Famous Pictures of Fred Rogers at Idlewild

This is the final installment of a 7-part series on Idlewild Park's former Mister Rogers' Neighborhood attraction. Read the other parts of my series on the ride here: Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5; and Part 6

Fred Rogers was an amazingly profound man, so I felt that we should take a little bit of time to cover the life and legacy that made him so unique. I felt that this could best be done through some pictures taken of Fred Rogers at Idlewild. Please enjoy these images, but please know that I do not own them. This first picture is one that is often shown in any kind of media relating to Rogers:

Set on the bridge over the Loyalhanna Creek leading to the park's trolley ride, this picture instantly conjures up good memories among the viewer if they have recollections of watching the show. The shoes and puppet of X the Owl represent key components of Rogers lore, so this picture really speaks without words on both the man and legacy.

 This picture, taken during a public service announcement taping at Idlewild, shows one of the trolley ride vehicles, albeit blurred, in the background. Although people often talk about Rogers in an immensely reverent sense, these pictures show him as someone who clearly enjoyed some good fun; this came across in his show, as well.

EXTRA!

Here's the bridge at Idlewild where the first picture in this article was taken:

Comparisons on the Hug-N-Song Scene (Mister Rogers Part 6)

This is part six of a 7-part series on Idlewild Park's former Mister Rogers' Neighborhood attraction. Read the other parts of my series on the ride here: Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5; and Part 7

Before

After

Arriving at the climax of the ride, the Hug-N-Song scene is barely recognizable. The landscaping has been significantly trimmed down, and the walls have been repainted with singular colors. (a downgrade in my opinion) Also, the lopsided nature of the background wall is now more noticeable - originally, this was for the mechanism for Lady Elaine rising up - due to its gray color. And of course, there are all-new cutout figures.

 Here's a fun fact for ya; the mounts for the King Friday and Queen Sara still remain on the floor of the scene. Take a look!

The red box indicates the floor mounts, and the red circle shows where the power outputs were for the figures.

I hope you've enjoyed this photo "trip" on this beloved old ride! Now, you need to decide for yourself: which ride was superior? I hope that these posts gave you ample evidence to decide. But... we're not done yet! One more "bonus" post on this ride will be coming your way tomorrow!

Differences Between the Mister Rogers' and Daniel Tiger Rides at Idlewild - Pt.2

This is part 5 of a 7-part series on Idlewild Park's former Mister Rogers' Neighborhood attraction. Read the other parts of my series on the ride here: Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 6 and Part 7

 Numerous transitional changes were made to Idlewild's trolley ride when the theme changed from Mister Rogers to Daniel Tiger in 2015. Come along (to the Hug-N-Song?) as we take a look at more comparison shots of the two rides. (You can click on every thumbnail for a larger image.)

Before

After

The Museum-Go-Round was kept. However, a major opportunity was lost to make the building spin again. This may just be my opinion, but I feel the new decorations just don't look "right" compared to the old scene's décor.

 The next scene would be the Platypus Mound, but this was one of two scenes (the other being Courtney's Factory) that was completely removed. Unlike the aforementioned tableau, however, this scene was ripped out entirely, leaving only a patch of mulch.

Before

The clock provides one of the most interesting actions in the ride's switch. The old character it was home to, after all, gave the new ride its new name! For this scene, though, the clock was replaced with a smaller version that is more true to the modern show. I wonder if the pieces of the old clock are still backstage somewhere.

After



Before

After

The Castle Playground scene is another stop that bears no resemblance to the ride's former incarnation. The old version had a shorter duration and was home to Anna Platypus and Prince Tuesday; the new scene is significantly longer in length (most likely due to the two removed scenes) and now has Mr. McFeely as its figure.

Tomorrow we'll take a look at comparisons on the final scene of the ride - the infamous "Hug-N-Song." 

Differences Between the Mister Rogers' and Daniel Tiger Rides at Idlewild - Pt. 1

This is part 4 of a 7-part series on Idlewild Park's former Mister Rogers' Neighborhood attraction. Read the other parts of my series on the ride here: Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 5; Part 6;  and Part 7

Idlewild's Mister Rogers attraction was an amazing ride, but the current Daniel Tiger-themed version of the ride leaves some things to be desired. In this mini-series (within a series!), we'll be looking at the direct comparison between Idlewild's first trolley ride, Mister Rogers' Neighborhood of Make Believe (1989-2013) and the current ride, Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood. (2015-present) I apologize for the picture size; you can click each thumb for a larger image. Enjoy!


Before

After


Entering the tunnel, it is instantly noticeable that the decorative elements on the walls of the tunnel, which included painted flowers and "welcome" in different languages, have been removed.

Before

After

Once out of the tunnel, we see that the castle has been repainted. A Prince Wednesday flat is where King Friday used to be, and the real curtain behind has been replaced with a plywood

covering.

Before



After

Courtney's Factory is still there but is now covered up with a grocery store-themed front.

Before

After

The treehouse structure remains, but the extra flowers and decorations have been removed. And of course, the houses themselves are now home to O the Owl and Katerina Kittycat.



Look out for part two tomorrow!

