2011 in Memoriam

[/caption] Charlie Callas (1927-2011)
Known by Disney fans for voicing the iconic Elliott the dragon in Pete’s Dragon, Charlie Callas passed away on January 27, 2011, in Las Vegas, Nevada. His storied career includes many memorable parts in such films as The Big Mouth and Mel Brooks’ Silent Movie, High Anxiety, and History of the World: Part I. Charlie also performed stand-up comedy in Las Vegas for many years and appeared on television in Switch, The Tonight Show, The Monkees, Love, American Style, and The Love Boat.Collin Campbell (1926-2011)
From animation and film to theme parks, Collin Campbell worked on a number of distinguished projects throughout his Disney career. He is widely known as the voice of Mole in the “Mr. Toad” segment from The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad. And as a layout and background artist, he worked on Lady and the Tramp, The Truth About Mother Goose, and Donald in Mathmagic Land. At the parks, Collin added his artistic talents to Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room, Pirates of the Caribbean, and it’s a small world, among others. He passed away on April 2, in Lighthouse Point, Florida.

John Barry (1933-2011)
John Barry, one of the most acclaimed and revered movie composers of all time, passed away January 30, 2011. The five-time Academy Award®-winning composer of music for such classic films as Born Free, The Lion in Winter, and Dances with Wolves, also was known for his work on James Bond film scores. For Disney, John scored the music for the 1979 film The Black Hole. His songs “Ride to Fort Hays” and “Buffalo Hunt” from Dances with Wolves can be heard at the Fort Wilderness Lodge area at Walt Disney World Resort.

Charlie Callas voiced the iconic Elliott the dragon in Pete’s Dragon.Disney Legend Wally Boag (1920-2011)
Wally Boag, a longtime leading man at Disneyland’s Golden Horseshoe Revue and television and film actor, passed away on June 3. He was 90 years old. Wally entertained Disneyland Park guests five days a week, three times a day, for nearly 27 years. By the time he retired, in 1982, from his role as the outrageous Pecos Bill, Wally had performed in nearly 40,000 productions of the popular revue. He also appeared in The Absent-Minded Professor, Son of Flubber, The Love Bug, and as the voice of José in The Enchanted Tiki Room.

“The world’s stage has experienced a great loss in the passing of Disney Legend Wally Boag,” George Kalogridis, president, Disneyland Resort, says. “Wally was instrumental in the development of live entertainment during the early years of both Disneyland Park and Walt Disney World Resort. His characters will continue to live in the hearts of our guests, while his larger-than-life personality will forever make him the true “Clown Prince of Disneyland.”

In 1955, a friend told him about auditions for Disneyland’s Golden Horseshoe Revue. Wally won the role and quickly became one of Walt’s favorite comedic actors. “Dad loved that show [Golden Horseshoe Revue],” Diane Disney Miller said in the book, Wally Boag, Crown Prince of Disneyland. “He took all of his guests there and never tired of it. It never got stale because Wally was always fresh. Dad and Wally had a lot in common because they were both consummate entertainers. Like Wally, Dad was dedicated to bringing fun and laugher to this world. I know that Dad loved him, and so did so many others.

Barton K. “Bo” Boyd, who began his career at Disneyland and rose to lead Disney Consumer Products through two decades of international growth, passed away in April at the age of 68.

Betty Taylor is seen here with Wally Boag, during one of their many hilarious performances at Disneyland.

Disney Legend Barton K. “Bo” Boyd (1942-2011)
Barton K. “Bo” Boyd, who joined Disney on February 14, 1968, as an assistant supervisor and who would go on to oversee the longest periods of sustained growth in Disney merchandising history, passed away April 13 at his home in Mesquite, Nevada.

After several promotions and joining the team creating merchandise for Disneyland, Bo was asked to move to Florida in early 1971 to prepare for the opening of Walt Disney World. Soon, he was promoted to director, Merchandise Division. In 1976, he relocated back to California, where he assumed the role of vice president, Retail Merchandising, and established a central buying office for both parks.

In 1983, Bo was asked to run a new division: Disney Consumer Products. During his tenure, he oversaw such initiatives as Licensed Merchandise, Walt Disney Records, and, in Publishing, the start of Hyperion Press and a line of Disney magazine products. The granddaddy of them all, however, was the establishment of the first Disney Store outside the grounds of the theme parks. The first store opened in Glendale, California, in 1987, and Bo grew that innovative business in 10 years to more than 600 stores in the United States and in eight foreign countries.

Bo was named chairman of Disney Consumer Products in 1997. He retired in 2001, 33 years to the day that he first walked down Main Street, U.S.A. for his first job at Disneyland. He had been involved with Disney merchandise longer than any person in the history of the Company other than Walt’s brother Roy O. Disney.

Grace Godino (1915-2011)
Grace Godino was an inker in the Ink and Pain department at the Walt Disney Studios. She added color to such films as Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and to many cartoon shorts at Walt Disney Studios. Grace later worked as a stand-in for Rita Hayworth. Grace passed away on May 31 in Bolinas, California.

