Samlandica II

It is time for another installment of the Encyclopedia SAMLANDICA. These are random bits of Disney goodness that tickle my fancy and I hope yours too. Today, we will get some popcorn, pay tribute to pets past, and take a ride on a tender car.

READ MORE AT MICECHAT

The Burbank Studio - Part One

PART ONE

Walt Disney and his brother Roy founded the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio on October 16, 1923. Their first studio was in the garage behind their uncle Robert's place at 4406 Kingswell Avenue in Los Angeles. When they got the chance, they moved down the street into a small office at 4651 Kingswell Avenue. It was not long before their thriving animation studio expanded into the office suite next door.

The studio continued to grow and soon the brothers outgrew the Kingswell facility. They needed more space so they purchased a property at 2719 Hyperion Avenue in the Silverlake area of Los Angeles in 1925. The new studio opened in 1926.

The Hyperion studio quickly became a creative beehive but it grew in an unorganized fashion. The facility grew from 1,600 square feet to over 20,000 square feet by 1931. A two-story Spanish Revival building and soundstage joined the original one-story stucco building. Over the years, additional buildings would be added as needed and the studio would grow to more than 73,000 square feet by the time the Disney brothers moved to Burbank.

Along with this rapid growth and success, Roy would insist in 1929 that they rename the company Walt Disney Productions to be a very real reminder as to who was the creative force behind the animation studio.

With the success of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, the Disney brothers thought it was time to build a proper animation studio from the ground up. In 1938, they bought 51-acres in Burbank. Frank Crowhurst was chosen Chief Contractor and Bill Garity was named supervisor for the project. They began construction in 1939 and the first members of the Disney staff moved in on Christmas Eve of that same year. The rest of the staff moved in by the spring of 1940.

Walt and Roy's facility in Burbank would be the first movie studio solely dedicated to the manufacture of animated films. All design decisions would be based on how the solution could enhance the filmmaking process. Walt wanted to provide maximum comfort so that he could encourage the maximum creativity and efficiency of his artists.

In press releases, The Walt Disney Company described the Studio as "a self-sufficient, state-of-the-art production factory that provided all the essential facilities for the entire production process." The first films to be produced in Burbank were Pinocchio and Fantasia.

In Walt Disney: The Triumph of The American Imagination Neal Gabler said, "Walt saw the Studio in psychological terms. From the moment he started talking about the planning of the Studio, he always had in mind the psychological effect of the physical space, because Walt didn't believe good work came out of tyranny. Studio heads at that time believed...anxiety was the source of productivity. Walt didn't operate that way. He felt that if people were happy, they would create well."

One Man's Vision

Walt tapped Kem Weber to be the architect for his new studio. The name Kem is combination of his given name, which was Karl Emanuel Martin Weber. Weber was born in Germany in 1889. He graduated from the School of Decorative Arts in Potsdam and began to work for Bruno Paul. He worked on the German pavilions for the 1910 'Exposition Universalle' in Brussels and the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco. That is when he decided to stay in the United States.

His early work was mostly for residential structures in various historic revival styles such as Mayan, Egyptian, and Minoan. He was also the Art Director for Barker Brothers, a large, influential furniture store in the Los Angeles area. Weber also worked as an industrial designer with some of his work shown at the 1928 'International Exposition of Art in Industry' in New York. His design reputation was solidified by his work in the Streamline Moderne style.

Weber may have been the architect but Walt was involved in every aspect of the design. Walt's priority was on function and not design. He wanted to enhance the movie making process and he would do that through a thoughtful efficient structure. Christopher Alexander said, "Process plays a more fundamental role in determing the life and death of the building than does the design." The design of the Burbank studio was all about the process.

In a 1940 interview from the Disney Archives, Chief Contractor Frank Crowhurst said, "Walt wasn't particularly interested in any architectural effects. We have a functional group of buildings... They allow their masses of construction to express style rather than surface ornamentation. It's no good for me or Weber... or anyone else to try to tell him how a building should look. He isn't interested."

For example, to create the perfect animation desk Walt asked Frank Thomas, one of his most trusted animators, to design one based on his experience. Then Walt had Weber refine the design and fabricate the desks. Weber was also responsible for the design of the other pieces of furniture and the unified studio signage. In Building a Dream, Bob Thomas claimed Walt, "planned the Burbank studio down to the contour of the chairs."

A Machine for Making Movies

Most Hollywood movie studios were a jumble of hastily built soundstages and administrative buildings that doubled as stage sets. They did not call these film factories for nothing. Walt wanted something very different for his creative talent. His studio would be based on an easy to navigate site plan and timeless architecture.

