Disneyland anniversary, Las Vegas Sun, June 29, 2000

Renovation marks Disneyland’s 45th anniversary Lisa Ferguson Thursday, June 29, 2000 | 8:36 a.m. What: Disneyland. Where: 1313 Harbor Blvd., Anaheim, Calif. Tickets: One-day admission is $41 for adults; $39 for seniors (ages 60 and older); $31 for children (ages 3-11). Information: For park hours, call (714) 781-4560. ANAHEIM, CALIF. -- You likely won't see many examples of road rage on the newest freeway segment in Anaheim. It would be tough to become too frustrated on the stretch of road -- lined with pretty trees and shrubs and adjacent to picturesque parks -- that winds through the "Happiest Place on Earth." Disneyland officially reopened its Autopia attraction today, following a two-year overhaul of the popular driving ride. The opening coincides with the theme park's 45th anniversary, which is being marked with parades, fireworks and other activities taking place at the Southern California theme park daily through the end of this year. Autopia, in the technology-driven Tommorowland area, was among the original attractions at Disneyland when the park opened on July 17, 1955. Not much had changed since -- aside from the additions, and later removals, of the child-friendlier Junior Autopia and Midget Autopia attractions in the late '50s. Autopia's concrete track was built to mimic Southern California's then-burgeoning freeway system -- somewhat sterile looking, with a few turns and the occasional underpass to mix things up. Only the body styles of the ride's cars had been phased in and out (eight times in all) in the decades since. Nevertheless, Autopia "has always been a tremendously popular attraction," says Bruce Gordon, a project director with Walt Disney Imaginering who worked as the "show producer" for the Autopia refurbishment. (He served as the "creative conscience" on the project to make sure "it all hangs together as one creative piece.") The new Autopia, which is sponsored by the Chevron Corp., was designed to complement the rest of Tomorrowland, which underwent a major overhaul in 1998, bringing it back to the future it was originally intended to depict (the land's last refurbishment was in 1967). On the road again A hard-hat tour of the Autopia taken earlier this month revealed big changes. Looking every bit like a raceway grandstand, the Autopia ride queue is painted in teal, maroon and gold hues and adorned with neon lights, which lend it a futuristic-but-retro appeal. The last fleet of aging, noisy, gas-powered Fiat-esque sports cars that comprised the ride were traded for three new body styles: an "off-road" sport utility vehicle-type car; a "cute" car (it looks like something Minnie Mouse would drive); and a new sports car covered in a special paint that appears to change colors -- one goes from purple to green to gold -- as the car moves. (Like the former cars, they operate on a metal rail.) It's probably not a coincidence that the cars look similar to the chatty vehicles that star in Chevron's gasoline commercials. (An animated pre-show, to keep "guests" (Disneyspeak for park visitors) entertained while waiting in the snaking ride line is comprised of vignettes featuring 3-D talking cars.) Done away with during the remodel was the adjacent Fantasyland Autopia. It was used previously when demand for the ride was high during peak visitor times and closed other times during the year. "So we thought: Why don't we combine the entire thing in Tomorrowland so that we have one Autopia that has the capacity to handle everybody?" Gordon says. The biggest change to Autopia is the look and feel of the track: Banks of concrete on roadsides have been covered by lush foliage. Also, "We changed the entire track layout," Gordon says, "so it's actually a much more interesting track than it used to be. There's more ups and downs and more hills and more turns than (there) used to be." One section of the ride appears to venture off-road, when the cars leave the smooth concrete and rumble onto a well-worn mud-and-grass course. "It's so unexpected as you come around the corner and then, suddenly, you're bumping along a whole different experience," Gordon says. The track is flanked by a "city park," complete with bronze car statues and fountains, and cartoonish billboards for car washes and fast food especially for autos. A giant LED (light-emitting diode) screen plays commercials, news and weather updates suited for viewers of the four-wheeled variety. Playing off of the Chevron gasoline commercials, Gordon explains, the concept was to "make the whole attraction as though it is being seen through the eyes of the cars. This is really the world of the cars that you're visiting. "The (LED) screen is not there to entertain us while we wait for the cars, it's to entertain the cars while they wait for us." At the end of each trip around the track, riders receive a commemorative Autopia driver's license -- a throwback to the ride's original 1955 policy. Rick West, publisher and editor in chief of Theme Park Adventure magazine, previewed the new Autopia and gives it a green light. "The cars look better, they are less noisy and the overall look of the attraction blends perfectly with the color scheme and texture of ... Tomorrowland." West, a former Disneyland "cast member" (read: employee) who worked at the park during the 1980s, says that the new Autopia "feels more like a 'Sunday drive' compared to the original, which was more like a frantic freeway chase of sorts. It's relaxing; there are fun sites to see; there are a few new features tossed in for good measure, such as the small off-road section of track; and the overall show is much stronger." Celebration central Also spruced up a bit this year: Disneyland's fireworks presentation. A summertime staple at the park, the massive, lengthy display for the 45th anniversary -- titled "Believe ... There's Magic in the Stars" -- features fireworks that are launched from 13 locations around Disneyland and set against a prerecorded score performed by an 80-piece orchestra. As in years past, the show is capped with a flight by Tinkerbell, whose fairy costume this year is adorned with 1,000 twinkling LED lights. The show will be presented nightly through Sept. 4. The fireworks are preceded during the daytime by the "45 years of Magic" parade that makes its way down Disneyland's old-fashioned Main Street area twice daily through the fall. A handful of floats are ridden on or followed by 47 Disney characters including Cinderella, Snow White, Tarzan and Simba ("The Lion King"). Also, 50 visitors of the park are chosen each day to be part of the parade, waving to the crowds that pack Main Street's sidewalks to watch. Meanwhile an actual Disneyland birthday observance, which is still in the planning stages, will be held at the park on July 17. Also new this year: A pin-trading program -- of collectible cloisonne and enamel pins featuring Disneyland characters, sites and original artwork -- began at the park in February. (The program began at Walt Disney World in Florida last year.) The pins (new designs are issued each month) are available for purchase. Several pin-trading carts have been set up around Disneyland where guests can trade for pins worn on lanyards by cast members, or with other guests. Still, some of the most interesting news comes from outside the park. Considerable buzz is building about the upcoming opening of Disney's California Adventure, a theme park being constructed on what was once Disneyland's monstrous parking lot. Set to open Feb. 8, the 55-acre park will feature California-themed rides and attractions, including a tortilla factory and a small winery, as well as the 750-room Disney's Grand Californian hotel. A dining and shopping corridor, called Downtown Disney, will connect the two theme parks and is scheduled to include such outlets as the House of Blues, the Rainforest Cafe, a 12-screen movie theater and an ESPN Zone entertainment complex. Gordon says that Disneyland's late founder, Walt Disney, "would be astounded@how the park has grown and gotten better. He was always changing the park." He recalls how Disney, who died in 1966, once said that he preferred the ever-changing theme park business over the finality of movie-making: " 'When a movie's done, it's done.' ... "But (with theme parks) you can always go back and fix it, it's always growing and changing and if you get a new idea you can always keep changing Disneyland," Gordon says. "I think (Disney) would just be thrilled beyond belief at how that dream has continued here." archive