[KentB3]

I'm sure many of you remember my Disney theme park proposal I posted here earlier to this forum. To refresh your memory, my proposed Disney theme park resort sits on 1200 acres of land, and consists of two theme parks; The Magic Kingdom and Disney Studios; plus four hotel resorts, a campground, two golf courses, and maybe a waterpark (eventually). Disney Studios, my second theme park here, will open around the same time as my Magic Kingdom park, or shortly afterward.

I have thought about an idea for a restaurant for my Disney Studios theme park. So far, all I have planned are The Brown Derby and Hollywood & Vine. There's an additional restaurant which I thought of myself, as a tribute to one of Disney's best-known and beloved stars, who really needs no introduction!

Annette's will be designed a a tribute to Annette Funicello and her movies, TV shows and appearances, as well as her musical recordings and her life in general; except for the more unpleasant stuff, like her ongoing battle with Multiple Sclerosis-- read about that at the bottom of my post!

The restaurant will be designed like a combination 1950's soda/malt shop (complete with black & white checkered floors) and Planet Hollywood, but focusing on Annette and her career instead of the time period like 50's Prime-Time Café at Disney-MGM, since the 1950's only covered a small part of her career in the entertainment industry! The dining hall will be adorned with various Annette Funicello-related items and memorabilia, and TV sets will be placed at each tabel/booth much like 50's Prime-Time Café-- which will show segments from Annette's pieces of work such as The Mickey Mouse Club, her Beach Party movies, other movies such as Babes In Toyland, commercials (Skippy Peanut Butter); and even guest shots such as her appearances on shows like American Bandstand, Zorro, Full House, Growing Pains, and various Disney specials which aired over the years!

As for the menu, not sure, but it would be different from 50's Prime-Time Café, which focuses mainly on home cooking. I was thinking sort of what you'd find somewhere like Planet Hollywood or Ruby Tuesday, but also with a large percentage of Italian dishes (obviously!) on the menu. A must would be Italian Cheesecake with ricotta for the dessert menu, which was conconted by Annette's mother, Virginia Funicello, herself! This bit of trivia comes from The Official Mickey Mouse Club Book by Lorraine Santoli.

Oddly enough, I recently discovered that Disneyland Paris has a restaurant called Annette's, but theirs is only a 1950's Diner bearing no relation to Annette Funicello and her career, except in name only! Very much unlike the restaurant I planned for my Disney Studios theme park.

Now that we've discussed the restaurant Annette's, let's get to a more serious subject. This is a wish I would like to make for the opening of my proposed Disney theme park resort I designed on WDWMagic's Imagineer forum and also posted here to DisneyCentral, if/when Disney ever actually builds this park. (hopefully!) My wish is that a cure for MS will be found by the theme park resort's opening day, or that at least her MS symptoms will go into remission, so that Annette Funicello woud be able to appear at and enjoy my new Disney theme park resort as well as the restaurant I designed in her honor! Even if my Disney theme park never gets built, I still would like to have the same occur sometime soon!

If anyone has questions, comments, and/or suggestions, please feel free to post; especially since I know there should be!

[lisalovesmickey]

That is a really cool sounding place. Very well thought out and I am sure she would be honored.

Lisa

[tragic312]

i love the annette's restaurant idea. it's a fine tribute to her. she should be honored for all that she's done. i also hope that a cure for MS will come along soon so that she can appreciate the restaurant. great idea!!

[tinkerbell]

Originally Posted by KentB3

Now that we've discussed the restaurant Annette's, let's get to a more serious subject. This is a wish I would like to make for the opening of my proposed Disney theme park resort I designed on WDWMagic's Imagineer forum and also posted here to DisneyCentral, if/when Disney ever actually builds this park. (hopefully!) My wish is that a cure for MS will be found by the theme park resort's opening day, or that at least her MS symptoms will go into remission, so that Annette Funicello woud be able to appear at and enjoy my new Disney theme park resort as well as the restaurant I designed in her honor! Even if my Disney theme park never gets built, I still would like to have the same occur sometime soon!

If anyone has questions, comments, and/or suggestions, please feel free to post; especially since I know there should be!

I have a comment. I started to cry reading this .. I almost wish I had not read this post but I saw Annette in the topic and had to see what it was about.
I have posted this story before here.. but in June of '92 while we were at WDW Annette introduced her Line of Bears at MK. I have adored her every since I was small and watched the Mickey Mouse Club, and all of her movies (Disney and the Beach Movies) I had to have a Bear and get her to sign it. Meeting her was one of those moments in my life that fit right up there with my marriage and the birth of my children/grandchildren.. When She was brought out for the autograph signing ...she was supported by Brer Bear and her husband. You didnt have to look hard to know something was wrong ..that she was ill. Oh she was so sweet and when my turn came I gushed about how I loved her and all her movies. My DH video taped the time I spent talking to her and her signing the foot of my Bear ( I got the Sweater Bear which I didnt know at the time was her favorite) She didnt rush me along ..she was just the person I knew she would be in real life. I could have stood there all day just being star struck.
We were home about a week when the news told of her M.S. and then we understood why she needed support. She had hid it as long as she could but the trash newspapers were saying she was drunk, so she came out public about it.
When her book came out "A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes" I grabbed the first copy I saw.
In 2002 we were told my husband has M.S. Nothing could have been more of a shock.
So .. that is why your thread made me cry.

[inluvwithdisney]

Great ideas!!! Especially the Annette retaurant!!!! Would't that be great!!!

[KentB3]

Originally Posted by tragic312

i love the annette's restaurant idea. it's a fine tribute to her. she should be honored for all that she's done. i also hope that a cure for MS will come along soon so that she can appreciate the restaurant. great idea!!

I think you summed it up best! I couldn't have said this better myself!

Anyway, I'm glad you enjoyed my Annette's restaurant proposal. Looks like she has quite a few fans!

[KentB3]

I now have a new idea for Annette's. Since I dedicated this restaurant to her, some of the restaurant's funds/profits would be used for MS research, in case a cure for Multiple Sclerosis has not been found by then!

This BRILLIANT and very thoughtful idea actually came from one of my fellow WDWMagic members, where I also post.

Get well soon Annette! We miss you!