Originally Posted By cstephens Since the Disney Gallery is closing on Tuesday, we decided to make a last visit today. We stopped at Stage Door to pick up some food, which we brought with us up to the Gallery, and we enjoyed our lunch in the courtyard. There was one other table of people up there, with lots of people wandering around the Gallery, some browsing or shopping, and many of whom were taking pictures. You could tell that a lot of people were there to see the Gallery one last time. It was nice to sit up there and be able to hear the water from the fountain - until the pirate show from Tom Sawyer's Island could be heard from up there. Gosh, they're awfully loud. The husband says we would occasionally bring food to eat up there. I don't recall that and only remember eating up there the two times we've taken the Walk in Walt's Footsteps Tour, which included lunch in the courtyard of the Gallery. The Tour now apparently holds lunch at the Tour Gardens, which doesn't seem nearly as appealing to me. After we had the regular food portion of our lunch, we took our dessert portion and went out on the balcony so we could have dessert on the balcony one more time. I've only done the Fantasmic Dessert Balcony seating once, but I quite enjoyed it. We sat and enjoyed our dessert and looked out on the river and all the people in New Orleans Square. It's a great place from which to people watch. The river was quite busy this day, with both the Mark Twain and the Columbia running, with canoes going past, with rafts crossing to and from the island and then other rafts further in the back ferreting cast members to and from the island as well. I'll miss this view of the park as there's really no where else to go to get it. OK, you can get a similar view from the Club 33 balcony, but it's more obstructed, and I don't have unfettered access to Club 33. We then went around to the different rooms, looking one more time at things, and taking pictures of everything. I never noticed before how different the chandeliers are in each room. I've always loved looking at the pictures in the one alcove off the main room that show the concept for how the living room was going to look as part of Walt and Lillian's apartment. We spent a bit of time talking to one of the CMs that we knew and what she was going to be doing next. In years previous, we used to spend quite a bit of time at the Gallery, and I was wondering why we hadn't been doing that in the past couple of years. There are some inconveniences to the Gallery - if you have someone in a wheelchair or using a stroller, it's a bit more work to get up there. There's no restroom up there or anywhere to get refreshments, not even a drinking fountain. But that never seemed to stop us before - so why had we been spending so little time in the Gallery in the last year or two? And then I figured it out. We rarely went up to the Gallery just to hang out. We usually went up there to see the exhibits, and then afterward, we would hang out in the courtyard or the balcony for a while. In the past year or two, we haven't been that interested in the exhibits that they've had, so subsequently, we didn't go there much. And it wasn't about changing the exhibits often. There were exhibits up there previously that were there for a long time - but we enjoyed looking at them over and over again. When the Space Mountain model which currently resides Opera-House-adjacent used to be in what was supposed to be Walt and Lillian's bedroom, we would go up there often to marvel at it, to look at the structure, to follow the track as we walked around and around the model. We'd look at the little model of the Adventures in Inner Space ride vehicle. We'd enjoy listening to the soundtrack of various defunct attractions. We'd get thrown out for spending too much time there and enjoying it too much... But the recent exhibits didn't hold any repeat value for us. So when a new exhibit went in, we'd go up and see it, but we didn't make that many return visits, so consequently, we didn't spend as much time as before just enjoying the ambience up there. I'm sorry to see the Disney Gallery go, but I really hope they turn it into something guests can enjoy, in one form or another, rather than turn it into just more office space. That would be a shame. /cs
Originally Posted By onlyme Nice post. My wife and I spent quite a bit of time up there a couple of weeks ago. Almost all of the pictures were sold. I was a bit amazed at the cost some will pay. If only I had the money...there was a very cool 'goofy' in the main lobby area. Of course, like you, I was planning on taking a bunch of pictures, but I had forgotten to change the battery on my camera...what an idiot. Oh well. We just sat for a while in the courtyard. It was always so relaxing to do that. I know it's just a building and Disneyland is always changing (as it should, I guess), but this change made me a bit sad...
Originally Posted By dsnykid WE spent a lot of time and money up there this week between the fantasmic reservations and two print on demands we ordered.. Rob spent much of his time just looking and soaking up the atmosphere. I will miss it very much the next time we go.
Originally Posted By jmuboy I ran into Alice Davis on Sunday afternoon in the Gallery. I was up there for my last visit. It was great to see her. She had been outside just sitting and relaxing on the balcony for what must have been an hour or so. She finally came in to pick up her Print on Demand items and talked with some of us for a while. She is a great lady. It was an exciting way to say goodbye to the gallery.
Originally Posted By SFH I like to hear a report back from anyone who was there today/tonight of who showed up. Here's my thoughts/memories: <a href="http://www.laughingplace.com/News-ID511690.asp" target="_blank">http://www.laughingplace.com/N ews-ID511690.asp</a>
Originally Posted By Roger55 You can read my report on the following link. <a href="http://mb.laughingplace.com/MsgBoard-T-89227-P-2.asp" target="_blank">http://mb.laughingplace.com/Ms gBoard-T-89227-P-2.asp</a>
Originally Posted By Dave Ken, I'll make sure a discuss this link gets attached to your story in the morning.
Originally Posted By ChurroMonster I will miss the Disney Gallery. It was a unique space, especially for a theme park. It was a treasure for the escape it offered, for the history it told, for the atmosphere it resonated. Here's hoping I get to set foot in there one day again.
Originally Posted By darrinv Sorry to see the Gallery go, I too hope it turns into something the public can still use and enjoy. Every year, when I make my annual pilgrimage to Disneyland, I always look forward to spending some time up there by myself (as my wife and kids thought it was boring). But I’d go up there and enjoy looking at the merchandise and displays and sitting out in the courtyard by the fountain. Unfortunately things change with Disney (as they should), but I hope it doesn’t sit empty for years before doing something with it again which seems to be the norm lately (at least with Tomorrowland
