DesignerLand

Concept Design

2012-02-26T20:02:00.000-05:00

This weeks post was to start a 3 part series on the typography of Main Street but that will have to wait for a few more weeks. While I have more than 85% of the fonts and typefaces found I have not had time to work on a the posters and write up.

Instead I figured I'd showcase the second edition to the fine writing pen set I did for the Haunted Mansion, which I posted a few weeks back.

After designing the Haunted Mansion pen set the I design a series for the Pirates of the Caribbean.

So what do you think? With the 45th Anniversary of Pirates of the Caribbean right around the corner would you through down to have this pen set?

You asked for it!!!!

2012-02-26T19:18:00.001-05:00

I'm happy to report my first shirt design I did along side Casey Jones of the Disney Design Group has been released in the parks!!!!!

I was asked to create a shirt celebrating the time honored park snack, the churro. I appropriated the original Casa de Fritos poster from Disneyland and placed the sugary snack in the hands of our wild west outlaw.

What do you think guys? Be sure to pick one up the next time your at the parks and shoot me a photo!
I also want to thank Casey for snapping this photo and tweeting it!

Please vote

2012-02-20T20:08:00.000-05:00

The Disney Wedding Blog is hosting a contest for the best Engagement photos and it just so happens one of my friends has made the cut! Please take a quick moment to jump over to the blog and vote for Colin and Crystal. The photos, shot by Wildflowers Photography are simply stunning.

VOTE NOW FOR THE CUTEST COUPLE BY CLICKING HERE!

World Showcase: Phase One Apparel Recap Map

2012-02-20T00:53:00.000-05:00

CLICK MAP FOR DETAILED VIEW!

Mexico

2012-02-20T00:47:00.000-05:00

Our journey comes to an end this week (or does it) with our final Designerland EPCOT World Showcase Apparel design....

Rising in a series of great steps above the World Showcase Promenade, a monumental pyramid beckons us to Mexico. (Its style reflects Mexico's ancient cultures.) Inside, we'll find an exhibit of pre-Columbian artworks as well as old emblems of contemporary Mexico.

Beyond, we enter the Plaza de Los Amigos in the midst of a moonlit Mexican village where street vendors with carts piled high with crafts add to the exciting atmosphere.

In the background, we can embark on a boat ride along "El Rio del Tiempo" - "The River of Time" - where we'll explore the heritage of Mexico's ancient, colonial, and contemporary eras. The tale is told by Audio-Animatronic singers and dancers, motion pictures and three-dimensional sets as our excursion boat glides along. We may even catch a glimpse of a nightly firework display.

Once again keeping consistent with the Retro '71 apparel brand, this week’s design incorporates Mexico's logo in a similar fashion as the previous shirts. The colors are inspired by the flag of Mexico. Finishing the design is some slight wear and tear with a textured finish.

I want to thank you for for accompanying me on this journey. Tune in next week as we begin looking at the wonderful typography of Main Street USA. Until next time, thanks for stopping by and have a great week.

Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom: Part 3

2012-02-16T18:52:00.000-05:00

I knew I was jumping the gun when I decided to do the Designerland typography case study on the Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom as I knew more fun fonts would appear...and that they did. Four more fonts have been discovered today, these all come from the new signage above the Firehouse on Main Street.

Mad props go out to the designer for manipulating the main display font. Well played good sir, or madame!

In the Wild

2012-02-16T18:08:00.000-05:00

Allison sent me this picture from her most recent trip to Walt Disney World. Thanks for sending this my way and for sporting the ever popular tiki pineapple whip shirt.

In the Wild

2012-02-13T19:33:00.000-05:00

The Crossman Family sent a new photo of them sporting their tiki pineapple whip shirts, this time the family photo comes from the Walt Disney World Resort. They're the first family to sport their shirts at both parks and send in photos for us here at Designerland. I want to send out a BIG thank you once again for being such a great support to me, my blog and my crazy designs/ideas. Thanks guys!

Concept Design

2012-02-13T00:30:00.000-05:00

A special Sunday bonus for all my readers and followers...

While I love designing softlines and apparel my other passion when it comes to consumer products is social stationery. My first job out of college was working in the social stationery category as a product developer, line designer and licensing coordinator (I wore many hats). I worked on a daily basis with such fun companies like Disney Consumer Products, DreamWorks Animation, Sony Animation and Nickelodeon.

When I'm not dreaming up Retro '71 apparel designs I'm dreaming up other products such as social stationery that goes along with the brand. Here's a concept for a set of fine writing pens based on retro art and logos for one of our all time favorite attractions, the Haunted Mansion. While the designs are complete, I've not had time to work up the packaging, but I envision a coffin shaped, spring-hinged box with purple velvet lining. The coffin case would be black leather with the Mansions logo embossed, possibly with some Rolly Crump-esque Mansion flourishes.

So what do you think? Would you through down 40 bucks for this Haunted Mansion Frighteningly Fine Writing Pen set? Let me know in the comments section! I have another series based on another attraction but I'll save that for another time.

Autopia, Grand Prix Raceway, Tomorrowland Indy Raceway, etc.

2012-02-12T23:51:00.000-05:00

Welcome back to another Designerland typography case study. This week we will look at the fonts and typefaces used to brand Autopia, aka Grand Prix Raceway, aka Tomorrowland (Indy) Speedway, aka Grand Circuit Raceway. As you can see, this one attraction has gone through a series of names and rebranding, depending on which park you're visiting.

The original attraction, Autopia, was designed for Disneyland for opening day in 1955. The attraction allows guests to drive through an enclosed track in specially designed cars from legendary Imagineer, Bob Gurr. Each incarnation across the globe is stationed in Tomorrowland . . . except for Disneyland Paris, which features its version in Discoveryland. Over the years, the sponsors changed hands, and therefore so did the look, mostly in the signage and place-finding graphics.

When looking back at the signage and posters, Disney's designers stayed true to the branding for Tomorrowland with the classic modern sans serif typefaces. However, when the Walt Disney World Resort opened in the 70's, the designers also snuck in a few 70's futuristic and groovy display fonts. The classic typefaces and fonts stood the test of time until the early 90's when both Disneyland and Walt Disney Worlds' attractions received an update. Designers now used heavily-modified display fonts that incorporated both a futuristic feel as well as fonts that conveyed the feeling of high speed. The branding of this attraction seems to be all over the place, from retro to classic, display to modern. This one attraction has seen almost every kind of font.

Well that does it for this week’s case study. Tune in next week for another Retro ’71 shirt, which is the final installment of our Epcot World Showcase series. I look forward to seeing you soon and have a great week.

In the Wild

2012-02-11T12:49:00.000-05:00

Cory tweeted me this pic of himself enjoying a tasty pineapple float so I thought I'd share it with you all. Thanks for shooting it my way and for the support.

I still get about 5 emails a week in regards to if I'm ever going to do another run of the shirts...it's getting to the point that I might just consider it. ;) I have ideas for some new shirts that would be able to buy come this spring. Stay tuned and see you tomorrow evening for a new Designerland Attraction Typography Case Study!!!!

China

2012-02-05T21:26:00.000-05:00

Welcome back to another edition of the Retro '71 Apparel Line. This week our Journey around the World Showcase almost comes to an end but before the adventure is complete we have two countries left to visit. This week we'll be visiting China.

Look upon the splendor of the scene - an enchanted garden with bamboo, willows, lotus ponds, and meandering walkways set against a graceful backdrop of buildings with Oriental tiled roofs of blue, green and ochre, all framed by the great "Gate of the Golden Sun." We have arrived in China, ageless and enticing.

Let the "Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests" (modeled after the celebrated structure at the Temple of Heaven Park in Beijing) beckon us, for inside it, the 8th century poet-storyteller Li Bai magically appears on screen to guide us on a magnificent journey - Wonders of China. Here we'll see rare views of the dramatic landscapes, architecture, and culture of China, even a glimpse inside the "Forbidden City."

And be certain to find the "Street of Good Fortune," for along it, a calligrapher will be happy to show you how your name looks when it's written in Chinese.

Once again following suit, this week’s design incorporates China's logo in a similar fashion as the previous shirts. The colors are inspired by the Chinese flag . Finishing the design is some slight wear and tear with a textured finish, which ties it into the branding and overall vision of the Retro '71 apparel line.

But wait there's more to this weeks post!!! After doing my research and being inspired by the clever brochure copy I decided to create a companion piece for China, very much like my Canada post. For my second shirt I designed a tongue-in-cheek concept based on the "Street of Good Fortune" found within China's pavilion.

I incorporated some cliche elements into this shirt but feel that it stays true to the vintage Retro '71 apparel line.

Well that does it for this week’s edition of the Retro '71 World Showcase shirts. Looking forward to seeing you back here next Sunday as we delve into another attraction typography case study from the Magic Kingdom. Thanks for stopping by and have a great week!

New Look for a New Year

2012-02-04T13:05:00.000-05:00

Thoughts? It took me some time to get Bookman Swash to work for me when designing the new logo. Overall I think it's a nice homage to the Magic Kingdom logo.

UPDATE!!!

2012-01-31T18:05:00.000-05:00

Another font was found just today that should of been included in Sundays post! Sorry, once again my typeractive tendencies got the best of me and I just had to let you all know!!!

Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom

2012-01-29T23:12:00.000-05:00

Welcome back to another Designerland attraction typography case study. This week's post is something special because we'll be looking at the early typography used for the interactive, role-playing, next-gen adventure game, Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom.

Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom is a game in which the guests become heroes with the objective to defeat the Disney villains who are working to take over the Magic Kingdom. Armed with spells in the form of playing cards, guests must search for magic symbols throughout the Kingdom which will lead them to the villains’ hiding places. By casting different magical spell cards, guests can do battle with classic Disney villains hiding throughout the land. From fireballs to cyclones, there are different spells to bring down each and every villain, with a simple flick of the wrist.

Since this interactive adventure is new, there's not too much typography to look at. Most of the typography we see is on the spell cards and of course the main logo. Starting with the logo, the designer was inspired by arts & crafts style lettering but hand manipulated it, adding distressed edging and flourishes to give the feel of fantasy. They also used a widely popular Pixar typeface but again changed it up by adding the distressed edging and calligraphy-like strokes to give the impression of hand lettering.

When looking at the land maps, one display font is used heavily to give the feel of an old illuminated manuscript...even though it's a touch too heavy. The designer(s) once again took liberties by adding extreme flourishes to the headlines on the maps but kept the original font intact for body copy. While using display fonts to set entire passages of body copy is an extreme no-no in the world of design, this is one case in which the rules are meant to be broken—after all, old world mystical maps wouldn't use Helvetica now would they? When looking at the magical spell cards, the designer(s) once again used the same display font as seen on the maps, which ties the two together, creating a cohesive font palette. They also used the original (non-hand-manipulated) typeface from the logo.

I hope to see more place-finding / signage in the future for this new interactive adventure, and hopefully we’ll see them in Fantasyland where all these wonderful fonts and typefaces belong. Well that does if for this week’s post. Hope you all have a great week and see you back here next Sunday for a new Retro '71 shirt design. Until then, thanks for stopping by.

In the Wild

2012-01-29T23:04:00.000-05:00

I'd like to thank the Disney duo Ian and Ian (aka The Ian's) for snapping this picture for me while at Disneyland! The Ian's were Walt Disney Imagineer's ImagiNations Design Contest winner's and personal close friends of mine. Probably two of the coolest Canadian's I know. Thanks for snapping the picture guys and shooting it my way and of course for the support! Hope we can tackle the parks again soon!

