Meeting a Disney Legend - Richard Sherman

Richard Sherman and his brother Robert are Disney Legends who created some of Disney’s most beloved songs, from those in Mary Poppins and The Jungle Book to It’s A Small World and There Is A Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow. Unfortunately Robert passed away in 2010. However, Richard continues to bring the magic of Disney to life, most recently writing A Kiss Goodnight - a song that plays every night at Disneyland to celebrate the Park´s 60th Anniversary.

During the summer of 2014, I had the incredible opportunity to to meet Richard Sherman in London while he was recording with an American choir group for a charity.

When I first arrived at Abbey Road, I met with the choir group, which included a wide range of ages from 7 to 18 year olds. I gave a short introduction about myself and the group appeared to be very interested. Afterwards, I headed to the recording studio filled with excitement and anxiety. Could I really be about to meet Richard Sherman?

As I entered a room directly behind the recording studio, I was silent while a recording session was taking place. Through a glass window in the room, I saw the back of several heads looking out at the orchestra. Richard was sitting at the central desk. From that moment, I was simply grateful to have had the opportunity to see a Sherman brother hard at work in a world famous recording studio.  

Once the recording session was over, I was invited into the room where Richard sat. He stood up and started to walk towards me with his welcoming smile. He shook my hand and motioned we go to the room I first entered in where the lighting was better.

I first explained what an honor it was to meet him. He humbly replied, “Thank you, it is very nice to meet you.” As he signed a Mary Poppins CD cover for Sofia and myself, he spoke about Mary Poppins with appreciation and affection, clearly with many happy memories from working on it. Richard asked how long Sofia and I had been married and when I told him for only a few weeks, he seemed overjoyed for us and gave us his congratulations, expressing what a lovely name ‘Sofia’ is.

Before I left, I asked Richard what it was like to work with Walt Disney and what type of man he was. Richard looked at me with his kind eyes and said, “Walt was a wonderful man to work for.” He shared that the Walt in Saving Mr. Banks, performed by Tom Hanks, is a very true representation of what he was like. Richard then stated Walt was a very kind man but also a very good businessman who knew what he wanted.

Lastly, Richard softly and emotionally said that he missed Walt.  

I shared that I have always wanted to be a part of Disney due to the values and history the company was built on, thanks to Walt and of course thanks to people like the Sherman brothers. 

I have been very fortunate and thankful to have had many magical experiences, but this summers day in London will forever be the one that stands out as the most special. As Richard spoke to me about Walt, I felt very emotional and so thankful to speak with someone who had worked directly, and so closely, with Walt Disney himself.

If you would like to learn more about the Sherman Brothers, I highly recommend a documentary film called, The Boys, made by Greg and Jeffrey Sherman, Richard´s sons. It is a story full of joy but also includes surprising sadness.

Richard very kindly agreed to have a photo with me. 

The Sherman Brothers with Walt Disney. 

 Richard and Robert Sherman. 

 The Sherman Brothers working on Mary Poppins. 

Richard and Robert Sherman with Walt Disney. 

Walking in Walt Disney's Footsteps - Exploring Los Angeles

After the 88th Oscars took place in 2016, I took my wife and friends on a tour of Los Angeles to explore the important locations where Walt built his life and career to achieve his 26 Academy Awards.

Each of the locations we visited deserve a blog to themselves which I will post over the upcoming months. However, today I would like to share the details of the tour we took for others to possibly enjoy.  

Included below is the guide we used to help us fit everything within a day along with details of each location to keep us informed during our journey. Please use the guide for yourself but first consider: 

1) Are the times suitable for you? Check the opening and closing times of location as they will change at different times of the years.
2) Our tour did not include some locations such as the Walt Disney Studio and Walt's Barn which could be included. 
3) I suggest you call ahead and book a table to eat at the Tam O'Shanter. 
4) Some areas such as the location of Walt's first home in LA and Walt's resting place are private locations and should be respected. 
5) For best results when printing the guide, print the outside page first and print the inside page on the back of the paper and so that the pages are in the correct order when folded.
6) As you travel between locations, play some inspiring Disney music to help theme your day. The soundtrack from Saving Mr. Banks is a great one to use. 
7) All information and images used in the guide have been sourced from books, documents and online websites. It is not an official guide or tour and it is not affiliated with The Walt Disney Company or with the Disney family.  

