Disneyana Fan Club's Board of Directors will meet next on Saturday, January 14, 2012 at 12:30PM at the Crowne Plaza Resort in Garden Grove, California (near Disneyland). All Club Members are welcome to attend. If you cannot attend in person but wish to attend by Skype, please contact Club President Gary Schaengold, at gary@disneyanafanclub.org.
Please click here to download a PDF file of the Agenda of the meeting.
Thank you!
The Disneyana Dispatch-The Official Blog of the Disneyana Fan Club!
Monday, December 26, 2011
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Disneyana Fan Club Webmaster Seeking Assistant Webmaster
Disneyana Fan Club's Webmaster, David Ransom, is currently seeking an Assistant Webmaster. I am looking for someone who:
1. Is knowledgeable of Disney (or wants to be more so).
2. Is enthusiastic
3. Is creative
4. Is open-minded
5. Has a desire and willingness to learn
6. Has a desire to provide the best Club Member and Guest experience at our websites
7. Has at least 2 hours per week to spare in assisting with Club Website duties
8. Has access to email, a modern Computer (hopefully no more than 3 years old), and internet access (DSL or Broadband preferably)
9. Works well with others
This is totally a non-paid, volunteer position (as are all positions within our Club). This position will report directly to me, and be a part of my Website Committee. You will help plan content for our websites, update content (including articles, photos and videos), possibly create and write articles, and more. No previous Website or Webmaster experience is required- you will slowly (but steadily and regularly) be taught everything that you need to know for this volunteer position.
I encourage everyone who might be interested to apply! If you know someone who might want this position, please let them know!
If you would like to apply for this position, please send an email to me, at: webmaster@gmail.com, or call me at (323)393-5822, any day after 1PM Pacific Standard Time.
Thank you!
1. Is knowledgeable of Disney (or wants to be more so).
2. Is enthusiastic
3. Is creative
4. Is open-minded
5. Has a desire and willingness to learn
6. Has a desire to provide the best Club Member and Guest experience at our websites
7. Has at least 2 hours per week to spare in assisting with Club Website duties
8. Has access to email, a modern Computer (hopefully no more than 3 years old), and internet access (DSL or Broadband preferably)
9. Works well with others
This is totally a non-paid, volunteer position (as are all positions within our Club). This position will report directly to me, and be a part of my Website Committee. You will help plan content for our websites, update content (including articles, photos and videos), possibly create and write articles, and more. No previous Website or Webmaster experience is required- you will slowly (but steadily and regularly) be taught everything that you need to know for this volunteer position.
I encourage everyone who might be interested to apply! If you know someone who might want this position, please let them know!
If you would like to apply for this position, please send an email to me, at: webmaster@gmail.com, or call me at (323)393-5822, any day after 1PM Pacific Standard Time.
Thank you!
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Special Internet Edition of Disneyana Dispatch newsletter uploaded to DisneyanaFanClub.org website for October-November 2011
Although all Club Members will now be receiving the Disneyana Dispatch Newsletter in the mail soon, you still can get extra bonuses when you sign into your account online.
Today we just uploaded the special, longer and final Internet version of the newsletter for October/November 2011, which is 21 pages and in color! Please visit our Members Only section and look for online edition number 029 to see it!
Today we just uploaded the special, longer and final Internet version of the newsletter for October/November 2011, which is 21 pages and in color! Please visit our Members Only section and look for online edition number 029 to see it!
Thursday, November 3, 2011
New D23 Special Issue of Disneyana Dispatch Newsletter
There is a new, special D23 issue of the newly-named Disneyana Dispatch Newsletter, which is now available to Club Members online. We have also made this special issue available for free to everyone by clicking the link below:
www.sendspace.com/file/mqsmjd.
We hope that you will enjoy this special issue, created by Gary Marlis!
www.sendspace.com/file/mqsmjd.
We hope that you will enjoy this special issue, created by Gary Marlis!
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Disneyland Paris Trip - Payments Clarification
For our Disneyland Paris trip, we are accepting payments by check, made out to "Two Bears Travel". We are also accepting Credit Card and Pay Pal payments! Please read the Registration Form regarding all payments, including the service charges for using Credit Cards and Pay Pal.
Thank you !
Thank you !
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Important Notes about our Disneyland Paris Trip in April
Here are a few important updates on our Disneyland Paris Trip in April of 2012:
1. We are accepting payment by check only, made out to "Two Bears Travel". We are also accepting Credit Cards payments through Pay Pal.
2. You must book your own rooms- see the prices under the "Events" section on our website.
3. You must book a flight to Paris and back, but the Club is looking into group pricing on flights.
If you have any questions, regarding the trip, you can forward them to me, David Ransom, at: webmaster@disneyanafanclub.org, and I will forward the question to the appropriate person.
1. We are accepting payment by check only, made out to "Two Bears Travel". We are also accepting Credit Cards payments through Pay Pal.
2. You must book your own rooms- see the prices under the "Events" section on our website.
3. You must book a flight to Paris and back, but the Club is looking into group pricing on flights.
If you have any questions, regarding the trip, you can forward them to me, David Ransom, at: webmaster@disneyanafanclub.org, and I will forward the question to the appropriate person.
Friday, October 28, 2011
Club Members To Receive Paper Copies of Newsletter by Mail!
At its Board Meeting on October 22, 2011, Disneyana Fan Club's Board of Directors voted unanimously to begin mailing paper copies of the newsletter to all Members. All Club Members in good standing will receive the newly-named Disneyana Dispatch newsletter by mail, beginning soon. Any Members who wish to only read the newsletter online instead of receiving the paper copy at home may opt-out, by sending an email to: webmaster@disneyanafanclub.org (if you opt-out, you can always opt-back in).
