Category: Disney California Adventure

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Trip Report: October 22, 2011

What’s better than Disneyland on one’s birthday?  Going the day BEFORE your birthday and reaping all the perks of it being your birthday.  However, since this was a Saturday, we had to be strategic.

We showed up to the parks relatively early at about 1pm and took some great pictures of the halloween decor basking in the daylight of this warm October day.  Boy do those colors pop!

My wife, Suzi, headed over to City Hall to grab a birthday pin for me and to try to get us a couple seats on the Lilly Belle while I headed over to Ghost Galaxy to get a fastpass for the evening.  While she had no luck with the Lilly Belle seating, I was able to snag some 10pm fastpasses as well as this neat Captain EO preferred seating pass.

 

I had never seen these before but I love that they do surprises like this from time to time at the fastpass queues.

We then met up at Big Thunder Ranch BBQ for a little birthday lunch.  Since most of our park visits are during the evening, we never get to eat at this daytime eatery but today was my special day and I wanted to gorge.  And gorge we did!  But not before our 45-minute wait time for a table.  So, we used our time wisely and checked out the amazing pumpkin carving and goats next door at Big Thunder Ranch Halloween Roundup.  There will be a post soon with all of the great pumpkins we saw but here’s a little sneak peak!

 

Just before we were sat for lunch, I admired the Norman Rockwell halloween art that was set up around the restaurant.  I really love his style and I think this halloween work is among my favorite of his!  It really captures the imagination and wonder and most importantly the emotion of the holiday through the eyes of these almost cherub-like children.  Absolutely an amazing touch!

 

We were soon anxiously awaiting out meals with some great cowboy-style entertainment.  The trio that was performing we had seen a couple years ago when we came over to the BBQ and they had some really great halloween tunes to share with everyone.  It was really well organized and paced and the food was equally as amazing!  This is definitely a once-a-year type of meal but wow what a meal!  I even got a flour-less chocolate cake for dessert!

 

After lunch, we planned on riding Big Thunder Mountain Railroad but unfortunately it was closed! Not sure what the problem was but we then headed over to Disney California Adventure.  The construction in front is coming along nicely and the detour is becoming increasingly tolerable. The first attraction to which we headed for a fastpass was the appropriately halloween-y Tower of Terror.  I am a new iPhone user so today, the MouseWait app was in full effect and super useful!  Luckily it was only an hour wait so we headed into A Bug’s Land.

Suzi and I have planned for years to use the “Thank You” Chinese food box on Flick’s Flyers as our wedding gift “Thank You” cards.  This is really well done for such a run-of-the-mill attraction.  The details were on-point and the cast members, while chatty, really seemed to enjoy their jobs.  They did some fun voices over the intercom system and even took Suzi and my photo in the Thank You box for us before take-off!

 

Just before we lifted off, the cast member controlling the ride made sure everyone in line and on the ride know that “today [was] a special day in A Bug’s Land because it’s David’s birthday!!!”  It was really a nice touch and away we went for a circular tour of this corner of  the land.  It had some great views of the Tower at angles I had yet to see so I snapped a few shots off before we landed.

 

We then headed over to the Blue Sky Cellar to check out the new exhibits and new imagineer video.  I really liked how this one was done — it was more of a forma documentary style and the filmmakers used a slider and some great voiceover for profiling each imagineer.  And I am not sure if it’s new but the screen on which they show the film looked incredibly clear and vibrant!  It was probably the best looking HD monitor I have ever seen.

After a tear-jerker of a cinematic experience, we wandered over to California Screamin’ when suddenly Suzi spotted Hollywood “celebutant” Ryan Philippe (I Know What You Did Last Summer, Flags of our Fathers, Cruel Intentions) who was there with his son.  It was nice to see him without a plaid vested cast member — he was just out an about on his own. Screamin’ had quite the wait but we rode and it was great.  Cars Land is really coming along and Screamin’ really offers some great views of it!

We then headed over to Suzi’s favorite DCA attraction, The Silly Symphony Swings.  This is so fun at dusk because the sunset behind the Paradise Pier Hotel is always stunning — especially on a chilly autumn evening.  The oranges and ambers really embody the Halloweentime spirit!

 

Before heading back to Disneyland, we redeemed our Tower of Terror fastpasses.  One thing I always notice now is the ceiling of the tower and how clean it is compared to the walls and everything else.  A co-worker pointed this out when she rode for her first time last year and it has stuck with me ever since.  She put it this way, “… if Walt had created this attraction, he would have paid attention to every detail — including the ceiling of the Tower’s lobby scene!”  I couldn’t agree more.

 

While riding, I saw one of the coolest things I have ever seen on the ride.  Usually I hate when peiople bring on things that glow or a sword that lights up or something like that, but the girl in front of my just had one of those glowing necklaces.  It didn’t blink, it wasn’t too bright, it just glowed green.  When the mirror scene happened, we all disappeared into the 5th dimension, her necklace remained seemingly floating in place!  It looked more like we had all become ghosts and one of the invisible ghosts was wearing a glow-y necklace!  It was really neat and I would love to try it with a glow-y hat and glasses!

We then headed back over to Disneyland and went straight to redeem our Ghost Galaxy fastpasses.  The fastpass line went all the way out past the Captain EO queue!  It was so bazaar but after about 15 minutes, we were boarded.  It was a great ride and as Robert had predicted, the hand that follows you has been put into place and follows along perfectly!

 

Unfortunately we were unable to ride Haunted Mansion Holiday, Indy, and even Jungle Cruise due to the crowds, but we were able to walk right into Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room.  How was I wrong for so many years about this incredible attraction?  Unfortunately, there was no Maynard on duty for the evening but a terrific show none the less and the perfect cherry on top of our wonderful visit to the happiest place on earth!

