What's In a Name?

Star Wars Galaxy's Edge

So announced today at the D23 Convention this weekend was the official name of what was referred to, for years now, Star Wars Land is the official name of Star Wars Galaxy's Edge. Personally not impressed with the name. It has been called Star Wars Land for so long now that the name will probably stick. I can't see a 10 year old telling his parents "I'm going to Star Wars Galaxy's Edge". Most likely it will just be cut short and referred to Star Wars. Just call it what it is.

A Heartfelt Thank You To Our Readers

Quietly, over the last week or two, the number of page views of The Disneyland Traveler Blog slipped past the 200,000 mark. That may not be a lot by internet standards but for a guy who basically writes this on a laptop sitting in his chair in the living room at his home in Northern California, it seems like a pretty nice number to me. This blog began in 2011 simply out of Mrs. DisneylandTraveler and my own affection for Disneyland and just about all things Disney related, As noted in the header paragraph, we are not here to make money as most Disney websites, it's basically just a hobby and a place to share beyond Facebook or Twitter.

This blog went dark and was not updated from Halloween 2014 till February of this year. During that time, Mrs. DLT and myself took her ailing father into our home and who sadly was burdened by the horrible affliction known as Alzheimer's Disease. Basically his care took all of our focus and attention and the Disney stuff went on the back burner. I heard from many people during the time the blog was not updated asking what happened and when was the blog going to restart. I didn't have an answer at the time but I really appreciated all the emails that I received and the people who who showed they enjoyed what was being written here. Even though the blog was not updated, it continued to be read by the internet public searching for Disneyland information so that was also nice to see also. 

The Disneyland Traveler Blog is making it's slow return back to life. It's not completely back yet but things look promising for it's future. 

Thank you for reading and I hope you continue to enjoy The Disneyland Traveler Blog.  

Splash Mountain - Fun Times - Till Someone Rips Your Face Off

Someone I work with posted this to Facebook with the caption "Go to Disneyland, they said. It'll be fun, they said."  Yep, Happiest Place on Earth.

Vintage Disneyland (Remember When?)

First off, these pictures are not mine, but this morning I was just Googling vintage Disneyland photos and these popped up. Without mentioning my age, and going back through the years, I still remember when Disney had the views from what is depicted these photographs. It's a little bit of journey back in time. I remember leaving a little Instamatic camera on one of those Skyway buckets. Never did get it back.

I remember making that long drive from Northern California with my parents and being greeted by this sign. Few things in my life have given me such shear excitement as being a kid, pulling close to the park, and seeing this sight. We made it!

I remember when a trip on the parking lot tram was a ride for me.  And a space age monorail? Life doesn't get a better than a ride on that.

Remember when the subs were painted drab Navy gray and the journey around the lagoon was a journey of unexplored adventure touched with a bit of science? It was a far cry from chasing after a cartoon fish as it is today.

The People Mover was a slow ponderous ride. It was also classic Disney and sorely missed. Back in the day, the Astro Orbitor sat up on an elevated platform bringing your further up in the sky.

Yep, those were the days. Those were the days. A Magic Kingdom indeed for a little kid.

5 Best Thrill Rides At The Disneyland Resort

Here is a rundown of The Disneyland Traveler's five best thrill rides at the Disneyland Resort:

1) Hollywood Tower of Terror:  High anxiety.

2) Space Mountain:  It's dark in there.

3) California Screamin':  Cadillac of coasters even if there is no theming whatsoever.

4) Thunder Mountain Railroad:  Rollicking fun and beautifully themed.

5) Splash Mountain:  Only one thrill but its a doosie the rest is pure Disney fun.

Honorable Mention:  Grizzly River Run:  You will get wet.

Losing Ground:  The Matterhorn.

Trip Disappointment #2 - Disneyland Sneaks In A Food Price Increase

This is probably more of an inevitability than a disappointment but as reported by MiceChat a week or two ago, Disneyland has increased the price of most of its food items in the park. The increase ranges from a coupe of dimes to a couple of bucks. This doesn't effect anything with planning our trip. We will still go to the same places regardless of the prices being charged. We'll just pay the increased prices and complain about it amongst ourselves. A trip to Disneyland and complaining about the prices often go hand in hand.

