Happy Place Hodgepodge - Sept 7, 2014

No trip to Walt Disney's Magic Kingdom is complete without a "grand circle tour" on the Disneyland Railroad!

It's been a long time since I've taken the time to "sing like ze birdies sing!", but it was a lot of fun! The people around me, however, may not have thought so...

Time to rejoin the "One Million Club"!
PS. I didn't #GunMalfunctionObviously

Honestly, one of my favorite ways to enter Disneyland is via the Disneyland Monorail leaving from the Downtown Disney District - it's a piece of Disneyland history!

I'm not sure I WANT to have the bubbles scared out of me, and I KNOW the people around me don't!

These two are always a pleasure to listen to!

A Southern California sunset in The Hub with the Partners Statue and Sleeping Beauty Castle in the background = practically perfect in every way!

Just one stop of many on the "Grand Circle Tour" along the Disneyland Railroad; this one in New Orleans Square!

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Wordless Wednesday - Disneyland Halloween Time!

As balloon Mickey keeps a silent watch over Tomorrowland, he seems to cry out, "It's almost here!"

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Disney Legend Tony Baxter and a Tomorrowland Sneak Peak Added to Destination D: Attraction Rewind at Walt Disney World Resort November 22-23

GUESTS WILL ENJOY A BEHIND-THE-SCENES LOOK AT DISNEY’S UPCOMING FILM TOMORROWLAND, A DIVE INTO THE NEVER-BUILT DISCOVERY BAY EXPANSION AT DISNEYLAND, AND MUCH MORE DURING THE TWO-DAY MEMBER EVENT.

Exclusive event-themed merchandise and new panels are revealed.

D23: The Official Disney Fan Club has unveiled more of the experiences in store for members at what is sure to be the can’t-miss Disney event of the year—D23 Destination D: Attraction Rewind presented by H2O Plus. Taking place November 22 and 23 at Walt Disney World Resort, the event will bring Disney Legends, archivists, Imagineers, and luminaries together to celebrate fan-favorite attractions of years past, including Adventure Thru Inner Space, If You Had Wings, and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, with rarely seen concept art and images, vintage video clips, and hours of revealing stories. In addition, there will be a full day of presentations showcasing Disney’s contributions to the 1964–65 New York World’s Fair.

Tomorrowland supervising art director Ramsey Avery (Star Trek Into Darkness, Minority Report) will give members a behind-the-scenes sneak peek at the making of the upcoming release from Walt Disney Pictures. Avery will detail how the production team reconstructed elements of the World’s Fair for the upcoming film, which stars George Clooney. “I had a great experience working on Tomorrowland and recreating some of the very iconic environments from the 1964 World’s Fair, especially it’s a small world, and am excited to share some of that behind-the-scenes process with Disney fans,” says Avery.

During the panel “Rediscovering Discovery Bay,” Disney Legend Tony Baxter will take guests on an in-depth tour of the never-built themed expansion for Disneyland through rarely seen concept artwork and models that he worked on during his time at Walt Disney Imagineering. Discovery Bay, as an early press release stated, was intended to “bring to life a time and place that climaxed an age of discovery and expansion.”

Additional panels have just been announced.* More information may be found at D23.com/Events.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 22
· Disney Goes to the World’s Fair: Historian Bill Cotter looks at Disney’s massive influence on the 1964–65 New York World’s Fair.
· A World’s Fair of Disney Legends: Marty Sklar, Alice Davis, and Bob Gurr discuss their contributions to the Fair.
· Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln: Historian Michael Kelley and Disney Legend Bob Matheison take a behind-the-scenes look at the groundbreaking attraction. · Ford’s Magic Skyway: Bill Cotter and Disney Legends Bob Gurr and Bill Sullivan reveal some of the secrets behind one of the Fair’s most innovative attractions.
· Carousel of Progress: Disney Legend Marty Sklar and Imagineer Gary Landrum talk about the creation of this one-of-a-kind show.
- it’s a small world: Disney Legend Alice Davis discusses working on the beloved attraction with her husband Marc and artist Mary Blair.
· Lost on the Way to the World’s Fair: Walt Disney Archives Director Becky Cline reveals some of the proposed creations that didn’t make it to New York.
· A Sneak Peek at Disney’s Tomorrowland (see above).

