On 7/10/10, I attended the “50 and Fabulous” showing of Swiss Family Robinson at the Disney Studio Theater on the Burbank lot.
D23’s Jeffrey Epstein welcomed us to the showing and clarified some points about the ticketing process for the newly-announced Destination D and Scavenger Hunt.
Archives Director Becky Cline then introduced the movie and gave a little background on some of the actors involved, most of which went on to feature in several other Disney films.
The movie about the shipwrecked family that winds up living in a tree, was just as entertaining as it must have been 50 years ago, which is to say, considerably. It seems like such a long time since Tarzan took over the Treehouse at Disneyland, I had forgotten how closely it resembled the actual treehouse from the movie. I am still a little dubious about the survival advantage of installing a full-blown pipe organ in a tree, but perhaps that’s the magical part.
Afterward, we were allowed to shop in the Studio Store, which proved a little small for both the volume and enthusiasm of the people trying to move about inside.
Although there didn’t seem to be a great deal of merchandise there that wasn’t readily available elsewhere, it was a fun experience to take a look around. Of course, it’s always charming to be able to wander around (in a restricted manner) the lot, as well.
Finally, we were sent off with commemorative Swiss Family Robinson patches, and the hope that we’ll return for the next movie screening, the Sign of Zorro.
You can purchase the movie from the AllEars Amazon Store!
What did the patch look like and how do you get info on attending the showings?