"Every Role a Starring Role - Radiator Springs Racers Electrician at Disneyland Resort"

As a huge fan of Radiator Springs Racers and the people behind all the magic at The Parks, this is definitely a video worth sharing. It takes so many people to make the magic happen, and they probably don't get nearly the credit that they deserve so any time a chance comes along, I want to throw some love their direction in any way that I can.

Enjoy!

Just Got Happier!

editor's note: During this past summer, Disney California Adventure Park reopened to the masses with an entirely new theme and fantastic showplaces in the new Buena Vista Street entrance and an entirely new Land based on the Disney*Pixar hit, 'Cars'. At the time, the Days staff was on a self-induced vacation, and didn't attend the Grand reOpening on June 15th, or so we thought. Amy snuck this little ditty by us and I discovered it just the other day while getting some ideas of my own in order. While it is a few months old at this month, it still seems completely apropos for many reasons. Truth be told, the magic and feeling in this article is something I STILL feel each and every time I walk into the new envisionment of my Park. Since its opening, when I've spent time at The Parks, most of it HAS in fact been at the new Disney California Adventure Park. Amy did an absolutely fantastic job of capturing the feel of being there for the very first time and how it made her feel, which is something that's as strong in ME now as it was the first time I went and stood in the middle of Route 66 in Cars Land in complete and total awe. Hopefully, it's a feeling I'll never lose, and I'd be willing to bet many of you feel the same way yourselves still. In spite of the crowds, if you ever get to enjoy one of these opening Days for yourself, we hope this article will convince you to do so. So without further ado... Enjoy!

The Disneyland Resort has been buzzing with summer excitement as Disney California Adventure Park relaunched itself with a new image with the addition of Cars Land and Buena Vista Street, and Disneyland Park reopened the Matterhorn Bobsleds with all new sleds for the first time in decades and all new expanded seating at one of Disneyland's most popular restaurants, Carnation Cafe.

June 15th was the big day, and as much as I said I wasn't going to go anywhere near The Resort that day, I just couldn't stay away. That Friday night I met my dad for dinner at the Fullerton Best Buy Truck Squad (best food trucks on the planet, I kid you not), and decided that I was just going to "swing by" to see what things looked like. I knew full well that it was going to be a chaotic mess, but I couldn't not go! So off I went...

...and it was awesome!

From the moment I walked through the turnstiles, I couldn't stop smiling. There was a huge, permanent grin across my face the entire time. As I made my way down Buena Vista Street, just taking everything in, I couldn't help but think about how beautiful every little detail was. I was there alone, so I didn't have anyone to process things with, and in an effort to "live in the moment" and enjoy my first time there, I didn't bring a camera (maybe for the first time in history!). I didn't even use my cell phone except to snap one photo of a friend that I saw performing on Buena Vista Street. The only thing I could do was wander and smile!

I eventually made my way from Buena Vista Street towards Route 66 and my timing could not have been more perfect. As I anticipated, the street was packed with a wall of people but I made my way through the masses and looked at everything as I made my way to the middle of Cars Land. It was in that magical moment (do we expect nothing less?) that 'Sha-boom' started playing throughout the street, and slowly, one by one, the neon signs turned on from one end of Route 66 to the other, just like in the movie! It was absolutely perfect; the glow of the neon warmed my heart that night. Have I mentioned yet that I could not stop smiling?

I've been in Disney California Adventure Park many times since then (and with cameras this time!), and it's just as magical now as it was then, but I'd be lying if I said there wasn't a little something extra about that first time; I think my Days in the Park cohorts would agree with me there (even though they were pansies and stayed away on Day 1). If you haven't had a chance to experience it for yourself, what are you waiting for? A whole new world is calling; the all-new Disney California Adventure Park is ready for you. Just be prepared to work those cheek muscles the entire time you're there!

"Almost" Wordless Wedensday - Thanksgiving Edition!

