California vs. Paris: It's A Small World -- At Christmas
In an article for this very site, published August 2011, I discussed the it's a small world attractions in the Disneylands in Anaheim and Paris, mentioning that at "a more seasonal time of year" I would take a look at how their festive overlays compare. For Christmas, both versions have placed a Santa hat on the Gregory S. Marinello-designed clock, but to the untrained eye, this seems to be the only ...
California vs. Paris: Park Two, Cars And Armageddon
For my next few articles comparing the Disneyland resorts closest to my heart (Anaheim and Paris), I am going to focus on comparing some of the attractions in the non-castle parks: Disney California Adventure (DCA) and Walt Disney Studios Park (WDSP). Although some of the shops, eateries, meet and greets, and photo ops in WDSP have equivalents in DCA (and/or elsewhere in the world), none are of enough note ...
California vs. Paris: Peter Pan
In the fourth of my series comparing the two Disneylands closest to my heart (California and Paris), I shall be looking at Peter Pan's Flight. When I mention California's Peter Pan's Flight in this article, I am referring only to its current post-1983-refurb version, which added the interior queue-line, a Peter Pan audio-animatronic, the pirate-ship deck scene and the "return from Neverland" finale. ...
California vs. Paris: Pinocchio
In the third of a monthly series of comparisons between the two Disneylands closest to my heart (California and Paris), I will be looking at the rides, shops and eateries based on Pinocchio. In California, the ride is called Pinocchio's Daring Journey (as it is in Japan), whereas in Paris, it is called Les Voyages de Pinocchio which translates literally as The Journeys of Pinocchio. For the benefit ...
California vs. Paris: Pirates of the Caribbean and Blue Bayou
This month, I shall be comparing the versions of the Pirates of the Caribbean found in the Disneyland parks closest to my heart (California and Paris). The Californian of Pirates of the Caribbean (POTC) can be found in New Orleans Square (NOS), was the first attraction of its kind worldwide when it opened in 1967 and was the last attraction Walt was thought to have personally worked on. The Paris ...
California vs. Paris: Rivers of America
I learned something today. My comparison article for January 2013 was always going to be about the Rivers of America in Anaheim's Disneyland Park, and its counterpart in Disneyland Paris. However, until perhaps five minutes ago, I had assumed that the Paris equivalent was also called Rivers of America. Turns out, it's the Rivers of the Far West. Whilst it has been made clear which rivers ...
California vs. Paris: Snow White
In the second of a monthly series of comparisons between the two Disneylands' closest to my heart (California and Paris), I will be looking at the rides based on Snow White. In California, the ride is called Snow White's Scary Adventures whereas in Paris, it is called Blanche-Neige et les Sept Nains which translates literally as Snow White and The Seven Dwarves. For the benefit of this article, I ...
California vs. Paris: The Castle
In the first of a monthly series of comparisons between the two Disneyland's' closest to my heart (California and Paris), I will be looking at Sleeping Beauty Castle. The French equivalent, officially known as "Le Chateau de la Belle au Bois Dormant", is 167ft high, to California's 77ft. The latter features a coat of arms with three lions passant thereon. Although not officially the Disney Crest ...
California vs. Paris: The Lands of The Future - Part One
This month and next, I shall be comparing the Lands of The Future found in the two Disneyland parks closest to my heart (California and Paris). In California, as per Florida, Tokyo and Hong Kong, this land is called Tomorrowland; in Paris this is called Discoveryland. For the benefit of these articles, when I say Tomorrowland, I am only referring to the California one; I am also only writing about the ...
California vs. Paris: The Lands of The Future - Part Three
This month I shall conclude my comparisons of California's Tomorrowland with Paris's Discoveryland, by looking at their versions of Autopia and Captain EO. Captain EO, the $30million 3-d musical starring Michael Jackson and Anjelica Huston, was an opening day attraction at Disneyland Paris, by which time the film had already been showing for five and a half years in the California Park and EPCOT ...