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 23
· Widen Your World: Tony Baxter, Imagineer Jason Grandt, and Disney Legend Charlie Ridgway revisit popular attractions from the early years of Walt Disney World.
· Disneyland: Fond Memories of the Past: Becky Cline and historian Stacia Martin journey through some of Disneyland’s most beloved attractions of yesteryear.
· Retro Rewind References: Imagineers Wyatt Winter and Jason Grandt reveal some of the hidden references to past attractions in today’s theme park creations.
· Rediscovering Discovery Bay: (see above).
· An Evolution of Make Believe Made Real: Imagineers Dave Minichiello and Pam Rawlins detail the creation of the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and explore its roots, which began in 1937.
· That Was Entertainment!: Disney Legend Ron Logan lifts the curtain on some of the most fondly remembered events and entertainment from Disneyland and Walt Disney World.

Plus, Mickey’s of Glendale, the famed Walt Disney Imagineering store, is setting up a pop-up shop, which will open Friday, November 21 and run through the weekend, offering a selection of exclusive Imagineering merchandise as well as limited-edition pins, T-shirts, and collectibles themed to the event. Mickey’s of Glendale will also carry an exclusive collection of items themed to Pleasure Island, including pins, pin sets, T-shirts, and glassware.

In addition to more than a dozen panels and presentations, the weekend will include:
· A special weeklong exhibit designed by the Walt Disney Archives in honor of the event.
· Pleasure Island: Rewind presented by Twinings of London, a closing-night celebration themed around the former Downtown Disney nightlife district.

The weekend event will take place in the convention center at Disney’s Contemporary Resort. Tickets are currently available to all D23 Members, and D23 Gold and Silver Members receive special ticket pricing. All guests will receive a gift created just for the event.

More details about the program and tickets for D23 DESTINATION D: ATTRACTION REWIND presented by H2O Plus, as well as a special offer just for members of D23, can be found at D23.com/Events.

* Events, panel order, and talent are subject to change.

About D23
The name “D23” pays homage to the exciting journey that began in 1923 when Walt Disney opened his fledgling studio in Hollywood. D23 is the first official club for fans in Disney’s 90-plus-year history. D23 gives its members a greater connection to the entire world of Disney by placing them in the middle of the magic through its quarterly publication, Disney twenty-three; a rich website at D23.com with members-only content; member-exclusive discounts, and special events for D23 Members throughout the year.

Fans can join D23 at Gold, Silver, and Free Membership levels at D23.com and at DisneyStore.com/D23. To keep up with all the latest D23 news and events, follow DisneyD23 on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and YouTube.

About Tomorrowland 
From Disney comes two-time Oscar® winner Brad Bird’s Tomorrowland, a riveting mystery adventure starring Academy Award® winner George Clooney. Bound by a shared destiny, former boy-genius Frank (Clooney), jaded by disillusionment, and Casey (Britt Robertson), a bright, optimistic teen bursting with scientific curiosity, embark on a danger-filled mission to unearth the secrets of an enigmatic place somewhere in time and space known only as Tomorrowland. What they must do there changes the world—and them—forever. Featuring a screenplay by Lost writer and co-creator Damon Lindelof and Brad Bird, from a story by Lindelof, Bird, and Jeff Jensen, Tomorrowland promises to take audiences on a thrill ride of nonstop adventures through new dimensions that have only been dreamed of. The film also stars Hugh Laurie as brilliant scientist David Nix, Raffey Cassidy, Tim McGraw, Judy Greer, Kathryn Hahn, Keegan-Michael Key, and Thomas Robinson. Tomorrowland is produced by Damon Lindelof, Brad Bird, and Jeffrey Chernov and directed by Brad Bird, with John Walker, Brigham Taylor, Jeff Jensen, and Bernard Bellew serving as executive producers. Tomorrowland opens in U.S. theaters on May 22, 2015.