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Disneyland Trip Report: October 16, 2011

This past Sunday, an evening trip to the Disneyland Resort was in store.

When we got to the park, night was already upon us and we were a bit hungry.  So, we went to the new area on Paradise Pier in DCA to get something to eat.  I had pizza and salad.  It was wonderful.  I’m very impressed with the food there.

Wonderful Theming and Food

 

Once we were full, we headed over to The Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Undersea Adventure.  We walked right on and experienced our enchantment under the sea.  It was a great ride as always.

DCA's Newest Attraction

 

We wanted to go to Tower of Terror after the Mermaid, but it was already closing time for DCA.  So we headed over to the original: Disneyland Park!

The Main Entrance!

 

Since everyone was coming over from a closed DCA, it was quite crowded on Main Street.  We decided to do some shopping on Main Street to start our night at the Magic Kingdom.  David bought some really neat Haunted Mansion Holiday pins.

The cavalcade of characters.

 

"I know you're curious to see what's inside...

 

...It's what happens when two holidays collide!"

 

We stopped in the Main Street Cinema for a few minutes and watched old Disney shorts.  I like it in there.  I just wish that they would change the movies that they play inside.  I have seen pictures in the past where they play actual silent movies in the theatre like “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” and “The Phantom of the Opera”.  These are public domain films and they could easily play those for Halloween time.  I think that would be a wonderful little detail and a bit of nostalgia for some people.

The Cinema's Ticket Taker is in the Halloween Spirit!

 

How great would it be if they did this today???

 

The first ride we went on at Disneyland was Casey Jr.’s Circus Train.  We sat in my favorite spot, the caboose.  The ride was really fun.  I can’t get enough of it.

The Ticket Booth

 

We took a stroll through Big Thunder Trail after that and looked at some of the Halloween decorations on display.  They have a really neat pumpkin with a carved skeleton Mickey on it.  I really love walking through Big Thunder Trail at night.  It is so dark and eerie, even when it’s not Halloween!

The Skeleton Mickey Pumpkin

 

The Haunted Mansion Holiday was up next.  It was its usual great self.  I didn’t notice anything different from the previous visit.  I’m wondering if anyone else ever had this issue with the Mansion…  When we left the stretching room, we were in the front of the group exiting the lift.  Now it seems as though people are rushing us to get to their doombuggy, but I like to enjoy the changing portraits.  I like to go at a nice slow pace, but everyone else rushes to get to the “ride” and skips a great part of the attraction.  To me, the ride began when we entered the Mansion in the foyer and I want to experience everything.  It’s frustrating that people don’t take the time to enjoy the wonderful details.

The Haunted Mansion

 

The Little Oogie

 

We ended our night by looking through the New Orleans Square gift shops and spending some time with the Fortune Red Machine.  I love that thing.  The pirate inside looks so neat!

Argh! What will yer fortune be?

 

It was a nice and relaxing trip.  Even though it was short, it was well worth the trip!

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Disneyland Trip Report: Mickey’s Halloween Party

Last Friday, we went to Mickey’s Halloween Party at the Disneyland Resort!  It was my first time going to the event.

It's Party Time!

 

We got to the parks a little early, so we headed over to DCA.  Walking around Buena Vista Street, we could peek behind the walls and see a bit of construction going on.  The whole street is torn up and being worked on.  I’m so excited!

Soon to be Buena Vista Street

 

Carthay Circle Theatre is coming closer to completion and it is looking great.  It will be one of the best structures in the entire Resort!  I also noticed that the cable car posts are now in place.  All of this Buena Vista Street construction is getting me so excited.  The amount of detail going into that part of the park is going to be wonderful.  I can’t wait for it to be finished!

The Theatre and Cable Car Posts

 

The first attraction we visited was the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror.  What a better way to start our Halloween visit?  The ride was excellent.  I did notice that someone wrote their name in the dust on the table in the lobby though.  How dare that “Mike”!

Tower of Terror

 

How Dare That "Mike"!

 

We then made our way to Disneyland to prepare for Mickey’s Halloween Party!  While it was still daylight, we decided to walk around the park and look at different Halloween decorations.   We saw the many blow up Mickey Ghosts and Pumpkins and the changes of Big Thunder Trail.  We wanted to go visit Big Thunder Ranch, but it was already closed.  We did get to see the cast members round up the goats though!  That was very fun to watch.  They opened their cage and they all came racing out.

Mickey Ghost

 

Big Thunder Trail During the Day

 

And They're Off!

 

In Frontierland, they also had the Halloween Tree set up from Ray Bradbury’s book.  That was really great.  It is a big tree filled with pumpkins and orange lights.  It is an excellent tribute to a great man: Ray Bradbury.

The Halloween Tree

 

Once the Party started, we walked around the park to take a look at everything at night.  The Haunted Mansion had great lighting for the event, the Rivers of America was filled with fog, and Piratepalooza was in full effect.  The Rivers of America looked so good.  It was so neat to see it filled with that eerie fog.

Fog in the Rivers

 

And even more Fog

 

We decided at that point to ride Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.  There was no line, so we got the very last seat.  It was such a fun ride!  There weren’t any changes for the Halloween event, besides some bats on the outside of the mountain in a mine shaft.  That was pretty neat.

Big Thunder Mountain

 

Bats in the Mine

 

After our runaway train ride, we walked up Big Thunder Trail and everything looked so good at night.  The lighting and fog was really effective.  In the old Nature’s Wonderland cave, they had an eerie light and fog along with sound effects.  Every once in a while, lighting would flash and thunder would sound.  It was great!  It was really great listening to Big Thunder Mountain in the background.  It felt like the ghost train of Nature’s Wonderland was making its way toward us.