Germany

2012-01-22T23:51:00.002-05:00

Welcome back to another edition of the Retro '71 Apparel Line. This week we continue our Journey around the World Showcase and visit the country of Germany.

Dance the polka, raise a stein to toast life, and join in singing a folksong in the traditional Oktoberfest setting of the Biergarten in Germany. (The interior design, which looks like a village, was inspired by the town Rothenburg.) Here the merriment and the atmosphere will capture your fancy, and the show is lots of fun.

The platz outside offers its own discoveries - medieval spires and half-timbered shops that lend a fairy-tale charm to the Bavarian setting, a statue of St. George slaying the dragon, and an animated clock that sounds the hour with a glockenspiel.

German products and craftsmanship abound in the shops, everything from cuckoo clocks to toys, from hand-carved wood to pewter ware. You may even encounter a Hummel artist painting the famous figurines.

Following suit, this week’s design incorporates Germany's logo in a similar fashion as the previous shirts. The colors are inspired by the German flag . Finishing the design is some slight wear and tear with a textured finish, which ties it into the branding and overall vision of the Retro '71 apparel line.

Color Study

2012-01-18T18:50:00.000-05:00

A new color palette has been added to the DisneyDesignerland Kuler account! Before you jump on over to check it out can you guess where this color palette is used?

Give up??? Find out the answer over at Disneydesignerland's Kuler page found here .

Check back for more random updates to Wonderful World of Kuler.

The Hall of Presidents

2012-01-15T21:36:00.000-05:00

The Hall of Presidents is a multi-media audio animatronic spectacular that has been entertaining guests since the Walt Disney World Resort opened its gates back in 1971. The show itself was derived from Disneyland's Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln. Located in Liberty Square within the Magic Kingdom and resembling Independence Hall in Philadelphia, guests witness all 43 presidents together on one stage in a show that reflects the red, white and blue in all its patriotic glory.

When looking at the typography Disney designers used throughout the attraction on everything from signage and posters to even merchandise, one thing is constant: most all of the typefaces used are known as Classic or Historical typefaces. These fonts have a significance not only in the world of design, but also in the time period in which they were created. One noted typeface used throughout the area is Caslon. If you'd like to know more about William Caslon (the typographer who designed this classic typeface) then click here. Other noted classifications used for The Hall of Presidents are Serif, Script, Formal, Classic and Historic.

Well that does it for this week's case study. Be sure to check back next Monday for our next Retro '71 World Showcase shirt. Thanks for stopping by and have a swell week.

In the Wild

2012-01-08T13:51:00.000-05:00

Here's a jaunty photo of Chris sporting his tiki pineapple whip shirt in the parks during this past holiday season. Chris told me that his first order of business was to grab a whip and snap a pic...he said a few minutes later he ran into someone else sporting the popular Designerland shirt. Thanks for shooting this my way and for the support! Mahalo!

Remember folks to keep sending in your pics for your chance to be featured here on Designerland!

Italy

2012-01-08T13:39:00.000-05:00

Welcome back to another edition of the Retro '71 Apparel Line. This week we'll finally (LOL) continue our Journey around the World Showcase and visit the beautiful country of Italy.

As we catch sight of the colorful gondolas in the Venetian canal and a setting that is clearly reminiscent of St. Mark's Square, and we know we're in Italy. The bell tower, or campanile, is monumental, and we'll even find a replica of the Doges' Palace.

In the piazza there are classic sculptures to fill the eye; one - the "Fontana di Nerruno" - depicts the sea-god Neptune amidst playful dolphins. Here, too, we just might be fortunate to arrive fir a performance by the farcical players of the Teatro di Bologna in the open-air provincial theater.

There are some fine specialty shops here, and browsing can be fun. The shops of the Arcata d'Artigiani, for example, offer handcrafted terra-cotta pottery, glassware, and woven baskets.

Following suit, this week’s design incorporates Italy's logo in a similar fashion as the previous shirts. The colors are inspired by the Italian flag . Finishing the design is some slight wear and tear with a textured finish, which ties it into the branding and overall vision of the Retro '71 apparel line.

Well that does it for this week’s edition of the Retro '71 World Showcase shirts. Sorry it's taken me a while. . . but I'm glad to be back! Looking forward to seeing you back here next Sunday as we delve into another attraction typography case study from the Magic Kingdom. Thanks for stopping by and see you soon!

Disney Decor

2012-01-03T00:24:00.000-05:00

Welcome back to the first post of the New Year. I hope you all had a terrific holiday season! I'm happy to report that Designerland will be back in full force with new case studies, new Retro '71 apparel design and some other fun surprises.

To kick off the New Year I'd like to present a series of prints bases on Disney and his parks.

The larger print entitled "One Man's Journey" is based on some of the key places Walt lived, visited and worked. The next two prints celebrate the opening of both stateside Disney Theme Parks. Each print shows various maps from their respective park.

So what do you think? Would you buy these to adorn your interior walls? Well that does it for this weeks Designerland post. Tune in next Sunday as we continue our tour around the World Showcase with the latest Retro '71 World Showcase Tee. Have a great week and see you soon!

Almost Back!

2011-12-14T13:51:00.000-05:00

I'd like to thank all of you for hanging in there with me!

Christmas is quickly approaching and I'm happy to report that once this joyous holiday comes to an end, we'll find ourselves in the new year and Designerland will be back on it's normal schedule.

I have tons of goodies waiting in the wings: from new Retro '71 apparel designs to soundboard apps, random Richard music comps and of course our attraction typography case studies with a few other extra surprises in store.

I hope everyone has a great holiday and see you REAL soon!

The American Adventure

2011-11-14T13:53:00.000-05:00

Welcome back to another edition of the Retro '71 Apparel Line. This week we'll continue our Journey around the World Showcase with our next stop being The American Adventure.

Stately Georgian architecture welcomes us to The American Adventure, which is proudly presented as "host" to the nations of World Showcase.

Inside, you'll find paintings portraying the Spirits of American, and in the main theater, a Disney theatrical production that tells the inspiring story of America. Here, on stage of sweeping dimensions, we can witness the pivotal events and meet the "dreamers and doers" who helped shape the American nation. Benjamin Franklin and Mark Twain - two of America's most eloquent spokesmen - lead a cast of more than 30 historic figures "brought to life" to recount America's hard-won achievements and preview her boundless future.

Following suit, this week’s design incorporates The American Adventure logo in a similar fashion as the previous shirts. The colors are inspired by the United States flag . Finishing the design is some slight wear and tear with a textured finish, which ties it into the branding and overall vision of the Retro '71 apparel line.

Well that does it for this week’s edition of the World Showcase shirts. I'm glad to be back, even if it's only for a few short hours! Looking forward to seeing you back here soon for more fun Designerland posts. Thanks for visiting and have a swell week.

In the wild...continued

2011-11-14T13:17:00.001-05:00

Here are a few more fellow Designerland followers sporting their amazing Tiki Pineapple Whip shirts.
Thanks for the support and sending these fun photos my way! Mahalo!

Back for a bit

2011-11-14T13:04:00.000-05:00

Well guys I'm back for a short bit. I want to thank all of you've personally contacted me to see if I was okay since I hadn't been posting regularly. Things are good on my end, busy. . . but good. You may be asking yourselves what's been taking up so much of my time? Well I can tell you all good things.

For starters I have been freelancing for the Design Design Group down in Orlando working on some killer new park merchandise that will soon be hitting shelves. It's been a blast. Don't ask what it is...you just have to wait. I've also been asked to join the amazing group of artists at the KC Sanders art gallery in developing new art pieces for both Disney and DreamWorks Animation properties. So hold tight you may end up seeing some of your favorite Designerland designs available to buy here in the near future. I've also been working a bit with the Disney Studios on a few side projects. Other than that, teaching typography and working my full time job.

I'm actually under the weather and took the day off and found myself having a bit of time to give you an update and a new Retro '71 shirt concept. I have a few more typography case studies left for the Magic Kingdom but not sure when we'll get back to those since they do take more time in researching, designing and writing about.

Thanks again for sticking with me!

Retro '71

2011-10-02T23:49:00.000-04:00

Welcome back to another edition of the Retro '71 Apparel Line. This week we'll continue our Journey around the World Showcase with our emphasis on Japan.

A stately vermilion torii gateway rises out of the waters of the World Showcase Lagoon bids us "good luck" as we enter Japan. As we amble through the serene bonsai gardens of the five story pagoda - it's modeled after the 8th century Horyuji Temple near Nara - we contemplate the artfully places rocks, the lanterns, and the ponds with their brightly colored koi. Across the way is the great Shishinden Hall, home of Mitsukoshi, the internationally famous Japanese department store. Within the massive feudal castle, we view worldly Japanese art and treasures. Perhaps we'll be fortunate enough to happen upon the Candyman, a dream fantasy maker, who sings and dances about while fashioning herons, fish and other fanciful designs from rice toffee.

Following suit, this week’s design incorporates the Japan logo in a similar fashion as the previous shirts. The colors are inspired by the flag Japan . Finishing the design is some slight wear and tear with a textured finish, which ties it into the branding and overall vision of the Retro '71 apparel line.

Well that does it for this week’s edition of the World Showcase shirts. Check back soon as we dissect more fonts used for classic Disney Park attractions. Hope all of you have a great week and see you back soon.

Lack of posts

2011-09-30T08:15:00.000-04:00

Sorry folks for the lack of posts last week and this week. I'm currently swamped here: full time job, teaching college typography night classes, freelance work and then my home life. Posts from here on out will be not so structured as before. I hope to start back up here soon. Stay tuned and thanks for visiting as always.

Retro '71

2011-09-18T22:45:00.000-04:00

Welcome back to another edition of the Retro '71 Apparel Line. This week we'll continue our Journey around the World Showcase with our emphasis on France.

We know we're approaching France when we catch sight of the Eiffel Tower, the typical kiosk in the park bordering the canal, and the colorful umbrellas that announce the sidewalk café. Investigate the boulevard, "La Promenade," with its handsome fountain, gardens, ironwork and elegant belle époque shops. Note the ironwork at each end of the Arcade—it's fashioned after the famed entrances to Paris's Metro. Around the corner, we find ourselves on a rural street where the shops are provincial. At the Palais du Cinema, we can treat ourselves to a grand tour via an exciting motion picture, Impressions de France. By the way, the musical score of this film is based on the works of some of the greatest French composers, among them Debussy, Dukas, Saint-Saens, Satie, and Ravel.

Following suit, this week’s design incorporates the France logo in a similar fashion as the previous shirts. The colors are inspired by the flag of France. Finishing the design is some slight wear and tear with a textured finish, which ties it into the branding and overall vision of the Retro '71 apparel line.

Well that does it for this week’s edition of the World Showcase shirts. I want to thank everyone who has contacted me in regards to the line thus far. Your comments have been such great motivation. Hope to see you back on Friday as we dissect more fonts used for classic Disney Park attractions. Hope all of you have a great week and see you back soon.

Dumbo the Flying Elephant

2011-09-16T18:56:00.001-04:00

For this week’s case study we find ourselves back in Fantasyland, looking at one of the most popular attractions within the Disney theme parks, Dumbo the Flying Elephant.

Dumbo the Flying Elephant is a simplistic carousel-like attraction, where guests can board one of 16 pachyderms on an aerial adventure. Each elephant "gondola" vehicle has its own joystick that allows guests to control how high or how low they want to go. As guests whisk through the air to jovial circus music led by Timothy Mouse, they can catch spectacular views of Cinderella Castle and the rest of Fantasyland.