Please share your photos and experiences on this blog if you take the tour. I hope it inspires you and that you have fun! 

Tour Guide - Outside (fold when printed)

Tour Guide - Inside (fold when printed)

The Walt Disney Concert Hall - attend an official tour. 

See details: http://www.musiccenter.org/visit/Exploring-the-Center/Tours/

Show your respect if you visit Walt, Lillian and Sharon at their resting place

The Griffith Park Merry-Go-Round

The homes of Walt when he first arrived to L.A.

The Disney Brothers Studio 

The location where some of the Alice Comedies were filmed

The location of the first Walt Disney Studio

The real Hyperion Bridge as seen at Disney's California Adventure park

One of Walt's favorite restaurants - The Tam O'Shanter

Finish your day with Walt's favorite drink - Scotch on the rocks!

A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes

To celebrate Valentine’s Day, Sofia and I attended a special screening of Walt Disney’s Cinderella, playing at the Studio’s main theater on February 12th.

As the lights went down, we first saw a 1952 Chip and Dale short called Two Chips and a Miss. It was a perfect love story to set the tone for the evening. Immediately after, Walt Disney’s Cinderella began. This was the first time I had seen the film on the big screen and I appreciated its animation and storytelling in a whole new way. Not only that, but I thought about the importance Cinderella played to the success of the company in 1950 and how we were watching this timeless classic sitting on the Lot – the place it was conceptualized, where it was animated, and where it was screened for Walt to critique and complete.

Almost 70 years ago during the 40’s, Walt Disney was in serious debt due to a series of catalysts; the outbreak of World War II, many of his films struggled to break even or bring in a profit, competition began to form including MGM and Warner Bros. – to name a few.

Like he had done with Steamboat Willie and Snow White, Walt decided to gamble everything he had on a single film; Cinderella. This wasn’t the first time he had worked with this story. In 1922, Cinderella was the last of the six Laugh-O-gram fairy tales Walt produced in Kansas City, Missouri. In this updated version, the Fairy Godmother presented Cinderella with a jazzy modern car instead of the traditional pumpkin coach. At one time a Silly Symphony was also on the cards.

Walt’s talented animators (his 9 Old Men), used skill and imagination when making the animated feature film of Cinderella. They took a well known story where the audience knew how it was going to end, and kept them filled with suspense as the story unraveled. Many animation artists agree that Cinderella remains one of the finest examples of storytelling at the Studio.

An interesting fact about the production of Cinderella is that Walt decided to film most of the story in live action for his animators to use as a guide. They didn’t trace the footage but instead learnt from the actions, making their drawings more real. They changed the proportions of many of the characters so it is difficult to see the live action references. This amount of live action footage had never been used before on the production of an animated feature. It allowed the team to edit the film together to see what worked to prevent unnecessary scenes being animated. This of course saved time and money which was crucial for the struggling Studio.

One of the scenes that stands out the most for me is Cinderella’s transformation with the help of the Fairy Godmother. The Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo sequence is a true Disney magical moment. The song was Oscar nominated for Best Song and the film was also nominated for Best Scoring of a Musical Picture and Best Sound Recording.

Another character that stood out for us as we watched the film again was the evil villain. The Stepmother, Lady Tremaine, has no supernatural powers and no magic, yet she comes across as one of the darkest villains in a Disney movie. This is all done through the voice talent and acting skills of Eleanor Audley and the animation by Frank Thomas. The Stepmother’s power is simply her control to take away what the heroine wants.

