Tokyo Disneyland's Pan Galactic Pizza Port

What do you get when you mix the alien puppets from Star Wars with the alien Muppets from Sesame Street? You get Pan Galactic Pizza Port, a restaurant show found at Tokyo Disneyland and nowhere else on Earth.

Oriental Land Company, the owners of Tokyo Disneyland in Japan, wanted a new restaurant to open with the Star Wars themed Star Tours attraction in Tomorrowland back in 1989. Artist Steve Kirk had created some alien characters that were looking for a theme park gig. Show writer Kevin Rafferty got cooking with a concept, and the Disney Imagineers dished out Pan Galactic Pizza Port. Yoshi Akiyama, Tokyo Disneyland's Director of Design, and the Tokyo Disneyland executives thought the pitch was out of this world.

As I mentioned in A Tokyo Disneyland Guide To Fun (Circa 1990), I have not yet been to Japan to experience Pan Galactic Pizza Port for myself. This intergalactic pizza parlor is run by an Audio Animatronic alien named Tony Solaroni.

The Summer 1989 issue of Disney News magazine featured a great Pan Galactic Pizza Port article written by Steve Noceti.

Disney Imagineer Steve Kirk is joined by puppet versions of Mrs. Solaroni and the boss, Mr. Foosano.

Diners are entertained by video monitors featuring the behind-the-scenes antics of the pizza-making aliens. The alien characters were developed by Tim Kirk and Rennie Rau, and the puppet fabrication was handled by Lynette Johnson.

Mona Koth enjoys a break from producing and directing video segments for Pan Galactic Pizza Port with some of her friends.

Not shown here is another segment producer, Ellen Lichtwardt, who was probably having to deal with a diva alien puppet in a pizza delivery scene shoot.


The alien characters in the videos appear as puppets and animation. Here is a great illustration of Mrs. Solaroni.

The live action segments, animation and puppetry were brought together by Ron Harris (Video Specialist) and Ken Lisi (Sound Effects Technician/Audio Engineer) and Ron Chesley (Show Producer).

Here we see an illustration of the boss man of Pan Galactic Pizza Port, Mr. Foosano.

When Disney later announced "Plectu's Fantastic Galactic Revue" for Walt Disney World (which was never built) as part of "The Disney Decade" attraction additions in 1990, I instantly thought of these great characters.

The P6 Delivery Saucer is ready for service thanks to Ron Harris, Lynette Johnson and a key grip.

Pan Galactic Pizza Port delivers anywhere in the galaxy. Tipping is appreciated, and a gratuity is automatically added to deliveries outside our solar system.

For putting together a restaurant attraction in record-time, Disney Imagineer Kevin Rafferty is ready for a well-deserved pizza party, catered by Pan Galactic Pizza Port.


Tony Solaroni also has some human employees in the kitchen, too!


To serve as a transition between the aliens of Star Tours and the cartoonish aliens of the Pan Galactic Pizza Port, a security guard character named Officer Zzyxx was stationed at the exit of Star Tours leading to the pizzeria.

Disney Imagineer Valerie Edwards touches up a model of Officer Zzyxx, a character that remained a mystery to me until I finally saw this picture of him in the Spring 1993 issue of Disney News magazine (in an article called "Crafting a Cast of Characters" by Jean Lee).

Pan Galactic Pizza Port has not yet been duplicated at any other Disney Park. However, Officer Zzyxx does appear at Tomorrowland in Walt Disney World. In Florida, he's known as "lounge lizard" Sonny Eclipse, an Audio Animatronic alien singer at Cosmic Ray's Starlight Cafe at the Magic Kingdom.

For more about Tokyo Disneyland, be sure to visit Meet The World, a great website created by my friend TokyoMagic!

For another Disney theme park alien adventure, check out Alien Encounter at Walt Disney World.

A Tokyo Disneyland Guide To Fun (Circa 1990)

I have never been to Japan. In high school, I had a classmate named James Carroll, and he had lived in Japan. One day, after weeks of hearing me ask questions about Japan and Tokyo Disneyland, James brought his 1990 Tokyo Disneyland Souvenir Guidebook to school. James, being a really nice friend, let me keep the Guidebook. Thank you, James Carroll!

Tokyo Disneyland opened in 1983. It is actually owned and operated by the Oriental Land Company, and Disney is paid royalty fees. Tokyo Disneyland, which is actually located in Urayasu, Chiba, is extremely popular.