Dumbo the Flying Elephant will soon be moving as we all know by now. Its new location will be Fantasyland Forest, which is a part of the new Fantasyland expansion. Dumbo's new home will come with various upgrades and enhancements. I look forward to seeing it in its new surroundings with all the wonderful thematics and atmospherics, and of course, the type treatments those Imagineers are plussing into this time-honored classic.

From a typography standpoint, Dumbo’s pickings are slim. Not much signage or pathfinding is used around the attraction, so most of my research comes from attraction posters and what little signage there is. It comes as no surprise that Dumbo the Flying Elephant is branded heavily with circus-looking display fonts, also classified as Tuscan display fonts. Other prevalent classifications are Woodblock, Western, and Slab Serif, and let's not forget some of those classic medieval fonts used to brand Fantasyland, which also make guest appearances. All of the display fonts and typefaces are crisp and clean compared to the look of the fonts used on the billing for Storybook Circus. I'm excited to see which look will win out once the new land opens.

Well that does it for Dumbo. Tune in on Monday as we continue our Epcot Center World Showcase Retro '71 shirts. Until then, have a great weekend.

Technical difficulties

2011-09-16T09:47:00.000-04:00

Sorry folks but the attraction case study for this week: Dumbo the Flying Elephant is currently being refurbished for your enjoyment. Please check back later this evening. I apologize for any inconvenience, in the mean time please visit other Designerland posts. Thanks for you understanding and patience.

Retro '71

2011-09-11T20:23:00.000-04:00

This week’s Retro '71 shirt concept continues the Epcot Center World Showcase series.

When our walk along the World Showcase Promenade weaves into a cobblestoned square with charming shops, gabled rooftops, and a warm and inviting waterside pub, you know we've arrived at the United Kingdom. On Tudor Lane, don't be surprised if you meet a strolling troubadour with his lute, or the Pearly Kings and Queens whose comedy style is as bright as the pearly buttons adorning their costumes. A bounty of fine products from Her Majesty's realm can be found here in the many smart shops. Britannia Square affords the cool greenery of a formal English city park where you can enjoy music and theatrics performed in the handsome gazebo.

For this week’s design, I used the United Kingdom logo and icon in a similar fashion as the main shirt for the Canada pavilion. The colors are inspired by the Union Jack. Finishing the design is some slight wear and tear with a textured finish, which ties it into the branding and overall vision of the Retro '71 apparel line.

That does it for today's post. Hope to see you back on Friday as we dissect the fun fonts used for classic Disney Park attractions. Hope all of you have a great week and see you back soon.

2011-09-11T13:42:00.000-04:00

A new color palette has been added to the DisneyDesignerland Kuler account! Before you jump on over to check it out can you guess where this color palette is used?

Give up??? Find out the answer over at Disneydesignerland's Kuler page found here .

Check back for more random updates to Wonderful World of Kuler.

Splash Mountain

2011-09-08T22:57:00.000-04:00

Welcome back to another edition of Designerland's attraction typography case studies. This week we'll head to our laughing place as we look at the various specimens used for the popular Critter Country/Frontierland attraction, Splash Mountain.

Guests board a hollowed-out log and drift along with Br'er Rabbit in his search for a little more adventure, all set to classic tunes from the 1964 Disney full-length feature, Songs of the South. Splash Mountain opened at Disneyland in 1989 and became an instant hit. Shortly after, the Walt Disney World Resort would have its own version, followed by Tokyo Disneyland.

Splash Mountain uses a wide array of decorative display fonts in its signage and place finding. The typography falls into several categories, with the four main classifications being Western, Woodblock, Antique and Victorian. Also featured are some comic-like fonts that help set the tone of the attraction and its storyline, which is based on cute, animated woodland creatures. Perhaps the most impressive type treatment was used for the attraction’s main logo. The original font used for the logo is nearly impossible to track down because it is so heavily modified with flourished terminals and curly serifs, all finished off with a rugged distressed edge. What's even more interesting about the logo is that Disney designers have used two different logos to brand the attraction on the signage throughout the area. One logo is more flourished and flowing, whereas the second logo is more Western, vertical and stiff. Next time you're in the parks, see if you can spot the two different logos.

That concludes this week's attraction typography case study. Tune in on Monday for another Retro '71 World Showcase t-shirt concept. Until next time, thanks for stopping by and have a swell weekend.

Retro '71

2011-09-04T17:17:00.001-04:00

Welcome back to another installment of the Retro '71 apparel line. Last week kicked off our World Showcase series and we'll continue our journey as we make our way around the World Showcase Lagoon, counter clockwise.

Our first stop is Canada. Our tour takes us from a Northwest Indian Village to the chateau in Ottawa and through the quaint streets of Quebec. You can experience the awesome majesty of the Northern wilderness with its soaring rock mountains, rushing streams, cool pines, and cascading water. Footpaths and bridges take you through a simulated mountain gorge. Along the way, enter the "Moosehead Mine" where you can relax while you are visually whisked away on a glorious tour of Canada through the magic of Circle-Vision 360. There are statuesque totem poles, Indian and Eskimo craft shops to explore, and at the end of the trail, the beauty of Victoria Gardens. Everything is designed to let you experience the spirit of America's neighbor to the north.

I opted to do two different designs for this week, mainly for my good friend who is Canadian and a big time Epcot Center fan. He just recently moved to the States along with his wife so that he could pursue his life's dream to work for Disney. These designs are for him.

The first design I came up with is based on the Moosehead Mine theatre inside the Canada pavilion. I tried to approach the shirt in a retro "summer camp" way. The design incorporates the main Canada and World Showcase logos along with a simple icon of a moose's head and the name of the mine. The colors are simple shades of red with white to pay homage to Canada's colors. The second design once again incorporates the two logos in order to keep the branding constant, coordinated, and cohesive. I kept the colors the same on this design as well, but I decided to go with a different color option for the garment.

That concludes the latest additions to our vacation wear with a vintage flair. Hope you all enjoy your holiday off and be sure to tune in Friday for another installment of our attraction typography case studies. Thanks for dropping by.

Healthy Obsession

2011-09-03T23:28:00.002-04:00

I've been rather obsessed with the Dole Pineapple whip that I thought it was time to try another Disney Park must: The Mint Julep in order to see what all the fuss was about.

During my time at Disneyland (during the D23 Expo weekend) I had time to experience this tasty brew. It was love at first sip! I was and still am obsessed. I may have drank 10 while in the park over a 3 day time frame. I knew when I came home that I needed to try to make this tasty concoction on my own.

I googled a fair few recipes and narrowed it down to one. It needed a bit of retooling but I think I have a good mixture that comes pretty close. Not 100% but close enough to whisk me back to New Orleans Square every time I take a sip.

Below is the recipe:

Ingredients
16 oz plastic cups
2 lemons
Maraschino cherries (with stems)
Toothpicks
Long plastic drinking straws
2 1/2 cups granulated sugar
6 Tablespoons water
2 1/2 Tablespoons lime juice
1-12 oz can of frozen lemonade concentrate
13 Tablespoons of Creme de Menthe syrup (I used Reeses brand)

In saucepan over medium heat mix sugar and water until sugar is dissolved. Remember to keep stirring, burnt sugar is tough to get out of saucepan!

Add in lime juice, lemonade (thawed), and creme de menthe. Raise temp and stir... be sure not to boil the mixture. Use a candy thermometer to ensure mixture does not boil.

Take off heat and cool.

While mixture is cooling slice your lemons and place on toothpick with a cherry.

Fill cups half full with ice. Mixture should begin to slightly thicken in saucepan.

Add 3 - 4 Tablespoons to each cup. I used 4 Tablespoons and thought it was a touch sweet but I enjoy it like that, not to mention once the ice melts it counterbalances the flavor.

Fill cups with water and stir.

Add fruit garnish and two straws and enjoy.

Note: I bought a glass olive oil jar with spout to store my mint syrup in for later use.

Let me know how it turns out and if you have some of your own alterations to the recipe let me know. Always up for fine tuning.

Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln

2011-09-02T00:24:00.000-04:00

Welcome back to another attraction typography case study. This week we'll be looking at Disneyland's Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln.

Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln was originally designed by WED Imagineers for the 1964 New York World's Fair. The New York World's Fair version was slightly different from what we would experience today in the parks—the original show focused more on the great state of Illinois, as the show was originally designed and developed for the States Pavilion at the World's Fair. Voiced by Disney character actor Royal Dano, Lincoln addresses the audience, giving a speech about his life, American liberty, justice, inspiration and the U.S. Constitution. Over time, the classic show has been branded and rebranded for guests: The Walt Disney Story, The Walt Disney Story featuring Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln, the American Civil War version, Disneyland: The First 50 Magical Years and the current version we have today, spearheaded by Imagineer Tony Baxter.

When looking at the typography used for this attraction in the posters, merchandise and signage, we see a wide array of specimens from many type classifications. The type can be broken down into two main categories: decorative display fonts and "classical" looking serif typefaces. Some of the various specimens used by Disney designers to brand this experience over the years are: Tuscan, Woodblock, Western, Victorian, Slab Serif, Italianate, Geometric, and Script. While it may not seem like all of these classifications would work together, Disney designers paid close attention to the themes of early Americana and patriotic pride to create a seamless font palette that is both historically accurate (with a few flourished liberties) and visually beautiful. Generally speaking, we can pinpoint all of the typography to the late-18th to mid-19th century. Most, if not all the fonts you see today are professional commercial fonts from one particular type foundry, the same type foundry that designers have been using throughout Main Street USA both at Disneyland and the Walt Disney World Resort.

Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln set the standard for Disney theme park technology and storytelling—without, it we may never have had pillaging pirates or hitchhiking ghosts. Well that concludes this week’s case study. See you all back here on Monday for a new Retro '71 shirt concept. Have a great weekend and see you soon.

Retro '71

2011-08-28T23:21:00.000-04:00

Welcome back to another edition of the Retro '71—or maybe I should say Retro '82—because this week’s design launches a new series of shirts that are all based on the Epcot Center.

The design for this week’s shirt is based on the vintage hand-illustrated artwork Disney designers used in various promotional materials for Epcot. These beautiful layered montage-style drawings were seen in brochures, letterhead and even buttons. This week’s design was lifted from a vintage 1982 button promoting none other than the World Showcase.

I scanned the retro image into the computer and through my illustrator magic, converted it into a new design for the apparel line. I decided to use the color palette from the 1982 Epcot Center park map, which depicts the World Showcase in dusty pinks, deep maroons, white and aqua colors. Of course no design is complete without a touch of light textured distressing.

Well that does it for this week’s design. Tune in next week as we continue the new series, and as always, thanks for stopping in. Have a great week.

More. . .

2011-08-28T01:51:00.000-04:00

The Crossman clan sent me this fun family photo of them inside Disneyland in their shirts. Thanks for the photo and the support. Side note: I really love that Indiana Jones hat!

I snatched a few photos of fans in their shirts while at the Expo. I haven't gotten around to uploading them yet. Stay tuned for more photos from the wild.

Pinocchio's Daring Journey | Village Haus

2011-08-26T00:21:00.002-04:00

I'm back from D23 and I’d like to say thank you to everyone who made my trip so special—it was one for the books. I got to see things I'd only ever dreamed about and meet people I never thought I'd get to meet. I made a few new friends and saw some familiar faces. It was an unbelievable adventure—thanks again!

