Disney Cicerone

Disney Cicerone Obscure Disney history with a dash of encouragement 💜
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Here's what you'll find at Disney Cicerone:

- Deep-dive into Disney history you've probably never heard of before
- Comparisons of Disneyland vs Disney World (I'm a passholder at both!)
- Disney parks-inspired words meant to encourage & motivate
- Fun vlogs of days in both Disneyland & Walt Disney World

Cicerone literally means "a guide who gives information about antiquities and places of inter

est to sightseers" and that's all I'm here to do, to be your personal tour guide through the most obscure Disney history! If you're someone who LOVES Disney and has heard all the usual facts and secrets already and is ready for more

- OR -

If you're someone who just wants to learn a few fun facts to appreciate the Disney parks you know & love even more, let's explore Disney history together!

06/10/2026

Seriously, if Disney can’t decide what to do with that space, bring back the One-of-a-Kind shop! 🙌 (I know it’s not at all likely, but a girl can dream…)

Here’s Imagineering’s description of the shop from their 1966 profile of New Orleans Square:

“As its name indicates, this Shop features unique items to delight the most discriminating eye–decorative and hard-to-find antiques, choice reproductions and other ones-of-a-kind that would have been found on the shelves of shops in New Orleans decades ago ... and are irresistible to today's collector. Guests may choose from a ceiling full of magnificent chandeliers of every description or a parade of select desks, cabinets and other products of the wood-craftsman's art. They will also find exquisite ship models, iron lanterns old world globes, maps and charts, swords, and antique framed paintings.

“Other items are candelabra, fireplace fixtures, and door knockers, as well as barometers, wood carvings, china, silverware, crystal pieces and other one-of-a-kind items. A blue and dark rose terrazzo floor complimented by luxurious wood-paneled walls provide the perfect setting for this Shop's collection.”

One small note: I am fairly certain based on some blueprints of the store layouts and photos that I’ve seen that Cristal d’Orleans used to be a larger space, and logic would assume it would need to be in order to actually have a glass of blower on site. But it’s possible it wasn’t THAT much larger, because the space next to it was Lafitte’s Silver Shop (which was swallowed up by Cafe Orleans eons ago).

Which of these shops would you love to see return to Disneyland?

06/08/2026

I’ve never seen these Main Street windows the same after learning this 🥹

This story comes from an interview with Marty Sklar conducted by Bob Thomas when he was gathering information for a biography about Roy Disney.

More from Marty: “When we opened Walt Disney World- this is again a dedication to Walt—I sent Roy a memo, because here we really didn't want to get into putting all the names on the windows again, like Walt had done at Disneyland, because you always offend people. You can't possibly get everybody's name who should be on a window. So we made the recommendation that we should use fictitious companies and fictitious names and just dress the windows basically, like you do in a movie set. I remember writing him the memo and he said, ‘No, I want to do it exactly like Walt did at Disneyland." Then he spelled it out and he wrote down ‘Marty Sklar.’ Of course, he misspelled my name, spelled it S-k-y-l-a-r, but the point really was that he said, ‘No, we do this exactly like Walt would have done.’ There are a number of incidents like that.”

Do you have a favorite tribute window on either Disneyland’s or Disney World’s Main Street USA?

What character in Pirates of the Caribbean is secretly a tribute to an Imagineer's friend? And how was the iconic song Y...
06/06/2026

What character in Pirates of the Caribbean is secretly a tribute to an Imagineer's friend? And how was the iconic song Yo Ho (A Pirate's Life for Me) created?

On this week's episode of Distory with Kate & Kirk, we hear some hilarious stories from Alice Davis, discover how Blaine Gibson began his sculpting career at WED, and take a closer look at the (sometimes bizarre) construction of the 119 audio-animatronic figures and 54 animals in the attraction. We also learn some secrets about X. Atencio’s script-writing process and his establishment of "No Dough Productions."

