This page will contain images about bears, as they become available.Bear |
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| Ailuropoda Ursus Tremarctos Arctodus(extinct) |
A bear is a large mammal of the order Carnivora, family Ursidae. The adjective, ursine, is used to describe things of bearlike nature.
Common characteristics of bears include a short tail, excellent senses of smell and hearing, five un-retractable claws, and long, dense, shaggy fur.
Bears have a large body with powerful limbs. They are capable of standing up on their hind legs. They have broad paws, long snouts, and round ears. Their teeth are used for defense and tools and depend on the diet of the bear. Their claws are used for ripping, digging, and catching. A bear's eyesight is probably similar in acuity (sharpness) to the human eye. Black bears, and likely other bears, have color vision to help them identify fruits and nuts.
Depending on the species, bears can have 32 to 42 teeth. Bear teeth are not specialized for killing their prey like those of cats. Normal canine teeth in a carnivore are generally large and pointed used for killing prey, while bears' canine teeth are relatively small and typically used in defense or as tools. Bears' molar teeth are broad, flat and are used to shred and grind plant food into small digestable pieces.
Bears have four limbs that end in paws. Each paw has five long, sharp claws that are unretractible, unlike cats. These claws can be used to climb trees, rip open termite nests and beehives, dig up roots, or catch prey, depending on the species. While most carnivores tend to walk on their toes in a way that is adapted for speed, bears have a plantigrade stance. They walk with their weight on the soles of their hindfeet, with the heel touching the ground, while the toes of the forefeet are used more for balance. Although slower than most carnivores, a running bear can reach speeds of up to 50 km/h (30 mph). They are also stronger than most carnivores and their limbs are more flexible and agile.
A bear's fur is long and shaggy. Fur color varies among species, ranging from white, blonde or cream, to black, and white to all black or all brown. Colors of a bear's fur can also vary within species. For example, American black bears may be black, brown, reddish-brown, or bluish-black. Several species, such as the sun bear and spectacled bear have a light-colored chest with facial markings.
In all bear species, males are larger than females, but the difference between sexes varies and is greatest in the largest species. Large male polar bears may weigh twice as much as females, while smaller male and sun bears are much more similar in weight. A bear's life span seems to last about 25 to 40 years. Bears living in the wild tend to die younger than their zoo-counterparts.
Bears live in a variety of habitats from the tropics to the Arctic and from forests to snowfields. They are mainly omnivorous, although some have a more specialised diet, such as polar bears. They eat lichens, roots, nuts, and berries. They can also go to a river or other body of water to capture fish. Bears will commonly travel far for food. Hunting times are usually in the dusk or the dawn except when humans are nearby.
Some of the large species, such as the polar bear and the grizzly bear, are dangerous to humans, especially in areas where they have become used to people. For the most part, bears are shy and are easily frightened of humans. They will, however, defend their cubs ferociously.
Bears mostly live alone, except for mothers and their cubs, or males and females during mating season. Bears form temporary groups only when food is plentiful in a small area. Alaskan brown bears group in the same area to feed on salmon during the annual salmon runs, when the fish swim upriver to reach their spawning grounds. Giant pandas may also form small social groups, based on recent evidence, perhaps because bamboo is more concentrated than the patchy food resources of other bear species. Other bears may live alone but exist in a social network. A male and female may live in an overlapping home range, each defending their range from other bears of the same sex. Male young usually leave their mothers to live in other areas, but females often live in an area that overlaps that of their mother.
Bears travel over large territories in search of food, remembering the details of the landscape they cover. They use their excellent memories to return to locations where food was plentiful in past years or seasons. Most bears are able to climb trees to chase prey or gain access to additional vegetation. The only exceptions are polar bears and large adult brown bears, whose heavy weight makes it difficult to climb trees.
The bear's courtship period is very brief. Bears reproduce seasonally, usually after a period of inactivity similar to hibernation. Cubs come out toothless, blind, and bald. The cubs, usually born in litters of 1–3, will stay with the mother for six months. They will be fed by milk at first and will start hunting with the mother in three months. Then, they are weaned. However, they will still remain nearby for three years. The cubs are more sexually mature at seven years. Normally, bears are very solitary and will not remain close together for long periods of time.
"How Bears and other Beasts may be caught with a Dart" - facsimile of a Miniature in the Manuscript of Phoebus (Fifteenth Century).Many bears of northern regions are assumed to hibernate in the winter. While many bear species do go into a physiological state called hibernation or winter sleep, it is not true hibernation. In true hibernators, body temperatures drop to near ambient and heart rate slows drastically, but they periodically rouse themselves to urinate or defecate and eat from stored food. It is difficult to awaken them by disturbance. The body temperature of bears, on the other hand, drops only a few degrees from normal and heart rate slows slightly. They do not wake normally during 'hibernation' therefore do not eat, drink, urinate or defecate the entire period. Recycling urine is quite a physiological feat. Unlike rodents, bears are easily awakened when disturbed. Higher body heat and being easily roused may be adaptations because female bears bear cubs during this winter sleep.
Laws have been passed in many areas of the world to protect bears from hunters or habitat destruction. Bears in captivity used to be trained to dance, box, or unicycle, but it is now controversial to use animals in this way.
Bears have an average life expectancy of 25–40 years.
The Brown Bear is Finland's national animal.
Kodiak Bears are the largest type of bear (Polar Bears are the heaviest though), indeed one of the largest extant carnivores. Sun Bears are the smallest, only a bit smaller than the average person.
The genera Melursus and Helarctos are included in the genus Ursus. The Asiatic Black Bear and the Polar Bear used to be placed in their own genera, Selenarctos and Thalarctos.
A number of hybrids have been bred between American Black, Brown and Polar Bears (see Ursinae hybrids).
Bears are members of the order Carnivora, suborder Caniformia, and family Ursidae. Other members of the Caniformia include wolves and other dog-like mammals (family Canidae), weasels, skunks, and badgers (family Mustelidae), raccoons (family Procyonidae), and walruses (family Odobenidae), seals (family Phocidae), and sea lions (family Otariidae). Although bears are often described as having evolved from a dog-like ancestor, their closest living relatives are the pinnipeds (walruses, seals, and sea lions).
The origins of the bears can be traced back to the raccoon-sized, dog-like Cephalogale from the middle Oligocene and early Miocene (approximately 20-30 million years ago) of Europe. Cephalogale gave rise to a lineage of early bears, the genus Ursavus. This genus radiated in Asia and ultimately gave rise to the first true bears (genus Ursus) in Europe, 5 million years ago. Extinct bear genera include Arctodus, Agriarctos, Agriotherium, Plionarctos and Indarctos.
Although there has previously been much discussion as to whether the Giant Panda belongs to the bear family or the raccoon family, recent DNA analyses have shown that the Giant Panda is a member of the Family Ursidae and as such is more closely related to other bears. The status of the Red Panda remains uncertain, but many experts, including Wilson and Reeder, classify it as a member of the bear family. Others place it with the racoons in Procyonidae or in its own family, the Ailuridae. The many similarities between the two pandas are thought to represent convergent evolution for feeding primarily on bamboo.
There is also evidence that, unlike their neighbors elsewhere, the Brown Bears of Alaska's ABC Islands are more closely related to Polar Bears than they are to other Brown Bears in the world. Researchers Gerald Shields and Sandra Talbot of the University of Alaska Fairbanks Institute of Arctic Biology studied the DNA of several samples of the species and found that their DNA is different from that of other Brown Bears. The researchers discovered that their DNA was unique compared to Brown Bears anywhere else in the world. The discovery has shown that while all other Brown Bears share a Brown Bear as their closest relative, those of Alaska's ABC Islands differ and share their closest relation with the Polar Bear.
