6/10 Denise’s Corner – Wally Boag and Betty Taylor, Disney’s Art of Animation Resort Progression
Hi everyone!
Welcome back to Denise's Corner, one day late! I'm spending a few days in Washington DC, getting ready to celebrate Flag Day with the annual picnic in my dad's backyard (for a couple of hundred friends) and then the Congressional Reception on Capitol Hill. It's interesting though how many references I've seen to Disney even while here, expect that to be part of my column next Friday!
Last week marked the passing of two Disney Legends – Wally Boag and Betty Taylor, both amazingly talented performers in Disneyland's Golden Horseshoe Revue. I was fortunate to have met Wally Boag twice in 2008, though I never was able to see either Wally or Betty perform in person. I helped with a tribute to Wally Boag as part of the Ape Pen Publishing website back in March, 2008. If you don't know who Wally and Betty are, I'd suggest checking YouTube – there are some great performance videos online. While Disney has employed a lot of great talent throughout the parks, there was something special about Wally Boag. Watching his old performances reminds me of Lucille Ball's comic timing – pure magic. We send our condolences to both families, and highly recommend the book "Wally Boag: Crown Prince of Disneyland", which came out just a couple of years ago to learn more about this wonderful man and performer.
With Wally Boag, 2008
We had a couple of updates this past week, one at the Magic Kingdom and the other covers Disney's Art of Animation Resort. Dumbo's Circus (where Mickey's Toontown Fair used to stand) had developed quickly since we last saw it! And at Disney's Art of Animation Resort, pool construction is visible. The Finding Nemo section is now being painted, we show you how it looks compared with Disney's own artwork. If you follow our links, you'll find both photos and video!
Disney's Art of Animation Resort, Finding Nemo Building
I did receive a couple of questions over the past week – I usually get questions on Twitter and Facebook, but you can also email me at Denise@Mousesteps.com
Q: We are planning our trip to coincide during Star Wars Weekends next year, what are the dates for it?
Answer: It could be another 6 – 8 months before Disney announces the dates for Star Wars Weekends 2012! Unlike other park special events, Star Wars Weekend dates tend to be announced pretty close to the event itself. However, if you plan for late May to early June, you should be able to join in the fun. And remember that Star Wars Celebration VI will be in Orlando next year! I was't expecting the event to be back so quickly after last year's Orlando Star Wars Celebration V.
Jedi Mickey and R2-MK
Q: Will you be doing more resort photo walks?
Answer: I plan to! My last one was an update of the Coronado Springs photo walk (I did my first Coronado Springs photo walk in 2007). I really enjoy photo walks and they aren't too time intensive, so expect more in the near future.
The Disney Store has also sent some fragrance samples for me to try, and I plan to add those to next week's "Denise's Corner" if I have them in time!
Have a wonderful week – and Happy Flag Day!
Denise