In this week’s typography case study we'll look at the fonts used throughout Fantasyland to help brand one of the most beautiful movie properties ever created by Disney, Pinocchio. Within the parks, two main areas focus on this classic tale: Pinocchio's Village Haus and Pinocchio's Daring Journey. Pinocchio's Daring Journey is another classic dark ride located within Disneyland. The attraction takes guests along with Pinocchio on a journey of right and wrong that was lifted straight from the full length animated feature and edited down to a dark ride format. Tokyo Disneyland and Disneyland Paris each house their own versions of this dark ride. The Walt Disney World Resort opted out of this attraction and instead chose to use Pinocchio as a setting for a quick service dining experience in Pinocchio's Village Haus. The inside of the restaurant is absolutely beautiful and is one of my favorite quick service locations. If you care to know more about the Village Haus, I suggest jumping over to DisneyShawn's blog, which features an amazing write up about it.

When breaking down the various fonts used for both the attraction and quick service restaurant, we first notice the classic fonts used on some of our other favorite Fantasyland attractions. Once again, the designers at Disney stayed true to the established font palette that was developed to brand all of Fantasyland. It ties the attractions together even if their fantasy origins may be from different times and locations. Throughout this attraction, we see typography from many different classifications: Calligraphic, Blackletter, German, Grotesk, Fraktur and a few odd ones such as Victorian and Western. The fonts used for Pinocchio remind me of the typography from another Disney attraction: The Matterhorn Bobsleds. The parallel makes sense: Disney's version of Pinocchio takes place in what appears to be a quaint German village, and the designers used German-esque fonts for the Matterhorn, even though the real Matterhorn is located in Switzerland.

Well that does it for this week’s case study. Tune in on Monday for a new Retro '71 concept. I'm happy to say I found tons of inspiration while at the Expo. I searched for hours through the collectors’ sections at the Expo to find new ideas inspired by the old. It was tough to see that most of the merchandise was for Disneyland and not Disney World, but I did come back with some treasures. Thanks for tuning in and see you soon.

California Dreamin'

2011-08-16T23:20:00.000-04:00

I'm heading out to the expo here in 5 hours! The magic begins as soon as I get off the plane. I'm so excited. Hope to see you there!

Retro '71

2011-08-14T21:42:00.001-04:00

This week’s Retro '71 concept concludes the faux real estate/land development companies used to purchase the land for the Walt Disney World Resort.

Our final design is for Reedy Creek Ranch Incorporated. The name is a play on the Reedy Creek Improvement District (RCID) which played a huge roll in the history of the Walt Disney World Resort (don't worry folks—I have a proper RCID shirt in the wings). The logo was inspired by the name of the company, but is very different from the minimalist official RCID logo. I took a more western theme to coincide with the word “ranch”. The color palette is a simple monochromatic color scheme in washed out reds. Finishing the design, I used a distressed texture to help give it a worn look.

Well that does it for this week’s concept. I hope you enjoyed this fun and imaginative series within the Retro '71 apparel line, but before we go, I've been asked if I ever use more than a simplistic one-color scheme for my designs. Well I dream in technicolor, so here's my vision in color for these last 6 shirts. Thanks for tuning in, and see you guys either at the D23 Expo or shortly after. Have a great week!

More...

2011-08-14T20:21:00.000-04:00

Frank just sent me this picture from the Walt Disney Resort. He says it's extremely hot there today, glad he has such a delicious treat to cool him down! Thanks for the photo Frank and enjoy the rest of your vacation!

Side note: I'll be on the look out during the expo to see if I can spot anyone sporting the tee. If I spot ya I may come up to you and ask to have a picture taken! Be warned! :)

Kuler in Action

2011-08-14T10:51:00.000-04:00

Last Wednesday I received a rather nice e-mail from Kristen who recently had her blog redesigned. She e-mailed me to say that she had her designer use one of the Kuler palettes from the Wonderful World of Kuler segments here on Designerland. Jump on over to DCVMOM.COM to see the Sleeping Beauty Castle Kuler palette in action. Thanks Kristen!

Color Study

2011-08-12T20:14:00.000-04:00

A new color palette has been added to the DisneyDesignerland Kuler account! Before you jump on over to check it out can you guess where this color palette is used?

Give up??? Find out the answer over at Disneydesignerland's Kuler page found here .

Check back for more random updates to Wonderful World of Kuler.

Retro '71

2011-08-08T01:20:00.002-04:00

This week’s Retro '71 concept is the fifth installation of the faux real estate/land development companies used to purchase the land for the Walt Disney World Resort.

This design is for the Latin-American Development and Management Corporation. The logo I came up with was inspired by vintage airline logos from the late sixties along the lines of TWA, SwissAir, Lufthansa, PanAm, Delta and so on. The color palette is a simple monochromatic color scheme in mustard yellow and deep golds. Finishing the design, I used a distressed texture to help give it a worn look.

Well that does it for this week’s concept. I will be taking another small sabbatical from the typography case studies as I need to get ready for the D23 Expo. But stay tuned, because I will continue to make other updates to Designerland, including the final installment of our real estate/land development concepts. I hope to see some of you at the Expo.

Country Bear Jamboree

2011-08-05T00:32:00.000-04:00

Welcome back to another edition of Designerland's theme park attraction typography case studies. This week we'll be looking at one of Walt Disney World's classic show attractions, the Country Bear Jamboree.

The Country Bear Jamboree was originally designed for Disney's Mineral King Ski Resort by Imagineer and show designer, Marc Davis. As we know, the Disney's Mineral King Ski Resort never made it off the drawing board, but Marc still felt the show would be a perfect attraction for Disney World's opening day back in 1971. The Country Bear Jamboree became an instant classic amongst east coast vacationers—it became so popular that WED Imagineers brought the show to Disneyland on the west coast. Over time, the Imagineers toyed around with seasonal overlays but quickly changed the show back after guest attendance declined. Sadly, Disneyland's show was shut down due to the lack of interest. Today you can find the original classic show at the Walt Disney World Resort and at Tokyo Disneyland, which is the only version that still hosts three seasonal overlays.

When looking at the typography from Country Bears Jamboree, we notice all the display fonts have a western theme, which fits the location of the attraction within the parks. Under the generic umbrella of western display fonts we can dissect them even further into a few categories: Wood Type, Tuscan, Iron Work, Slab Serif, Spurred, 1800's and even 1970's. Most of the typefaces used throughout the signage are the more stereotypical western looking fonts (similar to those found in other surrounding Frontierland attractions), while others are straight from the 70's with their curvy flared serifs, stems and descenders. Those 70’s looking western-like fonts are both whimsical and funny to reflect the Country Bear Jamboree show. Also, we have to remember that attraction was created during this era. I've tracked down the typefaces that still exist today. While other fonts can be found within the attraction, many are custom, hand-drawn fonts which were most likely created by show designers at WDI.

Well that does it for this week’s case study. Check back on Monday for another Retro '71 shirt concept and thanks for stopping by! Have a great weekend.

Kinda neat

2011-08-04T09:43:00.000-04:00

Last night two of my non-disney related shirt designs were sported on the TV show So You Think You Can Dance. Tadd Gadduang and Melanie Moore both sported designs I created for the Dance/Lifestyle apparel company Sugar & Bruno.

Poster Design

2011-08-03T23:54:00.000-04:00

Here's a jaunty little design I whipped up a couple of months ago. I tried to combine the look of an old world map/vintage metal globe with one of the maps from the back page of a park brochure.

I image the poster be tall, almost 6' tall and in a nice chunky black wood frame which would be leaning up against a wall in my studio.

More. . .

2011-08-03T23:44:00.001-04:00

My friend Erica snapped this photo today for the blog while she was at one of her many weekly Magic Kingdom adventures! Thanks for the picture and I can't wait to see you at the Expo.

Retro '71

2011-08-01T00:48:00.000-04:00

This week’s Retro '71 concept is the fourth installation of the faux real estate/land development companies used to purchase the land for the Walt Disney World Resort.

This design is for Bay Lake Properties, Incorporated. I placed a "summer camp" looking sunset and lake illustration alongside the company’s name set in a late 60's/early 70's typeface. The color palette is a simple monochromatic color scheme in teals. Finishing the design, I used a distressed texture to help give it a worn look.

Well that does it for this week’s concept. Hope to see you back on Friday as we look further into the fonts and typefaces used by Disney designers on some of our most beloved attractions. See you then and have a good week!

More from the Wild!

2011-07-31T22:39:00.000-04:00

Michelle sent me this picture of her husband Russell sporting his Tiki shirt. Check out that cutie...I'm talking about that fluffy whiskers he's holding! Thanks for the picture and getting a tee! Mahalo!

More from the Wild!

2011-07-31T21:32:00.000-04:00

Here's my friend Brandon (Trader Sam's Set Decorator) double fisting it in his Tiki Pineapple Whip shirt. Mad props to you good sir! Thanks for the photo!

More from the Wild!

2011-07-31T18:20:00.000-04:00

Check out this awesome pic Danny sent me of him and his son! I can't think of a better father and son bonding moment!

In the Wild

2011-07-31T00:02:00.000-04:00

I want to thank Doug aka Horizons78 from wdwmagic for sharing this photo with me:

The first photo of the shirt taken with the coveted tropical frozen treat! Thanks for sending this my way and for snatching up a tee! I encourage anyone who got a tee to snap a photo of you enjoying a whip in your shirt so that I can feature you on Designerland!

Rocket to the Moon | Flight to the Moon | Mission to Mars

2011-07-29T00:40:00.000-04:00

In this attraction typography case study, we will look at some of the typefaces used for Rocket to the Moon/Flight to the Moon/Mission to Mars.

Rocket to the Moon was one of Disneyland's original opening day attractions. It was a simplistic show that utilized circular screens in the center of the floor and ceiling. It seated the guests in the round, and a screen on the floor would show the guests where they had been, while the above screen showed the destination. Over time the attraction began to show its age and was reimagineered to Flight to the Moon. After six years, the attraction was rebranded yet again to Mission to Mars. Disneyland's Mission to Mars shut its doors in 1998 while Walt Disney Word's attraction closed in 1995.

The typography for this long-forgotten attraction focused heavily on popular Sans Serif typefaces. The simplistic, classical typefaces represent progress and the future, and the italic-set fonts convey the feeling of movement and speed as if we the guests were thrusting into a world of Tomorrow. A few classic Serif fonts do make their appearance in the font palette, but these are more secondary to the Sans Serifs. With all the rebranding and re-themeing of the attraction, a few small decorative display fonts made their way into the palette, like the main font used for the attraction signage spelling out "Mission to Mars", which is a wide-set, italicized stencil font that looks extremely sci-fi/space race.

Well that about does it for this week's case study. Thanks for stopping by and be sure to come back on Monday for a new Retro '71 shirt concept. Have a great weekend!

Music to Ride Monorails By

2011-07-28T23:56:00.002-04:00

I've received several e-mails in the past week in response to my faux Hollywood Tower Hotel presents Haunted Halloween Hits soundtrack, so I've decided to present another fun soundtrack I've created in my down time. Music to Ride Monorails By is a soundtrack I created to reflect how I personally feel while riding Disneyland's Monorail.

The soundtrack takes a nostalgic/retro approach in celebrating the time period in which Walt Disney, along with his motley crew of WED Imagineers, unveiled the Disneyland ALWEG Monorail back in 1959. I hope you enjoy it!

Color Study

2011-07-25T18:35:00.001-04:00

A new color palette has been added to the DisneyDesignerland Kuler account! Before you jump on over to check it out can you guess where this color palette is used?

Give up??? Find out the answer over at Disneydesignerland's Kuler page found here .

Check back for more random updates to Wonderful World of Kuler. See you guys back here on Friday for a new attraction typography case study.

Retro '71

2011-07-24T22:59:00.001-04:00

This week’s Retro '71 concept is the third installation of the faux real estate/land development companies used to purchase the land for the Walt Disney World Resort.

