1st trip to DL, 1st Anniversary, 1st time on the coast...COMPLETED!!

[6Smiles]

Just got caught up. Sorry about your contact ripping that is a pain... but the suprises wow. I too need/want to know about the cake...that is so neat.

 

[coconutsunshine]

Great update

I'm so glad you enjoyed your anniversary dinner. I love your outfit, when I seen the first picture I thought, "WOW love the outfit, it reminds me of my gift opening party outfit" and then later on you explained it was your wedding rehearsal outfit. Ah ha my extincts were right it was a wedding outfit

Anyhoo, I give you props for going to fancy restaurants, I would take one look at the prices and near faint!! I tend to view money in all terms disney, meaning 2 of your appetizers is a one night stay at a value resort, a big bag of chips at walmart is equivalent to an ice cream cookie sandwich at the main street bakery!! I'm so silly... please don't think I'm cheap I still buy all these things, i just go "wow do you know we are eating the equivalent of a night's stay at Pop!!"OH my goodness now that I have written this out, I realize how crazy I am, I really should erase all this, but I might as well let everyone know I'm a crazie!! Back to your dinner, my DH leaves a mess everywhere he eats -- your DH is not alone!!

I love the disney channels too, its an important part of any disney stay, it just completes the whole experience and until you turn on that tv and listen to the countdown the trip doesn't feel right. The first thing we do when we check in is flip on that tv

Can't wait for more!!

 

[BecBennett]

I had a similar problem with contacts on my holiday, unfortunately not only did I forget a 2nd set of contacts, I forgot my glasses too...

Great Trip Report, can't wait to hear more!

 

[kmab00]

Great Update! Your cake looks yummy!!!!! Your rehearsal outfit was very cute!

Thank you so much! The cake was super yummy!!

Karen I totally feel you on the friendliness(sp?) of the people at Disneyland I totally noticed the difference in just one day at Disneyland compared to WDW, it made me kind of sad and not want to go back to Disneyland. Your dinner at Napa Rose looked yummy. I think I like the Disneyland fireworks better than *gasp* Wishes(and DH and I got engaged during Wishes) I just absolutely LOVE Julie Andrews.

Yeah I felt the same way, except I still kinda want to go back! lol! There is a noticeable difference, though! I love Julie Andrews, too! There's just so much more to the Disneyland fireworks over Wishes! Thanks so much!!

Great report so far..I've never seen the Princess Fairytale Bedtime Story. So cute that your husband fell asleep to it. I bet he doesn't know that you took that picture of him..ha ha.

That's weird no one offered to take your pic..especially when it's your first time to DL you want all the pic's you can get.

Can't wait to read your next installment!!

Yeah he knows I took the picture! lol! He woke up after the flash went off! Thank you so much!!

Your dinner looks yummy! I love your outfit and your glasses are cute too! How sweet of you to order that cake as a little surprise! That was super adorable too! When you said you ordered a cake I didn't think it would be that big since everything else was in pretty small portions. Yea, I just saw a picture of the disneyland castle and I noticed it was pretty small too and df proclaimed that he liked Cinderella's castle better when we saw the pic. It made me giggle. I love him! You guy are such a cute couple!!! That was cool that you got to see the fireworks from your hotel. That would be amazing! You made me wish that I hadn't bought a dress for my rehearsal dinner. Lol. To late now. Its alright though because its super cute! And if I decide I don't want to wear it...I can always wear the outfit that I bought for the shower. Can't wait for the next update!

Thank you!! I ordered the 10" cake because I wanted us to be able to eat on it all week! Aww I'm sure your dress for your rehearsal dinner is going to be cute!! I can't wait to hear all about your wedding stuff!! Thanks again!

I have just spent a chilly rainy afternoon here in Sydney reading all your trip reports, back to back.

I've had a great day, thankyou

Aww yay thanks!! I'm glad that I helped the time passed by on a rainy day!

AWESOME UPDATE GIRL! Love the whole Napa Rose story, but YIKES I have to agree w/you--$36 for THAT? CRAZY!

...and yes, that's why we all love the FREE DDP in September!

Keep the great updates coming. You are doing wonderful!

Free DDP ... sounds fabulous! Unfortunately, we don't get to go to DW during that time...but I've never done DW without the dining plan! Thank you!!

Great update! And I agree on the price of the appetizer waaaaaay too much for what you got!

The cake was really cute, I've been wanting to go to WDW during some kind of celebration (birthday/anniversary - whatever!) just so I can have an excuse to order a cake!

I think you look adorable in your glasses! And that's too funny that DH fell asleep watching the princess bedtime stories!

I had heard so much about Disney cakes that I just HAD to taste one!!! Thank you so much!!

Great update Karen!

That cake was adorable! Do you mind me asking where you ordered it from? Can you also do that at the WDW restaurants? TIA!

I don't mind one bit! I ordered the cake through Vacation Planning Services. You can find their number on the disneyland website. They were super helpful with everything!!! Yes you can have cakes at WDW restaurants but I'm not exactly sure how to go about ordering those! I know that there is a HUGE thread on the DW boards about cakes....do a search and I'm sure you'll find it! It's complete with prices, sizes, images, etc!!

Wonderful update! Your appetizer looked SO yummy, but I saw the prices and yikes!!! I know how you and Jason felt, with the country came to town thing! DH and I got into the Foundation Room (private club with restaurant) at the top floor of Mandalay Bay in Vegas. It was SO fancy - even the water tasted better! But we were sort of uncomfortable. Now if we are somewhere really nice, we are sure to just enjoy it and not worry if we are doing everything "right"!

