My Second Favorite Firework Viewing Spot at Disneyland

My Second Favorite Firework Viewing Spot at Disneyland

            If you have read my earlier blogs about viewing the fireworks at Disneyland you would know I’m VERY picky about where I view them from. In general if I can’t see the front of the castle with the special lighting and have a clear view of Tinker Bell and Dumbo I don’t want to see the fireworks at all. I can’t be in the middle of the crowd because I can not see if I am. I am short and if I’m in the crowd all I see is people’s backsides, not a pleasant view I must say.

            I found a second spot to view the fireworks from. This is a not as good view, in my humble opinion but you don’t have to go camp it out for hours standing in a crowd. This location is over by It’s A Small World. Anytime up to the start of the fireworks you can walk into this area and it is near empty. I do suggest sitting in the raised area that is used as the lineup for the Princess Merida meet and greet.

            You can’t see the fireworks off of the castle, Tinker Bell or Dumbo but you get something else. You will hear the explosions and can see some of the higher fireworks but not all.

The high level fireworks frame the edge of Small World and there is a special lighting/video show projected on the front of the ride that goes with the fireworks. This is totally eye candy and different from what goes on the castle. In many ways what is projected on the ride is better than what they project on the castle.

If you are staying at the park long enough to catch the fireworks 2 nights I suggest seeing the fireworks from here at least once. It is a great alternative for viewing if you don’t mind missing Tinker Bell and Dumbo and don’t want to spend your day holding a spot to view the fireworks from.

Christmas at Disneyland Resort

Christmas at Disneyland Resort

Help Save Christmas at Disneyland

Christmas at Disneyland Resort is a truly magical time. Yes it is early to start talking about it but I feel I must. Let me start by telling you what is great about Christmas at Disneyland and then I’ll tell you my concern.

There is the Christmas Parade by day or night, Fireworks at night, Snow falling throughout the park after the Fireworks and special Castle Lighting, Haunted Mansion Holiday, Small World Holiday and all the decorations around the park truly are special. The Candlelight Processional is amazing as are all new things at Disney California Adventure. The DCA decorations really came up to full Disney standard. Disneyland has a way of bringing the holidays alive.

Daily the rumors build that Disneyland is planning on doing the Pay-to-Play Christmas like the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World. You might think, “Wow! A chance to have holiday time at Disneyland with smaller crowds!” or “Nice! Now I will not have to worry about getting a good view of the Parade or Fireworks!”

If they do this you will have to pay to see the Christmas Fireworks, Christmas Parade and Christmas Snow. Only those that pay to play will be able to see the park lit up at night. Let me tell you why this will not work well. Disneyland Resort is NOT Walt Disney World! Here are the differences between the two resort properties.

                                                DLR                                                     WDW

Size:                                       0.8 Mile                                              47 Square Miles

Number of parks:                  2                                                          4

Number of water parks:        0                                                          2

Indoor Amusement Parks:     0                                                          1

Bowling:                                   0                                                          1

Golf Courses:                         0                                                          2 (full and mini)

Hotels/Resorts:                    3                                                          Over 20

Entertainment at hotels:      Minimal/Nothing large                       Most have a special thing

Shopping Districts:               1/DTD                                                 2 DTD & the Boardwalk

            Now you may ask why this makes a difference, here we go.  When a park, such as the Magic Kingdom is closed for a special event at Walt Disney World there are 3 other parks to go to. There are also the hotels/resorts, Downtown Disney, Boardwalk and Golf to entertain guests on property.

            When Disneyland or Disney California Adventure closes for a special event things become dicey. Disneyland closes and people head over to California Adventure for the evening. Once World of Color starts most if not all of Paradise Pier and the surrounding area closes for the night. When Paradise Pier closes for WoC the following rides CLOSE, Screamr’, Mickey’s Fun Wheel, Silly Symphony Swings, Golden Zephyr and maybe Jellyfish Jump and Toy Story Mania. That leaves Cars Land for the big ticket ride with Radiator Springs Racers open. If you are too late to get a ticket for viewing of WoC you can either hopefully catch it from the backside where you cannot see the video on the water clearly or you can go to Alice’s Mad T Party. I will be honest my husband and I can’t do the T Party because it is a loud dance party with flashing lights.

