A major upgrade to chilled-water systems at Disneyland is improving cooling capacity, increasing flexibility and reducing energy costs at the world-famous Southern California theme park. The project included updating equipment in the 85-acre park's two 30-year old chiller plants and drawing together the two formerly separate plants to allow load sharing. Because the plants were constructed ...

After all, storyboard artist Larry Scholl has transformed his childhood home into a mini-park reminiscent of Disneyland. It might be expected in Hollywood Hills, but not so much in the hills of Fair Oaks, where Larry Scholl has a pint-size Disneyland in his backyard. He turned a portable garage into "River Mountain," a zip-quick train ride populated by four singing deer, two waterfalls and one ...

Earlier this year Disneyland reopened its 45-year-old "It's a Small World" boat ride after a lavish renovation. On my recent visit to the park, I floated through the legendary attraction four times--since it was one of the few rides declared "not scary" by my kids. The ride is fabulous with vibrant colors, rich lighting, and crisp sound. But there's one big difference between the revamped version and the ...

Although It's a Small World was updated in 2009 to include modern Disney songs and movie characters like Ariel, Flounder, Nemo, Woody and Bullseye, the ride has stayed the same and outlasted other attractions that have changed as new technology has rendered them old and clunky. It's a pastiche of Arab dolls flying on magic carpets, Mexicans wearing sombreros, Peter Pan, Tinker Bell, Jiminy Cricket and ...

It's difficult to imagine Disneyland without the Jungle Cruise, where wisecracking skippers ferry passengers down uncharted rivers, laughing at danger, shooting off their pistols and implying that each trip just might be their last. But jokes are no laughing matter in the bush, where firings this summer have sparked a native rebellion among those who remain. Trouble on the docks began, skippers say, ...

In an ever-expanding wave of inclusiveness, Disneyland has added several dolls in wheelchairs to its famed "It's a Small World" attraction. While the dolls have been added as part of the seasonal holiday overlay, these new characters will be permanent residents of the ride. On Friday morning, two dolls in wheelchairs were unveiled on the theme park's "It's a Small World" ride, a ...

Another tidbit from my California vacation: Remember the hoopla/outrage over the changes Disneyland made to the "it's a small world" attraction? Figures representing Disney characters were added to different scenes in the gentle boat ride. Purists were scandalized. "What would Mary Blair say?" they bellowed, referring to the legendary Disney artist who designed the attraction. "Crass ...

Ah, the smell of Disney water. It 's something many Disney Guests look forward to - the unique and nostalgic smell of Disney 's H20 on attractions like Pirates of the Caribbean and Jungle Cruise. But this famous water is also home to some dirty secrets, dirtiness which has recently closed down the fan-favorite “it 's a small world” attraction in Disneyland. There are ...

Disney 's “it 's a small world” is one of the most iconic attractions found in Disney Parks. At Disneyland Resort, Disney goes all out for the holidays with a special “it 's a small world” holiday overlay. Unfortunately, it is sounding like the previously reported flood may be much worse than expected. The holidays may not come to “it 's a small world” after all! Disneyland kicked off the ...

Flooding that occurred during the process of refilling the flume on It 's a Small World will delay the reopening of the classic boat ride as Disneyland prepares to kick off the winter holiday season and launch the new Merriest Nites after hours event. It 's a Small World experienced some flooding that affected machinery used to operate the attraction during the early morning hours on ...

Celebrate the holidays at one of Disneyland Resort's most iconic attractions as it transforms its façade and receives a festive seasonal overlay that could put any grinch in the Christmas spirit. Fantasyland's seasonal it's a small world Holiday offers season's greetings from more than 300 children around the world in addition to many smaller yuletide details that makes "the happiest cruise that ever ...

The Disneyland tickets need to be bought to see one of the biggest holiday traditions sailing at the Happiest Place on Earth. On Sunday, the It's A Small World Holiday attraction had guests waiting over an hour to share a ride on the boats. Everyone wants to see inside where kids on displays sing about the holiday season and on Friday the lines are only bound to get longer the closer it gets to Christmas. ...

From November 18th through the 22nd, the Disneyland Resort offered a special opportunity for the holiday season as they allowed annual passholders to spend some time after-hours at a classic attraction in Disneyland. Just minutes after park closing, the area in front of “it 's a small world” Holiday boasted a large crowd of eager APs, looking to take advantage of two unique photo opportunities and embark ...

The familiar strains of the earworm theme song of It 's a Small World are once again playing in the beloved classic Disneyland attraction after a flood threatened to ruin the holiday tradition this year. It 's a Small World reopened at Disneyland after all-hands effort to restore the attraction in time for the holidays following a flood that shuttered the boat ride around the world just before ...

What's the most played song in the world? "It's a Small World," which plays on a continuous, 48-bar loop at one of five Disney theme parks around the world. What's the most annoying song in the world? See above. After a yearlong rehab, Disneyland will unveil the completely revamped It's a Small World attraction on Feb. 5. The beloved boat ride, which originally debuted at the 1964 ...

It's early morning on a Thursday at the Oceanside Transit Center, where Dan Mahin of Carlsbad and Tom Hernandez of Vista wait to catch Amtrak No. 763 to Anaheim. From there, they will board a shuttle to their jobs. On a Monday afternoon at Premier Color Nursery in Fallbrook, ornamental plants such as snapdragons, pansies, cyclamens and Iceland poppies are prepared for delivery. Every day, a ...

I am here because of a promise to a child. It seemed so safe, 3000 miles from California, to be playing Lady Bountiful, perched on the side of my 9-year-old godchild's bed, saying munificently, "One Day, Auntie will take you to Disneyland." But now here he is, thumbs plugging away at a Game Boy while our bus edges through the Los Angeles traffic, onto the freeway, onto another freeway. He looks up and ...

Theme Park Opens $15 Million High-Tech Dream Home, 41 Years After Tearing Down The First Disney has its vision for the future, and in case you're wondering, there are no flying cars or sweet-faced robots anywhere to be found. But there are touch screens. Want to dim the lights and pull down the shades? Touch the screen. Want to sort through photos from your cell phone? Slap the phone onto a ...

No matter what time of day you go to Disneyland during Halloween time, there is something seasonal, festive and fun going on. The spirit of Halloween Time visits Disneyland Resort starting in mid-September and stays through October 31. Popular attractions are re-done for the season making a Fall visit to Disneyland a must. Space Mountain takes you on a ride through a Ghost Galaxy and Haunted Mansion ...

Disney will be the first to tell you that “Song of the South” is racist. For years, in fact, they haven 't shied away from it. In March, Disney executive chairman Bob Iger told shareholders that the film is “not appropriate in today 's world,” so much so the company wouldn 't even release it with an “outdated cultural depictions” disclaimer. “Song of the South” hasn 't been ...

To help visitors understand the vast world of the wee, the new Nanooze Lab at Disneyland, in Anaheim, Calif., allows guests to "touch a molecule" and zoom into the nanometer scale world of atoms and molecules. Using microscopes, they can see everyday objects magnified more than 100 times and share them on a large video display or with magnifying glasses, explore butterfly wings and other objects from ...