Mad Tea Party Articles
Storm In A Teacup
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With a boy of his own, Stephen Lacey makes his first visit to the Disneyland of his childhood.
When I was a boy, my idea of Disneyland was pretty sketchy; it was where Mickey and Donald lived. And there was a ride where you sat in a giant spinning teacup.
I knew only one kid who had been, a boy in third class named Brian. He was terribly thin, with bruises all over his body. One day our ...
California vs. Blackpool: General
Earlier in the year, I wrote an article for DLDHistory.com comparing the Alice in Wonderland ride in Disneyland to Alice's Wonderland at Pleasure Beach Blackpool (the most visited theme park in the United Kingdom).
As I have recently come back from a week's vacation in Blackpool (and seeing as my main article this month was shorter than usual) I thought I would compare Anaheim's Disneyland Resort as a ...
Disneyland It All Started With A Mouse
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Who wants sugar in their tea? The Mad Hatter asked. Everyone cheered. It is at this moment when I realised the greatest thing for the 'little traveller' was the parks unique way to bring treasured favourites to life, such as a favoured classic, Alice in wonderland.
Many years on from its opening on 17 July 1955, Walt Disney's theme park has sparked the imagination and captured the hearts of thousands ...
Scariest Place On Earth Just Got Scarier
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Disneyland is advertising its annual Halloween fright fest and, as usual, I'm confused. The theme park is scary year-round as far as I'm concerned. So, what happens in October? It gets even scarier?
Oh, my.
Halloween Time, which continues at the park through the end of the month, features a specially decorated Main Street, retooled rides like "Haunted Mansion Holiday" and "Space Mountain Ghost ...
Reflections On My Trip To Disneyland
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I was a little worried about our trip to Disneyland, which took place last week.
Last time I went with my older son, then 4 years old, and misjudged the scariness of Pirates of the Caribbean by a factor of about 10. He didn't want to go on rides after that, pegged me as a complete liar (it was going to happen some time ) and stayed in the fetal position for the rest of the month.
Adding to ...
Disney's Do's And Don'ts
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Disneyland is often called "The Happiest Place on Earth". When you break it down, this claim has a lot of validity. Magic comes to life when your favorite childhood characters begin dancing in front of you. Suddenly Belle, Prince Charming and Mickey Mouse come alive in one location, forcing you to discover your pupils aren't big enough to take in the entire scene all at once.
You can fly around in a ...
7 Tips For Tackling Disneyland In A Day
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I've been to Disneyland hundreds of times over the last two decades and have been writing the Funland theme park blog for about four years now. As a result, people are always asking me how to do everything at Disneyland in a single day.
The short answer is you probably can't. It can be a struggle for even hard-core fans with military assault-like strategies. The longer answer is there's lots of ways ...
Solo Parent Can Do Disneyland
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Fear not, intrepid parent. Going solo at the Happiest Place on Earth isn't the worst idea you've ever had. With some planning, expert advice and a shot of courage, it could be one of your most memorable trips to Disneyland.
For Amanda Ficili, mother-and-daughter trips to Disneyland are great opportunities to bond.
"It was a little intimidating the first time because there's so much to see and ...
Mitt Somebody
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While in California attending my nephew's high-school graduation, I acted on a whim and decided to divert to Disneyland. I have been to Walt Disney World in Florida several times but had not actually been to Disneyland since I was six years old. Blessed with a great memory for things in the past, that amazing day spent at Disney in the '50s came racing back as I walked through the park.
In addition ...
Single Rider Option Saves Time
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Three may be a crowd, but at Disneyland Resort this summer, it may also be an advantage.
That's because two of Disney's signature rides load in groups of three and have special lines for single riders.
Since there are far more couples than groups of three, there is frequently one left-over seat that can be claimed by a person in the single rider line.
You don't need to be alone to get in ...
Disney Begins 4 Million Dollar Big Thunder Overhaul
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Disneyland's Big Thunder Mountain Railroad will undergo its biggest project in more than three decades when the ride closes Monday for at least nine months.
The Frontierland ride, which mimics a runaway mine train through an Old West canyon, will close so crews can begin a makeover that will last until fall. A reopening date has yet to be announced.
