Tomorrowland Mattherhorn Mountain

 

Where else can you get a Matterhorn and Submarine in the same shot?

And a yellow one at that!

This picture was taken from the loading ramp area for the Monorail. Actually the only thing missing in this picture is the Monorail coming around that corner there.... but you can only stand and wait on the Monorail ramp platform so long.

Enjoy it! I just love the shot!

Mine, Mine, Mine

In honor of Finding Nemo's return to the big screen! 

These pictures are self explanatory.....

However if you have never seen these guys in the Finding Nemo Submarine Lagoon...I highly recommend taking a walk past the east side of the Matterhorn to hear them argue with each other. It's pretty funny to hear and if you have a little person who recognizes who they are, you are sure to get a smile and a giggle!

Don't Blink....

Cause you just might miss it!

Have you seen this? 

Its called Water Art and it is done by Cast Members who are at the heart of making Disneyland the place we love!

The Custodial Team! 

From what we have read and heard from cast members this tradition started in Tokyo Disney and the Disney World Team saw what they were doing and said "Hey we can do that", which they did. Now the art work has made its way to Anaheim in Disneyland and DCA! Cast members have to work in the custodial for a period of time before requesting the Water Art assignment and then they go thru a 3 month training before making the art work for guests.

And its AMAZING! 

But you have to take the opportunity to watch it when you see it, don't pass it by! In all the times we have been in the last 18 months this is the only time we have seen the Water Art and if you blink the So Cal sun will make it all disappear!

So once again Disneyland is doing what it does best...adding the "Disney Touch" and this time with something as simple as a pan, a broom, a little water and some of the most awesome cast members Disneyland has!

In our house we call him Uncle Walt!

He is, was and will always be the heartbeat of Disneyland!

Of course Disneyland isn't the only important part of Walt's vast lineage....but this is a Disneyland Blog so there you go!

Do you know where this adorable picture of Walt Disney is inside Disneyland? 

Do ya?

(If you have ever had a baby or toddler in Disneyland, you've probably seen it.)

Its in the Baby Care Center at the end of Main Street USA!

So let me tell you about the Baby Care Center (BCC)...its AMAZING! First off I have to start by saying Disney really does think of everything! This is a true oasis for mommies and daddies who may have a tiny one on the verge of or smack dab in the middle of a "fun-overload meltdown" and all you moms and dads know exactly what I am talking about.  

As much as I LOVE Disneyland there is a limit to the amount of: heat, people, music, waiting, animatronics and churros an adult can take, let alone a toddler or infant for that matter and Disney has done there best to help! 

The BCC is an unbelievably quiet place to calm a screaming baby (and mommy) any time of the day, and even with a fireworks fantastic going on right out side the doors, this is the place to take a new mommy and three month old who are both quickly disintegration into a pile of tears (your truly, guilty as charged). 

From rocking chairs to nurse your baby in privacy, old school highchairs for baby food eaters, the biggest changing tables with cushy padding I have ever seen and a rising tub for those who use cloth diapers (I do believe this shows how old the BCC is, as cloth diapers would be the only real option in the early days of the park, thought I cant find if it has been available since opening day) it really has everything. But for those of us with Toddlers who have started the potty training process, they have  the "piece de resistance", the teeny tiny toilets. Yes people you heard it right....they have toddler toilet and I will tell you they are great (and the cutest things you have ever seen)!

So whoever said you shouldn't, nah can't, take a baby to Disneyland....I laugh in your face. And this is only ONE of the places that service as a "baby retreat", however it is the only one with all the above noted amenities and a curtious (and sometimes loving) cast member that says, "How can I help"!

 

Who doesn't love a parade!

In honor of the Labor Day weekend and the many parades that are taking place today I am returning to my blog with a BOOM!

There is nothing like listing to the Disneyland band! Now I cant remember where I hear this....could have been on the Christmas Tour or just speaking to a cast member, but if my memory is correct the Disneyland Marching Band was a last minute addition to the opening day of Disneyland. Walt felt a marching band would draw crowds and excitement. The original band (and band leader, Vesey Walker) were only set for a two week engagement, but it didn't take long for people to see they HAD to be a Disneyland staple. Vesey Walker retired from Disney 15 years later! You can find the Disneyland Band playing everyday around 10am in front of the Mickey Flora near the turnstiles when entering the park. At 11am in front of Sleeping Beauty's Castle and wait there for them to march down Main Street USA preforming Disney favorites like Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah and Whistle While You Work.

