Born Ubb Eert Iwerks to Dutch-American parents in Kansas City, Missouri; Ub didn’t have the easiest of childhoods. After his father abandoned Ub and his mother (which he had apparently done to several other children and wives), Ub was forced to drop out of school to support himself and his mother. It was then at the age of 18 that Ub met Walt Disney, when the pair both worked at the same commercial art studio. After they were both laid off, the young friends decided to go into business together. The Iwerks-Disney Studio Commercial Artists only lasted a month when the duo both accepted jobs at the Kansas City Slide Company producing animated advertisements that were distributed around the country. 

The two men were said to make the perfect team! Ub had the ability to churn out work at a phenomenally fast rate while Walt was the creative visionary and spokesman of the two. 

Both Ub and Walt were ambitious and yearned for more. In 1921 when Walt created Laugh-O-Gram Films, Ub joined on as his chief animator. With the help of other up and coming animators, the studio create 12 cartoon shorts for Milton Feld, then pursued reimagined tellings of Aesop Fables. After two years the company went bankrupted and both Walt and Iwerks left for Hollywood. 

The unstoppable team would not give up. After trying their hand in the unsuccessful animated live-action shorts the Alice Comedies, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit was born. Unlike Alice, Oswald was extremely popular and the first true success for Walt. Unfortunately, Walt was pushed out by producer & distributer Charles Mintz. On top of that, Mintz stole almost all of Walt’s animators, but not Ub. Ub refused to work with Mintz. 

Click here to read more about Oswald. 

It was through the loss of Oswald that Mickey Mouse was born! Under the direction of Walt, Ub was the first to animate Mickey. In fact, he was the sole animator for Mickey’s very first cartoon, Plane Crazy. In a three-week period, Ub created up to 700 drawings a day! The average produced today is 20 a day. 

Ub continued to be the driving force for the next few Mickey cartoons as well as the Silly Symphonies. Growing tired of the continued work without the deserved credit, Ub left the studio to branch out on his own. Backed by Disney’s former partner, Pat Powers, (the man who supplied the sound equipment for Steamboat Willie) The Iwerks Studio opened in 1930. Ub was able to gain a contract with MGM for distribution of his two new characters, Flip the Frog and Willie Whopper. While Ub had the talent and drive to create fantastic characters, he couldn’t find an overall narrative to tell. That was the part of his partnership from Walt that made them a fantastic team. Together they created gold. Ultimately, The Iwerks Studio never gained commercial success and lost financial support from backers. After exploring some freelancing work, Ub returned to Disney Studios in 1940. 

  [See image gallery at offstagewdw.com]

Ub would spend the remainder of his career working for Disney, mainly in the special visual effects department. He was the creative genius behind the combination of live-action and animation as seen in Song of the South and Mary Poppins. He was also the driving force for the use of the xerographic process used for cel animation. Years later, under WED Enterprises, Ub helped to develop many of the Disneyland attractions developed in the 60s, including it’s a small world, The Hall of Presidents, and Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln. His technical wizardry earned him an Academy Award nomination for his special effects work in Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds. By the end of his career, Ub produced more than 300 animated movies!

In his personal life, Ub was married to Mildred Sarah Henderson from 1927 until his death in 1971 when he passed away from a heart attack. Together, the pair had two children, David Iwerks and Don Iwerks (a former Disney Executive). Ub’s granddaughter Leslie Iwerks is a writer, director, and producer who has done work with Pixar.

According to Don, his father and Walt never shared animosity from their falling out in the early 1930s. “…when my dad left Walt back in 1930, it was a shock to both Walt and Roy that my dad was leaving the company and going out to be a competitor. So one could surmise that Walt would never forgive him for that. But one of the wonderful things about Walt Disney is that he recognized talent, and he could put aside whatever he might’ve felt about my dad leaving the company, because he recognized what he had to offer. My dad never talked to me about any of that, but I saw the interaction between the, when I went to work there, and they talked just like a couple of old friends.” -Don Iwerks, A Son’s Compelling Tribute to his Fabled Father, Ub Iwerks 2019. Click here to read the article. 

Eighteen years after his death, Ub was indicted as a Disney Legend for his work in animation and Imagineering. It is a shame he would not live to see the recognition he so deserved. One thing is for certain, Mickey Mouse and the Disney name would not be where it is today if it wasn’t for Ub’s loyalty, talent, and creativity.

 

The post Ub- The Man Behind Mickey Mouse first appeared on Offstage WDW.

Hiya Pals! On this day, 28 years ago, Mickey’s Toontown opened in Disneyland, California. Celebrity guest appearances for the celebration included Robin Williams, Sally Field, and Steven Spielberg. Located behind “it’s a small world”,  Toontown is home to Mickey, Minnie, Donald, and Goofy. 

Still open today, Toontown brings laughter and whimsy to all who visit. In celebration of this day in history, let’s take a tour! 

Goofy's Playhouse

Goofy’s Playhouse begins Toontown’s residential area, and as expected, it is not an ordinary house. Originally, it was a bounce house with a size limit geared to littles. Parent’s had to wait outside! Now a walk through attraction, guests of all ages can see Goofy’s wacky garden and explore his house.

