See Disneyland During Its Opening Year (VIDEO)

by Libby Zay on


The Disney History Institute has pulled together a bunch of home movie scraps to compile a video of Disneyland in 1955, the park’s opening year. Besides an overview of what Disneyland was like to an average guest back in the day, the film also shows some rarely seen elements, like the lingerie shop on Main Street (it only lasted six months at the park) and a a short-lived ride called Canal Boats of the World (so unpopular there was only one clip of it in operation). There’s also a glimpse of workers putting the finishing touches on the Chicken of the Sea Pirate Ship, which was only half painted to create a TV promo before the park opened. Viewers might also notice the absence of costumed characters, which didn’t come around until much later. Instead, entertainment through the 1950s included acts like an organ grinder and his monkey, which can be spotted in the film.

[via BoingBoing]

Video: New York Dogs And Their Thoughts

by Elizabeth Seward on

New York dogs are one of my favorite things about New York, seriously. Sure, plenty of other New York things come before the dogs of New York for me, but the dogs do make the list. And even though I love dogs of all nationalities, so to speak, New Yorker dogs are especially … diverse. Much like New Yorker humans, the dogs of this city are often pampered, neurotic, resourceful and/or everything in between. Dog parks are a great place to see New Yorkers let their notorious guards down and this video, created by ANIMAL, is also a great place to see New Yorkers let their guards down. When faced with the question “What do you think your dog is thinking,” these New Yorkers and their dogs took the opportunity to self-express (and project).

[Thanks, ANIMAL]

Smartphone Technology Getting Closer To What Travelers Want

by Chris Owen on

As smartphone technology continues to advance, travelers are being offered more connectivity choices. Making calls, sending text, voice or video messages and surfing the Internet is becoming commonplace almost anywhere on the planet. Now, pricing is coming in line too as service providers realize what it is we want when traveling.

“Our mission is for all travelers to have the freedom to use their mobile devices the same way as at home when traveling abroad, without having to worry about chokingly high mobile bills,” says Joacim Boivie, CEO and Founder, HolidayPhone, a leading solutions provider of roaming free mobile Internet, voice and text services for international travelers in a Breaking Travel News report.

Like Boingo, the worldwide connectivity company with over 700,000 Wi-Fi hot spots in over 100 countries, HolidayPhone also enables connection. Unlike Boingo, which automatically communicates then connects with local hot spots on your behalf, enabling connection using only an installed app, the HolidayPhone method is a twist on the SIM card pay-as-you-go trick that has travelers buying cards for each country they visit.Providing an easy, inexpensive way to call and access mobile Internet while abroad without roaming fees, HolidayPhone’s travel SIM cards are prepaid and sent in advance. Before departure, U.S. users forward calls to a provided U.S. landline number. On the plane, they insert the HolidayPhone SIM card in their smartphone. Landing at the destination, their phone is ready to use, at local rates.

Here is more on how HolidayPhone works:

Prehistoric Bones Big Draw To Small Indiana Town

by Libby Zay on

The small town of Corydon in southern Indiana may soon get an influx of tourists thanks to a new attraction. Just discovered a few years ago, much of what is now Indiana Caverns was inaccessible to the public because all entrances were on private land. But a new passage not only opens up the underground caverns to the public, it gives visitors access to a curious pile of bones. Discoverers thought pioneers had thrown cow bones into the cave, but later came to find out the bones date back to the Ice Age. They come from a variety of species, including birds, snakes, bears, beavers, bison and more. Now, visitors can take an underground boat tour through the caverns for a chance to see the 12,000- to 15,000-year-old bones. The attraction just opened a few weeks ago, but it already tops TripAdvisor’s list of things to do in Corydon.

[via WHAS11.com]

Los Angeles County Museum Of Art Inaugurates African Gallery

by Sean McLachlan on

The Los Angeles County Museum Of Art is inaugurating its new Africa gallery with an exhibition of art from the Luba Kingdom.

“Shaping Power: Luba Masterworks from the Royal Museum for Central Africa” examines the royal art of the powerful Luba Kingdom, which from 1585-1889 dominated central Africa. Its royal lineage was highly regarded and developed an elaborate artwork to reflect its prestige.
The exhibition includes many objects loaned by the Royal Museum for Central Africa in Belgium, like this mask of a legendary hero. Many of the items depict women. While they didn’t rule, they were considered the spiritual guardians of the kingship and the creators of life. A Luba proverb says, “Men are chiefs in the daytime, but women are chiefs at night.” Among the works of art are masks, headrests, sceptres, thrones and cups.

The new Africa gallery is located next to the Egyptian gallery to highlight the influences the two regions had on one another. In addition to special exhibitions, the gallery will also host the museum’s permanent collection.

“Shaping Power: Luba Masterworks from the Royal Museum for Central Africa” runs until January 5, 2014.