            So what are your options if Disneyland is closed and you don’t have tickets or don’t want to see WoC? You can hang out in Downtown Disney but that can be done in a short time. You can go back to your hotel but there is little to no entertainment there. During Christmas they may have Christmas Carolers out for short periods of time in the Lobby of the Grand Californian. They also have a live piano player from time to time in the lobby of the Grand. The hotel restaurants have Character Breakfasts so you that takes that out unless you just want to eat diner. Your only other choice is to leave the resort and go see a movie or find something else to do off property.

            If you don’t like this idea of a pay-to-play at Disneyland what can you do to let Disney know? Number one is drop them an email. Here is the link to where you can write them:

https://disneyland.disney.go.com/help/email/

            If someone knows how to set up a petition let me know! I would love to be a part! I’d sign and pass the information on!

Griffith Park Merry-Go-Round

Griffith Park Merry-Go-Round

75 Years of Fun in Griffith Park

Over the past few days I’ve had the pleasure of taking my Canadian friend to Disneyland a couple of days and then around to see some Disney sights around the Los Angeles, California area. We drove to Burbank and walked around the Disney Studio and saw where Walt Disney wanted to build his “little park” before he decided better and made a much bigger playground for himself, Disneyland. We stopped in at the Carolwood Barn (Walt’s backyard train workshop from his house) and then went a little ways further into Griffith Park to see the Griffith Park Merry-Go-Round.

Now you may ask, why check out the Merry-Go-Round in Griffith Park if I’m showing her mostly Disney history? Well, the story goes; Saturday was Daddy Day with the girls for Walt Disney. He was always looking for fun things to do with his two daughters. Often he ended up in Griffith Park sitting on a bench watching his girls ride the Griffith Park Merry-Go-Round. He would sit there on the bench and think there should be some “entertainment enterprise” where parents could enjoy having fun with their children instead of just watching them. This is where the dream of Disneyland began.

Today the grand Merry-Go-Round has lost much of its luster. It is in good running condition but much in need of refurbishment. The poor old horses need lots of TLC to bring them back to the grandeur they once had. You can see the beauty beneath the faded and chipped paint and missing “jewels”. The crown panels are missing some of the pictures and the ceiling has some holes. The entire thing is faded.

The Griffith Park Merry-Go-Round was built in 1926 by the Spillman Engineering Co. It is the only 4 row, all jumping horse Spillman Merry-Go-Round still working today. From 1926-1938 it was on Mission Beach in San Diego. Some of the horses on the Merry-Go-Round date back to the 1880’s All the horses have real horse hair tails.

The music is from the original calliope. Its Stinson 165 Military Band Organ is said to be the largest carousel band organ on the West Coast, with more than 1500 marches and waltzes in its repertoire.

In 1938 it was purchased and moved to Griffith Park where it has entertained generations of children and is still bringing joy to the current generation of children. The Merry-Go-Round was purchased by privet parties in 1984 with the intent of refurbishing it. Slowly it is happening but is slow and expensive. The Merry-Go-Round has to generate the funds for its maintenance and repairs.

Many people have donated time, money and supplies in the process so far. I hope the speed of repairs picks up and this grand Merry-Go-Round is returned to its original beauty. It would be a shame for this piece of history to be lost.

Richard Sherman

Richard Sherman

If you love music and especially Disney music you have heard of Richard Sherman and his older brother Robert. Yesterday was Richard Sherman's birthday! So today I'm sharing about him today.

Richard Morton Sherman (born June 12, 1928) is an American songwriter who specialized in musical film with his late brother Robert Bernard Sherman.

Some of the Sherman Brothers' best-known writing includes the songs from Mary Poppins, The Jungle Book, Winnie the Pooh, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, The Slipper and the Rose, and the Disney theme park song "It's a Small World (After All)".