You enter the Disney studio through one of three gates. The internal circulation system is based on a grid of streets like a midwestern city. A grid roadway pattern is logical and makes finding your destination easier.

The two main streets on the Disney lot street grid are Mickey Avenue, which runs north south, and Dopey Drive, which travels east west. At the intersection of these two streets is a very famous street sign. The sign was originally meant to be a temporary prop for the 1941 movie The Reluctant Dragon. At one point, it was given permanent status and it has become one of the most identifiable and photographed spots in the Studio. Upon close inspection, you can see that the figure of Mickey Mouse did not match the Studios standard of the day. It was assumed that the sign would be gone right after filming.

The internal roadways are very narrow curb-to-curb. A narrow road naturally promotes traffic calming and encourages walking, bicycling, or small carts to be the preferred method of travel. Moving around Walt's studio would be a pleasure unlike the experience one found other movie studios in the area. The parking areas were pushed to the edges of the property.

The buildings are set back from the interior streets and lined with grass lawns and oak trees. Even the utilities were placed underground and hidden from view. The overall effect was less a factory and more like a suburban office park. The entire studio feels very intimate and welcoming.

At the center of everything, both physically and psychologically, is the Animation Building. The architectural language for the building was based on the popular Streamline Moderne style. Streamline Moderne emulated the sensation of speed, efficiency, and modernity in a distinctly American way. Walt wanted to build and efficient and functional movie making machine and what could be more functional than an architectural style that reminds people of an aerodynamic train or an airplane? The principles behind Streamline Moderne would successfully express Walt's intentions for the facility.

The design of the animation building captures architect Louis Sullivan's advice that, "A proper building grows naturally, logically, and poetically out of all its conditions." Overall, the massing of the buildings features horizontal elements and clean lines. The buildings repeat various elements throughout the studio campus, which creates a sense of order and harmony. As stated earlier, this is a design pattern called alternating repetition.

In keeping with modernism, there is a lack of architectural detail. The Animation Building relies upon thoughtful use of exterior materials such as the flat ground floor bricks that are held together with recessed mortar and arranged in pairs, one on top of the other. The result is the building does seem to hug the ground.

The Californian desert inspires the color palette for the exterior of the Animation Building. The terracotta, cream, and green building colors are arranged in a gradient. However, this choice was not only beautiful but also functional. Walt wanted the color of the exterior to calm the eyes for artists who are looking at saturated colors throughout the workday.

The windows of the Animation Building are oriented to face true north. It has been known for centuries that north light is the best for artists because they get constant light with a silvery type quality that brings out the cool, purplish, greenish atmospheric colors. When windows face north, the quality of the light tends to be shadowless, diffuse, and neutral or slightly grayish most of the day and year. The animators and color stylists could paint all day and the subject would not change. The windows were fitted with special metal awnings that could be adjusted by the occupants of each office. Even today, the north facing windows of the Animation Building continue to remain unobstructed and let in the natural light.

The view below the north facing windows has changed considerably over the years. Originally, an earthen berm was built to hide the view of Alameda Avenue. When the Team Disney Building was erected, a reflecting pool was installed. Today, the reflecting pool as been paved over and the plaza has been dedicated to tributes for Walt, Roy Disney, and the other Disney Legends recipients.

Form Follows Function

Architect Louis Sullivan also proclaimed, "Form follows function." That would be a good way to describe how Walt approached the design for the studio. The layout for the buildings and their relationship to one another is organized to follow the path of production for an animated film.

The filmmaking process starts on the third floor of the Animation Building with Walt and the storymen. Walt's office suite was located in wing 3H on the third floor of the Animation Building in the prime Northeast corner. The suite was made up of a formal office as well as a working office. There was also a small kitchen as well as an apartment where Walt would occasionally spend the night. He enjoyed the apartment so much and found it so useful that he decided he would create the same type of living quarters on top of the fire station at Disneyland.

The storymen would hand off their work to the layout men and directors who were located on the second floor. Then the work would be divided up and the hundreds of animators on the first floor would go to work. In the basement were test cameras where the dailies could be shot and sent back up to the animators for their review.

When the animation cells were ready, they were transported in underground tunnels to the Ink and Paint Building across the street on the east just below Walt's view. The tunnels allowed the delicate drawings to move from one phase of production to another without concern for the weather. Once the cells were painted, they would continue moving south toward the Camera and Cutting buildings.

The Burbank studio was designed to provide the artists all the comforts of home. There was a snack stand, barber, cleaners, a buffet-style restaurant, and health club. Every part of the facility was air-conditioned by a custom made General Electric system. This was a very rare thing at the time and was good for the artists comfort as well as keeping dust off the painted celluloid sheets.