There is some evidence for prehistoric bear worship, see Arctic, Arcturus, Great Bear, Berserker, Kalevala. Anthropologists such as Joseph Campbell have regarded this as a common feature in most of the fishing and hunting-tribes. The prehistoric Finns, along with most finno-ugric peoples, considered the bear as the spirit of one's forefathers. This is why the bear was a greatly respected animal, with several euphemistic names. There has been evidence about early bear worship in China and among the Ainu culture as well.
In addition, the Proto-Indo-European word for bear, *hr̥ktos (ancestral to the Greek arktos, Latin ursus, Welsh arth (c.f. Arthur), Sanskrit *ṛkṣa, Hittite hartagga) seems to have been subject to taboo deformation or replacement (as was the word for wolf, wlkwos), resulting in the use of numerous unrelated words with meanings like "brown one" (English bruin) and "honey-eater" (Slavic medved). Thus four separate Indo-European language groups do not share the same PIE root. In the Finnish countryside, the word for "bear" remains taboo to this day. The theory of the bear taboo is taught to almost all beginning students of Indo-European and historical linguistics; the putative original PIE word for bear is itself descriptive, because a cognate word in Sanskrit is rakshas, meaning "harm, injury" [1].
Numerous cities around the world have adopted the bear as a symbol, notably the Swiss capital Bern, which takes its name from the German for bear, bär. The bear is also the name-emblem of Berlin. Bears are a common symbol of heraldry. In the arms of the bishopric of Freising (illustration, right) the bear is the dangerous totem animal tamed by Saint Corbinian and made to carry his civilized baggage over the mountains: the allegory of the civilizing influence of Christianity is inescapable. A bear also features prominently in the legend of Saint Romedius, who is also said to have tamed one of these animals and had the same bear carry him from his hermitage in the mountains to the city of Trento.
Bears, usually anthropomorphized, appear frequently as characters in popular culture; see List of fictional bears.
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Dictionary definitions from Wiktionary Bears are a common symbol of heraldry. Guest service managers from the park's several business units, including Attractions, Custodial, Foods, Merchandise, and Security, report to Theme Park One, and are given call signs such as Attractions One or Merch One. The bear is also the name-emblem of Berlin. (DCA's senior manager is called Theme Park Two.) These managers respond to situtations throughout the park and are empowered to open backstage areas for crowd control purposes, close specific locations, or even close the entire park. Numerous cities around the world have adopted the bear as a symbol, notably the Swiss capital Bern, which takes its name from the German for bear, bär. Disneyland's senior on-the-ground manager at any time is called Theme Park One, a position which rotates among a group of managers in the resort's Theme Park Operations department. The theory of the bear taboo is taught to almost all beginning students of Indo-European and historical linguistics; the putative original PIE word for bear is itself descriptive, because a cognate word in Sanskrit is rakshas, meaning "harm, injury" [1]. On a minute-to-minute basis, the parks are run by duty managers, who are identified by their radio call signs. In the Finnish countryside, the word for "bear" remains taboo to this day. (He reports to Jay Rasulo, the chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, who in turn reports to Bob Iger, the president and chief executive officer of The Walt Disney Company.) Ouimet, who previously ran Disney's cruise ship operations, is assisted by several experienced theme park managers, including Senior Vice President of Operations Greg Emmer and Vice President of Theme Park Operations Jon Storbeck. Thus four separate Indo-European language groups do not share the same PIE root. Matt Ouimet is the president of the Disneyland Resort. Arthur), Sanskrit *ṛkṣa, Hittite hartagga) seems to have been subject to taboo deformation or replacement (as was the word for wolf, wlkwos), resulting in the use of numerous unrelated words with meanings like "brown one" (English bruin) and "honey-eater" (Slavic medved). The operations of Disneyland are mostly merged with that of its sister park, Disney's California Adventure (DCA), so both parks, as well as the other Disneyland Resort properties, are managed by one team of senior executives. In addition, the Proto-Indo-European word for bear, *hr̥ktos (ancestral to the Greek arktos, Latin ursus, Welsh arth (c.f. In Eric Wilson's young adult novel Disneyland Hostage (which is part of the Canadian mystery series featuring Liz Austen) terrorists take over Disneyland and hold guests hostage on Tom Sawyer's Island. There has been evidence about early bear worship in China and among the Ainu culture as well. In Kim Stanley Robinson's novel The Gold Coast (set in a dystopian Orange County of 2030), the core characters mention a perverse game where the person who has to wait the longest for the least thrilling ride at Disneyland wins. This is why the bear was a greatly respected animal, with several euphemistic names. This trip goes awry and chaos ensues. The prehistoric Finns, along with most finno-ugric peoples, considered the bear as the spirit of one's forefathers. In The Doctor Who serial "The Delta and the Bannermen", Sylvester McCoy's Doctor takes a bus tour supposedly going to Disneyland. Anthropologists such as Joseph Campbell have regarded this as a common feature in most of the fishing and hunting-tribes. The 1962 movie 40 Pounds Of Trouble starring Tony Curtis and Suzanne Pleshette culminates in a madcap chase through Disneyland's various realms. There is some evidence for prehistoric bear worship, see Arctic, Arcturus, Great Bear, Berserker, Kalevala. In the 1962 movie The Three Stooges in Orbit, Larry, Moe and Curly Joe prevent Martians from attacking Disneyland from a flying submarine. The discovery has shown that while all other Brown Bears share a Brown Bear as their closest relative, those of Alaska's ABC Islands differ and share their closest relation with the Polar Bear. Doctorow's novel The Book of Daniel. The researchers discovered that their DNA was unique compared to Brown Bears anywhere else in the world. L. Researchers Gerald Shields and Sandra Talbot of the University of Alaska Fairbanks Institute of Arctic Biology studied the DNA of several samples of the species and found that their DNA is different from that of other Brown Bears. Disneyland Park, and a learned discussion of its social function, occurs with deliberate incongruity in the closing pages of E. There is also evidence that, unlike their neighbors elsewhere, the Brown Bears of Alaska's ABC Islands are more closely related to Polar Bears than they are to other Brown Bears in the world. Although called "temporary," this restriction is still in place as of May, 2005, however it has since been weakened, only creating the "No-Fly Zone" when the Terror Alert Level is Orange or higher. The many similarities between the two pandas are thought to represent convergent evolution for feeding primarily on bamboo. An additional restriction was imposed by the Federal Aviation Administration after September 11, a temporary flight restriction, which forbids civilian and media aircraft from flying over the park. Others place it with the racoons in Procyonidae or in its own family, the Ailuridae. The celebration began on May 5. The status of the Red Panda remains uncertain, but many experts, including Wilson and Reeder, classify it as a member of the bear family. Though the original stated reason was to put the finishing touches on the 50th Anniversary Celebration, Disneyland Park also played host to a large media event designed to generate interest in the 50th anniversary celebration. Although there has previously been much discussion as to whether the Giant Panda belongs to the bear family or the raccoon family, recent DNA analyses have shown that the Giant Panda is a member of the Family Ursidae and as such is more closely related to other bears. A scheduled closure occurred on May 4, 2005. Extinct bear genera include Arctodus, Agriarctos, Agriotherium, Plionarctos and Indarctos. Disneyland Park stayed closed during the attacks of September 11, 2001, out of respect for the time of national mourning and out of fear of further attacks directed at high-profile targets such as the park. This genus radiated in Asia and ultimately gave rise to the first true bears (genus Ursus) in Europe, 5 million years ago. The first occurrence was due to President Kennedy's assassination, yet urban legends have circulated that Walt Disney refused