Cal Screamin' Chip 'n Dale Close Up

June 25, 2011

Hello Friends, I'm sorry about the delay on this posting. My adorable husband took this long to forward the pictures to me that he took with his camera phone. I'm going to start bringing my own camera! And I tried posting yesterday, but due to technical difficulties, I couldn't do it.

We had a fabulous weekend at the Disney Resort. Walt's birthday, the big five-o, was on Sunday. To celebrate, we booked a room at the Paradise Pier Hotel for Saturday night. Paradise Pier is one of the 3 hotels on the Disney property. The theme of the hotel is the beach and surf and sand. It's a lovely, comfortable hotel.

We had a "concierge" room which had some great perks. There's a concierge lounge that's only for special guests like us. They have complimentary snacks and cold beverages all day. From 5 to 7 each evening there are hot appetizers and wine and beer - again complimentary. In the morning there is a nice continental breakfast.

We had the option of going into either of the parks before it opened to the public, but we chose to sleep in instead. But here's the best perk of all. We each got two Fast Passes that can be used on any Fast Pass ride at any time. Unlike traditional Fast Passes, you can hold them simultaneously with other Fast Passes. We didn't have to use them during our stay - they're good until September. We will definitely be saving those to avoid some long lines.

Did you know that you can get a free birthday pin on your birthday? Just go to City Hall on Main Street and tell them it's your special day. They have pins for other occasions too. When wearing a birthday pin, almost every Disney employee wishes you Happy Birthday when you go by. It makes you feel special.

Inside Chip 'n Dale Treehouse

On Saturday evening we finished the "C" attractions. Our first stop was the Chip 'n Dale Treehouse in Mickey's Toontown. Ho hum. It's a big fake tree with a spiral staircase up the middle. After climbing the staircase you exit the tree on a platform and walk down another staircase back to ground level. Don't get me wrong, the tree is very cute. It's just not much of an attraction.

Chip 'n Dale Treehouse

We headed down Main Street to exit the park but stopped at far end of the street. The flags were being lowered from the flagpole and the Disneyland band played the Star Spangled Banner while we all sang. I asked a cast member why they were doing this, and he said it is a daily ceremony. After the flags were folded the band played a couple more patriotic songs while the Disneyland singers and guests sang along. It's nice to see Disneyland displaying such great patriotism!

At California Adventure, we went to the Hollywood Backlot and the attraction called Character Close Up. This is a small room with various displays on different characters. I assume the displays change regularly. In addition to the wall displays, in the center of the room is a large zoetrope. It is actually very cool. Take a look at the video and see what it does. Because of the concept itself, it's difficult to capture on video, but you'll get the idea. It's much more stunning in real life.

Next we headed for the roller coaster, California Screamin'. The wait was only 10 minutes, so there was no need to use one of our Fast Passes. This is a great ride! Anyone who likes roller coasters, even if you only like them a little, will love this ride. After departing from the loading station the coaster comes to a complete stop. After a short countdown it propels forward at light speed (or so it seems) and heads up the first hill. From that moment to the end of the ride it is nonstop action. There are short hills, long hills, turns, and even a 360 degree loop. The tracks are all steel, and it's a very smooth ride - no jerking or banging around. The extra touch that really makes it unique is the speakers placed next to each and every rider. As the ride progresses, lively, upbeat music is playing and keeps the mood elevated. Exhilarating ride!

This is a shot of the picture taken by the camera on the roller coaster.
Look at the reflection on the lower left. You can see both walt and I.

Tencennial

The following was printed in 1975 in the Disneyland Park Tencennial Promotional Supplement:

In all the world, there is but one Disneyland. Yet Disneyland is many different worlds, by day and by night, for every age and every mood. It is 1890 again on Main Street, U.S.A. and 1980 in Tomorrowland. It is the pioneer's hardy realm, Frontierland, and a jungle safari to far-off worlds in Adventureland. And it is a castle full of dreams - the classic tales of childhood "come to life" in Fantasyland.

I don't think much has changed since then - although there certainly has been a lot of growth. Can you imagine, though, 1980 was considered futuristic!

The List

This is the list I've created to keep track of the rides. In addition to the name of the attraction, the list identifies whether it's at Disneyland (DL) or California Adventure (CA). To the left of the ride name is the land where it can be found; for example Fantasy Land or Hollywood Backlot. On the far left the attractions are numbered. There are a total of 92 attractions. Once we have ridden the ride, we put the date to the left of it. The columns on the right let us know if there is a Fast Pass available and/or if there is a single rider line. (On a few rides, if you ride alone you can go to the front of the line.)

This list is a little wider than a business card, and a full 11" long. It is printed on both sides of a piece of card stock paper. It's folded into 4 sections so that I can keep it in my back pocket. 

Captain EO and Casey's Train

Friday, June 17

Today we started on the C's. Ironically, we had dinner at the Carnation Cafe on Main Street. What a nice little cafe. They have a couple of entrees, such as meatloaf, sandwiches, soup, and salad. It was very good and reasonably priced. It seems to me that eating at Disneyland isn't as expensive as it used to be. Perhaps that's because they know you've already given up your arm and leg just to get into the park.

In front of the Captain EO Theater

Our first attraction today was Captain EO Starring Michael Jackson. Captain EO is a 3-D film starring, you guessed it, Michael Jackson. This 15-minute film was originally made and shown in the 1980's. The folks at Disney recently dusted it off and brought it back to the screen. Wow - did we really look like that in the '80's? It was fun to watch what was basically an extra long music video. Unfortunately, the 3-D technology wasn't updated and my eyes hurt the moment I put the glasses on. I've seen a lot of 3-D movies at the theater lately, and the technology has come a long way. All in all, it was worth it to take a dancing step back in time.