Maybe we outsmarted them this time. Instead of the deluxe annual pass we usually get, we have invested in premium annual passes which comes with a greater discount on food purchases in the park Wait a minute....we paid how much for those premium annual passes? Somehow the price of the food increases isn't going to equal the increase we paid for the premium annual passes over the deluxe annual passes. Disney wins again. They always. do.

At Least It's Not Captain EO

Over in Disneyland's Tomorrowland, the Magic Eye Theater (host for many years to Captain EO and Honey I Shrunk The Audience and most recently the preview of Marvel's Guardians Of The Galaxy) went under refurbishment once again and there was speculation that the badly outdated Captain EO 3D film would make its way back into Disneyland playing to mostly empty houses in the large state of the art theater.

A few days ago Disney put that rumor on hold and announced in Disney Parks Blog that the theater will, beginning September 26, host a special preview for it's latest animated film effort - Big Hero 6 which premieres in theaters November 7. At least it's not Captain EO showing when we arrive for our trip in November (though admittedly outside of seeing one preview - I know nothing about Big Hero 6).

And what of Captain EO? Maybe we have seen the last of the old film. 2015 brings a new episode of the massively successful Marvel's The Avengers as well as the latest installment of Star Wars. Disney could spend a year or more just showing previews of their 2015 sure fire blockbusters in the Magic Eye theater and it might not be a bad idea so long as the extended previews that are shown are high in quality and designed to be crowd pleasers for Disneyland guests. It beats seeing the tired old Captain EO.

Disneyland Monorails: Still Cool After All These Years

What I remember from my first trip to Disneyland as a kid, other than that first drop on Pirates of the Caribbean (!), was my first ride on a monorail. As a kid, it was a pretty cool ride. Now here as an adult, and many (many) years later, I have to admit a ride on the monorail, even at my age, is still a pretty cool deal. It's one of those rides that make up the unique fabric of Disneyland. For many, it is the first ride in operation that is visible when you first see the park upon entering the Disneyland area.

The sleek, colorful Mark VII monorails make quite a first impression. Unlike their WDW counterparts, the Disneyland monorails still serve as an attraction as well as a mode of transportation. The two mile circle around Disneyland is still a must do attraction for Mrs. DisneylandTraveler and myself. Whizzing by the scenery, it's hard to believe the top speed isn't all that much. My only wish is their were a stop in DCA as well as its Downtown Disney stop.

For the kid in all of us, a ride on the monorail still represents what Disneyland is all about - imagination, innovation, uniqueness, and just plain fun. All aboard!

Disneyland Starts To Prepare For It's 60th Anniversary

Disneyland turns 60 years old next year. Now being planned as the first major kickoff event according to internet stories is the keeping of the parks open for 60 hours straight over an unspecified weekend. Yes, there are "people" who make it the whole 60 hours or at least try, but crowds, lines, and tired people do not necessarily make for the Happiest Place on Earth........ "Security!!!"

Enchanted Tiki Room Brings Air Conditioned Relief on Hot Days

When temperatures jumped over the 100 degree mark in Disneyland a week or so ago, my first instinct was to say "no way man.... that's the last place I want to be." But sometimes luck gives you no choice in the a matter and people are left to their own preferences to play the beat the heat game. Where do I want to be if the temperature is insufferable in Disneyland? It's a no brainer. Nowhere in the park does the air conditioning work better that the Enchanted Tiki Room. Gobs of cooling air is needed to keep the animatronics in working order and the Tiki Room is kept cool enough that you could hang meat in there.

The only sad part is the show is a bit on the short side in which case, go back around and see it again. Even if you have seen it a hundred times, its still kind of cute. C'mon...... admit it, on a blistering hot day, who couldn't picture themselves sprawled out on one of those padded Tiki Room benches for a nice cooling nap?

