Disneyland – There’s More There Than You Think
Just another family, enjoying a day at the Park.
It has become amusing to read, see, or hear some of the Disneyland faithful tell that a day at the Park isn’t what it used to be in more ways than they can count. It’s become such a litany of complaints that make one wonder why these folks still gladly hand over more and more of their disposable income with such abandon if they really are so unhappy in the Happiest Place On Earth.
I have said so before, but no experience in any themed entertainment will ever be the same as it was on a previous visit. There is so much that differs from day to day that nothing can ever be preserved as a moment amber. Even your memories of that experience, even with photographs or videos of that day, are different than what the actual moment of experience was. It may be hard to accept but it is a simple truth.
Take the photograph above. A fairly typical group, in the day. Mother, Father, infant Son, Grandfather, and Grandmother. Okay, so maybe a bit more than typical, but each one will have a differing memory of this experience. What made it special will be different in one way or another. And that will be what they remember going forward. Given the opportunity to repeat this experience, anything can and will contribute to making the new experience different from the previous one. Everything from weather to personal health to clothing to mobility to crowd conditions to attractions and more will all play a part in making the experience diverge from the previous one.
Last month, I was fortunate to enjoy a day at Disneyland. A Wednesday to be exact. Now about a year ago, I also enjoyed a day at Disneyland on another Wednesday. And as luck had it, with the same folks and a few more than had been there the previous year. If you really wanted to compare the two experiences, there were more than a few things that were similar from the two. If you looked closer, there were plenty of things to fall back upon that take us back to moments from that last experience to many more from years gone by.
Coming clean, yes, I have had an Annual Pass many times and at different levels for Disneyland. I go back to some of the earliest days of AP’s before the term “Annual Passhole“. But, I do not have a Magic Key, nor am I likely to purchase one, barring a lottery win, any time soon. I have lived in the San Francisco Bay Area, some 300 and 50 miles plus away from Anaheim. Even in the times when I did have an AP, it was the routine that I made the trip by driving or flying no more than two or three times a year. Occasionally solo, but more often than not with friends and family. I have stayed at all levels of motels and hotels, on property and off.
My experiences have allowed me to enjoy the Disneyland Resort fairly completely. Between the first family visit in 1965 and now, I believe that I have enjoyed almost every attraction available. When it comes to entertainment, there were some truly special moments that I truly appreciate, particularly due to those whose performances can’t be repeated due to the passing years. As for dining, churro’s may be about the only thing I have passed on imbibing. ( Brown extruded snack foods; ask me another day.) And yes, I will admit freely to having had more than my share of adventures (and a few misadventures) that the usual crowd doesn’t get to take in. Perhaps all of the above make me blasé to a particular level. However, it does give me an appreciation that goes along with it.
Sure, if you go looking for peeling paint, burned out light bulbs, full trash cans, or the unusual cast member, you will find any and all of them. I don’t understand why this would be part of a day at Disneyland, seeking these things out. But if that’s what makes you happy? Well, as a friend likes to say, “What ever makes your boat float.” I guess I just have better things to do when I pay the admission price than that.
It is not difficult to find reminders of what you might have enjoyed on a past visit to Disneyland. There are plenty of reminders all around. Here are just a few that you might encounter in your day:
So…
Let me share some wisdom from a few years of Disneyland visits?
Make the best of the moment. Take it all in with those around you, be it family and friends or just the rest of the Park guests. For this day, you are at Disneyland. Sharing in the dreams of Walt and everyone who has, and will yet, bring those dreams to reality for everyone to enjoy, “who comes to this happy place.”
Sounds pretty good to me. Now when can I do it again?
Disneyland: To Click-Bait or Not To Click-Bait
If you read the various new stories, blogs, Facebook or watch various YouTube channels, the impression is that Disneyland is closed.
Or, in other words, the sky is falling.
Despite Disney producing it’s own version of the Chicken Little tale in animated (yes, CGI format) film a few years back, fans of the company’s theme parks want to believe the stories about their beloved place above all else. Well, Agent Mulder notwithstanding, it is a gigantic case of “If it’s on the Internet, it must be true.”
To make a long story short, “No.”
This certainly is not the first, nor will it be the last time that Disney takes what used to be the off season in Anaheim to close various sections of the parks, et al to complete work of a serious nature. Yes, everything from north of Tiana’s Palace to the Hungry Bear make be closed off behind construction walls. But that hardly makes Disneyland closed to the public. The opposite is quite true as Disneyland is managing quite well to entertain guests every day from open to close.
It used to be that the idea was to generate interest by sharing something new and different when it came to “The Happiest Place On Earth”. Plenty of scoops to be shared with the latest and greatest back in the day. And while folks producing content may not have been quite so hyper focused on every single click on their product, there was a sense of getting things correct. As some in the newspaper game once observed, get it first but get it right. Today’s click-bait headline hunters seem more interested in getting as many clicks as possible instead of producing correct informational content. If you can spin a tale to enflame the passions of the faithful, don’t get left in the dust as the herd stampedes along the information super highway in search of fodder worth digestion. Facts are such nuisances.