Donald's Boat

Photo Credit: Albert Lam at Disney Photoblography.com

Located just past Goof’s place, guests can have a blast exploring Donald’s Boat, named the Miss Daisy. Donald sure knows how to make a grand gesture! 

Chip 'n Dale Treehouse

Nestled between Mickey’s house and Gadget’s Go Coaster, stands Chip ‘n Dale’s fun treehouse. When it first opened, the playground had a slide, ball pit, and exploration stairs. Over the years (and many lawsuits later), the tree now serves as a simple climbing space for kids.

Photo Credit: Albert Lam at DisneyPhotoblography

The post This Day in History- Mickey’s Toontown Opens in Disneyland, California first appeared on Offstage WDW.

Marshmallows, butter, and cereal…while not the most healthy snack created, kids and adults alike will love these asteroid treats! 

These Moon Cakes offer a healthy alternative. They use rice cakes, cheerios, bananas, peanut butter AND they can help teach kids (and adults?) about craters and the lunar surface. 

These Solar System Cupcakes have their own “planet”, ring and all!

These delicious rocket fruit kabobs are healthy AND absolutely adorable! 

Stop it with this cuteness! The colors are gorgeous and the star sprinkles are the perfect touch to complete the galaxy theme! 

Hold on a second while I wipe the drool from my mouth. I legit cannot make this because I would eat it ALL!

Galaxy Lemonade

A color changing lemonade slushie?! Sign me up! I looks beautiful and refreshing. 

The Galaxy Magic Mule- A Vodka Moscow Mule

Another color changing drink, but this one is an adult beverage! 

The post Happy Birthday Space Mountain- Celebrate With Space Themed Treats! first appeared on Offstage WDW.

Early concept art showed the concrete support beams inside the structure. Imagineer John Hench insisted the beams be placed on the outside to create forced perspective and to also allow for a smooth surface for the star field and meteor projections inside the building

When it debuted, Space Mountain was the first roller coaster to be placed inside a darken building

It was also one of the first major E-Ticket attractions to debut at Walt Disney World and not Disneyland

The building is 183 feet tall and 300 feet around- It’s purposely 5 feet shorter than Cinderella Castle so not exceed the castle in height 

The ride reaches a max speed of only 28 mph and its steepest drop is on a 39 degree angle

Individual Lightening Lane entrances are available for Space Mountain. Pricing and availability varies. 

It was the first coaster to use computers to control the ride experience- algorithms calculate the weight of each ride vehicle which controls its speed throughout the ride.

When Imagineers designed the attraction in the 60’s, they had to wait over a decade for the technology to catch up

It is easy to see why Space Mountain has continued to be so popular! It may not be the fastest thrill at the Magic Kingdom, (Thunder Mountain maxes out at 30 mph while the drop on Splash Mountain reaches 40 mph) but the dark ride is one-of-a-kind and out of this world!

What were you most surprised to learn about this iconic ride? Share in the comment section below!

The post This Day in History- Blast Off On Space Mountain first appeared on Offstage WDW.

When guests book a reservation through the official Walt Disney World website, they were sent MagicBands. Using the app, they were able to make their FastPass+ selection for the park they would be visiting. Instead of needing paper tickets, their MagicBand acted as the “ticket”. 

The post This Day in History- The Premier of FastPass+ first appeared on Offstage WDW.

Balloons

Mickey Mouse-

Mickey made his first appearance in 1934-1935, followed by 1971-1983 (Mickey and Donald floated down 34th street together in 1972), 2000 and finally in 2009-2012. What a difference (thankfully) between his first and final appearance! 

Donald Duck-

Donald made a terrifying arrival in the 1935 parade, and then had a run between 1962-1972 (Mickey and Donald floated down 34th street together in 1972), with his final appearance back in 1984. 

Kermit the Frog-

Kermit was first featured in the parade back in 1977, but at the time he was not own by Disney. The Disney balloon debuted in 2004 and then ran from 2007-2012.

Spider Man- 

New York’s very own Friendly Neighborhood Spider Man has a similar history to Kermit. He has made a few appearances but it wasn’t until 2009-2014 that he was sponsored by Marvel, aka Disney. 

Goofy-

Poor ole Goof has only made ONE appearance back in 1992. Here’s hoping he will be back soon! 

Chicken Little-

The sky is falling, the sky is falling!! Nope, it’s just the adorable Chicken Little flying high from 2004-2005. 

JoJo’s Circus-

JoJo from the Disney Channel’s Playhouse Disney show, JoJo’s Circus, floated over happy preschoolers from 2005-2007. 

Buzz Lightyear-

To 34th Street and beyond! Our favorite Space Ranger soared high from 2008-2013. 

Olaf-

The lovable and optimistic snowman was the last Disney balloon to run from 2017-2019. 

