Great Moments with Mr. Martin
 

Here's a mystery. In the 50th anniversary film with Steve Martin, Main Street doesn't look right. The trees are too bushy, the doors to the shops are all closed, the flower pots on the lampposts are hung too low, etc. All of this I can blame on set decorating, but the weird one, the thing that I just can't figure out, is the cement grout between the bricks in the sidewalk. The bricks at Disneyland are fitted into each other without grout. Does anyone know where this was shot? Do they have a re-creation of Main Street on the Disney backlot in Burbank? Did they fly Steve Martin and the extras to Hong Kong Disneyland? Who knows the answer to this burning question?

On the other hand, I solved a mystery. Remember when they put those Christmas decorations up on the Castle right after it was unshrouded? And remeber that they took them back down in a day or so? I found them on the Hong Kong Disneyland website ! Much the same way that Disneyland was introduced to American audiences through the medium of television, Chinese audiences have been getting the same education. Hong Kong pop star Jackie Cheung has been hosting "The Magical World of Disneyland," and the Christmas decorations were for that show's holiday offering. (Beauty and the Beast, if you're interested)

No mystery. No tracks in the street = not actually Main Street. It's a VERY well done set though.

I feel obligated to add that on the first viewing, I was sure something was screwy (did they film this at night with fake lighting?) but on the second showing I noticed the lack of tracks.

I didn't notice the lack of tracks until CP mentioned it, but the lighting tipped me off the first time around that it was a studio.

I knew this wasn't the "real" MS from the first. There were too many clues to a geek not to miss. I suspect a Soundstage in Burbank or Other local is the real setting.

But, I do love how Donald has a shadow.


Oh, and I thought Zappp had done something notorious at the Park.

Inconceivable!

I thought the lighting looked fake and something just looked wrong with the Magic Shop but I couldn't place my finger on it.

Man, you geeks are good. :)

Well, the lighting didn't bother me, having been on or around enough film sets to know that lighting is easily altered. I didn't notice the lack of tracks, though. How weird. It's clear that the Castle/fireworks bit is in front of a bluescreen, as well. Why do you suppose they chose not to shoot this at the Park? I may be more bothered by this than someone else might be, but Disneyland has done a admirable job of playing itself on film many times. Why the stand-in?

I wonder if this set is where the Third Indian (in the Gallery) came from.

Hong Kong won't have horse drawn streetcars, so that may still be a possibility

Is there anything that HK does have? ;)

Congestion, dense population, dirty streets....... :evil:

Oh, I thought this was going to be an innerSpaceman tell all thread...
;)