We all know Walt Disney took care of the inauguration speech of his Kingdom.
Later on Roy O. Disney, left alone in charge of the Company, was the one declaring his brother’s World open.
It was E. Cardon Walker who cut the ribbon on the company’s first asian venture.
And Michael Eisner dealt with the other 2.
Those dedications took place on the following days :
- Disneyland : July 17th 1955
- Walt Disney World : October 1st 1971
- Tokyo Disneyland : April 15th 1983
- Disneyland Paris : April 12th 1992, as EuroDisney
- Hong Kong Disneyland : September 12th 2005
- Shan… Oops.
Sorry there, nothing to compare.
Amoung the 5 Kingdoms, the famous Disney trash cans have always been the same. And god do we love’em ! They may be common sight in the US, but for the rest of the world : only when droping our litter with a bang, do we know we’re in a Disney park
There must be hundreds of different trash cans over the Disney Resorts as their uniqueness is only a paint job away. There’s not to many variant in use : The normal one, the recycle ones with two holes for you to throw in bottles and the ashtray ones…
As you can see on this very famous picture, they’ve been around since almost the begining.
Couple of fun links to save from the trash :
Here is a video of one of the living trash cans in Disneyland from Coolhead.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MrxFKgggVLE
Nothing dies forever in Disney parks, sometime you just have to check out another Kingdom.
This beauty has been added to the Le Parc Disneyland in november 2006 and little did I know it was an exclusive. Until I stumbled on Daveland blog’s
recent post. After Dave kindly told me Carnation wagon was Yesterland for long, I felt I had to share this jewel.
Sometime sponsoring does some good !
For all who miss Disneyland’s Carnation wagon, enjoy the pics. Oh and by the way, even though it appears like a still refreshment stand, I swear it runs and change location.
Honk ! Honk !
Thank you Dave !
In 1955, leaving Main Street, on your right side you could see an eatery called Red Wagon. It was a restaurant that shared its kitchen with the employee cafeteria. When Walt Disney undertook to launch the expension of Disneyland, the one that would include Pirates and New Orleans Square, he had this little restaurant renamed and enlarged. It would again be lavishly refurbished in 1999 to become the Plaza Inn we know today.
Since then, Disneyland Paris got its Plaza Gardens, largely inspired by the Disneyland’s Plaza Inn. Then, way later Hong Kong Disneyland, faithfully duplicating Main Street, had to host their replica of Plaza Inn, but instead replicated Disneyland’s Plaza Pavillion and named it after its more famous cousin.
This article is about the 3 Plaza Inn versions of the 5 Magic Kingdoms.
What we first notice is that only one bares a different name.
When Disneyland Paris open pompously in 1992, it had its own unique Main Street, different from Disneyland’s and Walt Disney World (and Tokyo Disneyland
for obvious reasons). So as the Plaza designed for Paris was to be somehow similar to his then Disneyland counterpart, Imagineers felt to name it differently. And Plaza Gardens came a natural choice not only because of the beautiful garden which would surround it but also for cultural reason. Gardens evoques more than the restaurant, but also the feel that Disney wanted attached to it. It evoques the great victorian pleasure parks, such as Tivoli Gardens in Denmark, Vauxhall Gardens or Renelagh Gardens from Great Britain. They were the ancesters of amusement parks, and in european countries, their Gardens title mark them as early place of entertainment. Beside, it is plausible that the Inn word, only known in non-anglophone countries as a place to sleep, like in “Holiday Inn” woudn’t fit right for a place to eat. It also reminds the Disneyland unique Carnation Plaza Gardens. An outdoor dance floor where hundreds of Disneyland patrons gather every week-end to practice their steps. A Disneyland exclusive that should soon be featured in my “Only In…” series.
Speaking of gardens, only Disneyland and Disneyland Paris have a garden surrounding their Plaza. In Disneyland there is a bigger seating areas to accomodate guests and a canopy to reach the door. There it’s a very popular dining area especially at night to watch the night time spectacular. Paris, minimizing outdoor seating, could add a beautiful fountain right in front of the entrance. Unfortunately, surrounding areas of Hong Kong’s Plaza offer no or very few outdoor seatings and only display some trimmed bushes. There, it sits on the left side of Main Street just like its Plaza Pavillion model.
But understand, it’s only a replica in facade, it’s with the inside that Hong Kong Disneyland stands out. The history in this eastern location is that an American family traveling to China loved it so much, that back in their American city, they openned a restaurant on Main Street to serve chinese food in a chinese decor.
