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Mickey and Pals Ride the Sacramento River in New Disney art at Delta King Event
1/31/2009 12:19 PM EST|
(The Sacramento Bee Online) |
According to a January 29, 2009 story by Sacramento Bee columnist Bob Shallit,
The Walt Disney Co. is once again giving Sacramento the star treatment.
For the third year in a row, Disney is issuing a "destination" painting showing some of its iconic characters against a River City backdrop.
This year's edition, called "King of the River," has Mickey, Minnie, Goofy and friends in rowboats, with the Delta King paddle-wheeler looming in the background. One boat's passengers include Belle, Cinderella and Captain Hook – and a crocodile circling nearby.
A crocodile in the Sacramento River?
"They took a little Disney license," says Troy Carlson, owner of the Stage Nine movie memorabilia store in Old Sac and the guy responsible for convincing Disney to include Sacramento in its city-based series. Previous editions have shown Disney characters soaring above the Tower Bridge and arriving by train in Old Sacramento.
This year's painting, by Disney artist Rodel Gonzalez, goes on sale Feb. 7 at an event aboard the Delta King from noon to 4 p.m. Canvas prints are priced at $650; lithographed versions go for $119.
On hand for the event: Paige O'Hara, the Disney voice of Belle, and Eddie Carroll, the voice of Jiminy Cricket.
Apparently, it's rare for a city to be included in so many of Disney's destination paintings, which feature various global cities. We're getting the love because Sacramentans quickly buy up the prints, Carlson says.
The Sacramento paintings also have broader appeal – including in Europe and Asia – where Disney customers apparently like the images of trains, paddle-wheelers and frontier life.
Says Carlson: "They love the romance of the West."
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