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Thanks to camcorders, home DVD editing, and a lack of official product from Disney, fan-produced videos are becoming very popular as a way for fans to travel back in time, via these fan-produced home videos, to specific times to either relive or experience for the first time parts of Disney history.

The DVD features over an hour of material and there were times that I was indeed struck with the feeling of going back to 1990, the year Disneyland Park celebrated its 35th anniversary. The DVD isn't really so much about the anniversary itself as it is about three entertainment experiences of that year – the Party Gras parade – which was tied in to the anniversary, the daytime show at the Tahitian Terrace restaurant, and the Dick Tracy "Diamond Double Cross" stage show. The chapter selections back this up by consisting of one with the Tahitian Terrace daytime show, a second with the Disneyland Railroad, a third with the Diamond Double Cross show, and a fourth with the Main Street Electrical Parade and Fantasy in the Sky fireworks.

The video is mostly hand-held, with no narration, just observation and surrounding noise. The different sections are marked with fades in and out.

Following the DVD from beginning to end, we start with a horse-drawn streetcar ride up Main Street. I was disappointed that there wasn't a better shot of the entrance of Tomorrowland, and that we never take the streetcar back to Town Square for a flow-through of the west side of Main Street. Still, this ride is good at documenting some of the aspects of Main Street that no longer exist.

We see a shot of Sleeping Beauty Castle, with ivy-covered walls.

Then there's a shot of the pre-parade promotional float for the Jungle Book, which was being re-released in theaters. This was at a time when not all Disney films had been released on home video (VHS). There's also a brief shot of a couple of "armadillos" doing pre-parade entertaining.

Next comes the extensive coverage of the Party Gras parade. It is interesting to see how far Disneyland parades have come since then.

After Party Gras, we're instantly inside the Tomorrowland Skyway station. Unfortunately, we don't get the full Skyway ride. There's a moment inside the Matterhorn with Harold (the abominable snowman), then the boring rooftops of Fantasyland.

The daytime Tahitian Terrace show is captured almost in full. You can see the long-gone waterfall, the more recently-removed "Walt's tree", hula girls, and Roger Rabbit hogging the spotlight.

After a brief show of the Mark Twain, we're in the New Orleans Square Disneyland Railroad station as a train arrives. We ride the train through Splash Mountain and Critter Country, skip the backriver, and pass the Big Thunder Ranch before arriving at "Videopolis" station.

It is at the amphitheater that we're treated to the entire Dick Tracy-themed Diamond Double Cross show, which is a live musical comedy. The camera position is fairly far back, so all of the action is captured. Unfortunately, while the sound fairly good (as it is throughout), the resolution is a little lacking.

From there, we only get a brief moment of the Main Street Electrical Parade – the lead-off train and the 35th Anniversary float, and then we get a brief part of the Fantasy in the Sky fireworks show.

Finally, there are a series of great still shots, some of which are: Disneyland Hotel exteriors, including the old monorail station with Monorail Blue; Dream Machine tickets; the 35th Anniversary signage over the entrance tunnel; the old Carnation Ice Cream Parlor and Restaurant exterior; the Dream Machine; Party Gras; the old Jungle Cruise waiting area; the Swiss Family Robinson treehouse; Rivers of America complete with a keel boat; Big Thunder Falls peak; two shots of the Motor Boat Cruise; and many of the old Tomorrowland, including the Submarine Voyage lagoon, Skyway, Space Mountain entrance, and Peoplemover.

I was expecting a little more about the anniversary and not so much of the shows – at least seeing the Dream Machine in action. The Main Street Electrical Parade and Fantasy in the Sky segment was so short, it probably would have been better as stills. However, I'm sure extensive videos about both of those exist.

If you want documentation of the Party Gras, Diamond Double Cross, and Tahitian Terrace shows, or certain parts of the old Tomorrowland, or the Disneyland Hotel, you should definitely get this DVD. If you're looking for video of Dream Machine or the celebration (news media) events… which I do have… somewhere… you're not going to find that on this DVD. Still, Jeff Lange has put together something that is probably better than what I (or you, for that matter) already have of Disneyland in 1990.

Many of you are too young to remember back to 1990 at Disneyland, or didn't visit that year. But for those of you who were there, what are your memories?

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Related Links

• Part One of the column
• Purchase the DVD on The LaughingPlace Store
• List of all Ken's Reviews
• List of all Kenversations Columns