This attention to detail was not just Walt being a benevolent boss; it meant that his artists really had no reason to leave work. The Disney studios work environment was unique at the time but it would become the prototype for modern day high-tech companies and other high performance organizations after World War II.

My Favorite WDW Bathroom

Simply the greatest bathroom to be found on Walt Disney World property. Inside the empty Odyssey restaurant/convention/big empty space in Epcot between Future World and the World Showcase.

SAMLAND ON WDW TODAY

For the 4th time, I was a guest on the wonderful WDW Today podcast. During this episode, Mike, Mike, and Len (Matt and Annette were sadly absent) talk about the sense of reassurance (not escapism) one finds when visiting the Disney theme parks. Three times a week I get my WDW fix when I tune in to this podcast. I encourage you to check it out and let me know what you think.

Thanks

No Provision for the Crown

This week’s Samland installment was inspired Kevin Yee’s excellent article about the Reedy Creek Improvement District’s emergency services. From an urban planners point of view, the whole Reedy Creek story may be the most magical thing about the entire Walt Disney World project. We will never see anything like the District again. But what is the Reedy Creek Improvement District (RCID) you may ask? Let's find out...

READ THE WHOLE ARTICLE AT MICECHAT!

The Monorail

THE MONORAIL

One of the earliest sketches for Disneyland was Herb Ryman's entrance to Tomorrowland that is framed by the organic shaped buildings on the left and right and the monorail hanging from a track. From the beginning Walt was very interested in building a "highway in the sky" for his park.

In June 1958, Walt was on vacation with his wife Lillian and they visited the small mountain town of Wuppertal in Germany. Much to Walt's delight was a monorail train that had been operating for more then fifty years. The track rested on pylons built along the banks of a river. The train was suspended from the track and hung freely. It was like the one in the Tomorrowland drawing. As a railfan with "high iron" in his blood, Walt had to go for a ride. Although Walt liked the ride, Lillian did not care for the way it swayed back and forth during the curves. She became ill.

Later in the trip, Walt and Lillian were driving north along a major roadway near Cologne, Germany when a monorail train suddenly crossed over their heads. This monorail was very different from the one in Wuppertal. This train rode on top of steel-reinforced concrete beam. Walt was stunned. He wanted to learn more so he drove right to the administrative building and asked for help. He learned that the Alweg Corporation was testing the monorail. Alweg was owned and named after the wealthy Dr. Axel Wenner Gren. The company has bee working on monorails since 1949. Walt was very excited because he finally found his monorail for Disneyland. The success of this transportation system is a principle reason why Walt thought that EPCOT could work as a city.

Walt sent Joe Fowler and Roger Broggie to inspect the train and to report back. Both were impressed and felt it would fit right in at Disneyland. Joseph Corn said, "Being smaller then normal railroads, monorails would also lend a more human scale to the future."

Roger Broggie and Bob Gurr modified the suspension technology so that the trains could climb the maximum grades and make it through tight turning radii. Not only did they want to showcase the technology but also they wanted to provide an interesting ride.

At first, the monorail trains where going to be built in Manheim, Germany. However, due to the time it would take to ship the trains to Disneyland and other issues, it was decided to build the Mark I version on Stage 3 at the Studio. Gurr described the German trains as a "loaf of bread." Gurr would significantly transform the ugly box into a streamline bullet-shaped rocket like the ones he remembered from Buck Rogers films. As most things within Disneyland, the trains are 5/8th scale models.

From Walt's first siting of the German monorail flying overhead while on vacation to the televised grand opening with the Vice President of the Untied States of his own personal Monorail at Disneyland only took one year. In that short time span the Imagineers engineered a functional suspension system, designed a beautiful train, installed the track, and tested the system so that it would be safe for the millions of passengers who would soon be riding.

Interestingly, it really was Walt's personal monorail. Like the steam locomotives that circled the park, Walt personally owned these vehicles through his company called Retlaw. Retlaw is Walter spelled backwards. One benefit for Walt by this arrangement according to Michael Broggie was his ability to "put on his bib overalls and kerchief, and go wait for the next train. When the train arrived, [Walt] would climb into the cab and tell the engineer that he was on break." Since everybody at Retlaw was on Walt's own payroll they did as the boss told them.

The attraction opened on June 14, 1959 and was originally called the Disneyland Alweg Monorail System. The initial track was a winding .8-mile loop. The Disneyland monorail became the first daily operating monorail in the western hemisphere and the first to cross a public street in 1961 when the beamway was extended to a total length of 2.5 miles and a station was built at the Disneyland Hotel. With a second stop, the ride had transformed into a transportation system.

