A Sprinkle Of Pixie Dust
"Fantasyland" is said to be Walt Disney's favorite Land. And it's tough to blame him. "Sleeping Beauty Castle" welcomes you, as both the main entrance and park icon. "King Arthur Carrousel" was built in 1875 and operated in Ontario, Canada from 1922 until 1955 when it was relocated to Disneyland. Until 1975, only one horse was white, and now all of them are. Merlin hosted a ceremony that determined which ...
A Tale Of Two Cities
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Off-screen as well as on, the folks at the Walt Disney Co. have that certain touch. Recently they've announced two proposals for theme parks. Does Disney really intend to build both? Whatever the answer, the announcements have come so close together that it's as if Disney is trying to play Long Beach off against Anaheim to see which city will win the prize.
This week Disney unveiled what had already ...
A Talent For Topiary
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At Disneyland, you'll find several delicate swans, sculpted from plants, set amid the grassy slopes at Sleeping Beauty Castle. You'll see topiary Dumbos on location at the Flying Elephant ride. But perhaps the most famous Disneyland topiaries are set in the forecourt of Fantasyland's "It's a Small World."
The animals reflect the cultural diversity found inside: a 12-foot-tall giraffe shares the ...
A Time For Mickey Mouse
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I remember Riverview. This vast amusement park was located on Chicago's North Side. It was magnificent, dangerous and thrilling. There were freak shows; there was the renowned Bobs roller coaster, built as the fastest in the world; there was the Rotor. a room-sized cylinder in which one stood back against the wall and was spun around while the floor dropped away; there was the parachute jump, the symbol of ...
A Ton Of Breakfast Items Are Back
When Disneyland reopened after its historic 412-day closure, there were a lot of things that were unavailable - including a number of restaurants that remained closed. One of the biggest things that Disneyland Guests were unable to get was breakfast. There are several Starbucks locations on the property, but Guests wanting to eat there had incredibly long wait times.
Well, Disneyland fans ...
A Tribute To The Man, Beyond Just The Mouse
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At first glance the Walt Disney Family Museum, which opens on Oct. 1, would seem a serious, even scholarly endeavor. Financed by the Walt Disney Family Foundation and run by Richard Benefield, the former deputy director of the Harvard University Art Museums, it is dedicated not to Disney the entertainment behemoth but to Disney the man, from his birth in Chicago, to his role as a powerful studio boss in ...
A Trip Down Memory Lane At Disneyland
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Ignore those office emails, forget all about the economy and for an afternoon focus instead on what's really important, especially on vacation - making memories with the kids.
Judging by the crowds on a recent sunny day at Disneyland and it's sister California Adventure Park in Anaheim, a lot of families have decided to do just that, getting every dollar's worth out of the day and ending triumphantly ...
A Trip To Disneyland
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Tennis shoes, hamburgers and being a child again
"Don't you think a 3-year-old is too young to take to Disneyland?" my aunt asked me over dessert and coffee.
I told her that when my son was three, I took him on his first trip to Disneyland.
"Yes, but did he get much out of it? -- Is it safe? -- Do you have to always be watching your kids or can they just run around?"
I was getting ...
A Tropical Storm Is Heading Toward Disney Land
So who put money down on Disneyland getting hit by a tropical storm before Walt Disney World this year?
For this first time that I can remember, the Los Angeles metro area lies within the forecast cone for a tropical storm. The current Tropical Storm Hilary is expected to become a major hurricane by the weekend, with the storm weakening back to tropical storm strength when it arrives in LA on ...
A Visit To Disneyland Priceless
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My 9-month-old baby daughter had been good most of the morning. There hadn't been a single tear or even a squeak from her. We had driven to Disneyland, parked the car, taken the tram to the entrance gate and walked all the way to Mickey's Toontown at the other end of the park. I would have thought she was sleeping but she was too busing turning her head, with wide-open eyes, taking in everything around ...
A Visit With Uncle Walt
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Walt Disney was a virtual family member for many of us growing up in the 1950s and early '60s. Jimmie and his Mouseketeer friends provided us with entertainment each afternoon on The Mickey Mouse Club, and our families gathered in front of the television each Sunday evening to watch Disneyland (an always entertaining hour, the title of which changed several times after its 1954 debut). With a soft voice ...
