Disneyland and the Lucky Ducks

Disneyland has hundreds of duck residents, maybe thousands. You see them everywhere. They really like it down on the Rivers of America and the Hungry Bear Restaurant. What's not to like? - water, shade, and abundant food scraps. You see ducks in the moat around the castle and the ponds that separate the entrances to Adventureland and Frontierland. Sometimes you just see them wandering the streets.

A duck in Disneyland? Not a bad life. They probably enjoy their stay in the park as much as any guest and they don't need hundred dollar bills and credit cards to get in. Of course the can't get into any of the indoor shows but I'm sure their parade views are spectacular. They can't get on rides but you're a duck, you can fly. If you can fly, do really need to get on a ride for a thrill? It's gotta be a pretty good life for a Disneyland duck. There is some competition for food, but I doubt that any of them starve. And you do have to make a run for it once in awhile trying to escape the clutching arms of a 3 year old.

One of the memorable sights of my last trip to the park was early morning in Fantasyland by the Tea Cups. A mother duck was walking around with 3 baby ducklings that were probably out walking around for the first time. They were really, really little. Rather than seeing the baby ducks get trampled under foot, 3 Disney cast members circled around the mother duck and her family and protected them in their early morning stroll. Eventually, I think they made it of the The Storybookland Canal where they probably call home. I'm sure 3 Disney cast members had better things to do but on this morning, nothing was more important to them than to see a family of ducks have a good time too.

Looking Ahead to Carsland

Every week, I look at the various Disney California Adventure Expansion Project Trackers with photos of the epic scale Carsland construction (BTW, after Carsland is finished and the guests are wandering through, will anyone ever go back and look at the thousands of construction photos? - just asking). Anyway, the mountains are going up; the rides are being installed; it's truly an impressive Disney achievement. We're still about 10 months away from the opening of Carland and without a doubt, it's going to be 10 months of hype, hype from the park fans, hype from Disney, even hype from the non-Disney media. Carsland, Carsland, Carsland, it will dominate the west coast Disney park discussion.

Of course everyone will want to go, everyone will want to see, everyone will want to get on Radiator Springs Racers, Mater's Junkyard Jamboree, and Luigi's Flying Tires. Well, maybe everyone but the DisneylandTraveler. Sure I want to see the sites, ride the rides, try out the new cafe, but I have no, absolutely no desire to be first in line or be there the first day, first week, first month. If you read through this blog, you can probably get a sense that I am not a fan of crowds. To me, crowds take enjoyment and turn it into frustration. So I can wait to get into Carsland, maybe in the fall, maybe even wait until the winter. I can wait. I want enjoy Carsland, not get crushed by it.

"The Most Boring Ride in the Park"

Let's take a more up-close look at the Storybookland Canal Boats. Let's see, it's a 1955 original - there since the park opened. It was imagineered by Walt himself and his love for miniatures and topiary. It's pleasant enough, kind of cute, but as my one of my nieces once said, "it's the most boring ride in the park" to which another niece replied, "they should take it out and put in something good".  An interesting point is these remarks were made in the darkness of night. Someone said, well, you really ought to go on the ride at night. We did. It was the same - just dark.

So in my family, the Storybookland Canal Boats get beat up pretty good. I'm sure others feel the same way. But will Disney have the guts "get rid of the Storybookland Canal boats and put in something good". I doubt it. This would have to be considered a legacy attraction tied to Disneyland history and Walt Disney himself. For the multitude of people who would like to see "something better" in its place, you would find an even more vocal community protesting its removal and these are people who probably haven't been on the ride in years but know its history. As long as imagineers like Tony Baxter have their imprint in the park, the legacy of Disneyland will be safe but that sense of history also has to be passed down to imagineers of the future.

No matter how boring some things in Disneyland just need to be left alone because it just wouldn't be the same without them. And if nothing else, I wish my yard looked that good.

For those who haven't been on the Storybookland Canal Boats in years, here's a YouTube video by Dolbyman that will help you remember just how boring,......eh, I mean..... how nice the ride is.

Disneyland Magic for Everyone

When I think about a visit to Disneyland, I think about the fun, the enjoyment, the pleasure, and yes, the magic of it all. It's a special place. But do you know what gives my sometimes cynical old heart its greatest warmth while walking around the park? It's seeing young children (and really people of all ages) confined to wheel chairs with life crippling disabilities like Muscular Dystrophy, ALS, Down's Syndrome and othe genetic conditions also taking in the magic of Disneyland Park. I'm not talking about the people in wheel chairs with sprained ankles, twisted knees, or broken limbs. They will all recover. I'm talking about the people for whom life has dealt a very cruel blow and will never recover. To them, the wheel chair or having to constantly and forever hold the hand of another is their world and their life. To see them in Walt's park just being able take in a part of what you and I can enjoy, well, I just want to break down and cry - tears of joy, tears of sadness, tears of compassion.

And then their are the people who must take care of them, parents, brothers, sisters, other family members and caregivers, how much respect I have for them and what they do is immeasurable. What they have to give and sacrifice of themselves to help another - well there is always the "out of love" part of it, but its a love that seems so much greater than the word "love" the rest of toss around. When I see a caregiver attending to a disabled person, my thoughts always turn to "God bless this person and those who care for them",

Seeing a child who will never be able to walk, or run, or swim, or dance, sitting in a wheel chair waiting to see a parade with Mickey and friends on Main St. may be one of the most magical sites in all of Disneyland. Sometimes the magic comes from seeing others enjoy the magic as well.

