The Accidental Christmas Fantasy Parade

I'm sure I have written about this topic before in this blog but now with 653 published posts, even I don't remember what I have written and too lazy to actually go and find out. My blog, my choices on what to write, for better or worse. Which brings us to one of Mrs. DisneylandTraveler and mine biggest little surprises in all our years going to Disneyland. Make no mistake, Disneyland surprises can be real gems and last for years to come.

Typically, we will leave for Disneyland early on a Sunday morning from our suburban Sacramento based location.  Once on the road, we are not people who tend to doddle when it comes to going to Disneyland. A quick stop at a McDonalds (preferably one with a gas station attached) along with one other gas stop before going over the grapevine and we dead stopped in L.A. traffic before you know it. I try to maintain a safe driving speed but even I glance down at the dashboard once in awhile and see that 95 mph number. "Oh S***, I gotta slow down". 

So we usually end up in Disneyland at our hotel between 1 and 2 o'clock, usually after about a 6 and a half hour trip. So someone out there is asking "why don't you guys just fly like normal people?" Well it goes like this. We usually stay a week at a time. We bring a lot of stuff and not just clothes. We bring oscillating fans, coffee makers, snacks, laundry detergent,fabric softener,assorted electronic devices, an extension cord and power strip, our own soaps and shampoos, paper towels....the list is endless. We have an SUV. We just load up the back and hope that our hotel parking spot is right in front of the front door of our room. Goodness knows I don't want to drag this crap up a flight of stairs. The other thing is rather packing her clothes, Mrs DLT rather lay them flat in the back of the SUV on hangers. No wrinkles I guess. Kind of like Seifeld episode.

If we can get into our room before check in time (usually about 50 -50) we can unpack in about an hour and head over to the park and be in the front gates by 3:00. And it just so happened in that in December 2008, quite by accident, we walked right into the start of the Christmas Fantasy Parade. Now admittedly, Mrs. DLT and I are not really Disneyland Parade people. Mrs. DLT is a Disneyland Shopper and I'm pretty much a Disneyland bench sitter. But on this particular day in December (probably around the 10th), we hit the timing of this parade exactly perfect. The found ample unobstructed views from the train station as the parade joyfully marched right on by us. It couldn't have been a more delightful surprise.

And did I mention the temperature was abut 75 degrees? So the parade went by and we were enraptured by the Christmas Fantasy Parade to the point that the sometimes questionable brain trust at Disney ever tried to remove this parade (and there has been that rumor for years, I'd be the first to sign the protest petition. (Apparently, they replaced the cute teddy bear with commercially disastrous Duffy the bear - that's bad enough).

So this was about 20 minutes of a joyful surprise and we just entered the main gates. There are other tales to tell of this December trip including REAL snow but I'll hold on to that for awhile. If you get a chance to see a Christmas Fantasy Parade which officially starts next weekend - DO IT!. It's a Christmas joy.

After the parade, we made it over to the Carnation Cafe and had a bowl of loaded baked potato soup. Is there a better way to begin a trip to Disneyland. When we leave for Disneyland in a couple of weeks, we are aiming for the exact same experience. Fingers crossed.....

In Disneyland, It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like.....

It was just this past Wednesday when The Great Pumpkin failed to show up again and Charlie Brown go his bag of rocks. It was also the last day of trick or treating in Disneyland. But as soon as the last little costumed munchkin left the premises, armies of Disney overnight workers hit the streets and began the transformation from pumpkins, pumpkins, everywhere to deck the halls with boughs of you name it. The transformation from Halloween to Christmas moves at the speed of light. It actually begins before Halloween as places like New Orleans Square get their decorations put up.

It needs to move fast. Here we are at November 3rd and right about now, Disney TV people are beginning preparations for the taping of the Disneyland segment of the Disney Pars Christmas Parade which goes on much of today. A lot of people show up to watch the taping, a lot of people. Mrs. DisneylandTraveler and myself have showed up on parade taping weekend twice quite by accident and have come away with the opinion that the further you stay away from it, the better. It is quite boring as things are taped, re-taped, then re-taped again. Main Street is pretty much gridlock with behind the scenes walkways set up to get people out of the park. And all to get to see a minor celebrity or two. (One person in our party one year had the privilege of standing in the presence of Ryan Seacrest.)

So while Main St. is starting its Christmas festivities today, we have found that during the parade taping it is the perfect time to hit the major rides of the park because lines or short. Also a good day to visit DCA. Christmas can wait another week or two.....

More On Handling Disneyland Heat

It was one of my earliest posts in this blog, back in June 2011, and titled The Heat Is On. It talked about ways of beating the heat around Disneyland when temperatures start hitting the 90's or so. Sound, common sense advice in there alright but what if the temperatures begin to crack the century mark like they did for 3 days last week. I've never been to Disneyland on a 100 degree day but I can only imagine that it would be a miserable experience. How miserable? Well, all the scheduled parades were cancelled.

Mrs. DisneylandTraveler and I have never been ones for leaving the park, going back to the hotel, then returning later in the day - just seems like too much work and wasted time unless you are staying at the Grand Californian. But it is a popular thing to do for many families, especially those with young children. No, Mrs. DLT and I are Disney gamers and once we are in the turnstiles, we tend to be there until it is time to leave for the day. Even I would have to admit that this practice may come up short when the temperature is sitting at 105. Yes, getting to the park right when it opens, doing as much as you can do until the heat says you can do more more, then getting out of there before heat stroke sets in seems like a wiser choice of action. In my previous post, I concentrated on going to the places where air-conditioning is present during the heat of the day. Of course, these places do not sit right next to each other (for the most part) so you have to endure the sun to get from one air-conditioned spot to the next. Trekking around Disneyland in the heat looking for something/anything that can bring relief from the heat does not seem like much fun at all.

