Walt Disney Pictures "Return to Oz"

This is Walt Disney Pictures' "Return To Oz", a second adventure for Dorothy, based on L. Frank Baum's "Oz" books. Pictured is the VHS box for the movie, which I bought at an NFFC Disneyana Convention about 2 years ago. In this movie "sequel" to "The Wizard of Oz", Dorothy again finds herself going back to Oz, and gets into some pretty scary moments. Dorothy is played by Fairuza Balk. I had never seen this film until about 3 weeks ago, and it's pretty interesting and scary. It's not a musical like the old MGM movie, though, and it's not trying to pretend to be the MGM movie, either. My cousin told me that it was kind of unsettling compared to the MGM version, and she was definitely right.

Walt Disney Treasures: Disneyland USA

This is a CD set of Walt Disney Treasures: "Disneyland USA". This is a must-have disk for hardcore fans of Disneyland and Walt Disney. This set was issued in limited edition (although, it's a very large edition). There's 2 discs in this set, each with 2 programs. First is "The Disneyland Story", which was on Walt Disney's television show, "Disneyland" back in 1954. In this show, Walt Disney introduces the public to his idea of Disneyland, and reveals that it will open in 1 year. Next on the disc is "Dateline Disneyland", which was the live recording of events that took place at Disneyland on opening day on July 17, 1955, and was seen live on television all over the United States. On the second disc is "Disneyland After Dark", where Walt takes us to Disneyland to see some special live entertainment throughout the Park. Finally on disc two is the "Disneyland Tenth Anniversary Show".

The Disney Films by Leonard Maltin (3rd Edition)

This is the book, "The Disney Films", by Leonard Maltin. This is the third edition of the book. It covers the Disney animated feature films, from "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" to "Pocahontas". It also gives "a comprehensive look at all of Disney's classic films, with discussions of every feature-length movie as well as surveys of the cartoon shorts and TV shows". This third edition was published in 1995, which was the year that "Pocahontas" was released in theaters. This book is a must-have book for anyone who wants to be an authority on Disney, with information about all the films that were made when Walt Disney was alive, and a lot more that were produced after his death. I still haven't watched all of the old classic non-animated Disney films yet, but I've seen most of them. This book is good for thinking of what new films to rent from Netflix or to purchase from Disney Movie Club. In this book, Leonard Maltin reviews all the feature films made by Walt Disney Productions that were produced by Walt Disney himself. He also talks about some of the films that were made since Walt's death. However, Maltin reviews at length all of the films that were made or were in production during Walt's lifetime.

Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse Comic Book 1961

This is "Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse", published by Dell Publishing, Inc. This is issue number 80, from Oct.-Nov., 1961. Notice the cool artwork of Mickey Mouse and Pluto on the cover. My uncle used to read these comics when he was a kid. When I was a kid, I collected them from him and put them in protective bags for safekeeping.

1938 Framed Print of Dopey from "Snow White"

This is a framed print of Dopey from the movie, "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs". This was given to me by my Grandmother when I was about 20 years old, along with the rest of the set, which includes all of the dwarfs and Snow White herself. According to Disney's Director of Archives, Dave Smith, the set was made by licensee Artisto, Inc., in 1938-1939. Artisto was only licensed to to produce these during that one-year period, and these framed pictures were all that they were licensed to produce. These framed pictures were sold for 10 cents each back in 1938. I suspect that they are worth a lot more now. The frame is of wood, and the print looks like watercolor on canvas.

Postage Stamps: The Art of Disney- Magic

This is "The Art of Disney - Magic" sheet of U.S. Postage Stamps, released by the U.S. Postal Service late last year. I was sending some tax returns at the Post Office in October when I noticed the clerk had these new stamps. There are 4 different styles of stamps on the sheet, and 20 stamps total on the sheet. These stamps are beautiful and frameable. They also make for stylish postage! Featured on the stamps are: Mickey Mouse as the Sorcerer's Apprentice; Tinkerbell and Peter Pan; Dumbo and Timothy Mouse; and, finally, the Genie and Aladdin (all from classic Disney feature films). There will soon be more Disney-themed postage stamps coming to the Post Office, so watch out!

Seiko Clock Featuring Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse

This is a clock that I received as a gift from my Mom. It was made by Seiko, and features Mickey Mouse and Minne Mouse. Minnie appears on the piano, and Mickey is playing a guitar. Mickey rocks side to side slowly, like a pendulum. This clock has several music tunes that you can choose to signal the hour. Right now this clock is not in use, but it still works.