Saturday, October 22, 2011
FantasyLine Express Newsletter to become Disneyana Dispatch Newsletter
Disneyana Fan Club's newsletter, The Fantasy Line Express, will have a name change: The Disneyana Dispatch Newsletter. This blog, which currently has the name The Disneyana Dispatch, will become The Disneyana Dispatch Blog. The newsletter is currently published for the Club by Bob Welbaum. The blog will keep its current web address, and will continue to be published by me, David Ransom.
Saturday, October 8, 2011
Disneyland Paris Trip Registration Form Now Available - Open Registration Through November 10, 2011
The Registration Form for Disneyana Fan Club's Trip to Disneyland Paris in April 2012 has been posted on our main website. You can get to the description of the event and the Registration Form by clicking here. For your convenience, there is also a new box on the right-hand side of the box, which gives easy access to the page with one simple click!
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
October-November Issue of FantasyLine Express Now Online For Members
Members of Disneyana Fan Club now have online access to the newest issue of the Fantasy Line Express! Simply sign-in to your account, and then select "Fantasy Line Express" from the Members tab. Then, click on the "Oct.-Nov. 2011" issue!
This issue features coverage of our July 2011 Convention (which was fabulous), as well as the D23 Expo in August 2011.
Monday, October 3, 2011
New Date for Mickey's of Glendale Gold Ticket Winners- Saturday, October 15, 2011 from 8AM to 12PM
Gold Ticket Saturday has been re-scheduled for Saturday, October 15, 2011, at Mickey's of Glendale (at Walt Disney Imagineering), so our Gold Ticket winners can "Shop the product they didn't get to shop!" . The times are from 8AM til 12PM.
Friday, September 30, 2011
Update on our Disneyland Paris Trip - April 2012
At the request of several DFC members who will be out of town to attend the 40th anniversary celebration of Walt Disney World, registration for the Disneyland Paris event is being deferred to October 10, 2011.
This will also allow our Disneyland Paris Business Solutions team a few more days to finalize pricing for meals.
It is somewhat challenging to price this event on a required breakeven basis given the current economic problems in Europe which impact the currency exchange rate between our dollar and the euro. It takes about $1.36 to buy a euro today and we won't be paying Disney for a while. We will probably add a modest buffer to our typical slightly-above-cost margin to err on the safe side and provide attendees with a Disneyland Paris gift card at the time of the event to the extent that excess funds are left over.
The basic event package will cover group activities in the parks on Wednesday, April 11 through Friday, April 13, 2012. This will primarily be a daily gathering for lunch, possibly including a group tour, reception, and similar activities whose details will be finalized and announced in the coming weeks. Anita and Gary Schaengold will be flying to Paris on October 26 to meet with our cast team, discuss additional details, and walk the event. Your having an amazing experience is very important and the cast at Disneyland Paris has been excitedly using their imagination to help plan things.
We do have some additional information to share:
Although there wil not be any a la carte single day participation in the basic meals/event package, you will be able to add a 3 day park hopper ticket at 112 euros per adult (plus VAT - value added tax) rather than the public rate of 180 euros plus VAT.
As mentioned previously, we will be able to centralize our participants' hotel reservations on property. The Business Solutions team will provide a dedicated website link for our members to make their own on-line hotel reservations. A written confirmation will be provided to each member. Please note there will be a 10 euros registration fee per reservation. Rates include continental breakfast served in one of the restaurants of each of the hotels. Rates do not include hotel tax calculated per person and per night. Most rooms have 2 double beds. The hotels are positioned as a rectangle, connected by pedestrian paths. A free transport service links the hotels and the train station at the entrance to the parks.
You can visit the Disneyland Paris website to view each of the hotels on property to help you decide where you may wish to stay. www.disneylandparis.co.uk. Keeping in mind that things may be subject to change, we are being offered the following 4 choices:
Hotel New York at 201.00 euros per night plus VAT of about 11 euros. Regular price is 398.00 euros per night plus VAT.
Newport Bay Club at 179.00 euros per night plus VAT of about 10 euros. Regular price is 334.00 euros per night plus VAT.
Sequoia Lodge at 163 euros per night plus VAT of about 9 euros. Regular price is 306.00 euros per night plus VAT.
Disneyland Paris Hotel at 426 euros per night plus VAT. Regular price is 779.00 euros per night plus VAT.
Because some pricing is only available six months in advance, we are also still waiting on choices and cost options for the side trip into Paris on Saturday, April 14 for those who may be interested.
Watch for an additional update and the registration form in the next few weeks. If you have any questions, please contact Anita, our Special Events Coordinator, at anita@disneyanafanclub.org or Gary Schaengold, at gary@disneyanafanclub.org.
This will also allow our Disneyland Paris Business Solutions team a few more days to finalize pricing for meals.
It is somewhat challenging to price this event on a required breakeven basis given the current economic problems in Europe which impact the currency exchange rate between our dollar and the euro. It takes about $1.36 to buy a euro today and we won't be paying Disney for a while. We will probably add a modest buffer to our typical slightly-above-cost margin to err on the safe side and provide attendees with a Disneyland Paris gift card at the time of the event to the extent that excess funds are left over.
The basic event package will cover group activities in the parks on Wednesday, April 11 through Friday, April 13, 2012. This will primarily be a daily gathering for lunch, possibly including a group tour, reception, and similar activities whose details will be finalized and announced in the coming weeks. Anita and Gary Schaengold will be flying to Paris on October 26 to meet with our cast team, discuss additional details, and walk the event. Your having an amazing experience is very important and the cast at Disneyland Paris has been excitedly using their imagination to help plan things.
We do have some additional information to share:
Although there wil not be any a la carte single day participation in the basic meals/event package, you will be able to add a 3 day park hopper ticket at 112 euros per adult (plus VAT - value added tax) rather than the public rate of 180 euros plus VAT.
As mentioned previously, we will be able to centralize our participants' hotel reservations on property. The Business Solutions team will provide a dedicated website link for our members to make their own on-line hotel reservations. A written confirmation will be provided to each member. Please note there will be a 10 euros registration fee per reservation. Rates include continental breakfast served in one of the restaurants of each of the hotels. Rates do not include hotel tax calculated per person and per night. Most rooms have 2 double beds. The hotels are positioned as a rectangle, connected by pedestrian paths. A free transport service links the hotels and the train station at the entrance to the parks.
