Many Many M's

There are 14 "M" attractions at Disneyland & California Adventure. We've already told you about 2 of them, so let's continue.

What do you think of when you think Disney and something starting with M? How about Mickey and Minnie Mouse? They both have their own houses at Mickey's Toon Town in Disneyland.

At Mickey's House & Meet Mickey you can meander through Mickey's house before actually meeting Mickey. The house is cute and the decor is, well, animated. After your self guided tour of the house, there's a waiting room where cartoons are playing on a big screen. After waiting for a few minutes, we got to go in and meet Mickey himself!

Minnie's House is very similar. We walked through the house and got to see how Minnie lives. There was not, however, the opportunity to meet Minnie there. I guess she was busy somewhere else in the park.

Award Wieners

Before I tell you about Award Wieners, (yes, that's really the name of the restaurant), let me tell you about our restaurant rating system. We'll rate each restaurant on a scale of 1-5 (5 is best) based on 4 criteria.

• Ambiance 
• Service
• Food Presentation
• Food Taste

We'll take those 4 scores and average them for the overall rating. Keep in mind - we are not food critics! We're not going to evaluate the quality of the ingredients or the name of the chef or the fact that they put this sauce with that garnish or whatever. All we care about is how it looks and how it tastes to our simple, ordinary palate.

Now on to Award Wieners. Cute name, eh? It's a window service restaurant on the Hollywood Backlot at California Adventure. They serve, well, wieners. All types of hot dogs and sausage. After ordering and receiving your order at the window, there are outdoor tables in a covered area to sit and eat.

Overall rating - 3.5
Ambiance - 3
Service - 4
Food Presentation - 3
Food Taste - 4

Alas - The Dining Begins

Our first restaurant on the alphabetical list turned out to be a new discovery for us. We didn't know that the Alfresco Lounge at the Golden Vine Winery was even there. It's adjacent to the Wine Country Trattoria in California Adventure. It's a great find! It's an outdoor lounge that's primarily for alcoholic beverages. There's a full bar. You can order appetizers, but there are only about half a dozen to choose from. There are couches and comfy chairs, as well as regular dining style tables. It's quiet and cozy with a nice view of the park. 


The "Magical Star Cocktail" came with a light-up color-changing "ice cube."

The "Rustic Bruschetta" was delicious!

 



Overall Rating - 4.5 (out of 5)

Ambiance - 4

Service - 4 (friendly, but slow)

Food presentation - 5

Food taste - 5



Mickey & Mater

Cindy & Walt in the "Cage"

On Friday, 11/16, we rode Mickey's Fun Wheel at California Adventure. It's a giant ferris wheel, but with a twist. Instead of benches to sit on, there are cages, 24 total, that can each seat up to 6 people. There are two types of cages - stationary and swinging. The swinging ones glide back and forth on a circular track as the ferris wheel goes around. And they swing a lot! I just about fell out of my seat. It's a fun ride, but more time is spent loading and unloading the cars then anything else. That is part of the fun, though, because there are great views to be seen from the top.

We met two very nice people on Mickey's Fun Wheel - Ed & Jeanette. They live locally, have been married 44 years, got married on Friday the 13th, and have travelled the world. Jeanette, however, doesn't like heights and screamed every time our car took a big swing!  Ed & Jeanette - it was great to meet you!

Next we rode Mater's Junkyard Jamboree, another innovative new ride. We sat in a tractor that spun around a track. The seat of the tractor, though, wasn't attached very well, and it swiveled around as the tractor followed its course. I don't like "spinny" rides, but the motion on this was a bit different and a lot of fun.

Mater might be greater, but what is Walt?

Little Luigi

There seems to be a trend here. There were two attractions starting with "J", two with "K", and now two with "L".

Little Mermaid - Ariel's Undersea Adventure is a fairly new attraction at California Adventure. If it sounds familiar, it's because we already rode it. When it first appeared on the scene it was listed as "Ariel's Undersea Adventure," so we rode it with the A's. Now, though, it's listed under the L's, so we rode it again. It hasn't changed. :)

It's a cute little ride for younger children, but doesn't hold much appeal for us big kids. The picture at right shows Wade & Wyatt in the "Clamshell" the first time we rode it.

Luigi's Flying Tires is one of the new rides in Cars Land at California Adventure. The Flying Tires are bumper cars - but with a new twist. You "steer" the car (actually it's a huge tire) by leaning left, right, forward, or back. It takes getting used to, but it's a lot of fun.

