"D"-lightful - Part 1

July 30, 2011

What a delightful day at the Disneyland resort. Instead of our usual couple of hours, we were there all day. We got there at 1:00 with Natalie (Cindy's niece) and Ryan (Natalie's boyfriend). Later, at 7:00, we also met up with Wade and Alexis (Walt & Cindy's son and his girlfriend). Walt and I left at about 10:30, while the youngsters stayed a little later.

Rachel entertaining the kids at Disney

Junior - Live on Stage!

We did so much today! Let me start, though, by giving a shout-out to Rachel, a Disney cast member. (Rachel, I hope you don't mind that I'm posting your picture.) We met Rachel outside of Disney Junior - Live on Stage! She was asking trivia questions and just being all-around nice. Thanks, Rachel!

Ryan, Natalie, and Walt are waiting for the
show to begin.

Disney Junior - Live on Stage! is just what the name implies. It's a live stage show with a few real people and lots of real muppet-type puppets. Apparently, I was too old for this show because I didn't know who any of the characters portrayed by the puppets were. The target audience seemed to be under 6 years old. Nevertheless, it was a well done show and the kids obviously loved it.



Inside the Aladdin Theater

Today we also went to see Disney's Aladdin - A Musical Spectacular. This live broadway style show is in a big beautiful theater at the end of the Hollywood Backlot street in California Adventure. The show started, and we settled in to watch. After the first few minutes, the grand background music and narration came to a dead stop. There were 3 performers on stage just about to start their scene. At first, I thought this was a dramatic pause. But after many long seconds, 2 of the actors left the stage, the third jumped into the mouth of the large cave on set. The curtains came down. An annnouncement said that due to technical difficulties, the show would be postponed. We waited for about 5 minutes, and the show resumed. After the first act, the curtain came down for what we thought would be a scene change. We waited for the curtain to go back up. We waited. The curtain did not go back up. Instead, that same announcer from earlier stated that due to technical difficulties, the show was now cancelled!  Boo hoo. This show only plays a few times a day, and we knew we wouldn't be able to go back again today. Disney's Aladdin has not yet been crossed off of our list. :(

My next post will continue with Davy Crockett, Disney Princesses, Donald's Boat, and more. Stay tuned!

Disneyland Ad from Yesteryear

About half of Disneyland's guests have always been local residents. Here is an old ad encouraging people to come to the park.

Disney Dates

You probably know that Disneyland opened in 1955. But what about these other Disney properties? Check your answers below.

1. Which was opened first?
a) Tokyo Disneyland
b) Disneyland Resort Paris
c) Hong Kong Disneyland

2) When was the Magic Kingdom Park in Florida opened?
a) 1971
b) 1976
c) 1982

3) Put these Disney properties in order by the date they opened:
a) Disney's Animal Kingdom Park (Florida)
b) Blizzard Beach (water park, Florida)
c) Disney's California Adventure Park (California)
d) Disney's Hollywood Studios (Florida)

Answers:

1. a) Tokyo Disneyland, which opened in 1983. Disneyland Resort Paris opened in 1992. Hong Kong Disneyland opened in 2005.

2. a) 1971 is when the Magic Kingdom Park opened. Epcot Center opened in 1982.

3. d) Disney's Hollywood Studios, 1989 
b) Blizzard Beach, 1995 
a) Animal Kingdom, 1998
c) California Adventure, 2001.

Dumbo Monorail.5



After the ride, we found this stationary elephant
waiting for his picture to be taken.

 Can you guess what year the movie Dumbo was released? While you're thinking about that, I'll tell you about the Dumbo ride, which is consistently one of the park favorites for the little kids. It is a very nice ride for the young ones. Many of the rides in Fantasyland contain a scary element (e.g. Alice in Wonderland), but there's nothing scary about flying elephants. (Did I really just say that?) Two passengers can sit side-by-side in each "car". I prefer this seating arrangement to the front/back arrangement of the Astro Orbitor Rockets. Seating is more comfortable this way and either passenger can then control the altitude. I can see why it's a fun ride for the younger set, but it doesn't hold much attraction for us big kids.

Walt standing at the Downtown Disney
Monorail station.