Meanwhile, back at the Park… grab that box of popcorn, your favorite beverage of choice and just settle in to watch as things move along. Eventually, projects do get completed.
What time is the three o’clock parade?
Day At Disneyland: The Rest Of The Story
Now, where was I?
Oh, yes… Disneyland. May 10, 2023. A Wednesday, to be exact.
When I last left off, we had done the thing that is Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. But as you may know, there is more to the Park than all of that. Yes, very nice. Good job on putting guests into the franchise that a little movie in a galaxy far, far away has become. Although, in the effort to try and give folks something they haven’t seen before, they (being Imagineers and suits) have forgotten how they got where they are. The success of Star Tours should have offered more of a clue.
But all that over with for the day, it was time to take in the rest of what lies inside the berm. As days at Disneyland go, this was a pretty nice one. Another blast from the past joined us in the presence of Michael Riley. A friend of many years and one with whom I shared many a Disney misadventure, it was a treat to have him along. He is living nearby and enjoys his mid-level Magic Key, as would I if things were different.
Lunch was enjoyed at the Tropical Hideaway in Adventureland. Enjoyed a few bao buns and other treats. And while there, we met another friend, who was off on a break from his role that day as a Jungle Cruise Skipper. Nice to finally meet someone who shares a few of the same interests. Our table was right next to Rosita, and she was in full form with all of the appropriate comments.
The afternoon was a mixed bag. We wander about taking in a few of the required moments. Got a prescription from Shrunken Ned as well as a visit with Fortune Red along the way. Paid homage to Splash Mountain but did not take the plunge. No wet feet this trip, thank you very much. ( And to note, my feet actually did very well on this visit. No blisters or other unpleasantness. Wearing comfortable, broken in shoes is the secret.)
We did venture back to Baatu for a visit to Oga’s Cantina and a few beverages. Being mid-afternoon, the wait was quick and it was a pleasant diversion. But the challenge ahead was to try our luck at Mickey’s Toontown and a ride on Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway. I say challenge, because we had tried to ride the attraction twice earlier in the day, only to find it unavailable. Hoping the third time would be the charm, the wait time when we started was 45 minutes, and the queue seemed to be moving quickly. There is plenty to look at along the way, with plenty of gags and callbacks to Mickey’s motion picture career, as guests wend there way from outside to in.
Unfortunately things came to a halt as we were getting close to boarding one of the attraction vehicles. Yes, the ride had yet again gone off line and it would be sometime before things resumed. Eventually, the clock ran out and we had to move on to other things. Another day… But I did get to check out the shop through which the attraction exits. Plenty of in jokes and gags for the model railroad crowd. Of which this is a favorite:
Michael had to catch his ride home and I grabbed a quick dinner at the Plaza Inn of the Southwestern Chicken Salad, while Kym was off exploring the other side of the Esplanade at DCA. We caught up and enjoyed a few more diversions including the Mango Dole Whip back at Tropical Hideaway. A nice place to relax out of the hustle of the rest of the Park.
Refreshed, we took in a few more things including a fun night cruise through the Jungle before calling it almost a day from open to close. I was using the camera on the iPhone 13 mini and got some good results, including this low light view of the dock awaiting the arrival of a bote.
All in all, not a bad day at the Park. Short as it was, it was a nice reminder of days gone by and things to come. Good times with good folks.
What more can you ask of a Day at Disneyland?
Still Lurking About
As Mark Twain may have remarked, rumors of my demise have been exaggerated. I am not lying in the ditch on the side of some rural byway, just diverted along the scenic route, so to speak or type.
A number of issues have kept me away from the keyboard, both technical and otherwise. Some of these have been remedied, thanks to upgrades of all kinds, so onward!
The calendar has crept forward and in doing so has provided opportunities to get out and about more often. Hopefully, I will be able to share more of observations from these more frequent expeditions into the great wide somewhere.
Contrary to the opinions of some, life does go on. Over the years, loyal readers of this space may have noted a lack of the political sphere on most of my scribbling. That will not be changing. If you are looking for the latest mud slung, this isn’t the place. What I will continue to share are things I hope you will find interesting, amusing or worth enjoying. That’s why I started all this online foolishness long ago and it is what keeps me typing away on this side of the screen, no matter how small it may get. Although I must admit a bit of wonder at why the cell phone has become the weapon of choice for the ingestion of infotainment.
So… sit back. Grab a glass or cup of what ever your beverage of choice may be. Make yourself comfy and take in what lies ahead.
And try not to take it all too seriously.
Day at Disneyland: In A Galaxy Far, Far Away
The big day had finally arrived. Wednesday, May 10, 2023.
It began as many do, waiting in line for the happiest parking structure in Orange County to open at 7:30 am. We were second in line, in our lane. Eventually, we were awarded a very up-front spot on the fifth floor in the new Pixar part of the garage. The security check and tram ride went quickly and we were inside Disneyland in less than 20 minutes. Medication was quickly checked in at First Aid and a large locker was procured. Quick thinking led to a good spot in front of the Frontierland gates. All seemed ready to proceed on target.