LET"S EAT --- 85 TIMES!!!

As if riding all the rides in alphabetical order isn't enough, now we will eat at every restaurant at the Disneyland Resort in Alphabetical Order. You heard right... EVERY restaurant at the Disneyland Resort - not just the parks! This means every restaurant at:

• Disneyland
• California Adventure
• Downtown Disney
• Disneyland Hotel
• Paradise Pier Hotel
• Grand Californian Hotel

There are currently 85 such establishments. (Food carts are not included.)

Here's how it will work. We'll go in order by letter, but not within the letter. In other words, we'll do all the "C's" before the "D's". But, we might eat at the Cozy Cone Motel before we eat at Cafe Orleans. The exceptions will be for the "fancy" restaurants. For example, Ariel's Grotto and Blue Bayou. These restaurants often require reservations, and we don't always plan our visits in advance. Plus, they're expensive! So we might have to save up before we go. :)

Here's a preview of upcoming locations:

• Alfresco Lounge at the Golden Vine Winery (California Adventure)
• Ariel's Grotto (California Adventure)
• Award Wieners (California Adventure)
• Bayside Brews (California Adventure)
• Bengal Barbecue (Disneyland)
• Big Thunder Ranch Barbecue (Disneyland)
• Blue Bayou (Disneyland)
• Boardwalk Pizza & Pasta (California Adventure)
• Cafe Orleans (Disneyland)
• Carnation Cafe (Disneyland)
• Cathay Circle Lounge (California Adventure)
• Cathay Circle Restaurant (California Adventure)
• Catal Restaurant (Downtown Disney)
• Clarabelle's (Disneyland)
• Clarabelle's Hand-Scooped Ice Cream (California Adventure)
• Cocina Cucamonga Mexican Grill (California Adventure)
• Coffee House (Disneyland Hotel)
• etc.

So keep a watch on the blog - and watch us get fat! Actually, that is NOT the plan. We will continue to maintain our stylish physiques while eating at every restaurant at the Disneyland Resort! ;-)

Kings Go Round and Round

There are two "K" attractions, and they're very similar. The first is King Arthur Carousel at Disneyland, the other is King Triton's Carousel at California Adventure.



Walt and Wyatt ride King Arthur's Carousel - a traditional merry-go-round.

Wyatt rides King Triton's carousel. Instead of horses, guests ride on various water animals.

King Triton is posing like Walt. (Or is it the other way around?)

In 1955 Walt Disney said, "Fantasy Land is a wonderful land of fairy tales come true within the walls and grounds of a great medieval castle whose towers loom seventy feet in the air. In the middle of the Castle grounds stands a magnificent carousel in the theme of King Arthur and his Knights. In this land of fantasy we find the settings from the fairy tales.

Ride through Snow White's adventures in the Seven Dwarfs mining car...through the diamond mines - the enchanted forest - past the cottage of the Seven Dwarfs reliving Snow White's adventures.

Walk through the wonderful experiences of Alice in Wonderland, as the White Rabbit takes you down the rabbit-hole, through the maze of doors, the Rabbit's House, past The Singing Flowers, Dodo Rock, the Mad Hatter's Tea Party, climaxing in the courtroom of the Queen of Hearts.

Fly through the air with Peter Pan, over London...past Big Ben clock...beyond the second star to the right for Never-Never Land."

If Never Land is real, I think it can be found at Disneyland!

Jungle Jumpin!

There are 2 "J" attractions:


Jumpin' Jellyfish at California Adventure is meant for the younger kids. Two riders board the "jellyfish" which then rises up far above the ground. (But not too far.) As the jellyfish rotate slowly around the center pole, they gradually drop back down to earth. Weeeeeee.



Cindy and Wyatt on the Jellyfish.

The Jungle Cruise is another of my favorite Disney rides, mainly because of the memories it holds. Passengers board a boat and head down a jungle river. "There are many adventures" along the densely forested way including wild animals (some tame, some not-so-tame) and wild savages. It's a bit corny, and the boat operator adds corny jokes and one-liners along the way. But here's why I love it. When I was a kid, I thought the animals were real. I was amazed! How cool is that to see wild African animals at Disneyland!!! 

Wyatt, Walt, and Cindy ready to cruise the jungle river.