There are two stations for the Disney Monorail. One starts outside of the park, at Downtown Disney. To board, you must already have a ticket to the park. The train takes you into the park and makes its only other stop in Tomorrowland, where all passengers must debark. On today's trip we only rode this half of the monorail, so I'll be reporting again when we do the other half.

Did you guess when the movie Dumbo was released?  It was 1941!

Disneyland This 'n That

July 9, 2011

I don't remember the first time I visited Disneyland, but I know I was very young. My father would take my sisters and I at least once a year when we came to visit him. It was a very special treat. As the years went by and I became a young adult, I would come with my friends to just hang out. One of my first dates with Walt was at Disneyland. As a mom, I would often bring the kids and suddenly, I was seeing Disneyland through different eyes. And now, Walt and I are seeing it again on our own. (We hope to someday enjoy the park with our grandchildren - but no hurry!)

At different ages I've had different reasons for coming to Disneyland, and a different outlook on the park each time. As a child, it was full of awe and wonder. As a teenager, it was a grown up playground. As an adult (before kids) it was adventurous and exciting. As a mom, it was all about the kids and passing the awe and wonder on to them. Now, it's about spending time with my husband, watching other people enjoy the park, and re-experiencing all of the happy moments of the past.

I'm really glad Walt and I agreed to visit every attraction. There are attractions I might not have visited because, after so many visits, some things just become invisible. Or, if I saw something 20 or 30 years ago, I might have felt like I didn't need to see it again. (Wrong!)

Today, we experienced a couple of attractions that I normally would have walked right by.

Let's start on Main Street with "The Disneyland Story Presenting Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln." This is really two attractions in one. The Disneyland Story is an exhibit highlighting the history of Disneyland park. There are a lot of interesting things to learn about how the park was developed and how it progressed through the years. In addition to the wall hangings and display cases in the exhibit, there is also a film narrated by Steve Martin and Donald Duck. It's worth taking a few minutes to sit and watch the film.

Next to the Disneyland Story exhibit room, there is the ante room for the Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln show. The show, in a large plush theater, starts with a film about Abraham Lincoln. Then, Mr. Lincoln himself (rather an amazingly lifelike animatronic version of him) talks about liberty and this great country of ours. Once again, I take my hat off to Disneyland for inspiring patriotism and showcasing our great land.

The Disney Gallery is on Main Street, near the front entrance. I believe this is the gallery that used to be above Pirates of the Caribbean, but I'm not sure. The Gallery features artwork related to Disneyland, and changes from time to time. While not a "kick up your heels" exciting attraction, it's a nice diversion from the busy park.

Tonight we stayed to watch the nightly fireworks show, which I haven't done in years. We stood in the middle of Main Street, along with thousands of other people, and watched the grand show explode over Sleeping Beauty Castle. The fireworks were choreographed with music and, of course, Tinkerbell flew by in grand fashion. Tink wasn't the only one flying, though. Dumbo made a winged appearance as well! It was a great show that everyone should stop and watch at least once.

Disneyland Railroad

Oh shame on me! We started the D's on June 26 (the 2nd day of our weekend getaway) and I'm just now writing about it. My apologies!

The Disneyland Railroad has 4 stops. At each stop, passengers can get on or off the train.

Trivia: It was originally known as the Santa Fe and Disneyland Railroad.



I like this picture because, unintentionally,
Walt's image was caught in the reflection.



First leg: Main Street to New Orleans Square - on the way the scenery includes Native Americans and wildlife in the brush.



Second leg: New Orleans Square to Toontown - The New Orleans terminal is interesting but the journey to Toontown is uneventful.



A bit of trivia - The mayor of the real New Orleans was at the dedication for Disney's New Orleans square. He commented that it looked like the real thing, but he was dismayed when Mr. Disney pointed out that the new one was much cleaner.

Third leg: Toontown to Tomorrowland -Nothing exciting. Okay, honestly, I don't remember. 

Fourth leg: Tomorrowland to Main Street - There is a lot built into this stretch exclusively for the train passengers. You'll pass through the Grand Canyon and view abundant wildlife. You'll also travel back in time for a look at the dinosaurs in their natural habitat.