Search - Various Artists :: Walt Disney and the 1964 World's Fair

Historical Collection of Disney Contributions to World's Fai

Dave | San Diego, CA | 03/25/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Collectors will enjoy this set of 5 CDs (clocking in at over 3 hours) covering the contributions of Disney to the 1964/65 World's Fair in New York. Disney was anxious to interest the East Coast in his theme park in Anaheim, California, and the World's Fair was the perfect vehicle to showcase what Disneyland was about. Many on the East Coast had difficulty understanding what Disneyland was, thinking it was not much more than a run-of-the-mill amusement park. Ambitiously, Disney put together no fewer than 4 major exhibits, including it's a small world, Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln, Carousel of Progress, and The Magic Skyway. In one form or another, each one of these attractions were eventually installed at Disneyland and then in Orlando at Disney World. How successful was Disney's ambitious gamble? 90% of Fair guests attended the Disney exhibits, and these were the ones that people mainly remembered and raved about, especially the Mr. Lincoln exhibit.



This set contains 4 CD's plus a bonus one:



1. Progressland: A total of 17 tracks covering the Carousel of Progress and the famous Sherman Brothers song, "There's A Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow."



Bonus Disc: Progressland--Carousel of Progress (Alternate Universe Version): Discover this fully-scored, full-length performance of the Carousel as you've never heard it before. An alternate script is used here.



2. Great Moments With Mr. Lincoln: 7 tracks featuring the memorable exhibit that is about to return to Disneyland at the Main Street Opera House. Includes Royal Dano's dialog recording session and interpretation of the 16th American President. Includes the dramatic "Battle Hymn of the Republic" finale from the show.



3. it's a small world: If the song drives you crazy, you may want to skip this disc, containing 10 tracks from the exhibit originally sponsored by Pepsi. Hear demo recording's, Walt's original welcome speak, isolated vocal tracks, and more.



4. Magic Skyway: 14 tracks covering the Ford Exhibit which allowed guests to board Ford automobiles and experience a 12-minute journey into the past (complete with Dinosaurs and Caveman) and the future. Tracks include the recording session of Walt's narration and 9 tracks of the atmosphere music for the International Gardens.



This set also includes a well-designed 24-page booklet, beautifully illustrated with full-color photos and concept art, as well as informative notes on each attraction. My one beef here is that the booklet is heavy on the concept art, but light on photos from the actual Fair. I would have been interesting to see how these exhibits actually looked in vintage photos.



Overall, huge thumbs up to this set! The quality of the recordings is truly amazing, especially considering the rarity and age; over 40 years! I highly recommend this one to Disney, Disneyland, and World's Fair afficionados."

No DRM issues here.

T. Rockey | Little Falls, NJ USA | 05/09/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I read another post that this audio CD package has DRM (Digital Rights Management) protection prohibiting you from ripping the content with iTunes. I DID NOT have any problems ripping the content using iTunes. Like many people I no longer use CDs for audio playback, and need to rip CD for playback through iTunes and my iPod. So I was concerned when I read the previous post claiming this package had DRM protection. I really enjoy the audio tracks, and packaging - thanks Disney Imagineering! Let's hope there is more items like this for us vintage Disney attraction audio. I highly recommend this - if you're a fan, buy it!"

It's a nostalgic delight!

Nicholas A. Ziinojr | ridge, new york United States | 03/26/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This five-CD set is a delightful look at those famous attractions the brilliant Walt Disney and his staff of creative geniuses did for the

1964-65 World's Fair in New York.It's full of memorable music,songs,

and moments form such exhibits as "Progressland"("The Carousel Of Progress" is a hoot!),"Great Moments With Mr.Lincoln"(Royal Dano's

narration is perfect),and especially the charming "It's A Small World"

(you won't get that cute song out of your head!).Those are the first three discs,and they're the set's highlights.But the fourth and fifth

discs,"Magic Skyway" and the bonus disc,are also full of treasures.

The informative and beautifully illustrated book is a major plus.

This whole set shows why Disney's exhibits became the Fair's most

popular and memorable attractions,and why Walt Disney was so successful:

he knew his audience.He knew how to entertain people while also educating them at the same time,and he did it better than anyone before or since.

The set will bring back many wonderful memories for anyone who saw the

World's Fair at the time(or perhaps may have seen some of the attractions in Disney's theme parks),and will also be a delightful history lesson for others.Whichever you are,you will love this.Sit back and enjoy!"