You can visit the Disneyland Paris website to view each of the hotels on property to help you decide where you may wish to stay. www.disneylandparis.co.uk. Keeping in mind that things may be subject to change, we are being offered the following 4 choices:
Hotel New York at 201.00 euros per night plus VAT of about 11 euros. Regular price is 398.00 euros per night plus VAT.
Newport Bay Club at 179.00 euros per night plus VAT of about 10 euros. Regular price is 334.00 euros per night plus VAT.
Sequoia Lodge at 163 euros per night plus VAT of about 9 euros. Regular price is 306.00 euros per night plus VAT.
Disneyland Paris Hotel at 426 euros per night plus VAT. Regular price is 779.00 euros per night plus VAT.
Because some pricing is only available six months in advance, we are also still waiting on choices and cost options for the side trip into Paris on Saturday, April 14 for those who may be interested.
Watch for an additional update and the registration form in the next few weeks. If you have any questions, please contact Anita, our Special Events Coordinator, at anita@disneyanafanclub.org or Gary Schaengold, at gary@disneyanafanclub.org.
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Dates Announced for Disneyana Fan Club's July 2012 DisneyanaMania Convention
The dates for Disneyana Fan Club's July 2012 DisneyanaMania Convention have been announced. The Convention will be at the Crowne Plaza Resort in Garden Grove, California.
Friday 7/20 Seminars and Disneyana Fan Club Lunch with a Disney Legend
Saturday 7/21 Seminars and Celebration Banquet
Sunday 7/22 All Disneyana Show and Sale
All dates, times, and events subject to change.
Dates are as follows:
Thursday 7/19 Welcome: Dream Dinner for Ryman ArtsFriday 7/20 Seminars and Disneyana Fan Club Lunch with a Disney Legend
Saturday 7/21 Seminars and Celebration Banquet
Sunday 7/22 All Disneyana Show and Sale
All dates, times, and events subject to change.
New Shopping Opportunity in October at Mickey's of Glendale for Golden Ticket Winners
Participants of our Show and Sale in July who won "Golden Tickets" for a shopping date at Mickey's of Glendale for September 24th will be given another opportunity to shop there in October. Due to a power outage at Mickey's of Glendale during the shopping event, Mickey's of Glendale has announced that all folks who had a Golden Ticket and came on September 24th (or if you had a ticket and did not show up) will have a date in October (to be announced) to shop again, and be able to see all the merchandise available for purchase! We will post the date here on the announcements page and on the Disneyana Dispatch when it is announced!
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Attend "An Affair of the Art" Tonight in Los Angeles and Bid on a Disney Cruise - You Can Also Bid From Home!
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Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Attention Winners of Mickey's of Glendale's Golden Ticket
If you won a Golden Ticket at our July 2011 DisneyanaMania Convention to shop at Mickey's of Glendale (Walt Disney Imagineering's Store) on Saturday, September 24, 2011, please be aware that this date is less than 2 weeks away. The hours to shop will be 8AM til 12 Noon, and remember, this is only for the folks who received a Golden Ticket!
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Disneyland Paris Trip in April 2012 Details Announced
The intent is to open registration on October 1, 2012. It has not yet been decided whether registration will work as a lottery or a first come, first served basis.
The tentative schedule is to have an informal meet and greet to welcome everyone on Tuesday evening, April 10, 2012, probably in the lobby of one of the hotels on Disney property. We plan to spend Wednesday, April 11 through Friday, April 13, 2012 in the Disney parks. As was the case with our visit to Tokyo Disneyland in 2008, we are planning to have one meal event each day, affording us the opportunity to be together for a few hours as a group and to have the rest of each day to explore the parks and have fun on our own. There will probably be an added option to ride the RER commuter rail train into Paris on Saturday, April, 14 for a guided bus tour of the city (in English of course), concluding with a dinner cruise on the Seine River before riding the train back in the evening.
Airfare, hotel accommodations, and park entry will not be included in the price of this event. We realize that some of you are Disney Castmembers and/or Disney Vacation Club Members and will prefer to make your own hotel and park admission arrangements.
Nevertheless, we hope to be able to offer a group rate discounted price for rooms at two or three of the Disney hotels which would include a centralized on-line reservation website for your personal use. And we are also working to obtain discounted pricing for a 3 day park hopper pass.
You may find it helpful to visit the English language version of the Disneyland Paris website to update yourself on park operations: http://www.disneylandparis.co.uk/index.xhtml
If you own or wish to purchase a minimum of 5 shares in Euro Disney S.C.A., then you may find it helpful to join the Shareholders Club which offers, among other benefits, a 15% discount at table service and buffet restaurants at Disneyland Paris.
http://corporate.disneylandparis.com/shareholders/shareholders-club/index.xhtml
We are waiting for the Business Solutions team at Disneyland Paris to finalize available restaurant space, pricing and menu choices for our meals, and provide group rates for the hotels and park admission. The cap for attendance will most likely be controlled by how many people each meeting space will accommodate. We anticipate that the number will be no less than 50 persons.
Anita and the rest of the Special Events team are working hard to create another magical experience for our members. If you have any questions or concerns, you are welcome to contact her at anita@disneyanafanclub.org. Ted Bradpiece, a DFC member, of Two Bears Travel, has been helping us coordinate the event and will be glad to help you book airfare or assist with other travel needs during your visit to Paris. tgbradpiece@twobearstravel.com
Rendez-vous très bientôt.