About H2O Plus, LLC 
H2O Plus, LLC is a leading developer, manufacturer, and marketer of prestige, marine-based skincare products for the face and body. Its parent company, Pola Orbis, is the fourth-leading beauty care company in Japan. Celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, H2O Plus continues to develop innovative products based on their heritage of water-based formulas powered by exclusive marine blends and state-of-the-art technology. H2O Plus has a large and expanding global presence in more than 9,000 points of distribution, worldwide. For more information on H2O Plus, please visit www.h2oplus.com

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*Information and pictures courtesy Disney and D23

The Walt Disney Studios Takes Fans Behind The Scenes at Disney's D23 Expo

THE WALT DISNEY STUDIOS TAKES FANS BEHIND THE SCENES

AT DISNEY’S D23 EXPO, AUGUST 9–11

BURBANK, Calif. – July 29, 2013 – Exclusively at Disney’s D23 Expo August 9–11 at the Anaheim Convention Center, Disney fans are invited to explore the incredible roster of film, stage, and music projects on the horizon at The Walt Disney Studios, with a variety of panel discussions, sneak peeks, and exhibits.

Mark Meets Boba Fett! - Nerd "D"

For those who may not know it about, me I'm a huge Nerd (yes, capital "N").  I love me some "Star Wars", "Indiana Jones", "TRON", and the list just goes on and on.  So when I was trying to think of a new segment to take on, I asked myself what would be a great way to put my nerdiness into the site; then it hit me!  Why not share things around the Disneyland Resort that would grab the attention of any Nerd?  From attractions to merchandise, my plan is to share with you what we Nerds are all about at Disneyland.  So without further ado, I present to you the first of hopefully many segments I like to call 'Nerd "D"' (see what I did there?!).

It was really hard for me to choose what was going to be the first thing I mentioned as a Nerd; there have been so many things to choose from recently, and then it hit me like a thermal detonator.  What could be better than meeting the most notorious bounty hunter of all time at the Happiest Place on Earth?  I present to you, Boba Fett!

Summary: For those who don't know who Boba Fett is, I'm going have to educate you.  Boba Fett, bounty hunter extraordinaire, made his film debut in Episode V of the Star Wars saga, "The Empire Strikes Back". Although Chad is quick to point out he first appeared in the notorious, "The Star Wars Holiday Special", but we've pretty much never agreed to mention that outside of the context of "education".  He was hired by the (evil Galactic) Empire to hunt down the Millennium Falcon in an extremely wily plot by Darth Vader to ensnare Luke Skywalker.  He sports Mandalorian armor, a jet pack, blaster, and is a man of very few words.  Then again, who needs words when you're sporting Mandalorian armor, a jet pack, and a blaster? The best part about him is that he always gets his target; it doesn't matter who the target is as long as he gets paid.  Good or bad, if you hear that Boba has been called in it's probably already too late for you...

Where in the Park can you find Mr. Fett?: Why, Tomorrowland of course.  There doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to his outings (he just randomly appears from time to time), so keep your eyes peeled whenever you're in the area, but he can be found wandering outside of Star Tours: The Adventures Continue, probably still looking for rival Han Solo.  And if you ride Star Tours, and happen to arrive at Geonosis as one of your destinations, you might just get a glimpse of Boba chasing you around the Death Star in his Slave I model ship.

Interaction: When I first saw Boba Fett, I was like a kid at Disneyland!  Oh wait... moving on!  I ran to the line that had just formed, got my camera ready and smiled for the camera.  Boba, like most characters, doesn't say a word.  Why?  Once again, because he doesn't need to.  Just the sight of him gave me the willies.  I mean, the greatest bounty hunter in the galaxy is posing for a picture with me; isn't that good enough?  Of interesting note was that there was no Cast Member in sight manning the line!  But if you see him strolling around, or posing, jump in as quick as you can.  You never know when he'll be called off on a mission mid-photo!

Boba Fett and Kids: For the parents, we all know that some characters frighten kids.  I've seen my share of scared kids running from Mickey, and he's just a harmless mouse who carries neither Mandalorian armor, blaster, or jetpack.  One thing to consider is to make sure that your child is comfortable with characters; heck, we know some teenagers who have "character phobias".  If you have passed that stage with your child then the next time you see Boba Fett walking around grab a picture!  He's really great with kids because, after all, he was once a kid himself.

So there you have it, the first of what I hope to be many Nerd D segments.  What did you think?  If you have any questions or comments I'm more than happy to answer them in the comments below.  Until next time, let your inner-Nerd shine through!

