After its initial release in 1947, Mickey and the Beanstalk aired as a standalone feature in 1963 on the ultra popular Disney television series Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color. Notably, Edgar Bergen was replaced as narrator of the program by Disney animated character Professor Ludwig Von Drake. The “Man of a Thousand Voices” Paul Frees provided the voice of Professor Von Drake. Frees was an American voice-actor whose career spanned more than 40 years. During his career, Frees worked for numerous companies including Walt Disney Studios, Jay Ward Productions, and Rankin/Bass. Among his many credits, Frees voiced the “Ghost Host” narrator for the Haunted Mansion. Frees also voiced numerous characters in Pirates of the Caribbean, including the famous auctioneer and “Old Bill.” He also recorded the echoing “Dead Men Tell no Tales” used in the attraction. Despite his noteworthy accomplishments for Disney, Frees is perhaps best known for voicing the villain Boris Badenov on Jay Ward Productions’ The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show.
Fun and Fancy Free generally and Mickey and the Beanstalk specifically did receive critical acclaim. Variety even announced that, “[A]ll of it adds up to one of Disney’s finest achievements.”
Storytelling Elements
Although small in size, Sir Mickey’s is filled from floor to ceiling (literally) with numerous storytelling details that pay homage to both Brave Little Tailor and Mickey and the Beanstalk. As a matter of fact, this theming begins even before guests step through the front door of the shop.
Sir Mickey’s Façade
Sir Mickey’s sits directly behind Cinderella Castle in the original “Renaissance fair” section of Fantasyland. Guests who enter Fantasyland by walking through the central tunnel of Cinderella Castle from Main Street, U.S.A., will see Sir Mickey’s to the right-hand side of the walkway immediately upon exiting the castle corridor. Guests who enter Fantasyland from either the Tomorrowland or Liberty Square sides will find Sir Mickey’s in an alcove between Prince Charming’s Regal Carousel and Cinderella Castle.
Although Sir Mickey’s occupies a valuable piece of Fantasyland real estate, its ideal location does not result in a large number of patrons visiting the store. When guests enter Fantasyland from Cinderella Castle, they are normally en route to one of Fantasyland’s many popular attractions. Guests who approach the Prince Charming Regal Carrousel from either Liberty Square or Tomorrowland are usually drawn to the awe-inspiring site of the castle itself.
The exterior façade of Sir Mickey’s is unmistakable and ties in perfectly with the surrounding environment. The shop’s walls appear to have been constructed with large stone blocks that lead to a high-pitched roof. The stone walls include multiple open archway entrance points and a large stone block chimney. The roof is decorated with numerous wooden shingles and includes multiple “doghouse”-style windows. The exterior façade also includes multiple turrets and vintage glass windows.
The exterior portion of Sir Mickey’s includes many storytelling details and magical secrets for observant guests. Most noticeably, a massive beanstalk, an obvious tribute to Mickey and the Beanstalk, is overrunning the building. This beanstalk grows out windows, around the chimney, and has even grabbed the signage for Sir Mickey’s and ripped it from the building.
An exterior sign for the shop reading “Sir Mickey’s” includes a picture of Mickey’s face from Brave Little Tailor, including his signature Robin Hood-style hat with feather. Another sign appears to be a reclaimed wooden shield that includes Mickey’s signature ears carved into the top. Yet another sign includes a picture of Mickey dressed from head to toe in his Brave Little Tailor outfit. Mickey even leans on a large pair of scissors for support, replicating the opening caption that is displayed when the Brave Little Tailor film first begins.
Aside from the large beanstalk and exterior signage, guests should pay attention to the windows seen from the exterior of Sir Mickey’s. These windows are extremely detailed and are filled with many fun storytelling props and magical secrets. One window pays homage to Mickey’s role as a tailor in Brave Little Tailor. This window looks into Mickey’s workshop, and is filled with items that tell the story of Brave Little Tailor:
A wooden table is displayed in the middle of the window, with spools of thread, a pincushion with numerous colorful needles stuck therein, an iron, and cloth displayed thereon.