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Schedule Update for our Club Booth At D23 Expo in Anaheim, CA August 19 thru August 21, 2011
The following is the revised schedule for our Club Booth at the D23 Expo. Our Celebrity Guests invite you to come meet and greet:
Friday, August 19th, 2011:
Margaret Kerry (original model for Tinker Bell): 10:00AM - 11:00AM
June Foray (voice of Lucifer the Cat, Mulan's Grandmother, and more): 11:00AM - 1230PM
Mark Silverman (voice of Rod Serling in "The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror": 1230PM - 2:00PM
Susan Egan (original Belle in Disney Theatrical's "Beauty and the Beast" on Broadway 2:00PM- 4:00PM
Bill Farmer (voice of Goofy): 4:00PM - 6:00PM
Saturday, August 20th, 2011:
Bill Farmer: 9:00AM - 11:00A
Margaret Kerry 11:30AM 1:30PM
Mark Silverman 2:00PM - 4:00PM
Paige O'Hara (the voice of Belle in Disney's classic feature, "Beauty and the Beast") 4:00PM - 6:30PM
Sunday, August 21st, 2011
Margaret Kerry 1:30PM -3:30PM
Paige O'Hara 4:00PM - 6:00PM
All special guest times are subject to change without notice.
We hope to see you at the D23 Expo!
Friday, August 19th, 2011:
Margaret Kerry (original model for Tinker Bell): 10:00AM - 11:00AM
June Foray (voice of Lucifer the Cat, Mulan's Grandmother, and more): 11:00AM - 1230PM
Mark Silverman (voice of Rod Serling in "The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror": 1230PM - 2:00PM
Susan Egan (original Belle in Disney Theatrical's "Beauty and the Beast" on Broadway 2:00PM- 4:00PM
Bill Farmer (voice of Goofy): 4:00PM - 6:00PM
Saturday, August 20th, 2011:
Bill Farmer: 9:00AM - 11:00A
Margaret Kerry 11:30AM 1:30PM
Mark Silverman 2:00PM - 4:00PM
Paige O'Hara (the voice of Belle in Disney's classic feature, "Beauty and the Beast") 4:00PM - 6:30PM
Sunday, August 21st, 2011
Margaret Kerry 1:30PM -3:30PM
Paige O'Hara 4:00PM - 6:00PM
All special guest times are subject to change without notice.
We hope to see you at the D23 Expo!
Monday, August 8, 2011
Visit Our Booth At The D23 Expo in Anaheim, CA on August 19-21, 2011
Disneyana Fan Club invites you to visit our booth at the big D23 Expo, to be held at the Anaheim Convention Center from Friday, August 19th to Sunday August 21st, 2011.
The Club's booth will feature several prominent Disney stars, who will meet and greet our Guests who visit our booth. The schedule is as follows:
Friday, August 19th, 2011:
Mark Silverman: 9:00AM - 11:00AM
June Foray: 11:00AM - 1:00PM
Margaret Kerry: 1:30PM - 3:30PM
Bill Farmer: 4:00PM - 6:00PM
Saturday, August 20th, 2011:
Bill Farmer: 9:00AM - 10:30AM
Susan Egan 11:00AM - 12:30PM
Margaret Kerry 1:00PM - 2:30PM
Mark Silverman 2:30PM - 4:00PM
Paige O'Hara 4:00PM - 5:30PM
Sunday, August 21st, 2011
Margaret Kerry 1:30PM -3:30PM
Paige O'Hara 4:00PM - 6:00PM
All special guest times are subject to change without notice.
The Club's booth will feature several prominent Disney stars, who will meet and greet our Guests who visit our booth. The schedule is as follows:
Friday, August 19th, 2011:
Mark Silverman: 9:00AM - 11:00AM
June Foray: 11:00AM - 1:00PM
Margaret Kerry: 1:30PM - 3:30PM
Bill Farmer: 4:00PM - 6:00PM
Saturday, August 20th, 2011:
Bill Farmer: 9:00AM - 10:30AM
Susan Egan 11:00AM - 12:30PM
Margaret Kerry 1:00PM - 2:30PM
Mark Silverman 2:30PM - 4:00PM
Paige O'Hara 4:00PM - 5:30PM
Sunday, August 21st, 2011
Margaret Kerry 1:30PM -3:30PM
Paige O'Hara 4:00PM - 6:00PM
All special guest times are subject to change without notice.
New Forum For Suggestions for Fantasy Line Express Now on DisneyanaFanClub.org
Disneyana Fan Club has just added a new forum for posting suggestions for our newsletter, The FantasyLine Express. This forum is managed by the Editor-in-Chief, Bob Welbaum, and your comments are welcome there!
We also welcome you to participate in all our Club forums found at DisneyanaFanClub.org.
We also welcome you to participate in all our Club forums found at DisneyanaFanClub.org.
Saturday, August 6, 2011
Bob Gurr Takes A Special Monorail Ride Around Our All-Disneyana Show and Sale!
This video posted on You Tube by AboveTheFirehouse.com entitled, "Disney Legend Bob Gurr taking a trip on the Monorail at NFFC". It shows Bob Gurr riding a Monorail around Disneyana Fan Club's July 2011 All-Disneyana Show and Sale at the Crowne Plaza Resort in Anaheim. Notice that this Monorail is powered by people, including Garner Holt!
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Marty Sklar Interviewed at Disneyana Fan Club's July 2011 Convention
Here's an interview of Marty Sklar by the "Down the Road Show". The interview was conducted at our Collector's Brunch, part of our July 2011 DisneyanaMania Convention.
President's Message - Summer 2011
Last year, Louis Boish, a founding member and Past President of the Club, proposed the idea of establishing a separate charitable organization to help us further the goals of preserving the rich Disney legacy.
The Disneyana Fan Club Foundation has become chartered by the California Secretary of State and is moving forward with the process of becoming approved by the Internal Revenue Service as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. It should be operational in 2012.
The Foundation will operate as a separate independent corporation, but the Club will work with the Foundation to sponsor events and otherwise further our mutual interests.
A Board of Trustees will be selected to govern the Foundation, to be comprised of individuals who have experience in such matters and who share our goals and aspirations as set forth in the Club Bylaws.