I came up with the logo for Compass East Properties by simply using iconography from the company’s name because it is simplistic and to the point, as every logo should be. I then set the name in a popular late 60's/early 70's typeface to pay homage to the period. The color palette is a simple monochromatic color scheme in blues. Finishing the design, I used a washed out grit texture to help give it a worn look.

Well that does it for this week’s concept. Hope to see you back on Friday as we look further into the fantastic fonts and terrific typefaces used by Disney Designers on some of our most beloved attractions. See you then and have a good week!

Peter Pan's Flight

2011-07-22T00:00:00.000-04:00

In this week’s case study we'll be looking at the simplistic font palette of one of the most popular rides within the Magic Kingdom, Peter Pan's Flight. Peter Pan's Flight is one of the original attractions designed by WED for opening day at Disneyland and quickly became one of the staples of Fantasyland, so it comes as no surprise that most every Fantasyland from here on out would have its own version of the attraction.

When the attraction first opened, Imagineers were giving guests too much creditability by casting them as Peter Pan. Guests couldn't quite grasp the concept of this first-person point-of-view, and they often asked where Peter Pan was within the ride, as was the case with the original Snow White and her Adventures. When Imagineers began re-imagineering the attraction for the Walt Disney World Resort, they quickly added Peter Pan into the attraction’s storyline. Peter Pan wouldn’t make his grand appearance at the Disneyland attraction until 1983 when Disneyland's Fantasyland underwent a major face-lift.

This attraction only uses a few different fonts, which is the case with most of the attractions within Fantasyland as these generally feature simpler thematic detailing. Peter Pan's Flight uses some of the same classic fonts used to brand other attractions within Fantasyland, with the two main classifications being Serif and Blackletter. These two classifications are the perfect mix of British and Medieval typography which reflect the story of Peter Pan by author J.M Barrie (born Scottish but lived and worked in London) and Fantasyland’s overall theme of a Medieval fair.

Well that concludes this week’s short but sweet post. Tune in on Monday for another Retro '71 concept and thanks for visiting. Have a great weekend!

Hollywood Tower Birthday

2011-07-21T23:13:00.000-04:00

In honor of the original Twilight Zone Tower of Terror's birthday, I've made this small gift for all my readers. This was actually an assignment in one of my intro to design classes back in college: the dreaded album cover redesign. Rather than simply recreating an existing album, I decided to design something new based on one of my favorite attractions within the Disney Parks. While the Tower of Terror has an existing soundtrack that plays within the lobby of the hotel, I looked deeper into the attraction’s storyline.

Two of my favorite things are Halloween and Disney, so when Imagineers combine these two into one amazing attraction, the result is pure bliss for a dork like me. The one thing I find odd is that within the hotel, there aren’t many references to the specific day when lightning struck the elevator shaft, Halloween Night. I did a bit of armchair imagineering and come up with a small decorative overlay for the inside lobby for the Halloween season: faded, torn crepe paper streamers, orange and black glittered party hats covered in layers of dust, rotted pumpkins, deflated balloons, confetti, sequined black masks and so on. The general idea is that since it was Halloween night, the Tip Top Club would have hosted a masquerade party. So what kind of music would they have played at Halloween within the Hotel? Out of that one question came The Hollywood Tower Hotel presents Haunted Halloween Hits.

Why post this now rather than save it for the Halloween season? My answer is simply this: there are only 100 days left until my favorite Holiday, and it's better to be prepared than sorry!!!! Be sure to click on the picture!

Poster Design

2011-07-19T14:00:00.002-04:00

Yesterday we heard more about what would be showcased at the D23 Expo and needless to say I'm excited...really excited. I was so excited I had to create a poster.

I know I'm such a Disney design dork but I'm okay with that!

Retro '71

2011-07-18T01:49:00.000-04:00

This weeks Retro '71 concept is the second installation of the faux Real Estate/Land Development companies used to purchase the land for the Walt Disney World Resort.

Once again I used my imagination when developing the logo for the Tomahawk Properties, Inc. logo. I toyed around with the notion of actually using a tomahawk as the main icon but feared it looked too much like an Atlanta Braves logo so I opted for a simplistic Native Chief icon. The color palette is a simplistic faded/burnt orange color which I enjoy seeing how orange has not been introduced into the Retro '71 apparel line as of yet.

Well that does it for this week. Tune in on Friday for a new typography case study and thanks for visiting! Have a great week!

Tiki Pineapple Whip Shirt Update

2011-07-17T11:39:00.000-04:00

Small update: All the stateside shirts are in the mail and should be arriving this week so please keep an eye out for your package!

As for my International and Canadian orders, I failed to fill out a form (which no one told me I needed to do) and the packages have been sent back to me...hey, this is my first time at doing something like this so please bare with me. I will be resending the packages out this week so please hold tight. If you have any further questions please e-mail me at rjterpstra@gmail.com. I appreciate your order and your patience, thanks!

Mark Twain & Liberty Belle Riverboats

2011-07-15T01:24:00.000-04:00

In this week's Attraction Typography Case Study we'll look at the fonts used for Disneyland's Mark Twain Riverboat and its counterpart, the Walt Disney World Resort's The Liberty Belle. The Mark Twain Riverboat, located in Disneyland's Frontierland, is a simple 12-minute leisurely ride aboard a Mississippi-style steamboat along the scenic Rivers of America. The Mark Twain Riverboat, also known as the Mark Twain Steamboat, was one of the original 1955 opening day attractions at Disneyland. The Mark Twain quickly became one of the main icons of Frontierland (before Big Thunder Mountain's rock silhouettes become more noted), and was re-imagined by WED for the Walt Disney World Resort, Tokyo Disneyland and Disneyland Paris.

When dissecting the typography of the Disneyland and Disney World attraction, the most notable distinction is the location. The Mark Twain is set in Frontierland, whereas The Liberty Belle is located in Liberty Square. These locations greatly impacted what typefaces were used to brand the attraction. The Mark Twain Riverboat uses several classifications of fonts, most of which reflect the early 19th century. Within the main 1800's theme we can start to pick out a few other classifications: Western, Latin, Tuscan, Slab Serif and Geometric.

The font palette for The Liberty Belle is less ornate and incorporates more classical serif fonts that characterize the mid 20th century. While these fonts are associated with historical time periods, they're actually not historically accurate. Colonial typography would have been more distressed in nature due to the printing capabilities of the period. It was also more common to see hand-written pen and ink scripts along with other hand-tooled lettering. Most of the fonts used for the Liberty Belle and surrounding areas are from the late 50's to the early 80's, and were designed by various type foundries to represent the ideology of early classical Americana - not the reality.

Well that does it for this week's attraction typography case study. Tune in on Monday for a new Retro '71 shirt, where I'll release the second in the series of the faux companies created to acquire the land for the Walt Disney World Resort. Thanks for stopping by and see ya soon!

Tiki Pineapple Whip Shirt Update

2011-07-12T20:28:00.000-04:00

Over the past 2 days my inbox has been flooded with e-mails asking about the shirts. Here's an update.

The shirts are finished being packed, it took forever to do even with my some family members stopping by to help. I have begun to drop them off at the post in waves as mentioned before in a previous post. The last wave of shirts being sent out will be this Thursday!

Shirts are being sent priority mail through the USPS (they need the work) and should arrive within the next week, some of you may get your earlier than that. It's average 2-4 business days. For the Canadian and overseas orders, I will be sending them out last because I have a bunch of paperwork to fill out in order to ship.

Everyone in the states should have their shirts by next Saturday at the latest. If you have not received anything by then please contact me at rjterpstra@gmail.com.

For those of you who have missed out...I may have a few shirts left over. I did order one extra of each size. I've had a few people contact me asking and some have already been claimed. Please e-mail me on Thursday night to see if I have any left over and in your desired size. At this point I'm not planning on doing a second run of shirts even though a lot of you who have missed out are begging me to do so. I may reconsidered closer to x-mas but I'm still not certain.

Thanks again for your order and patience.

Retro '71

2011-07-10T23:58:00.000-04:00

This week’s Retro '71 shirt concept is the first in a series of six shirts that I will release over the next few weeks. While most of the shirts thus far in the line have focused on attractions and parks within the Disney World Resort, this week’s concept is something a bit different. The shirt design for this week is purely fan-based with a ton of Walt Disney World Resort history thrown in. The first design is based on the Ayefour Corporation. Maybe some of you out there aren’t sure what this has to do with Walt Disney World? The Ayefour Corporation was one of the six main faux companies Walt created in order to secretly purchase the land that would someday become the Vacation Kingdom of the World.

Since none of the paperwork or contracts for the land acquirement exist online (at least not that I could find anywhere), there wasn't any way for me to know what the Ayefour Corporation logo actually looked like. Since I don’t have any logos to recreate, I decided I would just have to create them myself.

When getting t-shirts printed for employees, most companies simply want their logo placed as a small badge on the left chest. I opted to blow the logo up and make the design a full front print so the shirt would fit in with the rest of the apparel line. I realize this design appeals to a fairly small niche—the concept behind these “employee” shirts is purely for Disney Dorks, and most of the guests that visit the parks probably wouldn't appreciate the designs on a gift shop shelf.

Well that does it for this week’s installment. I hope you like the next few shirts I have in store. I’ll unveil the last shirt in the series the Sunday before the D23 Expo. I'm so excited about the Expo and I hope to see and possibly meet some of my readers there. Until next time, have a super swell week!

Poster Design Part 2

2011-07-10T23:51:00.000-04:00

Second installment. . .

Tiki Pineapple Whip Shirt Update

2011-07-08T19:41:00.000-04:00

Wanted to give you all out there an update on the status of the shirts.

I picked up the shirts from the printer today and they look really good! I have 13 large boxes of shirts now in my apartment awaiting to be packed. It will take me some time as I'm only one person and only have one recruit to lend a hand.

My goal was to begin shipping them out tomorrow, I feel that I'm probably going to have to send the shirts in waves over the next week due to the amount of orders I received. Let's just put it this way, they won't all fit in my Honda Element at once.

But fear not, I'm one week a head of schedule from what I originally envisioned and you will all have your shirts real soon! If you have any further questions please feel free to e-mail me at rjterpstra@gmail.com Once again thanks for your order and support!

If You Had Wings

2011-07-07T23:51:00.000-04:00

I'd like to welcome you all back to the Designerland attraction typography case studies. In this week’s installation, we will look the typefaces of the gone-but-not-forgotten attraction, If You Had Wings.

If You Had Wings was one of the original attractions at the Walt Disney World Resort. Modeled after Disneyland's Journey through Inner Space, the attraction focused on flight, and appropriately, the attraction was sponsored by Eastern Airlines. The attraction took guests through various exotic ports of call, all set to a catchy 70's theme tune written by Buddy Baker and X Atencio. Over time the attraction saw various name changes due to changes in sponsorship: If You Could Fly, Delta Dreamflight and Disney's Take Flight were the different incarnations of the attraction until Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin finally settled in.

As we've seen in previous posts about Tomorrowland, If You Had Wings used the same sans serif font palette as most attractions in Tomorrowland. The most noted typeface used in the attraction is the classic font, Helvetica. A few display fonts that mimicked the Eastern Airlines logo were also used throughout the attraction. Over time, with new sponsors came new branding, and with new branding came new logos and signage, and new logos and signage meant new fonts! When Delta Dreamflight moved in, more serif fonts were introduced into the attraction. The main serif font used in branding Dreamflight does convey a sense of dreamy flight, especially when set in italic. However, when juxtaposed against other Tomorrowland attraction typography, this attraction seems a tad out of place because both the typography and the attraction itself were more contemporary than futuristic.

