Disneyland of the Mind Part Two

Main Street at last - with its sights and sounds and smells. It is the first act of any Disneyland day and it works its magic precisely by being that place that immediately takes you out of your own world and all its cares and discomforts and replaces it with a world of simpler times, nostalgia, but also dreams for a bright future. Main Street works precisely because it evokes a period of yesteryear before all the cares of the world became daily headlines while at the same time leading you into a magic hub where you can select which dreams you wish to explore - Adventure, History, Fantasy or Future. It starts with a train station, city hall, opera house and flagpole and ends with Sleeping Beauty's castle. No other street like it exists in the world (unless you count the ones in Florida, Tokyo, Paris, Hong Kong and soon in Shanghai... ;)

I always pause just inside the main square and soak in that feeling, take a deep breath of Disney air, and exhale Disney magic. In 0-60 flat, I'm forgetting the cares of the world and completely immersed in the fun of the day. I look around at all the old familiar favorites.

City Hall, on the left, with the stairs that lead up to guest services. My parents once got lost in Disneyland and I ended up at City Hall waiting for the cast members to find them. Ever since then I associate City Hall with OFFICIAL Disneyland. If there's a place where the Mayor, the City Council, and the Police Department discuss Disney Zoning Law and Parking Fines, it's in Disneyland's City Hall. I usually avoid it.

Next to City Hall is the Fire Department. Unless the fire engine is out, I usually walk past this building. Across the street from the Fire Department and directly across the square from where I'm still standing, is the Emporium. I can see the shop windows from here with their moving electronic displays of the latest Disney animated movie (mostly re-releases when I was a kid). I'll check out the Emporium later.

In the center of the square is the good, old-fashioned, city park with its flagpole at the center, four triangular garden plots surrounded by low fences, and more than a half dozen wooden benches. This is an ideal location to meet people and, indeed, has been our fall-back location should we ever get separated from the main group since the beginning of time. (It's rumored that Jesus's parents found him at the flagpole after he got separated from them in Jerusalem... that's how old it is ;)

On the right side of the square is the bank where my Dad will go later to write a check for some money. Only many years later will they install a convenient ATM machine. And now, even those have become obsolete. Around the side of the bank is the first set of restrooms and a water fountain. I note these locations as they are always important to discover.

Next to the bank is the Opera House which is still showing Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln. Although I've seen the show hundreds of times, I still find it inspirational. And besides, it's fun to watch them build Disneyland through time-lapse photography while Whistle While You Work plays in the background. We'll make a trip to Lincoln a little later.

Next to the Opera House is the Main Street version of the hat shoppe. It's usually pricier and fancier than the other hat shoppes. I don't usually go there.

Across the little street from the hat shoppe is the bottom part of the right side of stores on main street. Right now it has a tiny little exhibit space where they have maps of upcoming theme park additions. Last year, we all thrilled to see the new Discoveryland and Circus Land additions they were planning for where Bear Country and Frontierland ends. I heard that that project was canceled and its rumored there's a new model showing Westcot now. I can't wait to check it out.

Of course, its first thing in the day and our ride quotient has yet to be filled. So we quickly grab each others hands and start walking into Main Street and go with the crowds up Main Street towards the hub. We've got to get some rides done before the park starts to get crowded, and Dave loves to ride Space Mountain.

To be continued...

Disneyland of the Mind part one

There are certain days where the weather is just right and the air is still and I can almost hear the distant screams of Yeti and human mixing on the Matterhorn, the calliope music from the Swiss Family Tree House, and the roar of engines preparing to be engaged on the autopia. I can practically smell the buttered popcorn and feel the cool water spray from the Pirates of the Caribbean. On days like these, it's not hard to slip away from my time-bound world and float backwards through time to visit a Disneyland that largely exists only in my imagination now. Won't you join me?

