How were the Countries selected to the World Showcase

Q: First of all, thank you for your historical contributions to all of us as Disney fans. My question focuses on EPCOT. How were the countries selected to create The World Showcase?

Larry, Marion, Indiana

A [Dave Smith]: Disney originally sought sponsorship from governments of different countries (they had in mind a group of key countries which they felt had to be in World Showcase, such as Canada, Mexico, England, China, France, Germany, Italy and Japan) but found such a pursuit to be difficult. Disney then sought sponsorship from companies that operated within the countries, and here they had more success. Canada and Mexico were placed closest to Future World as they are the countries that border the U.S. (originally The American Adventure was to be placed between them). As sponsors were found, the countries of Norway and Morocco were added, though some, including Costa Rica, Spain and Equatorial Africa, never came to fruition.

Jolly Holiday Dinner Show Spectacular

Q: Years ago my wife and I attended a Christmas dinner and show at Walt Disney World. I believe it was called the Holly Jolly Christmas Show. We were picked up by a bus in front of the Contemporary Resort and were taken to a large building that looked like a warehouse. We went several years in a row and then it was gone. What was the real name of the show, and during what years was it presented?

Dave, Fleming Island, Florida

A [Dave Smith]: You may be recalling the Jolly Holiday Dinner Show Spectacular, which was held at the Contemporary Resort Convention Center's Fantasia Ballroom starting during the holiday season in 1992. It featured an all-you-can-eat Christmas dinner and a show featuring 100 performers; it continued until 1998.

[Marcio Disney]

Bloodhound Pluto

Q: My husband and I have always wanted to know what kind of dog Pluto is. My husband says he is a poodle but I say some kind of retriever. We recently visited Walt Disney World in Florida and asked the person who works with the characters at Chef Mickey in the Contemporary Resort and he didn't know. We asked several cast members around the Magic Kingdom and they didn't know either. Can you help?
Michelle, Hialeah, Florida

A [Dave Smith]: Pluto was never meant to be any particular breed, or in other words, he is a lovable mutt. (In one of his first appearances, he was a bloodhound.)

[Marcio Disney]

Pluto (formerly known as Pluto the Pup) is an animated cartoon character made famous in a series of Disney short cartoons. He has most frequently appeared as Mickey Mouse's pet dog. He also had an independent starring role in 48 Disney shorts in the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s. Pluto is unusual for a Disney character in that he is not anthropomorphized beyond showing an unusually broad range of facial expressions or use of his front paws at key points; he is actually represented as a normal dog (unlike Goofy who is an anthropomorphic dog).

 

N a m i n g

The pup first appeared in Walt Disney's short The Chain Gang, released in the USA on August 18, 1930. However, the dog had no name. In the next appearance on October 23, 1930, in The Picnic[the dog is named not Pluto, but Rover. It was in The Moose Hunt, released on May 8, 1931, that the dog is called Pluto the Pup, the studio's original name. A September 1931 model sheet for the character with that name is illustrated in Barrier's Hollywood Cartoons.

Several months had passed between the naming of what was believed to have been the ninth planet, Pluto, on March 24, 1930, and the attachment of that name to the dog character. Venetia Burney (later Venetia Phair), who as an eleven-year-old schoolgirl had suggested the name Pluto for the planet, remarked in 2006: “The name had nothing to do with the Disney cartoon. Mickey Mouse's dog was named after the planet, not the other way around.”

Although it has been claimed that the Disney studio named the dog after the planet (rather than after the mythical god of the underworld), this has not been verified. Disney animator Ben Sharpsteen has said: "We thought the name [Rover] was too common, so we had to look for something else. [...] We changed it to Pluto the Pup, [...] but I don't honestly remember why."

Welcome to Pooh Corner

Q: When I was younger, I remember watching a Winnie the Pooh show. It started with telling the story of the Hundred Acre Wood and an old book opening up. It wasn't a cartoon, the characters were in costume. What was the name of this show, and when did it go off the air?
Ana, Oceanside, California

A [Dave Smith]: You are probably thinking of Welcome to Pooh Corner, with performers in costumes and masks of the Pooh characters performing in storybook settings. The process was called "advanced puppetronics." The show debuted on Disney Channel on April 18, 1983.

[Marcio Disney]

U.S.S. Seacat (S.S. 399) Disney Insignia (1944)

Q: My dad served on the U.S.S. Seacat (S.S. 399) during WWll. I was wondering if out of the 1200 insignias or patch art from Disney, did they create one for this submarine?

