In late 1994, I was lucky enough to visit a special exhibit focused on the creation of Walt Disney's "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" at the Indianapolis Museum of Art. Collector Steve Ison provided artwork for the display. There was also a film shown featuring lost and deleted scenes, some of which had been colored, with some new voice work provided by actor Jim Cummings for the dwarfs.
Click on the pictures, then click them again to zoom in and read all the details (don't strain your eyes!).
The Education Division and the Publications Department from the Indianapolis Museum of Art created a great booklet for this event.
I sent one of these booklets to the Walt Disney Archives shortly after visiting the Museum.
More rejected Dwarf names: Psycho, Sleazy, Klepto, Gassy and Grabby. OK, maybe I made those up.
At Disneyland, Walt Disney World, Tokyo Disneyland and Disneyland Paris, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs are featured in a dark ride called "Snow White's Scary Adventures." The Disneyland version recently got some new effects and upgrades.
At Disneyland, Tokyo Disneyland, and Hong Kong Disneyland, you can escape the madness of the theme park crowds at the serene "Snow White Grotto" (complete with Wishing Well).
These days, there's quite a bit of buzz about a planned Seven Dwarfs Mine Car ride for Walt Disney World's Fantasyland. Hopefully there will be spiffy animatronic Dwarfs, shining diamonds, and careening through some caverns.
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When I went to Disney World as a kid, I was apparently too scared to ride the Snow White ride because of the evil Queen (but I will ride it when I go to Disney World in October :)
ReplyDeleteHey hitormiss! I haven't been on Walt Disney World's version since I was a kid, but it did scare me on my first ride in 1983. They toned it down in 1994. Enjoy your trip!
ReplyDeleteDan, do you know if the proposed new ride for WDW would replace the existing dark ride or would it be added to the park as a second Snow White attraction?
ReplyDeleteI like the name Klepto!
Hey TokyoMagic!: I don't know--there's all sorts of rumors flying around about what will happen. The mine car ride has been rumored for a while now, and has yet to be announced. It would go where the Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty Meet and Greets were planned, and I think the belief is that it would soak up more people and be more gender neutral than meeting princesses.
ReplyDeleteI'm all for a Dwarf mine ride. I think it should include the "Heigh-ho" song. I guess they could use the Snow White animatronics from the closed "Mickey Mouse Revue" if they decide to keep the existing Snow White dark ride.
I do remember reading that "Snoopy" was a proposed Dwarf name (for real).
I remember hearing about that proposed "Snoopy" name for one of the Dwarfs too!
ReplyDeleteI have been wondering about the animatronics from the MM Revue. What has happened to them now that it has closed for good? Would the Japanese store them for possible future use or just scrap them? I know they (the Oriental Land Co.) bought them from Disney originally when Tokyo DL was being built. I had heard a rumor that Disney recently aquired all of the Three Caballeros figures from them to use in the Mexico pavilion at Epcot, but then put them into storage backstage when they realized what the expense would be for installing them into the attraction. I wonder if any of that is true?
Hey TokyoMagic!: I had read the Three Caballeros rumor, too. Since the Oriental Land Company owned the Mickey Mouse Revue, I guess Disney would have to buy the figures back (and I guess they wouldn't since they have the molds). Maybe an OLC executive has all the retired Tokyo Disneyland animatronics in his living room!
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