The West Side of the Kingdom
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Christmas has always been one of my favorite holidays. Actually, that sounds kind of funny, as there are actually very few that we truly celebrate and get into such as Christmas and Halloween. And one of my favorite Christmas traditions has always been spending time at Disneyland, enjoying the decorations, the music, the shows and the general atmosphere of the season at one of my favorite places in the world.
I remember my first year as a Cast Member - in 1988, as I crossed through Town Square one December night on my way to Lost and Found. There was a huge gathering of guests preparing for something called the Candlelight Celebration. I had no clue as to what that was, and so I stood, wearing my Haunted Mansion costume, with a gazillion other people that night and watched the entire show, completely awe-struck and misty-eyed by the time everyone joined hands and started singing Silent Night at the conclusion of the event.
The Candlelight Celebration is now a holiday spectacular to witness, both at Disneyland and at Epcot in Florida. A very religious celebration, each year a celebrity narrator tells the story of Christmas, accompanied by an orchestra and a 1,000-voice choir made up of various church choirs and Disney Cast Members.
Other great holiday traditions have come to pass at Disneyland for me as well, including the Country Bear Christmas Special, for which the Country Bear Jamboree is completely changed over to a holiday theme that is very well done and completely magical. As I watched the show at the Park just a week ago with my family, I couldn’t help but think of Marc Davis, the Disney pioneer that created the characters for the show. Marc was a personal friend that passed away this year; his wife, Alice and I stay in touch and as my mind wandered during the show, I was overcome by emotion. Our beloved Marc may be physically gone from us now, but in watching the faces of the people laughing and enjoying his creations, it is very apparent that his spirit is alive and well at Disneyland now and for many years to come.
And a major round of kudos to all of the designers and craftspeople behind the glorious transformation of It’s a Small World into Small World Holiday! As usual, the attraction was stunning and we thoroughly loved every moment.
The holiday version of Believe, the Park’s incredible new fireworks show, was just as we’d heard; elegant, fun and very beautiful. The “snow” on Main Street and around the Hub during its finale was the perfect touch.
Perhaps the most magical element of all for me was the fact that along with my two little sisters, we also took my wife’s mom, Sandra; the last time she’d been to Disneyland, the newest attractions were the Subs and the Matterhorn. Needless to say, the Park has changed quite a bit since her last visit! For the record, her hands-down favorite was Indiana Jones, which we did three times. It was wonderful not only seeing my little sisters having a blast; to see my mother-in-law having the time of her life was utterly fantastic.
So, as we come to the close of 2000 with all of its ups and downs (Gore 2004 *ahem*) and stand at the threshold of 2001, we reflect back on this year and look forward to what next has to offer Disney fans around the world. Of course, the biggest item on the menu in my opinion will be the opening of Tokyo’s new Disney Sea park. It looks stunning and I know I am not the only theme park nut that is trying to budget a trip to Japan to see it first-hand.
The second item of interest is going to be the opening of Disney’s California Adventure (DCA), which everyone reading this is most likely familiar with. There is a wealth of information here on LaughingPlace.com about the new Anaheim park and we’ll certainly be covering the opening in February over at Theme Park Adventure’s site. Personally, I am not jumping up and down excited about DCA, which is all the more reason I am looking forward to covering it in detail. Only in February, when the park has been opened, will Disney fans finally know for sure whether the park is a great expansion of the Disneyland Resort or a total bust, as predicted by a handful of individuals. I stand somewhere in the middle, feeling that it will be a decent park, but that it could have been much nicer and more “Disney” than it appears to be.
And I also have been reflecting on how fast LaughingPlace.com has grown this past year. My hat’s off to everyone involved here that makes this the best Disney-related site on the Internet. One can only imagine the “magic” that is in store for us all here this coming year!
I’m gearing up with lots to talk about next year, from new parks to sequels such as Hunchback of Notre Dame II (can’t wait for that work of art); it’s gonna be content heaven for me! I’m rolling up my sleeves now!
Until then however, I want to wish each and every one of you a fantastic new year and want you to know that your letters and comments this past year in response to my columns have been great; y’all keep me going from month to month!
May the spirit of the season stay with you throughout the new year and may fortune and happiness be yours in 2001!
-- Rick West (December 27, 2000)
Rick West is the publisher/editor-in-chief of Theme Park Adventure Magazine. Through his involvement with that he has been able to meet and interview some of the biggest names - past and present - in Walt Disney Imagineering. Rick draws on those experiences, and his experience in the theme park industry, for The West Side of the Kingdom.
The West Side of the Kingdom is normally published the third Wednesday of each month. This month, we waited until he returned from his Christmas trip to Disneyland.
The opinions expressed by Rick West, and all of our columnists, do not necessarily represent the feelings of LaughingPlace.com or any of its employees or advertisers. All speculation and rumors about the future of Disneyland and the Walt Disney Company are just that - speculation and rumors - and should be treated as such.
©2000 Theme Park Adventure Magazine and LaughingPlace.com. All rights reserved.