Gary, Pleasant Hill, California

A [Dave Smith]: Yes, Disney designed an insignia for the U.S.S. Sea Cat in April 1944 at the request of the submarine's commander, R. R. McGregor. It featured a caricature of an angry-looking catfish.

[Marcio Disney]

 

 Rare pic of the Disney-designed insignia

USS Sea Cat (SS/AGSS-399), a Balao-class submarine, was a ship of the United States Navy named for a shortened form of sea catfish, a marine fish found off the southeastern coast of the United States.

 WW II battleflag

The USS Sea Cat had a long and distinguish career in the service to her country. Her contributions are immeasurable. She help win the war in the Pacific with three battle stars. The Sea Cat can be proud of her immense contributions in helping win the undeclared cold war with the Soviet Union.  From her North Atlantic operations and Mediterranean deployments to her role in the Cuban Missile Crisis and providing services to train her surface and air counterparts in anti-submarine warfare, she conducted herself with skill, knowledge, proficiency and always with a "Can Do" spirit.

Click Here to visit the USS Sea Cat Association

Click Here to see the chronological history of the Sea Cat movements during her service to her country or the detailed account of her history authored by CDR Robert L. Sminkey.

Click Here to read the USS Sea Cat History

Clic Here to see more USS Sea Cat pictures 

United States Submarine Veterans, Inc.: The First 40 Years [Page 157]: http://tinyurl.com/2f6wtkd

View the Sea Cat (SS-399)
DANFS history entry located on the Haze Gray & Underway Web Site.

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Crew Contact And Reunion Information
U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation
Fleet Reserve Association

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Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
Guppy Submarines
Victory at Sea: Full Fathom Five 2 of 3

The Journey of Natty Gann & Race to Witch Mountain

Q: I watched the updated version of Escape to Witch Mountain, which they renamed Race to Witch Mountain, and had a question about the reporter at the beginning of this remake. Is she the same actress who played Natty Gann in The Journey of Natty Gann back in the '80s? I loved that movie and probably drove my parents crazy by watching it over and over as a child. Someone may have asked this question already, but I was just curious because the actress says something like, "This is Natalie Gann, reporting for..." and I rewound the movie to make sure that I had heard her right. Hopefully, you can clear this up for me...

Danae, Arroyo Grande, California

A [Dave Smith]: Good catch! That was indeed Meredith Salenger, who starred in The Journey of Natty Gann, in a cameo portraying "Natalie Gann" in Race to Witch Mountain 24 years later. I wonder how many Natty Gann fans noticed.

[Marcio Disney]

The Journey of Natty Gann [Trailer]

Race to Witch Mountain [First 10 minutes]

Walt and Roy are Disney Legends?

Q: I've always wanted to know why Walt Disney and his brother Roy have not yet been inducted to be part of the "Disney Legends" awards. Is there a good specific reason as to why this may be?
Joe, Livonia, Michigan

A [Dave Smith]: Good question, and I'm not sure what the answer would be. I guess that Walt and Roy Disney essentially were the company during their lives, and it didn't seem necessary to give them the Disney Legend award (which bore their name). They have already been sufficiently honored.

1981 Snow White Picture Disk

Q: I have a Disney picture disk of Walt Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Can you tell me what year they came out with these and if they made other picture disks besides this one?
Edward, LaPlace, Louisiana


A [Dave Smith]: The phonograph record picture disc of Snow White was released in 1981 — there were 10 others from that and the following year: Pinocchio, Lady and the Tramp, Mary Poppins, The Jungle Book, The Fox and the Hound, Cinderella, Bambi, Mickey's Christmas Carol, Peter Pan, and Mickey Mouse Disco.

[Marcio Disney]

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The Secret of Boyne Castle

Q: There was a Disney movie in the late '70s that was about a spy from America who was visiting a friend in England and their adventures. I would love to find out the title and see it again. Can you help?

Troy, Apple Valley, California

A [Dave Smith]: You may be remembering The Secret of Boyne Castle, a three-part television show from 1969 starring Glenn Corbett and Kurt Russell. The plot concerns an American agent trying to meet a defecting scientist in Ireland, with the Russians trying to prevent that meeting. It was repeated in 1978 under the title The Spybusters. The film is not currently available.

[Marcio Disney]

This three part Disneyland movie from 1969 runs somewhere in the neighborhood of 140 minutes! That’s something like 20 minutes longer than Citizen Kane! For a movie starring Kurt Russell as an American exchange student running around Ireland trying to avoid getting caught by Commie secret agents!