At Big Thunder Trail

 

At that point, we got some more candy in Big Thunder Ranch and looked around the area.  They have a ton of expertly carved pumpkins in the area including a hitchhiking ghost pumpkin.  That one was my favorite.  Take a look below at some others:

The Hitchhiking Ghosts Pumpkin

 

The Crying Pumpkin

 

The Little Mermaid Pumpkin

 

Pooh, Hatter, and Nemo Pumpkins

 

We then walked into Fantasyland and visited Pinocchio’s Daring Journey.  It was an excellent ride of my favorite Disney animated film.

The Puppet Show is About to Begin!

 

After we got off of Pinocchio, we saw that there wasn’t a wait for Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride, my favorite Fantasyland Dark Ride.  I drove the motorcar, but I crashed into a train and we were sent to Hell.

Toad Hall

 

During Mickey’s Halloween Party, they have several stations set up to take pictures with your favorite Disney characters.  We decided to walk over to the Villains section and we took pictures with Honest John from “Pinocchio”, the Queen of Hearts from “Alice in Wonderland”, and the Queen from “Snow White”.  The villains really stayed in character and made it fun for the waiting crowd.

With Honest John

 

With the Queen of Hearts

 

With the Queen

 

It was then time for the Halloween fireworks.  While the fireworks themselves were some of the best I have ever seen, I’m not so crazy about the audio that goes with it.  I’m not a huge fan of the updated versions of classic Disney songs, especially the pop version of “Grim Grinning Ghosts”.  Also, the person doing the voice of Jack Skellington doesn’t do the best impression.  Besides that, it was still fun to see those amazing fireworks and to see Zero flying over the castle.  By the way, the back side of the Castle looked so neat.  It kept changing colors and it had a huge spider web projected on it!

The Halloween Fireworks

 

The Back Side of the Castle!

 

After the fireworks, we went on Space Mountain: Ghost Galaxy.  Since the fireworks had just ended, the line was pretty short.  The ride was fun and the ghost that follows your car is back.  That’s my favorite part of the ride and that ghost wasn’t there when I went on it a couple weeks ago.  But now he’s back!

Space Mountain: Ghost Galaxy

 

When we were traveling through Tomorrowland, we saw that they were doing a photo op with Stormtroopers.  So we got in line and took pictures them.  See the result below:

With a Couple of Stromtroopers

 

While walking through the hub of Disneyland, on our way to Frontierland, I heard someone talking very loudly.  I looked over and there was a live scarecrow talking to guests.  It was really great and a good way to keep people entertained while waiting for the parade or fireworks to begin.

The Scarecrow

 

We stopped at Piratepalooza, which was playing “Michael Jackson’s Thriller”, and looked around.  It was a neat little dance party and they had some pretty elaborate pirate skeleton set ups.  One skeleton was dressed like Captain Jack Sparrow.  It was a nice amount of detail for a temporary set up.

Piratepalooza!

 

The Captain Jack Skeleton

 

We were in Frontierland to get in line to take pictures with Halloween versions of Mickey and Minnie.  They were dressed up in their Halloween best and welcomed us to take pictures with them.  See below:

With Mickey & Minnie

 

After getting even more candy, it was then time for the Haunted Mansion Holiday!  The ride was just as great as ever.  Our doombuggy stopped in the ballroom scene, so I was able to get a good picture of the new Gingerbread house.  As much as I love the Haunted Mansion Holiday, I miss the regular Mansion already.  I think that the Haunted Mansion Holiday should just be there for November and December and not include the Halloween season.  But, I believe I’m in the minority with that thinking.

The Haunted Mansion Holiday

 

Even a Gingerbread House Could Be Scary!

 

Since we were already in New Orleans Square, we thought it would be a perfect time to get pictures with Jack and Sally from “Nightmare Before Christmas”.  Take a look at the photos below:

With Jack & Sally

 

With that, our Halloween trip ended.  As we walked through Main Street on our way out, I noticed that City Hall had a huge spider web projected on it, much like the Castle’s web.  It looked really neat.  The entire event was fun, but I don’t think it’s something that I would do every year.  It wasn’t different enough from a regular visit to Disneyland at night.  The big selling point is that you go trick or treating and get as much candy as you want.  If you love candy and want to do some early trick or treating, this event is for you!

A Haunted City Hall

 

Happy Halloween!

 

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Some more Hidden Mickeys!

I am back from my honeymoon!  Thanks to everyone for the well-wishes and love.  We are still catching up but I will post when I can.  I still haven’t made it down to the land since we got back!  Luckily, the entire RSP team is going to Mickey’s Halloween Party this Friday!

More on that later.  For now, check out these few Hidden Mickeys I have been saving up!  Enjoy!

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Disneyland Trip Report: September 25, 2011

Another Sunday means another trip to the Magic Kingdom of Disneyland!

When we arrived, the first thing we did was visit the Disneyland Hotel.  The hotel is still under a lot of construction and I look forward to the changes coming.  In the main lobby, there was no longer the huge painting of Sleeping Beauty’s Castle and the Mickey Mouse statues.  It is just a bare wall, but hopefully they will return.  We then walked over to the Adventureland and Frontierland Towers and enjoyed the artwork inside.  In the Frontierland Tower, they have an amazing model of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.  It has every last detail.  It was really amazing to see in person.  If you are a Disneyland fan and love seeing miniatures of your favorite attractions, please stop by the hotel and see this.  You will not be disappointed!

Where is the Castle Painting?

 

An Example of Hotel Paintings

 

BTMRR Model

 

We were then going to take the Monorail into the park, but they said the the train would not arrive for 30 minutes.  What could possibly be the hold up?  It was strange…  So we ended up walking to the park.

The first thing we did when entering Disneyland was head to the Haunted Mansion to get a fastpass and figure out where we wanted to eat.  We ended up enjoying a nice Mexican meal at Rancho Del Zocalo.  I had a huge burrito and it was delicious.  I recommend it.