While there are innumerable foundations in this country, this will be the only one to focus on furthering the message of Disneyana enthusiasts.
For example, if the Foundation sponsors an event, such as our Ryman Arts Collectors Brunch or Give Kids the World Charity Dinner, the cost becomes tax deductible to our members.
Donations to the Foundation can be earmarked for a specific charity or for scholarship. We could actually contribute to the cost of providing an art education to a future Disney animator. And the Foundation could also serve as an estate planning repository for disneyana collections of our members.
Ted Bradpiece from our Chapter at the Park, has volunteered to help with the creation process of the Foundation. If any member of the Club is interested in helping set up the Foundation or suggesting a name for one of the charter trustees, please email tgbradpiece@earthlink.com.
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
DisneyanaMania 2011 Wrap-Up Report
Sorry for the delay in getting back to you folks reading the Dispatch - I was having so much fun during the last couple of days of Convention that I fell asleep before I could check in!
We had a really fun and interesting Friday to wrap up DisneyanaMania, followed by a chance to meet good friends and find great buys at the All Disneyana Show and Sale on Saturday and a chance to celebrate Disneyland's 56th birthday on Sunday.
We kicked off the Friday morning seminars with a presentation by Bob Garner, a producer of TV specials and commercials featuring Disneyland and Walt Disney World, as well as the Walt Disney Treasures DVD Disneyland: Secrets, Stories and Magic and the co-author of the book Disneyland: The First Quarter Century.
Bob had some wonderful stories to share about some iconic moments you've probably seen on TV. For example, Bob told us the story of how Mickey Mouse ended up on top of Spaceship Earth for one promotional film, and also how he was able to convince us that "something's gotten into the Matterhorn" for a Disneyland commercial. From moments reminiscing with Rolly Crump to adventures with Danny Kaye at the opening of EPCOT Center, Bob's recollections gave us a idea of everything that it took to create some magical moments on film and video.
After Bob's seminar, we got the opportunity to spend an hour in conversation with animator (and recent Disneyana Fan Club Disney Legend) Mark Henn. Club president Gary Schaengold served as host of an "animation hour" with Mark, discussing his career with Disney and the art of animation.
Mark told us all about his experiences working on classic films like The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast and animating the "silly old bear" for the new feature Winnie the Pooh. We also learned how Mark earned his reputation as Disney's "ladies man" (animating several Disney leading ladies, that is).
Our final Convention seminar was a look into the past and perhaps a taste of the future for many of our members, as we heard from former Imagineer Eddie Sotto. Eddie joined us to tell us about what it was like to be a part of the team designing and building Main Street U.S.A. for Disneyland Paris.
Eddie was a wonderful speaker, and his presentation give us insight into both the joys and the frustrations of being an Imagineer working on a Disney theme park, and he told us about a few things to look for when visiting Disneyland Paris - which just might come in handy, since we got word at Convention that the club is planning an event in Paris in April 2012 to celebrate the park's 20th anniversary!
Our final event on Friday was the club's annual Legends Luncheon. Animator Eric Goldberg (whose credits include lead animator for the Genie in Aladdin as well as producer of the Rhapsody in Blue segment of Fantasia/2000) and Imagineer Kevin Rafferty (a senior concept writer who worked on attractions such as Mickey's Philharmagic and Toy Story Midway Mania) joined the ranks of the Disneyana Fan Club Disney Legends at this year's luncheon.
Eric and Kevin both had some wonderful tales to tell about their past and recent work for Disney. Eric shared what it was like to take an already animated Robin Williams and turn him into the Genie, and how caricaturist Al Hirschfeld was moved by the tribute Eric paid to him in creating the Rhapsody in Blue segment. Eric also told us about his work animating Rabbit for Winnie The Pooh.
Kevin told us about having the opportunity to work with Jim Henson on MuppetVision*3D, the challenges of bringing popular attractions like Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage, and Toy Story Midway Mania, and hinted a little about what we had to look forward to when Cars Land opens next year.
We also paid tribute to the friends in our Legends family that we lost since last July, such as Bill Justice, and showed highlights of our tributes to the Disney family and Ron Miller at last April's Heritage Award event.
Sadly, Friday ended our official Convention events, but that didn't mean the fun had to end! On Saturday, the club held the All Disneyana Show and Sale, which featured a wonderful variety of great stuff from many vendors, including Walt Disney Imagineering's store Mickey's of Glendale. (Sorry, I was too busy shopping to get any photos!)
On Sunday, our members celebrated Disneyland's 56th anniversary by playing in the Park. Disneyland put together a birthday moment featuring many Disney characters that we really enjoyed; many members also joined the club in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle for a group photo and took on the challenge of a photo-based Road Rally.
It all ended way too soon, but at least we can look forward to next time! Be sure to join us on January 15th, 2012, for the next All Disneyana Show and Sale, and we hope to see you at the Crowne next July for DisneyanaMania Convention & Show and Sale 2012!
We had a really fun and interesting Friday to wrap up DisneyanaMania, followed by a chance to meet good friends and find great buys at the All Disneyana Show and Sale on Saturday and a chance to celebrate Disneyland's 56th birthday on Sunday.
We kicked off the Friday morning seminars with a presentation by Bob Garner, a producer of TV specials and commercials featuring Disneyland and Walt Disney World, as well as the Walt Disney Treasures DVD Disneyland: Secrets, Stories and Magic and the co-author of the book Disneyland: The First Quarter Century.
Bob had some wonderful stories to share about some iconic moments you've probably seen on TV. For example, Bob told us the story of how Mickey Mouse ended up on top of Spaceship Earth for one promotional film, and also how he was able to convince us that "something's gotten into the Matterhorn" for a Disneyland commercial. From moments reminiscing with Rolly Crump to adventures with Danny Kaye at the opening of EPCOT Center, Bob's recollections gave us a idea of everything that it took to create some magical moments on film and video.
