It’s HalloweenTime at the Disneyland Resort! It’s quickly becoming one of my favorite times of the year at the park. I love the cooler weather, the costumes, the decorations, the food, the changing foliage and the window displays.
I love that the window displays are constantly changing with the seasons and holidays at the Disneyland Resort. They don’t always reflect the merchandise sold in the parks. At times they are little environments that invite you in and tickle your imagination.
Currently Main Street has offerings that display classic Americana, fitting of the turn of the century theme with classic wooden figurines, felt figures, elegant baked goods and a variety of creepy critters and spooky elements. Each one encased in their own environments forcing you to step a bit closer and take a peek. You may even spy a classic Disney villain or two.
HalloweenTime at Disneyland is here until October 31st.
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.
This past weekend was the kick off to Disneyland’s Halloween Time celebration. Naturally, we had to be there.
Halloween Time is Here!
Disney's Halloween Time!
We got to the park in the early evening and first took in the sights and sounds of Main Street complete with its Halloween decorations. The street was lined with jack-o-lanterns among other Halloween paraphernalia. It was a welcomed sight. I love Halloween and it feels great to see the decorations in full effect.
Giant Mickey Pumpkin!
The Emporium is Celebrating!
At the park’s hub, the usual jack-o-lanterns were on display representing each of Disneyland’s lands. I really love that attention to detail.
Pumpkins Around the Hub
After getting a fast pass for Space Mountain, we made our way to the Haunted Mansion Holiday to take some pictures before it got too dark. The Mansion really looks beautiful. On our way through New Orleans Square, I naturally had to pass a closed Pirates of the Caribbean. How sad it was for me.
I Hate Seeing a Closed Pirates...
The Haunted Mansion Holiday is Here!
See How Jack Has Decked the Halls
The first attraction we went on was the Matterhorn Bobsleds. I love the Matterhorn what with its icy caverns and abominable snowmen animatronics. My favorite thing happened on this particular ride too. I love when you are racing right next to the bobsled on the other track. We were neck and neck and then it looked as though we were going to crash into each other, when at the last second, our bobsled plunged right under the other bobsled’s track. That is really one of the most thrilling things you can do at Disneyland. For the best Matterhorn experience, take the track on the left side. If this head to head race happens, it is much more thrilling plunging underneath. Oh and I also noticed that in the control room, a cast member put an abominable snowman doll on display. It was very fun finding him! I love when cast members do fun things like that.
The Matterhorn Bobsleds
Look in the Window!
We were a bit hungry after our bobsled run, so we decided to snack on some corn cobs. We sat in that little area near the Matterhorn where the Motor Boat Cruise attraction used to be. I love that area because it is so isolated and untouched. While eating our delicious corn, some ducks came up to us and we fed them. They ate popcorn right out of my hand! It was very fun.
Corn
Duck
Home of the Former Motor Boat Cruise
After walking around the park for a little while, we decided it was time for dinner so we went to the French Market which was all decked out for Halloween. They have many of the same props that are inside the Haunted Mansion Holiday. I had a delicious sandwich which came in a Jack Skellington Coffin Box! A very neat collector’s item.
Inside the French Market
We then visited the Golden Horseshoe to see the new railings they put on the top floor. It is annoying that they had to add them, but times change. Of course, the Golden Horseshoe is better without those added railings, but it’s not a terrible eyesore like the changes they made to the Alice in Wonderland attraction.
Safety First
As we were walking out of the Golden Horseshoe, we stopped to look at the Day of the Dead display in Frontierland. It was very neat and festive. We took many pictures of the skeleton band.
The Skeleton Band
It was finally time for the Haunted Mansion Holiday! We had our fast passes, which cut the line down from 40 minutes to 5 minutes. The ride was excellent. It all seemed the same as last year with the exception of a snowflake lighting effect at the end of the Stretching Room scene and a new Gingerbread House. The Gingerbread House this year is amazing! It is a giant replica of the Mansion itself and it splits in half to create a larger than life set of jaws. It takes a few chomps, then returns to its original form. It was really excellent. The rest of the ride is just as great as it always is. One thing I did notice was that the ghost playing the Organ in the Ballroom Scene was missing his hat! I wonder what happened to it!
