Autumn In The Air

What's that old Phil Collins song? Oh yeah, "I can feel it - Coming in the air tonight - Hold on....".  What's coming?  Fall, Autumn, whatever you prefer to call it.  It's coming.  Like Phil, I can feel it.  Back here at the old homestead it was well in the 90's two days ago, dropped into the low 80's by yesterday, and by Monday, a mere two days from now, it will be raining and in the 60's.  Sounds like good Disneyland park weather to me.

Before we move on to October, Autumn, and our Disneyland march to Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas, let's take a quick look back.  October marks the start of month 5 of the Disneyland Traveler Blog.  Last month shattered records in the number of people who took the time to look at this blog.  In August there were 802 readers of The Disneyland Traveler.  In September, there were 1399 people who viewed this blog for some reason or another.  Again, I don't have the slightest idea of who reads this thing but I am grateful for everyone who does.  Maybe its the common bond of enjoying one of our favorite places and all things Disney or maybe you just fell in here by accident.  I do hope you enjoy at least some of the things you see.  In the end, hopefully there is some entertainment value.

On a couple of topics I covered last week, here are some follow-ups.

Regarding the carpet malfunction at Aladdin, performances of the show did continue albeit without the Whole New World flying carpet above the the audience.  Easily, the highlight of the show, but the show did go on even without the 'oooh's' and 'ahhh's' of the flying carpet.

Regarding Avatar theming coming to Disney parks.  More and more people in the know seem to think that Disney in Florida is making a big move to combat the popularity of Universal's Harry Potter park.  Disney 's Animal Kingdom needed something big (similar to Carsland in DCA) and having a land based on the biggest movie of all time seemed like a safe bet, albeit an odd choice to be sure.  The future of Avatar in Disney parks beyond Animal Kingdom will probably extend to the parks of China and possibly Japan.  No one seems to see anything remotely connected with Avatar showing up in California or Paris anytime soon.

Aldaddin - A Magical Musical Spectacular

Yesterday at the 4:45 pm performance of Aladdin A Musical Spectacular (that is performed 5 days a week at DCA's Hyperion Theater) the magic carpet that soars above the theater with Aladdin and Jasmine riding it while performing A Whole New World, flipped upside down leaving the two performers hanging in the air by their safety harnesses. The audience was quickly removed and the performers were brought down safely.  Thankfully, no one was hurt. Here is a short YouTube video of the performers dangling from the magic carpet as the audience evacuates:

All Disney accidents are investigated. Sometimes internally. Sometimes by safety officials (OSHA). In either case, I would suspect at least a temporary interruption in the performances of the 50 minute stage show that has a large cast and entertains guests by the thousands each day. Another story has come out that performances would continue but without the flying carpet sequence (the highlight of the show).

Aladdin is one of the jewels of Disney California Adventure and is easily one of the top ten attractions in either park.  This is a true Broadway musical in an abbreviated form but at 50 minutes it still packs music, adventure, comedy, and stunning stage visuals by the score as the story, based on the animated Aladdin film, is told.  I have to say I have probably seen Aladdin 8 to 10 times and enjoyed every single minute of it with the only drawback being having to stand in that miserable queue line outside, as they don't let the guests in until right before show time. 

The Whole New World segment is one of my Disneyland (DCA in this case) goosebump moments.  To see Aladdin and Jasmine soaring above you (or below you if you are well up in the balcony) with that beautiful song being sung is just one of those pure Disney magic moments.

A year or so ago, Disney tried to remove Aladdin. They floated out the rumor of a new stage show (Toy Story The Musical) coming to replace Aladdin and it was immediately met with a chorus of "NO, DON'T DO IT" from the throng of fans of the show. The rumor quickly faded away however, the idea of a new show coming on board once all of the construction/expansion is complete is still strong.

If you go to Disneyland and haven't seen Aladdin.....put it on your must-do list. Yes, it does take a chunk of time both in the performance and the wait to get in but it is well worth it. It's a delight for guests of all ages.

