Park Merchandise: Disneyland Classics DVD

[RegionsBeyond]

Frankly, I am astonished this hasn't been done before, or sold, as it would sell like hotcakes, but maybe the park/WDI/whoever doesn't have this material videotaped...though I expect they would.

Why hasn't there been a official DVD released featuring professional quality video of now defunct attractions/elements? Barring that, even the material they do have if not optimal. On the television shows and silver case DVD sets, there are hundreds, if not thousands, of tantalizing clips. For example, the same recycled Haunted Mansion clips filmed at some point before/after opening...did they just get those "money shots", so to speak, or did they film the entire ride? Imagine having a good quality video released with the old Mansion (beating heart bride, screaming pop ups, or even potentially, the holy grail of the Hatbox Ghost or the pre-HHG installation effect that's been rumored). Besides that...old Pirates of the Caribbean? America Sings? People Mover? Nature's Wonderland/Rainbow Caverns? Carousel of Progress? Old Tom Sawyer Island? 20,000 Leagues walkthrough exhibit? I am certain there exists more video footage than has been released of these attractions, somewhere...why not make use of it? And those are just scratching the surface...I am sure there is a ton of Disneyland related material out there on tape, in the hands of the company, that's never been released, or seen for years.

How about it, does any current/former CM of any level know of the existance of any of these items in a vault somewhere? Or truly did they just record these small bits and pieces of the park that keep showing up?

[Werner]

I hear ya, darkfairycthulu! There has got to be a bunch of footage out there, and I'd like to see some DVDs too! Sadly, I suppose the reason is they're not being produced is that cheap, generic stuff sells more than these "specialty" items. After all, even though you and I (and many, many others) would kill to get our hands on the DVDs you propose, the "average" visitor won't "get it".

[OldSchoolMickey]

They're in a vault all right.

Vault Disney.

Too bad it was taken off of the Disney channel in favor of more cutesy-pie kid shows...

Thank goodness I recorded all of them on the VCR!

[RegionsBeyond]

They're in a vault all right.

Vault Disney.

Too bad it was taken off of the Disney channel in favor of more cutesy-pie kid shows...

Thank goodness I recorded all of them on the VCR!

That was a good show, indeed..but that's what I am talking about. It was quick clips of stuff. There have to be master copies somewhere they edited down....

[OldSchoolMickey]

^^^^

The shows that I taped were old TV shows about DL (including the originally broadcasted opening day event) and other related stuff. They were usually the full hour or hour and a half shows.

And yes, I would pay for digitally remastered DVD's even though I already have them on VHS (with commercials and the annoying, ever-present channel icons/logos).

[Open_at_the_close]

I would definately be willing to spend money for such DVD's. We never had cable until the late 90's so I missed out on watching Vault Disney.

[RegionsBeyond]

^^^^

The shows that I taped were old TV shows about DL (including the originally broadcasted opening day event) and other related stuff. They were usually the full hour or hour and a half shows.

And yes, I would pay for digitally remastered DVD's even though I already have them on VHS (with commercials and the annoying, ever-present channel icons/logos).

No arguing there, these would be cool to see released, some have been in the "tin box" Treasures sets.

However, what I meant was, signs seem to point at Disney having full videos of old attractions somewhat, not edited down to the clips that appear in such TV shows and promotional materials. That is really what I am interested in.

[OldSchoolMickey]

^^^^

One of our favorite Vault Disney shows that wasn't about DL are the two about Chico, the wayward coyote.

We watch them a few times per year.

And yeah, we have all of the tin box DVD's and are glad to see some of the original stuff in those.

But we need more!!!

[sailerm]

If Disney did put out a collection of the cool rides that were once in the park, customers would start to complain and expect new rides to be up to the high standards that Disneyland was once known for, and given that park admission used to be about $20 was a great value.

Now with admissions being much higher and ride capacity much lower, it would not be in Disney's best interest to remind people of what they are missing.

[JFSebastian]

If Disney did put out a collection of the cool rides that were once in the park, customers would start to complain and expect new rides to be up to the high standards that Disneyland was once known for, and given that park admission used to be about $20 was a great value.

Now with admissions being much higher and ride capacity much lower, it would not be in Disney's best interest to remind people of what they are missing.

I'd have to disagree with this. Not every ride that opens is absolutely amazing, sure, but a level of high quality is still being maintained and as technology is advancing, we are getting more sophisticated and complex ride systems. I never rode the Mine Train Through Nature's Wonderland; I wasn't born when it was around. However it is one of THE rides from yesteryear that I really wish I could have been on! However, I think if that ride opened today, most people would see it as too tame and the animatronics too basic and it wouldn't be very popular. The same goes for Adventures Thru Inner Space - seemed like a great attraction for sure, but people would complain how dated it was compared to attractions of this age like Indy or Splash Mountain.