Haunted Mansion Holiday
Ho Ho Ho
A Graveyard That's Covered in Ghostly White Snow
After the Haunted Mansion Holiday, what does one do, but go on again. So we headed back into that mysterious old Mansion and experienced another great ride thru.
Round Two
Then it was finally time for Space Mountain: Ghost Galaxy! I love this overlay, especially the exterior queue. The projections and audio effects on the Mountain itself are wonderful. It is everything you can ask for from a Halloween attraction. Unfortunately, the interior queue is untouched from its usual form. The ride was very fun, except we did not see the ghost that flies along side your rocket. I hope they eventually put him in because that is the most exciting part of the overlay. Even without that ghost, it was still a very fun time.
Notice the Lighting Effect on the Mountain
Ghost Galaxy!
Casey Jr. Circus Train was up next. We have been riding this a lot lately and I love it every time. There is something really special about it and I love the detail of the Storybook Land scenes. My favorite part is when you are passing the mountains above Pinocchio’s village.
All Aboard!
After Casey Jr., we saw that Snow White’s Scary Adventures had a short line, so we did that. Snow White is a great dark ride. I really love it and I love the new lighting effects that were added a couple of years ago. The projected rain effect in the climax is really excellent. It looks amazing.
The Wicked Queen Looks Down Upon Us
We survived our encounter with the Queen, and headed back down Main Street. We took a look at some more Halloween decorations and really let the beginning of the holiday sink in. It is going to be a wonderful Halloween and what’s a better way to start it than with a trip to Disneyland.
There will even be a party at Hotel Marceline on Main Street!
Ahoy there, Crew! Today be “Talk Like a Pirate Day” and ye Disney Parks Blog be celebratin’. They be postin’ all things Pirates, includin’ this here video of Walt describin’ what’s to come to New Orleans Square.
So Mark well me words mateys… Dead Men Tell No Tales!
Being a huge Disneyland fan, I love making lists of my favorite things at the park. The following is the list of my top five favorite Pirates from my favorite attraction “Pirates of the Caribbean”.
5. The Pirate with the Hairy Leg
A Pirates Life For Me!
4. The Pirate Over the Bridge
Six Bottles of Rum!
3. The Pirate on the Canon
Yo Ho!
2. The Talking Skull
It Be Too Late to Alter Course Mateys!
1. The Auctioneer
It Be Gold I'm After!
This is the list of my favorite pirates as they currently appear. If we were talking about the original version of the attraction, it would be a totally different list. My favorite would be the guy sitting on the barrels in the arsenal scene followed closely by the Pooped Pirate.
My All Time Favorite Pirate!
The Original Pooped Pirate
So these are my favorite Pirates from “Pirates of the Caribbean”. Which pirate is your favorite?
And once again, a special thanks to Daveland for use of their pictures!
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!
Here’s another in our ongoing series, but first, where was last week’s photo taken?
Disney California Adventure: Paradise Pier - Ariel's Undersea Adventure
And a hearty congratulations to Sarah — She has won our very first contest! Thank you all to those that entered. We will be doing more contests in the future and they won’t be about guess where a floor is. Thanks for playing, Sarah and we look forward to seeing you at the world-famous Magic Castle soon!
And now for this week’s floor. Hint: We have posted several floors from this location but as it’s the 13th Floor Friday, we thought we would throw it in again!
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!
The Dragon Appears!
Casey Jr Time!
The Majestic Matterhorn
BTMRR
Zip-Ah-Dee-Doo-Dah!
Cat Lady
Haunted Lighting
Here ye be Spot!
The Missing Pirate. I guess he finally made it to shore!
Dead Men Tell No Tales
One of the Great Marc Davis Paintings in the Queue