Murphy the Fantasmic! Dragon

If you haven't seen Fantasmic! in Disneyland, then you have not yet experienced the pinnacle collaboration  of Disney's Imagineering and Entertainment worlds and there is something wrong with you! All right, all right, you're probably ok....but you haven't lived until you have seen Fantasmic! I know there are hundreds, nay thousands, who have seen the little "water show" over at DCA and are in awe of its magnitude, but how in the world can WOC (World of Color for the uninitiated) hold a candle to my beloved Fantasmic! Now before I get a bunch of hate mail, I do love WOC, but Fantasmic! is really what I relate to and associate with my young adulthood in Disneyland! (I mean it debuted on my Birthday, May 13, 1992, after all). I remember the summer it started and being at Disneyland not knowing what this new show was...and ALL the people sitting waiting for it! And those crowds, to this day, they still wait for up to 3 hours, on blankets and towels, with their spots staked out on the cement before the show. I have done it, in the rain, with fingers crossed that they will not cancel the show! The blend of lights, lasers, pyrotechnics, actors & technicians, water vehicles and countless other unbelievable special effects (that are still amazing after 20 year) are what make this show legendary.

c

But, for me, the element that makes this show something unlike any other is the MUSIC!!! Just hearing the final climactic moments of the music brings tears to my eyes....every time!!! Watching Mickey on top of the Mill with the music coming to a crescendo I cant help but think of Walt Disney sitting on that bench in front of the merry-go-round at Griffith Park, as tears are streaming down my face and I think 'Look what this man's dream has created', and I am amazed the same way every time. Now I know WOC IS amazing, but Fantasmic! is truly the only thing I have ever seen that stirs the same emotions and nostalgia ever time I see it! There are so many things I could go on and on about regarding Fantasmic! but I think I will end with this for now... Its one of the things that makes Disneyland the most magical place there is....and by far its my favorite!


***And as a side note: As you can see this post is grossly tardy! And I have come to the realization that I don't know what I was thinking saying I could post daily (I'm gonna run out of photos before our next trip) However, I know I can do better than I have recently (its been a crazy couple of week). So I am making a more reasonable commitment....At least weekly and hopefully more often than that. But this is my new pledge to myself and anyone who might drop bye! And as always thanks for reading!

Casting Call

Can I confess something? I have ALWAYS wanted to work at Disneyland!!! It almost doesn't matter where...well ok, maybe it does...I have always wanted to be Slue Foot Sue at the Golden Horseshoe! But I would have settled for Alice or a Storybook Boat Ride Cast Member or a Jungle Cruse Skipper or....actually the possibilities really are endless!

I know my early exposure to Disneyland lead to my interest in Children's Theater, where I was lucky enough to fulfill my dream and play Alice and Cinderella and a host of other characters that, I hope, brought joy to many children!

So what is your Disneyland dream job?  

Sweet Little Dumbo

The Partners statue, in the Hub, is definitely one of the most photographed areas in Disneyland. But if you take a look around the circle, you will find some of the smallest picturesque wonders in the park! I have always loved this Sweet Tiny Dumbo! The Hub has several little surprises, make sure you take a look around next time you're there!

Toontown Mania

As an adult going to Disneyland, Toontown was one of those areas we look at from afar, waived to from the train and leave thinking, "Oh those poor moms & dads with all those kids and all that noise". Not that we never entered, but once you have waited for an hour (and then some) to meet Mickey, I find, you take your opportunities to have your picture take with him in the town square of Main St. and leave the screaming mayhem of Toontown where is belongs.... in the BACK of the park. 

But once you have a little person with you who knows and loves The Mouse and needs quality time with him, Toontown is alive and new again! Ok maybe not so new, but you find the magic where you can!

Disneyland Recovery!

