Nothing to See Here...

[tksbaskets]

Great pictures and report Sherry. I am so happily flabbergasted at the attention to detail. Those two neon signs (one for the fastpass distribution) that have oil cans at the top and 'oil' pouring down. Just so fun!!

Is there more???? I'm greedy!

TK

 

[mvf-m11c]

Bret -

Thank you! I did have a great time at the preview - and even though we had to pay for it, wouldn't you say it was a very good idea to do the preview? I was afraid I would regret spending the money, but I think it was a great way to go. It was not too crowded. There was lots of room to move around and get to the little tucked away areas for photos. We could actually see the details in everything, whereas on a crowded day in the middle of Summer that might not be the case.

Liza and I split up in CL so we could each go off and take photos. She exited CL and went to BVS before I did. I'm not sure which way she left CL, but I left through the Pacific Wharf exit. Then we went to eat at Taste Pilots Grill, we looked around on Buena Vista Street a bit more, we went to Ghirardelli for sundaes and finally we briefly met up with Jessica/Belle Ella. Then Liza had to go over to Disneyland and get a pin or something, so I wandered around a bit in DL. Finally we went home.

I saw the pictures you have posted so far - I love the RSR pictures. That was one area I did not get into, because I didn't go on the ride. Liza did go on it, however. She really liked it.

I can totally imagine that Cars Land at night is a whole different experience from what it is in the daytime. When all the neon is lit up, it must look really great. Actually, I would bet that BVS at night is really pretty. We should have stayed one more hour in DL on Saturday, and we probably could have caught the lights going on in BVS!

I still think the price for the AP previews was well worth the money. I would easily do it again just for CL and BVS. It might not be worth it if it was for a ride. But to enjoy a less crowded park and be able to take as many pics and going on the rides with little wait time was well worth it. Some people would say that it isn't worth it, but to enjoy the lands with barely anyone in there is great. We all know that it will be 10 times worse when it opens to the public. At least we all enjoyed the preview. The less crowds were great and we were able to get a lot of great photos of CL and BVS.

If you went through ABL instead through pacific wharf, we would have crossed paths during the preview. You got to have sundaes at ghiradellis which is a great place to get ice cream. Just like you said that ghiradellis will be a nice place to a great dessert after a long day at the park just like the ice cam parlor at DL.

Thank you. Im glad thawt you are enjoying my pics from RSR. I still ahve tomupload my pics from RSR at night as well as my videos of the ride. We got to ride it 5 times on those two days. I was kind of shock to hear that you didn't ride RSR. At least Liza enjoyed RSR.

CL at night was so amazing. Just like the movie when the town fixed there neon lights, they played the same song as the movie which made it even more special at CL at night. CL at night is easily the time you want to see it in person because of the neon lights. Flo V8 Cafe, Luigi's Casa Della Tires, Ramone's House of Body Art, Lizzie Radiator Springs Curios shop, Sarge's Surplus Hut, Fillmore's Taste-In and Sally's Cozy Cone Motel are so amazing at night. I recommend anyone going to CL to see Radiator Springs when the lights are turned on at night. I did get some pics of BVs when I left at 11pm on Sunday. It was nice at night on BVS. I really wanted to see the new hub statue "storytellers" at the preview, but it was boxed up during the preview. So we have to wait until it officially opens next week to see it.

 

[kmedina]

Hello Sherry. I am glad you got to go to the preview after all. How wonderful that everyone got to take pictures. Everything there is so beautiful. It is weird that the CM wanted you to go in front of Lightning to get out of his way. I love the touches too, especially the 20.12. I did see the hidden mickey in the hood and look forward to finding more in person. Awesome reporting.

 

[Karenann*]

I'm pouring over all these great pictures. Thanks so much for the photo trip to CarsLand to tide me over til I get there!!!

 

[Sherry E]

Ugh, I replied but the Dis like burped/hiccuped or something.....totally went away & wouldn't reload for a few minutes.......anywhos........

