The Secret Tour of Disneyland
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DVD Cover Information
Narrator: Lauren DelmontHost: Lauren Delmont
DVD: Region Code 0
Audio: English (Unknown)
Format: Anamorphic, Color, DVD, NTSC, Widescreen
Running Time: 145 minutes
Product features:
- 2.5 hours of fun, facts, and Dinseyland trivia
- Great viewing for adults and kids alike
- Learn interesting stories about things most people walk right by
- Exclusive visits to Club 33, Lilly Belle, and much more
- Professionally masterd dual-layer DVD for high quality
Movie Reviews of The Secret Tour of Disneyland
Movie Review: See Disneyland through Lauren's Eyes
Summary: 5 Stars
I have a collection of books, VHS videos, DVDs, maps and other references on "the happiest place on Earth." I have taken several official tours of Disneyland including the holiday tour and more than half a dozen "A Walk in Walt's Footsteps" tours. My first Disneyland visit was a 9th grade class trip from San Diego in May 1972--the first of hundreds. I guess I can claim to know something about Disneyland--but I don't know everything about Disneyland. Given the 56 year history of the park (55 years of daily operation as of July 17, 2010) I don't think any one person knows everything--but people usually know something that I don't about Walt's original theme park. One last thing--Disneyland is always changing. If you picked 100 square feet of Disneyland that open to the public it is possible to fill a book with what happened in that spot. Every time I go to Disneyland I see something different--one year I managed to visit Disneyland every week, even if I was inside the park only 15 minutes, and I still saw something new to me.
Lauren and John Delmont have produced a professional-quality video tour of Disneyland. Video tours are nice for a number of reasons: economy, time and comfort. How much does it cost YOU to get to Disneyland before you pay to get into the park? I can spend 15 or 20 minutes with a video and see one sub-chapter of "The Secret Tour of Disneyland" and see a piece of the park. I can watch it from the comfort of my apartment without waiting in line, without enduring the weather, and I can repeat the scene over and over again. I'll bet that it takes you more time and money to get to Disneyland than to pick up your DVD and play it on your equipment. Furthermore I get to see Disneyland through someone else's eyes--a video camera's eyes with narration by Lauren, with Cast Member and other comments, too.
The DVD is divided into 11 chapters and each chapter has several sections that can be individually accessed through the menu. Or, like I did, you can play the DVD from beginning to end. There are some "Easter eggs" that pop up, a small purple Mickey silhouette in the lower right hand corner appears during some scenes. A feature of "the Secret Tour of Disneyland" are many field trips outside of Disneyland. These field trips include trips to Roger's Gardens where the original Disneyland bandstand ended up, Griffith Park, Walt's train barn, and a Mary Blair mural located at UCLA. If you want to "get" Disneyland you must occasionally step outside the box.
The "tour" hops around the park, much like people would do when visiting Disneyland. Lauren manages a difficult task--remain a real person while conducting a monologue on the history of Disneyland. Folks, when a book or video presentation is published, it becomes history. History can be presented either as a means to cure insomnia or history can be relevant and riveting.
There are several different presentation modes on this DVD ranging from the 'home movie' style to a narrated slideshow. Lauren didn't delve deeply into why
Disneyland was half Frontierland when it began operations in 1955, but she does give enough context. Disneyland, after all, is being immersed in the Disney television shows. The only thing is that I have to write my own scripts and be my own director. That's a good excuse to pick up background materials such as "the Secret Tour of Disneyland" DVD--it helps me write my own "screen play" for my next visit to Disneyland.
John and Lauren Delmont did their homework to provide me with that background story so that I can plan out my next trip. I plan to be in Disneyland next on July 17, 2010 for the 55th anniversary.
And there are lots of nuggets that I can build my next tour around. One reason for my purchase of books and videos is that I get pictures which would be difficult to get on my own. Or impossible--the homage to the Country Bear Jamboree and the nameplate of the Wicket Wench are very hard to photograph. Lauren has interior views of the Walt Disney Apartment above the Main Street Fire Station, the inside of the wheelhouse of the Mark Twain, upstairs in Club 33, and several places that are very difficult for guests to get into. If you've heard of Hidden Mickeys, John has several for you to admire on the DVD. When in Disneyland I often suffer from sensory overload. Every time I ride Pirates of the Caribbean, for example, I see something I missed before--and I've ridden that ride as many times as ten in a row because there was just too much to take in every detail in one quick trip! I know, ten times in a row is a bit obsessive--but there are so many details that I miss most of the attraction on any one pass. Lauren showed me many things that I missed despite being in an attraction hundreds of times--such as the monkey inside of the Pieces of Eight shop at the exit to Pirates of the Caribbean. Or how about the two Hidden Mickey's that Lauren and John detail in an Easter egg at title 25 Chapter 3? I caght one, but missed the Hidden Mickey in the final gun battle in Pirates of the Caribbean.
My last trip to Disneyland was over the New Year holiday and I was fortunate in joining my sister and her family during their visit. There are just not enough hours to see EVERYTHING, so I sent my brother-in-law a copy of "The Secret Tour of Disneyland" in order that he could see things he missed last time. For people who can only make one visit to Disneyland in this life, tours like this DVD are a treasure. Yes, I liked this DVD so much that I got another and sent it to my brother-in-law for his enjoyment.
The DVD is two hours twenty-six minutes long, but even with the time savings possible through editing (compared to walking the park or taking a guided tour) that is not long enough to "see everything." I've spent longer waiting for a single ride in Disneyland than "the Secret Tour of Disneyland" takes to play. Through the camera lens I saw things that I didn't see before during hundreds of Disneyland trips and thousands of hours walking in Disneyland. I regard "the Secret Tour of Disneyland" to be a valuable addition to my collection of Disneyland videos and books. I liked it enough to buy one as a gift.
Will Lauren be hosting a similar DVD on Disney's California Adventure? If the answer is "yes," I want one!
Summary of The Secret Tour of Disneyland
WE'RE BACK with our updated 2nd Edition!! PRODUCT SHIPS SUPER FAST FROM SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. Now re-mastered and presented in 16:9 anamorphic widescreen for today's newer TVs. We've also added a new bonus menu and some minor updates. This DVD is a fun-filled trip showing you many of the little know things to see and do at Disneyland. Your personal guide, Lauren, takes you on a tour of Disneyland packed with trivia, history, interviews, and tons of seldom seen archival photos. Over 2.5 hours of Disneyland fun have been squeezed into this professional dual-layer DVD. There are also some unique side trips to places like Roger's Gardens and Griffith Park that hold a special place Disneyland history. Learn interesting facts and stories about things most guests walk right past. A great treat for Disneyland lovers young and old. We spent two years researching and producing this DVD in the hopes of bringing you a truly enjoyable Disneyland experience. Check out our low-res sneak peek videos on youtube by searching Secret Tour of Disneyland. Product Features include: 2.5 hours of Disneyland fun, facts, and trivia. Professionally mastered dual-layer DVD for high quality. Exclusive visits to Club 33, Lilly Belle, and much more. Extensive menus let you watch the whole DVD or navigate to a particular chapter or section. New "Bonus" menu with 8 added segments. Re-mastered for 16:9 anamorphic viewing (will still play letter-boxed wide screen on older 4:3 TVs). Professionally edited, sound mixed, and produced.Similar DVD Movies
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