Snow White on Ice on iTunes

For the Disney music completist, here's a fun little recording that recently resurfaced on iTunes and Amazon MP3. The title's quite a mouthful:

Tom Arnold Presents an Adaptation on Ice of of Walt Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

No, it's not the American Tom Arnold, it's the British theatrical producer Tom Arnold. The four songs on this 1960 $3.99 souvenir record are pleasant covers--exactly what you might expect to hear at an ice show. Give it a sample listen: You might like what you hear.

I'd love to see more of these unusual "Disney By-Product" recordings appear on the digital marketplace. If only Disney would open up more of their own vault...

Life Falls From Tiki Room's Tangaroa

I'm a day late for The Enchanted Tiki Room's 50th birthday, but there's no time like the present for celebrating with a tribute to a Disneyland character you don't want to tick off.

Walt Disney's willingness to stretch the boundaries of what the public would accept as popular entertainment was a lot bolder than most people assume. Exhibit A: Tangaroa, Father of All Gods and Goddesses, standing guard at the Tiki Room.

He isn't just a talking tree. He isn't just a talking tree with a unique nose. Voiced by the incomparable Thurl Ravenscroft, he's a male tree who gives birth in front of the waiting crowd!

"Oh, Mystic Powers, hear my call! From my limbs, let new life fall!"

"BOO-YAH!"

He doesn't actually say, "Boo-yah." But he has every right to. This happy blooming has been taking place many times a day, nearly every day for fifty years. That's a lot of offspring, and just one of the many ways in which Disneyland takes guests further off the beaten path of everyday expectations than most people would ever guess.

A Pair of Rolly Crump Tikis

I enjoy the Tiki Room's outdoor pre-show nearly as much as the main event. Pele's a big attention-getter as she spouts real fire. Until recently, I hadn't realized that these wonderful tikis had been designed and sculpted by Rolly Crump, one of Disney's most imaginative and innovative artists.

Ngendei is one of my favorite characters in the entire park. Even though he sounds frazzled as he reveals the sad truth about his job, there's something incredibly jolly about the way he rocks to and fro.

Did you know Rolly Crump sculpted these tikis in the Imagineering parking lot--using a plastic cafeteria fork? Book mini-review time!

I'm certainly not the first Disney blogger to recommend this book, but--seriously--Rolly Crump's It's Kind of a Cute Story is one of the most delightful, eye-opening and entertaining behind-the-scenes books I've ever read. His blunt, good-natured, down-to-earth recollections of his work on some of Disneyland's most famous attractions make this a must-read for all Disney fans.

It's available right now on Kindle and iBooks, and it's a gem.

Dole Whips in the Tiki Room (with Fish Heads & Crumbs)

Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room delights children and adults on both coasts (teenagers tend to flee its awesomely corny jokes and Jose's Bing Crosby tribute, but they'll come around eventually). The Disneyland version has one great bonus feature: the popular Dole Whip frozen treat is for sale in the pre-show area (along with other Dole pineapple selections) and you are encouraged to bring your snack into the attraction to eat during the show!

Don't worry: the birds won't try to mooch a taste. As for the other inhabitants of this place of joyous songs and wondrous miracles, well...cue today's comic strip...

Click to Enlarge

Sunday Signage: King Triton's Carousel

King Triton's Carousel may not be the most thrilling ride at Disney California Adventure, but it sure has a first-rate sign welcoming guests aboard. Have you ever seen Ol' Triton so overjoyed to see humans?

Maybe it would have been more in-character to have him scowling down at anyone entering...and then, during the ride, a life-size audioanimatronic of the Sea King could lunge up from behind a boulder and fire thunderbolts over riders' heads while bellowing, "GET OFF MY CAROUSEL, HUMANS!!!" That would have been awesome.

Getting back to reality, King Triton's Carousel is a fun feature of Paradise Pier, and was actually one of the few opening-day DCA attractions suitable for small children. Its location -- tucked off to the side between California Screamin' and Toy Story Midway Mania -- keeps the waiting lines short, and that's good news for guests!