If we could show people from 1967 the future rides like Indy, I think they would be utterly speechless. I mean, I was speechless at it's technology and grandiosity in 1995 when it opened. So to sum this up, yes, I think we've lost some fabulous attractions over time (Country Bear Jamboree included), but we're still getting a consistent stream of great rides and attractions.

[sailerm]

You missing the nostalgia factor, for something like Country Bears, and America Sings, so even if a new attraction is better than the one it replaces (which Pooh, and Invonentions is not) the fondness for the good old days is hard to live up to.

Also Disney of the past did have many attractions that lasted more than 2 minutes (Golden Horseshoe Review, Country Bears, Circle Vision, America Sings) that have never been replaced or replaced with faster paced rides that now have height requirements (separating the family), that do not allow guests to sit and relax a little bit in a climate controlled enviroment, as they did in the past.

Wonder why Pirates, Small World, and Haunted Mansion are still as popular as ever? I'm sure part of the secret lies in that they are 10 to 12 minutes of sitting with the whole family in a cool environment where you can relax a little bit.

[JFSebastian]

People are bound to have nostalgia for any era that passes. God forbid, Indy should be gone some time in the future and everyone who grew up with that ride and enjoyed it with their family would look back and remember "the good old days" with that ride. I can see what you're saying about Disney taking out the "shows" and replacing them with "rides", but for the most part, they are extremely family-friendly; almost any child can enter Pooh or Innoventions. It's my opinion though that we will always have the Tiki Room; I don't see that show going anywhere.

[sailerm]

It's my opinion though that we will always have the Tiki Room; I don't see that show going anywhere.

They have already changed it at WDW.

I do feel that if Indy had not been from George Lucas, Paul Pressler would have shut it down years ago, given how expensive and complex it is to run and maintain. A souvenier shop would be there now. OK I'm only half joking, but it would be like Micheal Eisner and his cronies could find a way to build a park that was cheap and easy to run, where the least amount of money could be spent and charge 'Disney' type prices they would, so it would not behoove them to have memento's lying around that would remind them of the kind of long gone fantastic rides that used to be in the park. Oh wait, isn't that the problem that DCA has been facing?

[RegionsBeyond]

They have already changed it at WDW.

I do feel that if Indy had not been from George Lucas, Paul Pressler would have shut it down years ago, given how expensive and complex it is to run and maintain. A souvenier shop would be there now. OK I'm only half joking, but it would be like Micheal Eisner and his cronies could find a way to build a park that was cheap and easy to run, where the least amount of money could be spent and charge 'Disney' type prices they would, so it would not behoove them to have memento's lying around that would remind them of the kind of long gone fantastic rides that used to be in the park. Oh wait, isn't that the problem that DCA has been facing?

Mostly, I agree with you, but this is rather wandering off topic...which is what video material of classic attractions Disney might be holding in their vaults. The Pressler scapegoating thing, whatever you feel about the man and his practices, has nothing to do with the idea or question I rasied, nor does Eisner's business practices or legacy.

To touch on a pertinent issue you raised, seriously, I don't think the average guest would revolt or complain over a DVD featuring video footage of say, Country Bears, or the Skyway....they might miss them, sure, and the DVD would bring back thoughts of, "Hey, that was cool." But I don't believe such a item being on sale in the Disneyana store and the re-located Gallery would bring angry masses to City Hall, filled with rage about the Mine Train being gone. Most of the average park guests simply don't have that level of involvement or passion about the park, let alone my not believing very many would fly off the handle about an item being sold that featured attractions no longer in the Park.

Furthermore, as someone who misses old attractions and thinks some of the newer ones aren't as good, I can't see something as paltry or small as a DVD release making me angry at the park, or lodging any sort of formal complaint. The park is what it is now...they've made both good and bad decisions and upgrades. Expecting a line of angry Disney purists forming to complain to the Park about relative quality of new vs. old attractions due to a piece of merchandise is a bit extreme, in my opinion.

[JFSebastian]

They have already changed it at WDW.

Yes, but that wasn't the *original*. They probably figured they could update it and make it more relevant to guests today and not really anger anyone since they still had the Tiki Room in Anaheim in basically its original state.

Most of the average park guests simply don't have that level of involvement or passion about the park, let alone my not believing very many would fly off the handle about an item being sold that featured attractions no longer in the Park.

I agree with this. Many guests at Disneyland aren't major Disney fanatics and probably wouldn't care less. More on the original topic, I've always wondered the same thing. I once thought about compiling all the footage I could find on each attraction and edit it all together so I'd have like 20 - 90 minutes of footage and making-of on each ride. Unfortunately, as you stated, most footage is reused over and over again, and it's hard to find professional footage of certain parts of rides. If Disney released some giant DVD box set featuring ride-throughs and backstories of the attractions, I would buy it in a second.