The Lotte World theme park, in Seoul, South Korea.

Note: This first appeared here on October 21, 2010.

We often take for granted that we have the theme parks to enjoy here in America. Here is a look from years back at the experience at a park with a different flavor with an international twist.

Okay, theme park fans… Today we head west, or if you prefer. east. And not to visit a Disney theme park, either.

My niece, Kelly, has been enjoying an extended visit to South Korea this past month. After graduating with a degree in Linguistics, she wanted to see what the country and the people were like first hand. So, she and a friend headed across the Pacific. Along the way, she has found some great stories to share – the first of which you are reading here today.

Now I had heard about Lotte World from my good friend Michelle Valladolid after her visit to South Korea. After so many trips to Disneyland, I am always curious to see (and hear) how it inspired others to produce similar parks around the world. Read on to see and hear about Kelly’s visit.

Last week, we went to the happiest place in Seoul!! Haha no, but we did go to one of Korea’s biggest theme parks, Lotte World! We had wanted to go for a while, but we’ve been trying to spread our events out over time so that we have something to do each week.

A castle in a theme park? Wonder where this idea came from…

We were supposed to meet our friend, Jess, at the entrance at noon, but the subway station was weirdly complicated at this specific stop. We thought we were following the right signs, but we wound up outside in front of a hotel when the entrance to the park is underground. So we had to find our way back into the station and somehow a hallway we didn’t see before came into sight with big signs saying “Lotte World! This way!”. Maybe some kind of sorcery was at work… hehe So by the time we found our way to Jess and the entrance, we were about 30 minutes late.

The tickets were only ₩37,000 (roughly $33), but for some reason we got a foreigner discount and they were only ₩33,000($29). It was kind of amusing to me because I’m used to places like this taking advantage of foreigners, not offering them a discount for coming. But hey, I was not complaining. The weird thing is they had tickets to just enter the park (which were a lot cheaper) and then tickets that included the rides. Although, I don’t know why someone would want to come in just for the rides (maybe if they are just there to supervise or something). Anyways, the one slightly annoying part was having to show our tickets every time we got on a ride, but it wasn’t a big deal. I guess they haven’t discovered the paper bracelets yet. The other annoying thing was their line control because they would make the lines seem so long by making people wait outside and then slowly letting groups of people into the actual line leading up to the ride. Unnecessary, but I guess it was to keep the decorated parts of the line free from graffiti.

The park is split up into two sections; one indoors and one outdoors. We entered through the indoor park and it was all decorated for Halloween. It’s kind of cool because they have a full skating rink in the middle of the building and we even got to see some young speed skaters practice. They had a light show at the end of the night over the rink too. I think the rink is open to the public on the weekends, but it costs extra for the skates and what not. But it didn’t matter to me because I can’t skate to save my life. lol There’s multiple levels in the indoor section and on the first floor they had the kiddie rides and some of the smaller family friendly rides.

 I think the weirdest part of this park was how weirdly similar to Disneyland it was at times. They had multiple, what I started thinking of them as, “knock-off” rides. There was one called Sinbad or something like that and it was basically a Pirates of the Carribean. Same boat. Same drop at the beginning. Same weird animatronic rifraff (though Disney’s were more convincing for sure). It was more funny to me than anything. They had another ride that I wanted to actually laugh as I was riding it. Their “Pharoah’s Revenge” ride was a carbon copy of Indiana Jones. Even the line leading up to the ride was the same, except Egyptian themed. They had the same video screen and the little office at the end where they play 20’s music or something. The ride was like… LOL I thought it was a joke. They had the same jeeps, the snakes, the bugs on the wall when your car breaks down, the firey skull and bridge, the air darts… At one point I remember thinking, “Okay, I swear… if there is a boulder, I’m leaving.” But there wasn’t. haha Besides the rides, they also had the castle outside that lights up at night and an assortment of headgear. Although, I had heard of their cute bows before, so I bought one as soon as I got inside because where else could you wear a giant sequined bow on your head without getting weird looks (unless you are Lady Gaga)? haha They even have raccoon mascots, Lotty and Lorry… I mean, c’mon. I seriously wondered if some kind of copyright infringement was going on. lol

What? No red bows with white polka dots?