Our day begins, as usual, in the small motel room bordering the park. The sun is just peaking through the marine layer from nearby Costa Mesa and it promises to be a scorcher. I eagerly climb out of bed and throw on a pair of shorts and a t-shirt and I'm ready to go. My mad money is socked away in my vinyl Mickey Mouse wallet and I'm already at the door urging my siblings to hurry up. They are still in bed, of course.

After a short, forced, breakfast of the continental variety and a quick perusal of the various Disneyland postcards in the motel gift shop, I finally get to leave my old world behind and start the long trek to kid heaven. We walk out of the carport and on to the well-worn sidewalks of Anaheim along with dozens of other families, and then, when there is a break in the traffic, we dash across the busy street to the other side. I'm already excited, but my head feels about ready to explode when I witness the first monorail train of the day racing by overhead on its way into the parking lot and towards the Disneyland Hotel. We're practically there!

Its a long tedious and agonizing walk to the entrance of the park. Tour buses, taxis, and cars drive past us and into the parking lot entrance. I'm envious of them, in a way. They're getting on the rides faster than I am. I've been up nearly a half hour and I haven't even entered the parking lot yet. But, in another way, I count these walks as some of my favorites - like a long walk on a gangplank, or the last mile of a marathon. I've waited SO LONG to be this close to Disneyland that I want to savor every last moment of it.

We finally walk past the parking entrance where all the cars are lined up and paying their astronomical parking fees ($3.00 per day! Yikes!) and we are through. There it is! The majestic entrance - its view blocked by Ticket Booths and two monorail tracks - with its berm, train station, and castle beyond. I'm actually here in the parking lot. If it's possible, my excitement ticks over from 10 to 11. I want to run all the way across the Plains of Marathon (Or as other people call it - the Parking Lot), but I can't leave my party behind. A) They have the tickets. And B) They have the tickets.

So we trudge across the parking lot, walking faster than the parking lot trams could take us. We walk past cars and tram stops and giant fenced in electrical towers. We walk past light stands with cartoon characters posted on each one (E for Eyeore - don't forget where we parked!) We cross under the first monorail track and we're in the intimate tour-bus and VIP parking area. The crowds are coalescing as we all move forward towards the ticket booths and the entrance. The excitement grows with each step. The anticipation builds. Buzz carries us forward like homing pigeons.

There is a small central tree lined walk way, now. We're almost there. The ticket booths and the crowds of people around them loom ahead. The inside loop of the monorail (the return leg) is in front of us and it's possible to turn east and see monorails coming and going into the park. Up ahead we hear the first steam engine churning and see the train slide into Main Street station. We pass under the inside track and find the shortest ticket line and get into it.

The ticket booths are decorated with attraction posters. I see all my old familiar favorites - the Haunted Mansion, Alice in Wonderland, Adventures thru Inner Space, the Peoplemover, and, of course, Space Mountain. But the sight of the new and incomparable Splash Mountain makes me giddy. The poster is so modern compared to the others, but it speaks to the awesome excitement of things to come.

And now... the dread moment of the entire day... the ticket window, and next to it, the list of attractions that are closed for the day. Thank God! The only thing not operating are the stupid Tiki Birds! Hallelujah! The vacation is saved!

I'm waiting for my book of tickets, but instead I'm handed an all day pass - good for everything except the Shootin' Arcade! AWESOME! I can ride Haunted Mansion like a bajillion times if I want! My Dad says something about meeting at the flag pole if we're lost and at the hot dog place for lunch, but he's already retreating in the distance as I grab my sister's hand and we run towards the entrance gate with my brother easily keeping pace and then out-running us.

There is nothing so satisfying as the sound of the turnstyle click at the entrance to Disneyland.

We are through and we head immediately to the left, past the rose and tulip planted Mickey Mouse head, and the group of Japanese tourists forming up with a guide and standing right in the middle of the only decent path through the crowd. We pass the newsstand on the left and I look up. There is the bronze plaque. Welcome to the World of Yesterday, Tomorrow and Fantasy. Into the tunnel. More attraction posters which I fondly love, but which are only a final tease before the real thing.