After 42 years with the Company, Bill Justice retired in February 1979. He wrote a book about his Disney years called Justice for Disney, and was often a guest at Disneyana Conventions.

Disney Legend Bill Justice (1914-2011)
In his 42 years at Disney, Bill Justice, who passed away February 10, 2011, lent his considerable talents to dozens of classic films, from Fantasia (1940) and Make Mine Music (1946) to Alice in Wonderland (1951) and Peter Pan (1953). Among the memorable characters he animated are the precocious Thumper for Bambi and those mischievous characters, Chip and Dale.

During the 1950s, Bill directed several experimental shorts, including Noah’s Ark, A Symposium On Popular Songs, and The Truth About Mother Goose, all of which were nominated for Academy Awards. Along with fellow Disney Legend Xavier (“X”) Atencio and artist T. Hee, Bill also used the painstaking technique of stop-motion animation in live-action Disney features, including The Parent Trap (1961) and Mary Poppins (1964). In all, Bill contributed to 57 shorts and 19 features.

Recognizing Bill’s immense talent, Walt tapped Bill to join Walt Disney Imagineering in 1965, where he programmed Audio-Animatronics® figures for such Disneyland attractions as Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln, Mission to Mars, Pirates of the Caribbean, Haunted Mansion, Country Bear Jamboree, and America Sings. He was named a Disney Legend in 1996.

Charles Jarrott (1927-2011)
Charles Jarrott, a British film and television director best known for costume dramas he directed for producer Hal B. Wallis, passed away on March 4. For Disney, Charles directed The Last Flight of Noah’s Ark (1980) and Condorman (1981). He also directed two episodes of Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color.

Kenneth Mars (1935-2011)
Kenneth Mars, who played Marshal Woolly Bill Hitchcock in The Apple Dumpling Gang (1979) and voiced the character of King Triton in The Little Mermaid (1989), passed away February 12, 2011. A skilled and much-sought-out character actor who enjoyed a film and television career that spanned more than 45 years, Kenneth is perhaps best remembered for his roles in several Mel Brooks films, including The Producers and Young Frankenstein. His other roles for Disney include voicing the characters of Heimlich Menudo and Prof. Buzz on Tale Spin and Tuskerninni for Darkwing Duck. Kenneth voiced Triton for the Kingdom Hearts videogames, appeared as Bud Holstein in “Just Like Family” on the Disney Channel’s Mickey Mouse Club, and even made an appearance on Hannah Montana in 2007, playing Gunther the Innkeeper.

Harry Morgan (1915-2011)
Harry Morgan was a film actor, whose Disney film credits include The Barefoot Executive (E.J. Crampton), Scandalous John (Hector Pippin), Snowball Express (Jesse McCord), Charley and the Angel (angel), The Apple Dumpling Gang (Homer McCoy), The Cat From Outer Space (General Stilton), The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again (Major Gaskill), and on television in 14 Going on 30. Harry passed away on December 7 in Los Angeles.

Pete Postlethwaite (1946-2011)
Pete Postlethwaite was a British actor who played the Old Man in James and the Giant Peach and Mr. Veeck in Dark Water, distributed by Touchstone Pictures. His other film credits include his Oscar®-nominated performance as Giuseppe Conlon in In The Name of the Father, and roles in Romeo + Juliet and The Lost World: Jurassic Park, among others. Pete passed away on January 2, 2011 in Shrewsbury, England.

Florence “Flo” Daniel Renoudet (1929-2011)
Flo Daniel Renoudet, the wife of veteran Disney voice and character actor Peter Renaday (real name: Renoudet), passed away on February 18, 2011. After graduating from college in 1957, she moved to California and began a 35-year career in the Music department of Walt Disney Studios, where she served as executive secretary to Robert Jackman and, later, Jay Lawton.

Disney Legend Betty Taylor (1919-2011)
The spunky leader of a troupe of western dance hall girls, in Disneyland’s popular Golden Horseshoe Revue, Betty Taylor passed away at her home in Washington State on June 4. She became the darling of nearly 10 million guests, who, over the years, visited the saloon to see the world’s longest-running stage show in the history of entertainment.

In the nearly 45,000 performances that she appeared in, the charming, vivacious blonde never lost her girlish enthusiasm for playing the role of Pecos Bill’s sweetheart. “Betty Taylor must have been born to become Slue Foot Sue in Disneyland’s Golden Horseshoe Revue,” says Disney Legend Marty Sklar, about the way Betty owned the role and performed every show as if it were her first. “She knew how to belt out a tune, in the storied tradition of an old western saloon, and she held her own on a stage with the wild and wacky antics of Pecos Bill [comedian Wally Boag], the brogue of an Irish tenor [Fulton Burley], and a chorus line of can-can dancers. Imagine doing that five times a day for 31 years and 45,000 performances! Betty was a true trooper who loved playing the part in the show, and loved performing for Disneyland audiences.”

Betty retired from the Golden Horseshoe Revue in 1987. She continued to appear in special events, such as Walt Disney’s Wild West, a retrospective of Walt’s vision of the American West, which was showcased in 1995 at the Gene Autry Museum of Western Heritage in Los Angeles.

