The self-proclaimed "happiest place on Earth" is about to become a whole lot happier. When Disneyland Resort's new 12-acre Cars Land opens in time for next summer's tourist blitz, it will represent the latest achievement in the world of "imagineering" a word that was coined to emphasize the imagination of Disney engineers. Presently under construction in the Disney California Adventure park, ...

A lot has changed at Disneyland since the park first opened in 1955. Over the nearly six decades that have passed since its debut, many things at the Happiest Place on Earth have either been lost over time or met with a wrecking ball during one of the park's many expansions and refurbishments. We list five original Disneyland artifacts that existed in the park back when Walt walked Main Street, ...

Upright piano on the stage of the Golden Horseshoe. I spent 75 minutes on the phone last night with Disneyland's annual passport services purchasing a ticket for the park's Golden Horseshoe salute. That amounted to 70 minutes listening to Christmas music and longer than the loop of tunes. I was fortunate when the customer service rep came on the line because I could tell that Goofy singing the ...

When the can-can dancers kick up their legs for Disneyland's "A Salute to the Golden Horseshoe Revue," they will be watched over by a dancer from the original show who last kicked up her legs more than 25 years ago. Demetra "DeeDee" Bozikis was a can-can dancers during the last nine years of the original show's 31-year run, which ended in October 1986. "It was wonderful to work with those Disney ...

When New Orleans Square opened in July of 1966, the mayor of New Orleans, Victor Schiro, participated in the dedication. Schiro announced that Disney was an honorary citizen of the real city and joked that adding the Square cost as much as the original Louisiana Purchase. The dedication was Walt's last public appearance before his death that December. There are two actual rides in the New Orleans ...

If it was in the West, it's here. The Mark Twain Riverboat docks at the aptly named Mark Twain Landing in Frontierland. The first train ride, apart from the Disneyland Railroad, was the Mine Train Thru Nature's Wonderland, opening in 1960; the Mine Train closed in 1977, and Big Thunder Mountain opened two years later. The two rides could not be more different. The Mine Train was a slow, relaxing ride ...

March 18, 1967 Disneyland, Anaheim California - The day dawned gray and drizzly, and the passing of Walt Disney was still felt sharply, yet the Press, tourist and locals turned out for Disneyland's newest Attraction - the long awaited and much anticipated "Pirates of the Caribbean". This was the first big event at Disneyland since it's founders death, and was marked with a celebratory feeling among ...

Back in the early 1980's I was asked by head of Disney park talent (Kevin Frawly) if I was interested in performing at Disneyland /Anaheim with my band, then called, The Nightriders. We were a 5 piece country band at the time, and featured Stand-up bass, Steel Guitar, Lead Guitar, Drums and Sax/Piano. Of course being a total Disney freak, even as a young man, I jumped at the chance. I had booked my band ...

After visiting Disney's California Adventure the previous day, head into the park when it opens at eight for shorter lines at those rides you are dying to get on. Sure, the newest ride in the park the Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage is interesting, but check out some less appreciated aspects of the park. After you have braved the two-hour line (at least) at Nemo, remember to expand beyond the realm of major ...

Ten years ago, Disney 's “The Lone Ranger” galloped into theaters everywhere. An updated and deconstructed version of the character known primarily for his black mask and white horse (named Silver), the movie was a big-budget, high-concept adventure film from the same team behind Disney 's lucrative “Pirates of the Caribbean” franchise - director Gore Verbinski, producer Jerry Bruckheimer and ...