New Sun Prop in small world "White" room - Recreated or Original?

[2DieFR]

Besides the reworked rainforest and Papa New Guinea elements, the other most obvious difference in small world voyages this holiday season is the huge sun prop at the end of the "white" finale room.






Is it new? Hardly. Check out these stills from the it's a small world segment of "Disneyland Goes to the World's Fair," which aired on TV in 1964.





This brings up some interesting questions. Apparently the sun figure was in the original attraction when it ran in New York. Did it ever make it when the show was shipped to Disneyland? When did it cease to exist in the attraction? And is the sun figure we see today indeed the exact same one, or is it a recreation?

Personally, I love that this forgotten small world figure has returned. It shines even brighter than ever, with LEDs illuminating it from behind.

[Luke Manning]

What used to be there?

[Ghostbuster626]

Well its obviously not the same one because the old one had a glitery look and different details to it.

[2DieFR]

Originally Posted by Luke Manning

What used to be there?

Not much. Just black wall.

Originally Posted by Ghostbuster626

Well its obviously not the same one because the old one had a glitery look and different details to it.

Glitter and detailing can easily be altered without having to start from scratch. I don't think that is enough to convince me that the sun figure is brand new.

The pattern of rays looks to be exactly the same. The eye bubbles, the shape of the nose and smile.. virtually identical.

[Dreamer20k]

That thing kinda freaks me out...

[Athlonacon]

I've seen a lot of suns in my time, but I don't think I've ever seen a sun that looks like THAT! It's absolutely possessed by some yet-unknown Aztec god.

[2DieFR]

Originally Posted by Athlonacon

I've seen a lot of suns in my time, but I don't think I've ever seen a sun that looks like THAT! It's absolutely possessed by some yet-unknown Aztec god.

lol. I think what creeps people out is that the eyes light up, brightly. Makes it look possessed. From the old TV stills, it looks like the eyes didn't used to do that.

[Dreamer20k]

Originally Posted by 2DieFR

lol. I think what creeps people out is that the eyes light up, brightly. Makes it look possessed. From the old TV stills, it looks like the eyes didn't used to do that.

Not for me. The old one without the bright eyes scares me too!

[ghostlyguitarist]

The round part looks nearly identical, with just the finish (no more glitter!), and the detailing around the eyes being slightly different. The rays, though, are not the same, or at least aren't in the exact same pattern they were in originally (the short, stubby ray on the bottom used to be next to a slightly-less-stubby but still short ray, and now it's next to a long, thin one). It's possible that they used pieces of the original, re-painted and re-lighted it. It looks like the lights behind the rays are much brighter, and they gave the eyes their own lights. If you look in the original photos, it looks almost like the eyes were open in the back, so the light shining on the rays also glowed through the eyeballs. It's just dim, and the external lighting in the photos washes it out.

My guess is they either re-built it from scratch from the original plans, or pieced the old one back together and fixed it up a bit (perhaps the original rays were damaged or something, and had to be replaced). It's a cool new touch, though. Er...old touch?

-Adam-

[gusghost]

That sun is absolutely fabulous! I love it. If Disney Shopping made a wall sconce version for the home, I'd totally buy it!!

[Extravabonanza]

I'd love to think that it's the original sun that was stored away in some warehouse somewhere only to be uncovered over 40 years later and restored to it's former glory.

[MrLiver]

Originally Posted by Dreamer20k

Not for me. The old one without the bright eyes scares me too!

Mary Blair's unique style scares a lot of people. Still a great artist though.

[blondiethesounds]

Originally Posted by gusghost

That sun is absolutely fabulous! I love it. If Disney Shopping made a wall sconce version for the home, I'd totally buy it!!

As would I...any one know someone in the Disney Home department?

Originally Posted by Extravabonanza

I'd love to think that it's the original sun that was stored away in some warehouse somewhere only to be uncovered over 40 years later and restored to it's former glory.

Yeah, heres to wishful thinking. It does look really similiar though does it not?

[Disneytwins]

I think that it's new because the glitter and the way the mouth is. I also think that instead of bringing the original back, they would keep the old one in the archives and make a new one back based on that one.

[ZedIzDead]

I dig it and look forward to seeing it in person.