DISNEY, DRIFTING, DOCKS & NO DRAFT

I'm not sure, but I don't think more could have been crammed into a day than JC & I managed today. My day started at my Aunt Elaine's in Anaheim, when the Super Shuttle showed up 20 minutes early for my ride to LAX where JC was to be picking me up. With no traffic we wound up at the Tom Bradley International Terminal another 20 minutes early... I had time to grab a big cup of coffee and call JC, to get him going "early."

So, with our early start and very little traffic we found ourselves at the Disney Burbank Studios an hour and a half before our scheduled check-in time. Quite fortunately for us, we were able to join the just departing group as there were a couple of no-shows. The Club D-23 Member's Only tour of the Disney Studios was something we'd been looking forward to for some time now. Of interest, quite some time ago I had the opportunity to meet Roy E. Disney at his office (formerly Walt's office) at the Animation Studios (across the street from the film studio), and have a short private tour of the lot then. Along with my Mom & Dad, I was able to bring JC and his Son David, so this brought back memories of that visit.

It was a walking tour and we were able to see some of the original Hyperion Studio buildings that had been disassembled and moved when the "new" studios were built to Walt's specific design. We were able to go through the Animation building where they did Snow White and several of the original feature length "cartoons" for which Disney became so famous. Next it was scross to the Ink and Paint building, however we got to take the underground passage where much of the Archives are stored. One interesting note was this passage was used as the set for where Jennifer Garner was often chased in ALIAS.

We then moved on to several of the sound stages, and saw where 20 Thousand Leagues Under the Sea was filmed, which also happens to house the largest water tank on a sound stage in the United States.

We were also able to spend quite a bit of time in the Disney Legends courtyard and picked up some interesting tid-bits about some of the important but not so publicly known contributors to the Disney Studio accomplishments. That's where my picture was taken with Walt & Mickey.

After that we went into the actual Archive's Building and had the rare opportunity to meet and listen to "the living Legend", Dave Smith who started the Disney Archives over 40 years ago. He lectured for about 20 minutes and shared some rare and a few never before seen items. Roy O. Disney's First Ticket to Disneyland, which sold for $1.00; an original Parking Decal (which was a stick on, and then had to be peeled off); the first Park Program, 20 pages in full color which sold for 25 cents (and cost 35 cents to print); the first "E" Ticket book; and the original script for Oswald the Rabbit, which Walt kept in his desk drawer.

The last thing to be shared was one of Walt's 35 Oscar's (the most awarded to any one person), the one for WHITE WILDERNESS, a wild life, live action feature film. We were actually allowed to pass it around, hold it and as you can see, have a photo taken with it.

Then with a boost by our being early to Burbank, we were off to Long Beach to take in the Drifting Competition, hosted by Dwight Tanaka (TGPLB Management) and JC's Friend Sam Kaskanyan (Sam's Autoland) who are both Drifting Car sponsors and very involved in the Sport. Sam brings a couple of Motor Coach's and sets up a big tent to provide Hospitality for the week at the TOYOTA GRAND PRIX of LONG BEACH, where we'll be all next weekend. Anyway, this weeknd was (Click here >>) Drifting (<<>NOTE: If you're not into Motorsports, or don't understand it, you're really not gonna get drifting...)

Leaving Long Beach took us over Vincent Thomas Bridge and as we were coming down, JC asked if I'd ever seen "Janice Hahn's Fountain?" Well, I hadn't and Janice, being another fine LHS Alumni, we just had to stop. The FANFAIR FOUNTAIN was part of her efforts to improve the revenue production and bring more people to the Port area, and it's worked pretty well. While there we took a spin on the Red Car Trolley down to Port's Of Call and back. Then we drove down to the Port's of Call Restaurant for a beverage and to watch the Container ships heading out to sea.

From there we thought we were headed home when JC got the sudden urge to stop for a "German Beer" when we just happened to be passing by the ALPINE VILLAGE in Torrance.

We had our beer (JC's was a draft and as they both agreed, it had "balls..." and I tried for a draft dark, but had to settle for a bottle by some name I couldn't begin to remember), and some very good Liverwurst, and lively conversation with a number of Eastern Europeans also sitting at the bar. And from there, finally we did go home.

"ONE OF THE GREATEST LABOR SAVING DEVICES OF TODAY... IS TOMORROW!