Disney would continually upgrade the technology and soon the Mark II and Mark III versions of the monorail would come online. A major styling change would come in 1987 with the introduction of the Mark V model. Instead of looking like Buck Rodgers, the trains would resemble Gulfstream executive jets. In 2008, Disney introduced the retro-looking Mark VII model. The Disneyland system was granted a National Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmark by The American Society of Mechanical Engineers in December 1986.

When Walt Disney World opened, they got their own exclusive trains called the Mark IV. These trains featured air conditioning, and are wider and longer then the Disneyland trains. The Orlando trains would be upgraded to the Mark VI model in 1989.

Although Walt was always interested in a monorail for Tomorrowland, he may have also been motivated to one up a major competitor. In 1956, CBS and the Los Angeles Turf Club joined together on a $10 million project to redevelop Pacific Ocean Park in Santa Monica. They were inspired by the success of Disneyland. So the two companies hired set designers and ride system companies to develop a theme park over the ocean. The project was an immediate hit and more people visited Pacific Ocean Park in 1958 then went to Disneyland. Walt was never satisfied and knew his team could do something that would top the competition. He said, "I can never stand still. I must explore and experiment."

The Los Angeles region always had a thing for monorails. In 1953, the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transit Authority's (LAMTA) showed the alignment for a 45.7-mile route for a monorail from Long Beach to Panorama City along the Los Angeles River. The trains would have been suspended below the tracks like the ones in Germany.

An alternate plan was proposed in 1960, just one year after Walt's demonstration model at Disneyland. This system would have covered 74.9 miles with 51 miles of beam overhead, 21.6 miles at grade, and 2.3 miles in tunnels. This system would have cost $529 million. This project was too ambitious and was scaled back to 22.7 miles with 12 miles in a subway under Wilshire Boulevard. The cost of the revised project would be $192 million. Monorail advocates argued that a side benefit to the project was the construction of a multi mile bomb shelter. Officials we so positive this would happen they held a public groundbreaking in Downtown Los Angeles and Beverly Hills in 1962. However, with no funding the project went nowhere.

Along with Walt, author Ray Bradbury was also a big fan of the monorail technology. Bradbury tried to encourage the City of Los Angeles to build a system. He formed a citizen's group called Save Rapid Transit and Improve Metropolitan Environments. He had admired the multi-modal and successful transit system in San Francisco and thought a layered system like that would work in Los Angeles. He said, "Look, the psychology of the monorail is what makes it superior. First of all, it's not an elevated like the old trains in Chicago. It's up in the air, but it doesn't make noise...you hardly hear it." Bradbury added, "The important thing is that it's above the traffic, and would glide past the traffic."

The Alweg Monorail Company agreed with Bradbury on the merits of the technology and proposed a demonstration system for the City of Los Angeles. After the success of the system at Disneyland and the experienced gained at the 1962 Seattle Century 21 Exposition, Alweg was looking for a way to expand the business. So, on June 4, 1963, President of the Alweg Rapid Transit Systems Sixten Holmquist, approached the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors and the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) and made them an offer.

The press release said, "We are pleased to submit this day a proposal to finance and construct an Alweg Monorail rapid transit system 43 miles in length, serving the San Fernando Valley, the Wilshire corridor, the San Bernardino corridor and downtown Los Angeles." The offer was for "a turn-key proposal in which a group will share risk, finance the construction, and turn over to MTA a completed and operating system to be repaid from MTA revenues." The budget for the initial monorail network, including rolling stock, was estimated to be $187.5 million.

Alweg would also conduct feasibility studies for expansion of the system to cover the entire Los Angeles region. In an interview with the Los Angeles Times in 1965, Walt said, "A monorail would be a natural attraction to thousands of people who would just ride it because it is something new and different. And it is needed. It's not something that would be scrapped after two years." Another competitor proposed a 75 mile suspended car system at a cost of $182.3 million.

Both companies promised to build the systems for "free" in exchange for the next 40 years of passenger revenues to bond against. The offer meant that the Los Angeles region would have had the backbone of a revolutionary mass transit system for no cost to the taxpayers. Political pressure from Standard Oil Company dampened the Board of Supervisors and the LAMTA enthusiasm for the project.