A large pair of scissors and what appears to be the hilt of a sword stuck in a box sit in front of the worktable.
A variety of fabrics rest on a rustic wooden shelf hanging on the wall.
My personal favorite props in this window are the two flyswatters that Mickey used to dispatch seven flies in one blow in the film. In the window, those flyswatters rest in a wooden trunk sitting in the floor of the workshop.
A piece of parchment is pinned to a measuring “dummy,” and reads:
out
GIANT
HUNTING
BACK SOON!
Mickey
A measuring tape hangs from a dowel pinned to the neck of that dummy.
A painting hanging on the wall depicts a noble archer aiming his bow and arrow. Goofy stands close beside with an apple resting on his head. That apple has an arrow run straight through it. Pluto sits on the other side of the archer.
Another painting shows a noble gentleman on one knee with a flower in his hand. The gentleman appears to be seeking the hand of…Clarabelle Cow.
Numerous sketches of pieces of clothing that tailor Mickey plans to create also decorate the walls. One sketch is of a medieval outfit similar to that worn my Mickey in Brave Little Tailor. This sketch includes numerous Easter eggs for observant guests:
The diagram is labeled:
“SUIT YE SELF”
TAYLORING TO THY NEEDS
NINE WITH ONE BLOW
A note at the bottom of the sketch reads:
WILL TRADE FOR HENS WITH GOLDEN EGGS
MUSICAL HARPS OR SEED WITH MAGIC
M. MOUSE PROP.
A hand drawn arrow pointing to the right sleeve of the garment includes a note that “STITCH IN TIME NEEDS A RHYME.”
Another garment diagram appears more militaristic in nature. The diagram is labeled “SUIT FOR GENTRY” and proclaims “GIANT SAVEINGS.”
Another elaborate window on the exterior of Sir Mickey’s appears to show the inner workings of a medieval alchemist’s laboratory. In fact, it looks like it could be Merlin’s workshop, which makes sense given the proximity of Sir Mickey’s to the Sword in the Stone display located near the Prince Charming Regal Carrousel.
This window is filled with jars, beakers, and other glass cylinders in various shapes and sizes. Those objects hold liquids of varying colors and are connected by glass tubes. A large blackboard in the middle of the window includes a mysterious formula:
Higitus Figitus
+
Migitus Mum
=
Presti—Digi—Tonium
These strange words are actually lyrics from the song “Higitus Figitus” from the 1963 Disney animated film The Sword in the Stone. One of that film’s stars is the sorcerer Merlin, making clear that this window display is indeed that of Merlin’s laboratory. An old magical spell book is propped open to the left-hand side of the window. The page on the left includes a diagram and reads “Higitus Figitus.”
A series of old parchments are rolled into tubes and sit atop a trunk on the right-hand side of the window. They are joined by numerous other vintage volumes and a telescope. A tall bookcase on the left-hand side of the window is filled with old books and papers. An old candle provides light for the window, as melted wax flows down both the candle and the candlestick.
Sir Mickey’s Interior
The incredible theming of Sir Mickey’s exterior continues as guests step inside the shop. The interior has two distinct themes. One side of the shop is themed as a medieval armory and is decorated with elaborate shields, royal chest plates, royal banners and sigils, spears, axes, lances, and swords. Be sure to look up when crossing from the armory sect
ion of the shop to the other side and you will see the points of a medieval gate that are ready to drop in the event of coming danger.
Guests will also see a sign in the interior of the shop that includes a picture of Willie the Giant and reads “CITIZENS BEWARE.” Huey, Dewey, and Louie are up to no good as usual, and appear to have drawn a rudimentary black mustache on the picture of Willie. The trio is playing in a stack of armor and helmets while Donald can be seen nearby wearing a medieval robe and carrying a sword.