Lastly, we take a moment to contemplate how grief can disrupt the creative process as the Imagineers hit a mental roadblock after losing Walt Disney. 💜

https://youtu.be/Qh5zWBxnRqo

06/05/2026

“There was quite an emotional moment with all of them” was how Alice Davis described it when she made her suggestion. 😂

Here is more of the story from Alice:

“Everybody that worked on it got a chance to see it the first time it went to work. And when the auctioneer was throwing his arms around and talking and so on, he was just terrific, perfect movement, very smooth. And when he leaned back and said, how much am I bid? His [manhood] came up through the vest.
All the sculptors were like, ‘Oh my God, now we understand what you were talking about.’ And Walt was going to be there in a half an hour. And they said, ‘What are we going to do? What are we going to do?’ And I’m the only female there. And I said, ‘You get a hacksaw and saw it off.’ And there was quite an emotional moment with all of them, and they finally did. And the sculptors came and apologized to me for not understanding what I was telling them. And it was a shame that Walt didn’t get to see it, but we weren’t sure whether he’d blow his stack or laugh, you know, it was a serious moment. He had an awful lot of money invested in that.”

Side note: I know I’ve shared this story before, but it’s one of my absolute FAVORITES and I also found some new photos to share as we were researching our Distory with Kate & Kirk p0dcast series on Pirates of the Caribbean, so I thought it was worth mentioning again. 😉

06/03/2026

Not all of the ghosts in the Haunted Mansion have explanations, but I would be shocked if this didn’t explain these two 👻

The Blue Bayou menus no longer have information indicating the tree is a dueling oak, it just talks about oak trees in general. But that detail is place setting for the story of New Orleans Square in Disneyland, AND it sets up these ghosts in the Haunted Mansion, so I wish its history would be restored.

Also, technically, those graves on Sam McKim’s fun map are not accurate, as the mausoleums in New Orleans are above ground due to the high water table. But I love that you can see two smoking pistols next to the tree on the map, indicating it’s a dueling oak 🌳

Here’s a bit more about the Blue Bayou from the WED profile of New Orleans Square:

“The famous Dueling Oak, moss-draped trees, a columned arbor walk leading to the boat landing, and the veranda of a dignified plantation house are bathed throughout the day in the tranquility of a Delta evening. And along bayou are also Laffite's Landing, weatherworn swamp shanties perched on stilts, aging fishing boats and decaying brick archways, all echoing the mysterious sounds of the bayou country…
Wrought iron furnishings and candlelight contribute to the Louisiana 1850, flavor of the terrace. And in the foyer, paneled walls, a pair of 19th Century Sheffield plate wall sconces and a terrazzo and marble pattern with brass inlay floor enhance the interior of the mansion. On the silvery waters of The Blue Bayou Lagoon, boat-borne adventurers will glide past the Terrace en-route to a fantastically realistic encounter with the Pirates of the Caribbean later this year.”

Have you ever figured out this connection between Pirates of the Caribbean and the Haunted Mansion?

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06/01/2026

“I love the nostalgic myself. I hope we never lose some of the things of the past.” - Walt Disney

The idea that Disneyland isn’t a museum didn’t come from Walt Disney. Its origins can be traced back to a motley assortment of quotes by Imagineers who inferred that meaning from Walt saying, “Disneyland will never be completed. It will continue to grow as long as there is imagination left in the world.”

One such quote was from Marty Sklar, who said in 1997, “Pirates of the Caribbean has become the standard by which our guests measure every other attraction. But it’s not a museum piece either. We want to keep adding to it and improving it like everything else.”

Another possible origin of this “not a museum” idea was Tony Baxter, who shared this with the Los Angeles Times in 1995: “I’m as pure as Disneyland fanatics can get. When a new ride comes and an old one drops out, there are bound to be twinges. But it has to happen, or it becomes a museum and an arthritic collection of things people were attached to in the ‘60s.”

While I will be the first one to say no one really truly could predict what Walt Disney would want or say (because he was just an unpredictable person in many ways) I do believe he would see the value of nostalgia.

Case in point: When Walt and his team pitched the idea of Progressland to GE and stated it would follow an American household from the 1890s to the future, they were appalled, saying, “Well, that’s not exactly what we had in mind. We’re in the business of selling progress. What do we want with all that nostalgia?”

Walt replied, “Look, I built this studio on the basis of nostalgia, and we’ve been doing a pretty good job of selling it to the public all these years.”

Knowing all of this, do you think Disneyland should be (at least partially) treated like a museum?