A Walk In Jenna's Shoes
As pass holders to Disneyland I know there are times when we get a bit tired of the park when we have experienced the same rides and attractions for the millionth time around. If you have been reading any of past articles, you know how I feel about the subject. When I get these feelings I usually stay away from the park until I have to go back, and when I say "have to go back" I mean I literally "Have to ...
A Walk In The Park
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In honor of the 100th anniversary of Walt Disney's birth-on December 5, 1901--Disneyland in Anaheim and Walt Disney World in Orlando are offering a variety of special year long activities:
DISNEYLAND, A Walk in Walt's Footsteps : is a two-and-a- half-hour guided tour that shows the park(from the perspective of the man who loved it most. $16 for adults; $14 for children (in addition to park ...
A Walk Through Sleeping Beauty Castle
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Sleeping Beauty has long been a favorite Disney classic of mine. I remember the first time I watched the movie on VHS that my mom bought me at Blockbuster. I immediately fell in love with Aurora singing “Once Upon a Dream” and have been smitten with the film and music ever since.
Once Disneyland reopens I know one of the first attractions I will head to is the castle. The Sleeping Beauty ...
A Walk with Walt
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Where in Disneyland was Walt's private apartment? Did he have a favorite horse on King Arthur Carrousel? Is there really a basketball court in the Matterhorn?
For the ultimate scoop on Walt's life and his thinking behind the creation of Disneyland, nothing beats the Walk in Walt's Footsteps tour. Now is an especially appropriate time to take the walk as we approach the one hundredth anniversary of ...
A Wonderful World
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The saga of the aging cinema star is a part of American folklore-the heady upward trajectory, the few brief seasons on the summit, and the swift descent to "B" pictures, guest appearances, and, of late, odd jobs on television. Next October the saga will be re-enacted again, but with one big difference. The old friend taking a job as TV master of ceremonies will have all his joints in top working order, and ...
ABC Orders Big Thunder Pilot Based On Disneyland Ride
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Pilot season is now going strong at the networks, and Variety reports that ABC ordered four new drama pilots today, including Big Thunder, based on Disneyland's Big Thunder Mountain ride.
Written by Jason Fuchs (Ice Age: Continental Drift) and executive produced by Chris Morgan (writer of most of The Fast and the Furious films), Big Thunder is described by Variety as involving "a 19th century New ...
ABC TV To Air Disneyland 60th Anniversary Special Next Month
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With his famed red piano shining as brightly as the Sleeping Beauty Castle behind him, Elton John took to the stage performing his most popular Disney hit in front of a raucous - mostly surprised - crowd of park-goers.
The multi Grammy Award winner showed up with a choir Friday night at Disneyland, singing "Circle of Life" from "The Lion King" and a song from his upcoming album, "Wonderful Crazy ...
Abe Gets To Stay At Disneyland
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Honest, Abe, Disneyland says you haven't worn out your welcome. At least for now. The amusement park has revised its decision to close the "Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln" exhibit Sunday, park spokesman Bob Roth said Friday.
The park told the Associated Press last week that the exhibit, set in the Main Street Opera House and featuring a robot replica of the 16th president, was being closed for ...
Abigail Disney Visited Disneyland She Is Livid About What She Saw
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Disneyland calls itself "The Happiest Place on Earth," but family heiress Abigail Disney said she found workers struggling when she recently visited the park.
In an interview with Yahoo this week, Abigail Disney said she decided to check out Disneyland's worker conditions after a worker sent her a Facebook message. She said every employee delivered a similar message to her: "I don't know ...
Abundance Of Fall Fun At Disneyland Resort As New Experiences Enhance Traditional Halloween And Holiday Seasons
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The giant Mickey Mouse Jack-o'-Lantern and the Town Square Christmas Tree will be the symbols of celebration for their respective holidays at Disneyland this fall. But the traditional fan favorites are only the beginning as Disneyland Resort welcomes new shows and immersive experiences, along with an exciting preview of things to come at Disney's California Adventure park.