Your glasses are great and so is your rehearsal outfit. I don't think I can fit into my rehearsal outfit anymore! But I'm working on it!

The Princess Bedtime Stories show seems so cute! I wish they had that at WDW. They really should consider it - I mean how hard would it be to add another resort channel?

Even the water tasted better...that's great! lol!! I love it! Thank you so much!! I know they need two Disney resort channels at DW!! That would be fabulous!!!! Thanks so much!

Hi Karen, I thought it was so cute you said you saved one of your treats from mousekeeping until you got home, it is so true, we do need to keep some of that Disney magic around each day. I stopped by Marceline's before I left in March and got some fudge and Mickey gingerbreads and they stayed so fresh so now I will be buying more in Dec. so I can freeze them. Yum, Yum.We all need a little Disney every day.

Your dinner at Napa Rose looks amazing, oh my goodness, you may have just inspired me to try that in Dec. It sure looks great and your cake looks so cute and sounds like it was yummy. Way to go!!!

I agree about the people in DL, I had asked a few people to take a picture for me because I was by myself the one day, and they just looked at me, it seemed like they didn't want to, but have never had that issue in WDW, who knows.

Keep up the great trippie, can't wait to read and see more, up next the parks, yeah!!!

Oooh the gingerbreads sound great! Napa Rose was definitely a good choice!! I loved it! LOL...sorry about the people not so willing to take photos for you but I'm glad to know that we weren't the only ones!!! Thank you!!!

Great update Karen
Napa Rose looked beautiful, I can't wait to go. It does seem pricey, but I know Greg he will DEF. want to try it anyway..we like " fancy " dinners..not like we do it alot, but we do enjoy it.
You two looked so cute on your night out..and I loved the firework pics too.
( To reply to an earlier statement you made..i will absolutely be doing a big ole so cal/DL trip report for our October trip..complete with GC room pics just for you hahah..I will probably start a pretrippie about a month or 2 before.
Can't wait to hear about/see your first day at the parks!!!

NApa Rose was great!! It was fun because we don't do it alot, either! YAY for a trip report! I can't wait to see pictures of thsoe rooms!!!! Thank you!

Napa Rose looks so pretty, but I think I would be like you...country people visting the city!

Too funny that Jason fell asleep to the Princess bedtime stories!

Great installment! Can't wait to read more!

Haha...yeah we felt a tad bit out of place there! Thank you!!

Awesome update, Karen! That's so super strange about the picture taking thing! Usually we offer to people, especially if we see them waiting to ask someone, or there's just two of them or a solo! We always go just the 2 of us, and it makes me smile so much when people offer, so of course we want to do the same back!

Can't wait to read the rest! You're making work go by faster reading your TRs!

I agree...it's kind of sad that people weren't more willing to take pictures! Crazy stuff!!! Aww yay for making work go by faster!! lol!

 

[kmab00]

Your glasses look great! I really liked your outfit as well. The cake was sooo cute. Where did you order it? Can you only get it at Napa Rose?
We always offer to take pictures of people. Sorry to hear that you had such "weird" people. Your hubby falling asleep to the bedtime story, .

Thank you so much!! The cake came from Vacation Planning...it was ordered to arrive at Napa Rose during our PS time! No you can get cakes at any Disneyland Table Service restaurant or at your hotel! Thanks again!!

What a great update. Wow, I didn't realize Napa Rose was quite that expensive, but it looked yummy & beautiful. Hmmmmmmm, I will have to be thinking about that. the cake. How cute!!!!!!!!

Ready to have some fun in the parks.!!!!!

Napa Rose WAS yummy and beautiful!! Very romantic atmosphere!!

I am also interested in where you ordered the cake, can you do that at any of the DL hotels if you have dining reservations?? Wasn't sure. Thank you ahead of time.

Yes you can do the cakes at the disneyland hotels, also! OR at any Table Service Restaurant!! It's very easy....I just found the Vacation Planning number from the disneyland website and went from there!!

Me and my husband are the same way in fancy places. I'm more uptight and he's more....like...."I don't care if people are watching if I do....this" kind of country boy. So I keep him home

Can't wait for more

LOL! That's cute about your husband!! Thank you for reading along!!

Boy, I had just a little catching up to do!! It looks like you had just the greatest anniversary trip!!! The room looks great, the roses on the bed & Mickey treats!!! I agree that the Gran looks like the Wilderness Lodge. The anniversary cake was so cute! How did you enjoy the fireworks? Are they the same as Wishes?

The fireworks were great but no, it was a different show from Wishes! These were called "Remember: Dreams Come True" and they were narrarated by Julie Andrews!! Look a video up on You Tube....they are awesome!

Just got caught up. Sorry about your contact ripping that is a pain... but the suprises wow. I too need/want to know about the cake...that is so neat.

Thank you so much! The cake was a great surprise for Jason! It was yummy for me too! lol! It came from Vacation Planning and can be ordered for your disney hotel or any table service restaurant.

Great update

I'm so glad you enjoyed your anniversary dinner. I love your outfit, when I seen the first picture I thought, "WOW love the outfit, it reminds me of my gift opening party outfit" and then later on you explained it was your wedding rehearsal outfit. Ah ha my extincts were right it was a wedding outfit

Anyhoo, I give you props for going to fancy restaurants, I would take one look at the prices and near faint!! I tend to view money in all terms disney, meaning 2 of your appetizers is a one night stay at a value resort, a big bag of chips at walmart is equivalent to an ice cream cookie sandwich at the main street bakery!! I'm so silly... please don't think I'm cheap I still buy all these things, i just go "wow do you know we are eating the equivalent of a night's stay at Pop!!"OH my goodness now that I have written this out, I realize how crazy I am, I really should erase all this, but I might as well let everyone know I'm a crazie!! Back to your dinner, my DH leaves a mess everywhere he eats -- your DH is not alone!!

I love the disney channels too, its an important part of any disney stay, it just completes the whole experience and until you turn on that tv and listen to the countdown the trip doesn't feel right. The first thing we do when we check in is flip on that tv

Can't wait for more!!

I agree completely.......$150 bucks is worth a nights stay in a hotel!! lol! I am with you 100% on that one!! You're not crazy, I promise!! The channels ARE important! It's not a Disney stay without a Disney resort channel!!!

I had a similar problem with contacts on my holiday, unfortunately not only did I forget a 2nd set of contacts, I forgot my glasses too...

Great Trip Report, can't wait to hear more!

Oh no!! That's terrible! I would have been lost without my glasses! I'm so blind!! lol! Thank you!

More is on the way!!

 

[kmab00]

Tuesday, December 8, 2008 - First day at the parks!!

Tuesday morning arrived and we woke bright and early in order to be at the gates as soon as they opened! It was a Magic Morning (early entry) that day and we wanted to have as much time in the park as possible!

We approached the gate to a surprising small crowd. I wasn't sure how the crowd levels would be this week, but we were off to a good start!

DH waiting in line for the gates to open!

The Train Station! PLEASE don't get mad at me but at first glimpse, I was surprised at the small size of the train station! Compared to Disney World, the size of this one was incredibly small! I realized that I needed to stop comparing things though because it is a totally separate park!

We stopped for a photo pass picture and the photographer asked if I wanted him to take a picture of us with our camera.

Then he told me that he loved my camera and wanted to know if I'd trade with him!! OF COURSE I'd LOVE to trade....that would be a huge upgrade for me!!! lol!

I liked Mickey Mouse behind us complete with fairy dust Tinkerbell! It was really neat!

Gotta have a picture of this!!

Our first stop in the park WAS going to be Nemo but after seeing the HUMONGOUS line, we decided to skip it for now and move on to the Matterhorn!!!

Seriously, I was loving this park! I felt like there was a totally different spirit in the air from Disney World! Maybe it's because THIS was "Walt's Original" and he had walked these streets...I'm not sure but I know that there was something in the air!!

DH and I shared a seat and that was a mistake! haha!! I slid around the entire ride and by the end, I don't even think that my butt was touching the seat! lol!

After finishing with the Matterhorn, we made our way over to Tomorrowland for some Buzz Lightyear!

At the end of this ride, you could e-mail your on-ride photo to your family and friends!

LOVE IT! We are concentrating so hard! DH beat me this time, but that's before I learned my strategy!! Revenge was in order...but we'd save that for another time!

......................................CONT.....................................

 

[kmab00]

.............................CONT...................................

We rode Star Tours, also! Even though they have this attraction in Disney World at MGM, I wanted to see what it was like here!

I also wanted to see the "webbed feet" secret that I had read so much about!!

Next we decided to take a walk down Main Street to see the castle. I have to admit...I forgot to warn DH about what I heard of the size of the castle compared to DW and when he saw it, his response was, "Wow...that's IT!?!?" I thought it was charming, though...and as Jaclyn put it, "Sleeping Beauty's Condo". For the rest of the week, DH kept saying, "Sleeping Beauty got the shaft!" Haha!

We then made our way over to Adventureland for Indiana Jones!!!

The Temple!

DH is scared because he stepped on the diamonds in line!! Haha!

The inside of the temple!

Up next: More Magic Mornings at the Disneyland Park!!

 

[JaxJags08]

Wow - great pictures! I honestly didn't know what rides were at DL! I have never researched it because I never thought we would go. We are so close to WDW and DH isn't a huge fan, so I don't think I could talk him into a trip across the country for it! Star Tours, Buzz, Indiana Jones, and Nemo all in the same place?! It seems so weird to me!

It does seem like everything is a bit smaller - the castle, train station - but in a good way! I totally see how you would feel the magic since it was the ORIGINAL park where Walt walked the streets! That is SO cool!

Can't wait to see more!

 

[kmab00]

Wow - great pictures! I honestly didn't know what rides were at DL! I have never researched it because I never thought we would go. We are so close to WDW and DH isn't a huge fan, so I don't think I could talk him into a trip across the country for it! Star Tours, Buzz, Indiana Jones, and Nemo all in the same place?! It seems so weird to me!

It does seem like everything is a bit smaller - the castle, train station - but in a good way! I totally see how you would feel the magic since it was the ORIGINAL park where Walt walked the streets! That is SO cool!

Can't wait to see more!

I was excited about all of it, too! I love how the rides are similar with a few changes! It's neat! The Nemo ride is actually the old 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea ride that they've themed to Nemo. You remember that ride at Disney World? It's been closed for years.

Indiana Jones is actually a ride at Disneyland, not an attraction like at MGM. It's kind of like Dinosaur in Animal Kingdom...same ride idea except you're on an Indiana Jones adventure instead! Star Tours and Buzz are relatively the same!

Thanks for following along!!

 

[Disneygrl36]

Great update. I can't wait to feel that special feeling myself.....being in the park that Walt was so involved with.

What is the "webbed feet" secret?

Love the Buzz picture...you guys were really concentrating. Was it cool to be able to move the gun around instead of it being attached to the car?

 

[PrincessAlways]

I also wanted to see the "webbed feet" secret that I had read so much about!!

What's that about???

Next we decided to take a walk down Main Street to see the castle. I have to admit...I forgot to warn DH about what I heard of the size of the castle compared to DW and when he saw it, his response was, "Wow...that's IT!?!?" I thought it was charming, though...and as Jaclyn put it, "Sleeping Beauty's Condo". For the rest of the week, DH kept saying, "Sleeping Beauty got the shaft!" Haha!

Now that's funny!!! It does look quite a bit smaller!

 

[jnjusoioa]

Awesome update!!!! Sounds like you were both of to a great start for your first day at the park. I am sure you rode Nemo, when I went on in March, they said it would be like 2 hours, but I was through the line and off the ride in an hour, it moves pretty quick.

The Matterhorn is crazy, I rode that in June last year and when I was there in March, I didn't ride it again, it was wicked, but I am sure at some point I will ride it again.

Thank you for the info about the cake, that is great to know.

Can't wait to read more about your first full day in the park, DL is so amazing.

 

[JaxJags08]

I was excited about all of it, too! I love how the rides are similar with a few changes! It's neat! The Nemo ride is actually the old 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea ride that they've themed to Nemo. You remember that ride at Disney World? It's been closed for years.

Indiana Jones is actually a ride at Disneyland, not an attraction like at MGM. It's kind of like Dinosaur in Animal Kingdom...same ride idea except you're on an Indiana Jones adventure instead! Star Tours and Buzz are relatively the same!

Thanks for following along!!

I have vague memories of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea from my childhood - seeing it, the line for it, etc. Though none of what the ride was actually like!

Can you believe I have never been to AK?! That is about to change though - we are going sometime in the fall! I can't wait! EE, here I come!

 

[MA pigletfan]

Great update!!! I can't wait to feel the charm for myself!
Did you find that you stopped comparing it to WDW? I have a feeling its going to be hard to turn that " WDW has it this way..." switch off. BUT i am sure I will love it just the same!

 

[nibblesandbits]

Great update!!! I can't wait to feel the charm for myself!
Did you find that you stopped comparing it to WDW? I have a feeling its going to be hard to turn that " WDW has it this way..." switch off. BUT i am sure I will love it just the same

That's what I'm kinda worried about too. Since I'm going for the first time in Sept. I'm worried that I'm constantly going to be comparing it to DL. I know to think of them as two seperate parks...but is that really a difficult thing to do when you're riding a ride that is both in DL and WDW?

 

[kitsch]

Next we decided to take a walk down Main Street to see the castle. I have to admit...I forgot to warn DH about what I heard of the size of the castle compared to DW and when he saw it, his response was, "Wow...that's IT!?!?" I thought it was charming, though...and as Jaclyn put it, "Sleeping Beauty's Condo". For the rest of the week, DH kept saying, "Sleeping Beauty got the shaft!" Haha!

Well, I wouldn't feel too sorry for Sleeping Beauty. I just got back from my first trip to Paris Disneyland where she also has a castle there and I gotta say, it's the most beautiful of all the castles--this coming from someone who's been to all 5 Disney parks around the world. She even has a dungeon with a life size fire breathing dragon!!!

 

[Danauk]

Loving the trip report. I also love the 'Sleeping Beauty got the shaft' quote!! On the up side, she hit it big style in Disneyland Paris, her castle there is stunning (you can go up inside it and there is a dragon guarding the basement!) Can't wait to hear more.

 

[kmab00]

Great update. I can't wait to feel that special feeling myself.....being in the park that Walt was so involved with.

What is the "webbed feet" secret?

Love the Buzz picture...you guys were really concentrating. Was it cool to be able to move the gun around instead of it being attached to the car?

Thanks! Yes it is a GREAT feeling!!!

Webbed feet secret: (This was taken from one of the Disneyland Secrets threads that I found)

-The two droids in the second room of the queue for Star Tours used to be geese in the America Sings attraction (take a look at G2-9T's feet).

Take a look at it's feet...you'll see what I'm talking about!!

Once I got the hang of Buzz, I LOVED it...we rode it 3 times total but I could have gone for more!!! I liked being able to take the gun out of the holder...it definitely gave you more flexibility that way!

 

[kmab00]

What's that about???


Now that's funny!!! It does look quite a bit smaller!

LOL Sorry about that! The webbed feet secret came from a thread of Disneyland secrets that I found!

-The two droids in the second room of the queue for Star Tours used to be geese in the America Sings attraction (take a look at G2-9T's feet).

If you look closer at that one's feet, you'll see what I'm talking about!!

Yes the size is definitely noticeable!! It's still very pretty, though!

Awesome update!!!! Sounds like you were both of to a great start for your first day at the park. I am sure you rode Nemo, when I went on in March, they said it would be like 2 hours, but I was through the line and off the ride in an hour, it moves pretty quick.

The Matterhorn is crazy, I rode that in June last year and when I was there in March, I didn't ride it again, it was wicked, but I am sure at some point I will ride it again.

Thank you for the info about the cake, that is great to know.

Can't wait to read more about your first full day in the park, DL is so amazing.

Thank you! We got SO MUCH accomplished in just a few hours!! It was fantastic!!!! I loved the Matterhorn. I heard that each que line is like a totally different experience (right side and left side) so of course, we had to ride it twice!! lol!! I agree...Disneyland IS GREAT!!!

Loving the trip report. I also love the 'Sleeping Beauty got the shaft' quote!! On the up side, she hit it big style in Disneyland Paris, her castle there is stunning (you can go up inside it and there is a dragon guarding the basement!) Can't wait to hear more.

I heard about her castle in Paris! I'd LOVE to go there one day but I don't know when that will happen!! LUCKY YOU!!!! A dragon too, huh? Wow.....so they really did give her the castle that she deserves! I'm very glad to hear that! lol!!

Well, I wouldn't feel too sorry for Sleeping Beauty. I just got back from my first trip to Paris Disneyland where she also has a castle there and I gotta say, it's the most beautiful of all the castles--this coming from someone who's been to all 5 Disney parks around the world. She even has a dungeon with a life size fire breathing dragon!!!

Oh gosh...I'm so jealous!!! Sounds fabulous! I bet it is beautiful! I'd love to see it one day! The dragon breathes, too?! Wow!!! Thanks for filling me in!! lol! I was feeling sorry for her but now I guess I'm not anymore!!

That's what I'm kinda worried about too. Since I'm going for the first time in Sept. I'm worried that I'm constantly going to be comparing it to DL. I know to think of them as two seperate parks...but is that really a difficult thing to do when you're riding a ride that is both in DL and WDW?

Oh don't worry...After I said it a few times, I thought, "You know what? This IS a different place with different attractions!" It has it's own little charm which is great. I think I may have even loved this park (Disneyland park) better than the Magic Kingdom. There are things that I definitely enjoyed more (like the ORIGINAL Tiki Room and Fantasyland has MR. TOAD!!!!) but there are things at the Magic Kingdom that I liked better, too (Splash Mountain). You'll see...you'll compare and contrast different things, but it won't be bad at all!! It's a great place!

Great update!!! I can't wait to feel the charm for myself!
Did you find that you stopped comparing it to WDW? I have a feeling its going to be hard to turn that " WDW has it this way..." switch off. BUT i am sure I will love it just the same!

I don't think that you'll stop comparing the two parks, but it's more as if you'll NOTICE the differences and it won't be a big deal. It was kind of fun to notice the differences once I stopped saying, "Well this is better here and this is better there". I think it's neat because it's so similar to the Magic Kingdom but so different at the same time. Does that make any sense? You'll get the hang of the park in no time, too....like where all of the attractions are located and stuff! It'll be great!!!

I have vague memories of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea from my childhood - seeing it, the line for it, etc. Though none of what the ride was actually like!

Can you believe I have never been to AK?! That is about to change though - we are going sometime in the fall! I can't wait! EE, here I come!

That's me, too....I really dont' remember 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, but I'm told that I rode it before...lol!! Oooh you MUST go to Animal Kingdom! That's one of my favorite parks.....well besides MK, Epcot, and MGM!! Ok I guess they are all my favorite!! Expedition Everest is SO AWESOME!!!!!!!! You're going to love it!!!!

Thanks everyone for keeping up with my trip report!!

 

[kmab00]

Here's a list of Disneyland secrets that I put together from various Threads on the DIS. SOME of these are no longer applicable....I looked for quite a few and found them but some no longer exist. For example, the 50 Golden "Hidden Mickeys" are no longer there.

Anyway, if some of these don't apply anymore, don't get mad at me, I only copied and pasted what I found on the DIS from other threads!!!



Disneyland Resort Secrets

A Guide to the Best Kept Secrets of the Happiest Place on Earth!

Disneyland Park

Main Street

--On Main Street look at the windows you will see tributes to many people who worked with Disney, at Disney and tributes to Walt’s Family

--Over the Fire Station next door to City Hall you will see a upstairs window, that is Walt's old in park apartment. It is still decorated as it was in his time. The light in the window is a tribute to Disney, in his day they would put a light in the window to let Cast Member's know he was in residence. It is always lit now since he is always at the park now, they say.

-The Disneyland Rail Road steam trains need to have water re-filled in them about every three revolutions around the park.

-Take the grand circle tour on the Disneyland Rail Road. It's a nice way to take a mid-day break…

-Go to the Main Street Train Station and ask the conductor at the station if you can ride the tender of the C.K. Holiday or the E.P. Ripley. If you are granted a ride you will essentially be riding in the locomotive with the engineer and fireman. Alternatively, ask the conductor at the Main Street Station if you can ride in the Lillie Belle. This is a private VIP car which was constructed from one of the original cars built for the Disneyland rail road. There is a cloak hanging in the car which they will tell you was left there by Mrs. Disney. If you are real nice the conductor will grant you a ride in this car.

- There is a vent that blows the smell of baked goods onto Main Street.

-The Partners Statue of Walt and Mickey at the centerpiece of Disneyland would be something that Walt would tear down; because he felt that the fantasy world should be separate from the mortal man that envisioned it.

-Watch the Flag Retreat Ceremony held daily on Main Street.

-Ride the Double Decker Bus down Main Street

-Listen to the Piano Player at Coke Corner.

-Listen to the Dapper Dans.

-Have a corn dog from the little red cart on Main Street and eat it on the benches located behind it. It's a character entrance/exit. They always take time to interact with whatever little kids are hanging out there. It's very cute, sometimes funny and always very sweet.

-Play a game of checkers at the little market on Main Street. It's a great place to stop and rest your feet. During the winter you can order a cup of hot chocolate too!

-Watch the nightly fireworks from as close to the hub as possible.

-Another fun little spot to sit and watch people on Main Street is on a front porch on the right (if you're facing the castle) where there are rocking chairs to sit in.

-Be sure to NOT MISS Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln (if the 50th anniversary tribute is gone) on Main St. Many pass this by and it's incredible.

-Lincoln from Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln was first seen at the '64 World's Fair, then moved to Disneyland as the first human audio-animatronic. That later led to the animatronics seen in attractions like Pirates.

-While strolling down Main Street, take a detour on one of the side alleys. Be quiet and listen. You may hear a piano lesson, a tourist waking up, or a dental appointment.

-The Main Street Cars are replicas of I think a 1903 Ferguson and were built specifically for Main Street so they are like 8/10ths scale or something. They are powered by 10 HP motors and many have been in service since the 1956, a year after the park opened and are still going strong. They max out at 3 MPH.

-Some LA and Orange Co. Maps and guides consider and classify Disneyland Main Street as a real street.

-Main Street uses "forced perspective" to make the buildings seem taller and larger and the entire street is a tribute to Walt's home town of Marceline, Missouri at the turn of the 20th century.

-Main Street has a wooden Indian. This is a tribute to the location of the old smoke shop that used to be one of Walt's favorites. There is another Indian in Frontierland also.

-The smell of vanilla is pumped through ground level vents along Main Street to tempt the taste buds of guests. During the holidays, the scent is changed to peppermint.

Fantasyland

-Watch Mickey climb the Matterhorn. He does this twice daily. (Not sure if he still does this or not...I never saw it and I was looking, too!)

-There is a bronze cast of the Abominable Snowman's foot outside of Matterhorn.

- Lined up pretty much between the Abominable Snowman’s footprint and Ariel's grotto is a vine-covered green concrete block. This is where the Montesano House of the Future used to stand and is all that remains in the park of that futuristic structure. This, by the way, had to be dismantled by hand because the wrecking ball just bounced off of it -- the house was made of plastic.

-The Matterhorn used to have a basketball half-court in the summit for the climbers while they were waiting to do their show.

- Before Matterhorn opened, Walt took it for a spin. Since the ride was not yet completed workers piled some hay at the end to stop the ride. Walt liked the feeling of way he collided with the hay so much he made the ride end to the same effect as the hay.

-Hang around Snow White Grotto and wait a little while to see if Snow White sings to you and the fish dance.

-There's a lovely little fountain/grotto/wishing well with Snow White and the 7 Dwarfs to the right of the castle. If you listen carefully, you'll hear her singing. Drop a coin into the wishing well and listen closely!

-The Wishing Well to the right of Sleeping Beauty’s Castle is also known as Snow White's Grotto. An Italian artist created statues of the 7 dwarfs and gave them to Walt Disney as a gift. They are on display in that area.

-Touch the apple in the queue line for Snow White's Scary Adventure in Fantasyland, then look up at the window when you touch it. You’ll see the Evil Queen peeking out at you! (The apple is no longer there on the book in the que line, but if you look up, you can still see the queen peeking out at you every few seconds!)

-Sword in the Stone is a great little show.

-The Nemo Submarine ride makes a reference at the very end to the old version of the Sub when the Captain says something about mermaids and a sea monster.

- The draw bridge to Sleeping Beauty Castle has only been raised and lowered once since opening day. That was when the castle was closed for a complete remodel of Fantasyland in 1982/83. During that remodel, King Arthur's Carousel, Dumbo, The Flying Elephant and the Mad Tea Party were all relocated within Fantasyland to where they all stand today.

-Also, when you are entering Fantasyland from the Main Street hub, and you pass under the castle, look down to find a gold stake in the ground that was driven into the ground by Walt Disney himself! This was to signify the exact center of the park!

-There is a plaque located on the ground in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle. Buried beneath the plaque is the Disneyland 40th Anniversary "Time Capsule" which was placed in the ground on July 17, 1995.

-The Mad Hatter Shop has the Chesire Cat in the glass behind the counter. Watch for about 30 seconds and he will appear.

-In Fantasyland - go into the Villain Shop and turn the key of the cage that holds the witch.

-Ride Small World. Look on the Eiffel Tower and you'll see a doll. This is a tribute to the original World's Fair attraction's doll designer, Imagineer Mary Blair.

-Every 15 minutes the clock tower on It's A Small World opens up and a parade of dolls marches out of the facade with music from the ride. At the end of the parade, the tower displays the current time.

-On Casey Jr. Train, the open cars are actually refurbished seats from the carousel.

-Originally, the Casey Jr. Circus Train was planned as DL's first rollercoaster ride.

-At the end of Tinkerbell's flight during the fireworks, she used the crash onto a platform by Casey Jr. Circus Train where several cast members were holding mattresses that were used to break her fall.

Tomorrowland

-A CM was decapitated in the building which houses Innoventions.

-Innoventions - You may recognize the voice of Tom Morrow. It is the actor Nathan Lane, who did the voice for Timon in The Lion King. Also, if you can't read the note in his pocket, it says "Buy 10 W 30". If you have the time, watch the robot after he gives his spiel and the other guests have moved on. He will move and act like a person who is bored and waiting for his next group of guests!

-Talk Stitch Exhibit - It's similar to the Turtle Talk with Crush over at DCA but more of a one on one experience. You start by signing up on a waiting list if you are interested in talking to Stitch. The wait will vary depending on how crowded it is but each 'visit' runs about 5 minutes each. When it is your turn, you are led to the area that is set up with a large 'video phone' system that allows you to talk to Stitch directly. Stitch is shown on the vid-screen while conversing with your party and it is completely different each time you do it. Stitch's conversations are completely improvised (by whoever is operating him) and directly dependent by what you ask, say, are wearing, etc. It's very entertaining. At the end of your visit, Stitch asks to take your picture and you get a souvenir card with a website/password to retrieve your pictures later (Stitch keeps a copy for himself).

-Watch the Trash Can Band in Tomorrowland

-Watch the Jedi Training Academy in Tomorrowland

-If the droid –pilot in Star Tours sounds a little like Pee Wee Herman, it’s because it is…both are voiced by comedian Paul Reubens.

-On the Star Tours ride just before your runaway star speeder exits the Space Station, keep your eye to the lower right corner of the screen: you flash past what looks like a giant electron microscope. This is homage to Monsanto's Adventure Through Inner Space, which was torn down two decades ago and replaced by Star Tours.

-At the end of the Star Tours ride, just as your star speeder is about to crash into a fuel truck, a man in the control booth ducks down, then stands up and picks up the phone. The man is George Lucas!

-While waiting to ride Star Tours, listen for the announcer to page Sacul Egroeg - that's George Lucas backwards.

-The R2D2 and C-3PO droids in the queue are of Star Tours were not built for the ride but are actual movie props.

-The two droids in the second room of the queue for Star Tours used to be geese in the America Sings attraction (take a look at G2-9T's feet).

-When you get off the of the Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters ride in Tomorrowland, stop at the kiosks in the exit queue, find your photo that is taken of you on the ride, and email it to yourself FOR FREE.

-Space Mountain is sunk into the ground nearly 20 feet so that it does not dwarf Sleeping Beauty's Castle

-On Autopia, there is a mouse-crossing complete w/ mouse holes in the curb.

Toontown

-Toontown is full of all kinds of surprises. Step on all the manholes and open all the mailboxes. Everything is interactive.

-When in Toontown, try to open the door by the Electric Company and see what happens.

-Mickey's House- When you enter Mickey's house, the first room contains a passport with stamps from everywhere a Disneyland is located.

-A child had his brain crushed on Roger Rabbits Cartoon Spin.

Adventureland

-Look for the parrot at The Jungle Cruise. You might even see the snake (while waiting in the queue lines).

-If you know where to look in the skeleton room in Indiana Jones you can spot a skeleton with Mickey ears on. The embroidery even says, "Bones."

-In the Indiana Jones line where you walk past the projection room and also by that small office cubicle, on the desk is a crystal cup that was put there to pay tribute to some woman who has apparently ridden the ride over 5,000 times, more than anyone else.

-There's a bent pole in the queue for Indiana Jones. It has a sign nearby warning "Do Not Touch" or "Pull" or some sort of warning. Pull on it and you'll hear some cool sound effects.

-Another one on Indiana Jones is in the projector room. The ride is situated where the old car park used to be (Eeyore section) and in the rafters is an old sign from the Eeyore section. It's high up but look hard enough and you will see it - it's blue.

-There's also a hidden Mickey in the Projector Room while waiting in line for Indiana Jones. It's right down the end on the far left hand side of the room on the wall. It's made up of cracks and wear on the wall

-The Tiki Room was the first use of audio-animatronics in Disneyland.

-The scientific name of the tree used for Tarzan's Tree House is Disneyodendron semperflorens grandis -- meaning: large ever-blooming Disney tree.

New Orleans Square

-When you are on the Haunted Mansion, you will hit the Birthday Party scene when all the ghosts are dancing around. On the table, are 3 plates shaped like a hidden Mickey, look fast.

- When riding the Haunted Mansion, look closely at the chair with the "demon" face on it. The face is actually an abstract of Donald Duck's face. It's hard to see at first, but when you catch it, it's impossible to see it as anything else!

-The spooky voice that narrates the Haunted Mansion ride is also the voice of the Pillsbury Doughboy! Paul Frees supplied the voice for these, as well as some of the pirates on the Pirates of the Caribbean and most of the characters in “Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln”, though he did not supply Abe Lincoln’s voice.

-When you go through the Haunted Mansion at the point where the car turns you around to face the dining room, if you look behind you, you will see an old fashioned wheelchair that belonged to someone who loved the ride. In order to see it though you really have to strain to turn around there so be careful!

-In the Haunted Mansion, the organ in the hall with the party is the one from 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.

-There is a private restaurant above New Orleans Square, meant to prop Walt friends, but it has become a club, Club 33, for the connected ones to dine.

-There is at least one real skull in Pirates of the Caribbean. In the 60s when the ride was being built plastics were not quite there yet to recreate real human bones so they improvised and used a couple real specimens. I hear a couple have been replaced over the decades but that the one in the bed with the red cushion over the bed in the Captain's Quarters. is still, to this day... A REAL HUMAN SKULL!

-On Pirates of the Caribbean, look for one of the people on the ride who's face mold was made from Walt himself! If you look at all the faces in the ride you will see which one is Walt. No hints, it's more fun to find him yourself! POC is very special because it is the last ride Walt directly was involved in before he passed away.

--On Pirates of the Caribbean, after the drop, as you pass the skeletons on the beach wait till you almost hit the curve to the steering skeleton, and turn around, the rock formation that supports the standing skeleton with the seagull hat, forms the head of Goofy.

Frontierland

-At Tom Sawyer Island, the guns at the fort really fire (make sounds). A little girl lost part of her finger jumping down from the gun because her finger was stuck. There is also no food on the Island!

-Check the calendar for Jack Sparrow's appearances at Pirate's Lair on Tom Sawyer Island. Wait for him to appear just before the start time at the exit to the rafts. Board the raft that he boards (another one that works best when the park is not crowded). He will not pose for pics or sign autographs until he gets to the meet-and-greet area on Tom Sawyer Island, but he will pose for pictures and talk to you while on the raft.

- The mill on Tom Sawyer Island is a real working mill, and at one time they used to have it open so you could watch grain being crushed.

-Catch a viewing of Billy Hill and the Hillbillies. A favorite of the Billy Hill performers are the ones who are there on Saturday and Sunday nights. If you see the guys who do "Puddleprance" and the lead singer puts on a "pros-teeth-is", then you have the right show.

-While waiting for the train to arrive at the Frontierland train station you can hear a teletype. The message that is being sent is Walt Disney's dedication speech from opening day.

-Someone was recently killed because a piece of metal broke off the Columbia ship while pulling away from the dock.

-The Columbia is a scale duplicate of the first American ship to sail around the world. There's a museum inside the ship where you can see how the captain and crew lived.

-The deepest spot on the Rivers of America is around 10 feet at Fowler's Harbor where the Columbia docks (in front of the HH and Splash).

-If you go on a weekday and crowds/kids are low, take a ride on The Mark Twain and ask to ride with the captain/pilot. Many people know about this one so odds are someone will beat you to it. But it's a nice ride in any case.

-When you take the back walkway from Frontierland to Fantasyland, just past Big Thunder Mountain, there is a little pond on the left where you'll see a cave with a tracks and a mine car. Those are the remnants of an early DL Mine car ride.

-On Big Thunder Mountain, the little village at the queue and end, and the rainbow caverns inside, are both remnants from an earlier train ride that used to be in the same place.

-You can get a GREAT spot for Fantasmic showing up about 20 minutes before show time. Head to the center of the Rivers of America and stand behind the tower that is not lifted off the ground (there are three total, you will see the ones on the left and right in the air and the center one on the ground). No one stands there because they think it will block their view. Well, about ten minutes before show time, that tower lifts up giving you the perfect view right in the center of the river. Everyone runs to get a spot here after the tower goes up. Just be sure to get there BEFORE it rises and you will be shocked at how great the view is.

Critter Country

-If you watch Fantasmic! from the Hungry Bear Restaurant Terrace, you get a nice "backstage" view. (if you can see Fantasmic! only once, go for the regular view!!!!!)

-On the Winnie the Pooh ride, if you turn around after you pass the scene where Pooh is pigging out on honey, you can see 3 animals that were from the Country Bear Jamboree (a tribute).

-When you get off Winnie the Pooh, look to the right, there's statue of a bear that's a salute to Country Bear Jamboree all by himself.

--Many of the Animatronics you see on the paddle boat in Splash Mountain are actually recycled characters from the old "America Sing's" that was put in the old "Carousel of Progress" (now Innoventions) building in the 70's and 80's.

Mouscellaneous

-The Haunted Mansion, Indiana Jones, Pirates and Splash Mountain are all actually on the OUTSIDE of the park.

-One of the Disneyland Rail Road trains (Fred Gurley) is the oldest piece of working machinery in any of the parks as it dates back to the 1890s and has been running at DL since 1958.

-The Disneyland Rail Road make about 13,000 loops annually.

-Walt's favorite train, the "E.P. Ripley" runs on bio-diesel since January 17th, 2007.

-All the "green water" - Rivers of America, castle moat, Jungle cruise river... are connected.

-Disneyland’s original Tinkerbell was a 71-year-old Hungarian circus performer named Tiny Kline. She was the first to fly offthe top of the Matterhorn on a zip line, and had previously worked as a stunt aerialist, hanging from a flying airplane by her teeth!

-From groundbreaking to opening, Disneyland was built in 365 days!

-Opening day—July 17,1955—was a disaster. Asphalt poured just hours before guests had arrived hadn’t fully dried, and women’s spiked heels sunk into Main Street. VIP passes were widely counterfeited, and double the number of people expected showed up. Rides broke down. Because of a plumber’s strike, Walt had to choose between drinking fountains and bathrooms. But despite all the opening day issues, the magic Walt had created drew the people back!

-Frank Sinatra was at Disneyland on opening day, and took a ride around Autopia!

-Disneyland cost $17 million to build in 1955, which equates to $116 million on today’s dollars. Space Mountain, which opened in 1977, cost more than half that amount (in constant dollars)!

-Disneyland is home to feral cats—nobody knows how many—that come out at night, after visitors leave. Years ago, more than 100 were discovered living inside Sleeping Beauty’s castle.

-At least 3 babies have been born at Disneyland.

-Conspicuously missing on opening day: the Matterhorn. In its place was a two-story-high dirt pile of dirt from the excavation of the castle moat. It was billed as “Lookout Mountain”. The Matterhorn didn’t open until 1959.

-The Rivers of America is actually filled with water from the main rivers of America (the great lakes, Mississippi river, etc), so it truly is the Rivers of America.

California Adventure

-Visit all the different areas of Animation Studio.

-I would go to the Animation building in DCA and do the character sketching session. Different Characters available for drawing have been: Mickey, Tigger, Donald, and Pooh. If you ask nicely at the end, the animator may give you his/her completed sketch. The charisma of the animators varies so if yours isn't especially magnetic, keep going back!

-In the Animation Building at DCA, check out the Villains' Lair and find out what character you are most like in the Beast's library. Also, do the recording when Ursula "steals" your voice in the area after you leave the library.

-Drawn to Animation in DCA is a must see! It’s near Monster’s Inc.

-Stop by and preview Golden Dreams (if you are interested in CA history)

-Find PUSH, the talking trashcan in DCA! He can usually be found by the bathrooms of the Golden Dreams Theatre or in front of the water wheel at Grizzly River Run. His favorite snacks are churro wrappers.

-There's a hidden Mickey on the golf ball Michael Eisner "swings" your way on Soarin'.

Disneyland Resorts/Downtown Disney

-If staying at a Disneyland Resort Hotel, you can request special things from Guest Services, like Priority Seatings at certain restaurants and events.

-Downtown Disney has a confectionery (candy chocolate shop) called "Marceline's Confectionary" as another tribute to the small Missouri town. If you look closely at the bag that is given to you with your purchase, you'll see a Hidden Mickey in the scrollwork on the bag!!