Triple Digit Disneyland

An nbclosangelas.com photo

Do you know where Disneyland beats Walt Disney World almost every single time? Low humidity and generally better weather. Well that comparison can fly out the window as for several days this past week, the temperatures in Disneyland sat at around 100 degrees, give or take a degree or two. Now I'm a Disneyland fan but when temperatures hit triple digits - No Thank You. Disneyland is one of the last places I would want to be.

In the oppressive heat, tempers easily melt faster that your pineapple whip and enjoying yourself seems like a real effort as heat relief is the number one thing on your mind. But there's only so many times you can sit through the Tiki Birds singing in their beautifully air conditioned abode and eventually, you have to hit the Disneyland concrete jungle, absorbing heat like a sponge. If its a 100 degrees as the actual temperature, its probably more like a 110 inside the park as people still gather creating crowds and lines and generally sucking whatever air there is in the park right out.

And as you think about getting relief from somewhere, some place, you can think about the gem called Cars Land. Yep, Disney built a beautiful shade less replica of a desert town to enjoy sweltering weather.

The Haunted Mansion Returns To Shades Of Gray

The Haunted Mansion returned last week stripped of its debatable holiday overlay and ready to entertain fans in various shades of gray for the next nine months or so. Disneyland needs the Haunted Mansion because its omnimover ride vehicles (doom buggies) suck up park guests like nobody's business.  At 3,000 guests an hour, you can often get on the ride with very little wait.

Certainly Disneyland needs the Haunted Mansion. The Disneyland Traveler? Not so much. Don't get me wrong I like the ride a lot - it's a classic after all. But when all is said and done, even dripping with back stories, myth, and urban legends, I find the HM kind of boring. Life in shades of gray doesn't so much haunt me as much as it tends to put me to sleep.  There have been more than a few times where I caught some Zzz's during a ride on the Haunted Mansion thanks to its length (pushing 15 minutes).

No, the Haunted Mansion isn't a bad ride. It's a great one in fact and was the last ride conceived by Walt Disney before his death. In the scope of things, it just isn't my ride.

Mickey & The Magical Map Is Fun....BUT....

I gotta say that when I first saw the Mickey and the Magical Map show at Disneyland's cavernous Fantasyland Theater I was pleasantly surprised. The 25 minute lively show was quite enjoyable and not a waste of time in the slightest. When I go back to Disneyland, I'll be sure to make it a point to see it again for an entertaining diversion. Best of all, the show has real seats which for Disneyland, is rare. And any show that uses the voice of Leonard Nimoy (sounding just like Spock) can't be all bad.

Now comes the "but....." part. The theater is a huge piece of valuable real estate in Fantasyland. It holds close to 2000 people and on a busy day, Mickey and the Magical Lamp was less than half full. It seems to me, and I've said it before, Disneyland could get far more bang out of the space if it was used for a full-blown ride attraction. Take the space from the neighboring ToonTown (except for Roger Rabbit) and you would really have some area to work with and go development crazy.

That's on my Disneyland imagination wish list, after all, it isn't my money to build expensive rides and attractions. Until then, I can be content with going in and enjoying Mickey and his map. It's a fun thing to do.

Close The Subs: Save Some Bucks

So by now, the Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage attraction is closed down and boarded up. "Closed for refurbishment" as the saying goes. Here we are in January and the ride is not scheduled to re-open until late September. But the speculation is that the Finding Nemo Submarine may never re-open even though there is Pixar Finding Nemo (Finding Dory) sequel movie somewhere in pre-production.

Now I have no doubts that the sub attraction is in need of some repair. It is by all accounts the most expensive attraction to operate and maintain in the park. So maybe it is just a "refurbishment". But everyday the ride doesn't operate, Disneyland is saving a boatload of money so to speak.

But it strikes be funny (and I'm just thinking out loud here) that Disney closes the expensive subs, eliminates an expensive act with Billy Hill and the Hillbillies, cuts down on the length of firework displays, well, all this seems to add up some belt tightening by Disney accountants and bean counters. Much cheaper to load up character meet and greets than having actual entertaining attractions for wider appeal of guest demographics. (Disney announced a new Captain America meet and greet coming soon earlier this week to go along with the more recent Thor and Frozen meet and greets).