California vs. Paris: The Lands of The Future - Part Two
This month I shall continue my comparison of California's Tomorrowland with Paris's Discoveryland, by looking at their versions of Nautilus and Star Tours, as well as the two Lands' arcades, shows, theatres and eateries Les Mysteres du Nautilus at Disneyland Paris is nothing like the submarine attraction in California, either in its present Finding Nemo state or its previous incarnation. Contrary to ...
California vs. Paris: The Railroads
This month, I shall be comparing the Railroads which circle the two Disneylands closest to my heart (California and Paris). Both versions were opening day attractions, although in Anaheim it was called the Santa Fe and Disneyland Railroad until 1974; in Paris, the attraction was known as Eurodisneyland Railroad up to 1994. The name change for the former was due to the end of the ride's sponsorship by ...
California vs. Paris: The Railroads (Part Two)
In November 2011, I wrote an article comparing the Railroads found in the two Disneylands parks closest to my heart (California and Paris). This month, I shall be comparing the stations at which they stop and the Dioramas which they pass. The Railroads were opening day attractions at their respective parks and go clockwise at each. Main Street Station was also an opening day attraction at both ...
California vs. Paris: The Treehouses
This month, I shall be comparing the treehouses found in the Disneyland parks closest to my heart (California and Paris). Both treehouses can be found in Adventureland and are walk-around attractions with a set path to follow. They both feature beautiful views (including of their parks' respective Indiana Jones attractions), hand-painted leafs and more steps than you remember until it's too late. ...
California vs. Paris: The Village – Part Two: Entertainment
This month, in part two of my series of articles comparing Downtown Disney in the California Disneyland resort with the Disney Village in Disneyland Paris, I will be looking at the entertainment these areas have to offer. Of the two, Disney Village seems to have much more of a variety of entertainment offerings, which includes PanoraMagique (a tethered hot air balloon much like "Characters in Flight" ...
California vs. Paris: Tower of Terror
This month, as part of my mini-series of articles comparing Disney California Adventure (DCA) to Walt Disney Studios Park (WDSP) in Paris, I will be looking at The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. Of the four versions of this attraction in the Disney parks worldwide, these two are by far the most similar. However, there are some very subtle differences. For example, the former is built out of steel, ...
California vs. Paris: Village vs. Downtown
This month, I will be starting a series of articles comparing Downtown Disney in the California resort with Disney Village in Disneyland Paris. Both Downtown Disney and Disney Village serve similar purposes. As well as providing more places for Guests to spend money (and for longer hours, including after the parks have closed), they help turn the area into more of a "resort" rather than a place for a ...
California vs. Paris: Welcome Foolish Mortals -- Part Four
In the final section of my four-part comparison between California's Haunted Mansion (in its regular form, rather than its seasonal overlay) and France's Phantom Manor, I shall be looking at the post-ride section of the attraction. After the final scene of the ride, in which Guests see themselves in mirrors with a ghostly apparition joining them, the Doom Buggies take riders past a "Dead end" sign ...
California vs. Paris: Welcome Foolish Mortals -- Part Three
In part three of my four-part comparison between California's Haunted Mansion (in its regular form, rather than its seasonal overlay) and France's Phantom Manor, I shall be looking at the ride itself. Both versions use an Omnimover. In Paris this does not feature on-board audio. Other than this, the ride system for both is the same (even down to the self-lowering safety bars), but the visuals one ...
California vs. Paris: Welcome Foolish Mortals -- Part Two
In part two of my four-part comparison between California's Haunted Mansion (in its regular form, rather than its seasonal overlay) and France's Phantom Manor, I shall be looking at the first three rooms one encounters upon entering the building. All three rooms feature audio being played over music. In California, the audio was provided by Paul Frees as the Ghost Host. In France, this was provided by ...
California vs. Paris: Welcome Foolish Mortals-- Part One
To conclude my series of articles comparing the two Disneylands closest to my heart (California and Paris), I shall be writing a four-part look at those rides in which hinges creak in doorless chambers, and strange and frightening sounds echo through the halls. In Paris, the equivalent of the Haunted Mansion is called Phantom Manor. Originally narrated by Vincent Price, the majority of the audio of ...
