The Walt Disney Studios and D23

Main Building - Walt Disney Studios

So before our December 2016 trip, Mrs. DisneylandTraveler was reading up on D23 and their annual opening of the Walt Disney Studios for D23 members. Now I haven't been the biggest fan of D23 because it is too Southern California centric and the rest of the country doesn't have the opportunity to take advantage of what D23 has to offer. But she decided we needed to be members anyway because one of the perks was being able to members being able to attend what amounted to be a D23 open house.

Hand Prints of Disney Legends Cover the Pillers

On our way to Disneyland we stooped in Bubank at the Walt Disney Studios for the D23 gathering and Christmas celebration. We parked in the Disney parking structure, walked over to studios and tried to get our acclimated with all the buildings and structures. Except for some Disney touches here and there it looked like any other large office complex, What was impressive was the walkway of Disney legends hand prints adorning the pillars outside main Studios building. Some were cool like George Lucas, others poignant like Robin Williams, but it was an interesting thing to see.

Roy Disney with Minnie

Outside of the Legends section just in front of the main building with 7 dwarfs statues seemingly propping up the roof, the rest of the place was pretty non-descriptive.. Big buildings, smaller buildings, and a log of open space. There was an area were the TV/Movie actors trailers are parked but hardly a big deal. I did get amused when a man with his briefcase used a security badge to get into one of the larger buildings. Imagine that, an actual working employee of the Walt Disney Company not connected with a theme park. Just looked like a guy going to work.

A Partner Statue You Can Actually Touch

Mrs. DLT wanted to go to the Employees Only Company store but its small and only a few people were allowed in at a time. By the time we made it over there, the line was a couple of hundred people deep so we blew that idea off. Out of the 4 hours of the D23 studios open house, we ended up staying about 2 hours then continued our way down to Disneyland.

Was it worth the trip? I'd say yes because you are able to see things that are normally reserved for employees . only. This is behind the scenes type stuff so for that I feel a little privileged, Would I go again? Probably not. I've seen it once and that was enough.

The big D23 Expo is this weekend at the Anaheim Convention Center. It's not free by any means but your D23 card gets you a bit of a discount..  But you have to admit, they put out a beautiful quarterly magazine.

ABC Television Studios Just Across the Steet from th Disney Stdios.

Crowds, Crowds, and More Crowds

Believe it or not, the picture above was taken of people waiting in the security line just to get into one of the parks. The security lines are often longer and take more time than the turnstile lines. It's sad, but security has become a big thing at Disney properties, it's also needed in these times of world uncertainty. But as bad as the lines are outside the parks, inside parks can be equally as challenging and frustrating as you are now greeted with swarms of people, half of them with strollers and another quarter of them with some kind electric vehicle. It has become an obstacle course of dodging, passing, and trying to keep from being hit by someone or something. Few things as are as irrating as a stroller being rammed into your Achilles tendon. Most people are nice about it, apologize and everyone moves on. Sometime you get that person who thinks its your fault for walking too slow. Concentrate on all the good people in the park and ignore the bad. Easier said than done.

Mrs. DisneylandTraveler and I have tried to make our trips during the "slow" seasons maybe late September, the week before Thanksgiving, the first 2 weeks of December, spring time away from spring break. None of that works anymore as the Disneyland parks are crowded all the time no matter what time of year. The only time the crowds seems to drop is when it rains which is infrequent in Southern California.

But we haven't tried summer for quite a few years. The last summer vacation we had in Disneyland was in 2005 about 10 day after the 50th Anniversary activities. It was late July and as I recall, the heat wasn't unbearable..Heat is what has kept us away from summer trips because Mrs. DLT hates it. I am a little more heat tolerable but not much. Mrs. DLT is staying away from this July trip as she stays home and watches the dogs while my sister and I make the Disneyland trek. Mrs, DLT took her son to Disneyland and had a miserable time because of the crowds. Some days you may make it on 2 or 3 of the larger attractions,

Anyway, I'm giving summer a shot. Don't know what to expect as far as heat or crown levels but they great thing about July is all the Southern California Annual Passholders are blocked out so what''s left are the true vacationers and people with the more expensive Annual Passes (mine costs an arm and a leg and then some). Hope it works out for the best. That's all you can do.