Bradbury said in 2001, "Telephone Alweg to accept their offer, made 30 years ago, to erect 12 cross-town monorails - free, gratis - if we let them run the traffic. I was there the afternoon our supervisors rejected that splendid offer, and I was thrown out of the meeting for making impolite noises. Remember, subways are for cold climes, snow and sleet in dead-winter London, Moscow or Toronto. Monorails are for high, free, open-air spirits, for our always-fair weather. Subways are Forest Lawn extensions. Let's bury our dead MTA and get on with life." To date, Los Angeles has spent billions of dollars to build 79 miles of fixed rail.

When Walt decided to build a city, he figured the Monorail would become the transportation backbone for the entire project. At Disneyland, Walt proved it could function reliably; provide a high level of service, and he wanted to integrate the technology into his city.

In EPCOT, the monorail would connect all of the major destinations. It would start at the airport, then head north toward the Entrance Complex. The trains would pass through the Industrial Parks and enter the Transportation Lobby below the mixed-use Cosmopolitan Hotel. From there it would continue north and drop guests off at the Magic Kingdom. There may have been spur lines leading to the motel clusters or the low-density village projected for a later phase.

Walt's mobility concept for his city was simple and designed to accommodate the realities of owning a car. He proposed that you allow residents and visitors to park their car once and provide a superior, attractive, efficient form of mass travel as an option. Guests, like water, are always on the search for the easiest path and Walt would have solved the problem of traffic congestion for his city.

MR. TOAD'S GANG

Mr. Toad's Wild Ride is simply one of my favorite attractions. This is not a ride but a life lesson. You can usually spot me. I am the one whose arms are flailing about when I come crashing out of the library, about to be smacked by Sir Clinksalot.

Why does this ride remind me of the British television program Top Gear?

ANGUS MACBADGER

Offers Sage Advice So Often Scorned

MR. MOLE

A Loyal Sympathetic Friend

J. THADDEUS TOAD, ESQ.

Master of Toad Hall & Incurable Adventurer

MR. RAT

Tries to Cure Toad's "Motormania"

Happy Birthday Disneyland

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DISNEYLAND!!

Jungle Cruise Entrance

I enjoy all of the subtleties of the Jungle Cruise entrance. The splendid path that leads to Indiana Jones has over shadowed this queue but it is very special in its own way.

This part of Adventureland was first discovered by French soldiers and became part of a European colonization effort. Because of the surrounding dangers, the soldiers built an infirmary. Some say, that the Jungle Cruise entrance structure is the remains of that infirmary. Over time, the remaining soldiers began a business that evolved into a water safari for tourists. Since French was the international language before World War II, you will frequently find French words scattered about the waiting area.

The queue building was designed to imply that nature has overtaken the building. It looks like it is sinking on one side and the gaps in the rooftops and railings are damaged by tree branches. Upstairs there are dead dangerous insects and a cobra in the rafters.

Invented Spaces or Authentic Places?

“LOS ANGELES: INVENTED SPACES OR AUTHENTIC PLACES?”

Presented by the Los Angeles Region Planning History Group in cooperation with the Huntington-USC Institute on California and the West

The event took place on Saturday, July 9, 2011

The Los Angeles region has evolved as much from out-sized dreams and inventions as from traditional rules for establishing human settlements. Carey McWilliams called Los Angeles an “improbable” place not destined to succeed, but determined to do so. As Southern California developed, the visionaries who built this region knew it was less about location and more about destination. The enormous popularity of “invented” or themed destinations – Venice of America, Olvera Street, Disneyland, Third Street Promenade, CityWalk, The Grove and many others – has provided planners, designers and developers with inspiration and lessons on both success and failure. What is the difference between those places that have a “unifying vision” and those that celebrate a “messy vitality”? Where do “invented” places end and “authentic” places begin? In a land where set designers build houses, architects design movie sets, and many of our most cherished “public” spaces are privately owned and operated, anything is possible.

A distinguished panel, moderated by author and planner Sam Gennawey, will address these questions.

• David Sloane, Professor, USC School of Policy, Planning, and Development
• Hassan Haghani, Community Development Director, City of Glendale
• Vaughan Davies, Principal and Director of Urban Design, AECOM
• Tim O’Day, O’Day and Associates
• Neal Payton, Principal, Torti Gallas and Partners

A Brief History of Universal Studios Hollywood

I know, I know. Disney is the big cheese around here at Samland and the subject for a big chunk of the content. It is what you expect. But sometimes I need to get out and explore something else. For example, did you know that the Universal Studios tour goes back to 1964? Actually, it goes back farther then that but that was the beginning of the theme park that we all know today.

Inside the main administration building at Universal Studios Hollywood, there is a terrific display that speaks to the history of the theme park (Disclosure time: I work a USH part-time). Every time I pass by I have to stop and soak up a bit more. Another hidden gem for history buffs, and available to the public, is on the Lower Lot and called the Universal Experience. Both the films and the theme park are covered. You can find it just past Panda Express and to the left. Just aim for the giant construction zone. Last time I was in there it was chilled to the point where you could hang meat.