Out of the tunnel and into Main Street USA and the real world left millions of miles behind. I am home... at last.

To be continued...

Avatar/Disney - I remain cautiously optimistic

Don't get me wrong... I hated Avatar. This was a mess of a movie with a re-tread of a story that had plot-holes big enough to drive one of those giant blue bison through. I haven't forgotten or forgiven James Cameron for his blue-monkey monstrosity.

That said, this is James Cameron we're talking here. The King of Geeks who thinks BIIIIIIIIGGGGGGGGGGG! This is a guy who paid for a mission to the Titanic so that he could shoot footage for his movie - then invented brand new 3-D cameras so that he could capture the experience better. James Cameron - Titanic, Aliens, True Lies, Terminator and Terminator 2 - yeah, that James Cameron.

So, what do I think of an Avatar and Disney hook up? I loathe...love the idea. First of all, I have to remind myself that Avatar in Animal Kingdom is actually a good match. Second of all, I have to remind myself that a theme park is not a movie. My love or hate of Johnny Depp has no bearing on my love or hate of Pirates of the Caribbean as a ride. They are two very different things. Third of all, I can't wait to see what sort of Bat$?*t crazy things James Cameron and Disney are going to dream up for this theme park. I'm guessing that there won't be some freakin' princess themed dark ride, nor some lame out of the box roller coaster that has a picture of a blue monkey on the side. No, if anyone is going to bring the world of Avatar alive to be visited and explored, it will be James Freaking Cameron. And I'm okay with that...

You see, I actually thought the world of Avatar was pretty darn cool - before the story messed it up. I REALLY wanted to enjoy it. In fact, I can remember the first moment where my stomach lurched and I suddenly heard the alarm bells going off that perhaps this was going to be a rancid turd of a bad movie (Unobtanium... 'nuff said). But even after that moment, I kind of dug the world of Pandora.

Though I'm not really sure what part of my body I'm going to need to insert into the roller coaster ride in order to make it fly... (Eeeewwwww...)

Peter Pan (Disneyland)

For as long as there have been theme parks, there have been dark rides – but nobody does them better than Disney. And the quintessential dark ride of them all is Peter Pan. Taking the concept of the complete ride through of a movie and blowing it up, this is not just some sort of observational dark ride where the story unfolds from room to room – you are actually experiencing this entire movie from within.

Starting from the moment you board that beautiful flying pirate ship of your very own, you are whisked off on an adventure straight out of Neverland. First you fly through a nursery where Peter is struggling with his shadow, and then, voila, a little pixie dust and you go out the window and slowly soar above the clouds until London is tiny and far below you and everyone is the size of ants. You follow the second star to the right and the next thing you know, Captain Hook is shooting at you. There are mermaids and crocodiles and Tiger Lily and a fight between Hook and Peter on a pirate ship, and through it all, you fly right through the middle of the action.

I’ve always had a soft spot for Peter Pan not because I fell in love with it as a kid and its my favorite ride, but because unlike other Fantasyland rides, I never experience it as a ride. I love seeing London from a thousand feet up, and I love dipping down into the mermaid lagoon. I love Katie Nana barking at me as we fly through a window, and I love Peter and Hook fighting in front of me. There is an economy to this ride that hides its incredible nature – to wit, that this dark ride hangs from a ceiling, that you REALLY are soaring over things, and that, as a result, the sets are built around you and not above you. This kind of 3-D effect is what truly set Disneyland apart from the other theme park rides. Anyone can turn a common flying ride into Dumbo by theming their ride vehicles as pachyderms, but only Disney would ever dream to have a dark ride with FLYING vehicles. Game, Set, and Match competition!

Fantasyland rides tend to be packed all day long, so I never try to schedule this ride for any time of the day. I wait until I see a line that’s low and then I get in line. No matter the wait, though, this ride is worth it and, like it’s protagonist, it never gets old.

And now, here are some links:
AllEars
Laughing Place
Mice Age
Disney Shawn
YouTube
Official Disney
SURPRISE!

