Tom K Morris @tomkmorris.bsky.social · 39m44 years ago, on Sept 30, 1982, I visited France, Japan, Italy, Germany, China, and the Future … all in the same day! 1262
Tom K Morris @tomkmorris.bsky.social · 6hCurious real estate transactions in Central Florida, 1965. 3191
Tom K Morris @tomkmorris.bsky.social · 14/09/2026In this shot, I am literally living under Pereira’s shadow! Red star marks my hood. 1130
Tom K Morris @tomkmorris.bsky.social · 14/09/2026Another Pereira masterpiece I grew up under the shadow of was his 1972 Pacific Mutual headquarters in Newport Center. What I find interesting about his work during this, his most modernistic phase, was that it was all being designed out of a repurposed barn, left over from an old Buffalo Ranch! 1210
Tom K Morris @tomkmorris.bsky.social · 13/09/2026If you haven’t seen Leslie Iwerks’ remarkable documentary, Disneyland Handcrafted—or even if you have—don’t miss this special screening of the critically acclaimed, eye-opening film at Bowers Museum on Sunday, Sept. 27, presented by Ryman Arts. LINK TO TICKETS: app.betterunite.com/rymanarts/pa... 1453
Tom K Morris @tomkmorris.bsky.social · 10/09/2026Madman Muntz. Must’ve been an L.A. thing while I grew up in OC. Flamboyant car dealer/electronic engineer/inventor demo’d his 4-track tape cartridge to WED engineers as a method of playing on-board narration in different languages at the push of a button for the 1964-65 NYWF Ford Pavilion… 1131
Tom K Morris @tomkmorris.bsky.social · 07/09/2026WDW historians have seen this before somewhere. Yes, you have. 0151
Tom K Morris @tomkmorris.bsky.social · 07/09/2026Classic William Pereira & Associates design, from his Newport Center days. My mom worked on the 3rd floor in the Bridal Salon. We used to wait by the bells to pick her up after her shift, then go eat at Coco’s across the way. Photo from the USC Pereira Collection. 1320
Tom K Morris @tomkmorris.bsky.social · 03/09/2026So here’s the scoop from retired WDI show producer Chrissie Allen: “It was a contest to see how many Imagineers you could recruit to interview at WDI. It started when we were hiring up for the Disney Decade. Former WDW/WDI cm Mike Bounds added these shots from the summer 1990 WDEye. 3251
Tom K Morris @tomkmorris.bsky.social · 28/08/2026Official answer from one who used it, anicon jock, Dave Feiten! 5465
Tom K Morris @tomkmorris.bsky.social · 28/08/2026Ladies (or Gentlemen): This is your one chance to slip into some high heels and have them sink into the ground in the middle of Town Square! 291
Tom K Morris @tomkmorris.bsky.social · 27/08/2026I never noticed in this oft-seen promotional footage: 1. The circled gizmo, which I just learned is called a Waldo. 2. That the programming console Bill Justice is using is an early, pre-pictographic version of the DACS animation console many of us are familiar with (although now obsolete). 🥳 3335
Tom K Morris @tomkmorris.bsky.social · 09/08/2026🎵 It’s time for Floydering… 🎶 A little summer magic in the Hollywood Hills! 1210
Tom K Morris @tomkmorris.bsky.social · 04/08/2026Last night I was surrounded by John DeCuir Jrs. 2250
Tom K Morris @tomkmorris.bsky.social · 20/07/2026The 1953 Site Location Study by Stanford Research narrowed Disneyland’s site choices to 4. Sites were vetted for availability, meaning they were “in play.” One of the sites in the OC still stands exactly as it was in 1954, incl surrounding homes and structures. Nice big site but not freeway close… 2275
Tom K Morris @tomkmorris.bsky.social · 11/07/2026Don Iwerks saw it all happen since 1950, the birth of Disneyland & the theme park industry. More importantly, Don was a soft-spoken powerhouse of knowledge & support, always ready to answer questions & share his knowledge with younger staff. My thoughts are with Leslie & the entire Iwerks family. 2639
Tom K Morris @tomkmorris.bsky.social · 07/07/2026I will be occasionally posting Granny appreciation photos, as I’ve come across a trove, many more than I imagined. Most are from newspapers or GE internal newsletters. Officially named Mrs. G.E. Faire, Progressland personnel usually referred to her as “Granny” or sometimes “Grandma Moses.” Get it? 😜 0161
Tom K Morris @tomkmorris.bsky.social · 06/07/202611-year old boy takes off with Granny as Carousel of Progress closes! Authorities say the boy climbed onto the stage, slashed the scrim, grabbed the figure & exited with her in a wheelchair. The boy was stopped on the Peoplemover platform while attempting to take the figure on the ride. Film at 11. 3303
Tom K Morris @tomkmorris.bsky.social · 03/07/2026Granny got around a lot more than I thought before her debut at the Fair. 0140
Tom K Morris @tomkmorris.bsky.social · 01/07/2026The Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe always comes to mind, although I’ve never seen “The Harvey Girls.” Maybe now I will, because this prolonged musical number is over the top. youtu.be/zSgrOvMLWsY?...youtu.beJudy Garland Sings “On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe” (Clip) | The Harvey Girls | TCMYouTube video by Turner Classic Movies 6230
Tom K Morris @tomkmorris.bsky.social · 29/06/2026Hey everyone! Join Bob Gurr, Michael Broggie, & me on Aug 1 at Chapman University for a special program honoring the late Roger Broggie Sr, presented by the Carolwood Society. We’ll discuss the earliest days of WED Imagineering & the original Imagineers. For deets & tix, Google CarolwoodAtChapman 1291