The Scary and the Tasty - Almost Wordless Wednesday

We've spent the last couple of weekends roaming Disneyland Park enjoying all of the new sights and sounds that go along with the Halloween Time season at The Resort.  With our trusty pocket cameras in tow (also known as cell phones) we've been snapping off random shots of just about everything that struck our fancy; so, of course, they're now making their way here!

You'll find some pictures here from the newly installed, "one of our favorites" Haunted Mansion Holiday and Space Mountain Ghost Galaxy, and we spent some time this past weekend hanging out in the Village Haus restaurant and you'll find some of that here as well.

One of the things we most enjoy doing on other blogs is simply taking in all of the pictures and random shots people nab from all over the Disney Parks, and that's exactly what we try to recreate here: the random wonder of a day in The Park.  We hope we're successful and that you enjoy!

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Welcome to the Level 7 Club! - Almost Wordless Wednesday

It's something we've been seeking to attain (among all three of us) for quite some time now.  Amy was the first to accomplish the miraculous feat before we even met her - but we're going to count it anyways.  Mark was the second on a chilly winter evening some months ago, leaving only Chad waiting for his moment to seize power and glory (insert insane laughter here).  But it's finally happened!  After literally years of watching scores slowly creep up, all three of our writers have finally attained the pinnacle and crossed the 1,000,000 point threshold and attained Level 7, "Galactic Hero" status, on Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters.  Take that Zurg.  Next stop, 1.5 million!

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Pathing Around The Park: Tomorrowland to New Orleans Square

It's that time! Time to start "pathing" our way around The Park again. When we last were strolling, we had just finished winding our way from Fantasyland to Tomorrowland by one of our favorite routes.  It's another month, and time for another one of our favorite paths; this time we'll be picking up from where we left off at the entrance to Tomorrowland and carrying on to the next stop on our usual route, New Orleans Square.

Few of our trips into Tomorrowland are complete without stops at the following attractions.  They are "must-dos" in our book and most Days In The Park will find us riding almost all of these, especially now that we've become halfway decent at Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters.  Mr. Lightyear has an amazing attraction named after him in which you sit in your very own XP-40 Star Cruiser, armed with nothing more than a badly-sighted laser gun, charged with tackling and taking down the Evil Emperor Zurg (sworn enemy of the galactic alliance) and all of his Double-A battery-stealing minions.  It's an awesome ride, and a great way to get out of the heat on hot summer days, and an even greater way to show your kids just who's the boss around here.  You point your laser gun and shoot; simple, right?  But totally awesome!  Who has the highest score in your family?

Now that Star Tours is once again open, all is right inside Tomorrowland.  "Star Wars" fanboys and fangirls, unite!  It's worth a trip into this Land if for no other reason than to give this new, updated attraction a spin.  Almost everyone is familiar with the older Star Tours attraction, so the premise is much the same.  But add in a new 3D-HD version, a new pilot, and up to 54 different ride possibilities made up of 11 different attraction elements (planets and characters), and it's a party in your Star Speeder!  But be warned, this one is known to cause some motion sickness.  If you're able to handle turbulence well, though, you can't afford to miss it.  We never do!

And what trip into Tomorrowland would be complete without a stop at arguably the galaxy's greatest store?  Welcome to the Star Trader, your one-stop place to shop for all of your "Star Wars" paraphernalia.  You can find everything from caps, t-shirts, plush all the way up to creating your own light-sabers.  A perfect place to stop and shop for souvenirs for the kiddies, or maybe that adult in your group who just refuses to grow up like Mark does with us.  And who could resist a life-size replica of an X-Wing Fighter?  Not us, say we!