After Bob's seminar, we got the opportunity to spend an hour in conversation with animator (and recent Disneyana Fan Club Disney Legend) Mark Henn. Club president Gary Schaengold served as host of an "animation hour" with Mark, discussing his career with Disney and the art of animation.
Mark told us all about his experiences working on classic films like The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast and animating the "silly old bear" for the new feature Winnie the Pooh. We also learned how Mark earned his reputation as Disney's "ladies man" (animating several Disney leading ladies, that is).
Our final Convention seminar was a look into the past and perhaps a taste of the future for many of our members, as we heard from former Imagineer Eddie Sotto. Eddie joined us to tell us about what it was like to be a part of the team designing and building Main Street U.S.A. for Disneyland Paris.
Eddie was a wonderful speaker, and his presentation give us insight into both the joys and the frustrations of being an Imagineer working on a Disney theme park, and he told us about a few things to look for when visiting Disneyland Paris - which just might come in handy, since we got word at Convention that the club is planning an event in Paris in April 2012 to celebrate the park's 20th anniversary!
Our final event on Friday was the club's annual Legends Luncheon. Animator Eric Goldberg (whose credits include lead animator for the Genie in Aladdin as well as producer of the Rhapsody in Blue segment of Fantasia/2000) and Imagineer Kevin Rafferty (a senior concept writer who worked on attractions such as Mickey's Philharmagic and Toy Story Midway Mania) joined the ranks of the Disneyana Fan Club Disney Legends at this year's luncheon.
Eric and Kevin both had some wonderful tales to tell about their past and recent work for Disney. Eric shared what it was like to take an already animated Robin Williams and turn him into the Genie, and how caricaturist Al Hirschfeld was moved by the tribute Eric paid to him in creating the Rhapsody in Blue segment. Eric also told us about his work animating Rabbit for Winnie The Pooh.
Kevin told us about having the opportunity to work with Jim Henson on MuppetVision*3D, the challenges of bringing popular attractions like Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage, and Toy Story Midway Mania, and hinted a little about what we had to look forward to when Cars Land opens next year.
We also paid tribute to the friends in our Legends family that we lost since last July, such as Bill Justice, and showed highlights of our tributes to the Disney family and Ron Miller at last April's Heritage Award event.
Sadly, Friday ended our official Convention events, but that didn't mean the fun had to end! On Saturday, the club held the All Disneyana Show and Sale, which featured a wonderful variety of great stuff from many vendors, including Walt Disney Imagineering's store Mickey's of Glendale. (Sorry, I was too busy shopping to get any photos!)
On Sunday, our members celebrated Disneyland's 56th anniversary by playing in the Park. Disneyland put together a birthday moment featuring many Disney characters that we really enjoyed; many members also joined the club in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle for a group photo and took on the challenge of a photo-based Road Rally.
It all ended way too soon, but at least we can look forward to next time! Be sure to join us on January 15th, 2012, for the next All Disneyana Show and Sale, and we hope to see you at the Crowne next July for DisneyanaMania Convention & Show and Sale 2012!
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Report from DisneyanaMania, Day 3
Our third day of DisneyanaMania Convention 2011 had a little bit of everything, from a look at a new Disneyland parade to a performance by a Disney princess!
We kicked off today's seminars with a presentation by Kevin Kidney, part of the wonderful artistic and design team known to Disney fans as "Kevin and Jody". Kevin joined to to take us behind the scenes of Disneyland's new entertainment spectacular, "Mickey's Soundsational Parade", telling us about what inspired him and his creative partner Jody Daily to create the fantastic floats in the parade and how those floats went from drawing and paper sculptures to reality on the Disneyland parade route.
We also got a sneak peek at some great looking retro-inspired merchandise Kevin and Jody created for Walt Disney World's 40th anniversary, and got to enjoy fun things like an antique Spanish music box that Kevin played for us!
Our next presenter was Karlos Siqueros, manager of food and beverage concept design for the Disneyland Resort and a long time member of our club. Karlos' presentation showed us how some special offerings at the resort's restaurants and food carts help add to the Disney park magic.
Karlos took us on a tour of the new food locations at the Resort, such as Boardwalk Pizza and Pasta at Disney California Adventure and Trader Sam's at the Disneyland Hotel, and special offerings like popcorn buckets and dessert steins shaped like R2-D2 from Star Tours: The Adventures Continue.
Our first presentation in the afternoon was by Ron Miziker, entertainment and television producer, who took us back forty years to the opening of Walt Disney World.
Ron and his team helped put together the three-day spectacular that officially opened the Vacation Kingdom of the World, and Ron's stories, supplemented by sounds, images, and video, was the next best thing to hopping in a time machine and experiencing the opening ceremonies first-hand.
At our next presentation, we were all hearing voices - Disney character voices, that is! We were joined by Bret Iwan (the new voice of Mickey Mouse), Bill Farmer (the voice of Goofy), Tony Anselmo (the voice of Donald Duck), and voice recording producer Ben Hoppe, who helped explain the process of giving our favorite characters the ability to speak.
The highlight of the panel on character voices was a demonstration of how the characters' voices are recorded, with Bill running the sound recording equipment (Goofy running sound equipment?!?) and providing dialogue along with Bret and Tony in time to a snippet of classic Disney animation. It was a lot of fun to watch, and they definitely demonstrated that adding voices to cartoons isn't as easy as you might think!
Our final seminar of the day featured animation historians and critics Jerry Beck and Charles Solomon, who shared their vast knowledge of animation history in general and Disney animation in particular. Their discussion give us a greater appreciation for what Walt and his animators created and the men and women who continue his legacy continue to create today.
Last but definitely not least was this evening's Celebration Banquet, where our special guest was actress and singer Susan Egan. Fans of Disney on Broadway know Susan as the original Belle in the stage version of Beauty and the Beast; fans of Disney animation also know her as the voice of Megara in Hercules.