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!! I'm loving these pics!!! Feel like I was right there beside you!!!

Laurie -

Thank you! Between the hiccups on the DIS (which, I assume, is now inundated with lurkers and posters due to the interest in Cars Land and Buena Vista Street!) and the continual hiccups on my PC, it's a miracle that I've gotten this much posted! I wanted to get the pictures up before too much time passed, because right now there is interest so it's timely!

I think you will have a great time exploring Cars Land and Buena Vista Street when you get to DLR again (will that be the Diva trip in 2013?).

It was exciting to see all of this new stuff. Not only was I - a very lukewarm "Cars" fan - grinning from ear to ear as I snapped away and tapped my feet to "Mustang Sally," but everyone else walking around in CL and BVS seemed to be grinning from ear to ear too! It was a really good energy - not that 'I've been in the crowded park all day long and I am in a bad mood' kind of energy.

I was saying to both Jessica and maybe Liza that, in a weird way, it almost seems as if there is more excitement for these 2 new lands than there was for an entire new park (when DCA first opened). Something about new lands is thrilling.

Maybe a whole new park is more overwhelming, and there were so many areas in DCA that needed to be better or more filled out, so it just seemed like an inferior companion to Disneyland at first. Whereas brand new lands are more concentrated - plenty of time has gone into making them fit the designated theme, and the details have been finely tuned.

Great pictures and report Sherry. I am so happily flabbergasted at the attention to detail. Those two neon signs (one for the fastpass distribution) that have oil cans at the top and 'oil' pouring down. Just so fun!!

Is there more???? I'm greedy!

TK

Thanks, TK!

Yep, there's more! We're almost done with Cars Land and are about to move on to Buena Vista Street and Disneyland.

The details and jokes (in the signs and images) really, really, really remind me of TownTown in its wacky tone. I mean..."Butte Gas" is not an accident! That's why I always think that ToonTown is underrated, or it suffers from being thought of as "just for kids." It's got plenty of the same kind of stuff that you can find in Cars Land - but it's Toon-based. Anyone who loves Disney's famous attention to detail should feasibly love both TT and CL, but I think Cars Land will have the advantage for many people because it seems to cater towards adults a wee bit bit more.

I still think the price for the AP previews was well worth the money. I would easily do it again just for CL and BVS. It might not be worth it if it was for a ride. But to enjoy a less crowded park and be able to take as many pics and going on the rides with little wait time was well worth it. Some people would say that it isn't worth it, but to enjoy the lands with barely anyone in there is great. We all know that it will be 10 times worse when it opens to the public. At least we all enjoyed the preview. The less crowds were great and we were able to get a lot of great photos of CL and BVS.

If you went through ABL instead through pacific wharf, we would have crossed paths during the preview. You got to have sundaes at ghiradellis which is a great place to get ice cream. Just like you said that ghiradellis will be a nice place to a great dessert after a long day at the park just like the ice cam parlor at DL.

Thank you. Im glad thawt you are enjoying my pics from RSR. I still ahve tomupload my pics from RSR at night as well as my videos of the ride. We got to ride it 5 times on those two days. I was kind of shock to hear that you didn't ride RSR. At least Liza enjoyed RSR.

CL at night was so amazing. Just like the movie when the town fixed there neon lights, they played the same song as the movie which made it even more special at CL at night. CL at night is easily the time you want to see it in person because of the neon lights. Flo V8 Cafe, Luigi's Casa Della Tires, Ramone's House of Body Art, Lizzie Radiator Springs Curios shop, Sarge's Surplus Hut, Fillmore's Taste-In and Sally's Cozy Cone Motel are so amazing at night. I recommend anyone going to CL to see Radiator Springs when the lights are turned on at night. I did get some pics of BVs when I left at 11pm on Sunday. It was nice at night on BVS. I really wanted to see the new hub statue "storytellers" at the preview, but it was boxed up during the preview. So we have to wait until it officially opens next week to see it.