The Amazing Toy Story Zoetrope

I can't help myself. I have probably seen it a dozen times before but on every trip to the Disneyland Resort I have to stop by the Disney Animation Building in DCA to check out the amazing Toy Story Zoetrope. I can't explain my fascination with seeing this thing but it's there. Maybe it's seeing what the human brain is capable of doing when models spinning on a platter hit the magical speed, but it never ceases to amaze me. The Toy Story Zoetrope, built by Pixar, is just one of the things that make visiting a Disney park so special - how a small little attraction adds so much to the detail and intricacies of the parks. Check out the Toy Story Zoetrope below in a video I found on YouTube and you can be amazed too.

The Donald Duck Question

While trying to find some pictures to go along with my ToonTown post I came across this photo and it triggered the burning question - why doesn't this duck wear pants? Ever. He wears tops, shirts, jackets, but never wears pants. It bothers me. Mickey wears pants or shorts. Goofy wears pants. Why is Donald the only character who is always half dressed? There are characters who don't wear clothes at all - Pluto, Chip and Dale, etc. Donald seems to be the only character who leaves the house in morning leaving his pants behind. I have no answer. There is no answer. Just the question - why doesn't Donald Duck wear pants?

ToonTown - To Be or Not To Be

If you were someone who was making their first visit to Disneyland and had the time to see it all, at some point you would enter Mickey's ToonTown to check it out. So you pass under the railroad tracks and up the the little hill that puts you in ToonTown and you take a look around. Wow! Visually, ToonTown is stunning with color and whimsy coming at you from everywhere. There isn't a straight line anywhere in the place. But start to really take a look around and beyond the colorful facades, there just isn't much there.

Roger Rabbit's Cartoon Spin is the featured attraction. I think it is the best dark ride in both parks (if you don't count Pirates and Haunted Mansion as dark rides, which I don't). It's the only dark ride that actually provides a fast pass return. The queue line, which is quite long but you wouldn't know it from the outside, is one of the best in Disneyland loaded with humor taken from the Who Framed Roger Rabbit movie. The ride itself is fairly long and entertaining. You are actually able to spin your ride vehicle around, but I usually don't because spinning detracts from the visuals of the ride itself. At least it does for me. So, ToonTown's Roger Rabbit ride is great - where to next?

Well that's where the problem starts. If you are an adult without children, there just isn't much to do. The only other ride is the Gadget-Go-Coaster which is a children's mini roller coaster. There's Mickey's house that is definitely worth checking out whether you are young or old because Disney has really done an excellent job with the interior. And who doesn't want their picture taken with Mickey no matter what your age?

There is a little food court that offers up regular hot dogs and really bad pizza slices from the window counters.  Everything else in there is aimed at entertaining children and even then, it might be a stretch as Donald's Boat and Chip and Dale's Tree House provide minimal amusement. The fore-mentioned Gadget-Go-Coaster usually has a long line for a ride that lasts about 30 seconds.

So where are we at with ToonTown? If you have children, young children, it is worth spending an hour or two there. Go to Mickey's House (and Minnie's though it's not quite as elaborate as the Mick's), have your children play with the interactive elements of ToonTown's "industrial" area with shocking doorknobs and other playful activities, and there's the coaster, the tree house, the boat, etc.

If you're an adult without kids, other than the Roger Rabbit ride and a quick walk around to take some fun photos, there just isn't much reason to even be in there.  You may enjoy the Five and Dime/Gag Factory store.  I think it's one of Disneyland's better retail souvenir shacks, but other than that, you'll probably beat it out of there rather quickly.  Mrs. DisneylandTraveler makes it into ToonTown every few trips or so to do exactly what is mentioned above.  If we happen to take a trip with a family member who has kids, we may spend a bit more time hanging around the place.

Over the years ToonTown has deteriorated because of safety concerns and is becoming a shell of its former self. Goofy's Bounce House (pictured above) is now closed. The Jolly Trolley (pictured below) is now stationary.  The up and down motion while the little train was running was judged to be, depending what story you believe, a safety issue because of the lack of a restraining apparatus.  It also required so much mechanical upkeep because of the hydraulics, not to mention train operators required to run them, that the manpower involved was not cost effective for a ride vehicle that only moved about 100 feet or so.