Susan joined us to sing Meg's signature tune from Hercules, "(I Won't Say) I'm in Love" and the title tune from Beauty and the Beast; Susan also shared her experiences appearing on Broadway and working as a voice actor for Disney.
Susan made the evening magical for our Conventioneers, so the Club decided to return the favor by surprising her with a Disneyana Fan Club Legend Award! She was absolutely thrilled to receive the honor, and we were just as thrilled to see her receive it.
Tomorrow, we'll be enjoying one last set of presentations, and then we'll be adding two more distinguished individuals to our list of Disneyana Fan Club Legends - animator Eric Goldberg and Imagineer Kevin Rafferty. Join us here tomorrow for more highlights from DisneyanaMania, or better yet, come join us tomorrow for the fun and on Saturday for the All Disneyana Show and Sale. More DisneyanaMania to come - stay tuned (or is it blogged?).
We kicked off today's seminars with a presentation by Kevin Kidney, part of the wonderful artistic and design team known to Disney fans as "Kevin and Jody". Kevin joined to to take us behind the scenes of Disneyland's new entertainment spectacular, "Mickey's Soundsational Parade", telling us about what inspired him and his creative partner Jody Daily to create the fantastic floats in the parade and how those floats went from drawing and paper sculptures to reality on the Disneyland parade route.
We also got a sneak peek at some great looking retro-inspired merchandise Kevin and Jody created for Walt Disney World's 40th anniversary, and got to enjoy fun things like an antique Spanish music box that Kevin played for us!
Our next presenter was Karlos Siqueros, manager of food and beverage concept design for the Disneyland Resort and a long time member of our club. Karlos' presentation showed us how some special offerings at the resort's restaurants and food carts help add to the Disney park magic.
Karlos took us on a tour of the new food locations at the Resort, such as Boardwalk Pizza and Pasta at Disney California Adventure and Trader Sam's at the Disneyland Hotel, and special offerings like popcorn buckets and dessert steins shaped like R2-D2 from Star Tours: The Adventures Continue.
Our first presentation in the afternoon was by Ron Miziker, entertainment and television producer, who took us back forty years to the opening of Walt Disney World.
Ron and his team helped put together the three-day spectacular that officially opened the Vacation Kingdom of the World, and Ron's stories, supplemented by sounds, images, and video, was the next best thing to hopping in a time machine and experiencing the opening ceremonies first-hand.
At our next presentation, we were all hearing voices - Disney character voices, that is! We were joined by Bret Iwan (the new voice of Mickey Mouse), Bill Farmer (the voice of Goofy), Tony Anselmo (the voice of Donald Duck), and voice recording producer Ben Hoppe, who helped explain the process of giving our favorite characters the ability to speak.
The highlight of the panel on character voices was a demonstration of how the characters' voices are recorded, with Bill running the sound recording equipment (Goofy running sound equipment?!?) and providing dialogue along with Bret and Tony in time to a snippet of classic Disney animation. It was a lot of fun to watch, and they definitely demonstrated that adding voices to cartoons isn't as easy as you might think!
Our final seminar of the day featured animation historians and critics Jerry Beck and Charles Solomon, who shared their vast knowledge of animation history in general and Disney animation in particular. Their discussion give us a greater appreciation for what Walt and his animators created and the men and women who continue his legacy continue to create today.
Last but definitely not least was this evening's Celebration Banquet, where our special guest was actress and singer Susan Egan. Fans of Disney on Broadway know Susan as the original Belle in the stage version of Beauty and the Beast; fans of Disney animation also know her as the voice of Megara in Hercules.
Susan joined us to sing Meg's signature tune from Hercules, "(I Won't Say) I'm in Love" and the title tune from Beauty and the Beast; Susan also shared her experiences appearing on Broadway and working as a voice actor for Disney.
Susan made the evening magical for our Conventioneers, so the Club decided to return the favor by surprising her with a Disneyana Fan Club Legend Award! She was absolutely thrilled to receive the honor, and we were just as thrilled to see her receive it.
Tomorrow, we'll be enjoying one last set of presentations, and then we'll be adding two more distinguished individuals to our list of Disneyana Fan Club Legends - animator Eric Goldberg and Imagineer Kevin Rafferty. Join us here tomorrow for more highlights from DisneyanaMania, or better yet, come join us tomorrow for the fun and on Saturday for the All Disneyana Show and Sale. More DisneyanaMania to come - stay tuned (or is it blogged?).
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Report From DisneyanaMania, Day 2
We wrapped up our second day of the 2011 DisneyanaMania Convention just a couple of hours ago. We had a wonderful day!
We started off the day's events this morning with Dream, a collector's brunch honoring and supporting Ryman Arts.
Our brunch featured a presentation by artist Noah, who shared his own inspirational story of how doing what he loved led to a successful career creating art.
Noah hoped to pay forward the encouragement and inspiration he received as an aspiring artist by supporting Ryman Arts, and one of the ways he did that was by donating and signing an artist's proof of a painting he did of the Queen from Show White, as well as creating, signing, and donating an impromptu drawing on a napkin!
Although our audience was smaller than it's been compared to past years, and we've all had a tough economy to deal with, our Conventioneers really came through for Ryman Arts, raising over $6000 in contributions for this great program.
After Dream, we proceeded with our first set of seminars. Kicking things off this afternoon were Disney historian Jim Korkis and Disney author and webmaster Jim Hill, who tried to outdo each other in telling the Conventioneers little-known stories about the history of Walt Disney World.
After Jim Hill fashioned himself a podium using supply boxes (Jim Korkis used the hotel's podium), Jim and Jim alternated telling tales, keeping the audience enthralled and in stitches while sharing their knowledge of the World.
For our next presentation, we went from talking about a great big World to discussing beautiful bits of paper. Roger LaRoque and Nick Farago, creators of a guide to Disney theme park postcards, joined us to tell about the history and fun of Disneyland postcard collecting, how they created their postcard guide, and how their guide served as an inspiration for Bruce Gordon and David Mumford's book Disneyland: The Nickel Tour.