The renovation will cost $4 million, according ...
When Goths Go To Disneyland
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If you go to Disneyland on Sunday, May 5, and find yourself surrounded by kids of all shades of pale, looking as sinister as the Evil Queen from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, don't be alarmed. It's just Bats Day in the Fun Park, the annual Magic Kingdom gathering of goths and their punk/metal/steampunk brethren, which has been confusing tourists since 1999.
It sounds chuckle-worthy: goths - the ...
Make The Most Of Disneyland Anaheim California
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It's known as the Happiest Place on Earth. And judging by the wide-eyed look on my daughters' faces as we walked through the front gates of Anaheim's Disneyland Park, the statement is spot on.
Wandering up Main Street USA, the central thoroughfare at the world-famous theme park, one of the first things we see is Sleeping Beauty's castle. It looms before us like a scene from a fairytale with its ...
7 Disneyland Secrets That Will Transform Your Trip
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Whether you're young, or just young-at-heart, the magic of Disneyland appeals to the child in all of us. But each of us gets something different from the experience -- some have an adventurous side that longs for the thrill of the scariest ride, some have a girly side that wants nothing more than to meet the dazzling princesses of the park, some have an indulgent side that loves the wide array of food and ...
Disneyland Turns 60 Ranking Its Attractions by Land
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Oh, boy! The Disneyland Resort Diamond Celebration begins today!
Disneyland Park opened in Anaheim, Calif., on July 17, 1955, and ever since, it has entertained millions of guests from all over the world. That's no small feat!
"It's amazing to contemplate all that Disneyland has come to mean to so many people around the world," Tom Staggs, COO of the Walt Disney Company, recently told the ...
Everything You Need To Know For The Perfect Disneyland Holiday
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I'm on bended knee in front of hundreds of strangers when it strikes me that the magic never really dies.
Beauty and the Beast - the 1991 Disney film that made history as the first animated movie up for Best Picture at the Oscars - was also the first film I ever saw at the cinemas.
And here I am 24 years later, hand outstretched, heart on sleeve, asking for the Beauty's hand in marriage.
...
Disneyland Imagineer Shares Memories At MV Historical Association Event
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As Disneyland celebrates its 60th anniversary this year, more than 150 history lovers gathered to celebrate Mountain View's connection to the theme park's early history.
Disneyland's iconic giant spinning teacups, flying elephants and speeding bobsleds were engineered in Mountain View by pioneering amusement park ride manufacturer Arrow Development Co.
At its annual summer barbecue Aug. 2, the ...
In Defense Of Disneyland Why Its Worth Revisiting As A Jaded Adult
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I went to Disneyland for the first time when I was 10-years old. My parents, aunt, and grandma loaded my sisters, two cousins, and me into two Oldsmobile Cutlass wagons and we caravanned from Portland (OR) to Anaheim (CA) in a sprawling, Vacation-esque road trip.
We visited the Redwoods, Universal Studios, and San Diego. Wonderful places, all. And yet I only have three or four fleeting memories from ...
Disneyland Ride Review Take A Trip Down The Rabbit Hole With Alice In Wonderland
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Ready for a trip down the rabbit hole? Then step aboard a caterpillar for a ride on the Alice in Wonderland attraction at Disneyland.
Based on the 1951 animated movie of the same name produced by Walt Disney, the attraction is boarded outside in a fanciful garden setting, right next to the Mad Tea Party attraction.
Your ride is the back of a caterpillar. After boarding, your journey starts up a ...
Disneyland A New Wonder Of The Amusement World Nears Completion
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A wonderland of delights such as the World may never have seen before is rising out of the orange groves in this sunny suburb of Los Angeles.
It is Disneyland, a 17 million dollar paradise for children. When the gates are opened on July 19, customers will see an amusement built on the scale of a World's Fair. The fantastic world of Disney films will be transformed into three dimensional reality.
...
500 Anaheim Children To Help Introduce Disneyland On TV
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Five hundred children from Anaheim Sunday Schools will play a big role in the ABC television -Show which will introduce Disneyland Park to a national TV audience Sunday.
The lucky youngsters will enjoy a preview of Sleeping Beauty's Castle and the rides of Walt Disney's new magic kingdom.