to heed orders from Under Secretary of State George Ball to lower the US Flag in Town Square - although Disney and his brother were on the other side of the country surveying land for the future site of the Walt Disney World Resort. Cephalogale gave rise to a lineage of early bears, the genus Ursavus. Disneyland Park has only been forced to close twice in its history. The origins of the bears can be traced back to the raccoon-sized, dog-like Cephalogale from the middle Oligocene and early Miocene (approximately 20-30 million years ago) of Europe. They approached the gates, only to be dismissed at the gates. Although bears are often described as having evolved from a dog-like ancestor, their closest living relatives are the pinnipeds (walruses, seals, and sea lions). Although several leaflets were published announcing this, only one car of neo-Nazis was seen in the parking lot before the park opened, and none entered. Other members of the Caniformia include wolves and other dog-like mammals (family Canidae), weasels, skunks, and badgers (family Mustelidae), raccoons (family Procyonidae), and walruses (family Odobenidae), seals (family Phocidae), and sea lions (family Otariidae). With memories of this event in mind, in May 1989, park security personnel were prepared for rumors of an invasion of the park by neo-Nazis, in honor of the birth of an obscure Nazi leader named Gregor Strasser. Bears are members of the order Carnivora, suborder Caniformia, and family Ursidae. They raised a Viet Cong flag on Tom Sawyer's Island chanting "Ho, Ho, Ho Chi Minh", filled the now-closed Inner Space dark ride with marijuana smoke, displayed the Yippie flag (which had on it an image of a marijuana leaf in a red star on a black background). A number of hybrids have been bred between American Black, Brown and Polar Bears (see Ursinae hybrids). They wanted to attack Bank of America because the Bank was supposedly financing the Vietnam War. The Asiatic Black Bear and the Polar Bear used to be placed in their own genera, Selenarctos and Thalarctos. In their leaflets, they stated they would help "liberate" Minnie Mouse, arrange a Black Panther Breakfast at the now-closed Aunt Jemima Pancake House, and attack the Bank of America on Main Street, USA and the attraction it's a small world, which Bank of America sponsored. The genera Melursus and Helarctos are included in the genus Ursus. In August 1970, Disneyland Park was literally invaded by several Yippies who planned the stunt as an attack on what they saw as bloated establishment decadence. Sun Bears are the smallest, only a bit smaller than the average person. Two of the deaths were ruled by CalOSHA to be the result of negligence on the park's part rather than misbehavior by guests:. Kodiak Bears are the largest type of bear (Polar Bears are the heaviest though), indeed one of the largest extant carnivores. Seven of the deaths were the result of negligence on the Guests' part rather than the park's:. The Brown Bear is Finland's national animal. A greater number of guests have been injured. Bears have an average life expectancy of 25–40 years. Over the half century that Disneyland Park has been in operation, nine Guests and one Cast Member have died inside the park. Bears in captivity used to be trained to dance, box, or unicycle, but it is now controversial to use animals in this way. Initially, only a few attractions offered this service, but its popularity ensured its spread to many of the park's attractions. Laws have been passed in many areas of the world to protect bears from hunters or habitat destruction. If the guest comes back to the attraction at his return time, he will get to wait in a shorter line and be on the attraction within ten minutes, or often much more quickly. Higher body heat and being easily roused may be adaptations because female bears bear cubs during this winter sleep. At attractions featuring FASTPASS, a guest can use his park admission ticket to obtain a FASTPASS ticket with a return time later that day (an hour-long window) printed on it. Unlike rodents, bears are easily awakened when disturbed. In 1999, in an effort to offset the long waits for the most popular attractions, Disney implemented a new service named FASTPASS [4]. Recycling urine is quite a physiological feat. This model spread rapidly to all other parks, including Disneyland, because its business advantages were obvious: in addition to guaranteeing that everyone paid a large sum even if they stayed for only a few hours and rode only a few rides, the park no longer had to print tickets or ticket books, staff ticket booths, or provide staff to collect tickets or monitor attractions for people sneaking on without tickets. They do not wake normally during 'hibernation' therefore do not eat, drink, urinate or defecate the entire period. In the 1970s, nearby Magic Mountain introduced a one-price admission ticket which allowed free access to all attractions within the park. The body temperature of bears, on the other hand, drops only a few degrees from normal and heart rate slows slightly. This led to the still-popular term "E ticket ride" for any particularly outstanding, special, or thrilling experience. It is difficult to awaken them by disturbance. The least-expensive "A" tickets gave access to the smaller attractions, while the most-expensive "E" tickets gave access to the newest thrill rides or the most interesting and unusual attractions. In true hibernators, body temperatures drop to near ambient and heart rate slows drastically, but they periodically rouse themselves to urinate or defecate and eat from stored food. Park-goers paid a small sum to get into the park, then bought coupons (also called tickets), individually or in booklets, that allowed them access to rides and attractions. While many bear species do go into a physiological state called hibernation or winter sleep, it is not true hibernation. From Disneyland's opening until 1982, the price of attractions was in addition to the price of park admission. Many bears of northern regions are assumed to hibernate in the winter. Through the years, this has included:. Normally, bears are very solitary and will not remain close together for long periods of time. In addition to the attractions, Disneyland provides live entertainment throughout the park. The cubs are more sexually mature at seven years. The new cars resemble those used in television commercials for Chevron and are in one of these three styles:. However, they will still remain nearby for three years. This car design was used through 2000, when the entire ride was rethemed and modernized. Then, they are weaned. In 1967, the cars were redesigned to resemble the popular Chevrolet Corvette. They will be fed by milk at first and will start hunting with the mother in three months. Robert Gurr designed the original Autopia cars to be reminiscent of Ferraris. The cubs, usually born in litters of 1–3, will stay with the mother for six months. The Disneyland Autopia opened with the park in 1955, and represented a future look at what would become America's multilane limited-access highways that were still being developed (President Eisenhower had yet to sign the Interstate Highway legislation at the time Disneyland opened). Cubs come out toothless, blind, and bald. The Fantasyland station remains. Bears reproduce seasonally, usually after a period of inactivity similar to hibernation. It was removed shortly after the Rocket Rods closed in spring 2001. The bear's courtship period is very brief. The Tomorrowland station remained and was used as a maintenance bay for Rocket Rods beginning in 1998. The only exceptions are polar bears and large adult brown bears, whose heavy weight makes it difficult to climb trees. No Skyways are left at any Disney park (Disneyland Park in Paris never had a Skyway attraction). Most bears are able to climb trees to chase prey or gain access to additional vegetation. Four years later, Tokyo Disneyland Park removed their Skyway; finally, in 1999, Walt Disney World Resort's Magic Kingdom Park removed theirs. They use their excellent memories to return to locations where food was plentiful in past years or seasons. Due to the enormous impending cost to retrofit the Skyway for earthquake safety and handicap accessibility, the attraction closed permanently on November 10, 1994. Bears travel over large territories in search of food, remembering the details of the landscape they cover. A distinctive feature was that Disneyland maintained the 'on-stage/backstage' illusion to Skyway guests, covering any sites that would be unsuitable to guests that were also hidden to guests on foot. Male young usually leave their mothers to live in other areas, but females often live in an area that overlaps that of their mother. Opened in 1956 by Walt Disney himself, it shuttled passengers