Last but not least, we enjoyed an author's panel; the authors of four books about different aspects of Disney joined us to discuss their works. Our panelists were:
*Don Peri, historian and the author of Working With Disney, a collection of interviews Don conducted with legendary artists and others who worked with Walt.
* Nancy Temple Rodrigue, author of the Hidden Mickey series of novels whose plots feature searches for hidden treasure, time travel, and fantastic encounters.
* Professor Andi Stern, an associate professor of communications at Cal State Fullerton and the author of Why We Love Disney, an examination of the influence and the appeal of the Disney brand.
* Jim Korkis, historian and author of The Vault of Walt, a collection of stories about Walt Disney and some on the many fun and enjoyable things he brought to the world.
Our panelists told us about their books and what inspired them, and they shared some great stories about what they've learned about Disney and how Disney has influenced their work.
Today was a fun, inspiring, and informative day, and we're just getting started! Join us tomorrow for another update from the Crowne Plaza, or better yet, join us tomorrow, Friday, and Saturday and be a part of DisneyanaMania!
Alice Davis and Maggie Richardson Enthrall The Crowd at Disneyana Fan Club's Welcome Reception
Club Members who attended Disneyana Fan Club's Welcome Reception were greeted with the theme of "It's A Small World" last night. In attendance were Disney Legend Alice Davis, famed Disney costumer who worked on classic Disney attractions like "Pirates of the Caribbean" and "It's A Small World", and Maggie Richardson, whose Aunt, famed Disney artist and Legend Mary Blair, also worked extensively on "It's A Small World" and many Disney films and attractions. Alice and Maggie were interviewed by our Legends Chair, Alan Halcrow, and shared their memories of Walt Disney and Mary Blair. Afterwards, we participated in a lively round of Bingo, Disney-style, where cool prizes were awarded!
Garner Holt Luncheon A Resounding Success!
Club Members who attended the Luncheon at Garner Holt Productions yesterday all unanimously agreed that the Event was a resounding success! A good time was had by all! Although we were not allowed to take pictures (other than the pictures that I took on the bus here), our Club Members received a warm, hospitable welcome by owner and founder, Garner Holt, and were shown a good time throughout our stay. The air-conditioned bus trip was nice, too, as you can see by the pictures here!
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
"Disney Night" in Huntington Beach on July 9th
Looking for something Disney to do this weekend? One of our new advertisers in the FLEX has a special event that may be right up your alley.
Absolutely Fabulous in Huntington Beach will be holding a sale of rare Disney art at their store on Saturday, July 9th at 6:00 p.m. The sale will feature vintage cels, original art figurines, animation drawings, collectors edition and more. For more details, please see the ad below or visit Absolutely Fabulous' website, http://www.absolutelyfabulous1.com/.
Hope to see you at the Crowne on Tuesday for the start of DisneyanaMania 2011!
Paul Schnebelen
Editor-in-Chief
Disneyana Fan Club Fantasyline Express
Absolutely Fabulous in Huntington Beach will be holding a sale of rare Disney art at their store on Saturday, July 9th at 6:00 p.m. The sale will feature vintage cels, original art figurines, animation drawings, collectors edition and more. For more details, please see the ad below or visit Absolutely Fabulous' website, http://www.absolutelyfabulous1.com/.
Hope to see you at the Crowne on Tuesday for the start of DisneyanaMania 2011!
Paul Schnebelen
Editor-in-Chief
Disneyana Fan Club Fantasyline Express
June/July FLEX Now Available Online
Hello everyone,
Just in time for our members preparing to join us for the DisneyanaMania 2011 Convention (and even for those who can't make it), the June/July issue of the Fantasyline Express is now available on the Members page of the Disneyana Fan Club website, www.disneyanafanclub.org. The latest issue of the FLEX features the following articles:
* DFC Disney Family Weekend
* Saying Goodbye to Three Legends
* DisneyanaMania 2011 Convention Update
To access the online FLEX, log in as a member and click on the tab on the DFC home page titled "Members”, and then click on the “Fantasyline Express” Link. You’ll see a link to the webpage with the latest issue and for issues dating back to August 2007 below the Fantasyline Express logo.
NOTE: The Spring 2011 Special Edition, featuring coverage of the 2010 DisneyanaMania Convention, has been delayed in production, but should be available to members soon.
Please e-mail me at editor@disneyanafanclub.org if you have any questions or comments. I hope you enjoy this issue of the online FLEX!
Paul Schnebelen
Editor-In-Chief
DFC Fantasyline Express
Just in time for our members preparing to join us for the DisneyanaMania 2011 Convention (and even for those who can't make it), the June/July issue of the Fantasyline Express is now available on the Members page of the Disneyana Fan Club website, www.disneyanafanclub.org. The latest issue of the FLEX features the following articles:
* DFC Disney Family Weekend
* Saying Goodbye to Three Legends
* DisneyanaMania 2011 Convention Update
To access the online FLEX, log in as a member and click on the tab on the DFC home page titled "Members”, and then click on the “Fantasyline Express” Link. You’ll see a link to the webpage with the latest issue and for issues dating back to August 2007 below the Fantasyline Express logo.
NOTE: The Spring 2011 Special Edition, featuring coverage of the 2010 DisneyanaMania Convention, has been delayed in production, but should be available to members soon.
Please e-mail me at editor@disneyanafanclub.org if you have any questions or comments. I hope you enjoy this issue of the online FLEX!
Paul Schnebelen
Editor-In-Chief
DFC Fantasyline Express
Friday, June 24, 2011
Convention Schedule For Disneyana Fan Club July DisneyanaMania Convention Is Here!
The schedule for Disneyana Fan Club's July 2011 DisneyanaMania Convention is packed with exciting presentations from top Disney experts! To see the schedule, just click one of the two photos above to enlarge it!
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