Disneyland - The Secrets, Stories and Magic DVD

[KeithS]

Okay everyone, here is a bit of exciting news.

Last year, amid great fanfare, Disney announced they were releasing a single disc DVD to coincide with the 50th Anniversary of Disneyland titled "Disneyland - The Secrets, Stories and Magic of the Happiest Place on Earth"

It had a release date of July 12 - just before the 50th birthday... There were preview screenings held around the US (with AMAZING reviews of its content), the menu art was made available for websites, the preorders came rushing in to Amazon etc...Disneyland fans were finally getting the DVD they always wanted - an official history as such of the park.

Then July 2005 came and went...with no sign of the DVD and no news from Disney. Rumours abound about its cancellation, or that legal issues surrounding some content were preventing its release, or Disney were deleting all the Eisner references. In essence, the project just disappeared...

...until this week

Yep, it is back on the release schedule under the new Walt Disney Legacy collection. http://disney.go.com/disneyvideos/disneylegacy/

Now with an abbreviated title "Disneyland: Secrets, Stories and Magic" - the really interesting thing is that it now appears to be a 2-disc set! (Cue the drooling...) There are no details yet on contents, but wouldn't it be great if it now also contained the Steve Martin / Donald Duck "Disneyland: The First 50 Magical Years" movie that was played in the Main Street Opera House during the 50th celebrations - I saw that so many times and loved it during each showing! Let us just hope

Also coming in this new Legacy series will be the Oswald the Lucky Rabbit movies - awesome news for animation collectors...

I hope they release these DVDs here, but given the poor service we received with the Walt Disney Treasures series (only receiving one wave of them ) I'm guessing we are going to have to order them in from the US.

Anyway, I'll keep an eye out for more details on these as their release date gets closer - it should be early 2007.

[Mel]

Thanks Keith, this is GREAT news! And a double disc now - that's very good news.

[Loomis]

There are no details yet on contents, but wouldn't it be great if it now also contained the Steve Martin / Donald Duck "Disneyland: The First 50 Magical Years" movie that was played in the Main Street Opera House during the 50th celebrations - I saw that so many times and loved it during each showing! Let us just hope

Yes, the contents may be slightly altered on the disc from the original press release, but I would also love to see the Steve Martin film on the set. It was very much a highlight of my late-2005 trip to Anaheim, and I'd love to see it again. It would be an ideal place for it. This could be Disney's chance to finally put out a comprehensive chronicle of the park up to the 50th and beyond, and it would be a shame to leave a stone unturned.

[KeithS]

Another update was released on this DVD today! Mark 11 December in you calendar!

Disney have now decided to include the Disneyland Secrets and Magic DVD (along with the new Oswald the Rabbit DVD) into its long running "Disney Treasures" line - as opposed to the Walt Disney Legacy line that launched late last year.

To me, this makes great sense - I don't even know why they came up with a second competing nostalgia series in the first place - the Treasures series has been well received in the US, so it didn't make sense to launch the "Legacy" label - maybe poor sales of the Legacy series has prompted this change...

...anyway - the bad news for us is that it is now unlikely that we'll see this disc here in PAL. Only the first wave of Treasures was ever released in Australia, the subsequent FIVE waves have never hit our shores! So I guess we'll have to grab the NTSC version from Amazon again...

The preliminary press release for this is included below. It does not detail content yet, but does confirm that it will be a two-disc release. As soon as the full specs of this disc is available, I'll post them here.

[Press Release]
Rare Gems From the Disney Vault

The Newest Additions to the Popular
Walt Disney Treasures

Oswald the Lucky Rabbit

Chronological Donald, Volume 3

Disneyland: Stories, Secrets, and Magic

Each 2-Disc DVD Set Includes Authenticity Certificate

And Collectible Lithograph Available in Limited Supply December 11

BURBANK, Calif., March 30, 2007 – Walt Disney Home Entertainment continues the popular Walt Disney Treasures series with three new 2-Disc DVD sets featuring rarely seen footage presented with amazing color and sound. The seventh installment of Walt Disney Treasures will be available December 11, 2007 in a limited supply just in time for the holidays.

Predating even Mickey Mouse, the legendary and rarely-seen Oswald The Lucky Rabbit was Walt Disney’s first big animated star, and having recently returned to the Disney fold, comes out of the vault for the first time ever on DVD. The silent shorts made from 1926 to 1927 with Walt’s personal touch, are revitalized with a brand-new score specifically made for Walt Disney Treasures, Wave VII.

Chronological Donald, Volume 3 features the most prolific of “Walt’s Fab Five,” the short-tempered but hilarious Donald Duck in rarely seen solo shorts dating 1947 through 1950.

Disneyland: Secrets, Stories and Magic is a comprehensive look at the “Happiest Place on Earth.” The centerpiece of this volume is a new documentary with archival footage, including Walt’s own words, as well as new interviews that reveal the magic and manpower behind one of the world’s most famous destinations.

Each volume features noted film historian, author, and critic Leonard Maltin. Each volume is individually numbered, with an authenticity certificate, and an exclusive lithograph in the collectible, unique packaging tins and available just in time for the holidays, in a limited supply only.

Buena Vista Worldwide Home Entertainment, a recognized leader in the home entertainment industry, is the marketing, sales and distribution company for Walt Disney, Touchstone, Hollywood Pictures, Miramax and Buena Vista product, which includes DVD, Blu-ray Disc and electronic distribution. Buena Vista Worldwide Home Entertainment is a division of Disney Enterprises, Inc.

[sandie]

it is now unlikely that we'll see this disc here in PAL

this really shouldn't matter even the $59 dvd players from Aldi play ntsc these days. And for Amazon its great knews because we will all buy it from there!

[KeithS]

Yay! It has been a long time coming, 2.5 years after its original July 2005 release date, but I now have this awesome DVD set in my hands!

Now I just need the time to sit down and begin watching it

Thank you Amazon!

[Mel]

This is a fantastic DVD! I watched it from beginning to end, including the special features and time-lapse in one sitting. No small feat for a mum of a bub under one!

[sandie]

I love it too - I have not finished it though - I may watch some more tonight.

Sandie