The Replacement to Idlewild's Mister Rogers' Ride

This is part 3 of a 7-part series on Idlewild Park's former Mister Rogers' Neighborhood attraction. Read the other parts of my series on the ride here: Part 1; Part 2; Part 4; Part 5; Part 6 and Part 7

n this article of the saga of Idlewild's Mister Rogers' Neighborhood attraction, we're seeing what fate befell the amazing ride. In early 2014, Idlewild announced that the previous season, 2013, was the last for the Mister Rogers' theme of the trolley ride. However, they announced that a new, updated theme was to come in 2015 - leaving the ride closed for a full summer season. This new ride would be themed to Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood, which is the updated, cartoon-based version of the original Neighborhood show.

Personally, I was hoping for a ride better than what we got. Gone were the fairly sophisticated animationics, replaced with simple-looking, 2-D cutouts. The ride had several technological advances over the old attraction, but I feel that the animations could have been done better. It seems as if the park took a step back from 25-year-old technology.

 The new ride also lacks the "extra" effects of the old ride.  (i.e. a rotating building, an operating curtain on the castle) While this doesn't make any difference to most children, added details will always keep the public coming back in the themed entertainment world. It truly is a shame such a groundbreaking ride was lost to a significantly dumbed-down replacement.

Tomorrow we'll continue our journey through the history of this storied ride...

Idlewild's Mister Rogers' Neighborhood of Make Believe - Pt. 2 of a Photo Trip

If you haven't read part one of my series on Idlewild's old Mister Rogers' ride, go back to yesterday's post and take a look. Today we continue...

 After leaving King Friday, we stop by the factory of Cornflake S. Pecially - who shows us his rocking chairs, which he calls "Rock-Its" - and we invite him to the party. In this tableau, Corney rocks the yellow chair back and forth, while the various chairs behind him move in different ways.

 X the Owl and Henrietta Meow-Meow Pussycat can be seen once the doors of their treehouse swing open. After some dialogue between the riders, driver and the figures, we move on...

 ...to Lady Elaine Fairchilde. The Museum-Go-Round's outer ring actually rotates around to show the scene within; this was an effect that broke in the ride's later years. Lady Elaine shows us her self-playing instruments, which she operates with a remote-control boomerang. In typical Elaine fashion, she brusquely responds with, "I'll come if I can!" to our invitation to the Hug-N-Song.

 Around a little bend, two members of the Platypus family come into view - Dr. Bill and Elsie Jean. They let us know that we can look for Anna Platypus - and Prince Tuesday - at the Castle playground. (An effect which was later deactivated was the rising of the animatronics from within the mound.)

One of the most magical and memorable parts of the Trolley ride is the moment in which we see Daniel Tiger rise out of his clock to greet the riders. Initially shy, he eventually warms to the riders and agrees to come to the Hug-N-Song.

 After inviting Daniel, we stop for a quick minute at the aforementioned Castle Playground and invite Prince Tuesday and Anna Platypus.

And then, the moment we have been waiting for the entire time of the ride occurs - we arrive at the Hug-N-Song Party! ALL the characters from the show are present, and they eventually hug before singing "It's Such a Good Feeling." The guests on the trolley are asked to hug someone, as well. An interesting twist to this situation happens when Lady Elaine comes late and rises up on the far right. King Friday thanks us all for inviting the neighbors, and we exit through a tunnel.

What happened to this amazing ride? We'll find out tomorrow...

Read the next installments in this series here:  Part 3; Part 4; Part 5; Part 6 and Part 7

Idlewild's Mister Rogers' Neighborhood of Make Believe - Pt. 1 of a Photo Trip + History

This is the firstl installment in a 7-part series on Idlewild Park's former Mister Rogers' Neighborhood attraction. Read the other parts of my series on the ride here: Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5; Part 6 and Part 7

From 1989-2013, Idlewild Park in Ligonier, PA was home to a truly amazing and ground-breaking attraction known as Mister Rogers' Neighborhood of Make Believe. I was only fortunate enough to ride it twice at a young age, but nonetheless, I feel extremely grateful to have been given the opportunity to experience the ride in its last two seasons. My dad took a handful of pictures, but there is much better quality available elsewhere online if you're interested in learning more. This will likely be a 3-part series in which we revisit the beloved trolley ride attraction.

 After passing through a tunnel on a trolley painted to look like the one from the old PBS show, riders stopped at the castle of King Friday XII, who in earlier years of the ride emerged through an operational curtain out onto a balcony of the castle. He proposed his plan to the riders for a "Hug-N-Song Party" that day at the castle courtyard, which is just what it sounds like. :)

That's my head in the foreground...

A factor that made the ride extremely special was an on-board narrator who used a prerecorded script to interact with the animatronics. You practiced the call of "Come along, come along, to the castle Hug-N-Song," before you realized that you would be traveling elsewhere around the "neighborhood" to invite the other characters. What did they look like, you ask? You'll just have to wait until tomorrow to find out...

Some History on the Ride...



 The main thing, for me at least, that made this ride truly groundbreaking, was the fact that it was completely designed by Fred Rogers himself. He directed the storyline, aided in the musical development, and most importantly, recorded every voice for the animatronics. Sadly, this was mostly destroyed once the ride ended its run in 2013, seemingly with little regard. Costing over a million dollars to construct, the ride took advantage of Idlewild's wooded setting, winding under a thick tree canopy. Built on the sight of a former zoo at the park, the ride spurred the development of the adjacent Raccoon Lagoon children's area a few years later. Various photos of Rogers were taken during the ride's development, and only the most hard-core fans would realize they were taken at Idlewild, even with some of them being among the most-well known portraits of the man.