The 140 minutes includes the opening and ending credits for each individual episode as well as a “last week on Secret of Boyne Castle” recap that played before parts 2 and 3, but even if you cut out those 15 minutes or so, you’re still left with a movie that’s easily a half hour too long.

Click Here to read a great article about this movie at monsterhunter.com

This is a scene from Walt Disney's 3-part, made-for-TV feature, "The Secret of Boyne Castle". Originally shown on Disney's "Wonderful World of Color", then re-edited into a feature film for European theatrical release under the title, "Guns In The Heather". Filmed in Ireland in all of its rugged beauty with gothic castles, quaint villages and lively pubs.

Tick-Tock, the Crocodile from Peter Pan

Q: In the movie Peter Pan, what's the name of the alligator that wants to eat Captain Hook's hand? I've heard him referred to as Tick-Tock, but I am not sure if that is his name.
Julie, Anaheim, California

A [Dave Smith]: The Crocodile is unnamed in the Peter Pan film, but in later comic book stories he was called Tick-Tock.

[Marcio Disney]

Tick-Tock Croc is a comic book character that first appeared with this name in Four Color #442

#442 - Walt Disney's Peter Pan is a comic book published by Dell & released on 12//1952

Peter Pan

Tick-Tock the Crocodile first appears at the beginning of the film. Captain Hook laments Peter Pan's role in causing the crocodile to follow him. Tick Tock, then appears in the sea next to the ship, sending Hook into a panic. However, Smee shoos off the crocodile. Later, when Captain Hook kidnaps the Indian princess, Tiger Lily, in an attempt to learn Peter Pan's hiding place, Hook is forced to hang from a cliff while fighting Peter Pan. The crocodile approaches, seeing a golden opportunity to eat the Captain. Peter recognizes Tick Tock and almost decides to kick Hook off the cliff but decides against it when Wendy yells at him not to. Hook eventually slips, but is apparently able to escape the crocodile. And of course, Tick-Tock has a part in the climatic battle against Captain Hook. As the Captain falls in the water, Tick Tock begins another pursuit of Hook. He ends up chasing Captain Hook away from Never Land.

Goliath II

The crocodile appeared in the Disney animated short Goliath II. The short was created in order to test the new xerox animation process in order to spend less money on making animated films.

Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers

Tick Tock made a guest appearance as a villain in the Rescue Rangers episode "Kiwi's Big Adventure".

Mickey Mousecapade

The Crocodile made an appearance as the second boss of the Nintendo game Mickey Mousecapade, but only in the American release. In the original Japanese version, the Dodo from Alice in Wonderland is the second boss.

Return to Neverland

It is unknown why he did not show up in the 2002 sequel, Return To Never Land but he was replaced by a giant octopus that made a blip-bloop sound in the waters. But he was mentioned in it by Captain Hook and Smee as well as his silhouette is seen in the clouds, with the clock in his stomach, in the opening of the movie, with a snippet of "Never Smile at a Crocodile".

Aladdin (TV series)

Tick-Tock appeared in cameo of the episode "Vocal Hero" with the other look-like crocodiles.

House of Mouse

Tick Tock Croc appears in the series House of Mouse. He was even one of the villains that appeared in Mickey's House of Villains.

Jungle Cubs

The Crocodile appeared in cameo of Jungle Cubs. He appeared at the end of the episode The Humans Must Be Crazy he also swallowed a clock, after Young Bagheera throw the watch in the water.

Stitch!

The crocodile appeared in the Stitch! anime.

Kingdom Hearts Series

The Crocodile is a character from the Neverland world, and one of Captain Hook's enemies in Kingdom Hearts. He acquired a taste for the pirate captain when Peter Pan chopped off the captain's hand and fed it to him. He now follows Hook around everywhere, hoping to get a second taste of the captain. The crocodile isn't truly a villain, since he primarily hunts Captain Hook, but he will also attack Sora and Ventus, making him a neutral character.

The crocodile also swallowed a ticking alarm clock, that now, unfortunately for the crocodile, warns Captain Hook if he is approaching. This has become something of a trademark for the crocodile, foreshadowing its arrival in a way that terrifies the captain, much to his humiliation.

Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep

The Crocodile plays a small role in Terra's story when he shows up in the Skull Cave and scares Captain Hook away. He also appears during Ventus' story shortly before his fight with Captain Hook. During Ven's fight, the Crocodile swims around in the water attacking Ven if he gets too close and scaring Captain Hook back onto the rock if he goes in the water. After defeat Captain Hook, he tossed to the water by Ven, the Crocodile chasing Hook away. Then Crocodile later appears once again in Aqua's to frighten Hook away for a third time.

Kingdom Hearts

The Crocodile plays a small role at the end of the storyline in the Neverland world though he is mentioned before then. After Sora and Peter Pan defeat Captain Hook, the Captain falls into the water only to be chased away by the Crocodile. This is almost identical to his fate in the movie.

Disney Parks

Fantasmic!

The crocodile along with many other beloved Disney characters has played a role in Disney's Fantasmic at Disneyland Resort. In Disneyland he appears during the Peter and Hook sword duel chasing after the the ship. In Walt Disney World Fantasmic at Disney's Hollywood Studios the Peter and Hook duel is replaced with a Pocahontas scene. The tick tock crocodile is bigger then a grown man and is long as a bus.

Disney Park Parades

Tick Tock Croc appeared in the Disney parks on special occasions and on regular days sometimes. In the parade the croc walks around and looks at the crowd while the clock ticks in his belly. In the parade it is true what people say Tick Tock is larger than a grown man.

Peter Pan's Flight

Tick-Tock the Crocodile appeared in Peter Pan's Flight in the Disney Parks to eat Captain Hook.

Dream Along With Mickey

In the show Tick Tock's iconic alarm clock was used to make Captain Hook to Peter Pan during a duel. In the show while the clock is being tossed by characters the song Never Smile at a Crocodile is herd.

Disney On Ice

The Crocodile appeared in Mickey and Minnie's Magical Journey in Disney on Ice with Peter Pan story.

Where's the Original Plans to Epcot

Q: Why is the Epcot of today so different from the original plans given by Walt in the Disneyland show? Also, what ever happened to those original plans that hung on the wall in the background?
Joe, Springfield, Missouri

A [Dave Smith]: Walt Disney's 1966 film giving his ideas for EPCOT were shown on local television stations in Florida, but not on his regular television show. Since Walt did not have time to refine his ideas before his untimely passing, plans had to be changed in ensuing years to make the project viable. The original plans for EPCOT are filed at Walt Disney Imagineering.

[Steven Miller, Project Manager, Disney Trading]

The Florida Project – September 9-11, 2011

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I wish I could have attended the opening of Walt Disney World in 1971 (some of you reading this probably did – lucky!). One of my all time favorite Disney films from that time period is called “The Magic of Walt Disney World.” It was released in 1972, but I recall seeing it on the Disney Channel in the 1980s. What a classic slice of Disney – the lush sounds of Buddy Baker; the images of polyester and people eating food; groovy music in Tomorrowland and just pure 1970s Disney fun. A different time and a different place. It is in that same vein that I’m pleased to announce “The Florida Project: a Disney Trading and Collecting Experience” coming to World ShowPlace at Epcot on September 9-11, 2011. The image above is a rough concept poster designed by Chris Chapman from Disney Design Group. He is the lead designer for this event and spoke about the origin of this event.

“With the 40th Anniversary of Walt Disney World in 2011, we wanted to focus on the feeling of nostalgia that people have when thinking about those early years,” said Chris. “The story for this event involves an alternate Preview Center that we uncovered. It was never used because the official Preview Center opened on Buena Vista Drive. The experience will be as if you stepped back in time as we will pay tribute to as much as possible from that era.”

When we had our initial idea session, I brought several of my vintage Disney items to share (it’s one of the things I collect – Disney merchandise from 1970 to 1984). We looked at vintage postcards, at images in souvenir books and even at my Polynesian Village glass vase (behold those 1970s colors). We all agreed that we wanted the merchandise created for this event to have a similar vibe.

“We plan to create a retro look with the character designs” explained Alex Maher, senior character artist with Disney Design Group. “The character designs in the early 1970s were unique. We want to incorporate a similar look with the merchandise we are designing.”

As mentioned, this event will be a Disney Trading and Collecting Experience. This means you will find a variety of items from pins to Vinylmation to potentially some additional categories. And there will be trading (of course). I consider this event an evolution of our Disney Merchandise Events. We still have plenty of details to finalize, and feedback to consider from our previous events. I will share additional information in the coming months on the Disney Parks Blog, so stay tuned.

I leave you with one final question: Did you visit Walt Disney World in the 1970s? What was it like (as sadly my time machine is still not functioning)? I’d love to hear your stories.