Early life

Richard Morton Sherman was born in New York City to Russian-Jewish immigrants, Rosa and Al Sherman. Together with his older brother Robert, "The Sherman Brothers" eventually followed in their songwriting father's footsteps to form a long-lasting songwriting partnership.

Following seven years of frequent cross-country moves, the Sherman family finally settled down in Beverly Hills, California in 1937. During Richard's years at Beverly Hills High School, he became fascinated with music and studied several instruments, including the flute, piccolo and piano.

At his 1946 graduation from Beverly Hills High School, Richard Sherman and André Previn played a musical duet. Previn played piano and Sherman played flute. Coincidentally, in 1965 both composers won Oscars in music categories for different films.

At Bard College, Sherman majored in Music, writing numerous sonatas and "art songs". His ambition to write the "Great American Symphony" eventually led him to write songs. Within two years of graduating, Richard and Robert Sherman began writing songs together on a challenge from their father, songwriter Al Sherman.

In 1953 Sherman was drafted into United States Army, joining the band and glee club. He served as a musical conductor for both groups and remained in the U.S. during his time in the service. During this time, his brother Robert worked with other songwriters. In 1955, Sherman was honorably discharged from the armed forces. In 1957 Sherman married Elizabeth Gluck, with whom he had two children: Gregory and Victoria. Lynda (Sherman) Rothstein is his daughter from a previous marriage.

Career

In 1958 the Sherman Brothers had their first Top Ten hit with "Tall Paul", sung by Mouseketeer Annette Funicello. The success of this song got the attention of Walt Disney, who eventually hired the Sherman brothers as staff songwriters for Walt Disney Studios.

While at Disney, the Sherman Brothers wrote what may be their most successful song: "It's a Small World (After All)," for the 1964 New York World's Fair. Since then, "It's a Small World (After All)" has become the most-translated and performed song on Earth.^{[citation needed]}

In 1965, the Sherman Brothers won two Academy Awards for the film Mary Poppins (1964), which includes the songs "Feed The Birds," "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious," and the Oscar winner, "Chim Chim Cher-ee." After Mary Poppins, the Sherman Brothers won nine Academy Award nominations, two Grammy Awards, four Grammy Award nominations and 23 gold and platinum albums.

The Shermans worked directly for Walt Disney until Disney's death in 1966. Since leaving the company, the brother songwriting team has worked freelance on scores of motion pictures, television shows, theme park exhibits and stage musicals.

Their first non-Disney assignment came with Albert R. Broccoli's motion picture production Chitty Chitty Bang Bang in 1968, which garnered the brothers their third Academy Award Nomination. In 1973, the Sherman Brothers made history by becoming the only Americans ever to win First Prize at the Moscow Film Festival for Tom Sawyer, for which they also wrote the screenplay.

The Slipper and the Rose was chosen as the Royal Command Performance of 1976 and was attended by Her Royal Highness, Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother. A modern musical adaptation of the classic Cinderella story, "Slipper" also features both song-score and screenplay by the Sherman Brothers. That same year the Sherman Brothers received their star on the Hollywood "Walk of Fame" directly across from Grauman's Chinese Theater.

Their numerous other Disney and non-Disney top box office film credits include The Jungle Book (1967), The Aristocats (1970), The Parent Trap (1961), The Parent Trap (1998), Charlotte's Web (1973), The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (1977), Snoopy, Come Home (1972), Bedknobs And Broomsticks (1971), and Little Nemo: Adventures In Slumberland (1992).

Outside the motion picture realm, their Tony-nominated play, Over Here! (1974) was the highest-grossing original Broadway musical of that year. The Sherman Brothers have also written numerous top-selling songs, including "You're Sixteen," which holds the distinction of reaching Billboard's Top Ten twice, first with Johnny Burnette in 1960 and then with Ringo Starr fourteen years later. Other top-ten hits include "Pineapple Princess" and "Let's Get Together."