They will arrive at the park in 14 buses each of which will be under direction of a clown leader and two ...
Disneyland Gates Open Celebrity Throng At Premier
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Disneyland, a $17,000,000 fairyland dedicated to the pleasure of children, opened Sunday in a special preview of 35,000 invited guests whose enthusiasm indicated that Walt Disney's dream had lived up to expectations.
The spectacular park will be opened officially to the public at 10 a. m. today and upward of 50,000 persons are expected for the event.
Sunday the adults - members of the press from ...
He Spent 21 Million Dollars Just For Fun
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Last week the 9,474,254th visitor walked through the gates of Disneyland since they were opened July 18, 1955.
And just for fun-that these visitors might have the time of their lives - $21 millions have been spent on the fabulous playground at Anaheim by its creator, Walt Disney.
That's not all. Says Disney:
"Disneyland never will be completed. . . . It will continue to grow, to add new ...
Hollywood Home Movies Disneyland Is An E-Ticket To The Park Past
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Baby boomers with stardust memories of Disneyland often lament how the park has changed. Gone are the E-tickets, the Rocket to the Moon, the Skyway, the Submarine Voyage, the PeopleMover and the mule rides.
For a misty-eyed ride into that past, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is presenting "Hollywood Home Movies: Disneyland," a sold-out show Saturday night, Oct. 24, at the Linwood Dunn ...
Disneyland Ride Review Spin Into The Madness At The Mad Tea Party
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Where else could you go to a party that is mad but at Disneyland? The Mad Tea Party was inspired by the Walt Disney animated movie "Alice in Wonderland" and has been twirling its challenge to spin as fast as you can since the park opened in 1955.
Since the ride is next to the Alice in Wonderland attraction, you hear the music from the movie playing as you get in line. Once it is your turn, the ...
We Survived Disneyland With A Little Help From The Disability Access Service Card
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I guess third time's the charm in HJ's case.
HJ has been to Disneyland two times before. The first time she was 2.5 years old. She went on "It's a Small World" and fell asleep. We stood in line to meet Tinker Bell and then she refused to take a picture with her. Fortunately, I don't remember her having any major meltdowns, but I don't think she really enjoyed any of the rides and so it wasn't really ...
This Is How Disneyland Looked In 1955
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When Disneyland opened on July 17, 1955, there were sections of it that were not done. A reporter noticed all the construction still ongoing and asked Walt Disney if Disneyland would ever be finished. Disney replied in what has become an oft quoted quote: "Disneyland will never be completed, as long as there is imagination left in the world."
Disney was true to his word - Disneyland has never been ...
This Is How Disneyland Changed In The 1980s
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Changes at Disneyland in the 1980s started slow, then ended in a splash down a mountain.
During the first couple years of the decade, Disney Imagineers were busy with the design and building of Epcot Center (as it was called then) at Walt Disney World. But they were also planning a project for Disneyland - rebuilding Fantasyland.
1980-83
In early 1982, most of Fantasyland was behind a ...
This Day In History Disneyland Opened 61 Years Ago Today
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Disneyland, the only theme park designed and built under the direct supervision of Walt Disney, opened on Sunday, July 17, 1955. Construction lasted for exactly one year, and cost only $17 million to complete.
The opening was only intended for about 11,000 invited guests and press, though a total of 28,000 attended due to a rush of counterfeit tickets. The event was telecast by ABC, anchored by actors ...
Todays Future
During the rush of getting the Park constructed, "Tomorrowland" was the last land finished. Budget cuts didn't allow all of its attractions to be opened that first day. One of those cuts was to use the "Nautilus" sets from "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" as a walk-through. When it closed in 1966, the organ belonging to Captain Nemo was moved to the ballroom of the "Haunted Mansion." For the first four ...
Teen Apprentice Who Painted Disneyland In 1955
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Gary McLearn, 78, of Lake Havasu City, was a union painter's apprentice who helped prepare Disneyland's Main Street for the grand opening in July 1955.
It was his junior year of high school in 1955, McLearn was 17 years old. A friend of the family was employed at the under-construction Disneyland, in Anaheim, Calif. It was a connection that landed McLearn a three-month apprentice painter's job.
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