Walt Disney's Ludwig Von Drake in Disneyland Lunch Box

By Nick

I love Ludwig Von Drake.
I love Disneyland.
I love metal lunch boxes and thermoses.
Put them all together, and you get this awesome lunch box and thermos from 1961!

The illustrations are very stylized.  In the image above, 3 of the new attractions opened just a couple of years prior are visible. We have Ludwig on the Matterhorn, with the Monorail and Submarine Voyage visible in the distance.
In the image below, we have Ludwig with a camera photographing the carousel and Sleeping Beauty Castle. Or maybe he’s spying on the folks at the cart?

Around the sides we have Ludwig visiting individual lands. I am assuming the image below is Ludwig on Main Street U.S.A., but not sure why they depicted a raging fire. Not really something you’d want guests to experience.

Ludwig taking a cruise in Adventureland… with the Tiki Birds? Did they come along willingly, or has he bird-napped them?!

This next scene features pirates, but Pirates of the Caribbean is several years away from opening. This likely represents the Chicken of the Sea Pirate Ship and Restaurant, which was at Disneyland from 1955 thru 1969, when it changed to Captain Hook’s Galley when Chicken of the Sea dropped their sponsorship. The ship was a landmark until 1982. The sticker reads “Aladdin, School Lunch Kit “New Positive Lock”

Finally we have Dude Ludwig in Frontierland. Not sure if the rabbit is a friend or there to trip him up.

The corners and inside of the box are pretty scuffed, but the graphics on the box are pretty vibrant considering the age.

The thermos is also in great shape.Ludwig is butterfly hunting in Adventureland.

.

He should be wary of the Hippo, one of the most dangerous animals on Earth! Was he on the Jungle Cruise when he decided to just abandon ship? Where’s Disney security when you need them?!

There are more questions than answers raised on this lunch box!

Disney Animation Collection: Vol. 1: Mickey and the Beanstalk

Sunday, while doing a search for Disney on Netflix streaming service, I discovered they have Disney Animation Collections Vol. 1-5 available! I actually have many of the cartoons available in these volumes on DVD, but the quality of the picture in HD is superb!

I watched Disney Animation Collection: Vol. 1: Mickey and the Beanstalk.

 
It starts off with Mickey and the Beanstalk, which was originally released  September 27, 1947 as part of the "package film" Fun and Fancy Free.  It was originally narrated by Edgar Bergen. The version in this collection is from Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color, aired in 1963, and is narrated by Ludwig Von Drake. 

This is a retelling of Jack and the Beanstalk, with Mickey, Donald and Goofy going on an adventure.
The highlight of this, in my opinion, and what I remember being most amused of as a child, is the beanstalk growing scene. It's full of hilarious and imaginative gags with perfectly orchestrated music accompanying it.

Next up is my favorite Mickey Mouse cartoon, the 1938 masterpiece, The Brave Little Tailor. I've written about several of my collectables from this classic, and have many more to come. Past articles can be found by typing in "Brave Little Tailor" in the "Search This Blog" block to the right. I don't think I've ever seen it as beautifully as it is here in HD. Just stunning. I watched it twice in fact!

Then I was treated to an almost as wonderful, certainly in my top 5 Mickey Mouse cartoons, Thru the Mirror, from 1936. Mickey falls asleep while reading Alice In Wonderland, and has quite the dream!
Also included a black and white Mickey from 1934 Gulliver Mickey. Mickey tells a group of young orphan mice a fanciful tale.

Rounding out the set is Mr. Mouse Takes a Trip, from 1940, where Mickey and Pluto try to avoid train conductor Pete, and have many problems doing so! I'll be checking out the rest of these animated classics for sure!

Walt Disney Classics Collection Ludwig Von Drake

Imagine you're in school, or you're back in school, and you go to your geography class for the first time, and standing at the head of the class is a duck. That is a pretty wild imagination you have! But all things are possible in Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color!

I got this awesome Walt Disney Classics Collection Ludwig Von Drake figure as a Christmas gift from my wife a few years ago.

Titled Wonderful World of Color: Didactic Duck, this is from 2007, the production mark on the bottom is Captain Hook's hook.

Some of the "plussings" are metal glasses frames with acrylic lenses.

The globe is made of porcelain and actually spins.

The globe stand is made of metal.

Oh, gosh, look at the time, gotta run! You know how ducks can be if you're late for their class!

Professor Ludwig Von Drake

A couple weeks back, I highlighted a terrific box set, "Music of Disney: Legacy in Song." Upon listening to this collection for the first time back in 1992, I heard a song titled "The Spectrum Song," by voice actor Paul Frees as Professor Ludwig Von Drake. I knew I'd heard that song before, a memory from childhood. Professor Ludwig Von Drake first appeared on September 24th, 1961 in the cartoon An Adventure in Color as part of the first episode of Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color on NBC. In this episode he sings "The Spectrum Song."

You can find this song on iTunes, along with several others, including:
"I'm Ludwig Von Drake"
"Green with Envy Blues"
"It Gets You"
"Von Drake Variations on 'The Blue Danube"
"Professor Von Drake Discourses On Sound Recording and Takes You On an Adventure In an Echo Chamber"

If you want a fun, entertaining and off-beat listen, check it out for yourself. Look for more Ludwig Von Drake in future posts.

Vinylmation Animation Series 3

Some great Vinylmation series are currently available from Disney, including the Vinylmation Animation Series 3.
Some of my favorite characters are in this series!

Barbie picked one out at the Disney Store a few weeks ago, and got Panchito from The Three Caballeros.

I've picked up several since.
We'll start with Stitch.

This is the less friendly, Experiment 626 version of Stitch.

Next up, we have Ludwig Von Drake.

Look for more Ludwig Von Drake items in the future.

Then we have a character that I loved as a child, but have no other collectibles of, Robin Hood!

Another childhood favorite, Thumper from Bambi was a topper. I got him on eBay.

And last, but certainly not least, we have my favorite Dwarf, Grumpy from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

Another great series is Mickey's Wild West. I only have a couple figures from that set, and I'll share them in an upcoming post.