Trip Disappointment #1 - The Mark Twain Closed For Refurbishment

So while we are making plans for our November Disneyland trip, Disneyland strikes back and tells the first thing we can't do. We won't be able make that lovely voyage around the Rivers of America on the Mark Twain Steamboat which is now closed for a 3 month refurbishment. MiceChat's In the Parks has the ship setting sail again November 28, about a week after our trip has ended.

You don't really appreciate something until it's gone, and while the Mark Twain isn't exactly a must do thrill ride, what it is - is a quiet and relaxing respite from a place that can get very busy and the few moments of quiet on the voyage are at least be me, greatly appreciated and something I look forward to on every trip to Disneyland.

Yes, I can do without the Mark Twain. It isn't a trip deal breaker. But I will miss the boat ride. Of course I suspect the Columbia will be sailing to pick up the slack but that voyage just isn't the same.

There was just something special about getting one of those chairs on the front of the Mark Twain and settling in to hear a narrative that I've probably heard 100 times before. A trip on the Mark Twain is one of those things that make you say, "yep....I'm in Disneyland." 

No Mark Twain.....no Billy Hill and the Hillbillies......Frontierland is turning out to be a bummer in November.

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.

The Return Of The Tomorrowland Money Pit

Tomorrowland - Where the Future Is Now

So wherever MiceChat gets their information from (and its usually pretty good sources), their current report (rumor) now is that the Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage attraction is closing for extended refurbishment after the first of the year.  And that refurbishment could possibly be indefinite.

The closure is not unexpected, as Al Lutz reported on its closure several months ago (even though the ride is still extremely popular).  The problem with the Nemo Subs is that it is also the most expensive attraction in the park to keep in running operation.  The decision a few years ago to convert the classic diesel propelled subs to environmentally friendly battery operated subs was met by green types with rousing appreciation. The only problem is that those expensive batteries have a notoriously short lifespan, and the batteries get very hot which causes them to occasionally, eh, - catch fire.  Yep, the photogenic subs are fraught with technical issues.

Al's bigger point is that the subs (most of which are in an underground show building) and Autopia running on top of it while residing next to the adjoining Innoventions building, occupies a massive amount of Disneyland Tomorrowland real estate.  The real estate was once thought to be the launching place of Marvel attractions, then Star Wars attractions, and finally, the no one really knows attractions.

The one thing that is known is whatever is done with Tomorrowland, (whether it be Marvel based, Star Wars based, or a combination of both franchises), the price tag will be very, very expensive. Expensive to the point that Disney seems content to continue to bring in Cars Land profits which is already paid for and turning a handsome profit.

The other thing that can cause Disney to wait things out is the construction of Shanghai Disneyland. This is one of those partnerships (similar to the Tokyo Disney Parks) where the Disney Company is only part owner. They license the rides, characters, and attractions (which they also build) but, the company is not on the hook for picking up the whole tab. Great arrangement here which is why people speak glowingly of Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo Disney SEA.  Most of the development costs are funded by the Japanese owners.

Tomorrowland is a Disney money pit waiting to happen, but I'm not sure during whose lifetime it will take place. It's also Disneyland's right armpit if you count the poorly conceived Frontierland as the left armpit. There's work to be done here people!

Pardon My Language - WTH??? Billy Hill Act To Retire Jan. 6

A Disneyland institution from the early 90's - the performance of Billy Hill and the Hillbillies at the Golden Horseshoe is set to retire January 6, 2014 following this holiday season (and the Billy Hill Holiday Spectacular). If this popular act gets replaced by something meant to generate a revenue stream, I'll be pissed.... My hope this is a Billy idea for graceful retirement and not Disney giving them the boot. Right now there are about 80 negative comments on Disney Parks Blog against this idea. 

Over the years, Mrs. DisneylandTraveler have seen Billy Hill and the Hillbillies perform more than two dozen times. We haven't haven't seen a performance that wasn't completely enjoyable yet.