Steve Jobs was Pixar Animation Studios’ CEO and majority shareholder at 50.1 percent until Disney acquired the company in 2006, making him Disney’s largest individual shareholder at seven percent and a member of Disney’s Board of Directors.

Steve Jobs (1955-2011)
Steven P. Jobs, the visionary co-founder and former chief executive of Apple Inc., passed away on October 5. “Perhaps more than any other chief executive, Mr. Jobs was seen as inseparable from his company’s success,” The New York Times wrote at the time of his passing. “The company has outflanked most of its rivals in the technology industry with the iPhone and the iPad, which have been blockbuster hits with consumers.”

Steve Jobs founded Apple in 1976 with Steve Wozniak, and built an early reputation for the company with the Apple II computer. After the Macintosh was introduced in 1984, the company’s business stalled, and Steve left Apple in 1985. The following year, with a small group of Apple employees, he founded NeXt Computer, which failed to take hold in the corporate marketing field. In 1986, he acquired the computer graphics division of Lucasfilm Ltd, which was spun off as Pixar Animation Studios. He is credited in Toy Story (1995) as an executive producer. He remained CEO and majority shareholder at 50.1 percent until Disney acquired the company in 2006, making him Disney’s largest individual shareholder at seven percent and a member of Disney’s Board of Directors.

“Steve Jobs was a great friend as well as a trusted advisor. His legacy will extend far beyond the products he created or the businesses he built. It will be the millions of people he inspired, the lives he changed, and the culture he defined,” said Disney President and CEO Bob Iger, in a statement at the time of his passing. “Steve was such an ‘original,’ with a thoroughly creative, imaginative mind that defined an era.”

 

By D23’s Max Lark and Billy Stanek

The Magic of Marceline

The town of Marceline, Missouri (current population: 2,308), lies in the gently rolling plains of northeast Missouri. It’s a place where the sun rises over golden fields and sunlight peaks through gently bending willow trees. There are no chain stores in its quaint downtown area, just shops, eateries, and a single movie theater. There’s no stoplight. If you’re looking for the glitz and glamour of the big city, this isn’t the place for you. But if you’re like me—a Disney fan looking to walk in Walt’s footsteps—Marceline is nothing less than an essential, and almost spiritual, destination. For Marceline shaped Walt’s vision in countless ways, and it is here that he found a way of life, an essential decency, which he would share with generations through his movies and at Disneyland.

They had come from the rough-and-tumble concrete jungle of Chicago . . .

Elias Disney, Walt’s father, arrived here in 1906, settling with his family on a 45-acre farm a few miles north of town. He brought his wife, Flora, oldest sons, Herbert and Ray, and the three youngest Disneys—Roy, Walter, and Ruth. They had come from the rough-and-tumble concrete jungle of Chicago, and Elias was eager to raise his family in America’s heartland, where his offspring could learn the value of living simply, working hard, and being close to the land. And they did.

Everything connected with Marceline was a thrill to us . . .

The five years Walt and his family spent here, from 1906 to 1911, left an indelible imprint on his imagination. He never forgot the time he spent in this turn-of-the-century Eden of fields, lakes, woods, and wildlife, and he often told acquaintances just how much he cherished the time he spent here. “Everything connected with Marceline was a thrill to us, coming as we did from Chicago,” Walt said in his 1938 letter to the Marceline News. “The cows, pigs, chickens gave me a big thrill, and perhaps that’s the reason we use so many barnyard animals in the Mickey Mouse and Silly Symphony pictures today—who knows?”

“I’m glad I’m a small-town boy, and I’m glad Marceline was my town” — Walt Disney

photo of Walt Disney Hometown Museum in Marceline, Missouri
The Walt Disney Hometown Museum is located in the exact location where Walt and his family arrived in Marceline in 1906 and left in 1911.

You can still see the Disney family farm and home, owned now by Kaye Malins, the charming woman who runs Marceline’s Walt Disney Hometown Museum. Kaye’s infectious smile and thorough knowledge of Walt’s early life make her the perfect host, and I was fortunate enough to be invited into her home for a night of delicious food and magical memories. “My dad and mom first met Walt in 1956 when Walt, Lilly, Roy, and Edna traveled to Marceline to dedicate the Walt Disney Swimming Pool and Park,” she says, carving me another piece of delicious roast beef. “As they were coming in July and we had a new air-conditioned home, it was decided they should stay with my family. My parents were the Disneys’ host on that trip, and Walt and my Dad just clicked. It was during that visit that Walt first voiced his thoughts regarding a Disney project, on the farm.”

close up photo of Walt Disney's initials scratched into his childhood school desk from Marceline, Missouri
Walt Disney’s childhood desk, which he located during his trip back to his hometown of Marceline, Missouri, in 1956.

Walt would return to Marceline many times during the course of his life, and it is said that whenever he rode the train back east from California, he would rouse his fellow travelers as they whisked past Marceline and point the town out to them. He once wrote, “More things of importance happened to me in Marceline than have happened since or are likely to in the future.”

Walt’s Marceline memories would provide the basis for his view of what life in America should be.