between Fantasyland and Tomorrowland 100 feet (30 m) above the ground, giving passengers fantastic views of Sleeping Beauty Castle, the Matterhorn (which was built around the Skyway in 1959), and the Autopia. A male and female may live in an overlapping home range, each defending their range from other bears of the same sex. The Disneyland Skyway, "the first aerial tramway of its kind in the United States"1, was one of the signature attractions at the park. Other bears may live alone but exist in a social network. They (as well as the fire truck) have two cylinder, four horsepower (3 kW) engines and manual transmission and steering. Giant pandas may also form small social groups, based on recent evidence, perhaps because bamboo is more concentrated than the patchy food resources of other bear species. The horseless carriages are modeled after cars built in 1903. Alaskan brown bears group in the same area to feed on salmon during the annual salmon runs, when the fish swim upriver to reach their spawning grounds. The fire engine was built for Walt Disney, who used it to drive around the park and host celebrity guests. Bears form temporary groups only when food is plentiful in a small area. A number of vehicles, including a double-decker bus, a horse-drawn streetcar, an old-fashioned fire engine, and an old-fashioned automobile, are available for rides along Main Street, U.S.A. Bears mostly live alone, except for mothers and their cubs, or males and females during mating season. This caused a rift between Disneyland and the Santa Fe railroad, and eventually caused the breakdown in their relationship and the removal of Santa Fe sponsorship from the Disneyland Railroad. They will, however, defend their cubs ferociously. This conflicted with the contract with the Santa Fe that only their name could be associated with railroad attractions at the park. For the most part, bears are shy and are easily frightened of humans. Disneyland had signed a contract with the Alweg company which required the Alweg name to be displayed on the monorail. Some of the large species, such as the polar bear and the grizzly bear, are dangerous to humans, especially in areas where they have become used to people. A fourth train, Monorail Orange, was removed from service and shipped to Disney's engineering department in Glendale for disassembly and study so that new blueprints can be created from it, because ALWEG, the company which built the original monorail trains, has gone out of business, and the current trains, built by Ride & Show Entertainment in 1987, use some of the same parts as the ALWEG trains did. Hunting times are usually in the dusk or the dawn except when humans are nearby. As of 2004, three monorail trains, Monorail Red, Monorail Blue, and Monorail Purple, are in regular service. Bears will commonly travel far for food. Three generations of monorail cars have been used in the park, since their lightweight construction means they wear out quickly. They can also go to a river or other body of water to capture fish. It follows a 2.5 mile (4 km) long route designed to show off the park from above. They eat lichens, roots, nuts, and berries. The monorail shuttles visitors between two stations, one in Disneyland itself (in Tomorrowland) and one outside the park, originally at the Disneyland Hotel but now, after the 2001 remodel, at the Downtown Disney shopping complex. They are mainly omnivorous, although some have a more specialised diet, such as polar bears. The next update will be around 2006 or 2007. Bears live in a variety of habitats from the tropics to the Arctic and from forests to snowfields. The trains themselves have received multiple updates; the most recent was in 1987 when more modern trains built by Ride and Show Entertainment eliminated the old ALWEG Buck Rogers-style trains. Bears living in the wild tend to die younger than their zoo-counterparts. The monorail track has remained almost exactly the same since 1961, aside from small alterations while Disney's California Adventure and Downtown Disney were being built. A bear's life span seems to last about 25 to 40 years. One of Disneyland's signature attractions is its Alweg monorail system, installed in 1959. Large male polar bears may weigh twice as much as females, while smaller male and sun bears are much more similar in weight. It is the most prolonged closure of the railroad in park history. In all bear species, males are larger than females, but the difference between sexes varies and is greatest in the largest species. The railroad reopened in March 2005 after undergoing a three-month restoration to bring the roadbed back to gauge in time for the park's fiftieth anniversary. Several species, such as the sun bear and spectacled bear have a light-colored chest with facial markings. The train will be named after the late Ward Kimball, one of Disney's Nine Old Men. For example, American black bears may be black, brown, reddish-brown, or bluish-black. This 1902 Baldwin loco will be Disneyland Railroad train #5, and will be the first Disneyland Railroad train added since 1959. Colors of a bear's fur can also vary within species. In 2004, Disney purchased the inoperable Maud L locomotive from the Cedar Point Amusement Park in Sandusky, Ohio, and sent it to a Southern California shop to restore it and transform it into a Disneyland Railroad locomotive. Fur color varies among species, ranging from white, blonde or cream, to black, and white to all black or all brown. 4 is the oldest locomotive in service at any Disney property. A bear's fur is long and shaggy. As an 1894 product of the Baldwin Locomotive Works, No. They are also stronger than most carnivores and their limbs are more flexible and agile. 4 is a "Forney" locomotive, a type of tank locomotive. Although slower than most carnivores, a running bear can reach speeds of up to 50 km/h (30 mph). No. They walk with their weight on the soles of their hindfeet, with the heel touching the ground, while the toes of the forefeet are used more for balance. All three were given extensive renovations before entering service, including new boilers. While most carnivores tend to walk on their toes in a way that is adapted for speed, bears have a plantigrade stance. Two more locomotives were later acquired from outside sources, since this was cheaper than building new ones and since many narrow-gauge lines were closing down and selling their equipment. These claws can be used to climb trees, rip open termite nests and beehives, dig up roots, or catch prey, depending on the species. 2 was given a straight stack and smaller pilot common to East Coast coal-burning locomotives. Each paw has five long, sharp claws that are unretractible, unlike cats. 1 was given a big wood-burning 'balloon' stack and a large, pointed pilot (cowcatcher) while No. Bears have four limbs that end in paws. No. Bears' molar teeth are broad, flat and are used to shred and grind plant food into small digestable pieces. Patterned after the Lilly Belle, a miniature steam locomotive Broggie had made for Walt's backyard Carolwood Pacific Railroad, these were also models of classic "Wild West" style American 4-4-0s, but built to a larger three-fifths scale. Normal canine teeth in a carnivore are generally large and pointed used for killing prey, while bears' canine teeth are relatively small and typically used in defense or as tools. Broggie. Bear teeth are not specialized for killing their prey like those of cats. The Walt Disney Company constructed the original two locomotives in its own workshops under the supervision of Roger E. Depending on the species, bears can have 32 to 42 teeth. They operate with automotive windshield wiper motors. Black bears, and likely other bears, have color vision to help them identify fruits and nuts. These scaled-down replicas were designed and built by the San Bernardino shops of the Santa Fe Railroad as a gift to Disneyland. A bear's eyesight is probably similar in acuity (sharpness) to the human eye. Santa Fe offered the use of full-scale crossing signals, but Disney declined as they would be out of scale with the trains. Their claws are used for ripping, digging, and catching. As the train passes behind the "it's a small world" attraction in Fantasyland, it crosses a service road that is protected by two miniature wigwag crossing signals. Their teeth are used for defense and tools and depend on the diet of the bear. Another detail dating from the park's opening can be seen from the railroad. They have broad paws, long snouts, and round ears. Five open-air, clerestory-roofed observation cars with forward-facing seats dating from the park's opening were returned to service in 2004 after undergoing a three-year restoration. They are capable of standing up on their hind legs. The 1958 addition of the "Grand Canyon/Primeval World" diorama