Disneyland's Cheap Fix To A Bigger Problem

All Disneyland fans know that the section of the park known as Frontierland is "lacking". It's been that way for years having gone the way of westerns on TV and in the movies, a once thriving subject matter now virtually extinct. With Mrs. DisneylandTraveler's father now living with us and his failing mind now locked into past memories rather than the present, we have watched our fair share of Bonanza and Gunsmoke episodes recently which show up on obscure satellite channels fixated on a viewing market that focuses on the elderly. Those shows were really great (seeing them again after many, many years, I forgot how good they really were) and Disneyland's Frontierland once reflected the popularity of the western on TV and film.

Frontierland in Disneyland has been neglected to the point of embarrassment, even more so now that it's one signature ride attraction - Big Thunder Mountain Railroad - has now had its scheduled 10 month refurbishment extended to perhaps early next year. What's left? The Shooting Gallery? The Mark Twain? Not much. Then there's the Golden Horseshoe Saloon, which has provided great entertainment for countless people through the years. Since it is a building in which presence of Walt Disney is still felt, its historical significance to the park is great. 

Walt had his hand in producing the original Golden Horseshoe Revue which ran through thousands of performances. I saw the revue as a kid with my parents. For the last dozen years or so since Mrs. DLT and I have been making extended trips to Disneyland frequently, we have always made it a point to Billy Hill and the Hillbillies at least once a trip. It's a great act and if you catch the boys on a good day with the right amount of audience participation, their show can easily be a trip highlight. Since Mrs. DLT and I tend to make our trips to Disneyland during low attendance parts of the year, we haven't seen the Billies do their act in the outdoor Festival Arena venue where Disneyland has banished them at times in a continuing effort to turn their intimate act into some kind of carnival. Billy Hill and the Hillbillies belong in the Golden Horseshoe. That's it - nowhere else in the park.

So during the past few weeks, with the Hillbillies still out in the Festival Arena, Disneyland has been doing a test within the confines of the Golden Horseshoe. Instead of a live performance, they have been working on an interactive game with real life cast members acting out parts of the game in various old west characters. The people that have posted about it in various Disneyland forums have said the game is a lot of fun and I believe them but here's the problem.

The people that generally have written about the game are generally local annual passholders who are always looking for something new and different in the park because they show up in Disneyland on a regular basis and need something new to keep their interest moving ahead.

I posted in MiceChat that the interactive game is pointed directly at the local annual passholder and probably holds little interest to the Disneyland guest who is a vacationer or only get to the park once every year or two. For the occasional visitor, Disneyland is about rides and major attractions not interactive games which take time away from the typical park attractions. One guy posted that my feelings toward annual passholders was contemptible. My reply was easy enough - I am an annual passholder, just not one who shows up at the front gates every week. For Disney, an interactive game is the "perfect" attraction because it has little in the way of development cost, little in the way of construction cost, no cost for maintenance and upkeep, no cost for liability, and when people get tired of it, the game is pretty much disposable. It provides Disney with a cheap fix for the bigger problem of a neglected Frontierland. Using the beautiful Golden Horseshoe for a "game" seems work against the beautiful historic venue. Frontierland needs the Golden Horseshoe because it has so little going form it. To use it for game playing seems a waste.

Holy Crap! Thunder Mountain Railroad Stays Closed Till Next Year

According to MiceChat, Disneyland has officially announced that they will miss their October 31st reopening for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad which has been closed since January for a complete refurbishment. The new opening is now said to be February 15, 2014. The reason for the extension is Disneyland's recent self imposed emphasis on safety upgrades for maintenance workers and staying ahead of potential issues with California's Occupational Safety and Health people. These safety upgrades were not part of TMR original refurbishment work. This will push the total length of the refurbishment close to 14 months. Wow.

Sailing Ship Columbia Turns 55 - Sail On!

June seems to be an anniversary month for Disneyland. Next week is the Tiki Room's 50th anniversary but before we get to that, today, June 14, 55 years ago in 1958, the Sailing Ship Columbia made its maiden voyage around the Rivers of America and has been delighting passengers ever since (when it's running).

Now my confession is that I haven't been on the Columbia since 2004. When it comes to taking passengers around the ROA, it's the steamship Mark Twain that does most of the heavy lifting. The Columbia is reserved for weekends or days when peak crowds are expected. And since the 'ol Disneyland Traveler tries to make his trips to Disneyland away from peak periods, I get to see a lot of the Columbia parked in its berth over by the Hungry Bear restaurant or maybe in its triumphant appearance in Fantasmic.

