A trip on the Lilly Belle

[Taking Back London]

On my most recent trip to Disneyland we actually got stopped by one of the dream squad staff. She asked me if there was anything i wanted to know about the park. My Reply was "Is the Lilly Belle connected today?" To my suprise it was, and to my even more suprise she asked us if we wanted to take a ride. Who would say no?
Here are some pics from that trip



Go west young man!







Walt's personal smoking jacket! Still in the rail car!


By far this is the best attraction at Disneyland, Our Dream squad lady was very informative and debunked a lot of rumors on our ride around the park.

Tips-
Wear nice shoes.
She said that the carpet in there is very old and pieces are actually from the original roll that carpeted Walt's apartment.
She says they always look at the shoes of potential riders. So leave the crocs at home, they won't get you anywhere.

[Morrigoon]

This is the first I've heard about the shoe thing, and I've take a couple trips on the LB. Maybe it's a Dream Squad thing.

[Steve DeGaetano]

Sounds like your guide spread more rumors than she debunked.

Myth: The carpet is old.

Truth: The carpet is brand new, installed when the car was rebuilt a few years ago. It is the same pattern used in Walt's apartment--but that's new as well, and not original to the apartment. Pattern chosen by Kim Irvine.

Myth: Walt's actual smoking jacket!!

Related myth: Lillian's actual smoking jacket!

Related myth: The Lilly Belle was Walt's private car.

Truth: Imagineer Kim Irvine wished to establish a link between Lillian Disney and the car bearing her name. Lillian did wear a smoking jacket very similar to the one in the car. But the one in the car belonged neither to Walt Disney or Lillian, and was chosen simply for its close resemblance to what Lillian wore.

Truth: Walt Disney never set foot inside the Lilly Belle, which came into existence nearly a decade after his death. Lillian, however, was a passenger on a number of occasions.

[pratt55]

It's great that you got to ride the Lilly Belle. I am not sure where your guide got her facts either since both times I wrode it I was wearing sandals.

When we rode it back in September we were told the jacket was Lillian Disney's. I got to try it on and it was definitely a woman's coat.

[Steve DeGaetano]

When we rode it back in September we were told the jacket was Lillian Disney's. I got to try it on and it was definitely a woman's coat.

It is a woman's coat...Just not Lillian's.

[Junthor]

I had Tennis Shoes on when I rode in it.

I was told it was Lillian's as well... (well NOW I know different.. thanks Steve.)


Although now that I think about it... If it really was, They wouldn't let so many people try it on, and take pictures of it. That wouldn't make sense.


I am very disappointed in the dis-information that Disney gives out sometimes.

[Steve DeGaetano]

Oh...I had tennis shoes as well. But they were clean!

[Steve DeGaetano]

I am very disappointed in the dis-information that Disney gives out sometimes.

As I've said before, I don't think it's done intentionally, or with the intent to defraud. For instance, this quote:

She said that the carpet in there is very old and pieces are actually from the original roll that carpeted Walt's apartment.

Since the new Lilly Belle carpet DID come from the same roll used to re-carpet Walt's apartment, a CM not knowing the carpet in the apartment had also been replaced might logically assume it was the original stuff from the 1950s. So here we have almost an innocent twisting of facts.

Probably most, if not all, of the "Disneyland Myths That Refuse To Die" are examples of an elaborate game of "telephone."

[Steve DeGaetano]

By far this is the best attraction at Disneyland...

You'll get no argument from me on that point! Thanks for posting the photos.

And sorry, I didn't realize before the dust settled that this was your first post! Welcome to MiceChat!

[RumRunner31]

My guests & I have shared the Lilly Belle with the dream squad & their guests on several occasions, and have heard more misinformation in & about it than I can wrap my head around. Once they even started talking about the World's Fair in 1957.

[Junthor]

As I've said before, I don't think it's done intentionally, or with the intent to defraud. For instance, this quote: Since the new Lilly Belle carpet DID come from the same roll used to re-carpet Walt's apartment, a CM not knowing the carpet in the apartment had also been replaced might logically assume it was the original stuff from the 1950s. So here we have almost an innocent twisting of facts.

Probably most, if not all, of the "Disneyland Myths That Refuse To Die" are examples of an elaborate game of "telephone."

True.. I wish they would have a HUGE CM meeting with a Powerpoint that says, "The jacket is not Lillians and shame on you if you say it's Walt's!!"