But I'm willing to cut Disney a bit of slack here. If these cutbacks lead to a fully realized development of the Star Wars franchise (which is rumored but would be costly), then I'm all for Disney cutting back on some things temporally to put some park development money away to be used for a DCA type of makeover (except the Billy elimination, that was an outright mistake).

While I enjoyed taking pictures of the various vistas for the submarines and the surrounding lagoon, I was not a fan of ride itself. It the space utilized for Innoventions, the subs, and Autopia were allocated for Star Wars and a true Tomorrowland development, then I'm on board.

Thunder Mountain Railroad and the Question of the Day

So the re-opening of Disneyland's Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is imminent after more than a year of being closed for refurbishment and 3 months past its original scheduled re-opening. It's got a new track, new trains, almost new everything. Trains are being tested daily (without passengers).

 

So I'm thinking to myself - given the fact that this is essentially a brand new ride, and as much as I love BTMRR, would I want to be on that first train that leaves the platform on its initial run? My answer would be "No!'. I'll leave that to some other brave souls and I'll give it a chance to run through its paces a bit. Just call me chicken.

A "Thank You" To Billy Hill And The Hillbillies

Disneyland's Billy Hill and the Hillbillies show comes to an end tomorrow. It began in 1993 with the bulk of the shows taking place in Frontierland's Golden Horseshoe venue. The end comes through retirement. Oh, the Hillbillies didn't retire, as they loved to perform to adoring fans young and old. Disney retired the act somehow thinking it was time. As I have said before, I believe the reason was economic as the skilled musicians and performers of the Hillbillies were probably paid well - especially the original members. Yes, they could pack the Golden Horseshoe with fans, but there is only so much greasy food and ice cream that could be sold in such a small place to support the cost of the act. (I'm ignoring the outdoor festival arena performances of the Hillbillies - those don't count - the act belonged in the Golden Horseshoe - always).

But here's a stop to the rant against Disney to say Thank You to Kirk, Dennis, and the rest of the boys. Thank you for the countless hours of entertainment, the laughs, the music, and all the fun that went with it. The teeth, the fiddle bow up the nose, and the "Train Song" never got old or stale. Billy Hilly and the Hillbillies was a first-rate act by guys who loved to perform. 

Disneyland will not be the same without Billy Hill and the Hillbillies. Mrs. DisnelylandTraveler and myself have made an informal pledge to not set foot inside of the Golden Horseshoe as our form of protest and disapproval of Disney's decision to remove the act. Ultimately, the hope is that Disney will see the error of their ways and bring the act back.

Disneyland Christmas Fireworks Show Kind Of Fizzled

(Internet Photo Source)

We had our fried chicken dinner at the Plaza Inn Restaurant on Main Street on Saturday night, the night we arrived. We finished our dinner a little before 9:00 pm. Hey.....the fireworks start at 9:30 and the crowd was just beginning to gather around at the hub in front of the castle. So even though we were tired after a long day of traveling, and an appointment with a mattress and pillow was in my future, Mrs. DisneylandTraveler and I decided to wait for the fireworks. And so the wait began.

Thirty minutes isn't a long wait by Disneyland standards but when you are dog tired, it's long enough. And promptly at 9:30, the Believe.....In Holiday Magic fireworks display began. I know of two who were glad the fireworks only lasted 10 minutes - my left foot and my right foot. Other than that, I thought the holiday fireworks display was a bit of a disappointment. I remember back in 2005, the Disneyland fireworks shows came in at a whopping 20 minutes. Ever since then, they seemed to have scaled it back to about a 10 minute show. Granted, fireworks are hugely expensive and the one way Disney can add to their bottom line is to cut back on displays such as fireworks.