The Restaurant Has Great Details

 

We then went over to Disney California Adventure to visit the Blue Sky Cellar.  The stuff they have on Buena Vista Street is wonderful.  There are many things that show the process Imagineers take to create the park.  It was a really neat insight.  Besides having Buena Vista Street details like tiling and flooring, they also had the new Partners maquette for DCA, Red Car Trolley concept art, concept art of new Buena Vista Street Cast Member costumes, and the new attraction posters.  The highlight of the Cellar is the new video which features Imagineers and their ideas for Buena Vista Street.  It was a really great video and it is very evident that they love being Imagineers and are very excited for this project.  Seeing the Imagineers this enthusiastic and proud of what they are doing, makes me that much more excited to see the finished result of Buena Vista Street.  I really think it is going to be one of the best things Imagineering has ever done.

Buena Vista Street Tiling

 

Designing the Red Car Trolley

 

Carthay Circle Theatre Designs

 

Artwork of the new Statue

 

The Maquette of the new Statue

 

Concept Art for Buena Vista Street Cast Member Costumes

 

The New Attraction Posters

 

After seeing what’s to come to DCA in the Blue Sky Cellar, we headed over to my favorite attraction at DCA: The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror.  The wait was short and the ride was great.  I mentioned a few trips ago, that the gift shop had new props inside.  Well those new props are now gone.  No longer is there a TV in the window and the “Get Out of Here Finchley” paper is back in the type writer.  I heard that those props from a couple weeks ago was for a scavenger hunt that Disney was testing.  But having a TV in the window of the gift shop seems like it could be really neat, especially if they were playing episodes of the Twilight Zone!

The Hollywood Tower Hotel

 

"Get Out of Here Finchley!"

 

While walking toward the park exit, I took a good look at the new attraction posters on the construction walls.  I really love them.  They have that classic look of an original Disneyland attraction poster.  I think my favorite may be the poster for the Silly Symphony Swings!

Grizzly River Run Attraction Poster

 

Silly Symphony Swings Attraction Poster

 

We made our way back to Disneyland and the Fireworks had just started.  We stood on Main Street near the Train Station and watched the remainder of the show.  The Remember… Dreams Come True Fireworks sure are amazing.  Every time I see them I am impressed.  It’s no wonder that Disney is still using the same show from six years ago.  If they have something that great, they should keep it.

The Finale

 

The fireworks ended and we made our way to the Haunted Mansion Holiday.  It was a terrific ride.  The queue is so exciting in the Haunted Mansion Holiday.  I love the way the Mansion looks all decked out and the creepy Phantom Manor music adds an eerie touch.

"I Know You're Curious to See What's Inside... It's What Happens When Two Holidays Collide!"

 

After the Mansion, we went over to the Port Royal store, which sells Nightmare Before Christmas and Haunted Mansion stuff.  Inside, they had bone wreaths up for Halloween.  They look like the ones used in the ride during the endless hallway scene.  They really looked great up close.  A great overlay for the store.

A Bone Wreath

 

While Fantasmic! was going on, we thought we would take that time to ride Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.  It was a wise decision as the line was only 5 minutes.  We sat in the back like we always do and it was excellent.  Unfortunately, the rocks in the mine were not moving again, but oh well…  At least the falling rocks projection in the background was still working.  I can’t say how much I love Big Thunder at night.  There is something so magical about it.  It’s scarier and more thrilling.

BTMRR At Night!

 

We got off of Big Thunder and decided to walk around Frontierland and look at some Halloween decorations.  One of the stores has some nice old fashioned decorations out front including a creepy looking pumpkin man, which you can see below:

Creepy?

 

The end of the night was upon us and we had time for one last attraction.  We decided to get a couple Dole Whips and enjoy the Tiki Room.  We were the only ones in the Enchanted Garden and we thought we were going to be alone for the entire show.  But as luck would have it, about ten people came in right before the show started.  No one was in our section, however.  So it still felt like we had our own show.  Maynard was our host again and he did his usual wonderful spiel.  The show looked and sounded great.  We were against the southern most wall and I think that’s my favorite spot.  The sound is excellent in that area and you get a good look at everything in the show.

Dole Whips!

 

An Empty Tiki Room

 

The Magic Fountain

 

Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room ended our evening at the Disneyland Resort.  It was a nice relaxing trip and I can’t wait to be there again.

 

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Disneyland Trip Report: September 10, 2011

Hey everyone!  Robert here.  September 9, 2011 was a big day for us at Remain Seated Please.  David got hitched!  Yes, David married his beautiful bride, Suzi.  After the wedding, what does a Disney fan do, but visit the Magic Kingdom of Disneyland!

Congratulations to David & Suzi!

 

We got to Disneyland around 3pm and visited one of my favorite attractions: Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln.  It is rare that I visit Lincoln as most of my friends find it boring.  I am always fascinated with it.  I am a huge fan of Lincoln and love learning everything about the man.  But the real treat for me is the amazing lifelike animatronic of our 16th President.  I can’t get over how wonderful his facial features are.  Every syllable and breath is animated to great precision on this great audio animatronic.

The World has never had a good definition of the word 'Liberty'

 

After our visit with Honest Abe, we found a nice shady spot to view Mickey’s Soundsational Parade.  A friend of mine just got a part in the parade as a dancer in the Little Mermaid section.  While waiting for the parade to start, the Disneyland band entertained us and just by coincidence, some guests dressed in get ups right out of an old gangster movie passed by and started to dance.  They were really great.  They did some swing dancing, which was very fun to watch.  The parade was very enjoyable and my friend Jessica did a great job.  Her dance routine went perfectly!  During the parade, King Louie appeared and he came right up to me and touched me!  It was great, but scary at the same time!  It was quite the thrill!  I had a fun time watching the parade, but I wish there was a bigger climax.  The final scene with Mary Poppins and the Chimney Sweeps is great, but it’s not the huge elaborate ending I would have predicted for a highly anticipated Disney parade.

