By EPCOT Explorer

40 years ago, Walt Disney World’s Tomorrowland finally opened it’s long awaited and much needed expansion that added highly valued and exemplary attractions to the Magic Kingdom’s roster. Adding Space Mountain, the Carousel of Progress, the Star Jets, and a few months later, the WEDWay PeopleMover, Tomorrowland was elevated from being a paltry afterthought, to a showplace for space age optimism, ideas, and fantastic aesthetics. Continue after the page break as we take a look back to Tommorrowland of 1975...

By Daisy Sparks

January usually brings in a flurry of closures and walls around buildings to signify refurbishment time. This year, there are some popular attraction and area closures in order to get ready for Disneyland's 60th birthday. There is even an entire land, Critter Country, that is completely inaccessible until April 2nd. It looks like there has been more thought into how these huge refurbishment walls should look. There are huge printed canvas tarps placed over some of the attraction facades so it looks like a giant photo of the building. The walls are more decorative to blend in with the area and include special posters featuring information about the refurbishment itself. Let's take a look at all these preparations taking place at Disneyland in this week's A Walk in the Park article...

By Keith Mahne

Have a look at this beautiful Oscar charm bracelet that Walt had made for Lilly in the early 1960s. Made of 18K gold, the bracelet is fashioned with 20 miniature statuettes, each of which is engraved with the name of the work for which it was awarded. Originally, Walt envisioned having a necklace made with these charms given to him by the Academy; but when Lilly said she’d prefer a bracelet, the tiny statuettes were put into a different design.  After the bracelet was constructed, Lilly wore it often and with great pride. Continue after the page break for more on this wonderful piece of history and another commemorating Snow White...

By Keith Mahne

This week's Motion Mondays article features the construction of Disneyland's Main Street, USA. Footage is from Kodak Presents Disneyland ‘59. Continue after the page break and have a look...

By Ryan Reed

As most of you know, the Sorcerer Mickey Hat has been in the news over the last few months.  As it turns out, Disney has decided to dismantle the magical icon in what seems to be related to the rumored changes to Disney’s Hollywood Studios.  As I’ve said before when talking about other changes in Walt Disney World, we should appreciate it evolving right before our very eyes.  I feel the removal of a park icon is bigger than an attraction (sorry Maelstrom) because it means much more to each and every guest that sets foot in a park.  You can avoid an attraction; you can’t avoid a park icon.  So for this post I just want to share some of my opinions on why this upsets some folks and what direction Disney may be going next. Continue after the page break for more...

By Krista Joy

It’s a cool, breezy, beautiful January day here in Orlando. It’s the kind of day where you just can’t stay inside. Let’s step out…and take a step back… in time today, as we enjoy the sights of Old Hollywood, here at Disney’s Hollywood Studios! Be our guest at Beauty and the Beast – Live on Stage! Check in over at the Hollywood Tower Hotel, and then let’s go get a beer at Dad’s Tune-In Lounge! Are you hungry for some of Mom’s cooking over at 50’s Prime Time Café? We’ve got it all for you and more, right here on Disney Avenue's A Walk in the Park: Walt Disney World Edition...

By EPCOT Explorer

“The idea of Disneyland is a simple one. It will be a place for people to find happiness and knowledge. It will be a place for parents and children to share pleasant times in one another’s company; a place for teachers and pupils to discover greater ways of understanding and education. Here the older generation can recapture the nostalgia of days gone by, and the younger generation can savor the challenge of the future. Here will be the wonders of Nature and Man for all to see and understand. Disneyland will be based upon and dedicated to the ideals, the dreams and hard facts that have created America. And it will be uniquely equipped to dramatize these dreams and facts and send them forth as a source of courage and inspiration to all the world. Disneyland will be sometimes a fair, an exhibition, a playground, a community center, a museum of living facts, and a showplace of beauty and magic. It will be filled with accomplishments, the joys and hopes of the world we live in. And it will remind us and show us how to make these wonders part of our own lives.”   –Walt Disney




If you’ve spent any time as part of the Disney community, online or otherwise, debates and discussion about the nature of Disneyland or any of the parks practically define the terrain of popular thought. One of the most fundamental of these questions in the community is the role of history. Disney is a very historical company. Walt brought his enterprise to fame during the early decades of the 20^th century, when Hollywood boomed and grew into the monolithic entity that it now is, not only for American culture, but the greater entertainment culture of the world. Disney’s early films, while not all ‘high art’ (I would place Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, and Fantasia into that category, however.) have come to be seen as the bedrock for Disney’s legacy in the entertainment world. Disneyland is no different. With this in mind, Disneyland deserves preservation. And Disneyland IS a museum that holds vital parts of this entertainment legacy. Continue after the page break for the rest of this story...

By Keith Mahne

This week's Motion Mondays article features rare color footage of the first Submarine Voyage at Disneyland in 1959. This footage was originally aired in black and white as part of the Disneyland ‘59 special. Continue after the page break and have a look...

The Disney Avenue Podcast returns with a fantastic interview with the original Dreamfinder, Ron Schneider! Continue after the page break for a wonderful show...

By Lindsey Allmon

When the New Year rolls around there are plenty of things to look forward to: new beginnings, football (Yay Ohio State, National Champs!), and, of course, the award season. The Oscars, the Tonys, and the Golden Globes are watched annually by millions of people, including me. As we go into this season, I was reminded once again of how incredible Walt Disney was as a man, and especially as an artist. With fifty nine individual nominations for Academy Awards and twenty six wins, Walt Disney is the most nominated and biggest winner on the big stage. With so much hardware on the shelf it seems appropriate that we look back on some of the greatest moments in Disney award wins, both in Walt’s lifetime and in his legacy...

By Daisy Sparks

January at Disneyland Parks means the beginning of many walls going up due to refurbishment. There is never a good time but this time of year remains the slowest in terms of Guest traffic. The closures are scheduled in advance and the information is readily available should anyone need it when making plans to visit Disneyland Parks. Attractions and venues targeted for refurbishment usually need some maintenance that may include a fresh coat of paint, repairs and/or a deep cleaning. Sometimes, the refurbishment schedule may include major projects that involve removing or adding new show elements. 

Today’s “Walk in the Park: Disneyland Edition” features some major renovation projects now in progress at Disney California Adventure...

By Keith Mahne

This week's Motion Mondays article has a look back at the Disneyland Hotel Tram. Staying at the Disneyland Hotel in 1956? The Monorail won’t be built for another 3 years, but you can take the handy Disneyland Tram if you’d like. Continue after the page break and climb aboard...

By Keith Mahne

I wanted to share with you some photos of Walt Disney that an artist has cleverly integrated into today's world. I absolutely love what they have done as it really gives you a sense of what Walt would look like if he was still alive and enjoying his parks today. Have a look at the rest of them after the page break...

By Krista Joy

Back in May of 2014, Walt Disney World announced plans for a name change and some pretty major enhancements to one of its most iconic Magic Kingdom resorts. Now re-branded as Disney's Polynesian Village Resort, the location already shows signs of a new level of detail that only Disney can deliver. A major phase of the renovation has already been completed. Join us as we have a look at the new lobby in this week's A Walk in the Park: WDW Edition article...

By Ryan Reed

By Keith Mahne

This week's Motion Mondays article features The Mad Tea Party from 1956...

By Daisy Sparks

The holiday fun remains in full swing at the Disneyland Parks. Christmas Day and the following days brought in huge crowds. Join us after the page break and have a look at what I mean in this week's A Walk in the Park: Disneyland Edition article...