Bret -

Actually, I'm going to go out on a limb and say that I think that it was less crowded in CL and on BVS than it was when the Halloween party (Mickey's Trick or Treat Party) was held in DCA a few years ago. The Halloween parties always seems quite crowded to me, but I was totally fine with the number of people who attended the AP/D23/CM preview during my time slot.

For me, it was a last-minute decision to go to this preview - I was kind of starting to lean towards not going and not spending the $50 - but ultimately I'm glad I did. Never mind the fact that I was sick for the first half of the next day (Sunday) because the heat got to me on Saturday (we went home in the 5 p.m. hour). But while I was feeling good, I was happy I spent the money and did the preview!

Ghirardelli takes the Annual Pass discount - something I was not expecting. Gibson Girl and the Main Street Cone Shop in DL do not accept the AP for discounts. That alone is a reason why Ghirardelli is now moving up in the ranks for me.

Also, the samples they hand out at the Ghirardelli door are delicious - soft, creamy, melt-in-your-mouth chocolate with caramel in the middle. And, there are all kinds of things to buy there - souvenirs, chocolate bars, hot chocolate and similar drinks...and all kinds of interesting ice cream concoctions. I think that Ghiarardelli could give Gibson Girl a serious run for its money!! I told Liza that if Ghirardelli starts selling peppermint ice cream during the holidays, it's bye, bye Gibson Girl for me!

I love your pictures - the "Stanley Always Has Gas" photo had me giggling. I love the details in the queue for RSR!!

I cannot wait to see CL and BVS at night during the Christmas season - I have a feeling those 2 places are going to be real highlights!

Hello Sherry. I am glad you got to go to the preview after all. How wonderful that everyone got to take pictures. Everything there is so beautiful. It is weird that the CM wanted you to go in front of Lightning to get out of his way. I love the touches too, especially the 20.12. I did see the hidden mickey in the hood and look forward to finding more in person. Awesome reporting.

Hi, Kim! Welcome! I'm glad you joined in! Thank you for the nice comments.

Yes, I was super-relieved that we all got to take photos. Thank goodness! I didn't trust Disney with that, given how poorly they handled things leading up to our preview times. If I had not been able to take photos, I would have felt like my arms were bound behind my back! I would have enjoyed seeing everything, of course, but the photos, for me, are crucial to my enjoyment! I didn't even go on any of the rides in CL because I was so busy with the pictures during my piddly 4 hours!

It was really weird, indeed, how that CM handled trying to get me to cross the road and get out of Lightning's way (I know I should be calling him McQueen, but for some reason my brain keeps thinking of him as Lightning!). I pointed at the approaching car and said to the CM, "But...he's coming. He's right there." And the CM just kept saying, "Can you move? Please move to the other side."

Of course, it's not like this car was moving along at warp speed. He was cruising along rather slowly, but he was still only a few feet from where I was standing. So, essentially, I had to run up ahead a few steps to gain some distance and get ahead of the car, and then I ran across the road. And actually, if I had stayed put in my spot in front of the Bug's Land/Route 66 signs, I would not have been in the way at all. But I guess they just have to clear one side of the road, as a precaution, even if people are not in the way.

However, if I'd had small kids with me, I'm not sure that encouraging them to run out in front of a 'car' to get to the other side of the road would have been the most responsible thing to do.

There is a hidden Mickey in every hood in the windows of Ramone's House of Body Art. But that one I showed you was probably the easiest to locate. There was another hood that I looked at, and I could not tell where the hidden Mickey was for the life of me!

Kim, I hope you'll be posting photos - I'd love to see them!

I'm pouring over all these great pictures. Thanks so much for the photo trip to CarsLand to tide me over til I get there!!!

Hi, Karen! Welcome back! I'm glad you joined in.