Reflecting On Delectable Pillows of Goodness

It's breakfast time. I'm getting hungry. I'm rummaging through piles of Disney photos and I come across this one, the two characters that stand outside Ralph Brennan's Jazz Kitchen in Downtown Disney. And when I think about Ralph Brennan's, fine restaurant as it may be, I think about the delicious beignets they serve from their express dining area. Forget about Disney snacks, these little pillows of fried dough covered in powdered sugar are simply a breakfast (or snack treat anytime) that you will be sure to remember. Served piping hot and in a paper sack, the grease from beignets mixing with the powdered sugar create the perfect bite-size snack treat. Add a cup of good coffee you will be set with a smile on your face and a buzz from the sugar and caffeine.

Disneyland makes beignets over in New Orleans Square (I think they call them fritters at the Royal Street Veranda). Don't even try to compare those with what Ralph Brennan's serves. There isn't any comparison. I was fortunate enough to have had beignets at the legendary New Orleans French Quarter eatery Cafe Du Monde, world famous for their beignets. You know, I don't remember those. I do remember Ralph Brennan's though and I'm getting more hungry just thinking about it.

What If Disney Built Universal Studios Jurassic Park (the ride)?

In July 2005, a large contingent of my family went down for a 6 day stay at Disneyland, splitting up the cost of a 3 bedroom suite at the Disneyland Hotel. We were going to make this a trip of the ages and it was Disneyland's 50th Anniversary. We didn't have annual passes at the time so we got 5 day parkhoppers and decided to take a 1 day trip to Universal Studios Hollywood at the mid point of our trip.

This was my first and only trip to Universal Studios. I'm glad I went but I never plan to go back again. The historic tram ride was fun. At the time there was Backdraft, The Mummy, the Waterworld stunt show, Back to the Future, and other rides and attractions. Easily the best ride in the park (if you can call it a park - it's really built kind of weird) is Jurassic Park based on the Steven Spielberg films. It's a rafting water ride, that meanders through the Jurassic world of dinosaurs that caps off with an heart pounding plunge that I think is right up there with Disney's Splash Mountain and Grizzly River Run. Yes, this was Universal Studios at its best. But as I recall going through the ride, something seemed be missing. I was looking at the sets and scenery but didn't feel connected to it. It felt assembled, set up, rather than drawing you into the ride for a heightened experience. What was missing? It was the details.

Details are what Disney excels at. Think about the Jungle Cruise, cheesy as it may be. From the loading dock, to the rustic boats, to the trip around the river with your skipper, you feel part of the ride and not just a passenger. There's a connection there. Disney tries to make their park guests "connect" with some kind of emotion to most of their rides and attractions and its what makes Disneyland more than just a theme or amusement park.

What if Disney built Jurassic Park The Ride? Think about how much more detailed (and greater) it would have been. We've made numerous trips to Disneyland since 2005 and from what I can recall, other than a trip to Knott's Berry Farm to get the chicken dinner, we have never left the Disneyland Resort. It just isn't worth it. The imitators just come up too far short.

Bad Mood Rising

I woke up this morning kind of in an irritable mood - work stuff from yesterday, family stuff from last night, none of it has led to a start of a great weekend. Mrs. DisineylandTraveler made me watch the movie Despicable Me last night. No, it's not a Disney movie but it should have been. Disney could have made a fortune off The Minions and Fluffy Unicorns. Anyway, if you're in a bad mood, watching Despicable Me helps. But it doesn't cure a bad mood so on this Saturday morning, I'm still pretty irritable but its also my "quiet" time where I can work on this blog for a little while or until the dog gets out of bed. So here I sit in a little bit of a bad mood vs. writing about Disneyland - the self proclaimed "Happiest Place on Earth".

What's the perfect way to kick off the blog for today than to write about the things while visiting Disneyland that can put me in a bad mood in the "Happiest Place on Earth". I explored this topic in a previous blog entry The Happiest Place on Earth??? (Part 1). This is kind of a continuation of that topic - Part 2 as they say. What can put you in a bad mood while visiting Disneyland?

Sun and Heat:  This time of year, walking around the park being beaten down by the sun and the heat (not to mention the poor air quality) is rough. You start off like gangbusters in the morning but once the heat begins to take its toll, a good mood can deteriorate quickly.

Agendas: The more people that are in your group (visiting Disneyland in groups is a topic for a future blog entry) the more people have their own agendas of where they want to go and what the want to do. Sometimes agendas collide when strong willed personalities each feel they have the best of idea of what to do next and neither idea is anywhere close to the other. You get irritated, they get irritated. Adult people begin to stomp and pout like 7 year olds.

Rudeness:  This gets brought up a lot in Disney forums and discussion boards but if you are someone who is easily offended by rudeness in others, then Disneyland may not be your place because you see it everywhere. If you let rudeness in other contribute to your own attitude, then a bad attitude is just around the bend.

Getting Tired:  A very wise minister once said "Never make any major decisions when you are too hungry, too lonely, or too tired".  There's a lot of wisdom there. Getting tired at Disneyland contributes to a bad mood probably quicker than anything and it also leads to bad decisions - picking the wrong place to eat just because its the closest or buying something "just so we can get it and get out of here". Rest, rest is important to keeping a clear mind and away from a bad attitude.

Aches & Pains:  When the body begins to break down, so does the mind. I keep trying to tell Mrs. DLT that every time she forces me on Indiana Jones when I don't feel like it. It's hard on my back and when the back starts to hurt, enjoyment is gone and your park visit becomes a painful grind. Then there is the sore feet, the aching knees, and the sense that we're not as young as we used to be - painful and a little sad.

Well that's enough about getting in a bad mood at Disneyland for now. I need to go get that little dog up and out of bed so she can annoy the crap out of me (then sit on my lap and rub her soft fur against my soulless heart).