And my second confession is that I prefer making my river excursions on the Mark Twain, and that's for one big reason. The Mark Twain has shade from the midday sun. The Columbia doesn't. Yes, the Columbia does have a below deck area to give the vessel some true authenticity but down there you miss out on the river scenery. Still, the Columbia is a gentle ride that should be experienced by every Disneyland fan. Another gift from Walt. 

The Mark Twain and Columbia in 1958
A Disney Photo

The Latest Disneyland "Snack" Food - The Pork Shank

Disneyland's Pork Shank "snack"
A Disney Parks Blog photo

They've been available in Disney World for the better part of 6 months now and came with Magic Kingdom's new Fantasyland expansion. From most of the accounts I have read, these things are pretty darn good. So now coming to Disneyland - The Pork Shank - the pig counterpart to the infamous turkey leg, which is available at Edelweiss Snacks (on the fringe of Fantasyland near the Matterhorn boarding area).  The Pork Shanks are also available for the summer in Frontierland at the Festival Arena Jamboree area according to the announcement in Disney Parks Blog.

 

Coming in at 22 oz. and $9.99, these juicy, salt-laden, artery cloggers should be a real hit but probably should be split with as many people as you can round up to keep your doctor happy. Your stomach may appreciate it to. Chowing down one of these and going for a ride on Space Mountain or Indiana Jones probably wouldn't be advised.

Disneyland's Riverbelle Terrace - A Chair, A View, A Sandwich

It was our last night in Disneyland and we were going to see Fantasmic. We had given up sitting on that concrete walkway that they try to pass off for a viewing area years ago. What goes down must come back up. Not an easy thing to do at my age after sitting on the ground for hours on end squatting a prime spot. Nope....every Fantasmic viewing since 2005 has been from a table and chairs found at the outside dining area of the Riverbelle Terrace Restaurant. Facing the front of the restaurant, it's usually the table by the railing on the far right. Is it a perfect view? No...not quite, but it is pretty good and I have just what I need....a chair.

Now that table is a prime viewing area. You have to get there early. How early you ask? Kind of depends on how busy the park is. On a Friday night a few weeks ago, Mrs. DisneylandTraveler and I plopped our rear ends down about 5pm for the 9 o'clock showing of Fantasmic. We have been known to go up as early as 2:30 on a busy day in July. If you think it's crazy, as the day and night wear on, many people will have the same idea. And some think it is perfectly OK for them to show up 15 minutes before showtime and ask if they can join you at the table. Luckily, we usually have enough people in our group to make this rather questionable piece of Disneyland etiquette difficult.

So what exactly do you do when you show up for a show hours before it actually begins? It's called tag-team squatting and the more people you have in your party, the better. On this Friday night, after being in Disneyland since the previous Sunday, I was perfectly willing to sit, and sit, and sit some more. Mrs. DLT, still with a bit more energy than me, decided to use the time for some last minute shopping. While I sat, she shopped. When she came back, she asked if I wanted to go do something. No... I was good. But that's the routine for the table squatting. As long as one person stays behind, others are free to do whatever. My sister and her husband joined us off and on throughout the evening and we all eventually settled in for good about 8 o'clock, an hour before the show started. By that time, the Riverbelle Terrace patio is pretty packed and you find yourself giving yourself a pat on the back for getting there as early as you did.

Not Bad - but $12.99 (plus tax) sandwiches???

The Riverbelle Terrace is a counter service restaurant (cafeteria style) so the seating surrounding the place is open. The bus staff cleaning and wiping down the tables couldn't care less if you actually ordered something from the restaurant. I am not a fan of the food (lunch/dinner) served at the Riverbelle Terrace. Usually we go off in the surrounding areas and bring food back to our viewing table. The Jolly Holiday Bakery or Bengal Bar B Que are good choices for food to bring back to the viewing table. But every once in awhile I feel just guilty enough to actually order something from the Riverbelle Terrace. They mostly have sandwiches and salads. What gives RBT a different twist is that with the roast beef and turkey sandwich offerings, the meat is actually carved rather the usual pressed deli style meat. So the sandwiches are good.....but it's going to cost you...to the tune of about thirteen bucks plus tax, plus drink. I expect to pay high prices in Disneyland for food. It's a given. Of all the food that is offered in the park, I have the hardest time paying for what the Riverbelle Terrace serves up. The sandwiches are good but the accompanying baked beans taste like the kind that are massed produce and come out of a can. Baked beans comes with all sandwiches and you also get a choice of a small cold side dish like fruit, pasta salad, or potato salad. You can't go wrong with fruit I suppose but the prepared salads usually aren't very good. I would probably enjoy the meal if it was about 3 or 4 dollars less. The Jolly Holiday Bakery serves up roast beef and turkey sandwiches at less than 10 bucks and are far better.