I know I know....I totally blew my goal and it hasn't even been a full month yet, but what can I say....I was in Disneyland!!!!  I mean really can you blame me?

Our days were jam packed! From the 24 hour One More Disney Day on Wednesday to the suspicious package scare on Saturday! There is so much to share, but first there must be recovery! I want my recall of our 5 days in Disneyland to be as comprehensive as possible, so forgive me readers, but I gotta sleep! On Sunday alone we spent 4 hours in the park, then made the 6 hour drive home Sunday night and was back at work Monday morning! I'm not even sure what day it is today. So here is today's picture and post with a big promise of more to come soon!

It's almost time!

It’s the final countdown to 24 hours of Disneyland! Are you ready? With so many exciting events pilling up on Disneyland's 24 Hour Leap Year Day schedule there should be plenty of things to experience for the throngs of fans coming!

We are down to the last few hours before our departure to "overnight it" in the Happiest Place on Earth!
I will do my best to keep with my daily postings, but once we are there all bets are off! However I am sure we will come back with some great photos for many more daily posts to come! 

I'm Wishing.....

That I had more time! I know I am almost 2 hours late....but we are on a mad dash to get ready  for our 24 hour day at Disneyland!  OK breather over, back to packing!

The real Indiana Jones...

Well an actor that looks like him anyway....

So back in the summer of 2008 the 4th installment of the Indiana Jones saga was released in theaters and Disney, being the marketing machine that it is, flew into action by inserting an Indiana Jones show into Adventureland, specifically the Indiana Jones: Secret of the Stone Tiger show. Now the show itself was nothing to write home about. It was a re-purposing of the  Aladdin Oasis Dinner show space, which was a re-purposing from the original use The Tahitian Terrace. However there was a second part to the show, the Indiana Jones Stunt Show. And that was totally awesome! 

As I said the Tiger Eye show nothing special, just a way to publicize the Indy franchise and and keep the image of the Fedora and leather satchel wearing hero in the forefront of  everyone's mind as a summer must see movie. But the Stunt Show was truly pure Disney Magic...OK OK so maybe it was just the thrill of having the immortal Dr. Jones zoom past you! Yea...that's probably it.

So what would happen is, after the Tiger show Indy would jump over the wall dividing the stage area and the main thoroughfare of Adventureland and make his way his way up above the Jungle Cruse queue and that is where the stunt show started. Indy was being followed by a Moorish looking bad guy and all kinds of shenanigans ensued. From one end of Adventureland to the other.

 But alas *sigh* the wandering Indiana only lasted a summer and then he was gone like the People Movers. I think there could have been a permanent place for an Indiana Jones character darting in and out of Adventureland! I mean the New Orleans Square area has...um...er HAD Captain Jack Sparrow (well until Disney realized they shouldn't  underestimate the power of Captain Sparrow's ...*a-hum* raw charm on their female guests) but for a couple of year he was a staple around Pirates and could be found in and around Pirate's Lair on Tom Sawyer's Island. These kinds of characters, creating "street-mospher", really make you feel like you are part of the "show", much like the Laughing Stock Co. has been doing for years in Frontierland. I know Disney is finding more ways to immerse guests in their experiences...well Disneyland bring back Dr. Jones and give some new life to Adventureland!

Just under the wire

With one hour left in the day. And now I give you this.....

Sleeping Beauty and Prince Philip in Bronze. A beautiful and sometimes missed statue just as you enter the castle to the left.  And while your checking that out don't forget to walk through the castle and see the new and improved dioramas depicting the story of Sleeping Beauty.

Over the river and through the wood.....

To Disneyland we go!

I just love this picture because there is no sign of the rest of the Park and it really looks like we are walking through the woods and happening upon an enchanted castle! These are some of my most favorite pictures of Disneyland! What do you think?

How to get a better view.

Have you ever seen this view?

It’s a little spoken of place, but if you are anywhere in Frontierland or New Orleans Square, I bet you've seen it. It’s the Wheel House of the Mark Twin.
We always try and take a trip around the Rivers of America and as much as I love the Columbia, there is something so Romantic about a river boat! On our last trip my hubby made an inquiry about taking a ride with the Captain in the Wheel House (we had heard here and there that it was a possibility). We had to wait for the next trip, but we got our ride and oh what a ride it was!