The other side of Sir Mickey’s is themed as a tailor shop and, not surprisingly, is decorated with numerous spools of thread, cloth, and sewing tools. One of the most fun scenes of Sir Mickey’s is found behind the cash register in the tailor-portion of the shop. Mickey (dressed in his Mickey and the Beanstalk outfit) is standing on a portion of the beanstalk with a lantern in hand. A vintage sewing machine sits in the corner behind Mickey. Numerous tailor props surround the beanstalk, including rolls of cloth, numerous spools of thread, needles, scissors, and several trunks and barrels. Wooden shelves on the wall hold more spools of thread, scissors, and brooms.
A painting of Happy Valley, the beautiful setting from Mickey and the Beanstalk, hangs above one of Sir Mickey’s exit paths. This painting includes a picturesque castle sitting on a hill surrounded by green fields and a flowing creek. Two primitive wooden shelves flank the Happy Valley picture. The shelf to the left-hand side of the picture holds a plate, cup, and bowl. The shelf to the right-hand side of the painting is more elaborate. A wooden basket on top of that shelf holds numerous spools of thread, while a pair of scissors, a broom, and a measuring stick hang on wooden pegs below the basket.
In order to see the biggest (literally and figuratively) magical secret of Sir Mickey’s, guests must simply look up. The face of Willie the Giant can be seen peaking through a gap between the shop’s interior walls and ceiling. His fingers can also be seen through those gaps, which simulate the scene from Mickey and the Beanstalk where Willie the Giant lifts the roof off of the house where the film’s narrator is located.
Guests can also see the grand prize that pushed the timid tailor to become a hero in Mickey and the Beanstalk: Princess Minnie! She can be found in a corner of the shop wearing a royal dress and waiving to her loyal subjects (aka, the patrons of Sir Mickey’s).
Real History
The first Sir Mickey’s shop opened up far from the royal gates of the Magic Kingdom in Disneyland Paris (formerly EuroDisneyland), when Sir Mickey’s Boutique debuted on April 12, 1992. As for the Magic Kingdom version, the building that currently houses Sir Mickey’s was formerly home to two different retail locations. One side housed a Disney gift shop known as the AristoCats in honor of the 1970 Disney animated film of the same name. The other side was home to Merlin’s Magic Shop, one of the most unique retail locations in the history of the Magic Kingdom. Merlin’s sold a variety of magician-themed merchandise. In 1986, Merlin’s Magic Ship was transformed into Mickey’s Christmas Carol, a Christmas shop providing holiday-themed merchandise.
In March of 1996, the AristoCats and Mickey’s Christmas Carol were merged and rebranded as a single location known as Sir Mickey’s.
chapter eleven
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
“Rabbit’s clever,” said Pooh thoughtfully.
“Yes,” said Piglet, “Rabbit’s clever.”
“And he has Brain.”
“Yes,” said Piglet, “Rabbit has Brain.”
There was a long silence.
“I suppose,” said Pooh, “that that’s why he never understands anything.”
—A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh (1926)
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh is a Fantasyland dark ride through the Hundred Acre Wood. Riding aboard “Hunny Pots,” guests both figuratively and literally “step through the pages” of A. A. Milne’s classic children stories to meet Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Piglet, Christopher Robin, and many other friends of the “silly old bear.”
Winnie the Pooh is universally loved because the character conveys innocence, authenticity, and joy that is unique even when compared to other Disney characters. Because of this, many are surprised to learn that the addition of an attraction based on Winnie the Pooh was one of the most controversial decisions ever made by Disney Imagineers. In fact, hundreds of angry fans staged in-park protests to stop the attraction from becoming a reality. Why were Disney fans so upset? The answer had nothing to do with Winnie the Pooh, but instead with the love and appreciation guests had for an energetic amphibian named J. Thaddeus Toad, Esq. Yes, the story of how Pooh came to be in Fantasyland is a “wild ride” indeed.
Backstory
A.A. Milne’s Winnie-the-Pooh and The House at Pooh Corner
The story of Winnie the Pooh begins with English author Alan Alexander Milne. Born on January 18, 1882, Milne was the son of London schoolteachers and developed a love for reading and writing at an early age. Milne attended Cambridge where he edited the school paper. In 1903, Milne left Cambridge to become a writer, and later reached prominence as a playwright.