For the price of this turkey sandwich plus drink, you could buy a whole turkey.

So that's what I think about The Riverbelle Terrace. Get there early, enjoy the view for Fantasmic, and skip the food. You could do better and cheaper. Note: when we used to take the Boy to Disneyland when he was younger, we would often go to the Riverbelle Terrace for breakfast because they served the classic Mickey Mouse pancakes that kids love.  This goes back to the time when the place was called Aunt Jemima's Pancake House and it was a favorite of Walt Disney. Haven't been there for breakfast for years though.

A Very Special Billy Hill Performance

Over the years, I've probably seen Billy Hill and the Hillbillies perform maybe 2 dozen times on the stage of Frontierland's Golden Horseshoe Saloon. It's one of my favorite things to do at Disneyland and as one website called Billy Hill, one of Disneyland's real gems. (Note: I haven't seen them perform on the outdoor stage at Big Thunder Ranch which they do now during busy seasons).

Anyway, Billy Hill and the Hillbillies are highly skilled musicians that mostly play for fun, laughs, and wonderful entertainment. As with any performing band, much of their material, both in songs and comedy routines, remains the same from performance to performance relying a lot on interaction with their audience to keep things fresh and lively (and funny). But once in a while, Billy changes things up and one of the 4 Billy's is allowed to really show what they can do.

It should be noted that while there are 4 Billy's on stage, there are about 9 Billy's performing in teams (green team, blue team, gold team) to accommodate days off, vacations, and such. The 3 Billy's that are most frequently performing are the groups founding members Kirk Wall (front man/MC, guitar, fiddle, fake buck teeth, and fiddle bow up the nose), Dennis Fetchet (fiddle, Orange Blossom Special, and that Train Thing), and John Marshall (stand up bass).

Billy's - Kirk Wall and John David

On our last trip, on a day Kirk Wall wasn't fronting a Billy Hill and Hillbillies, an opportunity to solo was turned over to guitarist John David. Below is his great rendition of Mason Williams guitar classic appropriately named Classical Gas. Apparently he does perform the song in Billy sets every so often but it was the first time I had seen it and was blown away by his picking skills.

If you haven't been to Disneyland, make sure to make time to see Billy Hill and the Hillbillies perform. If you go to Disneyland regularly and haven't seen Billy, skip a ride and go see them do their thing. Each performance is about 25 minutes and a whole lot of fun.

A Last Look At Tony And His Railroad

MiceChat / MiceAge In The Parks Photo

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is down for an extensive refurbishment till about Halloween - a total of about 10 months. Yesterday I posted about imagineer Tony Baxter's sudden retirement. Tony and his railroad are forever linked so I guess it only seems right to take one more look at the man and his train. Right now, beside the majestic Big Thunder Mountain, sits an even more majestic construction crane which now dominates Disneyland site lines. The track is being ripped out piece by piece soon to be replaced by a new track (and new trains). Big Thunder Mountain Railroad was Tony's first major project. Though he would go on to work on the 1983 Fantasyland renovation  Splash Mountain, Indina Jones Adventure, Tony is most closely remembered as the creator of Big Thunder Mountain which has now been propagated in Disney parks around the world (under different names in some cases).

Thunder Mountain Railroad is a great ride, a fully immersive themed experience and guess what? It isn't based on a movie. It was created at a time when imagineers could still let their concepts and ideas reach for the blue skies and Disney was willing to put up the large amounts of money it took to finance them (Note: not all of them, even Tony Baxter had many of his greatest ideas squashed in corporate budgeting).

