Monday, October 31, 2016

Disneyland Records: Chilling, Thrilling Sounds of the Haunted House


When my vinyl-loving daughter recently came home with this gem, I had an odd flashback to my youth. The memory is vague, but I recall this album being in the family collection in our old RCA television console/stereo/record player unit. This was a giant piece of furniture that took up most of the living room. The record player section had a built-in album storage area, right within the TV console. Very seventies.

First published by Disneyland Records (now Walt Disney Records) in 1964, the album has seen a few different versions over the years. This recent reissue was released in 2015, and it recreates the original 1964 version of the album. The cover features a classic haunted house painting by Paul Wenzel, which he created as part of the concept art for the Haunted Mansion attraction.



On Side One, a narrator tells stories that feature sound as part of the narrative. Side Two features a wide variety of sound effects. In addition to the standard screams, thunder, and creaking doors, there are also some unexpected sounds- cats and dogs who sound like they're in pain, crashes, explosions, dripping/water torture, and more. I love this warning on the back of the album:


Happy Halloween!




Do you remember this chilling album? Tell us about it in the comments...

Thursday, October 13, 2016

A Tale of Two Mugs



The Starbucks You Are Here mugs debuted in the Magic Kingdom and Epcot in early 2015. In my post about my YOU ARE HERE collection, I mentioned that my friend - a kind and generous blogging/Disney Twitter friend- happened to be visiting the parks that week. She took it upon herself to buy me the Epcot mug, knowing how much I love all things Epcot and Spaceship Earth. Little did we know at the time, though, that she'd be holding a bit of a collector's item.



About a week after the debut, these purple monorail mugs were pulled from the shelves. The mug returned a few months later, with the purple monorail stripe replaced with gray.

Why was the original pulled? There was a fatal monorail accident in 2009, in which the purple and pink monorails collided. Tragically, the pilot of the purple monorail, Cast Member Austin Wuennenberg, lost his life. The purple and pink monorails were retired after the accident, replaced by Teal and Peach.

How, then, did a purple monorail get through the initial design phase of this You Are Here mug? That's a mystery, as is exactly what led to the removal and redesign. Perhaps the company was being sensitive to the issue (albeit late), or perhaps there were complaints after the debut, but whatever the reason- the company acted swiftly, and the mugs were gone almost as quickly as they appeared.

The mugs purchased during that week or so of initial sale are quite rare. I didn't realize it at the time, but I was informed about their rarity later on, when I was telling a colleague about my gift. My friend could have easily sent me the new version once that came out. Or she could have just decided not to send me anythng at all- it was an unsolicited gift, after all, not even something I asked her to pick up, or was reimbursing her for. She ended up sending me the original anyway. Did I mention that she's kind and generous? She's a stellar pal.




I have since gotten the version with the gray monorail- another gift, this time from a relative. I'm currently using the gray monorail for my coffee, while the purple monorail sits safely on a special shelf, with some of my other Disney treasures.


Saturday, October 8, 2016

Disney Parks and Starbucks- You Are Here mugs

My current collection

When the popular You Are Here line of Starbucks mugs started rolling out in Disney Parks Starbucks locations in 2015, I fell in love. The size and shape make them the perfect coffee vessel for me, and I love the bold graphic designs that capture the icons of each park.

A kind and generous friend was visiting Epcot when the mugs were released, and knowing my love of all things Epcot and Spaceship Earth, she bought a mug for me. The Epcot mug in the photo above is not the one she purchased for me, though- but that's a story for a separate post.

I started collecting the other park mugs during subsequent visits. My current collection, in the photo above, is incomplete. I'm missing the Disneyland mug. I did visit Disneyland after the mugs debuted, and I purchased mugs from both parks. However, being the great sister that I am, I wanted to give the Disneyland mug to my sister for her birthday that year. I considered buying an additional one for myself, but I couldn't fit one more thing in my suitcase. Foolish move! I should have found a way to squeeze it in. When did I think I'd ever make it back to the west coast to complete my set?? (hopefully soon, knock on wood...)

I love seeing them all together in the mug cabinet, and I enjoy my morning ritual of selecting just the right one for that day. I have a lot of other Disney Parks mugs, but these seem to get the most coffee action, by far!


Do you have any of the Disney Parks/Starbucks You Are Here mugs? Which one is your favorite? Tell us about it in the comments...