So let's step into a Back to the Future Delorean and take a quick trip through Universal Studios history. The foundation for this timeline is the official line from Universal with a quite a few embellishments from myself.

* 1915: Universal City opens. German immigrant Carl Laemmle decides to incorporate a city that is dedicated to making movies. He invites the public to watch the silent films being made. For a mere 25 cents you got a seat in the grandstands. Add 5 cents and you can also enjoy a box lunch.

* 1961: The debut of the TramTours. Universal first hires Grey Line buses, but decides to operate the tours themselves. The original idea for the tour came from the Studio Commissary. They felt that they could really get a boost in business if people could tour the back lot and then eat lunch. Not all that different then what Carl Laemmle had going on back in 1915.

* 1964: Universal Studios Hollywood becomes official and begins running the world famous pink and white-striped GlamorTrams. Admission was $2.50 for adults and $1.50 for children. The trams were designed by Harper Goff. Goff was also responsible for large swatches of Disneyland including Adventureland and Main Street as well as the basic concept for the World Showcase at Epcot.

* 1967: The $5 million Entertainment Center opens, as does the first versions of the Animal and Wild West Stunt Shows.

* 1968: The Flash Flood set is added to the Tram Tour. Al Roker's commentary came much later.

* 1969: The Sheraton Universal opened to accommodate guests in Universal City.

* 1970: The Screen Test Comedy Theater makes it's first of many appearances. This theater is currently the home to Shrek 4D.

* 1971: The Torpedo Attack and Submarine set added to the Tram tour.

* 1972: The studio tour gains two iconic experiences. The Red Sea will part for the first time and the Collapsing Bridge will tumble and rebuild itself again and again right before your eyes. I can still see the Six Million Dollar Man running across it. The Universal Amphitheatre debuts as an outdoor venue. The first theatrical production is Jesus Christ Superstar.

* 1974: The Runaway Train and the Rockslide are added to the Tram Tour.

* 1975: The Ice Tunnel is added to the Studio Tour. It is inspired by the Clint Eastwood movie The Eiger Sanction. This would be the first of many lives for this illusion.

* 1976: The hit movie Jaws was the inspiratition for a couple of additions. The Jaws Experience begins terrorizing guests on the Back lot with a 25-foot mechanical shark and the original Bruce the sharks is mounted on the Upper Lot.

* 1977: The Six Million Dollar Man/Bionic Woman Testing Center special effects demo opens in the Lower Lot. Can you lift a car? Of course you can.

* 1979: The Battle of Galactica is introduced to the Studio Tour. Your tram enters a space ship and you find yourself caught in the middle of a laser battle. This experience replaced the Rockslide and would be replaced by The Simpsons.

* 1980: The Castle Theater opens and it would be home to many, many different shows. The debut was the Castle Dracula show. The Universal Amphitheatre closes for renovations.

* 1982: The Universal Amphitheatre reopens with a brand new roof.

* 1983: The Castle Theater debuts a new show called the Adventures of Conan: A Sword and Sorcery Spectacular. Arnold look alikes rejoice and find employment.

* 1984: The A-Team Stunt Show opens in the same arena that is now used for Waterworld. The Knight Rider car is added to the park.

* 1986: Bob Gurr's incredible Audio-Animatronics of King Kong begins terrorizing guests on the Studio Tour in his own 26,000 square foot New York themed soundstage. He would be cremated on this spot in 2008 in a huge fire on the Universal back lot. Ah, the smell of banana breath. He would not be gone very long.

* 1988: The Star Trek Adventure replaces the Screen Test Show. The Miami Vice Stunt Spectacular replaces the A-Team Stunt Show. Many of the special effects would be carried over to the Waterworld stunt show a few years later.

* 1989: The grand opening of Earthquake - The Big One. According to the display on the wall of the administration building, this part of the tram tour would become the most successful attraction debut in Universal Studios Hollywood history only to be surpassed in 2010 with the debut of King Kong 360 3-D.

* 1990: The focus this year was An American Tail. Fievel's Playland, a playground and live show based on the movie opens on the future site of T2:3D.

* 1991: The Studio Center opens and trams now depart out of the Lower Lot. The original tram terminal still remains and has been transformed into a Nickelodeon shop. To get guest down to the Lower Lot, the Starway escalator also opens. The interactive E.T. Adventure debuts on the Lower Lot. Listen closely for E.T. saying your name at the exit. And the second half of the ride is the most psychedelic theme park interior this side of Disneyland's Adventures Thru Inner Space. The Blues Brothers show debuts on the Upper Lot.