Falloons

Falloons??? Full disclosure, if you google “Falloon definition”, you are going to end up with some sketchy meanings! But have no fear, I have found the definition for you- a falloon is the term used for Macy’s float based balloons. Disney has only been featured on two falloons- in A Bugs Life “P.T. Flea’s Circus” featuring Heimlich the Caterpillar and Bolt featuring Mittens and Rhino. 

Floats

Floats present a great way for characters, celebrities, and performers to come together. 

Mickey’s 40th Birthday Celebration-

The giant cake float featured in 1969, carried some of Disney’s most popular characters; Pinocchio, Snow White, Dopey, Happy, Goofy, the Three Little Pigs and the Big Bad Wolf, but the star of the float was the birthday boy himself, Mickey Mouse! 

Circus Wagon-

Disney’s Circus Wagon made it’s debut in 1969 and ran until 1976. Over it’s eight year run, Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Pluto, Donald, Dumbo, Baloo, and King Louie appeared on the wagon. I was unfortunately unable to find a picture. 

Captain Hook’s Pirate Ship-

The Jolly Polly Pirate Ship debuted in 1969 as Captain Hook’s Pirate Ship. Featuring Captain Hook, Peter Pan, Wendy, and Tinkerbell; the float stood at 40 feet tall and was decorated with a plank, smoking cannon, masts and a giant skull at the helm. It ran as Disney’s float until 1976. 

The Three Little Pigs and the Big Bad Wolf-

The classic characters and their three houses ran from 1969-1971. (These were some very busy years for Disney Floats!)

The Aristocats-

The adorable felines had their own float in 1970 in celebration of the film’s release. 

Walt Disney World-

For nine years, from 1971-1980, Disney’s Castle brought fairy tales to life. Flora, Fauna, Merryweather (from Sleeping Beauty) as well as the County Bears, The Rescuers, and characters from Robin Hood were featured on the float. 

Walt Disney World’s Tencennial (1981) and Disney’s Celebration (1984-1985)-

I was unable to find clear pictures of the two floats. the Tencennial float looked like a miniature river boat while the Disney Celebration was a tiny replica of Cinderella castle for Disneyland’s 30th anniversary. This is a tad confusing to me since it is Aurora’s castle that is featured in Disneyland, but I guess they did not worry about that tiny detail. 

Ship of Dreams-

Disney made it’s last float appearance in 2005 with the Ship of Dreams, representative of Disneyland’s 50th anniversary. 

Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade 2020

Disney did not make an appearance in today’s parade, but will hopefully be back next year! 

What did you think about the history of Disney in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade? Were you surprised by the amount of times they have been featured in the parade? Or were you equally freaked about by the original Donald Duck balloon?! Share your thoughts in the comment section. As always, we would love to hear from you! Until then, Sarah and I wish everyone a very happy and healthy Thanksgiving.

I would like to give a big shout out to macysthanksgiving.fandom.com for all of the great information and pictures. You can visit the site for more information about other balloons, falloons, and floats throughout it’s 94 year history! 

The post Disney and Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade throughout the Years first appeared on Offstage WDW.

This Day in History- I love learning about the tributes that Disney implements in honor of the incredible men and women who are instrumental in the park’s creation! While it is no longer active, the first Magic Kingdom riverboat was named after Admiral Joe Fowler, the head of construction and the General Manager of Disneyland. Born July 9, 1894, Joe had an impressive career with the Navy which began when he graduated second in his class at the U.S. Naval Academy in 1917. He earned a master’s degree in naval architecture in

1921 from MIT and went on to design and build aircraft carriers during both wars, including the U.S.S. Lexington & the U.S.S. Saratoga, the two largest carriers during that time. During WW2, Joe was also in charge of the West Coast shipyards. Joe had a successful and long-lasting Navy career, retiring at 35 years as a rear admiral.

A few years after his retirement, Joe was appointed by President Truman as civilian director of the Federal Supply Management Agency, to help cut back costs. His contributions earned him congressional praise. It was at the age of 60, that Joe met Walt and soon began a 25-year career with Walt Disney Productions! Joe wore many hats with the company as head of construction for both parks, general manager of Disneyland, technical advisor for the film 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, senior vice president for Walt Disney Productions, chairman of the WED Enterprises (now Walt Disney Imagineering) board, and construction director for Disney’s Buena Vista Construction Company in Florida. WOW…impressive for anyone, let alone a “senior citizen!” Joe officially retired in 1978 at the young age of 85. 

[See image gallery at offstagewdw.com] The riverboat was just one of the many tributes to Joe. The most recognizable now being the Admiral Joe Fowler ferryboat that brings guests across the Seven Seas Lagoon between the Transportation & Ticket Center and Magic Kingdom Park. This was my, “Ah ha! I knew I recognized his name!” moment. 

Joe passed away in Orlando, Florida on December 3, 1993 at the age of 99. He was an extraordinary man with a “Can do” (and did) attitude. Next time you board the Admiral Joe Fowler ferryboat towards Magic Kingdom Park, take a moment to remember his great accomplishments and one of his great legacy’s before you. Tara

The post Admiral Joe Fowler first appeared on Offstage WDW.