In 2000, the Sherman Brothers wrote the song score for Disney's film The Tigger Movie, marking the brothers' first work for a Disney major motion picture in over twenty eight years. In 2002, a a stage version of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, featuring six new songs from the Sherman Brothers, premiered at the London Palladium. It is currently the longest-running in that theater's history. In 2005, the musical premiered on Broadway at the Hilton Theatre.

In 2003, four Sherman Brothers' musicals ranked in the "Top 10 Favorite Children's Films of All Time" in a nationwide poll, according to the BBC. The Jungle Book (1967)_ranked at #7, Mary Poppins (1964) ranked at #8, The Aristocats(1970) ranked at #9 and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968) topped the list at #1.

A new Disney and Cameron Mackintosh production of Mary Poppins: The Stage Musical made its world premiere at the Prince Edward Theatre in December 2004, featuring the Sherman Brothers' songs. The show went on to successful runs in New York and Los Angeles.

Recent years[edit]

·        The Sherman Brothers' classic motion picture, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang was adapted into a London West End Musical in 2002 and premiered at the London Palladium on April 16, 2002 featuring many new songs and a reworked score by both Sherman Brothers. It was nominated for a 2003 Laurence Olivier Theatre Award for Best New Musical. The Sherman Brothers each received the "Musical Theatre Award" from the Variety Club of Great Britain that year as well for Chitty. Chitty finished a record breaking, three and a half year run at the Palladium becoming the longest running show in the theatre's century long history. 2004 saw the premiere of Mary Poppins on the stage. In 2005, Poppins was nominated for nine Olivier Awards. In 2005 Chitty went to Broadway and was nominated for 9 Tonys and also began its nationwide (UK) tour.

·        On June 9, 2005, Sherman was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame alongside Bill Withers, Steve Cropper, John Fogerty, Isaac Hayes, David Porter and his brother, Robert B. Sherman.

·        On November 16, 2006 the Cameron Mackintosh/Disney production of Mary Poppins made its Broadway premiere at the New Amsterdam Theater featuring the Sherman Brothers’ classic songs.

·        In February, 2008 Chitty Chitty Bang Bang began a second UK tour. In 2008 and 2009, Poppins is scheduled to premiere in numerous cities throughout the world including:Stockholm, Copenhagen, Budapest, Shanghai, Toronto, Sydney, Johannesburg, Amsterdam, Buenos Aires, São Paulo and Helsinki. Full UK and US tours of Poppins are also scheduled to commence in 2008 and 2009 respectively.

·        On Saturday, October 4, 2008, Sherman appeared as a surprise guest on stage at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles during The Swell Season's sold out concert and performed "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" with the band.

·        On Monday, November 17, 2008, Robert and Richard Sherman were awarded the National Medal of Arts at the White House by President George W. Bush in the East Room. The National Medal of Arts is the highest award bestowed onto artist by the United States Government.

·        In May 2009, a documentary called The Boys: The Sherman Brothers' Story was released. In October 2009, Disney released a 59 track, two CD compendium of their work for the studio spanning forty-two years. The CD is entitled The Sherman Brothers Songbook.

·        In 2010 Sherman released "Forgotten Dreams," a CD of his piano music. Sherman also wrote "Make Way For Tomorrow Today," which can be heard in the score for the movie Iron Man 2.^[1]

·        On March 11, 2010 the Sherman Brothers were presented with a Window on Mainstreet Disneyland in Anaheim, California in honor of their contribution to Disney theme parks.

·        On May 17, 2010 the Sherman Brothers received the "Career Achievement Award" at The Theatre Museum's 2010 Awards Gala in New York City.

·        On May 21, 2011, the Sherman Brothers were each awarded honorary doctorate degrees in Fine Arts from their alma mater, Bard College.

Collaboration from afar[edit]

From 2002 onwards, Robert Sherman lived in London, England. He moved from Beverly Hills, while Richard Sherman remained in California. The geographical separation did not impede the brothers' collaborative process. The brothers credited this to fax, e-mail, and the low cost international telephone service. Both brothers frequently traveled between Los Angeles, New York, and London for their work. After Robert's move, the brothers continued to collaborate on various musical plays until Robert's death in 2012.