“Walt Disney experienced all of childhood firsts in Marceline, and a feeling of community that he would remember always,” Kaye says. “Walt’s Marceline memories would provide the basis for his view of what life in America should be.”

In the summer of 1911, Walter Disney’s time in Marceline came to an end. Elias had purchased a newspaper route in Kansas City, and the family boarded the Santa Fe train to Kansas City. It’s easy to imagine the young boy, staring out the window as the train surged slowly to life, not wanting to say goodbye to Marceline.

And in some ways, he never did.

Steakhouse 55’s Eggs Benedict

Steakhouse 55’s Eggs Benedict topped with their own creamy Hollandaise sauce.

With a fresh poached egg gently layered on a hearty slice of Canadian bacon on top of a toasted English muffin, and covered in a rich, creamy hollandaise sauce,

Steakhouse 55’s Eggs Benedict is divine.

Chef de cuisine Jason Martin created the entire menu for the signature restaurant here and throughout the Disneyland Hotel, but he’s particularly proud of his savory morning offerings. His recipe for Eggs Benedict bursts with flavor and adds a bit of culinary elegance to the most important meal of the day. “I wanted something decadent and good—that guests could treat themselves to while on vacation, and that also goes with the atmosphere and flavors of the restaurant,” Jason says. “I am following the classic Eggs Benedict dish in terms of what is included, and the core ingredients, of course. But we make it ours by using fresh ingredients, our own carefully crafted hollandaise sauce, and ensuring that it is made perfectly.”

And now (with only a little pleading from the D23 staff), Jason shares his oh-so-mouthwatering recipe with all of us so you can make this culinary masterpiece at home. Bon appétit!

Ingredients

Hollandaise Sauce
3/4 cup (11/2 sticks) butter
2 large egg yolks
Dash Tabasco
Dash Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons water

Eggs Benedict
8 slices Canadian bacon
1/4 cup white distilled vinegar
8 large eggs
4 English muffins
1 teaspoon chives

Preparation

Hollandaise Sauce
Melt butter in a small saucepan on low heat. When the butter has melted completely, tilt the pan and skim off the foamy liquid that rises to the surface to clarify the butter. Will need 1/2 cup for recipe. Set aside and keep warm. Fill two-quart saucepan with water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low to maintain a simmer. Whisk egg yolks, Tabasco, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and water in medium mixing bowl for approximately one-to-two minutes or until mixture lightens in color. Place the mixing bowl over the simmering water and whisk to cook the egg mixture. Move bowl on and off the heat to avoid scrambling the eggs—approximately 10 seconds on, 10 seconds off the heat for three-to-five minutes or until egg mixture coats the back of a spoon. Remove the bowl from the heat and gradually whisk in small amounts of the warm clarified butter, one-to-two tablespoons at a time, mixing thoroughly before adding more butter. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside and keep warm.

Eggs Benedict
Cook Canadian bacon in large skillet over medium high heat until golden brown on both sides. Set aside and keep warm. Fill two-quart saucepan 1/2 full with water. Add vinegar and bring to a simmer over low heat. Crack the eggs into the water and let them cook for two-to-three minutes until set and egg whites turn opaque. Lift the eggs out with a slotted spoon to drain the water. Set aside and keep warm.

To Serve
Cut the English muffins in half and toast. Place two English muffin halves on each plate. Place Canadian bacon on top each English muffin. Place cooked egg on top of the Canadian bacon. Spoon Hollandaise sauce over eggs. Garnish with chives.

This recipe has been converted from a larger quantity in the restaurant kitchens. The flavor profile may vary from the restaurant’s version. All recipes are the property of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts U.S., Inc., and may not be reproduced without express permission.

Epcot Le Cellier Steakhouse’s Maple Crème Brûlée

In honor of your sweet tooth, we’re happy to serve up the park recipe for this delicious delight, one you can re-create at home without a lot of fuss.

Ingredients

2 3/4 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
9 egg yolks
1 1/2 tablespoons maple extract
12 teaspoons sugar for caramelized topping
6 ginger-flavored cookies

Preparation

Preheat oven to 325°F. Place six 3/4-cup custard cups in large roasting pan. Combine cream, milk, and sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Slowly bring mixture to a simmer, whisking constantly to dissolve sugar. When sugar is dissolved, stir every few minutes while the mixture is heating to avoid scalding. When small bubbles appear around the edges, remove milk mixture from heat. Whisk egg yolks and maple extract together in a large bowl. Slowly add hot cream mixture to egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly. Divide among custard cups in pan. Pour enough hot water into roasting pan to come halfway up sides of custard cups. Bake custards until center moves only slightly when cups are gently shaken, about 55 minutes. Remove custards from pan. Refrigerate until thoroughly cool. Sprinkle 2 teaspoons sugar evenly over each custard. Working with one custard at a time, hold kitchen torch so that flame is 2 inches above surface. Direct flame so that sugar melts and browns, about 2 minutes. (If you don’t have a kitchen torch, preheat broiler. Sieve 2 teaspoons brown sugar atop each custard. Place dishes on small baking sheet. Broil until sugar just starts to caramelize, rotating sheet for even browning, about 2 minutes, then chill until topping hardens, about 2 hours.) Top with a ginger-flavored cookie.