* 1992: Backdraft opens. The Beetlejuice Graveyard Revue debuts in an outdoor venue but was later moved into the Castle Theatre.

* 1993: Back to the Future - The Ride attraction opens on the Upper Lot and replaces the space filled by Battlestar Gallatica. Universal reinvents the shopping and entertainment mall with the opening of the first phase of Universal Citywalk. The center was designed by architect Jon Jerde and was built over a former parking lot.

* 1994: The Flintstone's Musical Revue replaces the Star Trek Adventure.

* 1995: Third time's the charm. Waterworld - A Live Sea War Spectacular takes the place of the Miami Vice show and remains the most popular show in the park's history. Remember to put your children in the green seats while you sit on the silver benches. Be prepared to laugh.

* 1996: Jurassic Park - The Ride opens on the lower lot. With this new addition, the studio tour moves once again back to the Upper Lot at a new Tram Dispatch facility.

* 1997: Two new shows debut at the park: The Land Before Time and Totally Nickelodeon. The shows replace the Flintstone's. On the other side of the spectrum, Halloween Horror Nights debuts. The Ice Tunnel is rethemed to Dante's Peak.

* 1999: Terminator 2/3D opens on the Top Deck and replaces a children's playground. Just below is the Frankenstein parking structure.

* 2000: Rugrats Magic Adventure replaces Totally Nickelodeon. The Studio Tour is enhanced with DVD playback. Lucy: A Tribute opens on the Lower Lot. Halloween Horror Nights goes on hiatus until 2006. Citywalk is expanded and now connects the first phase to the movie theaters.

* 2001: The Mummy Returns Maze opens in the former Victoria Station/Marvel Mania restaurant. The Nickelodeon Blast Zone is opened. This was the former location of The War Lord Tower.

* 2002: Special Effects Stages replaces the Cinemagic sound stages and Spiderman Rocks debuts in the Castle Theatre.

* 2003: Say goodbye to the Rugrats and hello to Shrek 4D. Got to love the Cast Member costumes. Kind of evil really.

* 2004: Universal Studios Hollywood gets its first rollercoaster with The Revenge of the Mummy. The attraction replaces The E.T. Adventure. Therefore, the Mummy Maze is rethemed to Van Helsing. Spiderman Rocks closes.

* 2005: Once again the Castle Theatre gets another show when Fear Factor Live opens. The very creepy War of the Worlds set is added to the Studio Tour.

* 2006: Halloween Horror Nights returns but the Wild West Show closes. A cowboy stunt show has been around since the beginning. The former arena site is now flexible space for special events.

* 2007: The Universal House of Horrors maze replaces Van Helsing.

* 2008: The Simpsons Ride replaces the Back to the Future. Watch for the tribute while on the ride. On the Lower lot the Universal Experience replaces Lucy: A Tribute. Samland readers would really enjoy the museum.

* 2009: Creature from the Black Lagoon replaces Fear Factor and then quickly runs back to the swamp.

* 2010: Universal Studios Hollywood has its biggest year ever fueled by King Kong 360 3-D and new HD monitors on the Studio Tour plus the Special Effects Stage show.

* 2011: I am not saying...

Vacation in Disneyland Comic book

copyright 1959

Tom Sawyer Island

The environment within Disneyland is highly structured. Although it may appear to the guest that they have many options, the reality is much different. The spatial design, the attractions, and the circulation pattern all restrict choices. However, Walt clearly understood that not all play could be pre-programmed. Children would rebel and they needed a place to blow off some steam, a space where they can run free while allowing the parents to take a rest. Disneyland needed a place dedicated to unstructured play. So Walt decided that he would take a piece of very valuable real estate inside of Disneyland, the island surrounded by the Rivers of America, and create a children's wonderland of beauty and imagination. Welcome to Tom Sawyer Island.

It is important to remember that during the time that Disneyland was built, play areas for children were typically limited to a city park, the street, a private yard or within unsupervised areas. Walt wanted to create something more memorable. He had his Imagineers apply a narrative to the physical environment.

The result was an immersive place where children could roam, explore, and be inspired by the stories by Mark Twain of Tom Sawyer, Huckleberry Finn, Becky Thatcher, and the rest of the gang. This notion of basing a themed playground based on popular film and literary characters was unheard of. The playground is loosely based on the fictional Jackson Island from Mark Twain's Tom Sawyer.