Tokyo Disneyland is very similar to Disneyland in California and Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom in Florida. However, quite a few changes were made for the Japanese park. Since this map is from 1990, the park has itself changed quite a bit.



One of the biggest changes is the entrance to the park itself. The Tokyo Disneyland Hotel opened right at the park's entrance in 2008. Similarly, The Disneyland Hotel at Disneyland Paris (opened in 1992) can also be found at the park's front gate.



At Tokyo Disneyland, Main Street U.S.A. is called World Bazaar. It is covered under a canopy of glass, to protect shoppers from frequent rainstorms. Other theme parks, like Universal Studios Japan, have also incorporated canopies to their theme park shopping districts.



Check out all the cool shops at World Bazaar, and the nice Disney character displays. It's fun to see Orville the albatross, and mice Bernard and Bianca from "The Rescuers."



You won't find the Swiss Family Treehouse in Adventureland here. At least, not in 1990. The Treehouse did not open until 1993.

The Western River Railroad is located in Adventureland. It does not circle the park. If it had more than one stop, it would have been subject to strict transportation codes.


In 2008, the Enchanted Tiki Room became "Stitch Presents Aloha e Komo Mai!" with the addition of an Audio-Animatronics figure of Stitch the alien from the movie "Lilo and Stitch" (a similar figure can be found at Walt Disney World's "Stitch's Great Escape" in Tomorrowland).

At Tokyo Disneyland, Frontierland is called "Westernland." Big Thunder Mountain opened in 1987, so the attraction was still fairly new at this time.

In 1992, Splash Mountain was added in the area on the map with the canoe dock, which became a new area called "Critter Country." This new section was an expanded version of the Critter Country found at Disneyland in California. Walt Disney World's Splash Mountain also debuted in 1992, in the Frontierland section of the Magic Kingdom (there's no Critter Country in Florida).

The Haunted Mansion is located in Fantasyland at Tokyo Disneyland. The reason was explained in Jason Surrell's book, "The Haunted Mansion: From the Magic Kingdom to the Movies." There was nowhere else to put it, and in the Japanese culture, "ghost stories are often categorized as fairy tales or fables."

The "Mickey Mouse Revue" was an Audio Animatronics show imported from Walt Disney World in Florida, where it ran from 1971 to 1980. At Tokyo Disneyland, it operated from 1983 to 2009. In 2011, the 3D film, "Mickey's Philharmagic" will open to replace the show (ironically, "Mickey's Philharmagic" first appeared in the former "Mickey Mouse Revue" location at Walt Disney World in Florida in 2003).

In 1996, the "Mickey's Toontown" land opened near Fantasyland, past Alice's Tea Party and the Skyway. Guests could now meet Mickey and Minnie in their houses, plus explore Donald's Boat, Goofy's Bounce House, Chip 'N' Dale's Tree House, Gadget's Go-Coaster, the Jolly Trolley ride through downtown Toontown and Roger Rabbit's Car-Toon Spin dark ride.

The Skyway and the Small World Restaurant were closed in 1998. Alice's Tea Party was moved and a new Queen of Hearts Banquet Hall restaurant opened near The Haunted Mansion at that time.

"Pooh's Hunny Hunt," a major new innovative "trackless" attraction featuring Audio Animatronics figures, music and animation (the ride vehicles go wild in the Heffalumps and Woozles section), opened in 2000 in the area that housed Alice's Tea Party, the Skyway and the Small World Restaurant. "Pooh's Hunny Hunt" is one of a kind and is one of the most popular attractions in Tokyo Disneyland.

Tomorrowland has also seen quite a few changes.

"Meet the World" closed in 2002. A brand new, large-scale, interactive dark ride, "Monsters Inc. Ride & Go Seek" opened in its place in 2009, featuring the characters from the Disney Pixar film.

"Buzz Lightyear's Astro Blasters," the interactive ride featuring the popular Disney Pixar Toy Story character, opened in 2004, in the former "American Journeys in Circlevision 360" location.

"Captain EO" had been replaced by the 3D film, "MicroAdventure!" (also known as "Honey, I Shrunk the Audience") in 1997. However, "Captain EO" returned to its old location in Tokyo Disneyland in 2010. "Captain EO" has returned to its old locations at Disneyland, Walt Disney World, and Disneyland Paris, too.