necessitated a change in the rolling stock as well; instead of facing forward, the benches of the new flatcars now faced right so that the diorama could be better enjoyed by the passengers. Bears have a large body with powerful limbs. The passing track was disconnected and now is only used to display a handcar. Common characteristics of bears include a short tail, excellent senses of smell and hearing, five un-retractable claws, and long, dense, shaggy fur. Later, for safety reasons and to allow the use of more than two trains, the line was changed so that trains in normal service run in a clockwise direction only. . A passing track was incorporated at Main Street station where one train had to wait to allow the other to pass. The adjective, ursine, is used to describe things of bearlike nature. Originally, two trains could operate on the railroad, running in opposite directions. A bear is a large mammal of the order Carnivora, family Ursidae. All the Disneyland locomotives burn diesel fuel, which is less polluting (though more expensive) than the coal, wood, or heavy "Bunker C" oil normally used on steam locomotives. The Bear by William Faulkner. Laid to three-foot gauge, the most common narrow gauge measurement used in North America, the railroad is laid in a continuous loop around the park. Bears of the World, Terry Domico, Photographs by Terry Domico and Mark Newman, Facts on File, Inc, 1988, hardcover, ISBN 0816015368. Originally known as the Disneyland and Santa Fe Railroad, it was sponsored by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway until 1974. The harder you try, the better the bear you are!. Disneyland incorporates a steam railroad, the Disneyland Railroad. To try like a bear means to try your hardest to catch the attention of a certain lady. The transportation systems are in some respects intended more as entertainment or sightseeing rides than as a means of transporting guests, such as the "Casey Junior" train ride. Stephen Colbert frequently attacks bears as "godless killing machines" mobilized against humanity on The Colbert Report. Therefore a number of different modes of transport were incorporated into the park. Microsoft Bear is an unofficial mascot hidden in Windows 3.1 and Windows 95. He had built a miniature live steam backyard railroad, the "Carolwood Pacific Railroad", on the grounds of his own home. In homosexual slang, the term "Bear" refers to male individuals who possess physical attributes much like a bear, such as a heavy build, abundant body hair, and commonly facial hair. Walt Disney had a longtime interest in transportation, and railroads in particular. In CB slang, "bear" (or "smokey", in reference to Smokey Bear) is a nickname for highway patrol. The major buildings backstage include "Team Disney Anaheim", where many of the park's support staff and top-level managers work; and the "Old Administration Building", behind Tomorrowland and Main Street. The bear is a common national symbol for Russia (and the Soviet Union), as used in the Ronald Reagan political ad "Bear in the woods.". The speed limit for most parts of Berm Road is 15 miles per hour, although a section cutting through Disneyland's maintenance shops behind the park's northwestern corner has a speed limit of 5 miles per hour. The constellations Ursa Major and Ursa Minor represent bears. There are also two railroad bridges that cross Berm Road: one behind City Hall and the other behind Tomorrowland near Harbor Gate. for sports teams; and a bear cub was mascot of the 1980 Summer Olympics. It has two narrow lanes divided by a double yellow line, runs underneath the Monorail track. The bear, the bruin, or specific types of bears are popular nicknames or mascots, e.g. A stretch of the road, wedged between Tomorrowland and Harbor Boulevard, is called Schumaker Road. Indeed the farming of bears in China has led to a huge increase in consumption of bear bile since the 1980's with many people prepared to pay very high prices for the 'superior' bile of a wild bear. The road is so called because it generally follows outside the path of Disneyland's earthen berm, although with the addition of Mickey's Toowntown, the road now strays as much as 100 yards from onstage areas at some points. There is no evidence to suggest that farming bears has reduced pressures on wild bear populations. Berm Road encircles the park from Firehouse Gate (behind the Main Street Fire Station) to Egghouse Gate (adjacent to the Main Street Opera House). They are kept in appalling conditions and usually have bile drained from their gall bladders using catheters inserted into their abdomen or with hypodermic needles. There are several points of entry from the outside world to the backstage areas: Ball Gate (at the terminus of Cast Place off Ball Road), TDA Gate (adjacent to the Team Disney Anaheim building), Harbor Gate (off Harbor Boulevard, behind Tomorrowland), and Winston Gate (off Disneyland Drive, behind the Mickey and Friends parking garage). Thousands of bears are farmed for their bile in China, Vietnam and Korea. Areas closed to park visitors are considered in Disneyland lingo "backstage". This has had a major impact on populations of bears around the world. The land is built like the town where Disney characters live and work, and Mickey's Toontown Fair at the Magic Kingdom Park at the Walt Disney World Resort is built like a county fair with judging tents. The peoples of China, Japan and Korea use bears' body parts and secretions (notably their gall bladders and bile) as part of traditional Chinese medicine. Mickey's Toontown opened in 1993 and patterned after "Toontown" in the Disney/Touchstone Pictures 1988 release Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Mickey's Toontown looks like a 1930s Max Fleischer cartoon short come to life. Many cultures regard bears as possessing healing powers. In 2003, a dark ride called The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh replaced the long-running Country Bear Jamboree, a show featuring singing Audio-Animatronic bears. Its opposite is a bull market, and bullish sentiment from bulls. Today, its main draw is Splash Mountain, a log flume attraction themed after the animated segments of Disney's 1946 movie Song of the South. Pessimistic forecasting or negative activity is said to be bearish (due to the stereotypical posture of bears looking downwards), and one who expresses bearish sentiment is a bear. Formerly the area was home to the Indian Village with actual Native Americans entertaining guests. In the stock market, a bear market is a period of declining prices. Critter Country opened in 1972 as "Bear Country," and was renamed in 1988. That bear became the prototype for the Teddy bear, which is a stuffed animal toy. Here age relives fond memories of the past, and here youth may savor the challenge and promise of the future.". president Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt refused to shoot in Mississippi. "To all who come to this happy place, welcome. Some bears have been famous in their own right, like the bear that U.S. The transmission is the first two sentences from Walt Disney's opening day speech on July 17, 1955. Subspecies Borneo Sun Bear (Helarctos (Ursus) malayanus euryspilus). Morse code can be heard at the train station in New Orleans Square. Sun Bear, Helarctos malayanus
Atlas Bear, Ursus crowtheri (extinct). The completed ride opened on August 9, 1969. European Cave Bear, Ursus spelaeus (extinct). The exterior of the Haunted Mansion was actually constructed in 1962, but Imagineers took several years to develop the attraction. Etruscan Bear, Ursus etruscus (extinct). Haunted Mansion is an innovative haunted house experience, while Pirates of the Caribbean takes park guests on a boat ride through extensive pirate adventure scenes. Auvergne Bear, Ursus minimus (extinct). This area contains two of the most popular Disneyland attractions: Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean. Ursus thibetanus ussuricu. Opened in 1966, it is meant to capture the flavor and architectural detail of New Orleans's Bourbon Street. Ursus thibetanus thibetanus. New Orleans Square was among the last additions to Disneyland overseen by Walt Disney himself. Ursus thibetanus mupinensis. The Submarine Voyage, which closed in 1998, will reopen in 2007 with a Finding Nemo theme. Ursus thibetanus laniger. The newest Tomorrowland attraction, Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters, opened in 2005 (a version of this ride first appeared at the Magic Kingdom Park in Florida on October 7, 1998 as Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin). Ursus thibetanus japonica. Current attractions include the popular Space Mountain, which opened in 1977, closed in 2003 and reopened in 2005 with rebuilt track and new effects; and Star Tours, a futuristic Star Wars ride created as a collaboration between George Lucas and Disney Imagineers. Ursus thibetanus gedrosianus. Space Mountain returned to its classic white look during this repaint of Tomorrowland. Ursus thibetanus formosanus. Tomorrowland changed yet again in 2005, with a new blue, silver, white, and gold paint scheme, similar to its 1967-1997 paint scheme, but with a small mixture with its 1998 scheme. Asiatic Black Bear, Ursus thibetanus