The Random Dancers

 

Jessica in the Parade!

 

King Louie Close Up!

 

Our large group then met up at Sleeping Beauty Castle to take a photo.  It was a beautiful day and that made the photo look even more amazing.  Take a look below:

Our Disneyland Group

 

Since we had such a large group, we thought a perfect attraction for us to visit would be Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room.  After getting our delicious Dole Whips, we entered the World of Enchantment and Maynard was once again our host.  He did his usual wonderful introduction, full of various voices and goofy faces.  He then tossed it over to Jose who took it from there.  The Tiki Room looked and sounded great.

Jose!

 

It was then time for Star Tours!  It was the first time for some people in our group and everyone loved it.  We went Pod Racing and entered the Death Star.  In between the two scenes, a hologram of Princess Leia appeared and talked to us.  It was my first time seeing her and I was amazed!  I couldn’t figure out if it was a great look alike or excellent CGI.  I assume it was CGI because it looked exactly like the Carrie Fisher of 35 years ago.  How did they do it so well?  It was really one of those great Disney moments that makes you wonder.

We are her only hope!

 

After Star Tours, most of the group went and had dinner at Tortilla Joe’s in Downtown Disney, but I wasn’t hungry.  So I stayed behind with my uncle and we rode the Disneyland Railroad.  The T-Rex vs. Stegasaurus scene is back from refurbishment and it looks wonderful.  It looks like they both got a new coat of paint.  The rest of the Railroad was excellent.  It is one of my favorite things at Disneyland, especially at night.

Nothing Better than the Disneyland Railroad at Night

 

We then headed over to Disney California Adventure, which has its new entrance.  It was strange walking through the main gate and making an immediate right and actually entering the park near Soarin’ Over California.  It’s something I will have to get used to for the next year.  I noticed that the top of Carthay Circle Theatre was finished and boy does it look amazing.  With Buena Vista Street under construction, you can really get close to the theatre and it’s huge!  I am so excited to see it finished.  It will really be a great icon for the park.

The Finished Top

 

The first ride we went to was The Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Undersea Adventure.  Again, it was the first time for some people and it was excellent.  Everyone really loved it, including myself.

The Attraction Poster

 

After our group finished their dinner at Tortilla Joe’s, we met up again at the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror.  It was a great ride and the drops felt wonderful.  I noticed that the gift shop now has Halloween decorations, which I really like.  I wish that the Tower did their Halloween overlay that they did a few years ago.  It was really great.  I also noticed that there is a television set now in the gift shop.  It was on and nothing was playing.  I was really curious as to why it was there.  After doing some research online, I found out that it’s part of a Disney Scavenger Hunt that they are testing.  I wonder what could possibly play on the TV.  It would be neat if they played old Twilight Zone episodes!  One other thing I noticed in the Tower was that the typewriter under your on ride photo has a different piece of paper sticking out of it.  It usually says “Get out of here Finchley”, which is a reference to a Twilight Zone episode called “A Thing About Machines”.  Now the paper is ripped on top and has a poem on it.  I wonder if this is also part of the scavenger hunt…

Is There Meaning?

 

What Will Be Playing?

 

Tower Halloween Decorations in the Gift Shop

 

Since David and Suzi got married the day before, they celebrated by staying over night at the Grand Californian.  We all went to hang out in the room after the Tower and it was wonderful.  It was a nice big room and it has an excellent view of the monorail.  The monorail passed right underneath the room!  It was a unique sight!  After relaxing and having some delicious cake, we headed back to Disneyland.

A Unique View of the Monorail

 

Now this is probably the first time I have ever been to Disneyland when Pirates of the Caribbean and the Haunted Mansion were both closed.  It was tough for me.  One thing that I must do every time I go to Disneyland is ride Pirates and it was so sad to see it closed.  It doesn’t reopen until late November.  I might go through Pirate withdrawals…

I Hate Seeing This...

 

We did walk over to the Haunted Mansion which is being re-dressed for its holiday overlay.  It looks as though it is nearly complete from the outside.  It all looks great and I’m very excited to see what’s in store this year.

It Will Be Here Soon!

 

Jack Skellington Came Here From Halloweentown

 

Pumpkin Scarecrow

 

And with that, we ended our night at the Disneyland Resort.  Congratulations to David and Suzi on their marriage.  They are in Hawaii right now and I hope they are having a wonderful time!

Oh!  One more thing…  As I was walking by Astro Orbiter, I noticed that a dog was going for a ride!  How amazing is that!?!?!

Doggy Goes for a Ride!

 

Also a big thank you to Daveland for their help with pictures in this report!

 

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Disneyland Trip Report: August 28, 2011

Last Sunday, we made our way to Disneyland and arrived on a splendid summer evening.  Our first stop was DCA.  This would be the last day that the entrance, as we know it, will be in operation.  Starting the next day, guests to DCA will enter next to Soarin’ Over California.  It was nice to give a final goodbye to what was a not so exciting entrance to a theme park.  I am very much looking forward to Buena Vista Street and I am happy to see the Greeting’s From California entrance go!

Never to be Seen Again!

 

The first attraction we headed to was The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror.  It was a great ride and everything worked great.  The mirror ghost effect worked perfectly.  I did notice a small difference in a certain prop in the library, however.  In the library on the left, there is an envelope with the name Rod Serling printed on it.  This prop is from a Twilight Zone episode entitled “A World of His Own”.  I noticed that the printing on the envelope is now thicker and a slightly different font from before.  Is it ridiculous that I bother noticing these things?  I love these details!

Do you know what's inside?

