Disneyland are years of incredible details, heritage and insights. For decades people have talked about this immersive world and the joy they have found in it. It is because of that joy I’m excited to announce that as of today, I’m unlocking the gate to the ideals, dreams, and hard facts that have created “The Happiest Place on Earth”. I’m introducing Disneyland Insights: A Multimedia Kingdom of Hidden Magic & Behind the Scenes Tales.
Check out Disneyland Insights: A Multimedia of Hidden Magic and Behind the Scenes Tales
Background
You may recall that last Spring we introduced Disneyland Insights: Inspiration, Ideas & Magic for You and Your Organization
That product was for those who in the public, private and non-profit arenas who are looking to find new ideas in the story and operations of Disneyland that will guide them to
- Provide Individual & Organizational Leadership Excellence
- Create Employee Engagement & a Team Culture
- Offer a Superior Customer Experience
Not only does the content through examples, stories and models play to these themes, but each section provides “Souvenirs for You and Your Organization”. They are reflective questions that may be used to better the work or operation you may be lead or be part of. And in that instance, it is more of a business focus. In fact, many may utilize funding set aside in their organization for training and development to purchase this volume.
This Disney Insights offering is more fan based and deals not so much with organizational or even personal application, but just the joy of exploring Disneyland as a park.
I’m very excited to present this. Since I was twelve I have studied all things Disney for many decades. I have written posts, authored books, recorded podcasts and have presented before audiences the world over. Moreover, since I was a young child, Disneyland has been a part of my life. Now I want to share all of the amazing insights, stories and heritage that makes This truly the “The Happiest Place on Earth”. And I want to share that in a unique way that virtually brings the park to life.
The simplest description for Disneyland Insights: A Multimedia Kingdom of Hidden Magic & Behind the Scenes Tales is that it’s an interactive, multimedia experience. It could have been published simply as a book. And that book could have included photos. Now I have nothing wrong with books. And in fact, I’ve written a lot of them–most focusing on best practices at Disney.
But I’ve had challenges with writing books. I’ve had to already update two of them to a second edition, which is in some ways like starting all over. But more than this, a book can’t contain the scores of videos and audio segments that accompany this. And sure, I could add photos–but not the volume I wanted to share. Moreover, a book is linear. Begin at the beginning and go to the end, with only a table of contents overviewing what happens between those two points. Here we have something truly interactive. We cover not just attractions, but entertainment, shops, dining and so much more! As one individual put it “It’s like Disneyland had an encyclopedia that came to life!”
Here are those books if you’re interested:
My newest book, A Century of Powerful Disney Insights, Volume I 1923-1973, The Walt & Roy Disney Years is available!
Also, check out my two of my other books, The Wonderful World of Customer Service at Disney and Disney, Leadership and You.
Also, for those examining other business benchmarks beyond Disney, check out Lead with Your Customer: Transform Culture and Brand Into World-Class Excellence.
With it you can sit on your couch at home and review it by topic. You can casually jump around from place to play while laying on your sofa next to the fire. But best of all, you can use this as a guide as you literally walk through Disneyland, waiting in a queue, or for food to arrive. Here you are in the middle of the park experiencing attractions, shops and shows, and seeing the park with new eyes with insights you’ve never heard before. It’s the ultimate VIP tour, as it contains more than you can possibly glean in a day, and can be picked up and enjoyed any day, and it doesn’t cost an arm and a leg to do it.
By The Numbers
Here’s what this experience showcases:
- 1 Park
- 9 Lands
- 2 Dozen Maps and Charts
- 2 Dozen Full Length Podcasts & Audio Bites
- 75 Videos–Many Exclusive to This App
- 60 Year History of How Walt Came to Build a Theme Park
- Hundreds of pages of text sharing anything and everything about the place where it all began.
- And over 400 Photos and Graphics–Easily over a 100 of which are historic!
Most importantly, there are over 150 locations you can check on, from park entrance to Sleeping Beauty castle; from train to a monorail too a CP-H Patrol Speeder Bike; from Country Bear Barbecue Jamboree to Big Game Safari Shooting Gallery to Roger Rabbits Car TOON Spin; from the Enchanted Tiki Room’s Rosita to the Fantasyland Skyway to the Columbia Saling Ship.
What We Cover
Main Street, U.S.A.–We do an overall history of stores on Main Street, and why there is a porch on one of them, which store was known as the Wizard of Bras. Also, we talk about the Lost Parents sign in front of City Hall and the significance of that sign and how it relates to the story of Disney’s Peter Pan. Plus we talk about the dozen most important parade milestones ever to happen down Main Street.
Adventureland–We identify easter eggs and provide a way to decipher the Mara-glyphics in the Indiana Jones Adventure line. We talk about a crate of beekeeping supplies, how that relates to the Jungle Cruise film, and to one of the few known problems that occurred during the opening days of Disneyland.
New Orleans Square–We talk about how intimacy, depth, story and detail contribute to why New Orleans Square works. And we talk about the Chicken Plantation Restaurant and its link/association with Knotts Berry Farm
Bayou Country–As we enter Bayou Country we talk about the name behind Fowler’s Harbor and the link between the Columbia ship docked there and the Columbia River in the Northeast.
Frontierland–We go along the Rivers of America and showcase which sections are aligned with the Mississippi River, the Columbia River, the Potomac and Rio Grande Rivers. We talk about an abandoned stage coach with luggage for Jason Chandler, and how he is part of the Society of Adventuers and explorers, and how he is connected not only with a project by Imagineer Tony Baxter called Discovery Bay but how that all relates to Dreamfinder, Figment and Journey Into Imagination.
Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge–We offer a complex breakdown of both Rise of the Resistance and Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run. We also profile the differences between Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge here at Disneyland and the one at Disney’s Hollywood Studios
Mickey’s Toon Town–Here we showcase over 100 easter eggs you don’t want to miss on your next journey to Toon Town. And we break down the top 10 things to look for in the amazing queue of Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway.
Fantasyland--We start at the castle to break down the symbolism, particularly the replica of th Viollet-de-Duc spire that Walt insisted be on the right wing of the building. It is a small replica of the center spire of Notre Dame, and it has specific meaning. Did you know that when you stand facing the carousel in Fantasyland with your back to the castle that the left side is Europe with Pinocchio, Snow White and Beauty & The Beast emphasized and that the buildings to the right focus on the England with Peter Pan, Mr. Toad and Alice? Plus obscure details like the history of the Fantasyland Autopia, Motor Boat Cruise and Midget Autopia.
Tomorrowland–We look at the history and design aesthetic of things like the Astro Orbiter, the ceiling at the Tomorrowland Terrace, and the personal remembrance of Walt Disney in a set of palm trees by the Autopia. I give a play-by-play explanation of onstage and backstage vistas we see along the monorail. And we finish off comparing Space Mountain in both Disneyland and Walt Disney World.
And I added something personal….
Poems–Once upon a time, I had a school assignment to create a number of poems. This was sometime around 1974, I was in 7th grade. I was young, and not perfect in writing poetry. We were also tasked to make the poem look beautiful, and I did have some talents with fonts and especially enjoyed this aspect of the assignment. Other than my memories of having been to the park only a few times as a child, I had gathered a Disneyland Pictorial Souvenir, GAF View-Masters, and a number of postcards. They were the inspiration for writing the poems you see. I share both the inspiration and the poem I submitted.
Q&A
- Is this an App or something that resides on my phone?
It’s actually a link to a location that holds it ready for you to enjoy at any time. The advantage to this is that unlike an online book, this content is evergreen. It continues to grow, to have new additions, and new insights in time. Like Walt shared about Disneyland and its comparison to films. When a film was put into the can, there was no changing it. It was locked down permanently. But Disneyland was different “Not only can I add things, but even the trees will keep growing! The thing will get more beautiful each year!” That is the same sentiment here with Disneyland Insights.
2. Is the content similar to what you share on your blog and podcasts?
Very much so, but now it is organized in a way that you can access it easily, and that you can apply more readily to your life and to your organization. And all of this is presented in not a singular format, but in a multimedia context.
3. How much?
The introductory cost for this is currently $15.00. That contrasts to the introductory cost of our other experience tailored for business organizations, which was $40.00 It’s less than my books, but this is much larger in content than a book, with photo, audio and videos, which I didn’t include in the book.
Summary
In essence, your purchase is a deep dive into the hidden magic that makes Disneyland the “Happiest Place on Earth”. It covers decades of how the park came to be and then land by land considers the stories and tales of the park. And what’s best? Just as Walt Disney said “Disneyland will never be completed, neither will this. Given how this is interactive tool is structured, it will continually be updated with new additions and new insights to the park.
If you are looking for something truly unique that celebrates your love of Disneyland, try Disneyland Insights: A Multimedia Kingdom of Hidden Magic and Behind-the-Scenes Tales!
Be sure to check out both of our New Disneyland Insight experiences!
Disneyland Insights: A Multimedia of Hidden Magic and Behind the Scenes Tales
Disneyland Insights: Inspiration, Ideas & Magic for You and Your Organization.
Thanks for joining us for this podcast. Know that as in the title of my organization, Performance Journeys, it’s as much about the journey as it is about performance. Find the second star to the right, and keep going straight on till you reach it. Follow the compass of your heart, and know that with a smile and a song, a little faith, effort and pixie dust, your dreams can come true. After all, if we can dream it, we can do it. Until next time, bright suns, we’ll see you real soon!
