Disneyland Timeline

[Mojave]

Disney Timeline Project - Now up and running!

Does anyone know of any good, searchable, updatable Disneyland timelines/chronologies? I've seen a few good ones, but they're just basic text. There's nothing indexed and you can't search or sort. And they're copyrighted so you can't take the data and do interesting stuff with it.

I'm a web developer (with an obvious interest in Disneyland) and if there's nothing like this existing out there, I was thinking of creating it. It would be very structured data, anyone could add/update it, you could search by land, attraction, date, etc. and then download it and use it for whatever purpose you want.

That's the general idea. Would anyone here care and/or contribute data?

[Steve DeGaetano]

Sure, I'll play! Sounds like a cool idea.

[Datameister]

Sounds like a good idea indeed. I've thought about this before. The main difficulty is managing the sheer wealth of information, but I'm sure you'll come up with a way.

[MollyTrolly]

I would have absolutely nothing to add, but I woudl love looking at the data!

[Steve DeGaetano]

I agree that the amount of data might be daunting.

Obviously, I could contribute some of the DLRR train dates. But just how much detail would you like? For instance, the date that engine drawings were started? Date engines completed? Date when first circuits of park made? Date when various trains/engines entered service? Dates when major modifications to cars/track/structures took place? Dates of extensive rehabs? Dates of testing? I'm sure I could go on.

And this is just for one attraction!

[sonyanews]

I'm covering Disney news for the Orange County Register. I started a chronology of the Anaheim resort area, Disney and Knott's Berry Farm. If you have dates that should be added, please contact me. http://ocresort.freedomblogging.com/...area-timeline/

[mickeyandme67]

I love the idea also. The one timeline I use and everyone probably already knows about is:

http://www.justdisney.com/disneyland...ine/index.html

It is not searchable and to find info quickly you already need a general idea about when whatever you are looking for occured, but I use it quite a bit.

[mycroft16]

I'm actually already working on a timeline project myself (web developer as well). I hadn't thought about posting on here asking for information.

It's hideous looking right now as it is all text with no graphical interface, but the bare bones are nearly complete. I too would love to avail myself of the vast knowledge some MCers have about Disneyland.

I'd also be curious to see what you come up with Mojave. Mine is a scrolling visual timeline interface. What kind of format were you thinking of doing?

[Datameister]

I would think that it might be best to do this is as a JavaScript- or Flash-based presentation, so that the initial overall view would feature individual attractions and lands and events and such. Clicking on one of these would expand that particular item into a mini-timeline.

[mycroft16]

I'm using straight javascript, AJAX (Asynchronous Javascript and XML which mimics Flash without all the hassle of Flash) and some other little tricks.

[Datameister]

Sweet! This should be good.

[Mojave]

Hey all, thanks for the interest level. Looks like people have already started on some great projects.

The level of detail that Steve DeGaetano talks about is exactly what I'm going for. But I doubt that is available for every attraction. So, we'd also have a much broader set of entries. My feeling is that this type of data is too much for one person to handle. So I would want the spirit of this project to be like a wiki, where ANYONE can add data, then everyone vets and doublechecks the data and can update it.

I'm only interested in creating the very structured data and not so much in the visual interface. I would have an API where you can extract the information in a standard format (XML) and then do whatever you want with it. So if you want to have a gorgeous visual interface, you can do that, if you want to include attraction info in a post you're writing about POTC, you can do that.

So right, my thought is just to get good solid data IN and make it easy to get the data OUT so that people can create mashups with it to their hearts' desire.

[mycroft16]

Mojave. I like the sound of your project. Sounds like your project will provide the kind of data my project will use to generate a graphical front end. I love the idea of having it be like a wiki.

[Mojave]

Mojave. I like the sound of your project. Sounds like your project will provide the kind of data my project will use to generate a graphical front end. I love the idea of having it be like a wiki.

That's exactly the idea: separate the data from the presentation. That way anyone can use it how they like and create really cool front ends.

I can whip the basic functionality together pretty quickly. But I'll need input from everyone on the type of data that needs to be collected: date/time, land, attraction, event, type (idea, plan, construction, opening, updating, closing), etc.

[Coheteboy]

Yah, I've been dying for a good one too and at one point hoped that Miceage would have a nice official timeline at some point.

Count me in on any helping hands you may need.