PhotoBlog - Walt Disney's Carolwood Barn

On Sunday, December 21st, my dad and I had the privilege of visiting Walt Disney's Carolwood Barn in Griffith Park. For those who are unaware, Walt had quite a passion for trains and railroads to the point of building his own model railroad in his Holmby Hills backyard. In order to facilitate the work he performed on his models, he had a small barn constructed in his backyard, where he spent many hours with his miniature engines. But enough with the talk - on with the pictures!


No longer residing in Walt's backyard, the barn now finds a home among the countless model trains and railways of Griffith Park.

The barn now serves as a museum and tribute to Walt's passion for railroads. It contains all kinds of fascinating models and memorabilia as well as displays featuring the Disneyland Railroad as well as the model railroads of several of Walt's animators.

Walt's backyard project was branded as the "Carolwood Pacific Railroad", named after the road that led to the Disney house. Walt also liked this name because it gave his railroad the initials "C.P.R.R.", exactly the same as the real-life Central Pacific Railroad.

This is a model of Walt's "C.K. Holiday" engine. Though the engine itself is a facsimile, the car displayed behind it is an authentic piece of Walt's railroad.

Walt had this engine brought over to America from England, but unfortunately it suffered damage on the trip over and could not be incorporated into Walt's railroad. Nevertheless, he put it to good use by taking it apart and studying its inner workings as a reference for his other engines.

Nestled in one corner of the barn lies Walt's master control board, which operated the entire layout. If you look closely, you'll notice such landmarks as "Rorex Tunnel" and "Yensid Valley". "Yensid", of course, is "Disney" spelled backwards. Similarly, "Rorex Tunnel" is named for Walt's friend, who helped him construct the tunnel through solid rock.

Throughout the barn, Walt's love for trains is captured not only through his model engines but also through railroad paraphernalia, such as this caboose lamp.

Various other odds and ends are displayed throughout the barn, including mementos based on the classic Donald Duck cartoon "Out of Scale". This cartoon, which featured Donald operating his own backyard railroad, was the animators' way of poking fun at Walt's obsession.

The opposite side of the barn features a tribute to the Disneyland Railroad, including models and memorabilia.


On the left is a model of the E.P. Ripley, one of the engines that was in service at Disneyland on opening day.

Opposite is the Ernest S. Marsh, which began operating at Disneyland in 1959.

In addition to the Disneyland Railroad, the barn also includes a display of the Disneyland Monorail system. The orange panel was taken from one of the very first monorails operating in the park.

Finally, one corner of the barn hosts displays for several of Walt's animators, who had railroads of their own. This section was devoted to Ward Kimball, who's backyard was dominated by the Grizzly Flats Railroad.


This engine resides out front, a tribute to Walt's passion for railroading. It signifies what was a very great part of his life, and reflects all that rests in Walt's Carolwood Barn. If you ever get a chance to visit this special place, do so. It's quite remarkable seeing the memories of Walt's Carolwood Pacific Railroad. For more information, visit www.carolwood.org.

T.H. Excellence

Happy Birthday to a Very Influential Man

Today, December fifth, marks the 107th birthday of the late, great Walt Disney. I am continually amazed and astounded by the influence this man left with his ingenuity and innovative spirit, and it's a shame he left us so soon. As a tribute, here's "Steamboat Willie", Walt's groundbreaking cartoon, as you may know, integrating sound into the picture.



Remember, "all our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them."
T.H. Excellence

The Disneyland Railroad - A Most Valuable Asset

When Walt Disney first embarked on the design process of Disneyland, he said, "I just want it to look like nothing else in the world. And it should be surrounded by a train." Walt had a passion for trains, and even had built a miniature model railroad in his backyard. Thus, it should not be surprising that as he laid out a dream park, a railroad ran all the way around it.

Over the years, the Disneyland Railroad has been known as an icon of the park, nearly as well known as Sleeping Beauty Castle herself. Main Street Station is the first thing that guests see as they enter Disneyland, and the last thing they see when they leave. As guests continue to explore the park, the train can be seen and heard in many of the different wonderful realms of Disneyland, making it an unforgettable sight.

What most guests don't realize, however, is that the Disneyland Railroad is one of the most valuable assets the park possesses. "How?" you ask. To explain that, let's step away from the railroad for a moment and focus on Disneyland itself.

One of the greatest things about Disneyland is the surreal escapism of the park. Due to elaborate designs and details, all of which incorporate magnificent theming, Disneyland feels like no other place in the world. While visiting the park, you truly feel as though you're somewhere else entirely. This is achieved through the "suspension of disbelief", which refers to how people perceive aesthetic works. If you find yourself engulfed in the story presented by the book or film you're following, your mind will accept the fact that what you are following is otherwise completely implausible, or even impossible.