Everyday, Disney fans send dozens of questions for Disney Chief Archivist Dave Smith. Here are Dave's answers to your questions. Check back every day for a new post with a new question.

Dave Smith (born October 13, 1940) was the Walt Disney Archives founder and chief archivist which is located in the Frank G. Wells Building at Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California. He joined the company June 22, 1970. Forty years later, on July 2010, he retired.


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The Rainbow Road To Oz

Q: I recently saw an old Disneyland television program on DVD in which the Mouseketeers surprise Walt Disney with a presentation of a musical extravaganza called The Rainbow Road To Oz. On the show it is revealed that the Studio purchased all the rights to all of the other Frank Baum Oz stories and in the DVD Walt promises the kids that he's going to make a wide-screen Technicolor production of The Rainbow Road To Oz. Whatever happened to that promised-to-the-Mouseketeers project. There must be a great story there.
Michael, Burbank, California

A [Dave Smith]: I wish there was a happy ending to that story, as I loved the Oz books as a kid, not to mention the MGM film, but unfortunately The Rainbow Road to Oz was never made as Walt Disney never was able to get a script that satisfied him. We have only the two musical sequences that appeared in that 1957 television show. Our only Oz film was Return to Oz, many years later, and it was not a musical and had nothing to do with the earlier concept.

[Marcio Disney]

Click Here to read The Rainbow Road to Oz - The Oz Film Walt Disney almost Made at suite101.com

Everyday, Disney fans send dozens of questions for Disney Chief Archivist Dave Smith. Here are Dave's answers to your questions. Check back every day for a new post with a new question.

Dave Smith (born October 13, 1940) was the Walt Disney Archives founder and chief archivist which is located in the Frank G. Wells Building at Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California. He joined the company June 22, 1970. Forty years later, on July 2010, he retired.


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What Year did the Characters Start Appearing in the Park?

Q: I have some old A-E tickets from Disneyland. Is there a way to tell what year they are from? Also what year did the characters start appearing in the park? I love your column and have learned so much about Disney from it.

Paula, The Colony, Texas

A [Dave Smith]: The old ticket books usually had coded dates on them, but the tickets did not. Sometimes you can narrow down the years because of the attractions listed on the tickets. There were characters in the park since Opening Day.

Large-Format Disneyland Park Maps

Q: You just answered a question from Dennis of Minden, Nevada, about large-format Disneyland Park maps. I have a large- format (30" X 45") map, dated 1961, hanging on my wall. My question is, how long were large-format maps produced as I don't recall seeing any being sold on recent trips to the park.

Gary, San Francisco, California

A [Dave Smith]: The most recent map was produced in 2005.

[Marcio Disney]

Walt Trips to London

Q: I recently learned that Walt Disney eventually convinced writer Pamela Travers to let him adapt Mary Poppins on screen when he visited her in person in London in 1959. I was wondering if, by any chance, this happened on the same trip he made to visit the Mills family (to convince them to allow Hayley play in Pollyanna)?

Vincent, Ottignies, Belgium

A [Dave Smith]: Walt made two trips to London in 1959 — in June/July and in October — but we do not have details as to what he did while in London.

U.S. cartoonist Walt Disney and his wife Lillian arrive at London Airport June. 23, 1959, from New York.

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Mr. Disney's Personal Art Work

Q: Is there anywhere to view some of Mr. Disney's personal art work? My Grandfather received a painting from Mr. Disney in the '40s which we have kept in the family; however, I have never seen any of his personal oil art work displayed. I would appreciate any guidance on this.

Jean, Lake Worth, Florida

A [Dave Smith]: Walt Disney never painted in oils. He drew in pencil or pen and ink when he was a teenager, but he stopped drawing altogether in the mid-1920s when he found he could hire animators who could animate better than he could.

[Marcio Disney]

Click Here to read Walt Disney's short biography!

Everyday, Disney fans send dozens of questions for Disney Chief Archivist Dave Smith. Here are Dave's answers to your questions. Check back every day for a new post with a new question.

Dave Smith (born October 13, 1940) was the Walt Disney Archives founder and chief archivist which is located in the Frank G. Wells Building at Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California. He joined the company June 22, 1970. Forty years later, on July 2010, he retired.


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The Strange Monster of Strawberry Cove

Q: When I was very young in the early 1970s, I used to love to sit and watch The Wonderful World of Disney with my Dad and my younger brother on Sunday night. There was a movie that I loved and have never seen again. I do not know the title. But it involved a large, mysterious creature in a swamp. It turned out that the creature was really hollow. It was created and run by a person inside. Would you know the title? It is available anywhere?