Serves six. This recipe has been converted from a larger quantity in the restaurant kitchens. The flavor profile may vary from the restaurant’s version. All recipes are the property of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts U.S., Inc., and may not be reproduced without express permission.

Walt’s Hidden Hideaway

(above) Walt Disney plans out the spot for his Smoke Tree Ranch vacation home in the desert with measuring tape.

Head to Palm Springs, California, via Highway 111, and you’ll see the astonishing natural beauty of the South Mojave Desert. Low-lying brush, lizards, cacti, and tumbleweeds provide an idyllic backdrop as the narrow roadway leads you to the town’s entrance on the northern side of the towering San Jacinto Mountains. Movie stars have been heading to Palm Springs since the 1920s, and this desert oasis still casts its spell on Southern Californians searching for the perfect weekend getaway.

Vacationers from around the world have traveled here for world-class golf, spectacular resorts, and one of the world’s most dramatic desert settings, but few of them are aware of a very special enclave, located just a few minutes from the Village of Palm Springs, that holds a special place in Disney history: the Smoke Tree Ranch. Here, among the breathtaking beauty of the mountains and the fragrant scent of desert flowers is a world removed, a place that looks very much the same as it did when a man named Walt Disney would take his family here, leaving the pressures of the Studio behind and enjoying long weekends and holidays with the ones he loved in this one-of-a-kind dude ranch.

Walt regularly wore an embroidered tie with the Smoke Tree Ranch logo, derived from the original Smoke Tree Ranch brand—on episodes of Disneyland and Walt Disney’s World of Color.

Homes on the Range
Smoke Tree Ranch is made up of an enclave of privately owned homes and rentable guest cottages on 375 acres of natural desert. Those who’ve purchased lots and built homes on the property are fondly referred to as “colonists,” and both the colonists and the cottage guests have access to the property’s all-inclusive three-meals-a-day dining plan (don’t be late for the dinner bell!), horseback riding, and other ranch activities. Today there are two homes and six cottages, with Disney beginnings, that currently reside on the Smoke Tree Ranch.

Tracy Conrad, chief operating officer of Smoke Tree Ranch believes Walt probably heard of the ranch early on in his life, since he often visited Palm Springs to play polo. “But Smoke Tree Ranch had a thing about no show people,” Tracy says. “They didn’t want the attention. The people who lived here were the captains of industry—I lovingly refer to them as the brand names, the last names.” Walt eventually became a member of Smoke Tree Ranch in 1946 and built his own house on the property in 1948. Later, a recreational facility called Disney Hall and Disney cottages were added to the ranch. “Walt charmed them,” Tracy says. “He would bring down rough clips from movies that were in the making and show them to all the kids on the ranch in advance of the movie being released.”

“I don’t think people really knew that he was an equestrian,” Tracy Conrad, chief operating officer, Smoke Tree Ranch, says. “And he was such a handsome figure on a horse.”

The first Disney house at Smoke Tree “was built by William Cody, a famous architect known for his mid-century modern style,” Tracy says. And Walt enjoyed several years at this residence until his dream for Disneyland forced him to sell off his assets. Among other things, Walt sold off his property at the ranch to place a down payment on Disneyland. “He asked a few of the colonists if they wanted to invest in Disneyland,” Tracy says. “I’m sure they regret not having done so now.” But after Disneyland proved successful, he was able to buy a second lot and build another house, and he moved into his second home on the ranch in 1957. And Walt, train connoisseur that he was, had the idea to put a train around his ranch house. “He was just a big kid,” Tracy laughs. “But the architectural committee would not let him do it because there are strict rules on maintaining the desert look. Walt compromised and put a sidewalk around his house so the kids could ride their bicycles and tricycles around the house instead.”

Very Happy Trails
“I don’t think people really knew that he was an equestrian,” Tracy says of Walt. “And he was such a handsome figure on a horse.” Walt often accompanied his wife, Lilly, out on breakfast horseback rides, a ranch tradition that ended with a pancake breakfast in the desert with a large skillet to cook up the pancakes. A group would sit together at long picnic tables and enjoy their breakfast in the fresh outdoor air. “People came here to play cowboy, and the ranch was at the center of it,” Tracy says. “They were here to have a good time and relax.”

There were desert activities aplenty at Smoke Tree Ranch, and almost all of them were meant to bring families together. It wasn’t uncommon to see a large group of buckaroos gathered together, singing along with a guitar. Some homes included rooftop decks for prime sunbathing in the day and cozy stargazing at night. “No houses, prior to 1946, had their own pool so everyone congregated together and they played bridge and had parties,” Tracy explains. “It was like adult summer camp. They would have German Oktoberfest and everyone would wear lederhosen. And all the holidays had square dancing, marshmallow roasting, cowboy crooning, the whole nine yards.”

Walt Disney’s True-Life Adventure: The Living Desert, which won an Oscar® in 1954 for Best Documentary, showcased the creatures and beauty of the desert.