Euro Disney Baseball Cap

This is an adult red Euro Disney baseball cap, purchased in 1993 by me at Euro Disneyland in France (which is now called Disneyland Paris). I wore this cap only once, I think. This cap has a small, adjustable belt-like band in the back, so it can be adjusted to fit your head. This cap is very colorful, as you can see in the picture. It's also a rare item, since you probably will not find any merchandise at that park today that says "Euro Disney"- everything there is branded as "Disneyland Paris" now. The parent company of Disneyland Paris, though, is still called Euro Disney, SCA.

Stromboli's Ristorante Menu

Stromboli's Ristorante was an Italian restaurant at the Disneyland Hotel. Stromboli's had really good food, and I used to eat there on special occasions (like my birthday!). I was saddened when they closed it, along with the Monorail Cafe, when Disney created the new Disneyland Resort. As you can see, the restaurant was named after Stromboli, the evil puppeteer who put Pinocchio in a cage and threatened to chop him into firewood. The restaurant had a Pinocchio theme, and was quite charming. Diners had a nice view of the old marina, which has been replaced by the Neverland Swimming Pool area. I bought this menu at an NFFC Disneyana Convention- the price tag is still on it, as you might be able to see!

Photograph of the Entrance to the Dream Suite at Disneyland in California

This is a photo of the entrance to the Dream Suite at Disneyland Park in Anaheim, California. The Dream Suite is located above the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction. It was originally designed to be a nice apartment for Walt Disney and Roy Disney when they stayed at Disneyland, but Walt died before it was completed, and the space was never used for overnight guest stays until now.

Disneyland 50th Anniversary Collectable Mug Set by Shag (The Box)

This is the outside box of the Disneyland 50th Anniversary Collectable Mug Set by Shag. This box is art all by itself. I will show you the mugs inside the box on another posting. Suffice it to say, Disneyland had some really cool stuff for sale for its 50th Anniversary. Shag created a lot of the designs for the merchandise- he's really super-talented!

Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse Plush Dolls from Tokyo Disneyland

This is a pair of dolls from Tokyo Disneyland: Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse. Notice that they are in authentic, traditional Japanese garb. There's a lot of detail in these dolls. I got these from my friends, Eric and Barbara, who go to Tokyo Disneyland quite often (and bring back things for their friends to buy). These dolls have big safety pins on the back, so you can pin them onto your backpack, and have Mickey and Minnie hanging on!

Mickey Mouse Nutcracker Watch

This is a Mickey Mouse Nutcracker Watch, which I bought at The Disney Store circa 1995. It has been worn before, although only during the Christmas season. I suppose that it could be worn all year long, but it would seem kind of weird to some people. It is fun to wear something special for the Christmas season, and this watch is a beauty. Check out the tin that it's in, too. Pretty cool, huh? This is one of my favorite watches. Mickey is kind of military here; it kind of reminds me of one of those Michael Jackson videos, where he's commanding all these Czech soldiers in the Square. I can't wait until Thanksgiving, so I can break out this cool watch and wear it to Disneyland during the whole Holiday Season!

Official Disneyana T-Shirt from 1995, celebrating Disneyland's 40 Years of Adventure

This is a t-shirt from The 1995 Official Disneyana Convention, celebrating Disneyland's 40 Years of Adventure. Notice the "Indiana Jones"-styled lettering on the shirt. That's because the attraction, "Indiana Jones and the Temple of the Forbidden Eye" made its debut in 1995, and it was a great year for Disneyland. That attraction was one of the most spectacular rides to date at a theme park, and today is still one of Disneyland's most popular attractions (I was there a week ago, and the line was really, really long!) I love this t-shirt- it's held up pretty well over the years. I do wear it, a lot, and somehow it's still lasting. That Official Disneyana Convention was a blast, too- Disneyland sold a lot of really cool, collectible stuff, some of which I did manage to purchase.

Walt Disney Records: "Disney Songs: The Satchmo Way"

This is a Walt Disney Record's release "Disney Songs - The Satchmo Way". It is a compilation of Disney songs performed by the famous trumpet player and Jazz singer, Louis Armstrong. Also known as "Satchmo" since he was a youngster, Louis Armstrong was one of America's premier entertainers. His music and his live performances are legendary. Walt Disney's sense of what the public wanted led him to seek out Louis Armstrong to work on several projects for Disney, including the 1963 TV special, "Disneyland After Dark". The CD featured here is a treat for lovers of Disney music was well as for people who appeciate one of the best performing artists of the 20th century, Louis Armstrong. Some songs featured here are: "Ten Feet Off The Ground", "Chim Chim Cheree", "When You Wish Upon A Star", and "Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah". This CD is a must for people who really want to call themselves conoisseurs of Disney music.