New Orleans Square
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| New Orleans Square | |
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| Disneyland | |
| Attraction type | Themed Land |
| Theme | 19th Century New Orleans |
| Opening date | July 24, 1966 |
| Replaced | Holidayland |
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New Orleans Square is a themed land found exclusively at Disneyland, though a similarly themed area can be found within Tokyo Disneyland's Adventureland. Based on 19th century New Orleans, it was the first new land to be added to Disneyland after the park's opening. The land was opened to the public on July 24, 1966. The name is a bit of a misnomer, since the area does not resemble a square so much as an intricate series of "streets" that weave around shops, restaurants, and the first Pirates of the Caribbean show building.
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[edit] Layout and Attractions
This area contains two very popular Disneyland attractions—Pirates of the Caribbean and the Haunted Mansion—as well as a station for the Disneyland Railroad. The Haunted Mansion is an innovative haunted house experience, while Pirates of the Caribbean takes park guests along watery channels through expansive swashbuckling tableaux. The exterior of the Haunted Mansion was actually constructed in 1962, but Imagineers took several years to develop the attraction. The completed ride opened on August 9, 1969.
Morse code can be heard from the telegraph at the train station in New Orleans Square. The transmission is the first two sentences from Walt Disney's opening day speech on July 17, 1955. "To all who come to this happy place, welcome. Here age relives fond memories of the past, and here youth may savor the challenge and promise of the future."
[edit] Club 33
New Orleans Square is also home to a private club and restaurant, Club 33, located above the "Blue Bayou Restaurant" around the corner from the entrance to Pirates of the Caribbean. Not open to the general public and rarely mentioned in any of the park's promotional material, Club 33's membership costs around $7,500-$10,000 per year with a waiting list several years long. The restaurant itself is an exclusive members-only dining facility weaving around the second story of New Orleans Square. It is also the only place in Disneyland where alcoholic beverages are served. The entrance to the club is a plain green door, marked only with an address plaque bearing the number "33", immediately to the right of the Blue Bayou Restaurant. To enter, guests press a small, black button which summons an attendant.
The idea for Club 33 originated years earlier from a private room Walt Disney maintained at the Red Wagon Inn (now the Plaza Inn) for VIPs. The restaurant is actually located in the second floor of the structure. Many of its windows are adorned as balconies, easily seen from the walkways below.
[edit] Live Entertainment
Much of Disneyland features live musical entertainment, but New Orleans Square is particularly replete with such performers, including jazz musicians who play on the "streets." The Side Street Strutters have delivered weekly performances of traditional New Orleans jazz since 1985. Teddy Buckner and His Jazz All-Stars were regulars in the 1980's. Teddy was often mistaken for Louis Armstrong and even played him once on film. His famous band was busy entertaining the generals and VIP's in World War II.
In 2006, the French Market restaurant featured the Jambalaya Jazz Band, including a live singer "Queenie". Though not related to any Disney production, she also performs outside the Disneyland Dream Suite (formerly the Disney Gallery) several times a day. The Bootleggers pirate band also performs nearby.
[edit] Dining
New Orleans Square's most notable public dining location is the Blue Bayou Restaurant, a sit-down restaurant located adjacent to the Pirates of the Caribbean loading area. Though it is an indoor facility, the area is themed to resemble a terrace behind a New Orleans manor house located on the edge of a bayou. Southern-style food is served at tables overlooking the dark, manmade, indoor bayou, while quiet sound effects reinforce the idea of truly eating an evening meal in a remote bayou.
Other dining locations in New Orleans Square include:
- French Market Restaurant
- Mint Julep Bar (non-alcoholic)
- Café Orleans
- Royal Street Veranda
- Club 33
[edit] Shopping
- Le Bat en Rouge
- Jewel of Orleans
- L'Ornement Magique
- Royal Street Sweets
- Pieces of Eight
[edit] Legal incident
Kimberly Williamson Butler, a minor candidate in the New Orleans mayoral election, 2006, garnered national attention with her election website's depiction of the candidate in New Orleans Square rather than the real New Orleans.
At the top of her webpage was a slightly altered photograph of Butler standing on a street resembling the French Quarter. However, the curve of the street and the distinct trash cans of Disneyland reveal the true location of the photo. The Blue Bayou Restaurant's sign was removed from the photo.
The mistake was reported on many Disney fan sites[1], blogs, and cable news outlets. According to the Associated Press, the unauthorized use of the Disney image has been referred to Disney's legal department.[2]
On April 18, the obvious Disneyland trash can had been removed from the image; on April 19, the entire photo was gone, replaced by what appears to be an image of campaign literature.
[edit] References
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