When the refurbishment is completed in late October I'd bet my dog that Tony Baxter will be there to greet its awaited return. Maybe he even gets the first official ride. It would only be right. Over the spring and summer and on into fall, many will miss Big Thunder Mountain Railroad but it will be back. Behind the scenes, fans of Disney parks may miss Tony Baxter even more.

A MiceChat / MiceAge In the Parks Photo

And how about one more ride on the wildest ride in the wilderness. YouTube videographer asianjma123 just recently posted another POV ride through and it may be the best look yet at the great attraction.

Salute to the Golden Horseshoe Revue - The Video

MiceChat's In The Parks weekly Disneyland post (link) featured the first video of Disneyland's Limited Time Magic Salute to the Golden Horseshoe revue. I'll re-post their video below and the viewer can come to their own conclusions.

Westerns like Bonanza and Gunsmoke on TV eventually faded away to the point where they are almost non-existent in modern pop culture. The market for "the old west" dried up in the current world. Not to say it can't come back because things tend to run in cycles (like Disney's remake of The Lone Ranger) but as of now, the market is limited, especially with kids.

As for the show, I'm just not a fan. Give me the talents of Billy Hill and the Hillbillies in the Golden Horseshoe and things will seem right again. Just a personal opinion.

How does that go? "I see England, I see France, I see ......"

One No Vote for the Salute to the Golden Horseshoe Revue

The Classic Golden Horseshoe Revue
A Disney Photo

As one of its first events in the so called "Limited Time Magic" (a name I'm already getting tired of hearing) promotion, Disneyland is staging "A Salute to the Golden Horseshoe Revue" from January 10 - February 4 in the namesake Golden Horseshoe Saloon. The GS Revue was the original stage show from the classic days of Disneyland's Frontierland when people still had an interest in the old west along with Cowboys and Indians before people knew what it really like to be an American Indian kicked of their land and forced into reservations. The GS Revue featured Disneyland's consummate showman in Wally Boag and his partner Betty Taylor who performed for years on the saloon's stage to packed houses and smiling faces.

The Golden Horseshoe Saloon
A Disney Photo

I vaguely remember seeing those performances as a young boy when I would make occasional trips to Disneyland on summer vacations with my parents. I mostly remember that I couldn't get out of that show fast enough because time was a wasting with staged silliness and forgettable songs when rides were waiting. So the Golden Horseshoe Revue doesn't occupy the same sense of warm Disneyland nostalgia as say the Enchanted Tiki Room or Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln which remain quite special to me to this day which is kind of weird.

This isn't to say that the Golden Horseshoe Saloon as a venue isn't special for me because it is. It's special because the best shows I have seen in there belong to the great Bill Hill and the Hillbillies who can't get back in there fast enough as far as I'm concerned. Surprisingly, others on Disneyland forums and discussion boards have said the same thing. 

And while return of a classic Golden Horseshoe Revue show is welcomed by many let's also not forget that it is something of a money grab by Disney primarily targeted at annual pass holders. A Salute to the Golden Horseshoe Revue will bring people into Disneyland during one of the slowest times of the year. And you annual AP's out there, don't forget that for about $35 you can have one of those special dining packages which also features a collectible boot mug, sandwich, and a salad with your reserved seat for the show. Seems like a high price to pay for a show I once couldn't wait to end.

It's Official - BTMRR Closes For Refurbishement Jan. 7

The rumor has been out there since last summer but Disney finally officially announced the closing of the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad January 7 for an extended refurbishment. The iconic ride is not scheduled to reopen until next fall with the reported re-opening being around October 30. What does a 10 month closure of the gigantic ride get you? Officially from Disney (according to Disney Parks Blog) you get a new track (though the ride itself doesn't change). You get new ride vehicles (though it will still be a railroad train - let's hope the same people who designed and built the new Matterhorn vehicles stay as far away as possible). And you get a new paint job on the mountain (though after all these years, I still thought it looked pretty good).

Not quite official, we hear that the passenger loading platform will be rebuilt, the so-called NextGen queue elements will be added for some measure of entertainment for those waiting in line. And most controversial of all is the possibility of the removal of the town of Rainbow Ridge which overlooks the ride and is a remnant of the former mine train attraction that occupied the area decades back.