Walt took a particular interest in the Smoke Tree tradition of lawn bowling. Along with the other lawn bowling enthusiasts at the ranch, Walt would get dressed up in all white attire and spend an afternoon rolling lopsided balls across a 100-foot green space. “He was an avid lawn bowler, and he sponsored a tournament,” Tracy says. “He and Lilly gave prizes that were engraved with their signatures.” Walt had his share of worthy challengers, which made the sport even more enthralling.

“I think he was quite happy here at Smoke Tree Ranch,” Tracy reflects. Walt’s love of the wild frontier lives on in films, theme park experiences, and Walt’s Chili, the quintessential cowboy meal, which is still offered at the Walt Disney Studios commissary today. Walt Disney’s True-Life Adventure: The Living Desert, which won an Oscar® in 1954 for Best Documentary, showcased the creatures and beauty of the desert. And it’s easy to see Walt’s wild-west influences in Disney parks—Disneyland Frontierland’s Stagecoach, Nature’s Wonderland, and Rainbow Caverns Mine Train were a few of the early attractions inspired by the wilderness. While many people visit the desert to enjoy high temperatures and sunshine, it was the warmth of the people at Smoke Tree Ranch that kept Walt coming back time and again. And that’s a ranch tradition that will never go out of style.

Along with the other lawn bowling enthusiasts at the ranch, Walt would get dressed up in all white attire and spend an afternoon rolling lopsided balls across a 100-foot green space.

The Mark in Question
You’ve probably seen the brand for Smoke Tree Ranch—and by brand we mean the hot iron a cowboy uses to mark his cattle—many times and passed it off as a symbol of Asian origin. After all, Walt regularly wore an embroidered tie with the Smoke Tree Ranch logo, derived from the original Smoke Tree Ranch brand—on episodes of Disneyland and Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color. The design is based on the letters S, T, and R.) Tracy points out an example of Walt wearing the brand from an episode of Wonderful World of Color.” In The Nine Lives of Elfego Baca, he’s wearing a dark tie with the insignia embroidered in white,” she says. “He knew what he was doing by letting himself go on the program with that on. It was a little silly since no one else would know what it was unless they were part of the club.”

Disney Legend Blaine Gibson, known for his contributions to Walt Disney Imagineering and Disney Animation, sculpted the Smoke Tree Ranch brand directly on the famously known “Partners” statue in 1993. You can see a version of Blaine’s masterpiece in several places: the center of The Hub at Disneyland, in The Hub of many other Disney parks, and at The Walt Disney Studios’ Legends Plaza.

“It’s amusing to look on the Internet to see what people postulate that it is,” Tracy points out. Rumors and stories about the symbol range from it referencing a character in the Chinese alphabet to a sign that Walt was part of a secret society. “It was a common sight—everyone wore bolo ties on the ranch—with that insignia, and Walt was no different,” Tracy adds. “The brand was designed in the ’20s, and because the lines in it are too close together, it was a really bad brand for a horse, but it’s a good brand for dudes.”

It sure was good enough for a dude named Walt Disney.

Florentine Cookies From Biergarten in Epcot At Walt Disney World

In honor of the holidays and your sweet tooth, we’re happy to serve up the park recipe for this delicious delight, one you can re-create at home without a lot of fuss. Pastry chef Lothar Neumaier fills us in on a scrumptious dessert from Biergarten Restaurant in the Germany pavilion at Epcot.

Ingredients

1 16.5-ounce package refrigerated sugar cookie dough
1 cup raspberry jam
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/2 tablespoon granulated sugar

Preparation

  1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
  2. Cut a sheet of parchment paper to fit inside a regular sheet pan.
  3. Place the parchment paper rectangle on the counter, and place cookie dough on the parchment paper.
  4. Roll out cookie dough to cover most of the rectangle, leaving a 1/2-inch border of paper. The dough should be approximately 1/8-inch thick.
  5. Carefully transfer dough on parchment to the sheet pan.
  6. Spoon jam onto dough, and use the back of a spoon to spread it evenly over dough.
  7. Evenly sprinkle with almonds and sugar.
  8. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes.
  9. Transfer sheet pan to a wire rack to cool completely, at least 1 hour.
  10. When cool, slide baked dough off of sheet pan.
  11. Cut into rectangles using a pizza cutter or a knife.
  12. Store cookies in an airtight container, separating layers with pieces of parchment paper to prevent them from sticking together.

Chef’s Note
If you don’t like raspberry jam, you can use your favorite flavor.

Yield:
Makes 32 2-by-3-inch cookies

This recipe has been converted from a larger quantity in the restaurant kitchens. The flavor profile may vary from the restaurant’s version. All recipes are the property of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts U.S., Inc., and may not be reproduced without express permission.

Epcot Akershus’ Rice Cream with Strawberry

In honor of the holidays and your sweet tooth, we're happy to serve up the park recipe for this delicious delight, one you can re-create at home without a lot of fuss.