Just to get some of the myths done away with, IE Center of Disneyland, The whole forced perspective on Main Street. At least tell the Plaids and perhaps the Dream Squad the real facts.

[Junthor]

My guests & I have shared the Lilly Belle with the dream squad & their guests on several occasions, and have heard more misinformation in & about it than I can wrap my head around. Once they even started talking about the World's Fair in 1957.

I didn't say ANYTHING when I was in your tour. I promise....

[Steve DeGaetano]

Once they even started talking about the World's Fair in 1957.

Do tell!!

[RumRunner31]

Do tell!!

I do think it was an honest mistake, but the problem is that the Dream Squad has access to a lot of the really special spots/magical moments in the parks without being trained on them. So even though they mean well, most of the knowledge they have about these areas is anecdotal, meaning that a lot of it has gone through the "game of telephone" Steve mentioned earlier.

The biggest problem with the rumors in the parks today is that at some point the cast members stopped saying "I'm not sure, but let me find that out for you!" and started just making up something that sounded good. You've seen the apartment and you know this carpet looks like that, so you just assume it's original. Then to make the guest feel even more special, you tell them how elite the visit to the Lilly Belle is by pointing out that you have to have the correct shoes to walk on said carpet. None of it is true, but it sounds good and makes you look more knowledgeable.

If you want the greatest example of misinformation spread by the YOAMD campaign, and of why the Plaids have enormous contempt for it, go to Disneyland.com, take the "virtual tour of the dream suite", and click on all the little red buttons to win your "special prize". What you win is a 3 page PDF file; the first page is a DL park map with numbered stops on it, and the last 2 pages are a bastardized version of our WIWF script, only with WRONG & misleading information in it. It gives incorrect numbers and dates (The partners statue and Mickey's 65th birthday were in 1983?) and most infuriating of all, it says outlandish things like saying the light in the window of the apartment was Walt's way of "Announcing his presence", when in actuality the lamp was there to give light, so he could read. My favorite part is stop #13, where first they mix up the history & intentions of the Royal Suite & Club 33, then they say that Dorthea Redmond's concept art was "meticulously followed" in creating the Dream Suite. LOL.

Why pay a tour guide to give you a tour when you can simply print out a self-guided one with untrue but way more exciting facts!?

[Bruce Bergman]

I do think it was an honest mistake, but the problem is that the Dream Squad has access to a lot of the really special spots/magical moments in the parks without being trained on them. So even though they mean well, most of the knowledge they have about these areas is anecdotal, meaning that a lot of it has gone through the "game of telephone" Steve mentioned earlier.

The biggest problem with the rumors in the parks today is that at some point the cast members stopped saying "I'm not sure, but let me find that out for you!" and started just making up something that sounded good. You've seen the apartment and you know this carpet looks like that, so you just assume it's original. Then to make the guest feel even more special, you tell them how elite the visit to the Lilly Belle is by pointing out that you have to have the correct shoes to walk on said carpet. None of it is true, but it sounds good and makes you look more knowledgeable.

If you want the greatest example of misinformation spread by the YOAMD campaign, and of why the Plaids have enormous contempt for it, go to Disneyland.com, take the "virtual tour of the dream suite", and click on all the little red buttons to win your "special prize". What you win is a 3 page PDF file; the first page is a DL park map with numbered stops on it, and the last 2 pages are a bastardized version of our WIWF script, only with WRONG & misleading information in it. It gives incorrect numbers and dates (The partners statue and Mickey's 65th birthday were in 1983?) and most infuriating of all, it says outlandish things like saying the light in the window of the apartment was Walt's way of "Announcing his presence", when in actuality the lamp was there to give light, so he could read. My favorite part is stop #13, where first they mix up the history & intentions of the Royal Suite & Club 33, then they say that Dorthea Redmond's concept art was "meticulously followed" in creating the Dream Suite. LOL.

Why pay a tour guide to give you a tour when you can simply print out a self-guided one with untrue but way more exciting facts!?

Now the true test is this: When you go to correct them and give them the real skinny, do they accept it, do their own research to confirm you are right, and start using the correct facts?
Or just give you the "One Eyebrow Up" treatment (and then ignore you) and keep going on their merry ignorant way?...

Unfortunately, I'll bet you get the latter most of the time - I know I do. They've never heard of the theorem 'Truth is sometimes stranger than fiction.'

"How do you know how that (Special Effect) works? You don't work here!" "No, but I fix equipment just like it every day for a living - I'd better know how it works. And what you described is physically impossible."

--<< Bruce >>--