Tom K Morris @tomkmorris.bsky.social · 16/06/2026That time I was invited to the G8 Summit, Deauville, France. 0120
Tom K Morris @tomkmorris.bsky.social · 16/06/2026I don’t usually post film reviews, but I saw Toy Story 5 at a press screening & have to say it was encouraging to see a film so skillfully balance high entertainment with a timely message—w/out having to obviously “preach” it. To that point, this is a good model for Disney/Pixar going forward. 1261
Tom K Morris @tomkmorris.bsky.social · 29/05/2026I'm 100% for this! The show as we’ve known it was a result of sponsorship with GE. Before that, it was planned as a nostalgic show for a neighborhood of Main Street. It now sits in Tomorrowland, and context matters. It wants to be a show that doesn’t focus on household appliances but BETTER LIVING!☀️ 2390
Tom K Morris @tomkmorris.bsky.social · 28/05/2026In honor of NBC’s 100th anniversary, I cleaned-up and color-corrected a lo-res version of the original Disney-animated Peacock that I found on the Internet sometime ago. This is my inaugural foray into the world of Topaz. Chat GPT held my hand. 1424
Tom K Morris @tomkmorris.bsky.social · 24/05/2026This photo taken in San Juan, Puerto Rico, from a private collection, deserves a closer look. 1241
Tom K Morris @tomkmorris.bsky.social · 24/04/2026RIP Dean Tavoularis, renowned production designer & one of the most important Imagineers that Disney fans have never heard of. His bio only mentions his work on Lady and the Tramp and leaves out the 8 years he worked for WED. I interviewed Dean in 2019 & I'll share details of that interview shortly. 0422
Tom K Morris @tomkmorris.bsky.social · 17/04/2026Meanwhile, on that other site, this happened. OP Alea must have found that shot online somewhere and didn’t know who the subject in the photo was, but she was right about the flex. 3462
Tom K Morris @tomkmorris.bsky.social · 15/04/2026The hotel I’m occupying in Asheville, North Carolina, uses antlers in all of their decorating. 11592
Tom K Morris @tomkmorris.bsky.social · 13/04/2026So far, no one has commented on the third photo. 1130
Tom K Morris @tomkmorris.bsky.social · 11/04/2026What little lunar knowledge I have I probably picked up from Disney. One of the first scientists to speculate what the dark side of the moon looked like was Renaissance man Roger Hayward, shown here on the left directing the sculpting of the Moon for Disneyland’s Rocket to the Moon ride… 2355
Tom K Morris @tomkmorris.bsky.social · 07/04/2026In color, as they stand before a hole in the ground where the Haunted Mansion will soon rise. 0100
Tom K Morris @tomkmorris.bsky.social · 29/03/2026Meant to send this retraction earlier: fellow Disney historian @hollifieldjim.bsky.social, who knows much more about Darby O’Gill than I do, has corrected my assertion about the location of the folly on the lake; it was not on the studio backlot. He should know, he’s writing THE book about the film! 2180
Tom K Morris @tomkmorris.bsky.social · 24/03/2026Continuing the new wave of serious Disneyland studies, this work by Roland Betancourt is a must-read for mid-century tech archaeologists. It chronicles the early technologies that made the park viable, which Disney then perfected for its own bespoke use. There are some surprises! 0497
Tom K Morris @tomkmorris.bsky.social · 24/03/2026“The Computer” as envisioned in 1964 by two of Hollywood’s top art directors, Jack, Martin Smith and Bill Creber. From the TV series Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea. 3251
Tom K Morris @tomkmorris.bsky.social · 18/03/2026The little folly structure was shot back on the Disney lot. I'm not certain, but it's likely that it was placed over the "cement pond" created to test effects for the Submarine Voyage. It was next to the Darby village and they would've just finished the Submarine tests when shooting began on Darby. 3291
Tom K Morris @tomkmorris.bsky.social · 18/03/2026The lake (did it have a name?) which I always presumed was at Golden Oak Ranch, was actually shot in Canoga Park/West Hills. Today, the lake is still there, and still has the small island... it's just surround by homes in a gated community! Anyone reading this live here?! 1212
Tom K Morris @tomkmorris.bsky.social · 18/03/2026Today you can still see how these rolling hills, when blessed with a little rain, can resemble the terra of Ireland, especially with the occasional, curious rock outcroppings. While much was added by Ellenshaw, this topography provided the film crew with an inexpensive head start. 0171
Tom K Morris @tomkmorris.bsky.social · 18/03/2026The rolling foothills leading up to Knocknasheega were also not shot at Golden Oak Ranch, but rather along the hills between Agoura and Thousand Oaks. This shot in particular was looking directly into Westlake Village, but you wouldn't know it thanks to the talents of Peter Ellenshaw and Ub Iwerks. 1230
Tom K Morris @tomkmorris.bsky.social · 18/03/2026A few Darby O’Gill fun facts: Not shot in Ireland (y’all knew that) but also not shot at the Golden Oak Ranch, except a few scenes. Village of Rathcullen, including Tavern, was purpose-built on the NE corner of the Disney lot. If you squint, you can see the power lines running along Alameda Ave... 1406