 

We then went over the The Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Undersea Adventure.  The ride was great, but I did notice that the rubber on Ariel’s floating hair is starting to crack.  I hope it’s a quick and easy fix.  I still love the new DCA attraction and I don’t see myself getting tired of it anytime soon.

The Undersea Adventure

 

It was then time for Disneyland.  After passing through the magical turnstiles, we decided to get a bite to eat at the Plaza Inn.  I love the Plaza Inn.  It may be my favorite restaurant in the park.  The main reason I have love for this restaurant is the wonderful Cobb Salad.  I think it’s the best Cobb Salad I have ever had, but then again, I never did get a chance to have one at the original Brown Derby.  While sitting outside and enjoying our meals, the fireworks started.  We had a nice view of the works and once again I got emotional when Dumbo appeared from beyond the trees.

The Plaza Inn

 

The Cobb Salad!

 

Before the Fireworks ended, we made our way through Fantasyland between the Castle and the Matterhorn.  The fireworks are so close and loud in that area.  It was a perspective that I’m not used to, but it was really neat.  I really want to watch the entire show from the view point one of these days and have Tinkerbell fly right over our heads.  I think it will be really neat.

The Fireworks Finale!

 

We then made a quick stop at Casey Jr. Circus Train.  Our entire group of seven squeezed into the Wild Animals cage.  It was really a funny sight.  The ride was excellent.  Everyone really enjoyed it.  As much fun as it is in the cage, the caboose is still my favorite spot.

Casey Jr Time!

 

We then walked over to New Orleans Square to go on Pirates of the Caribbean.  Pirates is closing Sept. 7 – Nov. 23, so this was my last chance to ride my favorite ride for 3 months!  I’m going to go crazy without it!  The ride was spectacular except a new pirate was missing!  The fella with all the hats who has one foot on the dock and one foot on a rocky boat was gone!  Perhaps he is buying a new set of hats.  The guy waiting to be dunked is still missing too.  Even with the absence of those classic pirates, it is still the best ride ever created.

One of the Great Marc Davis Paintings in the Queue

 

The Missing Pirate. I guess he finally made it to shore!

 

Naturally the Haunted Mansion was up next.  They tried sending us into the stretching room when the foyer narration had already finished.  I hate when that happens.  I want to experience the whole attraction and the foyer is a big part of it to me.  So we stayed back and waited for the next group.  The ride looked and sounded great.  If you remember a few trips ago, I said that an owl was missing in the graveyard and returned with real feathers unlike his plastic counterpart.  Well that counterpart is now missing and I’m assuming he’s being tarred and feathered to match.  Madame Leota was floating again.  She has been floating so much lately, I don’t think I have to mention it in the reports anymore.

Cat Lady

 

When we exited the Mansion, we caught my favorite part of Fantasmic!: The climactic ending with the Dragon.  Every time I see it, it is equally as thrilling.

The Dragon Appears!

 

Our group then decided to go on the wildest ride in the wilderness, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.  Big Thunder is so great at night.  I love it.  It was kind of scary this time too because we were sitting in the back and we were really pulled through the whole ride.  It seemed extra fast.  As we all know, the big finale of Big Thunder involves a huge earthquake in the mine.  Unfortunately, none of the rocks were moving and shaking this trip.  I still loved it, however.  It’s my favorite Disney roller coaster.

BTMRR

 

The last attraction we visited for the night was Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple of the Forbidden Eye.  We had a jeep to ourselves and it was really thrilling.  It all looked wonderful.  The projected rat effect wasn’t there but I don’t really mind that as I’m not a huge fan of that scene.  My favorite part of Indy is the queue though.  I could spend all day in that temple looking at every prop and ancient carving.

Inside the Temple

 

Walking down Main Street on our way home, we noticed a few things.  We looked at the construction walls for the Jolly Holiday Bakery and noticed that there were Halloween decorations in the windows of the Emporium.  It’s a great feeling when Halloween time nears.  They also had the Fortuosity Shop decorated with tons of Ravens.  It looked like a scene from Alfred Hitchcock’s “The Birds”.  It was really neat!

Jolly Holiday: Coming Soon

 

Halloween Time is Approaching!

 

I hope you all enjoyed the report!  Till next time!

By the way, we were also at Disneyland last week during D23.  I didn’t have time to make a report, but there were a couple things I wanted to mention.  We went on Splash Mountain, which we don’t do very often.  I love Splash so much.  It’s one of my favorite rides.  We got so wet.  It was as if someone poured a gallon of water all over our feet.  It was very fun.  We also went to Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room and our cast member introducing the show was Maynard!  He really is the best and does such a great introduction to the show.  If you see him out in front of the Tiki Room, be sure to stop by.  You won’t be disappointed!

Zip-Ah-Dee-Doo-Dah!

 

Maynard wakes up Jose

 

Enjoy the complete Photo Gallery from our trip!

 

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Trip Report: July 27, 2011 & Club 33!

We made an unusual weekday trip to Disneyland on Wednesday for a special occasion.  A friend of ours is moving to England and we had a going away party at Club 33!  What could be a better send off?

 

When we got to the park, we realized we had time for one ride on this very busy day.  So we waited 20 minutes for the World Famous Jungle Cruise!  It was a great ride through the rivers of adventure.  A while ago, I posted a video about how Disney airlifted the elephant’s mother in law out of the park.  Well she is still on her extended leave unfortunately.  I will have to give her a big hello when she comes home.

The Elephant

 

And His Missing Mother in Law!

 

After the Jungle Cruise, we headed to Club 33.  It was incredible.  I am not going to go into detail about Club 33 right now as we are still working on our original Club 33 review.  This trip’s visit to the Club will be included in that post as well.  Look for it soon!

Club 33!