I don't think I've been on Thunder Mountain Railroad in 3 or 4 years. I tried a couple of times but it seems like every time I was by there and tried, the ride had somehow broken down and not taking on riders. So another 10 months isn't going to kill me. Look forward to the new and (hopefully) improved Thunder Mountain Railroad sometime late next year though....

My Disneyland Bucket List - Item #7

You learn something new about Disneyland every day. Well, maybe not every day, but there seems to be no shortage of new things to stumble upon going on at the park. I've written before about how I am a fan of the little petting zoo at Big Thunder Ranch. It's charming and great for kids. The goats and other animal residents make me smile and smiling is what Disneyland is all about.

So I knew that the goats reside at the petting zoo during the day. I knew their permanent home was back in the friendly confines of Circle D ranch which is behind Frontierland. What I did not know until a little while ago is that every day about 4 pm there is a very minor event affectionately known as "The Running of Goats" - Disneyland's takeoff on the Running of the Bulls annual event in Pamplona Spain (complete with human carnage).

At 4 pm, the Petting Zoo handlers herd the goats up to the gate then open the gate and let the little rascals make a made dash off to the Circle D Ranch. There are a couple of short YouTube videos below to show the goats sprinting back to their home. And as of today, it's something I really want to see perhaps just once. The Running of the Goats is officially on my Disneyland Bucket List. I do not believe there have any humans trampled during this event.

The Golden Horseshoe Experiment

Though I haven't confirmed it from any official Disney source, there is a rumor that the Golden Horseshoe Saloon in Frontierland will revert back to a version of it's original stage show that ran for many years following the park's opening. The revival show will be part of Disneyland's  2013 Limited Time Magic promotion and will only run from January 10 - February 4. It's a grand show complete with dance hall girls and cowboy comedians and as a young boy, I remember seeing the good time fun entertainment with my parents... way back when.

But as a young boy, I was all about rides back then so the Golden Horseshoe stage show never really triggered any real sense of romance or nostalgia in me (unlike the Tiki Room or Lincoln). Many Disneyland veterans wax poetically about the thousands of performances of comedian Wally Boag as Pecos Bill and Betty Taylor's Slue Foot Sue. As often mentioned, Wally Boag performing at the Golden Horseshoe was one of comedian Steve Martin's primary influences (Steve worked at Disneyland for a period of time).

So while this revamped show is eagerly anticipated for many Disneyland fans, I could easily give it a pass. At this stage of my life, for me, the Golden Horseshoe belongs to Billy Hill and the Hillbillies and the show they brought to the Golden Horseshoe. Since last summer, Billy has been relegated to performing outdoors at the Festival Arena and while I have not seen outdoor Billy, there is a part of me that wants them back inside the Golden Horseshoe, where they belong, where I have seen them countless times over the last 10 or 12 years.

Someone on MiceChat is already soliciting people to go down to Disneyland's City Hall and fill out an official suggestion request to make the vintage Golden Horseshoe show a permanent fixture once its temporary run begins. That's kind of like voting that Iron Man is the greatest attraction in Disneyland before the ride is even built. Besides, in my many Billy Hill viewings, I have yet to see and empty seat in the house. Billy Hill and the Hillbillies appearing 5 times daily at the Golden Horseshoe Saloon in Disneyland - that's the way it should be.

No Big Thunder In The Mountain For Awhile

MiceAge / MiceChat's Al Lutz is reporting that Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is about to go down this fall for a lengthy refurbishment. How lengthy? According to Al, try the end of this year and most of the 2013 calendar year so the track can get replaced, a new loading platform built, and new interactive elements are added to the queue line.

I'm going to miss Thunder Mountain Railroad. Even though I think of it as a favorite of mine, Mrs. DisneylandTraveler, after years of going on, regressed from participating in the thrills of the "wildest ride in the wilderness" that Disney uses as a tagline for the ride. It has become one of the series of "messes with my head" rides for her. On our last visit to Disneyland I tried to sneak on over to ride the beast myself but but twice I got the "closed down right now - not sure when we'll open back up" spiel from a cast member. I should have been more diligent about trying to get on but in the back of your mind there is always the "maybe next time by" thought. What if there is no next time?