Major film scores

·        The Parent Trap, 1961 ·        In Search of the Castaways, 1962 ·        Summer Magic, 1963 ·        The Sword in the Stone, 1963 ·        Big Red, 1963 ·        Mary Poppins, 1964 ·        The Happiest Millionaire, 1967 ·        The Jungle Book, 1967 ·        The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band, 1968 ·        Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, 1968 ·        The Aristocats, 1970 ·        Bedknobs and Broomsticks, 1971 ·        Snoopy, Come Home, 1972

·        Charlotte's Web, 1973 ·        The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, 1973 ·        The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, 1974 ·        The Slipper and the Rose, 1976 ·        The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, 1977 ·        The Magic of Lassie, 1978 ·        Magic Journeys, 1982 ·        Winnie the Pooh and a Day For Eeyore, 1983 ·        Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland, 1993 ·        Winnie the Pooh: Seasons of Giving", 1999 ·        The Tigger Movie, 2000

Motion picture screenplays

·        A Symposium on Popular Songs, 1962 (uncredited)

·        Mary Poppins, 1964 (*treatment only, uncredited)

·        The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, 1973

·        The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, 1974

·        The Slipper and the Rose, 1976

·        The Magic of Lassie, 1978

·        Ferdinand the Bull, 1986 (*TV screenplay)

Stage musicals

The London Palladium in 2004

Prince Edward Theatre in 2005

·        Victory Canteen, 1971 (Ivar Theatre, Los Angeles)

·        Over Here!, 1974 (Broadway, New York)

·        Dawgs, 1983 (Variety Arts Center, Los Angeles)

·        Busker Alley, 1995 (U.S. Tour)

·        Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, 2002 (London)

·        Mary Poppins, 2004 (London)

·        On the Record 2004-2005 (U.S. Tour)

·        Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, 2005 (Broadway, New York)

·        Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, 2005 (UK Tour)

·        Busker Alley, 2006 (Broadway, New York — one night only)

·        Mary Poppins, 2006 (Broadway, New York)

·        Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, 2007 (Singapore)

·        Mary Poppins, 2008 (UK Tour)

·        Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, 2008 (Second UK Tour)

·        Mary Poppins, 2008 (Sweden)

·        Mary Poppins, 2009 (U.S. Tour)

·        Mary Poppins, 2009 (Copenhagen)

·        Mary Poppins, 2009 (Budapest)

·        Mary Poppins, 2009 (Shanghai)

·        Mary Poppins, 2009 (Australia)

·        Mary Poppins, 2009 (South Africa)

·        Mary Poppins, 2009 (Amsterdam)

·        Mary Poppins, 2009 (Helsinki)

·        Summer Magic, 2012 ([Morristown,TN])

Theme park songs

·        There's a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow for Carousel of Progress

·        The Best Time of Your Life for Carousel of Progress

·        Miracles from Molecules for Adventure Thru Inner Space

·        One Little Spark for Journey Into Imagination

·        Magic Journeys for Journey Into Imagination

·        The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh

·        it's a small world (after all) for the 1964 New York World's Fair attraction, Pepsi Presents WALT DISNEY'S "it's a small world" — a Salute to UNICEF and the World's Children, then adapted to each Disney Park installation of "It's a Small World"

·        The Astuter Computer Revue for the 1982 premiere of the CommuniCore Exhibit at EPCOT.