Lisa, Waddington, New York

A [Dave Smith]: You may be thinking of The Strange Monster of Strawberry Cove (1971). It starred Burgess Meredith and Agnes Moorehead. It has never been released on video or DVD.

[Marcio Disney]

Plot: Three kids think they see a sea monster in the calm waters of Strawberry Cove, and set out to find what's behind the mystery. 

Based on a story from "The Mad Scientist's Club", 14 January 2008

"This is one of the first adaptations of youth fiction done by Disney that stopped being true to the book and was changed for "improvements" that ruined the movie in the end. The book is way better. "The Mad Scientist's Club" by Bertrand R. Brinley (Also spelled Brinkley) is about a club of smart boys who figure out how to play pranks and solve mysteries in their small town by using their brains and scientific methods. "The Flying Man..." would have been a better episode but I'm guessing the author had some trouble with the liberties the company took with "The Strange Monster of Strawberry Cove." Yes, the boys successfully pull a prank on their teacher, but the movie over-elaborates the monster as too cheesy where the book was less and therefore more believable. "

- ttholt-1

Everyday, Disney fans send dozens of questions for Disney Chief Archivist Dave Smith. Here are Dave's answers to your questions. Check back every day for a new post with a new question.

Dave Smith (born October 13, 1940) was the Walt Disney Archives founder and chief archivist which is located in the Frank G. Wells Building at Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California. He joined the company June 22, 1970. Forty years later, on July 2010, he retired.


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The Gas Station inside the Studio Property

Q: I'm reading the Valley Progress magazine that came with my Spring 2010 issue of Disney twenty-three, and I just read that there was a gas station on the studio property. I'm curious as to where on the lot this was? I took the studio tour last weekend and they made no mention of it.

Ryan-Philipp, North Hills, California

A [Dave Smith]: The gas station was originally located just inside the Buena Vista gate at the Studio, but in 1995 it was moved to a new location just inside the Riverside gate. It is used for refueling employee and company vehicles.

Molly Bee - Willy Clause

Q: As I child I learned a Christmas song called "Willy Clause." My wife finally found a 45 record of it by Molly Bee from the early '50s. I put it in iTunes and it popped up as a Disney record. Is it a Disney record or was it a glitch?

Stephen, San Bernardino, California

A [Dave Smith]: This was not a Disney song, though it could have been on an early Disney Christmas phonograph record. Molly Bee recorded the song in 1952 on the Capitol label. One fact that might cause confusion: It was written by Mel Leven; Leven worked for Disney on 101 Dalmatians and Babes in Toyland in the 1960s.

[Marcio Disney]

Just Push Play to hear the song

The Walt's Private Turboprop Aircraft

Q: What was the model and make of Walt's private turboprop aircraft (the one he used regularly to fly down to Florida to meet Orlando civic leaders?) We saw it parked among the movie props two years ago while touring the Disney Hollywood Studios props lot. I believe it had Rolls-Royce engines (I remember the logos on the engine nacelles). I work in aircraft maintenance for UPS Airlines and I'm a private pilot — so I guess you could say I'm PLANE CRAZY (Mickey pun intended)!

Ray, Louisville, Kentucky

A [Dave Smith]: It is a Grumman Gulfstream I. I was privileged to fly in it to Florida a couple of times in the early 1970s.

[Marcio Disney]

This plane was used by Walt Disney while he was scouting out places to built Walt Disney World in Florida. He would bring himself and his Imagineers (designers) from California to help in the planning. 

The plane is a Grumman G-159 Gulfstream I twin engine turboprop that was built in 1963 and put in service May 1964. The tail number of N234MM was specially assigned to the plane by the FAA (MM meaning Mickey Mouse). By 1978, the plane had logged 4.3 million miles or 12,300 hours. It was retired to Disney World for display October 1992.

The only way to see the plane is to take the Backlot Tour at Disney's Hollywood Studios. Towards the end of the tram ride you will see it on display.

Everyday, Disney fans send dozens of questions for Disney Chief Archivist Dave Smith. Here are Dave's answers to your questions. Check back every day for a new post with a new question.

Dave Smith (born October 13, 1940) was the Walt Disney Archives founder and chief archivist which is located in the Frank G. Wells Building at Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California. He joined the company June 22, 1970. Forty years later, on July 2010, he retired.


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