Buena Vista Street History: Carthay Circle Theatre, 937 Carthay Circle

Origins of name: The complex is named after the real-life Carthay Circle Theatre in the Mid-Wilshire neighborhood of Los Angeles. It is a faithful recreation of the exterior of the movie palace, about three-fourths the size of the original, and even retains the original's carpet design.
Fictional back story: Disney's first full-length animated film, "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs," plays nightly inside this theater, in "stunning multiplane color," a Carthay billboard advertises. The theater offers "specially priced matinees Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays."
Street address: The 937 address number pays homage to 1937, the year "Show White and the Seven Dwarfs" premiered at the Carthay Circle Theatre. In the 1930s, the theater was a glitzy movie palace operated by Fox Theatres; it was torn down in 1969.
What it really is: High-end restaurant and lounge called Carthay Circle Restaurant and Lounge, plus a second, private lounge called 1901. (The year 1901 is the year of Walt Disney's birth.)

Disney California Adventure Re-opening June 15, 2012: Opening and Buena Vista Street! (Photo Heavy)

Sorry that it's fuzzy but then again it is like 530 in the morning! But the electronic sign at the Mickey and Friends parking structure says Disney California Adventure Grand Re-opening! After the announcement in October of 2007, this has been a day that I have been anxiously looking forward too!

This is the crowd that greeted us at 6am! I would say that there were about 1500 people in front of us!

 While waitiing in line my friend Kristi noticed these shoes!

 Check them out! Hand painted Red Car Trolley designs! Awesome!

The Grand Re-opening ceremony has started! Bob Iger is on stage! They had a great huge electronic screen for those that couldn't make it inside the park!

The main mouse himself with Bob!

With morning fireworks, the NEW Disney California Adventure was open!

Guest Control did a fantastic job getting folks in quickly and safely!

Sally was my first ticket into the NEW park!

Some new maps in hand and off we go!

Check out the crowd pouring in! Here is Oswald's! So happy to see Walt's first character have a place named after him!

Standing in front of Oswald's with Micah, one of the motormen of the Red Car Trolley!

My friends Kristi and Kevin onboard the Red Car Trolley! The Red Car Trolley brings so much great kinetic energy to the area! I love it!

The attention is in the details! So much better than the horrible old entrance way into the park!

 The advertisements are for the businesses along Buena Vista Street! A great touch!

A look inside the Red Car Trolley!

Crossing underneath the Hyperion Bridge! This use to be the Golden Gate Bridge that the monorail passed through!

 This looks like a good art school!

 I've heard great things about these "nine old men"!

 Hmmm a good selection of art supplies!

Great selection of paints! The World is Carousel of Color!

Which one do I pick? Is one of each too much?

Oh man, there's more to choose from! This is quite the dilemma but what a dilemma it is!

Elias & Company Department Store!

Another view at the Elias & Company Department Store!

It's The Rocketeer!

Disneyland Resort President George Kalogridis took time to stop and pose for a photo with me!

This is the Fiddler, Practical and Fifer Cafe! Starbucks is inside!

The beautiful fountain in the Carthay Circle!

The impressive Carthay Circle Theatre!

 Taking a photo with Walt! The Storytellers Statue is amazingly detailed!

It's a wigwag!

Love the sign!

Beautiful art gracing the wall that the Red Car Trolley enters the park from its garage area!

The Red Car Trolley passing in front of The Hollywood Tower Hotel! It feels like the 1920s/1930s!

Here is a look at my map collection! The first one on the left is the Cast Member Preview Map from 2001, the Guest Preview Map, The Opening Day Map and finally the Re-opening Map!

Here we can compare the Opening Day Map o nthe top with the Re-Opening Map on the bottom! How the park has grown over the last 11 years!

I finish with the Media Day Map when Disney California Adventure was closed on June 14th and a copy of The Buena Vista Bugle!

Hope you enjoyed this look at the NEW Disney California Adventure Park so far! Next I will show you Cars Land on Re-Opening Day!

First Look: Carthay Circle Theatre at Disney California Adventure Park

The walls came down around the Carthay Circle Theatre today at Disney California Adventure! We are now just 21 days away from the parks Grand Reopening!

Source: http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2012/05/first-look-carthay-circle-theatre-at-disney-california-adventure-park/

A Look Inside the Exclusive 1901 in Carthay Circle Theatre at Disney California Adventure Park

1901 will be a special lounge accessible exclusively by Club 33 members. Named for the year Walt Disney was born – 1901 – the club will be a warm, intimate space with eclectic light fixtures, overstuffed leather chairs, and beautiful, rich touches.
“Imagine it’s the 1930s, and this is where the animators would’ve hung out, swapped stories, doodled on napkins,” as 1901 is described by Imagineer Ray Spencer. “This is the place Walt and the animators might’ve chatted, relaxed, unwound . . . a cozy den.”
The lounge will be decorated with personal artwork and photographs of the animators from the early years of the Walt Disney Studios, including some with Walt Disney’s own signature. “The guest is sort of an insider in this backstage world,” says Ray.

Source: http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2012/05/a-look-inside-the-exclusive-1901-in-carthay-circle-theatre-at-disney-california-adventure-park/

Sunrise on The Carthay Circle Theatre and The Hollywood Tower Hotel!

Source: D23
http://d23.disney.go.com/news/2012/03/d23s-first-look-at-disney-california-adventures-expansion-in-photos/

Disney California Adventure construction update! October 7, 2011

Hi there Sasaki Time fans! I know that many of you are Disney fans like I am and I wanted to share with you the construction progress of Disney California Adventure! As many of you know, on October 17, 2007, The Walt Disney Company announced a multi-year, $1.1 billion expansion plan for Disney's California Adventure Park to be completed next summer!
 
So, let's take a look at some of the current construction happening at Disney California Adventure:

The Carthay Circle sign just went up at one of the stops for the Red Trolley vehicles that will take Guests from the entrance of the park to the Hollywood Tower Hotel.

The Carthay Circle Theatre itself is coming along splendidly. This will be the "castle" of the park if you will. It replaces the Sunshine Plaza and the hubcap of the sun. This view is from the monorail with the entrance of the park behind you. The new entrance way will be called Buena Vista Street and as you can see all the shops that once were there will be getting a complete makeover.

This is the mountain range known as Cadillac Range for the new land called Carsland. The range not only blocks out the views of outside the park but also houses the show building for the largest attraction that Disney has ever built, Radiator Springs Racers!This 6 acre attraction puts you in a vehicle that takes you through Radiator Springs and you get to see all of your favorite characters and then finish with a thrilling race outside in the desert!

I also couldn't help but include two beauty shots featuring the Carthay Circle Theatre.

Look for more photos in the future as we get closer to the opening of Buena Vista Street and Carsland in the summer of 20102!