·        Magic Highways for Rocket Rods

·        Making Memories for Magic Journeys

·        The Tiki, Tiki, Tiki Room for Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room

·        We Meet the World with Love and Meet the World for the same exhibit in Tokyo Disneyland

Professional awards

Academy Awards

·        1965 Won Academy Award in the category of "Best Original Song" for "Chim Chim Cher-ee" from Mary Poppins

·        1965 Won Academy Award in the category of "Best Music, Score - Substantially Original" for Mary Poppins

·        1969 Nominated Academy Award in the category of "Best Original Song" for "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

·        1972 Nominated Academy Award in the category of "Best Music, Original Song" for "The Age of Not Believing" from Bedknobs & Broomsticks

·        1972 Nominated Academy Award in the category of "Best Music, Scoring Adaptation and Original Song Score" for Bedknobs & Broomsticks

·        1974 Nominated Academy Award in the category of "Best Music, Scoring Original Song Score And/Or Adaptation" for Tom Sawyer

·        1978 Nominated Academy Award in the category of "Best Music, Original Song" for "The Slipper and the Rose Waltz" from The Slipper and the Rose

·        1978 Nominated Academy Award in the category of "Best Music, Original Song Score & Its Adaptation Or Best Adaptation Score" for The Slipper and the Rose

·        1979 Nominated Academy Award in the category of "Best Music, Original Song" for "When You're Loved" from The Magic of Lassie

Annie Awards

·        2000 Nominated Annie in the category of "Outstanding Individual Achievement for Music in an Animated Feature Production" for the song "Round My Family Tree" from The Tigger Movie

·        2003 "Winsor McCay Award" for lifetime achievement and contribution to animation

BAFTA Awards

·        1977 Nominated "Anthony Asquith Award for Film Music" for The Slipper and the Rose

BMI

·        1977 "Pioneer Award" awarded in Los Angeles, California.

·        1991 "Lifetime Achievement Award" awarded at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Los Angeles, California.

Christopher Award

·        1964 "Christopher Award" for "Best Original Song Score" for Mary Poppins

·        1973 "Christopher Award" for "Best Original Song Score" for Tom Sawyer

Disney[edit]

·        1985 "Mousecar" awarded at the Hollywood Bowl in Hollywood, California in front of 20 thousand people.

·        1990 "Disney Legends" awarded at the Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California.

·        2010 Main Street, U.S.A. Window presented at Disneyland in Anaheim, California in honor of the Sherman Brothers' contribution to Disney theme parks.

Golden Globes

·        1965 Nominated Golden Globe in the category of "Best Original Score" for Mary Poppins

·        1969 Nominated Golden Globe in the category of "Best Original Score" for Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

·        1969 Nominated Golden Globe in the category of "Best Original Song" for Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

·        1974 Nominated Golden Globe in the category of "Best Original Score" for Tom Sawyer

·        1977 Nominated Golden Globe in the category of "Best Original Score" for The Slipper and the Rose

Golden Videocassette Award

·        1984 Best Selling Video Cassette (of all time) for Mary Poppins

Grammy Awards

·        1965 Won Grammy in the category of "Best Original Score for a Motion Picture or Television Show" for Mary Poppins

·        1972 Nominated Grammy in the category of "Best Original Score for a Children's Show" for Snoopy Come Home

·        1974 Nominated Grammy in the category of "Best Original Score for a Musical Show" for Over Here!

Laurel Awards

·        1965 Won "Golden Laurel" in the category of "Best Song" "Chim Chim Cher-ee" for Mary Poppins

·        1965 2nd Place "Golden Laurel" in the category of Music Men"

·        1966 3rd place "Golden Laurel" in the category of "Best Song" "That Darn Cat!" for That Darn Cat!

Moscow Film Festival

·        1973 First Place Award in the category of "Best Music" for Tom Sawyer

National Medal of Arts

·        2008 National Medal of Arts awarded to Richard and Robert Sherman on November 17, 2008 at the White House by President George W. Bush. This is the highest honor the United States Government bestows on artists.^[4]

Olivier Awards

·        2002 Nominated "Best Musical" for Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

Songwriters Hall of Fame

·        2005 induction at the Marriott Hotel on Times Square in New York City.

Theatre Museum Award

·        2010 Career Achievement Award presented on May 17, 2010 at The Players Club in New York City.

Variety Club Awards

·        2003 Won "Best Musical" for Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

Walk of Fame

·        1976 A Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame awarded to "Richard & Robert Sherman" on November 17, 1976, located at 6914 Hollywood Blvd.

http://en.wikipedia.org