Sommerfest (EPCOT World Showcase - Germany)

There is only one reason to go to Sommerfest – the bratwurst smothered in sauerkraut and German mustard… and a German Beer. There are only two reasons to go to Sommerfest, the bratwurst in that perfect bun and an ice cold glass of the best German beer in the world… and apple strudel for desert. There are only three reasons to go to Sommerfest in the German pavilion at EPCOT – Bratwurst, Beer, and apple strudel for desert… unless you’d rather have the Black Forest Chocolate Cake… Okay, basically, you can’t go wrong eating at Sommerfest. Its like all the really good things about German food tucked into a quiet little stand underneath the glockenspiel, in the shade, and with little tables to eat at. I never miss having my bratwurst there. Ever. And you shouldn’t miss it either. Here is the menu:
Sommerfest
Germany - World Showcase - Epcot
Counter Service
Menu Date: March 2011

Entrees
Bratwurst - served with sauerkraut and roll $6.69
Frankfurter - served with sauerkraut and roll $6.59

Desserts
Authentic Hand-twisted Pretzel $4.29
Black Forest Cake Roulade $3.59
Bavarian Cheesecake $3.59
Apple Strudel - with vanilla sauce $3.59

Beverages
Radeberger Pilsner or Altenmunster Oktoberfest $7.50
served in a Souvenir Mug $10.75
Schnapps and Shots $7.25
Apfelkorn or Jagermeister
Liebfraumilch Wine $6.00
Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite, Orange, Iced Tea, Lemonade $2.49
Bottled Water $2.50
Hot Tea or Hot Cocoa $2.09
Coffee $2.09

And here are some links you might enjoy:
Laughing Place
MiceAge
Disney Shawn
YouTube
Disney Official
SURPRISE!

First - a little apology

I apologize that I've been absent of late. I've been doing a lot of ground work for other projects and they've left me drained of both time and intellectual capacity. But I'm back now, and God forbid there be any further delays, I should continue on a much more regular basis from here on out.

The Wilderness Lodge (Walt Disney World Resort)

Whenever I go to Disney World, I always stay at The Wilderness Lodge. Nestled on the shores of Bay Lake near Fort Wilderness campground and across the lake from the old River Country waterpark, the Wilderness Lodge is patterned after the old great National Park lodges, particularly the Glacier Lodge in Glacier National Park.

Starting from the moment you walk into the cavernous lobby, you will fall in love with the Wilderness Lodge. The main lobby of the giant A framed log structure is seven stories tall. Giant redwood trees form the structural poles that rise up all the way to the roof. There is a grand fireplace in one corner that also reaches all the way to the top – and has been sculpted to look like the strata of geologically correct rock found in the side of the Grand Canyon. Incredibly designed metallic chandeliers float above it all. There are comfortable chairs for sitting and contemplating it all.

Off the main lobby you can find a mercantile store with just about every amenity you might possibly want or need. There’s also the entrance to the Whispering Canyon Café – a restaurant that you have to experience to believe and about which I’m sure I’ll talk about later. Other restaurants at the Wilderness Lodge include a snack bar called Roaring Forks and a premium four star restaurant called the Artist Point – that serves the delicacies of the Northwest like cedar plank smoked salmon, and buffalo, and other delicious entrees.

The pool is rough hewn out of rock with a zero degree entry, a water slide, and a waterfall. And once every hour the resorts very own geyser spouts off. The exterior of this resort is just as breathtakingly beautiful as its interior.

There are two ways to depart the resort – busses go everywhere, but if you want to go the Magic Kingdom or to Fort Wilderness or The Contemporary Resort, you also have the option of taking a boat across Bay Lake.

I keep telling myself that all of Disney’s resorts are probably just as good, but after that first time I walked into the lobby of the Wilderness Lodge, I’ve never wanted to stay anywhere else.

And now some links:
Allears
Laughing Place
MiceAge
YouTube
Disney (Official)
SURPRISE!