In a previous Fun Fact Friday post, I wrote about the entrance to Disneyland, from the turnstiles to the end of Main Street U.S.A. as the opening to a movie. There are more connections between Disneyland and the movies than that, though. Of course, there are the movies represented in the park, from animated classics to exciting new adventures, but did you know there are actual props that were really used in the films shoots in the park? Here are five:
1. In the Indiana Jones Adventure exit queue, just after you leave the building, there is a mine car on your left (pictured above). That car was used in the chase scene through the mines in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.
2. Also in the Indiana Jones Adventure exit queue, more towards the entrance to the attraction, is a jeep. That vehicle was used in the desert chase scene in Raiders of the Lost Ark, the scene where Indy gets dragged along on the ground behind it, holding onto his whip.
3. Across the park in Tomorrowland you’ll find a couple of props in the Star Tours queue. The C-3PO and R2-D2 figures were used in the filming of the original Star Wars trilogy.
4. In New Orleans Square, the Haunted Mansion has a prop from a classic film. In the ballroom scene, where the ghosts are dancing and the table is set for dinner, a ghostly organized performs for the guests on the far left side of the room. The organ he’s playing was used in the filming of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, where it was played by Captain Nemo himself.
5. Finally, we go right “next door” to the Haunted Mansion. The train station for New Orleans Square was formerly the Frontierland station, and was used in the filming of the Disney live-action movie So Dear to My Heart…well, sort of.
Walt gave the train station that was used in So Dear to My Heart to Ward Kimball, one of his animators and a fellow railroad-enthusiast. Unfortunately, that station was just a movie prop, so it only had three sides and didn’t have enough of a frame to support the roof on its own. Ward appreciated the gift, though, so when he rebuilt the station–from scratch–he did save and use the doors, windows, and roof.
When it came time to construct Disneyland, Walt recalled the station he had given to Ward and asked for it back so he could use it at his new theme park. Ward refused, so Walt ordered it rebuilt using the same blueprints Ward had used, with a couple of additions. So, for this one, the actual prop isn’t in Disneyland, but a direct line can be traced from the station in So Dear to My Heart and this one.
For you to discover: The Frontierland train station appears as part of another Disneyland attraction. Which one?