Ingredients

Rice Cream
11/2 cups water
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup short-grain white rice
2 cups milk

Strawberry Sauce
1 cup strawberry preserves
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preparation

In a 3- or 4-quart saucepan, bring 11/2 cups of water to a boil with the salt. Add the rice, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook the rice for 15 minutes or until all of the water has been absorbed. Add the milk and simmer for 20 minutes or until all of the milk has been absorbed. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and let cool to room temperature. Meanwhile, in a blender, combine the strawberry preserves, 1/2 cup water, and lemon juice and blend until smooth. In a bowl, whip the cream with the sugar and vanilla. With a rubber spatula, fold the whipped cream mixture into the rice.

To Serve:
Transfer the rice pudding to a large bowl or to individual serving bowls and drizzle with strawberry sauce.

Yield:
4 to 6 servings; makes about 5 cups rice pudding and 1 cup strawberry sauce.

This recipe has been converted from a larger quantity in the restaurant kitchens. The flavor profile may vary from the restaurant's version. All recipes are the property of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts U.S., Inc., and may not be reproduced without express permission.

Club 33’s Pumpkin Beignets

These tasty beignets filled with fall flavor from Disneyland’s Club 33 are the
perfect autumn treat to share with friends and family.

Ingredients

Pumpkin Beignets
1/2 tsp. dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup hot water
1 egg
2 tbsp. vegetable shortening
1/2 tsp. salt
vegetable oil, for frying

Maple Glaze
3 tbsp. butter
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 cup powdered sugar

Preparation

Pumpkin Beignets
Sprinkle yeast over warm water in a small bowl, stirring to dissolve. Let stand for 5 minutes. Combine flour, pumpkin puree, sugar, heavy cream, hot water, egg, shortening, and salt in a large bowl; stir in yeast mixture. Mix dough just until combined and smooth. Let dough rest in bowl, covered with a clean kitchen towel, 30 minutes. Transfer dough to a well-floured surface. Pat to about 1/4-inch thickness and cut into 2-inch squares. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let dough rise in a warm, draft-free area, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Heat three inches of vegetable oil to 350°F in a deep, heavy pot over medium-high heat. Fry beignets until golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes, turning as soon as they brown on one side. Remove with tongs or a slotted spoon and place on paper towels to drain.

Maple Glaze
Combine butter and maple syrup in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Microwave until butter melts. Whisk in powdered sugar until smooth. Drizzle warm beignets with maple glaze and serve immediately.

This recipe has been converted from a larger quantity in the restaurant kitchens. The flavor profile may vary from the restaurant’s version. All recipes are the property of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts U.S., Inc., and may not be reproduced without express permission.

Lights! Camera! Attraction!

“Getting to be a part of a ride at Walt Disney World has been one of the most special opportunities that I have been granted while working in the industry,” says Patrick Warburton.

Snow White, Dumbo, and Mr. Toad were on hand that day, Davy Crockett star Fess Parker led the parade and the Mouseketeers made their debut

On the opening day of Disneyland on July 17, 1955, Walt Disney made history in countless ways. One of those enduring achievements was combining popular stars of the day with his classic talent for storytelling. So along with Snow White, Dumbo, and Mr. Toad on hand that day, Davy Crockett star Fess Parker led the parade and the Mouseketeers made their debut—Mickey Mouse Club wouldn’t premiere until that October. And of course, Walt himself was there—already a huge celebrity to millions of people around the globe.

The tradition of blending storytelling with celebrities has continued to this day. In celebration of the 40th anniversary of Walt Disney World, D23 speaks with some of the talented individuals who have appeared in Walt Disney World attractions over the years, lending their voices, bodies, and sometimes hours of time in a make-up chair to create magic for park guests.

Patrick Warburton
(Chief Flight Attendant Patrick, Soarin‘, Epcot, 2005 – Present)
Getting to be a part of a ride at Walt Disney World has been one of the most special opportunities that I have been granted while working in the industry. Disneyland has always been so magical. It was a special place for me to go to as a child, and now it’s a special place for me to share with my children. It’s been an honor to be associated with a Disney ride.

movie still of actor Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow
Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow

 

Johnny Depp
(Captain Jack Sparrow, Pirates of the Caribbean, 2006 – Present)

Well, it’s pretty psychedelic, actually. The idea of wandering through this ride and suddenly there you are three times on the thing—I mean, Geoffrey [Rush] has a similar experience there. He has to go in and see his head in there as well. It’s quite an honor in a weird way. It’s a great honor. Some sort of thing that you took part in creating becomes this forever sort of object.

Ian McShane
(Blackbeard, Pirates of the Caribbean, 2011 – Present)
I remember I just went in one day in costume and we filmed a special sequence. Three months later, I was a part of the ride! I hope I scare [guests] out of their seats!

John Michael Higgins
(Supervisor, Test Track, Epcot, 1998 – Present)
I’m often stopped at grocery stores by rabid Test Track fans who say how much they like the ride, and it always takes me a few minutes to figure out what they’re talking about—I did the Test Track job in 1997. I remember we shot the “security cam” footage in one day at a stage in Hollywood. The footage itself had to be one continuous take because it was a security cam and there were no cuts! So if I messed up five minutes into it, I had to start over from the beginning. Very arduous, but we eventually got it.

photo of actress Jamie Lee Curtis appearing on game show
“What I remember and love about being a part of Ellen’s Energy Adventure was being a brainiac,” says Jamie Lee Curtis.