And what a decor ! An Art Nouveau direction with some wood carved details of Mulan characters, lots of numerous paper lantern style hangings and fine asian furnishing make it an oriental delight for eyes as well as for the tongue. The cuisine is well praised by the locals and employ first class service. Therefore, Hong Kong Disneyland’s Plaza Inn is the only table service chinese restaurant in his Kingdom. Paris’ and Anaheim’s are respectively buffet and table service.
Which is it ? Clue is on the floor...
Those two by the way share a very similar interior. Let’s walk though them both.
You walk up the outside tent marquee at the Plaza Inn or around a fountain at the Plaza Gardens. Once inside you’re welcomed and amazed by a large hallway, opening on an even larger self service area with marble on the floor. Statues have been added in Gardens while at the Inn lays a salad bar isle in the middle. Then you have two seating rooms on each side. At the Gardens, each of those rooms has its own paded round bench topped by plants and bronze statues. The backs of the two version’s side room open on solariums bathing in the sun light of a rose window ceiling. The richely draped high windows are present in both locations, but only in Paris can you seat by one of the three Dan Goozee frescos. Add some woodwork and lightglobe incisions differences, as well as sets of furniture supplied by two different continents, and you’ve got your Inn and Gardens.
Just a note on the food served even though it’s really not my area. Plaza Gardens is a trendy buffet for Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner. Courses vary accodring the seasons. Anaheim’s Inn is a table service three meal restaurant that serves typical American cuisine and is very famous for its fried chicken. For China, as mentioned earlier, it’s table service with chinese cuisine sponsored by Maxim’s
Those are very important restaurants even if not the most popular. Both Plaza Inn and the Plaza Gardens are the real image Walt Disney wanted to give of Main street. They complete it and are fancied by many family to finish their day in any Magic Kingdom. I realise they carry the same image and purpose as the 2 Crystal Palace of Walt Disney World and Tokyo, but those two have their own unique outdoors, interiors and themes and deserve their own article.
Remember that if you can’t experience any of the Inns and Gardens, for geographical reason, you can contemplate this fresco ornementing Plaza Gardens ; only Dan Goozee could put in painting this well what Walt thought of his Main Street.
Now this post is not gonna learn anything new to the Californian Disney fans but for all the others…
Only perfoming in Disneyland is the Disneyland’s Trash Can Trio ! Those three janitors pop up from nowhere in Tomorrowland and buff together using their cleaning tools. It’s really fun discovering them, especially when you have no clue of their existence.
They mostly perform during the week-ends and summer.
Here is a video of them I recorded last year.
Here are the area numbers of every 5 Kingdoms in matter of quantity of land inside the berm :
Le Parc Disneyland : 140 Acres (566,560 M2)
Tokyo Disneyland : 115 Acres (465,388 M2)
Magic Kingdom : 107 Acres (433,000 M2
Hong Kong Disneyland : 100 Acres (404,685 M2)
Disneyland Park : 85 Acres (344,000 M2)
Now beside Disneyland, not every square meters of those aera numbers are occupied by the park. Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom holds in its berm a large unoccupied surface, so does, in smaller figures Disneyland Paris and Hong Kong Disneyland.
We can also say, that beside its most modest enterprise : Hong Kong Disneyland, Disney always increased the size of its Magic Kingdoms over the years.
Just got back from Rome and even though those sweet and colorful images won’t leave my sad dreamy mind, my Disney instincts kick their way on the blog…
Among the five kingdoms on earth only one contains an Italian Area : Le Parc Disneyland in Disneyland Resort Paris.
Entering Fantasyland on the north side of the castle, you can see unfold on your left a nice little row of Italian style buildings. They host two restaurants : Pizzeria Bella Note inside which you can enjoy some counter served italian treats in a typical tratorria styled Disneyfied eatery and Fantasia Gellati who serve ice cream.
Those buildings are very well noticed because sitting right next to the beginning of the parade route, having nothing across the street but garden slopes, everybody contemplates their joyful clumsy Italian forms waiting for the parade. Standing as such : on your left you can see a leaning balcony underneath which is the entrance of the Lady And The Tramp themed Pizzeria. In here you can eat italian food sitting below a fresco starring your host : Tony.
The ceiling is decorated with many hangings pastramis and such.
On your right shines Fantasia Gellati. Here the theme is more Fantasia the Movie, than Italy itself but the building reminds of the florentine Italy of our dreams. The tower at the tope is leaning softly and maids will serve you great italian ice creams along with other pastries. Laying in front of this “squash and stretch” architectural perfezione is the terrasse of the two facility with wrought iron chairs and tables. Now you should be whisteling this tarantella which is playing around of course. The parade is coming.
One last interesting note is that some part of the Disneyland’s Mary Blair mural can be found on the facade…
Nope, no other Disney’s Magic Kingdom let you walk into its own Disney little Italy but Disneyland Paris.