As for the snow on Main Street - well I'm not too sure about Main Street itself, but for those of us gathered at the hub, we looked up and saw the "snow" blowing out of the machines. The substance then dissipated for the most part before it came anywhere close to the ground or the people for that matter. Again, less of a magical moment than previous years.

In the end, instead of triumph, the fireworks kind of fizzled for me. I was glad to be heading back to the hotel room warmly greeted by a mattress and a pillow.

Fried Chicken At The Plaza Inn Restaurant

Beautiful Christmas Tree Inside The Plaza Inn Restaurant

I got to cross 3 things off my Disneyland Bucket List on this trip, 3 things I've always wanted to do but just hadn't gotten around to it yet. I got one bucket list item crossed off the night we got there. After a 4 hour detour because of the closing of the grapevine due to snow, we arrived at our hotel at 6:40 pm and hungry as all get out. By the time we got settled in and headed to the park it was closer to 8:00. We needed dinner and I pointed us straight to the Plaza Inn Restaurant dodging Candlelight Processionalers along the way.

I'd always heard how great the fried chicken dinner was at the Plaza Inn for years now but for various reasons, I never made it a priority to go in and try it. This time it was a priority and the chicken did not disappoint in the least. For Mrs. DisneylandTraveler and myself, this may have been the best fried chicken we have ever tasted including what they serve over at Knotts Berry Farm. It definitely beats KFC by a country mile. Tender and moist, crispy skinned and wonderfully seasoned, this chicken is simply the best. It was so good we made it back a second time to the Plaza Inn and contemplated a third visit during our stay. High praise indeed.

Just for comparison we also ordered the pot roast and this was quite good as well, extremely tender and richly flavored. You can't go wrong with either the pot roast or chicken but in the end, the chicken gets the winning vote. The Plaza Inn will be on our must do list from this point going forward in future trips and a great thing to cross off the Disneyland Bucket List. 

Jingle Cruise Didn't Exactly Jingle All The Way

Jingle Cruise False Advertising

For the 6 days we were at the Disneyland Resort, the lines never wavered a bit for the renamed and re-themed Jungle Cruise now known for the holiday season as the Jingle Cruise. The lines were always long, often longer than the neighboring epic Indiana Jones Adventure attraction. The lines were typically in the 30 - 60 minute range for a ride when outside of the Christmas season is usually no more than a 15 minute wait.

But to say the ride was re-themed on the scale of the Haunted Mansion or it's a small world would be a very large stretch. A few Christmas decorations were added to the queue line (with the lines so long I saw parts of the queue line I hadn't seen in years, especially on the upper level), some Santa hats were added to the ride characters that are encountered, and the legendary Jungle Cruise skippers added some holiday shtick to their comical narration. In the end it adds up to very little and certainly didn't equal that wait time it took to get on the ride.

The whole idea of the Jingle Cruise, while a good idea, seemed rush and half hatched. It could have been thought out better and delivered more. I must confess I went on the ride during the day when maybe the after dark cruise would have been preferable but I'm sure the lines would have been even longer. In the end, it was still the same Jungle Cruise ride everyone knows with a couple of Christmas twists along the way. The Jingle Cruise just wasn't a very big deal unfortunately.

The Disneyland Traveler, Kurt Russell, and the Throngs of Others

Actor Kurt Russell prepares for the Candlelight Processional
(Yes.....he put on a tux for the performance)

So the Disneyland Traveler and Mrs.DisneylandTraveler are actually in Disneyland this week and where this is being written. Here are some story lines that will be covered in upcoming posts.

• Was the Candlelight Processional with official Disney Legend actor Kurt Russell worth the 4 hour wait?
• Dang it's cold here!
• New food items on the menus and one very old one that I never tried - the Plaza Inn chicken - maybe the best fried chicken ever.
• The ruination of one of Mrs. DLT's favorite Disneyland seasonal treats - a horrid pumpkin muffin.
• A 10 minute Christmas fireworks show?
• So far, heavy crowds, even on Monday.
• Very little buzz in the resort about the World of Color Christmas show though we haven't seen it yet.

Still so much to do. Stay tuned.