The Internet had spoken and we were heeding advice to enter Star Wars: Galaxies Edge via the center entrance from the Big Thunder Trail. And so were a whole lot of other guests. Shortly before 8 am, the voice of Bill Rogers welcomed us all to Disneyland and gave a brief introduction, including the admonishment to walk to the first destination of our day in the Park.
Now, that’s all fine and well. But the reality is that some folks go from a brisk walk to a trot to jogging and outright running. And as I am just returning to walking in good shoes after healing my foot, I am not going to keep up with them in any fashion. Our goal was to start the day with Disneyland’s most popular attraction, Rise of the Resistance. A nice idea, but one shared by everyone else on the move from the Hub. By the time we finally got in line for the attraction, we were facing at least an hour of waiting in line. Frankly, not what I had in mind by any means.
One of the advantages of the Disneyland app for the phone is that you can pivot based on the information it provides. And that’s just what we did. Having linked our tickets previously, I was able to purchase Lightning Lane for both of us for Rise of the Resistance with a return time of less than 2 hours later. Another bonus was learning that Smuggler’s Run had a standby time of less than 5 minutes. So guess what we did next?
To this point, my impression of Galaxy’s Edge wasn’t much. It had not made a connection to any memories from watching the films of the Star Wars franchise. Until we turned a corner and were greeted by the scene above.
The Millenium Falcon.
Not a model or a miniature. Full size. Right there in front of us.
Insert popular descriptive adjectives here.
It was at that moment that I fully bought into being at the Black Spire Outpost on Baatu. And just as the image shows, no one standing in front of it.
Damn.
A few quick images were captured and we were off through the queue of Smuggler’s Run. An introduction into what lay ahead and we were quickly off on our mission..
A few minutes later we find ourselves being assigned our roles aboard the Falcon. I’m the left pilot controlling up and down; K.D. is the right pilot controlling left and right. We barely had time to register what was about to happen when we were ushered to our cockpit seats. And away we went…
As J. Thaddeus Toad might describe it, indeed a “wild ride”. One in which our crew managed to get back with cargo intact and not a great deal of damage to the ship, getting the accolades and ranking of Pirate Crew.
Oh, and I was a pilot of the fastest hunk of junk. One that made the Kessel Run in less than 12 parsecs.
Breakfast?
K.D. captured her own set of images of the area as I headed off to start my daily refrigerated medication from the folks at First Aid. I can’t overstate how great this ability is. We agreed to meet at the Jolly Holiday Bakery where we each had the Bacon and Egg Croissant with coffee to get us going. It also came with a side of fruit.
Properly fed and still enjoying our Pirate ranking, we headed back to take a more leisurely arrival at the Black Spire outpost. It was great to be able to take in more of the detail as we made our way at a less hectic pace.
Here’s one of those details. An animatronic horse just up a trail off the beaten path back into the Outpost. Sharp-eyed Disney park fans may recall that an Indian village is just below along the shores of the Rivers of America in Frontierland. Sure, it’s only a horse, but it is the kind of detail that helps bring an otherwise empty space to life.
Speaking of details, the whole area of the Black Spire Outpost is chock full of them. Enough to keep the casual fan interested and enough to make the dedicated faithful swoon at what lies in store at first glance. This X-Wing fighter is going through a series of engine cycles as it rests here. It doesn’t need a lot of imagination to see it lifting off on a Resistance mission.
Our time came quickly and we walked right on to the Rise of the Resistance attraction. Again plenty of pre-show elements draw you right in. Before you know it, you are aboard a transport heading out from the Resistance base, only to have the ship commandeered by the First Order. No spoilers ahead but the attraction combines some great interactions with Cast Members and trackless ride technology. Yes, it’s a solid E-Ticket.
We took advantage of the layout of the area to explore a bit as we headed for our next adventure in Toontown with Mickey’s Runaway Railway. The three specific areas work well giving guests something to see and do in each. Be it shops or attractions, there is plenty going on. And we would return later on in the afternoon to take in more of the area with a visit to Oga’s Cantina.
You may recall that I shared some thoughts earlier in this space on entertainment. Galaxy’s Edge does both active and inactive entertainment quite well. Choose to participate with the cast here and you can play the role you want in the story. Plenty of interactions can be had, even if you don’t intend to. The guests I saw with both Stormtroopers and Kylo Ren were light-hearted moments, but they were the kind of magic that make memories that will last a lifetime. It was extremely well played all around.
After all of it, I was kind of jealous. Because it works, as far as it goes. There is plenty of room for more and we have seen some additions – namely Boba Fett and the Mandalorian (with baby Grogu). Here’s hoping for more to come.
If only other franchises had given fans and theme park guests more entertainment along this line. Well, yes, Universal has Harry Potter. Why couldn’t Paramount Parks have done this for Star Trek?
In the next chapter? Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway goes down for the count…