Disneyland takes this "suspension" to another level. As stated before, the park contains elaborate designs and details to make for an incredibly immersive experience. You believe you're in another world at Disneyland because it looks and feels and sounds like another world. However, all these designs and details aren't enough to create this suspension of disbelief. In order to properly feel the effect, guests cannot be allowed to see the outside world at all while visiting the park. Doing so breaks the illusion, and all the theming in the world can't cover it up.

Fortunately, shutting out the outside world isn't terribly difficult, and can be achieved by means of a simple barrier. But what barrier would suffice that wouldn't negatively affect the theming of the park? A fence or brick wall would look bland, and might even make guests feel as though they're being imprisoned.

Luckily, instead of a fence or wall, the Disneyland Railroad does the job just fine. With the exception of a few small areas built after Disneyland opened, the railroad surrounds the entire park, and is raised on a natural berm to prevent the outside world from becoming visible. Nearby elements, such as trees or buildings, fill in the remaining gaps. Thus you have a natural barrier that hides reality, yet is not imposing at all, but rather friendly looking.

Now you know one of the most important, as well as the most subtle aspects of the Disneyland Railroad. Granted, there are others, which could even be considered equally important. The railroad reflects Walt's legacy of trains, and serves as a transportation system around the park. Even so, I'm most impressed by the fact that Walt's train that surrounded Disneyland became a most effective element in keeping the world out and keeping the magic in.

That's it for now folks, all aboard!
T.H. Excellence

Film Fest Friday - A Cowboy Needs a Horse

Happy Friday everyone. Take a break and enjoy this classic Disney cartoon from the 1950s. I first saw an abridged version of this short on a sing-along VHS I had when I was a kid. Since all the other songs were based off of actual (recognizable) animated films. As for this, I had no idea as to where it came from. Now, over a decade later, I finally know the truth.



But wait, there's more! Recently the new Mr. Potato Head audio-animatronic figure built for California Adventure's Toy Story Mania has been testing to guests. I happened across a couple videos and was so impressed I had to post them:



"And for my next trick..."



Wow! Fun stuff, huh? Can't wait until this attraction opens this summer!

Okay, that'll do it for me. See you all around!
T.H. Excellence

The MultiPlane Innovation

Right now I'm incredibly busy. With two papers due in less than a week, I have little time for much else. However, I did have enough time to watch this fascinating video, which was of great assistance in lending information to one of my papers, a research topic on Walt Disney. I enjoyed it so much that I thought it fitting to post it here for you to enjoy.

This video features Walt Disney talking about one of his greatest innovations, the multiplane camera. This incredible device was produced from Walt's undying efforts to achieve excellence in his work, and it brought a sense of realism to his animated productions. How so? Watch this clip to find out:



Quite fascinating, isn't it? Tune in again tomorrow for "The Old Mill", the first animated short to utilize this amazing device.
T.H. Excellence

California Adventure Expansion

Late Wednesday morning Disney put out a press release concerning the expansion of California Adventure. This project is an effort to increase the appeal and popularity of the park, seeing as the park's attendance has never held the numbers it was supposed to. The imagineering department now has thorough plans for the park as well as 1.2 billion (that's right - one.point.two billion) dollars to see these plans through. Obviously something big is in the works. Here's a little sampling of what to expect:


First up is "Walt's California". This building is modeled after the Carthay Circle Theater (where "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" premiered) and will facilitate a new "Walt Disney Story", featuring interactive exhibits reflecting Walt's experiences with California.


Being installed under California Screamin' at this very moment is "Toy Story Mania". This attraction will be a more advanced version of "Buzz Lightyear's Astro Blasters", but with a midway/carnival theme hosted by the Toy Story characters. In addition to the shooting targets, "Toy Story Mania" will utilize the use of 3-D projection and glasses, making for a more immersive experience. For those of you who can't wait, this attraction will be opening in summer of '08.


California Adventure's makeover will also include the addition of a brand new land - Cars Land. This section of the park will feature three new rides, including an exciting E-ticket called "Radiator Springs Racers". Also included in this new land are two family friendly rides, perfect for the kids.


Another attraction being added to the park's roster is a new Little Mermaid ride employing the omnimover ride system as well as spectacular animation and amazing special effects. Guests will be able to dive into the undersea world and experience the magnificent scenes and magical music of the feature film.


California Adventure isn't the only part of the resort being improved. The Grand Californian Hotel adjacent to the park will also receive an expansion during the overhaul. This expansion will include 200 new rooms as well as 50 new rooms dedicated to the Disney Vacation Club.


Last but not least is the addition of "Walt Disney's World of Color" to the Paradise Pier lagoon. This new nighttime show will utilize water, color, and music to bring classic Disney animation to life after dark. The addition of the show will also include a new viewing area for approximately 9,000 to enjoy the show.


So that's what's in store for California Adventure. I don't know about you, but I'm pretty excited for everything that's going into this. I'm just scared to see what the ticket prices will be like when the expansion is over.
Anyway, those who are interested can read the full press report by clicking the "D".


Alright, I'm done.

So long, y'all
T.H. Excellence