California vs. Paris:Carrousels And Sword In The Stone Ceremony
This month, I shall continue my series comparing the two Disneylands closest to my heart (California and Paris) by looking at the carousels. In California, this is called King Arthur Carrousel, whereas the Paris equivalent is called Le Carrousel de Lancelot. Both are situated directly behind the Castle, although the California equivalent did not line up with Main Street properly until the 1983 ...
California_vs. Paris: Main Street USA
This month, I shall be comparing the Main Street, U.S.A.'s which can be found in the Disneylands closest to my heart (California and Paris). Both are based loosely on Walt's home town of Marceline Missouri. Anaheim's is set in 1910, as part of the original idea that various Lands were set in years when Halley's Comet could be visible from Earth. According to themed studs in the pavement, Main Street ...
California's Disneyland
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Disneyland, the country's first truly big-time theme park, is located 27 miles southeast of Los Angeles in Anaheim. When the park opened in 1955, Walt Disney promised it would get bigger and better. Well, Disneyland is celebrating its 25th birthday this year, with a spectacle of special happenings. In fact, you may want to check into what's on tap when and schedule your visit accordingly. But whenever you ...
Cal-OSHA Finds Disney Coaster Accident Due To Faulty Brakes
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The collision of two trains on the California Screamin' roller coaster, which sent 17 riders to the hospital, was caused by air leaks in the braking system, according to a state report released Thursday. The July 29 accident, in which a 24-person rail car rear-ended another 24-person car and stopped near the passenger platform, has been under investigation by the California Division of Occupational ...
Can Disneyland Eliminate Standing In Line
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Theme parks such as Disneyland employ a lot of theater tricks to entertain their guests. Creative staging, lighting effects and illusions all help make a bunch of wooden cut-outs and plastic robots come to life in rides and shows. But the parks' most ambitious magic trick might be their attempt to make their lines disappear. Disney introduced its Fastpass system in 1999, opening the era of Fast Lane, ...
Can The Average Person Visit Disneyland These Days
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I remember the times when my mom took my brother and me to Disneyland during summer vacation. We didn't go every summer, but I can probably count a good five times in my lifetime that we'd attended the theme park as kids. I remember looking forward to the "It's A Small World" ride, the mock President Abraham Lincoln production, Michael Jackson's "Captain EO" 3D movie...all of which I'm not even ...
Can You Bring Double Strollers The Park Recently Updated Its Rules
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Planning a trip to Disneyland with your family is so exciting, but it's easy to stress out about the whole packing situation. For instance, can you bring double strollers to Disneyland, or is it best to leave them at home? The rules about what you can bring into the park have been updated recently, so it's worth double-checking before packing that stroller. As of May 1, 2019, strollers ...
Can You Bring Food And Drinks Into Disneyland
For many people, visiting the happiest place on Earth takes not only stamina, but also finding creative ways to experience the magic on a budget.
Whether you 're visiting the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California, as a solo Mouseketeer or family of four, bringing outside food into Disneyland Park or Disney California Adventure Park can dramatically cut your costs
You can ...
Can You Have A Good Time As A Casual Parkgoer
I love going to Disneyland. I never quite get tired of spending a very long day running around to rides and eating Mickey Mouse-shaped treats. (I'm a sucker for any food that's themed.) Since I live so close to the park, I usually go at least once a year. However, over the past few years, the whole process has gotten a lot more complicated to manage - so complicated that I'm starting to feel like ...
Can You Name All 15 Eticket Rides Still At Disneyland It Is Not As Easy As You Think
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As Disneyland celebrates the 60th anniversary of the E-ticket, it seems like a good time to look back at the rides that earned that distinction at the Anaheim theme park. But what are the E-ticket rides of Disneyland? Naming them all is not as simple as you might think. There were 23 E-ticket attractions during the ticket book era that stretched from 1955 to 1982, according to ...