From right to left, Kelly Eckman, Steph Arnold and Jess-mj Lee

There were other cool rides also! There was one rollercoaster called “French Revolution” which looped all around the indoor park and even did a flip right over a bridge where people stand and watch. We got to ride in the front for that ride, which I haven’t done in a really long time, so that was fun. The other fun ones were the “Gyrodrop” and “Atlantis” rides; one was like a free falling ride and the other was just a super speedy rollercoaster that required stretching before you rode (seriously, there was a sign and everything telling you what to stretch and bascially telling you you’d better do it or you’ll get massive whiplash). It was a really fun park and we spent about 9 hours there. Plenty to do and see for sure. It wasn’t too crowded either, but then again we went on a Thursday and most people were working I’m sure.

The other weird thing that happened was the, oh 30 or so, interactions with random people while we were in lines or just walking around. I guess foreigners don’t come here that often, because I only saw two other foreigners the whole time we were there. But anyways, kids would come up to us and say, “Hi!” “Hello!” “How are you!” constantly. I don’t know what it was, but suddenly we were very interesting. Two girls even took a picture with us! After a while Steph and I would just automatically reply back because it tickled them so much. Even funnier was when we said, “I’m from San Francisco,” or “I’m from New York,” and they would make a collective, “OOOoOooOOo!!” lol It was kind of cute when they would gather in their groups and discuss how to say something or what to ask us. We should get jobs there. haha

Imagine if DCA had built this as the late lamented Maliboomer!

Fun was had. A churro was chomped. Good times for everyone! 🙂

A roller coaster out of a castle? I like it!

____________________________________________________________________

Thanks Kelly for the look at Lotte World!

In reposting this story, I asked Michelle Valladolid to share some thoughts on her experience there:

“I visited Lotte World 21 years ago, in the middle of a raging typhoon. It was my only free day, and I was determined to visit. 

The entrance was under a hotel, and inside the indoor section of the park was an ice skating rink. On the edges of the park were reptile exhibits on one side and a looping roller coaster on the other side. 

In line for the French Revolution coaster, a group of kids said hello. I looked up from my map, said “Hey, how ya doin’” and went back to reading my map. When the line circled round again, they were all practicing saying “hey, how ya doin’”.

I really wanted to see the cute animatronic ghost show in the familiar-looking castle, but they were all canceled because of the storm. 

There was a walkthrough next to the castle that told the story of Snow White, which was Disney’s Snow White with blond hair and a recolored dress. 

The best roller coaster in the world is there: Comet Express. Think Space Mountain, underground, in a spinning teacup, with art direction by Ed Roth. The space aliens were out of this world! 

There were a few more rides, including a haunted house, but they were all closed due to the storm. 

The Sindbad ride was everything Roger’s niece says and more. Truly trippy. The whole park was a Disney-inspired fever dream. Go if you can make the trip. “

So, there you have it. A look back at a theme park that isn’t one of the ones you usually read about here!

Nothing better than healthy caffeine to start the day of big adventures!

Over the years, it has been my pleasure to visit various studios and sets for assorted productions, both animated and live action. This particular Monday, June 22, promised to be different for a number of reasons.

These places all share one thing in common. They are not museums. Nor are they temples to worship the artists who have labored here throughout the years of their existence. They are the factories that produce the entertainment products that we enjoy. Be those products for theaters, television, streaming services, home video, or more. The men and women who craft them ply their trades here.

In other words, these are workplaces. And as a result, these locations tend not to be open to the public. Some of the larger studios do offer tours, but they tend to avoid interfering with studio business. Universal based its theme parks on the studio tour business.

The Walt Disney Studios was not among the studios that did offer tours, despite the numerous requests to do so. However, a 1941 short film, “The Reluctant Dragon,” was made to feed those interests with a wonderful behind-the-scenes look at what went on behind the gates. And in 2020, Don Hahn offered a tour of a more modern Walt Disney Studios in an “Adventure Thru The Walt Disney Archives”.

This day would not be my first visit to the Disney lot. I had visited before with friends working on various projects. Even with various additions to the facilities in those years, a great deal of the original structures remain in use today. The move from the Hyperion location to the Burbank one benefited from the revenue from “Snow White”, building a very modern campus for film production.

Even though only a little more than a year old, it became more than just an animated film production facility as the US Army moved in immediately after Pearl Harbor. Through government contracts, Disney produced a wide variety of films, including training and educational films of all kinds throughout the war. Notable mixtures of animation and live action included “Saludos Amigos” and “The Three Caballeros”. Full live action production began in Burbank, with 1948’s “So Dear To My Heart” following a series of profitable film productions from England. Today the soundstages are busy with film and television productions for companies renting the space as required.

On this day, our host was Howard Green. Meeting us outside the Animation building, he invited us to relax for a bit at the Starbucks in the ABC building before catching us in the lobby of the Animation building. Yes, that’s my Venti Iced Mocha waiting to be enjoyed, pictured above.