The inspiration for Milne’s most famous works came from actual toys that his son, Christopher Robin Milne, played with as a child. When Christopher was a year old, he was given a stuffed bear, and later a stuffed tiger, pig, and donkey. The idea of transforming those dolls into characters for a children’s book is largely credited to A. A. Milne’s wife, Daphne Milne. Those dolls would become famously known as Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Piglet, and Eeyore. Not surprisingly, Christopher Robin Milne served as the inspiration for the child best friend of Winnie the Pooh, Christopher Robin.
In 1926, A.A. Milne wrote Winnie-the-Pooh, a collection of stories about a lovable bear of the same name. Two years later, Milne continued his Pooh stories with The House at Pooh Corner (1928). Both books recount the many adventures of Winnie the Pooh and his lovable friends.
Each of the characters in Milne’s stories has a unique personality. Pooh is honest and caring, friendly and warm. Many of Pooh’s adventures begin with or involve his insatiable hunger for honey. While Pooh is viewed by some fans as slow-witted, Pooh’s basic level of analysis often provides the best solution to complex problems. Pooh’s closest animal friend is a small toy pig named Piglet. Although very timid in nature, Piglet often exhibits bravery when his friends are in need. Eeyore is a gray donkey who is always gloomy no matter what the situation may be. At the other end of the spectrum is Tigger, an orange tiger with black stripes. Tigger is always upbeat, but often careless, and loves to bounce on his accordion-like tail. In addition to the characters based on his son’s stuffed animals, A.A. Milne created two additional characters, Owl (a wise know-it-all) and Rabbit (a fussy practical rabbit).
Milne’s stories of Winnie the Pooh have been described as “elegant, yet simple, whimsical, yet wise.” Those stories have entertained generations of children from around the globe and have notably have been translated into 21 different languages. In nearly a century following Milne’s original works, the Winnie the Pooh characters have been depicted in scores of books, magazines, television series and films, the most popular of which are the classic Disney animated features from the 1960s and 1970s.
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
In 1961, Disney licensed certain rights pertaining to the Winnie the Pooh characters from the Milne family estate and Stephen Slesinger, Inc., who had previously acquired numerous licensing rights for those characters. In 1977, Disney released a full-length animated feature called The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. This film combined three previously released Disney short films:
Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree (1966). The first Winnie the Pooh featurette was released on February 4, 1966. When Pooh discovers that he is out of honey, the silly old bear decides to climb a honey tree (a tree with a beehive) to retrieve more. Pooh’s first attempt fails, as the tree branch he stands on breaks. Pooh next uses a balloon from his friend Christopher Robin to float to the bees’ hive. This att
empt also proves unsuccessful. The discouraged bear then invites himself to Rabbit’s house, where he finally gets some honey. In fact, Pooh eats so much honey that he gets stuck in Rabbit’s door when leaving. After numerous unsuccessful attempts to free Pooh, Rabbit is finally able to push him through the door. Fortunately, Pooh then finds himself stuck in a much better location: another honey tree.
Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day (1968) was released on December 20, 1968. This featurette begins with a very windy day that many of the characters refer to as a “Winds-Day.” During this blustery day, Piglet is almost blown away by the wind (thankfully Pooh holds on to him with a scarf), Eeyore’s stick house blows away, and Owl’s tree house is blown out of its tree. Viewers also learn that Tiggers don’t love honey, but according to the bouncing tiger himself, heffalumps and woozles (scary elephants and weasels) do. When Pooh falls asleep, he has a nightmare of heffalumps and woozles trying to steal his honey. When Pooh finally wakes up, he finds himself in the middle of a rainstorm. Fortunately, all of the Hundred Acre Woods friends eventually find themselves safe at a party at Christopher Robin’s house. Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day won the 1968 Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film.
Adventureland, Tomorrowland, and Fantasyland Page 26
