April 17, 2009: The Walt Disney Story

[Werner Weiss]

Step into the Main Street Opera House for a tribute to a truly great American... Abraham Lincoln? No. Walt Disney!

Link to The Walt Disney Story

Please discuss it here.

[DisneyDavid]

Werner - Love your Yesterland columns. I believe it was Private John Cunningham who got his haircut in the last incarnation of the Abe Lincoln show. I remember this because that is my dad's name and my family got a good laugh out of it while the scissors were snipping away in our ears.

[Werner Weiss]

Originally Posted by DisneyDavid

Werner - Love your Yesterland columns. I believe it was Private John Cunningham who got his haircut in the last incarnation of the Abe Lincoln show. I remember this because that is my dad's name and my family got a good laugh out of it while the scissors were snipping away in our ears.

Some websites called him Private Jim Cunningham; some called him Private John Cunningham; and some just called him Private Cunningham.

I just found the "Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln" pre-show on YouTube. Throughout the video, they only call him Private Cunningham.

Perhaps the cast members introducing the pre-show sometimes called him Jim or John.

I've changed the Yesterland article to just say Private Cunningham.

[Disneyland Limited]

Great article as always, Werner. I love the history of Disneyland and its ever-changing nature. Regarding "Great Moments", I believe it's the "Matthew Brady" narrator that says that your/the soldier's name is "Private John Cunningham." They may have changed it later, though.

I loved the picture of the Disneyland Guide from 1973, especially the "futuristic Picturephone, where you can see the person you are calling." Considering we have things like Skype and videophones now, I wonder what the 1973 Picturephone looked like.

[Disneyland Tickets]

I can't wait for the return of Mr. Lincoln to the Opera House. Mr. Martin I could do with out, are they really going to keep using that tired film?

Great article Werner! I just did a post yesterday about the early "Mr. Lincoln" tickets, check them out here (link).

Thanks again for all your hard work!

[JiminyCricketFan]

When Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln first opened it was not just about Lincoln. It was also about seeing a machine perform as lifelike as a human. As technology advanced, Mr. Lincoln basically didn't. Yes, I remember a "new advanced" model come out during the 1970's at some time. But the novelty of a machine acting like a human had warn off.

I think that Disney management has forgotten this. I really hope that if Lincoln is to be a hit in his return, he will need to have facial features or guestures, or some other mannerism that puts him over the top, and make him a technological marvel again. I wonder if they can get him to perspire? Can he sneeze or shed a tear? Can his eyes go misty? Can we create a machine that is SO lifelike that you would swear it was a person? Now that would bring in audiences!! I would WANT to see that!

[Eagleman]

Mr. Weiss of "Yesterdayland" your story of "The Walt Disney Story" was very good!
As all your stuff you have in Yesterdayland......
are good and very enjoyable. I would add one thing to your story.....
reason there was a Walt Disney Story in 1973 is because it was also at that time
the 50th Birthday of "WALT DISNEY PRODUCTIONS" ( now the
Walt Disney Company )
which in one of your picture you can see!

[epaddon]

Whatever technological upgrades come to a new Lincoln show, I hope and pray that the original Royal Dano Lincoln speech comes back. When that moving oration and its near identical counterpart in the original 1971-1993 Disney World "Hall Of Presidents" was removed both attractions lost their vital soul.