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Photo by Chris Bales, 1991 |
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It’s 1991 at Yesterland. The park is celebrating Disney’s successful entry into afternoon syndicated television with Adventures of the Gummi Bears, DuckTales, Chip ’n’ Dale Rescue Rangers, and TaleSpin. |
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Perhaps you programmed your VCR to capture today’s entire two-hour block of animated half-hour episodes. They fit perfectly on a 120-minute VHS tape. After all, you don’t want to miss them, even though you’re at the park. Isn’t VCR technology amazing? But enough about the animated characters. You’re here to see their live counterparts! |
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Photo by Chris Bales, 1991 Colorful Duckburg, USA. |
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The Small World Promenade has become Disney Afternoon Avenue. Here’s your chance to meet Launchpad McQuack, Scrooge McDuck, Chip ’n’ Dale, King Louie, Gadget, and the Gummi Bears. Be sure to get a Disney Afternoon LIVE! map, which has a dozen white circles along its border. Then, go to a dozen locations such as Scrooge’s vault and Duckburg City Hall to collect the correct stamp for each circle. |
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Photo by Chris Bales, 1991 The Disney Afternoon Train Depot |
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Don’t call it Videopolis Station. This version of the Fantasyland Depot has a new name and new look. |
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Photo by Chris Bales, 1991 Motor Boat Cruise to Gummi Glen |
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The Motor Boat Cruise now goes to Gummi Glen. Along the canals, learn how Gummi Berry juice is made. |
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Photo by Chris Bales, 1991 Chip ’n’ Dale Rescue Rangers Raceway |
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It’s not Fantasyland Autopia now. It’s Chip ’n’ Dale Rescue Rangers Raceway, with cutouts of characters from their show along the “raceway.” |
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Photo by Werner Weiss, 1991 A Beagle Boy—LIVE |
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Photo by Werner Weiss, 1991 Smile for the camera! |
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Some characters walk around Disney Afternoon Avenue. But not Baloo. The bear from The Jungle Book is now the air delivery pilot in Tale Spin, so he’s a big star with a private dressing room. But Baloo hasn’t forgotten his fans. Everyone is welcome to visit him. Make sure there’s enough film in your camera. |
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Photo by Chris Bales, 1991 Dressing room on the other side of the railroad track |
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Photo by Chris Bales, 1991 Dressing room entrance |
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After you visit Baloo, enjoy themed refreshments nearby. How about a frozen Gummi Berry Juice bar? Finally, be sure to catch the “Plane Crazy” Stage Show at the Videopolis Stage. It’s presented five times daily. Villains Don Karnage and Fat Cat have teamed up to steal the X-22 spy plane. Will they get away with their crime? |
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Disney Afternoon LIVE! was a promotional overlay—a temporary “land”—at Disneyland from March 15, 1991, to November 10, 1991. Disney Afternoon Avenue was the walkway from Storybook Land Canal Boats to “it’s a small world”. |
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Photo by Chris Bales, 1992 Remnants near Videopolis in 1992 |
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Some features of Disney Afternoon LIVE! survived to 1992, but the branding did not. The Disneyland Railroad underpass that went to Baloo’s dressing room became the entrance to Mickey’s Toontown when that land opened January 24, 1993. |
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© The Walt Disney Company / from the collection of Chris Bales |
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© The Walt Disney Company / from the collection of Chris Bales 1995 Disneyland Collectors’ Series card featuring 1991 |
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Disney Afternoon LIVE! was temporary, but it was Disneyland’s biggest new attraction of 1991. When Disneyland issued Collectors’ Series cards for its 40th anniversary, the card for 1991 featured the promotional overlay. |
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© 2023 Werner Weiss — Disclaimers, Copyright, and Trademarks Updated September 8, 2023 | |||