It's a Small World After All

I love, love, It's a Small World. It's more than a ride - it's a philosophy. These are the lyrics to the song that plays throughout the ride:

It's a world of laughter
A world of tears
It's a world of hopes
And a world of fears
There's so much that we share
That it's time we're aware
It's a small world after all

It's a small world after all
It's a small world after all
It's a small world after all
It's a small, small world

There is just one moon
And one golden sun
And a smile means
Friendship to every one
Though the mountains divide
And the oceans are wide
It's a small world after all

It's a small world after all
It's a small world after all
It's a small world after all
It's a small, small world

I have been riding this ride since the first time I came to Disneyland. It never gets old. The ride takes you by boat through the whole world, where you see people of all cultures singing, dancing, enjoying life. Of course, they're all animatronic characters, but they're all delightful. When you get off the ride, you can't help singing or humming that song for the rest of the day.

I took this picture in front of It's a Small World in 1972. It looks the same today.

Let's Get This Mouse Rolling (Again)

Hello Fans! I hope the three of you are doing well. :)
I have been woefully negligent about keeping up this blog. My apologies. It's not because I haven't been going to Disneyland. I don't have a good excuse.

However... I'm going to get this going again. At least for now. So, please come back often and tell your friends about it too. And write some comments for me! That way I'll feel like this isn't all for naught.

Where did I leave off? We were on the letter "I". Since my last post, I have been to the parks numerous times. I finished the I's, the J's, the K's, and L's, and am currently on M. Oh yes, I am way behind on my blog!!!

My sisters and I (from Lto R: Judy, Sue, Cindy) at Disneyland, circa 1970

Due to the opening of Cars Land at California Adventure, I have made an updated list. The obsolete attractions that have been removed from my list are:

• ElecTRONica
• Mission Tortilla Factory
• Tangled

The new attractions that are on the list are:

• Art of Frankenweenie Exhibition
• Luigi's Flying Tires
• Mater's Junkyard Jamboree
• Merida and Friends
• Radiator Springs Racers
• Rapunzel & Flynn Rider
• Red Car Trolley

Luckily, there is only one new attraction that's early in the alphabet. As soon as we could, we saw the Art of Frankenweenie Exhibition. I'll talk more about it in a future post.

I have one more piece of exciting news. In addition to our Alphabetical Disney attraction list, we've started another list that we are going to work on concurrently.  FOOD!!!! All of the restaurants at the Disney Resort. Watch for a future posting with more details.

Thanks for reading, and come back soon!

We're not in Kansas anymore...

Hello everyone! I am temporarily suspending my Disney postings because I am in Europe! Yesterday we went to LegoLand in Denmark. I would attach a picture, but when I log into Google it's all in Danish and I can't figure it out! I'll try next time I have internet access. :) Happy Days :)

"I" Love Mother's Day

On Mother's Day (May 13), Walt and I went to Disneyland and were joined later in the day by both of our sons. What a great way to spend the day.

Indiana Jones Adventure - I've only ridden this ride once or twice before, and it's been a couple of years. I was very pleased - it was better than I remember it. I think they must have made some changes. I remembered it being a very herky-jerky ride, but this time it was much smoother. The sights throughout the ride are reminiscent of Indiana Jones' journey, complete with wild turns, drops, etc. Just getting to the ride is an adventure as well. We enter the pyramid and traverse through a maze of underground tunnels before hopping into our "Jeep."


Innoventions - When I was a little girl, I remember going into the building where Innoventions is now and seeing something totally different, but with the same idea. Back then, an audience was seated theater style facing a stage. On stage, was the house of the future! We'd see a room full of automated machines and gizmos and it was all so amazing. Then, the stage curtain would close and the stage would actually move. The stage was a large circle that rotated to reveal multiple rooms, one at a time.

Today, the attraction is still all about the future, but it's set up quite differently. There are two floors of interactive exhibits. We also attended a demonstration of a household robot that walks and talks and helps you around the house. This is a great attraction for all ages. Take your time here, because there's a lot to see. The video above shows Wyatt dancing to an XBox game. Unfortunately, you can't hear Michael Jackson singing Thriller as Wyatt imitates moves he sees overhead. Look at the screen behind him, there's a shadow image of him dancing in the video.

My next post will be about It's a Small World - one of the best attractions ever!

Grizzly Ghosts? and Hello Students!

Before we get back on the ride, so to speak, I have to send a shout out to my wonderful students. Today was the last day of class, and my last day teaching. What a great send-off my students gave me. Cards and gifts and food and, most importantly, affection. A number of students signed the board, as you'll see in the picture.  Students, I miss you already!

Another side trip...
Do you know what tomorrow is??  It's the opening of Cars Land and the Grand Re-Opening of Disney's California Adventure.  But, we won't be there. As season passholders, we entered a lottery to see it early, but no luck. And I'm guessing tomorrow there will be a million and one people. (Usually there are only a million people. Adding one more just tips the scales!)  But, do you know what this means?  A number of new attractions and I have to update my attraction list. What do I do about the attractions that start with a letter we've already done? Give my your opinion as a comment below.

And now, back to the park for our final "G".  Grizzly River Run at California Adventure. This is much like other water rides. Six passengers get in a round boat and float merrily along the river. But, oh my! There are rapids up ahead. The boat jostles about, the water splashes, and just when it gets calm again, watch out! We drop down thousands of feet to the pool below. (Well, maybe not thousands.)

Ask anyone who's ever ridden a water ride with me and they will tell you I'm a water magnet. I always get soaked, even if other riders in the boat barely get wet. This day was no exception. It's a fun ride, though, and a good way to cool off on a warm day.

Back at Disneyland we had a great stroke of luck. We were walking by the Haunted Mansion just as they took the rope down from across the line entry. It had been closed and just reopened. We were the first ones in! I love the Haunted Mansion! It hasn't changed much since I was a kid. My favorite parts: "There are no windows and no doors!"; the fortune teller with her crystal ball; and the hitchhiking ghosts. (I didn't know until I was an adult that the first room you go in is actually an elevator, and the walls don't stretch up as I thought, but the room goes down.)

Next time: We spent the day at the parks on Mother's Day and finished the I's, J's, K's, and L's. Come back soon and read all about it!

Heimlich's Tough!

Disney's California Adventure opened on February 8, 2001. Which of the following was NOT opened that same day? (Answer at the end.)

1. King Triton's Carousel
2. Jumpin' Jellyfish
3. Golden Zephyr
4. Heimlich's Chew Chew Train
5. It's Tough to be a Bug!

When you enter Bugs Land you are transformed to the size of a little bug. If you don't believe me, look at the picture on the left. We are standing on the ground looking up, and these clovers tower above our heads.

April 20 - Two more attractions at California Adventure round our day:

Heimlich's Chew Chew Train is a ride designed for the little bugs in the family. The train travels through discarded food and wrappers, such as the chewed up watermelon shown here. A fun little ride.





It's Tough to Be a Bug! is a 3-D film and show full of fun and surprises. The theater is inside a giant tree, where we meet creepy crawler critters large and small. To say this show is just a movie is like saying Mickey is just a mouse! The on-screen action involves some awesome 3-D adventure. We also meet a larger than life animatronic Hopper (a grasshopper). During the course of the show we get sprayed by poisoinous creatures, poked by bees, and recoil at the giant spiders climbing down from the ceiling. Skiddish children - be warned. Skiddish adults - man up and comfort the kids! All in all, it's a fun show and shouldn't be missed.

Cindy wears her "bug eyes" while waiting for the show.

  
Answer: Heimlich's Chew Chew Train opened on 10/7/2002. The other attractions all opened the same day as Disney's California Adventure park. 

Golly Gosh Gee G g

There are SIX "G" attractions at the Disneyland resort. Before we get into the G's, though, there's going to be a change coming soon. The new Cars Land is set to open at Disney's California Adventure next month. With that, there will also be some new attractions. I'll have to modify my list. When I do, you'll be the first to know. :)  Because of the the major remodel at the park, we've already had to cross one item off of the list, and I'm not happy about it!

The Mission Tortilla Factory is permanently closed. I loved that place. Where else could you learn the history of authentic Mexican tortillas? Where else could you actually see tortillas being made in a mini, but fully working factory? Where else could you watch cooking demonstrations using the freshly made tortillas? But most importantly, where could you get a free, freshly made tortilla, hot off the machine, every time you walked through??? It was still warm! (Then we'd walk across the way to the bakery, get a pat of butter, and, mmmmmmmmm delicious!)  But alas, no more. The tortilla factory is gone.

There is a small light at the end of this tortilla tunnel, though. It's being replaced by a Ghiradelli chocolate cafe. I don't know much about it, but all you had to say was chocolate, and I'm in!

But let's get back to the G's. During our previous visit (April 13) we went to Goofy's Playhouse and the Games of the Boardwalk. On our current visit (April 20) we went to Gadget's Go Coaster, Golden Zephyr, and Goofy's Sky School.


Gadget's Go Coaster is a great roller coaster for little kids. It's located in Mickey's Toon Town in Disneyland. There's a nice drop and twists and turns, but nothing too harsh or scary. Adult roller coaster fanatics need not apply.

 The Golden Zephyr (Calif. Adventure) is also aimed at a younger audience, but can be enjoyed by anyone who likes to go round and round. That's about all it does - go round and round. And oh yeah, it also goes up and down while it goes round and round.

Goofy's Sky School (Calif. Adventure) is another roller coaster. When the park first opened, it was called Mulholland Madness and was wildly popular. It's still the same ride, but I wonder if they slowed it down. It doesn't seem as exciting as it used to be. It starts with a long, steep climb. The funnest part is when you get to the top. The track makes numerous  sharp "U-turns" back and forth. With each turn, you feel like your car is either going to keep going straight and miss the turn, or while making the sharp turn that it might be too sharp and you'll tip over. Then, you head down and up and down and up and down until you get back to the beginning.

Next up: Haunted Mansion and Heimlich's Chew Chew Train.



D-E-F-G-H-I-aye-aye

Our last visit to Disneyland was on April 20, and it was a great one! We conquered our last D, finished the F's, G's, and H's, (E's were already done), and started on the I's. It's far too much to put into one post, so I'll spread it out over a few. Then, we went again on May 13 and finished the I's, J's, K's, and L's. Buckle in, folks, we've got lots to do!

D is for Duffy the Disney Bear. We had tried to see him a few times back when we were actually on the D's, but he's an elusive critter. We finally caught up to him and were honored to have our picture taken in his presence. So - who is Duffy the Bear? I don't know! But he's big and cute and has his own picture taking "throne" in California Adventure's Paradise Pier area.

Notice in the picture that we are a bit WET! We saw Duffy after riding Grizzly River Run. That's the high-adventure water flume ride in California Adventure. It's your typical water ride with lots of twists and turns and jostling about in the large round boat. It's not the big final drop that gets you wet though, it's the numerous shorter drops on the way there. And of course, like usual, I attract the most water and ended up virtually soaked from head to toe!

But let's back up in the alphabet. With Duffy, we finished the D's. We had already finished the E's. There was one "F" to finish, and that was the Fantasmic show they plays only at night. Fantasmic is an extremely popular outdoor show. People start "camping out" hours ahead of time to be able to see it. Walt and I aren't very patient when it comes to waiting for shows, so we paid for reserved seating. It was expensive, and I don't know that it was worth the money, but it was truly a worthwhile experience. Instead of sitting on the ground, we were provided with folding chairs in a roped off/reserved area with premium viewing. We had "servers" who offered us complimentary (rather, already paid for) coffee, tea, water, or hot chocolate. Then, each guest received a wonderful snack and dessert tray. It included fresh fruit, cheese and crackers, and a marvelous variety of desserts beautifully presented.

The show itself was great. The "stage" for much of the show was a wall of water. The wall of water became a screen for projected images. But there was so much more. As we looked across the water to the island in the center of the lake, we were entertained by Mickey Mouse himself and many others. The show also included boats traversing across the lake with everyone from pirate scalliwags to princesses and virtually every Disney character there is. An entertainment delight!

Coming next... Gadget's Go Coaster, Golden Zephyr, Goofy's Sky School, and more!

"G" - It's Not Supposed to Rain at Disneyland!

After a long hiatus, we're back! And we chose a heck of day to return. True to the song about California, it wasn't raining it was POURING! For hours and hours! By the time we left, we were soaked head to toe. That didn't stop us though, from fitting in a couple more attractions.

Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage brings back special childhood memories for me. As a young girl, I was enchanted by the voyage deep under water. And believe me, I was very disappointed when I found out that the submarines don't really submerge. How could they not? I saw the bubbles rising and everything! The ride has since underwent a major remodel and it is now themed around Nemo and his underwater friends. It's still a great journey for all ages, especially if you're a fan of the movie.

The Frontier Shootin' Exposition costs 50 cents, and you try your hand at shooting a number of targets. (Light activated?) I don't think it's changed in 40 years.

Goofy's Playhouse in Mickey's Toontown is just that - a play area for little kids. Nothing special here, but it looks like a great place for Mom & Dad to sit and rest while the little ones expend some energy.

Games of the Boardwalk are at Paradise Pier in California Adventure. They are typical amusement park/fair games, but the barkers aren't scary people with cigarettes hanging out of their mouths. It costs about $2.50 per game, and I think there are only 4 games there. We played three of them, and won something at each one. The prizes are pretty good considering the price paid.