 

After the Club, we went over to the Haunted Mansion.  It was another amazing ride and everything looked great.  Madame Leota was floating again.  I’m glad she seems to be doing that more often these days.  I did notice that a couple of the singing busts in the graveyard scene were out of sync.  I hope Disney realizes this soon and fixes it.  It’s really upsetting when that happens.  But even with the out of sync Mellowmen, the Haunted Mansion is still the best.

The Haunted Mansion

 

We then headed over to DCA and the first thing I noticed is that the Golden Gate Bridge is gone!  Take a look below:

Gone and soon to be rethemed!

 

Then we got in line for Soarin’ Over California.  It has been a couple of years since I have been on Soarin’.  Now don’t get me wrong.  I love the ride.  I just can’t stand the Soarin’ queue.  There is not much to it and it lasts forever.  This time I had to do it though since we were with people that don’t go very often.  So I waited 60 minutes to get in my hang glider.  It was a great ride that is very magical.  I love so many things about it from the corny preshow video with our chief flight attendant, Patrick Warburton to the smell of orange groves in the California country side.  The only problem I have with the ride is a personal issue where I get a bit dizzy in the Downtown Los Angeles section.  Other than that, it is one of Disney’s best!

Soarin' Over California!

 

Nice Work, Pal!

 

Then we went over to the Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Undersea Adventure.  It was a great ride once again.  It did stop a few times on this particular trip, most likely to accomidate handicapped people.  Other than that, everything seemed the same and I loved it.

Under the Sea

 

We then walked through A Bug’s Land to make our way to the Hollywood Tower Hotel or as it’s more commonly known: The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror.  We went with a couple of people who had never experienced the ride before and they ended up loving it.  I love seeing my favorite attractions through new eyeballs.  The mirror ghost effect wasn’t working this time.  Instead of our reflected bodies turning into ghosts, a blue blob just appeared.  Even when that effect isn’t working, it still is an amazing attraction.

A Beacon for the Show Business Elite.

 

We then headed over to Disneyland and while walking on Main Street, I saw Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum.  It was great seeing them as it’s rare when I do.  I love seeing minor characters from Disney animated features.  There is something really special about it.

Dee Dum

 

We then rode one final attraction, which also happens to be my favorite.  If you have been reading our trip reports, then you won’t be surprised to hear that the attraction I am talking about is Pirates of the Caribbean.  When we arrived to New Orleans Square, the ride had just closed.  We saw security escorting someone out of the attraction in a wheel chair, so I assume someone fell.  We waited for about a half hour for Pirates to reopen and when it finally did, I was ecstatic!  I ran to the entrance like a little boy running down the stairs on Christmas morning.  We ended up getting the first row, which I always love.  The guy waiting to be dunked is still missing and I also noticed something else on this trip.  In the burning city scene, there is a singing trio with a dog.  Well the guy all the way to the right usually has a bushy goatee, but it looks like he had a shave.  He only had a little patch of beard under his chin.  No mustache at all!  I know I’m crazy writing about animatronic facial hair, but that is why I love Pirates and Disneyland.  It’s all about the details!

Yo Ho

 

This is the fella before his shave.

 

After Pirates, we caught the climax of Fantasmic! and saw the amazing Dragon scene.  That is really one of the best things Disney has ever done.  I get chills when that Dragon comes out!

It's Fire Breathing!

 

Then we made our way to the Mickey & Friends Tram and Disneyland was soon behind us.  We will be back soon!

And now enjoy some more photos from our trip:

 

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Trip Report: July 17, 2011

July 17, 2011 marks the 56th birthday of the happiest place on Earth: Disneyland!  I had to be there!

Unfortunately, there seemed to be a lack of celebration for the park’s birthday.  The only thing that gave a hint that the park was celebrating an anniversary were the buttons Cast Members were wearing.  I did hear that earlier in the day there was a little event involving nearly all the park’s walk around characters!

July 17, 2011 also marks the first time we enter Disney California Adventure through the new Pan Pacific turnstiles!  It really looks beautiful and even better at night!  I’m so happy with it.

During the Day

 

At Night

 

The first thing we decided to do was Goofy’s Sky School, but it was closed unfortunately.  We had asked a Cast Member why the ride was closed and if he knew when it would reopen.  He gave the most robotic and rehearsed response we have ever heard.  It was kind of funny.

So instead, we went to the Paradise Garden area of DCA and enjoyed some pizza and pasta.  As I said in the last trip report, the area is so wonderful.  It is such a welcomed addition to DCA.  And the food was pretty delicious too.  I like that flat bread pizza much more than Disneyland’s Pizza Port.

Pizza & Pasta!

 

Pepperoni Pizza

 

After dinner, we headed over to the Magic Kingdom.  We decided to see the Magic, Memories, and You presentation displayed on the facade of it’s a small world.  We had yet to see the show and it was quite enjoyable.  The projections on the small world facade were top notch and looked wonderful.  I just wish that they displayed images of Disneyland rather than people’s home movies and pictures.  I don’t quite understand why people would want to see someone else’s home movies.  Even so, the show was fun and it even had a fireworks finale!

Projections on the Facade

 

Then it was time to see the new fireworks show for the summer: Magical.  While nothing can compete with the 50th anniversary fireworks show, Magical was still really good.  It did a great job interweaving different Disney tales and the appearances of Tinker Bell and Dumbo flying over Sleeping Beauty Castle were breathtaking.  I got so emotional when Dumbo was flying over the Kingdom.  It was one of the best Disney moments I had ever experienced.

Fireworks over the Castle

 

It's Dumbo, the Flying Elephant!!!!