A while later, Leo and I made our way to start our time with Howard. A walk through the Animation building on multiple floors included everything from Oscars and more, along with art on display from various productions. We also saw workspaces, including conference rooms and presentation spaces, along with a few photo opportunities from recent productions.

What’s up, Bubba?

Along the way, we passed the space inside the Sorcerer’s Hat, which Leo last visited when it was the office of Roy E. Disney during his time as the head of Animation. Today it is a staircase to the main lobby of the building. Indeed, times do change!

Roger, Leo, and Howard at the famous signpost from the 1941 “The Reluctant Dragon”.

Over the years, the Studio has seen changes both in production and in filmmaking in general. While some things such as the back lot or the mill shop have given way to other uses, entertainment remains the product here. As such, it is a very busy place with people coming and going in all directions, just as it appeared on screen in 1941. Maybe even more so!

A very important part of the Studio today is the Walt Disney Archives. With such a rich history throughout the Company on and off screen, having such a center of information in one place provides an invaluable resource to draw upon for the company and historians both. Readers of this space may recall that I am researching the 1959 Disney production of “Pollyanna” at St. Helena in Northern California’s Napa Valley. More specifically, I am researching information related to the train that appears in the opening and closing moments of the film. For me, this research is ongoing, and I had hoped to find some additional information that is not available at other archival sources. Regrettably, the Archives only has two boxes of documents from the production, and they do not contain any railroad-related material. While this was unfortunate, it was not unexpected, as the Southern Pacific Motion Picture Bureau often communicated by telephone. So… my search remains ongoing.

Kevin Kern, of the Archives, with Leo and Roger.

One of the crown jewels of not only the Archives, but of the Walt Disney Company, is the offices of Walt Disney, located in Suite 3H of the Animation Building. The formal office was where Walt would receive guests visiting the studio, while the informal office was where he attended to the day-to-day business of the studio as well as other parts of the company. When Ron Miller took over the roles of president, chief executive, and chief operating officer, he used the offices during his tenure until 1984. His daughter Joanna has mentioned visiting him there.

Roger and Leo, with the former occupant of Suite 3H.

When Dave Smith started the Walt Disney Archives in June of 1970, one of his first tasks was documenting and cataloging the contents of both offices. A visit today shows just how monumental an effort this was. Everything from knick-nacks to books to scripts and other documents is displayed as it was during Walt’s time here. It is as much a look inside the man as it is the spaces he occupied.

Walt’s desk in the formal office.

The piano in the formal office where the Sherman Brothers introduced Walt to many memorable tunes for films, television and theme parks.

A couple of items of note in the formal office! The Tiki from New Zealand and the cigar humidor.

The working office is where Walt was likely to be found if he wasn’t out and about the studio or down at Disneyland. It was not uncommon for him to be surrounded by folks at work on projects of all kinds. With a hidden kitchen in the working office, lunches were often working ones!

Walt’s desk in the informal or working office, complete with his grip for taking documents home, including scripts and other materials.

Keen eyes may also note another humidor among the items on the shelf behind Walt. Although he was known to enjoy an occasional cigar, this humidor was used to hold his eyeglasses, rather than cigars. Brother Roy was more the cigar fan, and it is likely that those occasional cigars came from him.

One of two large sofas and the hidden kitchen in the working office.

This wall above the other sofa shows the projects ongoing at the time of Walt’s passing in 1966, including expansion at Disneyland and the Florida project.

After visiting these offices, it is not hard to imagine Walt involved with so much, not only at the Studio, but everywhere the company was looking forward to. So many things, such as Mineral King, the scope and complexity ahead in Florida, challenges in both film and television, and the revolution in home entertainment ahead, all would have greatly benefited from his involvement and guidance.

Leo and Roger in the formal office hearing tales of the Sherman Brothers at the piano.

A very special thanks to everyone at the Archives for sharing this very special experience with us. Especially our guide Haydee for her answers to some more involved questions!

And a great word of thanks to Howard Green for making this all possible as well.

Of course, any Disney experience seems to exit through the gift shop. Well, almost…but we did shop at the studio store for a variety of goods and memorabilia to finish this part of the day. But we were far from done!

From the steps of the Hyperion bungalow, eagle-eyed passersby can spot the two flagpoles in front of the Commissary. The ultimate souvenirs from another Disney connection: the 1960 Winter Olympics at Squaw Valley (now Palisades at Tahoe) near Truckee, California.

Meeting us outside the Hyperion Bungalow was animator and voice of Donald Duck, Tony Anselmo. The Bungalow was moved here from the Hyperion Studio in 1940 and has served in multiple roles, today a conference room. Tony took us on a whirlwind tour of a number of spots of note around the lot, including former animators’ offices in the Animation building and the Ink and Paint building, recording studios, soundstages, and more. It was an amazing way to wrap up an indeed memorable day. In our own way, we felt like we were walking in Robert Benchley’s footsteps some 85 years later. In fact, “The Reluctant Dragon” was celebrating the 85th anniversary of the release of the film on June 20, 1941!

So…

I can hear you asking already. How can I take such a tour?

Well, I can’t say your experience will duplicate ours, but D23 is offering The Official Walt Disney Studios Walking Tour next month. From August 3 through 31, 2026. Tickets have been on sale since May, so they may be limited in availability. Check this link for details.

Still to come? You bet! Five more days of adventures and misadventures! Stay tuned…

A 1937 Packard Business Coupe, said to have traveled across the Golden Gate Bridge, on opening day, May 27, 1937

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to walk into a photograph and go back in time to that day? Well… I was lucky enough to almost do exactly that in the summer of 2017.

So, sit back and enjoy this tale of the adventure!

As a role in my professional career, I managed the operations of the Customer Service Center for the Golden Gate Bridge Highway & Transportation District, located in San Rafael, California. The District is far more than the famous Bridge. At that time, it included operations of long distance bus service across the Bridge between San Francisco in the South, Santa Rosa in the North, and El Cerritos in the East; along with ferry service between San Francisco’s Ferry Building and Sausalito, Tiburon, and Larkspur Landing. In addition, we also provided customer service for the Marin County local bus service (known as Marin Transit) and the then new SMART (Sonoma Marin Area Rail Transit) trains.

Marin County and Sonoma counties were at one time very well served by a combination of commuter rail, long distance rail and ferry service to San Francisco and other points. The coming of the automobile, the Depression, and the construction of the Golden Gate Bridge all contributed to the decline of those services. Marin County residents declined the purchase of the electrified passenger service out of Sausalito and the accompanying ferry connection to San Francisco at the ballot box, instead favoring the new bus service by Pacific Greyhound across the bridge.

When the Golden Gate Bridge opened to traffic on May 27, 1937, it held great promise for everyone on the north side of the San Francisco Bay, opening the gateway to the Redwood Empire. The ability to travel as you saw fit directly via the Bridge into and out of San Francisco was seen as a clear sign of the lessened effects of the Depression.

There were a number of cars that had crossed the bridge prior to opening day, but that first day of traffic saw all types of vehicles crossing. Among the vehicles known to have crossed that day is a 1937 Packard Six Business Coupe, now owned by the Golden Gate Bridge Highway and Transportation District. Restored and maintained by the staff of the bus division mechanical department, it is used on occasion to represent the early history of the Bridge.

While 2017 saw 80th birthday of the Bridge, it was a somewhat smaller anniversary than the 75th in 2012. None the less, why not celebrate by showing the Packard at one of the premier automotive events in the country? Namely, the Hillsborough Concours D’Elegance,

So it was that the morning of Sunday, July 16, 2017 found me bright and early in San Rafael to collect my charge for the day. Having previously demonstrated that I was proficient in the operation of a clutch and manual transmission during a test drive around the bus yard, I was off to US Highway 101 heading southbound for the Golden Gate Bridge.

Traffic was light at that hour. It was a moment right out of history as I headed down the Waldo Grade towards the Bridge. It almost felt like the Packard knew where it was going, having made the crossing many times before. (A viewing of the film noir classic “Dark Passage” from 1947 with Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall offers a very similar scene to the one I experienced crossing the Bridge.)

A brief stop adjacent to the Bridge Toll Plaza for a quick inspection and photo opportunity.

Leaving the Toll Plaza at the Bridge was by way of State Highway 1, or if you prefer, Park Presidio Boulevard, southbound through the tunnel under the Presidio and into the Avenues. A brief excursion into Golden Gate Park, along Crossover Dr, before continuing onto 19th Avenue through the Sunset district of the City. It may be 2017, but the neighborhoods retain much of the charm of the late 30’s if you are willing to see it. So traveling through them in this Packard in the morning definitely had a flair to it!

Approaching Daly City and Westlake, things take a definite turn toward the modern era as 19th Avenue gives way to Interstate 280. The Packard is out of its element on the shimmering lanes of concrete and asphalt encouraging excess speeds en route to downtown San Jose. The trip today is a moderate one, heading for the hills above the Crystal Springs Reservoir and the community of Hillsborough.

Since 1956, automotive enthusiasts have gathered here every summer in appreciation of the art of design and construction of some of the finest examples. Each year, a particular marque of vehicles is featured and celebrated here. For 2017, Jaguar was selected to be so honored.

The Crystal Springs Golf Course is the perfect spot for the event with vehicles displayed along the fairways. The weather, while warm, was not uncomfortable with coastal breezes making their way through the area.

The 1937 Packard Six Business Coupe takes its place for display.

Parked for display among automobiles of similar vintages, the morning passed, with the Packard admired by many. After lunch, it was requested to be moved to a prominent display location prior to the Concours parade.

As the event drew to a close, it was time to motor north, back across the Bridge to San Rafael. A brief detour through the Sea Cliff neighborhood of San Francisco with a stop along the El Camino Del Mar, below the Palace of the Legion of Honor offered a classic view of both the vintage Packard and Bridge together. A fine way to wrap up a trip in a Time Machine!

It’s a sad fact.

And an all together avoidable one.

Every day, people are killed by trespassing on railroad tracks.

As I write this today, several hours ago, a man in Ohio almost became one of those people.

All in an effort to capture an image. An image of the world’s largest steam locomotive, currently touring the nation as part of the 250th anniversary celebrations.

The very loud and distinctive steam whistle has been a signature of this adventure as it travels from coast to coast. It also serves as a warning to everyone trackside of the approaching train.

In this instance, the photographer chose to disregard that warning.

Luckily, the engineer, who is also the head of the Union Pacific Steam Program, had been expecting large crowds of non-railroad people along the route that the train is traveling. He was able to place the train brakes into an emergency application and bring the train safely to a full and complete stop.

What could have been a very graphic death in front of the large assembled crowd was prevented,

Yet, this story does not end with that.

Once the train had come to a full stop, he motioned to the photographer to come to the cab of the locomotive so he could speak further with him. He chose to severely admonish the photographer for his irresponsible behavior.

In a video of the incident, a response from the photographer was not audible.

The train continued on after the incident.

Regrettably, this type of incident has occurred on multiple occasions previously, with fatal and graphic results.

Each one completely avoidable.

I have many friends and acquaintances who have chosen professional careers where they were placed in situations – all completely avoidable – which resulted in a loss of human life. Regrettably, those who chose a railroad career are far too often placed in a situation upon which they have little or no control to prevent injury or loss of life. And they can carry the memories of such incidents for years afterwards. Some may do so for the rest of their lives.

All because someone chose to be in the wrong place – on the railroad tracks. Be it on foot, in a vehicle or otherwise, you do not belong on the tracks. Especially as a train is approaching.

Cross safely if you must, but as you would respecting a road crossing or intersection. The train always has the right of way. It cannot turn to avoid a collision nor can it stop immediately.

You can.

The railroads have a saying. One written, sadly, in blood.

Safety First.

It applies to everyone all the time.

For more information, please visit the Operation Lifesaver web pages. This is a national organization promoting safety around railroads, especially at crossings.

Note: This first appeared here on May 27, 2011.

Way back when, the Santa Fe & Disneyland Railroad operated two trains around the Magic Kingdom. The first was the six-car passenger train, also known as Retlaw One. It’s canary yellow and brunswick green colors were reminiscent of the passenger cars of the famed Virginia & Truckee Railway. 

The second train was the freight train. A mixture of open gondolas and cattle cars, with the classic cupola caboose bringing up the rear. It was painted the traditional color of boxcar brown. It’s spartan accommodations for riders didn’t last long before modifications were made. Most notable was the removal of a number of slats from one side of the cattle cars to offer a better view of the Park.

To begin, both trains required different tickets. The one above is the stub for the freight train, boarded by passengers at the Frontierland station. A passing track here allowed the passenger train to bypass the station. The same was true at the Main Street Station where another passing track allowed the freight train to bypass that station. That operation as well lasted only a short while as did separate tickets for the two trains. Eventually all trains made all stops becoming the transportation system that carries passengers around the park by the thousands every day.

While the passenger train went on to retirement, the freight train carries on, making the same trip it did on Opening Day, Monday, July 18th, 1955. And you can still enjoy a ride in the caboose, too. Just ask the conductor, if folks are not already seated aboard. As for cattle… well, you may find a Mouse or two aboard, maybe a duck, too. I don’t think you’ll mind the company.