And we've only just scratched this surface of this particular Land O'Plenty.  There is tons to do inside Tomorrowland, and we enjoy almost every bit of it.  Looking for a bit of Michael and some 80s cheese (oh, it's so gouda)?  Then check out the Captain EO Tribute.  Looking to blast through the galaxy and see the stars?  Hop on board Space Mountain, always a popular ride with everyone.  Hungry?  Head on over to Red Rockett's Pizza Port for, you guessed it, pizza or pasta.  Innoventions is always a great place to beat the heat with tons to see including the House of Tomorrow (today!) and Asimo the scary robot.  Not had quite enough "Star Wars" yet?  Check out the Tomorrowland Terrace and catch the Jedi Academy show, where your kids can be the stars and get actual Jedi lessons from actual Jedi and then fight an actual Darth Vader.  How cool is that?!  Not quite out of breath yet?  Take a ride and see if they ever find Nemo on the Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage, or teach your kids the meaning of the phrase "burn rubber" and "eat my dust" on the fastest racing attraction in Tomorrowland, Autopia.

click on any of the photos for larger versions

Right about now we've sampled all of the best wares that Tomorrowland has to offer and we're ready to move on to our next adventure.  Where some people might think that Fantasyland might be the next logical stop (since we missed so much there before), we say nay!  Our next favorite place to unload ourselves is in actuality New Orleans Square.  And our favorite way to get there?  By hopping on board the Disneyland Railroad at the Tomorrowland Station, of course!

It may be totally old school, and we may in fact be able to walk faster than the train can carry us, but we absolutely love to ride the Railroad and we do so every chance we get.  Not only is it a great way to get around The Park and rest those weary feet of yours should you need to, but there's a show included.  We love "two-fer"s!  If you're riding the rails between Tomorrowland and Main Street, USA (the stop before New Orleans Square) you get a sneak peek at the Grand Canyon, Disneyland-style!  But wait, there's more!  You also get a sneak peek at the Grand Canyon, Jurassic-style with Primeval World.  Any time we're with the kids, they love hopping the train and seeing this particular part of The Park which, astoundingly enough, many people don't know about.  A ride and a show at the same time?  Can't be beat!

Next stop, the Main Street, USA station, but we're just going to sit tight and move right on through.  Still, while you're here, take a few minutes while you're waiting for the new passengers to load (and the old to unload) to stare down Main Street and just soak it all in.  It's one of our favorite vantage points inside The Park to just sit and people-watch, and you never know who (or what characters) you might see roaming around.

Next and last stop, New Orleans Square!  And that's where we quit pathing for this trip.  Next time, we'll roam around a bit and explore some of our favorite "haunts" (get it?) inside the Square, and who knows where we'll wind up next?  Well, we do, but you'll have to come back to find out.

Got a path of your own that you like to take from Tomorrowland?  Let us know because we'd love to discuss it with you.  And let us know if you enjoyed our little path.  That's the beauty of The Parks; so many different things to see and experience, and so many different ways to do it.

Until next time, keep pathing!

"Almost" Wordless Wednesday: Naps In Space!

As we do on a regular basis on Wednesday, we're blog hopping with Focused on the Magic and The InfoMouse today.  Be sure and check it out for even more great Disney blogs and pictures!

Our "napping" themes over the past couple of weeks have proven to be some of the most popular pieces we've ever written.  We've enjoyed doing them, and obviously people have enjoyed reading them, so we're going to keep it going.  Looking back now, we've taken a lot of napping photos, so there's lot to draw from, but what's more popular than a good ride photo?  And this could well be the one that started it all!

We took this one a few years ago when we were on a trip with our church's youth group on Space Mountain in Tomorrowland.  Chad is the second row and Mark in the back.  It was our last ride after a very long day, so I guess we figured it was as good a place as any to doze off.

Enjoy!

"Almost" Wordless Wednesday: ¡May Rewind!

We've been kicking this idea around for a while and figured today would be the perfect time to implement!  We were gone (Vegas, baby!) last week and had our Star Tours articles we were right in the middle of doing, so we couldn't do it then, but we thought it might be good to use the first Wednesday of every month, since we're doing pictures anyways, for a picture "rewind" of sorts.  We take a lot of pictures during the month, and we tend to go week by week with what we post, so many of them never see the light of day and feel quite left out.  This is their chance to shine!  Hope you enjoy them!

You can never have too much Vader

The King and his deliciousness are back!

The audio-animatronic wildlife at The Park is astounding. It's so life-like!

He's late because his clock never moves. We've noticed it's always at 12:15!

Pleasure Island, a.k.a. the Village Haus Restaurant

We love our pyro!

Pictures from Innoventions. The crowd was bustling!

StarSpeeder 1000

We love our THX 1138 references!