Thank you for the kind words. It's a tricky situation, because I know a lot of people do not want to have the surprise spoiled for them, and they want to discover the new lands on their own. Then there are some people, on the other hand, who are too curious to wait and they want to see everything - they want to see things in pictures so they don't miss noticing them when they get to the parks. Some folks want to see photos up to a point, and then save the rest for their own trips.

I didn't want to post anything directly in YellowMickeyPonchos' Cars Land Superthread because the tone of that thread seems to be more of a "Don't spoil it for us" tone (whereas, in my Halloween and Christmas Superthreads, I am all about everyone sharing pictures and showing the different details, so I'm not used to withholding photos).

I figured, Well, I'll just post the pictures in my own TR. I'll make a reference to the page and post # where the photos begin, and after that it's 'view at your own risk.' I tend to take a lot of detail-oriented pictures - and that may be revealing too much for people, but that's what I take.





Okay, I am about to zoom through what's left of the Cars Land photos (we are almost coming to an end in that land, sadly), and then we will go back to beautiful Buena Vista Street - which is, essentially, the 'Main Street' of California Adventure. Stay tuned!!

 

[Belle Ella]

There is a hidden Mickey in every hood in the windows of Ramone's House of Body Art. But that one I showed you was probably the easiest to locate. There was another hood that I looked at, and I could not tell where the hiddem Mickey was for the life of me!

Glad you at least looked. They are there I swears it!

 

[Sherry E]

Continuing on from previous page, where we left off at the color-changing ceilings at Flo's in Cars Land...

As much as I hated to tear myself away from Flo's ceilings, my preview time was running out and I had to hurry and get to Buena Vista Street - at this point I didn't realize that Buena Vista Street was going to be open all day and night to the preview folks. That was an added bonus, though I wish I had known about it before June 9th...


It's interesting how some of the cactus is real in Cars Land, and some of it is fake...

For some reason, this is one of my favorite pictures from the trip - not sure why! The whole 'retro gas station' thing reminds me of the Original Farmers Market (next to The Grove) in L.A. - they have a retro gas station area there too!

Look who's rolling through town again!

There's actually a waterfall buried in the rocks!

Notice the intentionally cracked ground around the manhole cover...

​

More coming right up!!

 

[Sherry E]

Glad you at least looked. They are there I swears it!

I definitely looked! There was even a nearby CM trying to encourage me to look at all the hoods to find them. For some reason, that one hidden Mickey kind of jumped out at me, and the others seemed more well-hidden. I thought that there was one more that I found, but for some reason I don't see a picture of it in my Photobucket account. Oh well, I guess it's good that I didn't find all of them - it leaves something for me to do next time I'm there!

 

[mvf-m11c]

Bret -

Actually, I'm going to go out on a limb and say that I think that it was less crowded in CL and on BVS than it was when the Halloween party (Mickey's Trick or Treat Party) was held in DCA a few years ago. The Halloween parties always seems quite crowded to me, but I was totally fine with the number of people who attended the AP/D23/CM preview during my time slot.

For me, it was a last-minute decision to go to this preview - I was kind of starting to lean towards not going and not spending the $50 - but ultimately I'm glad I did. Never mind the fact that I was sick for the first half of the next day (Sunday) because the heat got to me on Saturday (we went home in the 5 p.m. hour). But while I was feeling good, I was happy I spent the money and did the preview!

Ghirardelli takes the Annual Pass discount - something I was not expecting. Gibson Girl and the Main Street Cone Shop in DL do not accept the AP for discounts. That alone is a reason why Ghirardelli is now moving up in the ranks for me.

Also, the samples they hand out at the Ghirardelli door are delicious - soft, creamy, melt-in-your-mouth chocolate with caramel in the middle. And, there are all kinds of things to buy there - souvenirs, chocolate bars, hot chocolate and similar drinks...and all kinds of interesting ice cream concoctions. I think that Ghiarardelli could give Gibson Girl a serious run for its money!! I told Liza that if Ghirardelli starts selling peppermint ice cream during the holidays, it's bye, bye Gibson Girl for me!