Well, it's that time of the week again! Time to bust out with some randomness and throw out a few of our favorite slices of the Disneyland Resort over the past week. As always, we like to present our pictures on the fly, which means we don't carry around a big DSLR or anything like that, we just point and click with our cells. This batch came out extremely well, we think, because Chad was rocking his new iPhone 4S! You be the judge, though!

By now you're probably either staring at the clock ready to be off of work, or on your way traveling somewhere, but we wanted to say a "Happy Thanksgiving" to all of you out there. We're truly thankful for those of you who have followed us over the last couple of years, and we look forward to many more with you. Now, go eat!

Flo's is pretty darn cool in the best of times, but add in some Christmas decor... Epic!!!

Up close and personal with a tow truck

"I can't talk now! I'm racin'!!!"

Ripping it up at the Mad T Party

Alice belting out "Just A Girl" at the Mad T Party

Jack Skellington hanging out and interacting with Guests above New Orleans Square

Lightning takes a leisurely Sunday drive through Radiator Springs

"Let me out!"

One of the REALLY good reasons we live in Southern California...

Now THAT'S a Christmas decoration!

Two Years Later... What Has Disney Done For Me?

Welcome to those of you joining me from 'Disney Babies Blog' and those of you just hopping aboard. I am the 3rd stop on our Magical Blogorail.

Looking back, it's hard to believe that two years have gone by around here... and that I've been a part of something as magical (no pun intended) as 'The Magical Blogorail' for almost all of that time. When Beth (from 'Pursuing the Magic') approached me with the opportunity to join up on the very first line we were running, making me one of the charter members in the process, I was just a baby-faced blogger who had barely been doing what I was doing for a month; maybe even less! But I jumped on board and now looking back it's something I can honestly say that I've taken a lot of pride in, despite my absence over the last few months (which I plan on writing more about next week so stay tuned!).

So this month we've been charged with writing about our favorite Disney moment over the past two years since we began this behemoth. I spent quite a bit of time thinking about the topic, and came up with a lot of different options. After all, I've gotten to do some pretty darn cool things since I became a blogger about The Happiest Place on Earth; Club 33, covering the D23 Expo for my blog and a few others, media events, celebrity sitings in The Park, yelling out 'Goonies Never Say Die!' at Sean Astin. Okay, that last one never really happened... but it could have because he walked right by me going into the Grand Californian. Unfortunately, I'm just not very quick on my feet like that.

Ultimately though, none of those things seemed quite right. Sappy perhaps, but these days when I think about Disneyland, I think about all of the friends I've made over these past two years and what they've come to mean to me. Nowadays, going to Disneyland without at least seeing some of them doesn't seem like a complete trip. When I go, I'm with them. I enjoy all the time I get to spend with them, and they've come to mean the world to me. So I guess if I had to pick my favorite Disney moment over the past two years, it would be the moment when my family started to grow, because make no mistake, that's what everyone in my post today has become to me; family.

In general I've never really been one to make friends very easily. To many I seem stand-offish, brooding, and probably grumpy. But in all honesty it's always been my insecurities that have done that. I've always been shy, introverted, and pensive; all of those wonderful traits that make people instantly take to you! I started blogging just figuring I could be "Anonymous Man" hiding behind my keyboard but I quickly found out the more I did, and the more I jumped into social media, the more people wanted to talk to me. That I could handle! Talking to folks through a PC screen I can do! But then suddenly people who lived around me who followed me (and I them) started talking about meeting up in The Park face to face. Perish the thought! One can't type with sweaty palms, and I think I probably shorted out three keyboards during the transition.