Tokyo Disneyland operated with different ticketing systems long after the other Disney Parks had abandoned them. I never experienced a Disney Park with individual attraction tickets.


The first official Disney hotel in Japan, Disney's Ambassador Hotel, opened in 2000. In 2001, Tokyo Disneyland got a sister park, Tokyo DisneySea, with the Hotel MiraCosta. Along with a new shopping district, Ikspiari, the destination once known simply as Tokyo Disneyland became The Tokyo Disney Resort. I really hope to visit the Resort someday soon!

For a much more in-depth look at the Tokyo Disney Resort, check out Meet the World, a wonderful website created by my pal, TokyoMagic!

Disney's Haunted Mansion Parade of Homes

Welcome, foolish mortals, to the Haunted Mansion. Well, a resin, light-up version of Disneyland's Haunted Mansion. This was available from The Disney Catalog and the online Disney Store years ago. Later, it could be found at a reduced price through the Disney Outlet on eBay.







Some of the 999 "Happy Haunts," like the Hitchhiking Ghosts, are just dying to have new visitors.





A few Grim, Grinning Ghosts have materialized to socialize. Don't close your eyes and don't try to hide.




Fans of Disney's Haunted Mansion have been able to get their mitts on replicas of their beloved attraction for some time now.




The original 1967 Disneyland Mansion is represented here it all its Southern, New Orleans Square glory.




Here we find spirited characters based on the original Marc Davis designs.



The fat lady may have sung, but there's more to see here.




Here we find the original version of the Bride from the attic.





She was originally a faceless, ghostly figure, with a loud, red beating heart.





The Bride has changed quite a bit over the years. The newest version is really cool, but I miss the simple charm of the original. The picture above is from the Haunted Mansion book and record. I still have the book, but the record went missing years ago. Side B of the LP featured Haunted sound effects, which I taped and used as sound effects for my own Halloween displays for Trick Or Treaters when I was a kid.





Also present is the legendary Hatbox Ghost character. He vanished from the ride before its grand opening.





Apparently, the character's gimmick (his head vanished and reappeared in his hatbox) was not convincing enough, so he was removed.





Here the character is seen in the Haunted Mansion book and record. He has been featured in quite a bit of merchandise. Maybe he will be back in the Mansion someday.





A resin version of Phantom Manor from Disneyland Paris was also available in the Disney Catalog and online. The famous Hitchhiking Ghosts are represented here, though I don't believe they are featured in the attraction in France.




A hinged-box resin Haunted Mansion was sold at Disneyland and Walt Disney World in the late 1990s. This is Walt Disney World's version, found at the Magic Kingdom's Liberty Square.




Open the box to discover the Hitchhiking Ghosts and the Corridor of Doors, with Goofy and a Ghost in a Doombuggy ride vehicle.




Here we get a rare glimpse at the back of the Mansion. Really, this is what it looks like. Haven't you always wondered?




A playset version of the Haunted Mansion could also be found at the Disney Parks. This is Walt Disney World's Mansion. It also includes accessories, and the Hitchhiking Ghosts. The Mansion facade seen at Walt Disney World can also be found at the Tokyo Disneyland version of the Haunted Mansion, located in that park's Fantasyland.



Like all the Haunted Mansions, it is equipped with wall-to-wall creeps and hot and cold running chills!



Jack Skellington and his crew from Tim Burton's Nightmare Before Christmas have been taking over Disneyland's Haunted Mansion at Halloween and Christmas for 10 years now. "Haunted Mansion Holiday" is quite popular, and was also adapted for Tokyo Disneyland's Haunted Mansion.

Disney recently unveiled concept art for Haunted Mansion themed hotel rooms. This is probably an idea for rooms at an existing resort (a good guess could be for Disney's Port Orleans Resort at Walt Disney World in Florida). I'd love to see an entire hotel based on the Haunted Mansion.

I have been having difficulty posting photos on my blog recently, and have discovered I'm not alone. The new photo upload system does not work for everyone. I was able to find a way to revert back to the old editor, but it will be eliminated soon. Hopefully, the photo upload problems will be addressed.

Way Down South in the Far East: Tokyo's Critter Country

One day I would love to visit Japan, and experience the Tokyo Disney Resort. Splash Mountain is one of my all-time favorites, and Tokyo Disneyland's Critter Country would be a "must-see" for me. I found these Critter Country postcards on Ebay many years ago.