First, the look on our 2 year old’s face when he saw the gigantic wheel was hilarious. Then to see his face light up when he got to "steer" the boat and ring the bell AND blow the whistle! I would wait for hours to see his expression again! Pure Magic!!!!

If you have the time I highly suggest checking it out. The Wheel house will accommodate 4 guests and the Captain. It is so relaxing and breezy being up there, looking down at the hordes of people hustling and bustling not knowing what they are missing.  The 12 minutes trip is a fantastic respite from the crowds and gives such a unique view of Disneyland. Not only that, but you have a cast member right there to ask all the questions you might have burning in your mind. We had the pleasure of cruising with Captain Dee who was so kind and sweet to all of us but especially to Jackson!

Disneyland Slumber Party....

Who is with me?

How often can one say, "I stayed in Disneyland and watched the sun come up" ?

Well in 7 days Geoff and I will make that attempt! Consider this our official countdown! Can we do it? Will we be searching fore an empty park bench by 2am, because we cant go any farther? I just don't know. One thing I do know is we will not make it a full 24 hours. Nope, we know our limitations. But, what is the next best thing....reliving your Disneyland Grad Night, right? And that is just what we are hoping to do.

So let me know if you are planning to spend One More Disney Day in Disneyland and we can try to keep each other awake until cast members peel us off the curb and throw us out!

Where in Disneyland?



Don't you just love this game! Ok so maybe this isn't the hardest thing to find, but I couldn't help it, I  just love this picture. This sign is one of those Disney touches, theme-ing if you will, that makes Disneyland (and Alice to be more specific) the magical place that it is. Looking at this picture I can almost hear the Tea Cup ride audio whistling in the air.   Aaaaa Very Merry Unbirthday to You....to You.....

Disneyland Traditions?

There is no reason, we didn't mean for it to happen, but my husband and I started a Disneyland tradition. We seemed to always start our first day with.....wait for it.....wait for it......

The Jungle Cruse! 

 Accident? I think not! The Jungle Cruise is one of the original 1955 attractions AND has some of the hippest cast members in the park! What better way to start your Disney Day off, right? Okay, Okay I'm just one of those people that has always traveled the park starting on the left and traveling clockwise. Because that's where the Dole Whip and Mickey Mouse pancakes are? More than likely its because that's how my mom trained me! Yes she is the organizational genius killing several proverbial birds with one veer to the left.

1. Jungle Cruise - check
2. Mickey Mouse Pancakes  - check 
3. Reservations to The Golden Horseshoe Revue - Check (when reservations were necessary to be assured to see the show)

All of this before 9am, which for you die hard Disneyland Gurus, know that that is no small feat! So I suppose I am just emulating my teacher and mastering the art.....Thanks Mom!

Things, I am sure, will change for us. As my son gets older and inevitably is drawn to the magnificent power of Sleeping Beauty's Castle and the riches of Fantasyland and beyond, our traditions may shift. Of course I will do my best to be sure our "First Ride of the Day" is at the very least one of the originals and as Casey Jr is our attraction of choice, I think there will be no fear in that!

Do you have a Disneyland Tradition? Big or small? Please feel free to share them!

Or maybe you should think about starting one!

New to Blogging....Old to Disneyland

So this is  a new endeavor...I wouldnt call myself witty or a crafting genuious or a home chef....
What I am is a Mommy who loves her family and Disneyland. I have to have a daily dose and I thought there might be others out there who are like me, actually I'm pretty sure there are. My answer? Try a blog! My goal is to post something Disneyland related everyday...knowing I am a working Mommy, this goal may be a little overambitious...but I will do my best! My first thought was "A Picture A Day" (photos courtesy of my Disney Husband Geoff), but who knows what each days post might be!

And here goes....

Why not start at the the beginning! For my son who loves Trains! There are so many blogs out there that are all about WDW or Disney in general, but this is my Love Letter to Disneyland, The Original, where Walt walked. I may touch on other "Disney" things, but the heart of this blog is My Family and our LOVE of Disneyland.