And finally I want to mention that the basic look and palette for Cinderella was created by Mary Blair, one of the few women to play a major creative role in American animation at the time. During production, the designs lost some of her modern simplicity but her style can still be seen throughout the film, especially when looking at the dynamic castle shot.

When Cinderella was released to the world on February 15, 1950, it received positive reviews and brought in the needed profits for the Studio. Without that success, we most likely would not have been watching the film, sitting in a theater where the very film was devised.

After the film, Sofia received a white rose with silver glitter and we celebrated Valentines with a cupcake decorated with a slipper and pink lemonade in a champagne glass. It was an evening to remind us that dreams really can come true!    

* Information from the book: A Wish Your Heart Makes by Charles Solomon

Cinderella's slipper welcomed us to the theater.

Sofia's cupcake and white rose.

A royal celebration on the Studio Lot. 

 Walt used live action more than he had ever done before for Cinderella.

 The wedding scene - live action reference and the final animation. 

Eleanor Audley's voice brought the Stepmother to life.  

 In 1922, Walt made a short based on the Cinderella fairytale. 

The magical Disney moment Cinderella's rags turn to riches. 

Mary Blair's original concept painting of Cinderella's castle. 

A merry place to be inspired - Griffith Park Merry-Go-Round

After a short drive into Griffith Park and along some winding roads, our GPS brought us to this beautiful Merry-Go-Round. When parking, you are higher than the carrousel itself which allows you to see the old structure from an unusual position and you can see it sitting in all its glory in the distance. The first time we visited, like an excited child, I fast stepped down the hill to get a closer look. 

The carrousel is protected by an external railed gate which you enter first. A second gate then guards the ride which sits underneath a large red and white roof. There is no doubt that this carrousel is old; it's been sitting there since 1937. The 68 horses are all finely carved and are antique looking with hair tails. The paintings that adorn the top exterior have either been renovated or have almost completely decayed. But these imperfections adds to its unique charm. 

To ride the carrousel is inexpensive (only $2 each) and you can buy your tickets at a side window where they also sell snacks and refreshments. When I first saw the carrousel, I was astonished by its speed. I have never seen horses go so fast on this kind of attraction! On a later occasion I took my parents to see the carrousel and was initially concerned it would be too fast for them, but we bought our tickets and we were so pleased we did. However when I took my wife on it, she was pleased when it stopped as she suffers from motion sickness! 

When taking a ride, you feel light weighted and free from the world as you circle around. A Military Band Organ plays a selection of over 1,500 marches and waltzes as the horses go up, down and around.*

It was this very carousel that Walt would take his two daughters to after church on a Sunday. Sharon and Diane, his two daughters, would ride on it over and over. Back in those days there was some apparatus that had rings sticking out from a slot and you'd grab a ring as you went by. If you got the gold ring you'd get a free ride. According to a story from Diane Disney Miller, one day she kept getting the gold ring and felt so clever for getting the free rides. Years later Walt admitted he gave the kid working the ride a few dollars, and he kept putting the gold rings where she could get them.**

As Walt watched his girls enjoy their many rides on the Griffith Park Merry-Go-Round, his mind continued to explore new possibilities. While sitting on a park bench in front of the ride, he dreamt of a place where parents and children could go to enjoy their experience together. This was of course the beginnings of Disneyland. 

At the back of the carousel, and behind another railing, sits one of the original park benches that Walt would have sat on in the forties. Another of these preserved benches is also in Disneyland, but more about that in a later blog.

* Information used from Laparks.org 
** Information from the book: Inside the Dream, the personal story of Walt Disney. 

The view of the Merry-Go-Round from the top of the hill.

The red and white roof that protects the Merry-Go-Round.

The view Walt had when he sat watching his daughters having fun.

The current information sign. 

A plaque on one of the attraction carriages that reads: 

Restored in memory of Walt Disney through the generosity of The Walt Disney Family Foundation.

Some of the scenic paintings that decorate the carrousel.

The antique looking horses with hair tails.

The bench Walt sat on in the forties, an image of him on the bench 
and an image of the second bench displayed at Disneyland.