It's all part of the fun as ...
Acting Goofy
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In the company town that is Hollywood, the Walt Disney Company is the supreme temple of cultish corporate culture, with its strict hairstyle and manicure codes for theme-park workers and the fanatical devotion and round-the-clock hours demanded of employees high and low. It even has an initiation ritual all its own.
They call it "Disney Way I" ("Disney Way II" is in Florida), and fresh company recruits ...
Advantages Of Having An Annual Pass To Disneyland Park, CA
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Disneyland is one of the most family friendly destinations that you can find anywhere. There is something for everyone. There are rides for like Winnie the Pooh, and King Arthur's Carousel for little ones, and rides like California Screamin' and Tower of Terror for teens and above. With all this in mind, how nice is it to think about the possibility of being able to go almost anytime you want to? This ...
Adventure Awaits
When "Adventureland" was first conceived, it was to be based on Walt's award winning documentaries on Africa and Asia. "Jungle Cruise" was the star attraction until "Swiss Family Treehouse" opened in 1962. The inspiration for the "Jungle Cruise" includes the True-Life Adventure documentary, "The African Lion" and the film, "The African Queen" (the name for the Land was to be "True-Life Adventureland" ...
Adventureland Day And More
I 've been a Disneyland annual passholder for many years. Since COVID-19, however, when I visit Disneyland (and the adjacent Disney California Adventure) it has changed significantly. That is because reservations are now required, and Disney limits their number.
Now I must plan all of my visits in advance (INSIDER 'S TIP: Try going online to make a reservation close to midnight the night ...
Aerial Photos Show Mickey And Minnies Runaway Railway Dark Ride Construction
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New aerial photos of Mickey & Minnie 's Runaway Railway trackless dark ride show the initial phase of construction underway on Disney 's first theme park attraction ever dedicated to Mickey Mouse.
The Runaway Railway photos were taken Thursday, Nov. 14 by Bioreconstruct aerial photography from 3,000 feet with permission from air traffic control.
The aerial photos shot by ...
African Veldt
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Way down in Jungleland, below the Amazin' Disney line, there's news among the gnus. "The Trapped Safari" is the new headline feature and a bit of bright fun in Disneyland's far-famed Adventureland and the Jungle River Cruise. Jackals, hyenas and buzzards lay siege to a comical hunter and his retinue treed by the wild beasts. Disneyland adventurers drift safely past as lions devour an unsuspecting prey ...
After 14 Months Big Thunder Mountain Railroad Set To Reopen St. Patricks Day
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At long last, the "wildest ride in the wilderness" is ready to roll again.
Closed in January 2013 for extensive renovation, Disneyland announced Friday that Big Thunder Mountain Railroad would officialy reopen St. Patrick's Day.
I was at the park Friday, just after the construction walls were taken down.
Disney employees were posted at the entrance where they fielded questions all day from ...
After 40 Years, Disneyland Begins Unisex Assignments For Ride Operators
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For 40 years, the theme park chose ride operators based on gender-with frilly-frocked females working Storybook Land and macho men in pith helmets wisecracking through the Jungle Cruise.
But last month, the first woman took up oars to help guests paddle canoes around Tom Sawyer Island, and the first man in 38 years piloted a Storybook Land Canal Boat through the whale's mouth. Soon, female conductors ...
After 6 Hour Meeting Disneyland Can Move Forward With Sweeping Expansion
After a six-hour meeting that included speeches from Disneyland 's president, Disney cast members and a significant number of detractors voicing their concerns, Disneyland Forward has hit a milestone in its progress. The company received approval from the Anaheim Planning Commission to move the proposed expansion to the next round of approvals from the Anaheim City Council. That vote is scheduled for ...
After Dark The Dirty Work At Disneyland Begins
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A crew of 600 custodians, painters, gardeners and decorators works 365 nights a year to ensure that the 85-acre park meets Walt Disney's squeaky-clean ideals.
When the last Jungle Cruise boat docks for the night and lights fade to black on Sleeping Beauty's Castle, the real work begins.
At lush Pixie Hollow, gardeners don miner's headlamps as they begin uprooting stubborn weeds. On Main Street, ...