ToonTown is often a subject of hot debate on Disney forums and discussion boards. Many people would like to see it ripped out completely (maybe with the exception of Roger Rabbit) and replaced with attractions more appealing to all ages. Others think it's just fine the way it is because their kids love the place. Again, it gets back to having kids. It's a kid's land - kind of like Disney California Adventure's A Bug's Land but with less rides and more theming. One of the more interesting thoughts I had heard, and the one that gave me second thoughts to my personal opinion to have the place demolished, was to have a real nice counter service restaurant serving interesting menu options built in there and that is certainly doable. Who doesn't want a good place to get something to eat?

One final word about ToonTown, whether you have kids or you don't, it's worth taking a walk around there at Christmas time. Mickey and friends sure know how to decorate the place up and put their town in the holiday spirit.

Avatarland - A Visionary Plan Or A Half-Baked Idea

A Disney Parks Blog Image

OK, a show of hands out there - who saw this coming?  Announced today by Walt Disney Co. CEO Bob Iger and Disney Parks Chairman Tom Staggs, Disney is entering into a licensing agreement with James Cameron's Lightstorm Entertainment and Fox to bring Cameron's blockbuster film Avatar as a fully conceptualized "land" in Walt Disney World's Animal Kingdom park.  This announcement stunned the Disney community and now some 12 hours later, discussion forums are still buzzing with most of the die-hard Disney fans finding it hard to explain this move.  Of course there are the usual Disney apologists ("please Disney, don't take away my press credentials") backing the company as something big that needed to be done for AK.  These would also be the same people that if this were suggested by some forum poster they would turn around crucify him or her for being some kind of lunatic.

No, Disney had to do something big in Florida after getting kicked in the behind all summer by that snot nosed Harry Potter character over at Universal.  "Tom, what can we do to beat down that punk Harry Potter?"  "How about Avatar, boss?  That movie was huge at the box office and they have more of them in the pipeline."  "Excellent idea, get that pain in the rear egomaniac Cameron on the phone and let's see what we can do."

Real Disney fans who do not go the apologist route are a bit smarter than the smartest guys in the room give them credit for.  Avatar has nothing to do with Disney, it's history or it's legacy.  Avatar isn't even an established franchise as Star Wars and Indiana Jones were when Disney brought them aboard.  This is a chance at a money grab, to capitalize and market on what they are expecting to be huge opportunities.

The complaint line formed hours ago.  Maybe Disney will listen.  I can only be happy that this half-baked idea is going down in Florida. I phoned my wife this afternoon and told her that they were building an Avatarland in Animal Kingdom.  Her response?  "Avatar! The movie? That isn't Disney. How bizarre".  That pretty much sums it up.

What's New in Disney News - Vol 2

Return of the Lion King

Maybe it's surprising, maybe it isn't, but 17 years after it's theatrical premiere, Disney has released a 3D version of it's animated classic The Lion King to theaters and to everyone's surprise, the movie was number 1 at the box office this past weekend. The Lion King 3D was only to have a two week run in theaters ahead of it's new Blu-Ray/3D/DVD package available in stores next month but the 30 million dollars raked in by Disney this past weekend may convince them to extend the two-week limited engagement a bit. Cheers for return of The Lion King.

WDW Fined by OSHA for Accidental Death of Maintenance Worker

The government's workplace health and safety watchdog OSHA has levied a $69,000 fine against Disney in the accidental death of a maintenance castmember working on Animal Kingdom's Primeval Whirl wild mouse coaster.  OSHA found 4 violations in worker safety while investigating the accident. Primeval Whirl has been closed since last January but opened one of its two tracks this past weekend.

Speaking of OSHA, New Guardrails Added to Golden Horseshoe

While no one has said it was OSHA, Disney has quietly installed additional guardrails on top of the decorative railing on the second story of the Golden Horseshoe.  No one has ever fallen from the upper level but in these times, they aren't going to allow someone to tragically be the first.  Guardrails are also being installed on the upper level balcony of the Hyperion Theater in DCA.  No one has been allowed to sit in the first row of the balcony for quite some time as a safety precaution.

Rumor: World of Color Holiday Show

This would be something everyone would enthusiastically look forward to - Blue Sky Disney Blog is reporting that Disney testing a special World of Color show for the Christmas holiday season.  This is unconfirmed but makes a whole lot of sense and gives hope that the WOC spectacular can be seasonally changed and modified.