Why I did what I did next will always be a wonder to me, but I made a move (since Mark and I were already planning on attending Disneyland's 'Happiest Haunts' Halloween Tour) to invite Rosemary and Neil from Finding Mickey to come along on the night that we did. We had met them a while before after submitting a few Hidden Mickeys we had spotted around The Park, and I found them so friendly and receptive through email, we started a dialogue and I figured, "What the heck?". The day we finally met them for the first time came and went, and we've never looked back, but they would probably laugh at me to know how nervous I was to meet them that first time. I was a complete wreck waiting for them to show up, but show up they did, we had an absolutely awesome night, and have had many since. And to boot, our tour guide that night also holds a special place in my heart now, too! All because I took that first step and decided to be somebody different for once... the rest is indeed history.

The first new member of my family: Rosemary from Finding Mickey

Since then, my family has grown by leaps and bounds. I've met so many wonderful people in the process of doing all of this, and the most wonderful thing is, like I said before, I don't consider them friends anymore. These people are family to me. They're my brothers and sisters, my nieces and nephews, and I love them all just about as much as anyone else I do on the entire planet. We talk routinely, text all the time, when the good times are there we celebrate with each other, and when the bad times come, we pray for each other. Even though we may not all believe the same things exactly, I hope everyone else feels the same way (I'm sure they do), that we've all been truly blessed to become a part of each others' lives. Or, if I'm the only one who feels that way, well that's okay too. Except now they probably think I'm crazy and will avoid me like the bubonic plague.

And what astounds me more? My family criss-crosses this entire country now! I know people all over the place, and even have a plethora (do you know what a plethora is?) of friends from Walt Disney World that I honestly look forward to seeing on an annual basis, too. And yup, they mean the world to me, too! Talk about family? That's what the Blogorail is! I regularly talk to many of them online, and hope with all of my heart to meet all of them someday. And as many as are included here today, there are that many more people in my extended family who don't appear today simply because we haven't met yet, and I don't have pictures with them yet. But you know who you are, and if you don't, check with me and I'll be happy to clarify it for you!

These are just some of my favorite shots over the last couple of years. I honestly can't wait to see what the next year will bring, and I know (now that I've done this one) that it's something that I will gladly update year after year. This list is in no way all-inclusive, and there are tons of you out there in my family. We just need to get those pictures together!

Sarah (formerly of 'Magical Days with the Mouse') and I on the black carpet for the 'Pirates of the Carribean: On Stranger Tides' World Premiere

From left to right: Us, Jenn and Jason from Disney Day Trippers, Amy, Julie and Jason (our favorite Cast Member), Rosemary, and Ryan from Original D - and Tiki Maynard of course!

Neil from Finding Mickey, Amy and her sister Sara, Rosemary, Us, and Sarah

Hanging with Finding Mickey at the D23 Expo!

Family night on Paradise Pier! Rosemary and Neil from Finding Mickey, my "niece" Natalie and Amy, Michelle (riding 'Toy Story Midway Mania') with us, and my "nephews" Noah and Nate

The family goes cross country! Nicole Siscaretti from Sparkly Ever After, me, Rosemary (my, she's in a lot of these!), and Suzannah from Zannaland!

Ah, Club 33... Me, Alyssa from Rays of Disneyland, and Rosemary (see!)

Our friend Michelle, Rosemary (whom you should all know by now), me, and my "nephew" Nate on Radiator Springs Racers. We win!!!

Lauren and Ashley - definitely a part of my Disney family, even though I'm not in the picture, so they HAD to be included. Two of the sweetest young ladies that I know!

All in all, some of the best friends I've ever had have come out as a result of my blogging and joining the Blogorail... and that may just be the most magical thing Disney is capable of producing.

One of my favorite shots of Mark from the D23 Expo last summer. He loves those Muppets!

Thank you for joining me today. Your next stop on the Magical Blogorail Loop is 'Meet the Magic'.

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Here is the map of our Magical Blogorail should you happen to have to make a stop along the way and want to reboard:
1st Stop ~ The CanaDisney Blog
2nd Stop ~ Disney Babies Blog
3rd Stop ~ Days in the Park
4th Stop ~ Meet the Magic
Final Stop ~ Pursuing the Magic

Cars Land is Almost Here...

...and we have the commercial to prove it!


As a couple of Disneyland fiends who could not be more excited to see Cars Land finally land at Disney California Adventure Park, this did nothing to calm us down.

It's only 36 days away!  Where will you be when it hits?!

Leaving The Grid on Flying Tires - ParkCast #10

In this episode, we’re going back in time and revisiting some character information from a previous episode as Mark got to meet one of his “goofy” heroes.  We’re also bidding a fond farewell to some of our favorite Disneyland spots, and looking FORWARD to a few more.  And the debate over the Dole Whip and the Mint Julep rages on as we discuss that timeless question: “Can a beverage be an attraction”?  Lastly, Mark gets his day in the spotlight as we finally reveal one of his favorite, and a very personal, Mickey in our Hidden Mickey segment.  So pull up your chair and sit a spell; we’ll all be happy that you did!

You can listen to our show, the Days in the ParkCast, on our podcast website at http://www.daysintheparkcast.com, or in the iTunes store! 

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Originally recorded: 4/29/12
Final Edits and Release: 5/4/12
Hosted by: Chad Elliott & Mark Treiger

Contact us about the Days in the ParkCast!
-Email us at parkcast@daysinthepark.com
-or call us on Voicemail at 520-DAYS-CST (329-7278)

Review our show for us in iTunes!

D23 Expo 2011: The Carousel of Projects

*click on any of the smaller pictures for larger versions*
Well, we've officially moved into Sunday now!  We spent Saturday wandering the floors and and standing in our lines for the two panels we wanted to attend: the Walt Disney Studios Presentation and the Lion King 3D Presentation (both of which we've talked about).

We decided to slow things down just a bit on Sunday, but there were still two things we were dying to do.  The first on our list was to take a peek inside the Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Carousel of Projects.  Inside this room most of the current projects that Disney is working on for its Parks and Resorts were on display.  Among the highlights were:

• An look at the newest Disney Cruise Lines ship, the "Fantasy", which begins sailing in March, 2012
• An early look at all of the new attractions coming to the new Fantasyland in Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom
• A look at the construction projects taking place inside Disney California Adventure Park and the all new Buena Vista Street entrance
• A look at Cars Land, coming to Disney California Adventure Park in summer of 2012 and the all-new "E-ticket" attraction, Radiator Springs Racers
• Information on the Disney Vacation Club and its all new resort in Hawaii, Aulani
• An introduction and meet and greet with the one figure bound to pit Disney fan against Disney fan, the talking Mickey Mouse

And a few other things here or there, but those we by far the highlights for us in the room.  Many of the things we saw were discussed in the Parks and Resorts Panel on Friday afternoon in the D23 Expo main arena, but we weren't able to attend.  We were following all of the action on Twitter, though, and all negatives aside, we were glad to get an opportunity to just wander around the room and take it all in for ourselves, and get a more in-depth look into the things we're most excited to see coming to the California Parks.  Some of it was older news to be sure, but we got to physically see some things for ourselves that we never had before, and that made it totally worth the visit for us.

So, we're going to share our highlights from the room with you!  For those who weren't able to attend, we hope you enjoy the pictures of some of the really great stuff coming from Disney all over the world.  We'll be back tomorrow to wrap up our D23 Expo experience with our final room, so come on back for more pictures and keep strolling around with us.  Until then...!

The new "Storytellers" statue which will highlight Buena Vista Street in Disney California Adventure Park in 2012

A look at the new Pan-Pacific entrance and new Buena Vista Street upgrades at Disney California Adventure Park for 2012

Our friend Sarah from Magical Days With the Mouse made Chad do this

One of the actual cars that will be zipping around the Cars Land attraction Radiator Springs Racers in 2012

And the perfect end to our trip around the Carousel; a meet and greet with the one and only Talking Mickey Mouse