Polar Bear, Ursus maritimus. Walt Disney was never completely satisfied with Tomorrowland. American Black Bear, Ursus americanus. This too had its precursors at World's Fairs, though in those cases they were simply homes with modern conveniences and aimed at housewives. Subspecies Kodiak Bear, (Ursus arctos middendorffi). Another initial exhibit was Monsanto's "House of Tomorrow," a plastic house with four wings cantilevered from a central plinth. Subspecies Grizzly Bear, (Ursus arctos horribilis). Disneyland producer Ward Kimball had Rocket scientist Wernher von Braun, Willy Ley, and Heinz Haber as technical consultants during the original design of Tomorrowland.[3]. Subspecies Syrian (Brown) Bear (Ursus arctos syriacus). In the 1970s, the interior of the ride was updated, and its destination was changed to Mars, with a name change to Mission to Mars. Brown Bear, Ursus arctos
Brazilian Short-Faced Bear, Arctotherium brasilense (extinct). Our scientists today are opening the doors of the Space Age to achievements that will benefit our children and generations to come. Short-Faced Bear, Arctodus pristinus (extinct). In Walt Disney's words, "Tomorrow can be a wonderful age. Giant Short-Faced Bear, Arctodus simus (extinct). King Arthur Carrousel is a major attraction in Fantasyland, and was featured during the finale number, When You Wish Upon A Star, in a Sing Along Songs videocassette featuring Disneyland Park. Florida Cave Bear, Tremarctos floridanus (extinct). These renovations included a new computerized operating system that stops the carousel in the same spot every time, and the replacement of about half of the mirrors with scenes from Sleeping Beauty. Spectacled Bear, Tremarctos ornatus. King Arthur Carrousel (sic) reopened in February 2003 after extensive renovations. Subfamily Tremarctinae
Subfamily Ailuropodinae
Circus Train" attraction. The original chariots were removed and used as cars on the "Casey Jr. The carousel has been significantly altered since then. Therefore, an 1875 Dentzel park model carousel which had operated since 1922 at Sunnyside Park in Toronto, Ontario was taken from Sunnyside and moved to Disneyland just before the park opened in 1955. Walt Disney felt that no park was complete without a carousel. Fantasyland was originally styled in a fairground fashion, but its 1983 refurbishment turned it into a Bavarian village. Walt Disney said, "What youngster has not dreamed of flying with Peter Pan over moonlit London, or tumbling into Alice's nonsensical Wonderland? In Fantasyland, these classic stories of everyone's youth have become realities for youngsters - of all ages - to participate in.". Currently the comedic troupe "Billy Hill and the Hillbillies" entertain guests on a daily basis. Frontierland is also home to the Golden Horseshoe Saloon, a show palace straight out of the Old West. Entertainment and attractions include Fantasmic!, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Mark Twain Riverboat, and Sailing Ship Columbia. Our adventures are designed to give you the feeling of having lived, even for a short while, during our country's pioneer days." Frontierland is home to the Pinewood Indians band of animatronic Native Americans, who live on the banks of the Rivers of America. According to Walt Disney, "All of us have cause to be proud of our country's history, shaped by the pioneering spirit of our forefathers. Frontierland recreates the setting of pioneer days along the American frontier. "To create a land that would make this dream reality," said Walt Disney, "we pictured ourselves far from civilization, in the remote jungles of Asia and Africa." Attractions include the "Temple of the Forbidden Eye" in Indiana Jones Adventure, the Jungle Cruise, Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room and "Tarzan's Treehouse." (The Tarzan Treehouse is an adaptation of the earlier Swiss Family Treehouse from the Walt Disney film, Swiss Family Robinson). Adventureland is designed to be an exotic tropical place in a far-off region of the world. A lamp is kept burning in the window as a tribute to his memory. For younger visitors, it is an adventure in turning back the calendar to the days of grandfather's youth." Above the firehouse is Walt Disney's personal apartment, fully furnished but off-limits to the public. Walt Disney said, "For those of us who remember the carefree time it recreates, Main Street will bring back happy memories. If the Disneyland architects had made the buildings a full two stories high, they would have looked incongruously tall compared to the castle. The second levels of the buildings are a few feet short of being full size. In reality, however, they implemented forced perspective to give the illusion that they are full height. The 1880s-styled shops that line Main Street appear to be full two-story buildings. is home to many shops but is the only land in all of Disneyland without a permanent ride. Based on the stereotypical turn-of-the-20th-century city Main Street, specifically Disney's boyhood home of Marceline, Missouri, Main Street, U.S.A. At the center of the park stands Sleeping Beauty Castle. Three more lands have been added since the park's opening. The park was designed by Walt Disney's movie studio staff to have five distinctly-themed "lands". The park never reached capacity that day. Although the gates had been temporarily closed in the morning, it was only done to control crowds which were flooding Main Street for the morning ceremony. Many of the people who had waited overnight left after the re-dedication. There were also complimentary golden Mickey ears that were specifically made for July 17, along with cupcakes for the guests. No other special events had been planned for the day, making for a much smaller celebration than the media blowout of May 5. Later that day, a recording of Walt Disney's original dedication speech was replayed throughout the park, exactly 50 years to the minute from when it was originally delivered. At 10 a.m., Diane Disney Miller re-read her father's original dedication speech in a ceremony with Art Linkletter, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, CEO-Elect Robert Iger, and CEO Michael Eisner. Disneyland Park opened at 7 a.m., although it took several hours to admit the crowds that showed up that morning. A second line formed outside the security checkpoints as thousands more arrived in the final hours before the park opened. Overnight, park management opened the gates of Disney's California Adventure Park simply to house the thousands of people who showed up over the course of the night. the day before. The first people began to line up at 3 p.m. The actual anniversary day (July 17) was an event marked more by the fans' enthusiasm than by the company's recognition. On July 15th, 2005, Disneyland Park became the first 'location' to get a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 2005, the entire Walt Disney Company celebrated Disneyland Park's 50th anniversary, marketed as the "Happiest Homecoming on Earth." The official celebration began on May 5, with a dedication from Michael Eisner, Bob Iger, and Art Linkletter. Many classic attractions (often ones neglected during Paul Pressler and Cynthia Harriss' times as Disneyland Resort President) have been restored, probably most notably Space Mountain, Jungle Cruise, and Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room, which has received a complete restoration of its 40-year-old soundtrack. In 2004, the park undertook a number of major renovation projects in preparation for its fiftieth anniversary celebration. Disneyland Park hosted its 500-millionth guest in 2004. They wear cast member name badges, queue in line for attractions and welcome comments from guests. Much like Walt Disney himself, Ouimet and Emmer can often be seen walking the park during business hours with members of their staff. Praised by Disney fan sites for his success at Disney Cruise Line, Ouimet quickly set about reversing negative trends, especially with regards to cosmetic maintenance and a return to the original infrastructure maintenance schedule, in hopes of restoring the good safety record of the past. Emmer is a long-time Disney cast member who had worked at Disneyland in his youth prior to moving to Florida and holding multiple executive leadership positions at the Walt Disney World Resort. Shortly afterward, he selected Greg