Gettin' Around Disney July 2021 Exercise Thread

Congratulations to Twilight Sparkle for turning Omnibus Orange!

Another of the Main Street Vehicles that travel between Town Square and the castle is the antique horse-drawn trolley, found at both Disneyland Park and the Magic Kingdom. The horses that pull Disneyland's trolleys live at Circle D Ranch in Norco, which is not open to the public. But you can visit the MK's horses in their off-hours at Tri-Circle D Ranch at Fort Wilderness!

The horse-drawn trolley has been at Disneyland since its Opening Day. Here's an article about Disneyland's trolley horses, with links to biographies of some. The horses are Clydesdales, Percherons, and Belgians. If you want to know who is pulling your trolley, look for the oversized Disney name badge on the trolley.

One of the exciting signs that Disneyland was set to reopen was the sight of the trolley horses out on Main Street! I'm not sure about Disneyland, but at the MK, during COVID times they have been using the trolleys for character cavalcades.

Edited to add: looking at my photos, apparently Disneyland Paris also has horse-drawn trolleys!View attachment 587945
I love those trolleys! As a horse crazy kid I used to bring the horses apples. Sometimes they ate them, with their driver's permission, but once the green apple I brought was too tart and horse spit it across the hub. :rotfl2:
 


Congratulations to ljcrochet and to me for turning Omnibus Orange!

In addition to the omnibus and the horse-drawn trolleys, you can travel between Town Square and the castle in MK and Disneyland on antique-styled cars and fire engines. Disneyland's fire engine, which is based on early 20th century models, celebrated its 60th Anniversary in 2018 (and reportedly it was the last antique vehicle to join the fleet!). MK's vehicles were Opening Day features.

Disneyland Paris also has Main Street vehicles, but in Tokyo, you'll find them called Big City Vehicles (including a police car and a delivery wagon) at the American Waterfront section of Tokyo DisneySea park.
 
45 minutes over the last few days - life is very crazy here, per usual. My son and his family have moved out - happy/sad about that - but it was past time for that to happen. I'll miss them, but glad we're back to being just the two of us.
165/500
I love the horse drawn trolleys!
Heading away for a few days - hoping to make my minutes walking on beautiful beaches!
 


Congratulations to BonnieF for turning Omnibus Orange!

Speaking of vintage transportation, the MK, Disneyland, and Tokyo Disneyland feature something even more antique than the Main Street Vehicles -- Tom Sawyer's Rafts! They will bring you across the Rivers of America to visit Tom Sawyer Island. They are free-floating and controlled by the operator, not run on tracks or rails.

The island and the rafts are, of course, based on Mark Twain's writings about Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn, and the rafts themselves are named after characters from the novels. They opened at Disneyland in 1956, in the MK in 1973, and in Tokyo Disneyland in 1983. The rafts may look tiny, but they can hold dozens (according to a former operator, his record was 92!). One article I saw stated that the rafts also are intended to serve as emergency vessels for the riverboat, should it be unable to return to its dock.

Here's what that former operator said about the rafts:

"Driving a TSI raft is, without a doubt, the most pleasurable and satisfying job in the Disney parks. First, you actually must have skill to do this. You aren't just pressing a button - TSI hosts must learn to pilot a tiller-controlled diesel watercraft with no rail or guidance system beyond your two hands. Second, you have time to talk with people - literate people who have read, or at least heard of, Mark Twain. And finally, supervisors avoid TSI like they would a tour group of irate personal injury lawyers. Which means that you can do your job in peace."
 
It's not as glamorous as the monorail or even the ferry, but you can also get to the MK by plain old walking (or rolling, for users of wheelchairs, ECVs, and strollers). There has long been a path between the Contemporary and MK. But now, you can approach from the other side as well. WDW recently completed a path between Grand Floridian and the MK, which crosses over the canal where the Electrical Water Pageant enters the Seven Seas Lagoon. So you can walk all the way from the TTC to the MK, passing the Polynesian and the Grand Floridian along the way.

The other two WDW parks that are walkable are Epcot and Hollywood Studios. The two parks are connected by a pleasant path that runs along the waterways and passes through the Crescent Lake area (home to the Boardwalk, the Yacht & Beach Club, and the Swan & Dolphin).

As for the Disneyland Resort in California, walking or rolling is pretty much the only way to travel between Disneyland Park and Disney's California Adventure--they are separated only by the 100 yards or so of the Esplanade.

Similarly, walking or rolling is the way to get between Disneyland park and the Walt Disney Studios park at Disneyland Paris. While the distance there might be a little more than the Esplanade, it's still only a few minutes' walk.
 
I haven't forgotten about this month. I have been off of work since the 2nd. I don't seem to get on as much on days that I am not at work. I have been trying to keep up with my time though.

July 1 -- 0
July 2 -- 23
July 2 -- 100
July 4 -- 0
July 5 -- 121
July 6 -- 0
July 7 -- 79
July 8 -- 46
July 9 -- 46
July 10 -- 65
July 11 -- 42
July 12 -- 56

Total -- 578/1395
 
Congratulations to ljcrochet for becoming the first team member to turn Skyliner Purple, and to piglet1979 and Statefan17 for jumping in at Omnibus Orange! And the TEAM has turned Orange as well!

:cool1::cool1::cool1:

WDW's newest form of transport is the Disney Skyliner gondola system, which opened in September 2019. With the Skyliner, all roads (or flights) lead to and from Caribbean Beach Resort, the system's hub. From CBR, there are three lines: one to Epcot (passing through a station for Riviera Resort), one to Hollywood Studios, and one to Pop Century and Art of Animation. The longest ride is between CBR and Epcot (11 minutes), with CBR to DHS taking 6 minutes and CBR to Pop/AoA taking 4 minutes.

The gondola cars feature 8 different colors, with many cars being wrapped with favorite Disney characters. I think it's more fun to see the wrapped cars than to ride in one, though, because the wraps can interfere with views out of the cars!

Here's an article from D23 on everything you need to know about the Skyliner.

***

But the Skyliner isn't Disney's first gondola system. Soon after Disneyland's opening it debuted the Skyway, which connected Fantasyland and Tomorrowland (and starting in 1959, actually went through the Matterhorn!). The MK also had a Skyway, as did Tokyo Disneyland. All of those attractions were closed in the 1990s and demolished or remodeled. At MK, for example, the Fantasyland station is now where you will find the Tangled bathrooms.

At Disneyland, look for a nod to the Skyway on the Matterhorn Bobsleds, where the Abominable Snowman has wrecked several Skyway buckets.

Here's an article from AllEars on the history and myths of the Skycars.
 
60 minutes more - no beach walking, but Main St. is a good walk from our hotel and uphill, too. We’re enjoying our little trip in spite of not seeing the sun.
(225/500)
I’m a little leery of the skyline - not afraid of heights but wouldn’t like getting stuck!
 
OMG! 60 minutes today. Not my usual veg out vacation! The sun has yet to make an appearance so we keep walking to different places. It’s so crowded and parking is so difficult, we take the path of least resistance and just walk.
285/500
 

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