 Recreating the image 60 years later of Walt on his bench at the carrousel. 

If you look closely, notice the same painting of a cottage at the top of the carrousel in both pictures.

The ticket to ride the Merry-Go-Round. 

I wonder if it was more expensive in Walt's day?

A trip around Disneyland on the Lilly Belle

There are going to be many blogs about trains because trains were very close to Walt Disney´s heart.

On Sunday, 10th January 2016, several historical attractions temporarily closed at Disneyland to allow for the construction of Star Wars Land. One of those closing attractions was the symbolic Disneyland Railroad. We took the opportunity to take one last train trip around the park but not in any usual way. We visited the Main Street Train Station and asked if we could ride on the glorious Lilly Belle.

Originally, the Lilly Belle was one of the six canary yellow passenger coaches that circled Disneyland. When the Grand Canyon diorama opened in 1958, it was known as the Grand Canyon Observation car #106. Since then, and later in 1966 when the park added Primeval World, Guests complained that they could not see the exhibits through the small windows. Overtime, the new open cars we see today were introduced and most of the original coaches were destroyed or sold by 1974. However, Disneyland Transportation realized the need to have a special train car where VIP Guests and associates could be given private tours of the park. Within 2 years, and working with the Retlaw president, the Grand Canyon Observation car was renovated and transformed into the Disneyland Railroad Presidential Parlor Car. Walt´s wife, Lillian Disney, was highly influential in the new and current Victorian design. Thus the coach was named the Lilly Belle.*   

The Ward Kimball locomotive arrived at Main Street Train Station and the open-air, side facing coaches passed us by. There, at the back of the train was the Lilly Belle. Regular Guests were unloaded and loaded first and then our special tour group of fourteen were escorted onto our exclusive carriage. As we climbed the stairs, the excitement built. As soon as we walked through the red door, the lavish interior made me instantly travel back in time. We headed to the back of the carriage, passing the many red cushioned chairs and marble topped tables. We sat at the end by the far door on the only two-seat armchair. A table with books sat to our right and a black and white photo of Walt and Lillian sat on the table in front.

As the train departed from the station, our Railroad Cast Member stood in the center of the carriage and told us facts about the railroad as we travelled around the entire park. During the journey, an old style photo album was passed around the group. Inside was a small selection of photos depicting Disney history and of course, trains. The book was a replica and had clearly been looked through by many Guests. As we carefully looked at the old photos as we circled Disneyland, sitting on this historic coach, I felt a special nostalgia; I imagine I felt similar to how Guests felt during the early days of the park.

As we arrived back at Main Street after our twenty-five minute tour, we were able to take some last minute photos before we stepped off and the next tour came on. For our final surprise, the Cast Member at the station exit gave us our very own Lilly Belle ticket to commemorate our special journey.

When the Disneyland Railroad reopens in a years time, the track will have been altered and the journey we took on this last day will never be the same again.

* Information about the history Lilly Belle taken from a variety of sources. 

Video of the Lilly Belle interior 

 The Ward Kimball locomotive arriving at the station.

Since 1998, the Lilly Belle has been in and out of service, sometimes available for public rides but often only available for private, VIP rides and for Club 33 members.

A black and white portrait of Walt and Lillian Disney.

Hand woven pattern made by Lillian herself. 

This sign was originally used to split the carriage between smoking and non-smoking Guests.

Three books including Time Machine by H. G. Wells.

This is the ticket we received as we left the Lilly Belle. The carpet in the carriage is the same as Walt's apartment from above the fire house on Main Street and includes hidden Mickeys within its pattern.

A Cast Member told us about the history of the Disney Railroad as we traveled around Disneyland in style. 

When you board, Walt's smoking jacket is hanging near the forward entrance. 

I have also read this is said to be a gift from Emperor Hirohito.

The photo album of personal family photos that you are welcome to carefully look through. 

Image of Guests in the carriage from the photo album.  

Image of a restored carriage showing how they looked in 1955.