A car in Casey Jr.'s Circus Train

Okay - Casey Jr. Circus Train is meant for kids. I think we were the only adults on the ride without children. It's a small train with a few regular cars and some animal cages, as you can see in the picture. It's interesting to note that the Casey Jr. Circus Train was originally designed to be the park's first roller coaster. That apparently wasn't meant to be, because the ride closed down immediately after it opened and was reworked into the mellow ride it is today.

Buzzing Big Thunder Bakery

We tackled all of the "B" attractions in one day! On Sunday we started at Disneyland and headed straight for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. We picked up a Fast Pass and then headed to Big Thunder Ranch.



Entrance to Big Thunder Ranch



Big Thunder Ranch is basically a petting zoo, but there's also an old-fashioned cabin decorated with furnishings from back yonder. The little tykes can sit and do some arts and crafts. The "Ranch" also has a pen for Maggie, the cow. She wasn't in a talkative mood today.

This is what Daisy the Chihuahua would
look like if she was a cow.

Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters





We left the ranch and headed for Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters. This is a fun interactive ride suitable for all ages. As your vehicle travels through space, each passenger can use their own Astro Blaster to shoot away at hundreds of targets. Your score lights up on a display in front of you every time you make a hit. In addition, either passenger can turn the car a full 360 degrees at any time using the control stick in the car. Walt's a much better shot than I am. My score was 27,800 and his was 73,400. Apparently, Walt's score was also considered low because the high scorer of the day got more than 1 million points.

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad

After the Blaster, we went back to ride Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. This is a great classic style roller coaster. The simple lap bar keeps you in place as the car goes up and down hills of various heights and around many curves. The scenery along the way brings you through a mountainous terrain where you can spot all kinds of wildlife. Beware, though, there's blasting going on and the goats got a hold of the dynamite!  It's a fun ride.

Bakery Tour

Our next stop was in California Adventure. The Bakery Tour has been there since it opened. When you first enter the bakery, a Disney employee greets you with a fresh piece of sourdough bread. It was a slow day, so she gave each of us two pieces. (Walt thinks she was flirting with him.) We put our bread in a pocket for now. Via television monitors, Rosie O'Donnell and Colin Mochrie guide the guests along a windowed corridor. They explain the process, and the history, of making sourdough bread. All the while, we can watch it actually being made. At the end of the tour we went into the adjacent restaurant and asked for a pat of butter. Then we sat down and enjoyed our fresh sourdough bread with butter on top. Yum!

 

Autopia, circa 1973


I spent my 13th birthday with my family at Disneyland. It was great, until my older siblings forgot about me and I got lost! When I was finally reunited with my family, my father bought me a Winnie the Pooh plush toy. I still have it.

I took this picture while waiting in line for Autopia.

Coming up - the "B's"

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Coming attractions:

• Bakery Tour (free bread!)
• Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
• Big Thunder Ranch
• Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters

Autopia

What can I say about Autopia? A Disneyland classic since I wasn't even tall enough to see over the dashboard. The new cars are flashy and fun, but the ride has a very strict, and strictly enforced, "no bumping" policy. Then what's the fun? It's still an enjoyable ride and everyone walks away with their own "driver's license."

Ariel's Undersea Adventure & Astro Orbitor

Ariel's Undersea Adventure (CA)

Ariel's Undersea Adventure just opened last week. As a season passholder, we got to ride it before the general public. The long line moved very quickly, which was good, but I was disappointed in the ride itself. It was fairly short and it lacked any pizazz. It was colorful and well done, but as a new attraction I expected something more. Six-year old girls will love it, otherwise I'd wait until the line is 10 minutes or less.

Astro Orbiter (DL)

I loved the Rockets that used to be where the Astro Orbitor is now located. These new rockets, though, are just as good. It was a tight squeeze to get two adults into one ship. I was in front and I got to handle the controls. As the rockets circled around, ascending was fun, but descending was a blast! As we descended, the centrifugal force was very strong and it felt like we were going to fly right out of our seats! We probably had more fun than we should have!

Alice in Wonderland & Animation Academy

Alice in Wonderland

Alice in Wonderland is a classic Disney ride. It's meant for the younger set, but all of the familiar characters make it enjoyable for
all.





Animation Academy (CA)





 Animation Academy on the Hollywood Backlot at California Adventure (CA) is an interactive attraction. An instructor teaches the audience how to draw a familiar Disney character. Each "student" is supplied with a clipboard, paper, and pencil. As the instructor draws and explains the figure, it is shown on a large overhead projection. Walt's finished product is shown here.

The Alphabetical Journey Begins

Walt and I recently bought season passes to Disneyland and California Adventure. Our kids are grown, we have no grandchildren. We've been to Disneyland a million times. (Well, almost.)  

This year, we want to do something a little different. Over the next 12 months our plan is to ride/see every attraction at both parks. To make it a little more interesting, though, we are going to do it in alphabetical order.

We will go alphabetically by first letter, but not within each letter. For example, we might go on Astro Orbitor before Alice in Wonderland, but we will take care of all of the A's before going on to the B's, etc.

I've compiled a list of attractions from the Disney website. If they listed it as an attraction, it's on my list. If they didn't list it as an attraction, it's not on the list.

We've already finished the A's which are:

• Alice in Wonderland
• Animation Academy
• Ariel's Undersea Adventure (new!)
• Astro Orbitor
• Autopia

Future posts will tell you about each attraction after we mark it off of our list. Pictures will be included when possible.