Well that does it for this week’s case study. Tune in on Monday for a new Retro '71 shirt concept and thanks for stopping in.

Retro '71

2011-07-03T23:00:00.000-04:00

This week’s Retro '71 concept celebrates America, and what better way to celebrate than a design based on Disney's America on Parade. Around this time of year, many Disney historical blogs pop up with articles celebrating the parade. If you care to learn more about it, I suggest checking out this, and this and even this!

Since the parade was before my time, I’ve never experienced it personally. I had never even heard of it until 2006 when I was at a used book store in a dodgy part of town, combing through the travel section when I came across the hardcover, Disney's America on Parade, by David Jacobs. The book was simply stunning—not only did it give a brief history lesson, but it also showcased photos of the parade as well as parade float models, concept art and illustrations. It was such a beautiful commemorative book, and priced at 3 bucks, I had to have it. Disney should release more commemorative hardcover books to celebrate more theme park experiences.

The design for this week is based on the main logo used for the parade with Mickey, Donald and Goofy recreating the classical painting "Spirit of 1776". Keeping with the theme of Independence Day, I kept the color palette very traditional in red, cream and blue. The illustration is a double offset halftone design, giving it a real vintage feel. The original typefaces used for the parade’s branding were Bookman Swash and Cooper Black Italic Swash, but I opted to use a newer commercial font based on a combination of these two. Finishing the design, I placed the classic Disneyland and Walt Disney World logos at the bottom in honor of the parades' debuts at both parks.

Well that does if for this week’s Retro '71. I hope you all have a safe and happy holiday, and I'll see you back here on Friday as our attraction typography case studies are starting back up! My D23 painting is on its way to the Archives in Burbank, the Tiki Whip shirts have been printed, so I'll be shipping them out this time next week. Things are finally getting back to normal! Thanks for stopping by and see you soon.

New Designerland Soundboard

2011-07-03T22:44:00.003-04:00

Finally the third installation of the Designerland Soundboards: Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.

The Big Thunder Mountain Soundboard is a simple web application I created out of my appreciation for the classic attraction. A web app will run SLOWER than a normal native app. The difference between a web app and a native app is that a web app is hosted and "lives" on the internet whereas a native app actually downloads and "lives" in your mobile device.

PLEASE NOTE: The soundclips will take a while to download, I wish that they would load faster but unfortunately that's just how web apps work.

The Big Thunder Mountain Soundboard was developed for iphone users in mind but is supported by Google Android mobile devices as well.

For iphone users: using the internet on your phone go here: BTM
Once the page loads click on the "Add to Bookmarks" icon. Now click the "Add to Home Screen" and the Tiki Room Soundboard icon should load. That's it.

For Google Android users: using the internet on your phone go here: BTM
Bookmark the page. Now open the browser bookmarks screen, then long-press the bookmark you want, then select the add to home screen.

The site will look odd if you just go to the link above on your desktop computer. The url/site is formatted to fit your mobile device's screen and the sounds will not work unless you're using Google Chrome and Safari.

Well I hope you guys enjoy this latest addition. If you like this app and don't mind it taking a while to load I have a few other Disney attraction soundboard apps in the wings ready to go!

Thanks again guys for coming to my blog!

Update

2011-07-01T12:29:00.000-04:00

Just wanted to let all you know that the tiki pineapple whip shirts were delivered to the print shop yesterday and went into production today. Plan on shipping out next weekend, which is a head of the original schedule!!!!

Retro '71

2011-06-27T18:20:00.000-04:00

This week’s Retro '71 shirt concept is based on the Lake Buena Vista Shopping Village, which opened in 1975 and changed its name to the Walt Disney World Village in 1977. Serving as a shopping district for Disney World vacationers, the area was much more intimate and relaxed than what you would find today. As a child, I only remember visiting the area maybe twice as it appealed more to an older adult demographic.

I recreated the logo and added an outer stroke in a color that is brighter than the shirt then a second stroke in a muted green to make it pop. I tried to keep the colors very simplistic in tones of creams and browns. Finishing the design is a simple crackle texture.

Well that does it for this week’s Retro '71 concept. I've had quite a week and sadly have to push off the typography case study until next week, with the new soundboard app to follow soon. Stick with me folks, they are coming, I promise. Until next time, thanks for visiting and see ya soon.

Poster Design

2011-06-27T18:09:00.000-04:00

So in my down time I've been toying around with the concept of vintage posters that play upon construction and the final product. These are just roughs but I really enjoy where they're going. I plan on flushing out the series and have a few others already done but plan on saving them for another post.

In the meantime does anyone have any pictures of Walt Disney World's Pirates of the Caribbean being built/construction photos???? There are tons for Disneyland but none for the Walt Disney World Resort. I've searched everywhere on the net and in most of my theme park books but alas nothing. It's like those sneaky Imagineers just beamed over the attraction. If you know or have any photos you wouldn't mind lending to the project I would be grateful.

Retro '71

2011-06-19T23:18:00.000-04:00

I'd like to start of this week’s post by saying thanks once again to all my readers who have bought the Tiki Pineapple Whip shirt. There's only one week left to order! If you know anyone who might be interested in buying one, please let them know. I would feel bad if someone contacted me after this upcoming Friday wanting one. Please hit Twitter, various message boards, forums and other blogs letting them know that this upcoming week IS the last week the shirt will be available!

Some of you have expressed interest in wanting to know how it's going, and I will say extremely well. After I stop taking orders, I'll share more information on how many were sold and whatnot. Now onto this week’s post.

Walt Disney was said to be a man who had one foot in the past and one foot in the future. For this week’s Retro '71 design, I took that phrase to heart and started looking ahead. I've created a shirt for the 50th Anniversary of Walt Disney World. The design is based on one of the Tencennial logos created for the Walt Disney World Resort back in 1981. I absolutely love this Tencennial logo and remember seeing it while attending the celebration. Something about the logo just speaks to me as it evokes the feel of that in-between, transitional era from the 70’s into the 80's.

For the design, I tracked down a font that was similar to the one used for the logo. The actual logo was probably hand-created because I couldn't find the exact font the designers used. It's a simple two color design in water-based blue ink with a tinted discharge cream, plus we’ve added some slight distressing.

I know we're just now celebrating 40 years of magical fun, but I always like to plan ahead. Even though my designs are based on the past, I love looking toward the future. I know this won't be the direction the design group will take for branding the 50^th, but this is Retro '71's way of branding and honoring the celebration even if it is 10 years away!

Well that does it for this week’s Retro '71 concept. Since the D23 painting is almost done, I’ll soon get back into the normal routine of this blog and will continue my typography case studies in just one more week. I also have another soundboard app coming soon. Thanks for visiting and have a great week!

Happy Father's Day

2011-06-19T14:08:00.000-04:00

I'd like to wish my father a happy Father's Day! As the "odd one out" in my family, it was hard for my dad to relate to me as I got older—I was interested in fantasy, art, creation, expression, design, and so forth, while my other siblings were more sports-oriented (more of my dad's forte). So it may seem to him at times that we weren’t that close during my preteen and teenage years, but really that wasn't the case—I understood it was hard to relate to someone like me.

Most of my Disney World memories primarily involve my dad— my older brother and sister usually ran off with friends they had made at the resort, and my mom spent her time shopping on Main Street—so it was usually me and my dad running amuck throughout the Magic Kingdom. I have two favorite Disney memories I'd like to share (one I've mentioned before on the blog, but seeing how it's Father's Day, this post is for him). One is a memory that even he loves to tell. It was late one evening during extended hours for resort guests, and the park was somewhat dead. We rode Pirates about 6 times in a row, and Dad loves to mention how once exiting the queue, he could hardly keep up as I darted back to the entrance for another round. I think he loves the story because it humored him to see a 4 year-old take off and he, a former track and field star, had to struggle to keep up.

The other memory was around 1985-86 when we took my dad's parents to Walt Disney World with us. My grandfather wasn't enjoying the Florida heat, so he only went into the parks in the evening, whereas my Grandmother loved every minute of it. So my dad, grandpa and I had closed the park with one final trip on Pirates before jumping on the train to take us back to Main Street. I remember being so tired that I stretched out on the seat across from my dad and grandpa. I remember looking over at the two and thinking about family and generations and how I was so lucky to have a dad to share a place like Walt Disney World with me, and in that moment my Dad was trying to share the magic with his own father. I have many other great memories with my dad at Disney World, of course, but these are my two favorites.

Happy Father's Day, Dad. Thanks for the memories and always diving for "hidden treasures" in the pool!

Color Study

2011-06-18T12:09:00.001-04:00

A new color palette has been added to the DisneyDesignerland Kuler account! Before you jump on over to check it out can you guess where this color palette is used?

Give up??? Find out the answer over at Disneydesignerland's Kuler page found here .

Check back for more random updates to Wonderful World of Kuler. See you guys back here on Monday for a new Retro '71 concept.

Retro '71

2011-06-12T13:20:00.000-04:00

Greetings folks, and welcome to yet another edition of the Retro 71 apparel line. This week’s concept is another design based on the old logo for the Magic Kingdom. This logo is probably my second favorite logo Disney designers have ever used to brand the happiest place on earth.

The typeface is a heavily stylized and modified version of the classic Bookman Swash. Subtle details have been added, such as the median spurs which give it more of a regal flair. I added the original Cinderella Castle icon to the logo’s left side in order to balance the “THE” in the logo. It also gives it a little more visual interest beyond just a simple typeset logo. For the color palette I chose two colors I feel best represent the Magic Kingdom: an orangish-red and a yellow.

The two different-colored logos were then offset to give it more depth and a retro feel as if the print was not correctly aligned during registration. Lastly, the time-honored texture was added. The entire design works best on a shirt that is sandy cream with a hint of brown. Orange, yellow and brown were a typical color palette from the 70's—it was used everywhere from apparel to kitchens. In the end, it's a simplistic design that fits perfectly into the apparel line.

Well that's about it for this week. Hurry back next week for a new attraction sound board as well as other fun Designerland offerings. Until next time, have a great week and see ya soon!

A new poster design

2011-06-12T13:08:00.000-04:00

Another poster design, inspired by another graphic designer I happened to stumble across a few days ago. I've noticed as of late I'm stuck on a particular font palette for these posters. I need to change some things up here soon!

The Haunted Mansion Group Art Show

2011-06-08T17:59:00.003-04:00

Over this past weekend The Parlour Gallery at Halloween Town presented their 2nd annual tribute to the Haunted Mansion. I was so excited to be one of the many talented artists that got to showcase their work in this popular exhibit.

Seeing how I'm in the Midwest I couldn't make it out to California for the opening. However I was there in "spirit" so to speak. One of my good friends attended the opening and gave me a full rundown and snapped a few shots of my piece.

My painting was a simple acrylic painting with acrylic transfers and glow in the dark medium. The transfers were of various blueprints and schematics WED enterprises used to design the time honored attraction. Cleverly enough I titled my piece "Supernatural Structures & Eerie Engineering."

If you're on the west coast I suggest you stop on by and check it out. The exhibition will be running from now until July 3rd!

Retro '71

2011-05-30T03:32:00.007-04:00

I would like to extend a big thanks to all the visitors and fans that have shown interest in the Adventureland Dole Whip Shirt. At present I have roughly 25 people interested, and if we're going to actually get these printed off, I would need to get that number up to 100 people! The more people we can get, the lower the cost is for everyone. If you're still serious about the shirt, let's get the news out there. Please help me by hitting up the various Disney forums, Facebook pages, Twitter and so on . . . it's time to summon the twilight bark!!!!! And now on to this week’s post . . .