Emmer as Senior Vice President of Operations. Matt Ouimet, formerly the president of the Disney Cruise Line, was promoted to assume leadership of the Disneyland Resort in late 2003. Irby stepped down the following year. In 2003, both Harriss and Pressler stepped down to take over operations of national clothing retailer The Gap. Fans of the park decried the perceived decline in customer value and park quality and railed for the dismissal of the management team. Light bulbs, which were once replaced before they burned out, not only were run to burnout but were so numerous as to make the facades they outlined look almost toothless. Paint was peeling off buildings and roofs were literally disintegrating from age, especially the thatched roofs in Fantasyland. After nearly a decade of deferred maintenance, Walt Disney's original theme park was showing visible signs of neglect. Army officer hired as facilities manager, was blamed for the destruction of much of the tooling and attraction components in storage in the backstage areas in an effort to streamline operations as recommended by outside consultants. Dewitt "T" Irby, a retired U.S. The decision to remodel Tomorrowland, derided by some fans, was attributable to Pressler, as was the closure of a great many popular attractions within the area. Themed restaurants and shops were closed and replaced by outdoor vending carts which caused crowds to clog walkways. Shops that once carried a variety of items themed to their locations now carried general Disney character products. Under their direction, few new attractions were built and many were closed down. The leaders came under increasing criticism for a host of cost cutting initiatives and profit boosting schemes. Headed by executives Cynthia Harriss and Paul Pressler, each with a retail marketing background, Disneyland's focus gradually changed from attractions to merchandising. The park's management team of the mid-1990s was a tremendous source of contention to many Disneyland fans and employees. There are also some smaller, off-property lots with regular shuttle service to the parks, and most nearby hotels offer regular shuttle service as well. Propane-powered trams bring visitors to the entrance plaza between the two parks. With six levels and 10,250 parking spaces, it is the largest parking structure in the world. Most of the resort's parking today is handled by the six-level "Mickey and Friends" parking garage. The Grand Californian Hotel, patterned after the Arts and Crafts movement of the early 20th century, extends into Disney's California Adventure Park and allows paying guests to enter that park through the hotel itself. On this land, Disney's California Adventure Park and Downtown Disney opened in 2001. The Walt Disney Company purchased land surrounding the park that was once the site of low-budget motels and trailer courts, and dug up its original "Hundred-Acre Parking Lot". In the 1990s, major construction began to transform Disneyland from a theme park into a vacation resort. Hong Kong Disneyland Resort is owned jointly by the Hong Kong Government and the Walt Disney Company. On September 12, 2005, the Hong Kong Disneyland Resort was opened in Hong Kong. In 1992 Euro Disney opened in France, and is now the Disneyland Resort Paris with two theme parks. The Walt Disney Company receives royalties based on revenues and maintains creative control. Tokyo Disneyland Park and Tokyo DisneySea are owned by a Japanese corporation, Oriental Land Company. Tokyo Disneyland Park is now part of the Tokyo Disney Resort, and has a sister theme park Tokyo DisneySea. In 1983 the first international Disney theme park opened: Tokyo Disneyland Park in Japan. Since its opening, with one theme park and two hotels, the resort has grown into four theme parks, two water parks, twenty-three hotels and a retail, dining and entertainment district. Disney. Walt Disney World opened in 1971 under the guidance of Roy O. It is the largest private-owned vacation destination, and the most popular vacation destination in the world although the yet-to-open Dubai Land in the United Arab Emirates is twice the size. The Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida was built with Walt's hatred of the cheap motels and amusements that popped up around Disneyland in mind. Soon, even as they refined and developed Disneyland, Walt and Roy were also planning an expansion of the concept to other locations. It attracted visitors worldwide in unprecedented volume. Despite the problems on the opening day, Disneyland was clearly an enormous success. Walt Disney decided to have a photo taken with two children, Michael Schwartner and Christine Vess instead, and the photo of the three always carries a caption along the lines of "Walt Disney with the first two guests of Disneyland." MacPherson, Schwartner and Vess all received lifetime passes to every single Disney-owned park in the world. On Monday, July 18, crowds started to gather in line as early as 2 a.m., and the first person to buy a ticket and enter the park was David MacPherson. For example, in 2004 they wore the slogan "The magic began 49 years ago today". On July 17 every year, cast members wear pin badges stating how many years it has been since July 17, 1955. Walt and his 1955 executives forever referred to the first day as "Black Sunday," although July 17 is acknowledged by Disney as the official opening day. The park got such bad press for the event day that Walt Disney invited members of the press back for a private "second day" to experience the true Disneyland, after which Walt held a party in the Disneyland Hotel for them. Parents were throwing their children over the shoulders of crowds to get them onto rides such as the Dumbo Flying Elephants. A gas leak in Fantasyland caused Adventureland, Frontierland, and Fantasyland to close for the afternoon. Vendors ran out of food. The asphalt that had been poured just the night before was so soft that ladies' high-heeled shoes sank in. The summer temperature was over 110 degrees Fahrenheit, and a plumbers' strike left many of the park's drinking fountains dry. All major roads nearby were congested. The park was overcrowded as the by-invitation-only affair was plagued with counterfeit tickets. The event did not go smoothly. The Special Sunday events, including the dedication were televised nationwide and anchored by three of Walt Disney's friends from Hollywood: Art Linkletter, Bob Cummings, and Ronald Reagan. a special "International Press Preview" event was held on Sunday, July 17, 1955, which was only open to invited guests and the media. However. Disneyland Park was opened to the public on Monday, July 18, 1955. Disney's displeasure at ABC's actions partly motivated the Walt Disney anthology series moving to NBC in 1961. It wasn't until 1960 that Walt Disney Productions acquired ABC's share of the theme park. But ABC refused the same request initially, feeling the profit potential of the park was too lucrative to sell. After the park was a clear success Western acceeded to a request to sell its share in the enterprise back to Disney. For the first five years of its operation, Disneyland was owned by Disneyland, Inc., of which Walt Disney Productions, Western Publishing and ABC each owned shares. ABC as part of the deal to broadcast the Disneyland television show also became an investor. He first turned to long-time licensee Western Publishing which invested in the park. Because of his brother Roy's distrust of the project, and because of financial considerations, Walt Disney was forced to turn to outside financing for his theme park. Highway 101 (later Interstate 5) was under construction at the same time just to the north of the site; in preparation for the traffic which Disneyland was expected to bring, two more lanes were added to the freeway even before the park was finished. U.S. [1] [2] Construction began on July 18, 1954 and would cost USD$17 million to complete. On the suggestion of researchers at Stanford Research Institute who correctly envisioned the area's potential growth, Disney acquired 160 acres (730,000 m²) of orange groves and walnut trees in Anaheim, south of Los Angeles in neighboring Orange County. In return, the network agreed to help finance the new park. He decided to use television to get the ideas into people's homes, and so he created a show named Disneyland which was broadcast on the fledgling American Broadcasting Company (ABC) television network. Difficulties in obtaining funding caused Disney to investigate new ways of raising money. Early in development, during the early 1950s, it became clear that more area would be needed. Disney's original modest plans called for the park to be built on eight acres (32,000 m²) on Riverside Drive next to the Disney Studios in Burbank, California as a place where his employees and