Jamie Lee Curtis
(Dr. Judy Peterson, Ellen’s Energy Adventure, Epcot, 1996 – Present)
What I remember and love about being a part of Ellen’s Energy Adventure was being a brainiac. I don’t often play a smart person, just a smart aleck—whomever Aleck is.

Richard Kind
(Sarge, Stitch’s Great Escape, Magic Kingdom, 2004 – Present)
I know what it is like to wait in line at Disney World. Sometimes the wait can be fun, because they’ve arranged it so the line is as entertaining as possible. That’s what we discussed while recording. We tried to prepare them for the ride by telling them a story beforehand, getting them involved and prepared for what was to come. I also remember the tour they gave me of the Imagineering building. Seeing the old black and white photos from the ’50s and ’60s. Seeing the miniature layout model. Seeing the plans for future attractions. These are as fascinating as an Epcot exhibit.

photo of Don Rickles posing with Mr. Potato Head
Don Rickles remembers, “For the ride, I was just in a sound booth by myself. Lee [Unkrich], who directed it, would direct me. I recorded about 300 or 400 lines.”
Don Rickles
(Mr. Potato Head, Toy Story Mania, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, 2008 – Present; and William the agent, Enchanted Tiki Room (Under New Management), Magic Kingdom (1998 – 2011)
Sixteen years I’ve been doing Mr. Potato Head! When John Lasseter first came to me I said, “I don’t do cartoons.” It was one of the finest things I’ve ever had happen to me. My grandchildren know me as Mr. Potato Head. For the ride, I was just in a sound booth by myself. Lee [Unkrich], who directed it, would direct me. I recorded about 300 or 400 lines. “You sir, step out of the line!” And the ride is a big draw! I was there when it opened. It was great. My grandkids love the ride. It’s fun for kids. They thought it was very exciting. I was very pleased with that.

I’ve been a bird and a potato . . .  Now I need to train to be an elf or a monkey.

 

[The Enchanted Tiki Room] was fun. Phil [Hartman, who voiced agent Morris opposite Don] was a great guy—a delightful guy and a very funny comedian. It was a long time ago that we recorded that, but we had some good times doing it. I’ve been a bird and a potato . . .  Now I need to train to be an elf or a monkey.

Dave Foley
(Flik, It’s Tough to Be A Bug, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, 1998 – Present)
As a child growing up in Toronto, I always dreamed of visiting Disney World but I never got the chance. On the other hand, I never dreamt I would one day play a part in a Disney World attraction. Bringing my own children to the opening of Disney’s Animal Kingdom was one of my proudest days as a father. Even if they were terrified by Hopper. Oh, and the spiders.

photo of Steven Tyler and friends at Rock 'N' Rollercoaster
“You know you’ve made it when . . . you are at your own roller coaster!” Steven Tyler says.

Steven Tyler
(Himself, Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, 1999 – Present)
You know you’ve made it when… you are at your own roller coaster! Joe Perry and I got on it and we rode it 29 times just to get the sound right. Then we were like this [eyes wide and shaking], so I said, “Joe, let’s go do the Tower of Terror and it will get us straight!” And we did, and we were able to walk home after that! What a joy! And I can go down there and ride it whenever I want!

Bobcat Goldthwait
(Adrenal Gland, Cranium Command, Epcot, 1989 – 2007)
I have never been so excited about the adrenal system. Nor did I know what that was before I went in to record—so working at Disney was an educational experience. I read for the bile duct first but didn’t land the role. I actually plan to work in the Haunted Mansion after I die.

Alexander Gould
(Nemo, The Seas with Nemo and Friends, Epcot, 2007 – Present)
The whole Nemo experience was amazing, I started with the film at age seven and at age 12, I completed my Nemo life with The Seas with Nemo and Friends. My biggest memory of voicing the ride was recording the song “In the Big Blue World.” My pitch wasn’t the greatest back then, but I think it added to the charm of the character.

My friends were singing “In the Big Blue World” all day just to annoy me.

My little sister did the commercial advertising the Seas ride, so she got to experience it before I did. She thought it was awesome. I actually, experienced the ride for the first time this past winter in 2010 when I spent winter break in Florida with my youth group. Weird at age 16 to hear yourself at 12. My friends were singing “In the Big Blue World” all day just to annoy me.

photo of Allison Janney working in the recording booth
“I was really flattered to hear that George Lucas named the character Aly San San after me,” Allison Janney says.

Allison Janney
(Aly San San, Star Tours—The Adventures Continue, Disney’s Hollywood Studios; and Peach, The Seas with Nemo and Friends, Epcot, 2007)
I have always been a huge fan of Disney. Being able to play Peach in Finding Nemo was really a dream come true. But then to be asked to voice a character on a Disney attraction—especially one as legendary as Star Tours—was unbelievable. The Disney parks have a lot of meaning for me, and to now be a part of their history is truly magical. Recording the role was so much fun—I was able to play around, and all the Imagineers were incredibly inspiring to work with. I was really flattered to hear that George Lucas named the character Aly San San after me. How great is that? I don’t think she looks very much like me, though.