Q : In July, 1975, when I was a teenager, my family and I drove to Disneyland from Red Deer, Alberta, Canada, and stayed at the Disneyland Campground in our holiday trailer. I remember the campground as being very close to the Disneyland Hotel. This was a trip of a lifetime for our family! I have been back to Disneyland several times since then, and I always wonder where the campground was. When was the campground closed, and what is now standing on the land where it was located?
Peggy, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
A: Disney’s Vacationland campground was north of the Disneyland Hotel on West Street (now Disneyland Drive), in the place where the current Mickey & Friends Parking Structure is located.  It was open from about 1971 to 1996.
Q : My favorite Disney theme park is Disney’s Hollywood Studios, so I’m always looking for information about it! While digging around the Internet, I found some conflicting reports about the Theater of the Stars—the original one on Hollywood Boulevard before Sunset existed. The question I have is what are the shows that were shown there, because I can’t find anything official pre-Beauty and the Beast in 1991, a whole two years into its existence?
Shaun, Orlando, Florida
A: The Theater of the Stars opened on May 1, 1989, with a show entitled Hollywood, Hollywood!  That show continued until August 31, 1991. There were three other shows that performed there concurrently—Swing, Swing, Swing (April 7-18, 1990), Dick Tracy Starring in “Diamond Double Cross” (May 21, 1990 to February 16, 1991) and Hollywood’s Pretty Woman (September 24 to November 3, 1991). Beauty and the Beast—Live on Stage opened at the theater on November 22, 1991. This is the full list of shows and their dates, based on the weekly entertainment programs for that period.
Q : The first time I visited Walt Disney World was in about 1979 or 1980. I was wandering around and stumbled upon a little side street, I noticed a door, which led into a small theater. I sat down to watch the show. The two things I remember most was Alice in the Flower Garden and Cinderella, first in her rags, and then the lights went down and when they came back up, she was in her ball gown. It was on a revolving stage and it was done with Animatronics. I also have a postcard of Alice with the Flowers. Can you please help me with this?
Lisa, Elyria, Ohio
A: You may be thinking of the Mickey Mouse Revue, which was in Fantasyland at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom from 1971 to 1980. The attraction later moved to Tokyo Disneyland where it remained until 2009.
Q : I found two stuffed-animal-head hats that my mom and I wore when we got to be a part of one of the parades at Disneyland. One is a pink panda and the other is an orange lion with a plastic raffia mane. If I remember correctly, cast members randomly picked out guests to be in the parade. I believe it was the Happiest Homecoming Parade in 2005. Am I right?
Nicki, Chatsworth, California
A: In Disneyland’s 45 Years of Magic Parade in 2000, guests chosen to participate in the parade were given tutus and brightly colored animal hats to wear along the parade route. Perhaps this is the parade you recall.
Q : I love your trivia and have noticed you can answer the oddest questions. Well, I have one for you. My mom and I love Carousel of Progress and the songs. I have wondered about one song in particular, “Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow.” She told me as a kid at the New York World’s Fair that she saw Carousel of Progress, but the wonderful song “Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow” was sung by Walt Disney. Is this true? If so, why did they change it for the show we now watch today at the park? Is this music track available with Walt?
Morgan, Cockeysville, Maryland
A: Walt Disney’s voice was not used in the Carousel of Progress. He sang, “There’s a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow” on a short film he made with the Sherman Brothers for GE, which was sponsoring the show at the fair. Perhaps your mom saw that film. The lead vocalist for the song at the fair was Rex Allen, who was also the voice of the father. The film with Walt and the Sherman Brothers appeared as an “Easter egg” in the bonus materials for the Tomorrowland Disney Treasures DVD. You can check websites on the Internet to discover how to find it.
Q : We stayed at the Disneyland Hotel for the first time in January 2012. It is now one of our favorite Disney hotels. What is the story behind Walt Disney not owning the property when the park opened? When did Disney acquire the property?
Joanna, La Habra, California
A: Walt Disney was hard pressed for cash in the 1950s, so he asked a friend of his, Jack Wrather, if he would build and run a hotel on Disney property in Anaheim. Wrather did so, and the Disneyland Hotel, which opened several months after Disneyland Park in 1955, became one of the prime hotels in Orange County. Disney purchased the hotel from the Wrather Corporation in 1988. For more information, you might like to pick up Don Ballard’s book, Disneyland Hotel: The Early Years, 1954-1988.