families could go to relax. Disneyland Park was partially inspired by Tivoli Gardens (built in 1843 in Copenhagen, Denmark), Greenfield Village (built in 1929 in Dearborn, Michigan), and Children's Fairyland (built in 1950 in Oakland, California). Walt's initial concept, his "Mickey Mouse Park," grew bigger and bigger into a concept for a larger enterprise which was to become Disneyland. His ideas then evolved to a small play park with a boat ride and other themed areas. He then began to foster ideas of building a site at or near his Burbank studios for tourists to visit and perhaps take pictures with Disney characters set in statue form. While many people had written letters to Walt Disney about visiting the Disney Studio lot and meeting their favorite Disney character, Walt realized that a functional movie studio had little to offer to the visiting fan. He developed the idea during his many outings with his daughters Diane and Sharon, when he realized that there were no parks with activities that parents and children could enjoy together. Walt's original concept was of a permanent family fun park without the negative element which traveling carnivals often attracted. Walt Disney and his brother Roy already headed one of Hollywood's more successful studios founded in 1923 long before the idea of a park even began to form. Disney, July 17, 1955. Disneyland is dedicated to the ideals, the dreams and the hard facts which have created America...with the hope that it will be a source of joy and inspiration to all the world." Walter E. Here age relives fond memories of the past...and here youth may savor the challenge and promise of the future. Disneyland is your land. "To all who come to this happy place: welcome. . It is renowned for being the only one of the eleven worldwide Disney theme parks personally developed by Walt Disney. A worldwide celebration began in commemoration of Disneyland's 50th anniversary on May 5, 2005. An estimated 515 million visitors have visited the park since its opening on July 17, 1955. Disneyland Park has become the world's most famous theme park and one of the most visited sites in the world. It is owned and operated by The Walt Disney Company. Disneyland Park is a theme park at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California, USA. Therefore, "Xerox copier" and "Disneyland Park" are correct usage, while "use a Xerox" or "come to Disneyland" are not technically correct. United States trademark practice specifies that a trademark such as "Disneyland" is always used as an adjective and never as a noun or verb. ^ Although most people refer to the park as simply "Disneyland", the official name is "Disneyland Park". Daily park brochures from Summer 1981, 1983, 1984, 1987, 1988, 1990, 1994, 1996, 2000, 2002. Yesterland. Walt Disney Productions. 1Disneyland: The First Quarter Century (1979). The case was eventually dismissed. Her husband tried to sue the park, convinced that the second Space Mountain trip broke the tumor free and that the park declined to properly or quickly care for her. Pieces of it got in her brain and killed her. It was possible that the ride removed it. It was later revealed that she had a tumor in her heart. She was taken to the hospital where she remained in a coma for a week and then passed away. But then he insisted that she be sent to the hospital after her condition didn't improve. They told her husband not to worry; she only fainted. She got carried to a bench and was then wheeled in a wheelchair to First Aid. By the end of the second trip, she was almost unconscious. But the attendants didn't understand and sent Hoffman's vehicle on another three-minute go-round. Employees told her to stay in her rocket and that rocket would be removed from the track. During the ride, she got sick and when her ride vehicle reached the unload area, she couldn't get out of the rocket. In 1979, Sherrill Anne Hoffman, ignoring the signs posted outside Space Mountain warning guests with any medical conditions to bypass such tumultous rides, boarded Space Mountain and started to ride through it. [5]. The attraction was subsequently refitted with breakaway walls. She was in the wrong place during a ride intermission; it was unclear whether this was due to inadequate training or a misstep. In 1974, Cast Member Deborah Gail Stone, 19, of nearby Santa Ana, California was crushed to death between a revolving wall and a stationary platform inside the now-closed "America Sings" attraction. The cause of the accident was determined to be improper maintenance. On September 5, 2003, 22-year-old Marcelo Torres of nearby Gardena, California died after suffering injuries in a derailment of the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad roller coaster. The park received much criticism for this incident due to its policy of restricting outside medical personnel in the park to avoid frightening visitors, as well as for the fact that the Cast Member in charge of the ship at the time was a novice. The normal non-elastic rope (designed to break easily) used to tie the boat off was improperly replaced by an elastic rope which stretched and tore the cleat from the ship's wooden hull. Of the guests, Luan Phi Dawson, 33, of Duvall, Washington, died of a head injury. On December 24, 1998, a heavy metal cleat fastened to the hull of the sailing ship "Columbia" tore loose, striking one cast member and two park guests. In 1984, Dolly Regene Young, 48, of Fremont, California unbuckled her seatbelt and was thrown from a Matterhorn Bobsleds car and struck by the next oncoming bobsled. In 1983, Philip Straughan, 18, of Albuquerque, New Mexico drowned in the Rivers of America while trying to pilot a rubber emergency boat from Tom Sawyer's Island. In 1980, Gerrardo Gonzales, 18, of San Diego, California was crushed by the PeopleMover while jumping between moving cars. In 1973, Bogden Delaurot, 18, of Brooklyn, New York drowned while trying to carry his little brother swimming across the Rivers of America. In 1967, Ricky Lee Yama, 17, of Hawthorne, California was crushed while jumping between two moving PeopleMover cars. In 1966, Thomas Guy Cleveland, 19, of Northridge, California was crushed by the Monorail during a Grad Nite celebration while trying to sneak into the park by climbing its track. In 1964, 15-year-old Mark Maples of Long Beach, California died after he stood up in the Matterhorn Bobsleds and fell out. Merlin appears in Fantasyland several times a day to help some lucky child pull a sword from an anvil and stone. Besides greeting visitors in regular places, they often participate in Disneyland parades. Disney characters greet visitors, talk with children, and pose for photos. in Frontierland provide small humorous skits with an old-west theme. The Laughing Stock Co. Rod Miller is a ragtime pianist who has played at Corner Cafe on Main Street since October 1969. The Dapper Dans barbershop quartet often sings on Main Street. Most recently, Billy Hill and the Hillbillies have played their guitars and banjos in a bluegrass-and-comedy show. The Golden Horseshoe Revue—an old-west Vaudeville type of show starring Slue Foot (or Sluefoot) Sue and Pecos Bill—ran until the mid-1980s, when it was replaced by a similar show starring Lily Langtree (or Miss Lily) and Sam the Bartender. The Golden Horseshoe Saloon offers a live stage show with a frontier or old-west feel. The Disneyland Band is traditionally all male. but also breakout into smaller groups like the Main Street Merchants Band, the Firehouse Sax Quartet and a variety of groups in New Orleans Square. They play the role of the Town Band on Main Street U.S.A. The Disneyland Band, which has been part of the park since its opening. Fantasmic! in Frontierland, a popular nighttime show with Mickey Mouse, special effects, floating barges, fountains, lasers, a pirate ship, a forty-five foot fire-breathing dragon, fireworks, and thirty-foot-tall "mist screens," upon which animated scenes are projected. Dreams Come True. There's Magic in the Stars and the current 50th anniversary celebration fireworks presentation Remember.. 2000 and beyond introduced fireworks presentations that have become more elaborate, featuring new pyrotechnics, launch locations, and storylines, such as the show Believe.. The Fantasy in the Sky fireworks premiered in the summer of 1956 and lasted through the summer of 1999. Elaborate fireworks shows featuring Disney songs and an appearance by "Peter Pan" character Tinker Bell. Beginning May 2005, "Walt Disney's Parade of Dreams" is presented, celebrating several of the classic Disney stories including The Lion King, Alice in Wonderland, and Pinocchio. Daytime and nighttime parades that celebrate Disney films or seasonal holidays with characters, music, and large floats. Dusty, an S.U.V. Sparky the sports car. Suzy the zippy compact. |