 

It was then time for Pirates of the Caribbean and it was quite the experience.  While in line, a highly intoxicated girl started to chat us up.  She decided that we were all best friends and she insisted that we ride with her.  I was a little upset because I wanted to enjoy the ride and not have her babbling throughout.  My Girlfriend, Inthia was seated right next to her.  The Drunk Girl talked on and on about hidden mickeys and how her sister was eating at Club 33 and spending a “million-bajillion” dollars.  On the drops, the girl held tightly onto Inthia’s arm and basically hugged her throughout the ride.  She also kept insisted on getting pictures with Inthia.  She was very annoying, but it was a good story worth telling.  At the end of the ride, she just ran off like she had never met us before.  She was a very strange girl.  Even with the intoxicated girl, the ride was great.  The guy in the middle waiting to be dunked is still missing.  Everything else looked as good as can be.

Inthia and Her New Best Friend

 

Mark Well Me Words Mateys...

 

We then went over to the Haunted Mansion hoping we would not run into that girl again.  Thankfully, we didn’t see her.  The ride was great as always.  Everything seemed to be working well and I didn’t see any changes from the previous visit.  And Madame Leota was still floating.

Grim Grinning Ghosts Come Out To Socialize!

 

The night ended with a trip on the Disneyland Railroad through the Grand Canyon and Primeval World.  The train is one of my favorite things to do at Disneyland and it is the perfect way to end the night.  We caught the train in New Orleans Square and sat in the back.  I love the Grand Canyon and Primeval World.  I love the amount of detail and the wonderful backdrop painting.  It is one of those timeless things that does not seem to change with time.  On this particular trip, the T-Rex vs. Stegasaurs scene was covered up for a refurbishment.  It was really strange to see all the great dinosaurs and not have that incredible finale.  Oh well…  As long as I get some dinosaurs, I’m happy.

The Grand Canyon

 

Primeval World

 

The train made its way to Main Street where we departed and exited the Magic Kingdom.  It was a fine birthday for the park, even if it was low key.  Happy Birthday Disneyland!  I can’t wait to visit you for many more years to come!

Enjoy some more photos from our trip:

 

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Trip Report: July 10, 2011

Sunday afternoon we arrived to the Disneyland Resort and made our way to Disney California Adventure.

The entrance to DCA is really coming along and it should be ready within a week.  I must say it really looks great.  It makes me very excited for all of the changes coming to the main entrance of the park.  I can’t wait to see Buena Vista Street completed with Carthay Circle Theatre looming in the distance.

 

The first ride we went to was The Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Undersea Adventure.  The line was posted at 20 minutes, but it only took about 10.  I love how many people can get through the ride.  It really is one of the best loading situations Disney has ever produced.  The ride was great as always.  I can look at those animatronics all day!

Look at this stuff! Isn't it neat?

 

We then went over the the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, but the wait was 50 minutes.  So instead of riding, we just went inside the gift shop to look around.  Then something strange happened.  As I was walking through the shop, all of the sudden all of the lights turned off and the music stopped.  It was pitch black inside.  After a few seconds, the lights flickered back on and the music followed soon after.  It was so eerie.  It really felt like the Tower was losing power (which it was).  It really was a great unintended effect.  Unfortunately, all of DCA lost power at that point.  Everyone was evacuated from the Tower and it remained closed for at least an hour.

The Hollywood Tower Hotel

 

Bellhops mark the entrance to the closed attraction.

 

So we walked over to Goofy’s Sky School, but that was closed too due to the power outage.  The Little Mermaid ride was closed as well.  So we went to the new Paradise Garden section of Paradise Pier.  It really looks great.  The amount of detail is terrific and there are many plants and trees, which DCA badly needed.  It felt like Main Street at Disneyland.  The menus look good at the new restaurants too, but we did not try any of the food.  That will have to wait till next time!

The Band Stand at Paradise Garden

 

Paradise Pizza!

 

Then we walked over to the newly themed Redwood Creek Wilderness Explorer Camp.  The camp is themed after Pixar’s Up.  It is pretty much exactly the same, except you now do these activities to earn merit badges.  When entering, you are given a map of the area and after you complete the activity listed, you scratch off the badge.  It was a fun time and kids really seem to enjoy it.

The Camp Map

 

Earn Your Badges!

 

We then went back over to Goofy’s Sky School to see if it was open and it was!  This would be my first trip on the newly themed attraction.  While it is a fun ride, it is pretty much exactly the same as Mulholland Madness.  They just added new billboards featuring Goofy.  The only thing I wish they did was put speakers in the cars and have the classic Goofy “How to” narrator speak as you “fly” around.  Oh well…  It is still a very thrilling little ride, however.

Finally Open!

 

Take Flight!

 

After our flight with Goofy, we walked over to Disneyland and headed for Pirates of the Caribbean.  The middle guy waiting to be dunked in the well is still missing, but the ride was excellent.  The lighting really seemed to be perfect on this particular trip through the Caribbean.

We Wants the Red Head!

 

It was now dinner time and we went to the French Market for some roast beef.  It was near the end of the night, so I didn’t get the best roast beef.  It was a little tough, but still good.  And those mashed potatoes are a masterpiece!

Roast Beef

 

After dinner, we went to the Haunted Mansion to visit  some spooks.  I didn’t notice anything different about the ride during this visit.  Everything seemed to be working great.  The ghost we got in our doombuggy was Gus (The little guy with the beard).  And yes, Madame Leota was floating!

The Haunted Mansion

 

We then took a walk around the park going through Tomorrowland and ending up at Casey Jr.’s Circus Train in Fantasyland.  We rode the caboose of Casey Jr., as that’s the best seat in the house!  I can’t say enough about how much I enjoy this ride.  I really love it.  I love how close you get to the little mountains above Pinocchio’s village.  That might be my favorite part of the ride.

All Aboard! Let's Go!

 

It was near closing by this time so we just took one last look around Fantasyland and headed home having spent a wonderful night at the Magic Kingdom.

Here are some extra photos from the trip: