This trip was one of the rare times David and I didn’t go together. So this trip report will be the sole opinion of yours truly, Robert.
When my girlfriend and I arrived to the park, the first thing we wanted to see was the Mary Blair tribute at the Disney Gallery. They did an excellent job putting together a fitting tribute to one of the great Disney artists. Her work is so original and colorful. I could look at it for hours. To go along with Mary Blair’s art, they also had maquettes from “it’s a small world” on display. Those were very neat to see in person.
Off to the side in the Gallery is a little room where it appears an artist has been at work. I really like this room and it now displays some great Haunted Mansion drawings. The room is a nice detail that only Disneyland can do. It doesn’t need to be there, but the addition of it really adds to the magic.
After the Gallery, we walked straight into Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln. I really love that show. The Lincoln animatronic looked incredible. The way his lips move is amazing. He really pronounces each word with his lips. It’s a technological marvel.
We then walked by Star Tours to see if they would let us on, but we had no luck. They were doing Cast Member previews and boy did that make me jealous! I want to be in there!
Then came Pirates of the Caribbean. This was the first time I had been on the ride since the big premiere for “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides”. It looks like they adjusted the lighting and effects to make it look extra nice for the premiere. The fighting pirates shadow near the cannonball scene was looking great. Lately those shadows were fading so much that you could barely see what was going on. Now you can see every detail. There wasn’t anything else new to report, but each pirate looked great.
We were starting to get hungry after Pirates, so we grabbed a bite to eat at The French Market. I really like the food there. I usually get the roast beef and it’s very good. The mashed potatoes are by far the best thing on the menu!
After filling our rumbly tumblies, we went to the Haunted Mansion. It was a great ride once again, but Madame Leota was back to her stationary self. The Raven sitting on the tree branch at the entrance of the graveyard is now back. Also, we got Ezra as our hitchhiking ghost in our doombuggy. I’m always very happy when that happens as he is my favorite hitchhiker.
We then made our way to Fantasyland where we went on a classic: Casey Jr. Circus Train. It really is a great ride and it goes faster than you expect. It is best at night too. You see all the twinkling lights from Storybook Land down below. We also sat in the caboose, which adds a little something to the thrill.
We then wanted to go on Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride, but as we got in line, it had just broke down. You should have seen the sad look on my face…
So we went over to Pinocchio’s Daring Journey. Pinocchio is my favorite Disney film and I love the ride. Keep an eye open in the Pleasure Island scene for a Hidden Mickey in the form of popcorn!
We ended our night with Snow White’s Scary Adventures which may be my favorite Fantasyland dark ride. It is so scary, especially when you ride alone. And those new special effects are really terrific!
Feel free to add comments below. Tell me what you like. Tell me what you don’t like. What would you like me to discuss? Are there things you want me to elaborate on? Thanks guys!