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05/30/2026

I keep hearing reasons why this plan for the Carousel of Progress wouldn’t be successful, and often it’s “Disney would have to rebuild such and such.” And yeah, they would. And they absolutely COULD rebuild any and all of it, if they wanted to. If they realized what this attraction means in Disney history and to the fans. Because if they can build brand-new, elaborate rides, they can certainly dust off the blueprints and rebuild an old one.

Some have pointed out that the show has been (obviously) updated throughout the years, which is true. But the only set that has been significantly changed from the original version is the final act. The rest had script/voiceover/refurbishments, but there is still a lot of “Walt” in that show. The CoP was also changed quite a bit from when it was installed in Disneyland from the fair, so a restoration could be in order to get it back to its original iteration. A case could also be made that the ride was never really meant for Florida at all, and the only reason it is currently there is because GE insisted it be moved so they got more eyes on their products rather than repeat locals like Disneyland.

And yeah, I don’t think Walt wanted Disneyland to be a museum, he wanted it to be a living film he could change and alter at any time. But I don’t think he had any idea what the value of nostalgia and history would become back then to the guests. We love the Disney parks largely because it doesn’t change even when our world does. That’s why it feels so devastating when we lose our favorite attractions.

What do you think? Would you like to see the World’s Fair version come home to Disneyland?

Could we maybe just… send the original Carousel of Progress back to Disneyland and make a new one at Walt Disney World? ...
05/28/2026

Could we maybe just… send the original Carousel of Progress back to Disneyland and make a new one at Walt Disney World?

Hear me out. I KNOW it would cost a little (ok, a LOT) more. But it would also solve some of Tomorrowland’s identity crisis in Disneyland… it would fill the empty theater that has haunted the land for decades. Not only would it bring a piece of Walt back to his park, it would be SO appreciated by the fans.

Since it seems like Disneyland’s Imagineering team is interested in preserving the history, this seems like an obvious choice. Restore and preserve the history. Create a new show at WDW based on some of the original 1964 World’s Fair concepts. Maybe even (dare I say) add back some of the original show that was lost when it moved to Florida to make their sponsor happy.

With all the history that’s being lost right now in the Magic Kingdom, there is a chance here to preserve this iconic show rather than destroy it.

05/27/2026

The more I study Walt Disney’s life, the more I’m convinced some part of him was afraid to stop moving. High-functioning people often get that way because movement and production feels safer than rest. They tie their value to what they can create, and slowing down and resting is terrifying because it feels like everything will fall apart.

Walt didn’t like vacations (though he was made to take a few). He suffered from insomnia, and his wife Lillian often found him late at night pouring over scripts instead of sleeping. He didn’t like weekends or days off from the office, and holidays weren’t his favorite because he couldn’t work.

It’s possible he just really loved what he did for a living. But it’s just as likely that he didn’t know how to slow down because of some part of him felt he needed to prove himself, be someone, or produce something of value to be loved.

I recognize it, because I’m healing from it myself.

If you’re someone who feels like they can’t slow down, like rest is impossible, or like you’re only cared for because of what you do/produce, know that you don’t have to do anything at all to be loved. You are loveable simply because you exist. And you are more than enough even when your hands are still. 💜

(If you need some more Disney encouragement, So This is Love: What Disney History Teaches Us about Love is available at disneycicerone. Com 📖💜🥰)

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05/25/2026

Pirates Ahoy does have a certain ring to it 😂

It’s fascinating to me just how many of the ideas from this very first Pirates walk-through concept from Claude Coats in 1958 carried through all the way to the final attraction when it opened in 1967.

It’s also WILD that they thought they could have a guide lead groups of 50-70 people through these vignettes, telling the story depicted in each scene and actually have everyone stay together/pay attention. 😂 Operations luckily argued and said it would be hard to retain the attention of such a large group and pushed back, so they then decided that guests should gather organically on their own and then the guide would begin a spiel when a big enough group had accumulated.

We cover the “Rogues Gallery” wax museum concept in depth on our latest episode of Distory with Kate & Kirk (watch @ DisneyCicerone on YT or listen anywhere you enjoy p0dcasts! 🎧)

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