Tom Sawyer Island was part of a $2,000,000 expansion along with four other attractions. It opened to the public on June 16, 1956. It was one of the earliest examples of a highly themed children's playscapes in America and it became a model for others to follow.

Marvin Davis, Disneyland's master planner, said, "The general shape of the island, the way it curves and so forth, was Walt's idea." Walt's daughter Diane said, "He kept on adding things until he felt that there weren't any missing parts."

The island is approximately three acres and is twelve times longer then it is wide. Overall, the island measures about 800 feet from top to bottom. At the ends, the island measures approximately 250 feet to accommodate the turning radius of the Mark Twain. At the middle, it is approximately fifty feet to conserve space.

The Imagineers who worked on the project include Vic Greene, Herb Ryman, Claude Coats, and Sam McKim. Bill Evans created the landscaping plan. The island was built with the fill from the Rivers of America.

At the southern end is a hill called Lookout Point. Tom and Huck's Tree House was once the "highest landpoint in Disneyland" according to press releases. Just behind the tree house is the manmade Injun Joe's Cave. It's narrow passages and visual effects remind visitors that this is no ordinary playground.

Getting across Smuggler's Cove are two unusual bridges. Guests can choose between a suspension and a pontoon bridge. In between the bridges is a water pump, which feeds the waterfalls that circulate the river water. Many of the features of the middle have the island have changed considerably over the years. Even Fort Wilderness at the northern end of the island has been blocked from the guests.

What Walt built was something that was specifically designed to spark a child's imagination. Yi-Fu Tuan noted that, "Playing and role playing are part of the 'fun' of being in a pleasure garden or in a Disney park. Play accommodates - indeed requires - illusion."

Tom Sawyer Island gives children opportunities to explore and for decision-making. From the very first moment children step off the raft, they have choices. "Should they take a pathway straight up the hill or turn right toward the shabby old grist mill? Should they head left up the trail along the river, or chance the dark entrance of the nearby cave?" asked E-Ticket magazine. The magazine concluded, "It's this fun combination...total freedom of movement within an adventure-packed environment."

From a child's point of view, they have many paths to choose from. The island is just big enough to get mildly lost. For the parents, they experience a certain level of freedom and security as well since there is only one point of entry or exit from the island.

Tom Sawyer Island provides opportunities for learning. This is not a passive environment. Children are asked to participate by making things happen. The result is a more rewarding and richer experience.

When the island first opened, children had to figure out how to make Merry-go-round or Teeter-Totter Rock work (both now gone), find the cave that leads to the hidden treasure (still there), and to search for the door in Fort Wilderness that leads to the escape tunnel (also gone). Children loved the opportunity to speed away from their parents due to the narrow passages and the "low bridge" places where adults will bump their heads.

Entering Fort Wilderness was like walking on to a movie set for a Western. You could peek into the Regimental Headquarters to see what Davy Crockett and Georgie Russell were up to. Then you could climb up to the stairs to the towers guard the fort with guns supplied.

Over the years, some of the trails, caves, and activities have been eliminated. The fort is closed. There are fewer options and details that encourage free play. An overlay of Pirates has shifted the narrative to a more contemporary film franchise.

Even death becomes part of the experience. Along with the Tree House, the trails, the caves, and the Fort, Tom Sawyer Island also has a cemetery. According to Christopher Alexander, "No people who turn their backs on death can be alive. The presence of the dead among the living will be a daily fact in any society which encourages its people to live."

There would also be opportunities for motor skill development. The children can run, climb, and work their way across unusual rope bridges. Back when the island first opened to the public, they even had a chance to grab a pole and fish for catfish, perch, and bluegill. This is an open-ended experience where there were no time limits other then darkness.

Exploring the island created opportunities for dramatic play. Here, children would be in control of their own narrative. The design for the landscape architecture is based on the popular westerns that dominated the television airwaves in the 1950s. It is a timeless setting. Robin Moore said, "The richness of physical elements in the setting and their relationship to each other should arouse curiosity and trigger imaginative associations." It would be easy for a child to slip into role-playing. Moore adds, "If the environment is too literal, imagination will be limited; if too abstract, imagination will not be fully stimulated."

Another benefit is the opportunity for social development. This is the place where your children can interact with others. The island is filled with tiny, cave-like places. The entrances to these paths are low and difficult for adults to navigate. This creates a special realm that is only comfortable to those who fit. The environment helps in the selection process of who gets to play. In the course of play, ad hoc playgroups develop and new stories are created. For many children, this unfettered play may be more fun and more memorable then any other attraction in the park.

So what are your thoughts about Tom Sawyer Island? Favorite memories? And was the Pirate overlay a positive or negative?