Gone Too Long

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I see it's been more than year since I last posted to this blog and yet people still read it - usually a couple of thousand a month, I guess it served purpose. There is a reason for my absence that I may get into later, but as for now, I've got some catching up to do. Since I last wrote an entry in this blog, I have made 3 trips to Disneyland and a fourth coming up in two weeks. Each trip has it's own identity. Sometimes thing work out as you planned, sometimes they don't. But each on is a unique experience and you always come with something to remember. So besides our trips to to Disneyland there has been, park construction, movies and TV, and people in the news that need to be talked about so sit back. relax, and let's see if can get this puppy moving again.

Guardians of the Tower of Terror

So five years after buying Marvel and making piles of money in the process, Disney still doesn't have a high profile Marvel presence in the Disneyland / Disney California Adventure theme parks.  Or sure, there have been a slew of meet and greets along with various movies prop displays, but nothing with a WOW factor.  So the rumor is now out there from various blogs and Disney gossip websites that rather than spending gobs of money on a Marvel attraction (especially while large sums of cash are being plowed down on Star Wars efforts), why not just take an existing attraction that doesn't quite fit the Disney profile anyway and re-theme it to a Marvel movie tie-in.

And so we get the highly probable rumor from various inside sources that Disney will take the existing Twilight Zone Tower of Terror attraction in Disney California Adventure and re-theme to Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy (a second Guardians movie is due out next year).  Sounds like a pretty workable idea to me.  I wouldn't mind getting frightened out of my wits on a a scary ride with a fresh look.

The Force Finally Woke Up

After delaying and delaying, I finally put in the Blu-Ray disc and watched Star Wars VIII:  The Force Awakens last Saturday morning.  I would have to say I enjoyed the film but wasn't exactly wowed over by it after all these years. Sure it was good to see some old friends, Hans, Chewbacca, Leia but some of the others had parts so small you wondered if they were necessary at all Luke, CP3O and R2D2.  All that was left of Darth Vader was a deflated mask.  But a new new fresh cast of characters, heroes and villains alike,, were allowed to get into the story and will carry the saga forward.  It was something that needed to be done as time doesn't stand still and some of the old characters are getting just that - old. 

The movie is still in the Blu_Ray player so I am hoping that sometime this weekend I can find the time to give it another viewing before putting it away.  

No More Disney Dollars

Disney Dollars have been around forever as a favorite of kids and collectors.  I know someone with stacks of 'em.  Well, starting May 16, Disneyland is doing away with Disney Dollars and they will no longer be available for purchase.  The Disney Dollar has gone the way of the dinosaur and Disney will no longer be offering them instead going with the more preferred tool of currency exchange these days - the infamous gift card.

So what about those people who are sitting on stacks of Disney Dollars.  Well, they are redeemable forever so they still can be used to buy things in the park, just new ones will not be sold.  But what most likely will happen is the people who have the Disney Dollars will hang on to them and offer them up on eBay at a hefty profit as the dollars, like anything Disney, increase in value over time.

And what about Disney?  For years they basically sat on free money selling currency the may never be redeemed for anything.  Just selling pieces of paper.  Genius.

Johnny Depp's Mad Disneyland Surprise

As Disney is set to open it's new film Alice Through the Looking Glass, Disney Park's Blog posted a rather surprising visit of Johnny Depp to Disneyland in full Mad Hatter costume. Very surprising indeed. Check out Disney's video of Mr. Depp's rather sudden appearance.

Again, the Alice Movies aren't exactly my cup of tea but you have to admit this is a pretty fun video.