Disneyland Sticks a Fiddle Bow Up Its Nose

So there it is, the standout moment of any performance by Billy Hill and the Hillbillies, the moment when Billy gets a fiddle bow stuck up his nose. "I feel bad for the little kids who have to see something like this on their trip to Disneyland" or words to that effect Billy says as he tries to figure out how to get the bow out of his nose.

I've seen Billy Hill and the Hillbillies perform probably two dozen times at Frontierland's Golden Horseshoe over the years and the bow up the nose bit never gets old. Most of the shows are just a variation of each other (the exception being the "Christmas spectacular") with a slight change in song selection and each performance greatly dependent on audience reaction and participation. It's a lot of fun. And inside the small but wonderfully ornate Golden Horseshoe, Billy Hill feels at home, both the band playing and the audience watching, clapping hands and stomping feet.

So this summer Disney had grand plans of massive amounts of people hitting their Disneyland parks with the relaunch of Disney California Adventure, Cars Land, and the like. And it's true, the bustling crowd levels have had Disney people wearing big smiles on their faces. There was only one slight miscalculation apparently. Large crowds have been turning up on a daily basis at DCA and surprisingly, the park has been able to withstand high crowd volumes much easier than expected. The crowd levels over at Disneyland on the other hand, with only the re-opening of the Matterhorn to boast about, have been quite manageable for a change. Some have used the word "flat" to describe Disneyland crowd levels this summer. Disney had visions over overflowing guests at both parks so in preparation they made the decision to take the popular Billy Hill and the Hillbillies show and move it outdoors and into the cavernous, mostly unused, Fesival Arena where more people could be seated compared to the cramped quarters of The Golden Horseshoe. The only problem is, the people and fans of Billy didn't follow.

The foot traffic around the Festival Arena area is off the beaten path as they say. The only reason to go back there is if you plan to eat at the Big Thunder Bar-B-Que (where reservations are almost never necessary) or use that back pathway to get from Thunder Mountain Railroad to Fantasyland as a shortcut. (There is also a spot back there that is one of Disneyland's last remaining designated smoking areas). So here is where they stuck Billy Hill and the Hillbillies. Below, MiceChat took a picture of the common result:

Billy Hill & the Hillbillies perform to a sparse crowd at the Festival Arena
A MiceChat In The Parks Photo

Now that's sad. The spirited packed house of a Billy Hill performance inside The Golden Horseshoe is reduced to a shadow of what it normally is playing to small crowds in a large area. It's been such a disaster that Disney, in an effort to attract a crowd, any crowd, put up a hastily constructed pin trading stand. Hopefully when summer draws to a close, this incredibly bad decision, is forever filed away.

Does Disneyland Need A Petting Zoo?

Name Me - A Disney Parks Blog Photo

Disney Parks Blog posted a photo of its newest edition to its petting zoo located at Big Thunder Ranch in Disneyland's Frontierland. This weekend they are holding a contest to name the cute little critter. A petting zoo in Disneyland? What's that all about?

The Big Thunder petting zoo is hardly a must do on anyone's check-off list with a trip to Disneyland. Its small and the animals contained in the pen are primarily comprised of docile goats and sheep. But they are cute and exhibit a bit personality as they look for a quiet spot to chill out only to be pursued by children with little outstretched hands who want to touch them. Sometimes they get into a bit of  mischief but always under the careful watch of their Circle D Ranch handlers. Circle D Ranch is Disneyland's backstage location used for the care of all park animals.

My encounter with the animals is pretty much limited to when Mrs. DisneylandTraveler and I have a bit of wait to get into the Big Thunder Ranch Bar-B-Que (which is seldom a long wait). Of course, we don't actually go in the pen as it really is pretty much an activity geared to small children but its a very pleasant little diversion to watch the kids have fun with the animals and I kinda think down deep, the animals don't mind getting the attention as well.

Does Disneyland need a petting zoo? Of course not but it is one of those things that gives the park such a pleasant atmosphere - literally something for everyone. It brings a bit of joy and diversion to kids that are probably having the time of their lives. Chasing a goat just adds to the list.

Note: During Christmas, the petting zoo in converted into the Reindeer Round-up complete with Santa Claus. Reindeer - they're a bit larger than the goats.

More photos from the Big Thunder petting zoo (while waiting for lunch).