The Tiki Room may have the best air conditioning in the park but they do kick you out after about 15 minutes. At least back at the hotel, with cool air blowing, the show isn't over and the ride doesn't end.

The one advantage for cruelly hot weather? Just like a good soaking rain, it keeps the locals out so crowd levels are kept down. It's small piece of solace when the sweat is is just rolling off you the the best of attraction of the day is going to be a nice shower.

But I Miss the Electrical Parade (I Think)

With all the excitement about Cars Land and Buena Vista Street opening up in what now seems to be weeks instead of forever, the plans are to resume the Pixar Play Parade (slightly upgraded according to insiders) on what is now an incredibly long parade route winding through Disney California Adventure.  The new route now extends from the Tower of Terror in Hollywood Land through the front section of Paradise Pier.  That should allow plenty of space to allow spectators to enjoy views (including packaged premium views) without the claustrophobic conditions that can exist in Disneyland with parade viewing.

Now don't get me wrong, I really like the Pixar Play Parade the far superior effort to its Block Party Bash predecessor.  PPP has great parade pieces, a catchy musical score, and provides some degree of fun for everyone (though not everyone - Mrs. DisneylandTraveler - enjoys being squirted with water).

There was a time when DCA ran both the Pixar Play Parade (late afternoons) and Disney's Electrical Parade (after dark) on the same days.  When DCA went into major construction overhaul, the Electrical Parade was sent packing to Orlando.  Is it time to ask for it back?

They Electrical Parade is a classic.  But its also one of those things where you really can get too much of a good thing.  Like the it's a small world attraction over in Disneyland the music of DEP can grate on a person with repetitive viewing.  And the parade has been around for so many years in both Disneyland and Disney California Adventure that its most impressive pieces seem a bit tiresome.  I really don't need to see Pete's Dragon a dozen times.

But I have to admit, I kind of miss the Electrical Parade now that its been gone awhile. If it were to come back (and I don't think there are any plans to bring it back just yet) I would want to see it again.  Its like seeing an old friend.  But I would also have to say that after seeing it, I might be good for a few years from not seeing it and maybe that's why Disney should keep it away for awhile longer.  Let the longing keep building to where when it does come back, it will pack people in.

Then there is the logistics factor.  How can the Disney Electrical Parade (in DCA anyway) co-exist with the nightime World of Color crowds?  Not sure how to work that out but if Disneyland can figure out away to run two Fantasmic shows, fireworks, and a parade in the evening hours, I'm sure some bright guy can come up with a workable schedule.  

I don't need the Electrical Parade just yet.  Maybe by next year, it would be welcomed back with open arms.

Gridlock - Taping the Disneyland Christmas Parade

Without any knowledge or forethought, Mrs DisneylandTraveler and I along with our traveling parties twice booked November trips to Disneyland the same weekend film crews were taping the Disneyland segment of Disney's annual Christmas Parade television special shown on ABC. I guess there are plenty of people interested in these type of Disney events and show up early to the park with hopes to get a good spot on Main Street to check out the action and maybe have an encounter with some kind of celebrity that is performing or making an appearance in the annual event. Who knows - maybe you might just get a chance to see yourself on network TV. Anyway, today is the day they are doing the taping at Disneyland

But then there is the other side of what seems like something that may be fun and exciting. Today is November 5th and we are a long way from Christmas but for the last week, Disneyland overnight crews have been frantically decorating Main St. for Christmas so the taping can gather in the full Christmas atmosphere. Once the taping of the Disneyland and WDW segments complete, several weeks are needed to get the editing and post production work completed in time for the Christmas Day showing. Along with Christmas decorations, various lighting towers, fixtures centered around cameras, and large stages are also set up around Main St. and the castle hub. For you classic Disneyland picture takers out there, these fixtures large and obtrusive, and another reason to get this filming completed before the official start of the Disneyland Christmas season. They are an eyesore.

Once the filming begins today, Main St. is blocked off to foot traffic for long periods of time. It is virtually impossible to get from the front of the park to the Lands because everything is gridlocked. There are some pathways opened up behind the Main St stores for foot traffic but these are rather narrow and get congested. On the other hand, it may be your only chance to see some of the Jungle Cruise maintenance areas. 

Mrs. DLT and I really had no interest in any of this. On one trip, we got to the park early and headed for the back then stayed out of the way of the television fray. I think on another trip, we just stayed in DCA until everything was done and the Hollywood people packed up and headed for home.

One person in our traveling party on one these trips did get to cross paths with Ryan Seacrest though. Not sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

Now There's A Parade

The new Mickey's Soundsational Parade made its debut on Main St. this past Thursday and early reports have this parade being a more in line with the tradition of great Disneyland parades. The MousePlanet Video posted here gives a generous flavor of the music and color of this classic character filled extravaganza. The parade in its entirety looks like it runs about 15 minutes in length from the full videos posted on YouTube.

I look forward to seeing Mickey's Soundsational Parade down the road sometime. The Disneyland parades usually have about a 2 year lifespan and this one looks like a great improvement of its predecessor whose name escapes at the moment since its been gone about 6 months. How disappointing was the last Main St. Disneyland Parade?  Like I said, I can't recall its name and its not even worth the 30 second effort it would take me to find out.  It was so bad, I'd rather be in a Main St. gift shop rather than outside looking at a parade that was more insufferable than memorable.

Strike up the band Mickey and get ready for a great summer.