This week’s Retro '71 shirt is another concept inspired by an old park brochure. Drawing inspiration from the 1981 Walt Disney World Resort brochure, I recreated the Tomorrowland logo. The logo depicts an almost Transformers-like type treatment with its glossy gradients and pairs it with a spaceman Mickey in weightless orbit high above.

When recreating this art, one begins to pick up on subtle clues that the original was hand illustrated/created, such as the weights and heights of the characters are slightly off.

This has been one of the more time-consuming Retro' 71 designs. While I'm happy with the outcome, this design would be rather pricey to actually produce due to the amount of colors used within the design. Remember the more ink, the more money that goes into production. Also, Retro '71 shirts are all water-based inks, and these are more expensive than standard plastisol inks.

Typography is usually the first thing I look at—if the type treatment is unusual, interesting or just plain cool, then the chances are good that I’ll feel compelled to recreate and manipulate the design. However, I really enjoyed recreating the character artwork for a change, and I may add a few others to the line. That about does it for this week—once again, thanks for visiting!

Color Study

2011-05-28T15:19:00.000-04:00

A new color palette has been added to the DisneyDesignerland Kuler account! Before you jump on over to check it out can you guess where this color palette is used?

Give up??? Find out the answer over at Disneydesignerland's Kuler page found here.

Check back for more random updates to Wonderful World of Kuler. See you guys back here on Monday for a new Retro '71 concept.

A Cause for Celebration

2011-05-26T20:42:00.001-04:00

In celebration of Disneyland's Trader Sam's Enchanted Tiki Bar which opened two days ago, I've designed this:

You all should know by now that I'm a huge sucker for all things tiki. I'm counting down the days until the D23 Expo so I can experience this new tropical treasure first hand. I have a feeling it'll be my nightly dive during the entire trip. My goal is to try as many of their potable Polynesian potions and various Bali Hai brews. If you're gonna be attending the Expo and you want to tackle a volcano bowl with me be sure to hit me up or follow me on twitter, oh and don't forget to click on the picture above!

Twitter

2011-05-26T00:33:00.000-04:00

Small update: Designerland is now on Twitter! Follow me @Designerland71 for updates to the blog and random happenings from new soundboard apps to Retro '71 concepts and more!

Retro '71

2011-05-22T21:41:00.001-04:00

I’ve received several reader emails asking if my Retro '71 shirts are available for sale. It saddens me to tell you that none of my shirts are for purchase due to obvious copyright issues. However, this week’s Retro '71 shirt concept is another story—this shirt design could be for sale if fans enjoyed it and there was a demand. No Disney copyrighted art in this one!

The design is not based on a show or attraction, but on a rite of passage when it comes to the Disney Theme Parks. Within Adventureland at both Disneyland and Walt Disney World, there's a "must eat" on every visitor's list: the Dole Pineapple Whip! If it's not on your bucket list, it should be. It's the most amazing frozen concoction in the parks! The Dole Pineapple Whip is a staple and is so popular that Disney added a whip machine in the Polynesian Resort back when the quick service area was refurbished. I'm assuming Disney will also add this frozen treat to the new Trader Sam Tiki Bar and the Tangaroa Terrace Restaurant at the Disneyland Resort Hotel.

For this week’s shirt I tried to take a whimsical yet kitschy approach with the design. I wanted to not only represent the whip itself, but to also reflect the tropical Tahitian feel of Adventureland. What better icon to represent the spirit of Oceania than a Tiki warrior? To throw a bit of tongue-in-cheek humor into the design, I thought it would be clever to have him holding a whip in his hands. Of course this fierce tropical warrior couldn't be so mean when enjoying this delectable treat, so his intimidating frown has been turned upside down. I can imagine after the park closes that the statues, carvings and idols from around Adventureland break their poses and all hit up the Dole Whip stand to reward their hard day’s work of entertaining guests.

So, would you sport the shirt? If enough people are interested I might be able to produce a small run! Let me know in the comments section if you're a Yay or a Nay. Well that's it for this week’s concept. Thanks for visiting Designerland, and remember: when a good time comes around, you must whip it!

Another Poster Design

2011-05-16T13:23:00.005-04:00

New poster design. Taking a small break from attractions. This design is based on the Burle Marx - esque layout of the Walt Disney World Resort which was modeled after Walt's own personal sketch. Possibly one of my most favorite pieces of concept work ever done by Disney and if you don't know who Burle Marx is I suggest you look into him...amazing!

Note: Poster is not to scale.

Retro '71

2011-05-15T22:00:00.001-04:00

This week’s Retro '71 concept is based on one of my favorite attractions, Pirates of the Caribbean. What better timing than with the fourth installment of the Pirates film series opening this Friday? I've been awaiting this film ever since that fog started to roll in and the stage began to turn revealing none other than Jack Sparrow himself at the first D23 Expo.

I have many favorites when it comes to attractions within the Disney Parks, and usually it's a toss up between the Haunted Mansion and POTC. However, I had to ride one attraction over and over, it would be Pirates of the Caribbean, hands down!

I was raised on Walt Disney World's version until the summer of 2005 when I first got to experience the original at Disneyland. It blew my mind—it had additional scenes, extra drops and it was longer. If I could combine the facade and queue of Disney Word's Pirates with a carbon copy of Disneyland's ride, I think I would be in attraction heaven! The only problem would be the Blue Bayou—it's my favorite restaurant at Disneyland, but a southern plantation-style estate wouldn't fit in with the more Spanish look of Disney World's Pirates. I wouldn't be opposed to a different waterfront inside-dining experience appropriated for the attraction.

The artwork on this week’s apparel comes from the original POTC logo that was painted on the stucco walls of the attraction. It was also seen on matchbooks that one could acquire in Adventureland. The typeface is a modified version of Bookman Swash and if you've been following the Designerland Attraction typography case studies, you would know by now that the designers LOVED this typeface.

I roughened the edges of the logo and then placed a set of crossed pirate swords in the background to keep with the motif of the attraction. Once again, the shirt is a simple 2 color water based print with no underlay to give the ink that faded sun look, plus some of the usual distressed texture.

Well that's it for this week. I hope you all go out and see On Stranger Tides. I hope to see you back here soon for more Disney Designerland fun! Have a great week!

Poster Design Part II

2011-05-13T12:49:00.000-04:00

I've created another poster to go along with the set. What do you guys think? More to come! Stay tuned.

Color Study

2011-05-13T12:45:00.000-04:00

A new color palette has been added to the DisneyDesignerland Kuler account! Before you jump on over to check it out can you guess where this color palette is used?

Give up??? Find out the answer over at Disneydesignerland's Kuler page found here.

Check back for more random updates to Wonderful World of Kuler. See you guys back here on Monday for a new Retro '71 concept.

Retro '71

2011-05-08T23:56:00.001-04:00

This week’s Retro 71 shirt concept is another design that celebrates the year in which the Vacation Kingdom opened its gates, 1971.

The shirt is classic 1970's retro. Using the original Magic Kingdom castle icon alongside the original resort logo, I opted for a funky, chunky font to set the year in. The display font is simplistic but reads “groovy” at the same time.

The design is a cost-effective two color design with some slight textured distressing. It would be printed in water-based ink with no underlay in order to make the ink look sun-faded from spending all day out in the parks.

Well that's it for this week’s post—have a great week. I'm off to work on my D23 painting. Speaking of paintings, I just sent out my painting to Burbank for The Haunted Mansion Group Art Show presented by The Parlour Gallery at Halloween Town. So if you're in the area, stop by the gallery on opening night, Saturday June 4th at 7pm. For you readers who aren't in the LA area, don't worry folks—I'll be sure to post a few pictures here at Designerland. Until next week then, see you soon!

Happy Mother's Day

2011-05-08T20:59:00.016-04:00

I would like to take this time to wish my mom a Happy Mother's Day and to thank her for everything she's done for me thus far in my life. My mom is an amazing woman—I’m sure that's how we all feel about our mothers. She taught me that it was okay to be different, she fostered the creativity in me, she helped me look outside the box and most importantly she raised me with the help of pixie dust.

I would like to share one of my favorite stories about my mom, and of course, the Happiest Place on Earth, Walt Disney World. Now I ask my mom to tell me this story all the time because I enjoy hearing it so much. I've tried to confirm if this story is true or not—not that I don't believe my mom—I just cannot find any other Disney literature or lore that supports it. I've even contacted Disney historians to ask if there's truth in it or if my mom has some dates mixed up. I've never heard back from them. My father is the only one that can back the story up, so it has always been an exciting mystery.

It was the summer of 1970 and my mother and father decided to take a road trip to the Sunshine State. My parents are old school and still drive everywhere, even to this day. They take their time and enjoy the scenic route, stopping at various points of interest all along the way. They made their way down to Florida and arrived in St. Augustine. While enjoying the town, my mom and dad did all sorts of touristy, road side attraction stuff, like stopping at the Ripley's Believe It or Not Museum. After touring the grounds, my mom asked one of the workers what else there was to do in the area. The lady told her that Disney was opening a resort over in Orlando, which sparked my mom's interest, so my mom and dad drove over to Orlando.

Mom loves to tell me how small Orlando was at the time and how nothing was grown out around the Disney Resort area. It was literally in the middle of nowhere. They stayed at a hotel in Buena Vista. I'd like to also add that my mom was pregnant with my older brother at the time and she had to make her own maternity swimsuit since back then, you couldn't find swimwear fashion for the pregnant. The next day, they made their way into the park, parked in the parking lot and took the ferry over. Mom and Dad both tell the tale of how the Contemporary was mid-construction as they were ushered across the Seven Seas Lagoon. My dad is a contractor so I know looking at construction in progress always interests him. They say the Monorail was not running at the time. They arrived in the park and mom said only Main Street USA and Fantasyland were open to explore as the other lands were still being worked on. I always ask if there were other people in the park, and she said a few were there, but not a huge crowd because the park wasn't even open yet. She says she distinctly remembers Fantasyland, in particular Pinocchio's Village Haus. She and Dad only spent a few hours in the park, but Mom remembers telling my dad that it looked like a place they needed to revisit when the park officially opened.

Do my parents have their dates wrong? Were my parents subject to a special sneak peek day? Who knows. I love the story and wanted to share. If it weren't for amazing parents, especially moms, none of us would have been able to experience the magic that is a Disney Theme Park.

Happy Mother's Day Mom. Thanks for all the Magical Memories! I love you!

UPDATE: After my mom read this she called and provided me some other information about the mysterious story:
- All the highways were just 2 lane highways all the way down from Indiana to Florida
- They stayed at a hotel with multiple floors(which is still there but has changed names) in Buena Vista which she thinks was a Sheridan at the time
- None of the shops on Main Street where open
- None of the attractions were running in Fantasyland (from what she remembers, being pregnant with my older brother who was born in August of 1970, she might have chosen not to ride anything because of being pregnant).

Poster Design

2011-05-08T19:26:00.000-04:00

So I'm really missing my normal Case Study posts. It's been hard to pull myself away from them and actually focus on my painting. The good news is that I've made progress! When my painting is in a drying stage I jump on the computer and work on some new designs for the blog... this week I've created two attraction posters in my down time. What do you guys think? Would you like to see more?

Okay back to the painting. Tune in tomorrow for a new Retro '71 concept.

A Tropical Treat

2011-05-06T00:38:00.000-04:00

As promised here is the second installation of the Designerland Soundboard: The Enchanted Tiki Room.

The Enchanted Tiki Room Soundboard is a simple web application I created out of my appreciation for the classic attraction. A web app will run SLOWER than a normal native app. The difference between a web app and a native app is that a web app is hosted and "lives" on the internet whereas a native app actually downloads and "lives" in your mobile device.

PLEASE NOTE: The soundclips will take a while to download, I wish that they would load faster but unfortunately that's just how web apps work.

The Enchanted Tiki Room Soundboard was developed for iphone users in mind but is supported by Google Android mobile devices as well.

For iphone users: using the internet on your phone go here: TikiRoomSoundboard
Once the page loads click on the "Add to Bookmarks" icon. Now click the "Add to Home Screen" and the Tiki Room Soundboard icon should load. That's it.

For Google Android users: using the internet on your phone go here: TikiRoomSoundboard
Bookmark the page. Now open the browser bookmarks screen, then long-press the bookmark you want, then select the add to home screen.

The site will look odd if you just go to the link above on your desktop computer. The url/site is formatted to fit your mobile device's screen and the sounds will not work unless you're using Google Chrome and Safari.

Well I hope you guys enjoy this latest addition. If you like this app and don't mind it taking a while to load I have a few other Disney attraction soundboard apps in the wings ready to go!

Thanks again guys for coming to my blog! See you back here on Monday for a new Retro '71 concept. Have a great weekend.

Retro '71

2011-05-02T00:01:00.000-04:00

After such amazing response to the first Retro '71 Haunted Mansion shirt, I decided to design another concept based on this all-time favorite attraction.

This week's design is inspired by the vintage Disneyland Record and Book series. The original product was designed for Disneyland and features a stunning 24 page book that accompanied the long playing record with some amazing illustrations. I adapted one of the illustrations to feature Walt Disney World's Mansion instead of Disneyland’s, and I changed up the color palette. It was tricky tracking down that amazing font used on those old Haunted Mansion vinyls.

I added the original Walt Disney World Resort logo to the bottom of the art and scaled back the opacity to give it a worn, ghostly look. Overall, it's a very vintage homage to one of my favorite attractions at the parks.

Well that's about it for this week’s Retro '71 concept. Turn in Friday for an all new Designerland Attraction Soundboard and have a great week! Thanks for stopping by

Retro '71

2011-05-01T23:56:00.003-04:00

As you all know, I'm pretty excited for the D23 Expo. In my downtime I have dreamed about the launch of the Retro '71 apparel line, and what better platform to roll out the announcement of the t-shirts hitting the Vacation Kingdom than at the Expo itself? But first, what apparel line can be complete without a logo? It took me some time to come up with the logo for Retro '71, simply because I couldn't find the right typeface that spoke to me. After many versions I've finally nailed one down that I feel says, "nostalgic vacation wear with a vintage flair". The logo would be present on the labels and tags for the product line. Within the style guide I've created a simple one-color logo, the care and content label that would be printed inside the shirts instead of on a scratchy tag, and lastly, the garment hang tag.

I see fans getting their first taste of the line with actual printed garments at the Expo, and I've been working on designing a simple but effective booth where guests can see the shirts up close, feel the vintage eco-friendly fabrics and maybe even get some free swag for stopping by.

The booth would consist of a simple wall that would be fashioned out of that horrible 70's paneling that most would stick their noses up at today. It's tacky, funny, kitschy and most of all, retro. The wall would have a large white protruding sign/frame that is made up by the original “D” from the classic Walt Disney World Resort logo, along with the Retro '71 logo. The inset area of the sign is made up of an oversized graphic of various vacation postcards from the past.

At the far end of the booth, we would have the apparel line where guests could get a sneak peak of the first wave of shirts to hit the Walt Disney World Resort. Located in front of the shirts would be two cantilever product tables that will showcase some of the other consumer products that we will also roll out alongside some of your favorite Retro '71 shirt designs. Flanking each side of the entire wall would be our mannequins that will be of course sport some of the shirts, along with other vintage vacation apparel found from thrift stores to really set the tone of what we used to wear when visiting the parks. Lastly, the entire booth will be carpeted with a mod-patterned, high traffic rug modeled after one of the original carpet designs found in the Contemporary Resort.

We wouldn't turn you away empty-handed—for stopping by, guests would receive a free Retro '71 UV sun visor modeled after the visors sold in the parks back in the late 70's and early 80's.

What do you guys think? Would you be excited? Would you stop by our booth, and lastly, would you sport that wicked visor?

Designerland Update

2011-04-29T18:14:00.000-04:00

I heard back from the Disney Archives and I have been accepted into the D23 Fan Art Exhibit! They picked the first concept I came up with and the one I really wanted to work on! In all actuality I thought they may pass it up for one of the other two ideas. Needless to say I will be taking a short sabbatical from the Designerland Typography Case Studies so that I can focus on my painting for the exhibition. That's not to say I won't be updating Designerland. I plan on continuing every Monday with the Retro '71 Apparel Line concepts as well as the Wonderful World of Kuler not to mention the soundboard apps I have waiting in the wings. Once the painting is sent off to Burbank I will continue back up with the attraction case studies. Until Monday, have a great weekend!

Snow White's Scary Adventures

2011-04-29T01:36:00.000-04:00

Welcome back, and for you first-time visitors, welcome! In this week’s Designerland Typography Case Study we'll be looking at the typefaces from another one of Disney's classic dark ride attractions, Snow White's Scary Adventures. Snow White's Scary Adventures is one of the original attractions that remain from Disneyland's opening day back in 1955. The attraction originally opened under the name Snow White and her Adventures. At the time, Imagineers might have been a little too avant garde in having guests take on the role of the beloved beauty. Guests didn't quite understand the attraction from this perspective and often asked why Snow White wasn't featured. Needless to say, the Imagineers quickly added her to the attraction to please the guests. Over time, the attraction has seen some minor upgrades to the show-building facade and also a name change due to parents complaining that the ride was a tad on the scary side. I have to agree with the parents: that attraction scared me as a child—when that wicked Queen turns from her mirror, I would always look away. Such a simple gag but HIGHLY effective.

The attraction loosely follows the plotline of the animated feature we all know and love. While Disneyland had it first, the attraction quickly became a staple of the other theme parks. The Walt Disney World Resort, Tokyo Disneyland and Disneyland Paris have their own versions as well, but that's soon to change. With the plussing of Walt Disney World's Fantasyland, Imagineers have decided to step it up a notch with an entirely new attraction based on this Oscar award-winning feature. I can only imagine the typography and signage the designers will come up with!

When looking at the typography of Snow White's Scary Adventures, there actually aren’t too many fonts to be found. This is pretty much the case with most Fantasyland attractions: limited space, shorter-length queues, and not too heavy on the thematics and atmospheric details of the attraction. Most of the typefaces of Snow White's Scary Adventures come from what I call the classic Disney Fantasyland font palette: Black Letter, Gothic, Old English, and Serif. While the fonts listed are mainly European fonts derived from British origins, the classic Brothers Grimm tale of Snow White was from Germany. Even though the main typefaces aren't really from the story’s point of origin, they still work with the overall look and feel of Fantasyland. In addition to these more typical fonts, this attraction also features Art Nouveau. But what does the Art Nouveau period have to do with Fantasyland and Snow White??? Actually, it really fits when you study some of the stylings that Disney's Animators brought to the feature film. When watching the movie, one can notice the Queen’s elaborate peacock throne—the throne’s design slightly resembles the work of famed Art Nouveau artist, Frederik Mucha. It just so happens that Disney's designers used an Art Nouveau display font for signage warning of the Wicked Witch. Was this planned from the start or simply a happy accident? I'd like to hope it was all a part of the designers’ plan.

That concludes this week's adventure in typography. See you back on Monday for a new addition to the Retro '71 apparel line. Until next time, have a great weekend!

Retro 71

2011-04-24T23:34:00.000-04:00

This week’s Retro 71 concept is an homage to the dreamers and doers of the Disney Theme Parks: The Imagineers.

It has been my dream since I was 12 to become an Imagineer—I would make my parents take me to the bookstore so I could drool over the pages of the Architecture of Reassurance and Building a Dream. I've mentioned before how it's one of my goals to work for WDI. Back in 2005, I got my first taste of WDI when I was chosen as a finalist in the Walt Disney Imagineering ImagiNations Design Contest. Being a finalist and winner solidified the fact even more. I have tried really hard to get my foot in that door at 1401 as well as WDW's campus. No luck thus far, but one doesn't just give up on their dreams.

Most all Disney dorks know that the only place to score official WDI merch is at Mickey's of Glendale, and if you ever get the privilege to shop there, I suggest you have a hefty amount of spending money on your person. It's spectacular. I will add that Disney is missing out on a HUGE market by only selling WDI merchandise in this one store, but it makes complete sense. The store is designed for the employees, although D23 has opened it up to a select few fans in the area. I would love to find a small line of WDI/WED merchandise within the parks for which some of the Imagineers would design limited edition shirts. I know Imagineers create limited edition items for Mickey's of Glendale, so I have to ask, why not for the parks?!?!? It would create an entirely new segment within the park merchandise and I feel the category would be well received.

This week’s concept is a shirt design that I imagine would sell at a place like Mickey's of Glendale. The shirt is inspired by the vintage WED line from a few years back. I used one of my favorite Walt Disney Quotes on the front that really sums up what Disney and his Imagineers did and still do to this day. I then signed the quote with the original WED Imagineering logo. As you can see, the quote is set in the same typeface the WED logo was created in—what a brilliant typeface! The overall design is simplistic and crisp in a very 1950's/1960's fashion.

Well that does it for this week’s Retro 71 installation. I hope you've enjoyed it as much as I have. Until Friday, have a great week and see ya soon!

Indiana Jones

2011-04-21T23:54:00.000-04:00

In this week’s attraction typography case study, we'll look at the typography used in the various Indiana Jones attractions within the theme parks. Indiana Jones has a huge presence within some of the Disney Theme Parks across the globe: Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular at Disney Hollywood Studios; Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril at Disneyland Paris; Indiana Jones Adventure: The Temple of the Forbidden Eye at Disneyland; and lastly, Indiana Jones and the Temple of the Crystal Skull at DisneySea. These attractions take the forms of audience participation shows, state-of-the-art dark rides and simple themed roller coasters.

When looking at the typography from all of the Indy attractions, one in particular stands out: the Indiana Jones Adventure: The Temple of the Forbidden Eye. With its elaborate queue and pre-show, the Imagineers really set the stage for guests. The typography throughout the queue is one of the key elements in presenting a believable story. If you're a fan of Indy movies, you immediately think of adventure, 1800's & early 1900's archeology, distressed and aged artifacts, art deco, the arts and crafts period and so on. These same themes are present within all of the display fonts designers used in and around the attraction.

What makes this one attraction even more exciting for typeractive people like myself is that designers at WDI created their own typeface for this attraction . . . well, more of a hieroglyphic. Hieroglyphics were one of the earliest forms of character (letter) writing, even though they're more closely related to pictograms and ideograms. When the attraction first opened, Imagineers provided clue cards that assigned the various characters of this ancient language to letters that closely matched our alphabet so that guests could decipher the messages. This was a simple but amazing feature to this attraction—I only wish the line didn't run so long so that I could one day explore the temple and decode the messages for myself.

The other Indy-based shows and attractions include more of the standard Indiana Jones fonts with some subtle changes here and there. Not enough typography to build and design an entire case study around, so you will see some of the typefaces from other locales within this week’s poster. I hope that one day I can visit the other Disney Theme Parks so that I can continue my research, but for now, photos on the web will have to do.

Growing up with Indiana Jones films, I can only hope that Disney and Lucas will continue to plus this property and bring more amazing attractions and offerings to the theme parks, along with some more amazing thematic typography. Well that does it for this week’s case study. Tune in on Monday for another Retro 71 concept and as always, thanks for stopping by.