I love your pictures - the "Stanley Always Has Gas" photo had me giggling. I love the details in the queue for RSR!!

I cannot wait to see CL and BVS at night during the Christmas season - I have a feeling those 2 places are going to be real highlights!

I have never attended the Mickey's Trick or Treat Party at DCA, so I don't know what the crowd level was like. I can't count MHP since DL does get huge crowds then DCA. I was glad that it wasn't as busy as I thought when we attended the preview this past weekend. When they announced that CM's were also going to the preview, I thought it was going to be very busy. Good thing that it wasn't that bad and we got to do everything we want.

The only thing that I had a problem with CL is the Cozy Cone Motel quick counters. The food at the Cozy Cone Motel is great, but the wait times were just as long as going on the rides. The one that was the longest was the popcorn stand which took me about 30 minutes to get the sweet & spicy popcorn. I really like it, but my DA didn't think it was worth waiting that long just to get popcorn. Can you imagine what the line will be like when CL opens to the public in a couple of days? Hopefully they will fix this problems when it opens to the public. Since the lines at the Cozy Cone Motel as well as Flo's V8 Cafe did draw huge lines just to get something to eat. When I attended the nighttime preview, I saw the line towards the street of RS. That is scary to see the line toward the road and it is just a preview.

It was well worth the $50 to see CL & BVS before it gets really busy this summertime. I'm sorry to hear that you got sick on Sunday. Hopefully you are better right now.

That is kind of shocking to hear that Ghirardelli takes the AP discount & Gibson Girl on MS doesn't. But I don't eat ice cream when I at the parks. I always go to the Tiki Juice Bar and get a Dole Whip Soft Serve as my dessert.

Ghirardelli is already making some good strides of giving discounts and a lot of choices. So after WoC, it is a great place to get some dessert after a long day at the park. It will be very interesting to see what Ghirardelli will offer during the Halloween season and Holiday season. That will be neat if they start selling peppermint ice cream.

Thank you. RSR is so amazing. Not only the ride, but also the details of the queue. You see the old signs, gas pumps, etc. when you walk through the queue. When I do see the signs in the queue, I think of "American Pickers" show on the History Channel where these two pickers go around the US looking for old American items which includes signs, cars, toys, etc. The Imagineers did a really great job on the ride as well as the queue.

Now after seeing CL & BVS, it is making me even more excited for the Holiday season. We know that you and I are hoping that they will decorate both lands this year.

 

[Sherry E]

Continuing...

​

Well, sadly, that wraps up our time in Cars Land. My preview window was nearing an end, and I had to hightail it to Buena Vista Street.

So the next post will be the trek from Cars Land to Buena Vista Street!

 

[Sherry E]

I have never attended the Mickey's Trick or Treat Party at DCA, so I don't know what the crowd level was like. I can't count MHP since DL does get huge crowds then DCA. I was glad that it wasn't as busy as I thought when we attended the preview this past weekend. When they announced that CM's were also going to the preview, I thought it was going to be very busy. Good thing that it wasn't that bad and we got to do everything we want.

The only thing that I had a problem with CL is the Cozy Cone Motel quick counters. The food at the Cozy Cone Motel is great, but the wait times were just as long as going on the rides. The one that was the longest was the popcorn stand which took me about 30 minutes to get the sweet & spicy popcorn. I really like it, but my DA didn't think it was worth waiting that long just to get popcorn. Can you imagine what the line will be like when CL opens to the public in a couple of days? Hopefully they will fix this problems when it opens to the public. Since the lines at the Cozy Cone Motel as well as Flo's V8 Cafe did draw huge lines just to get something to eat. When I attended the nighttime preview, I saw the line towards the street of RS. That is scary to see the line toward the road and it is just a preview.

It was well worth the $50 to see CL & BVS before it gets really busy this summertime. I'm sorry to hear that you got sick on Sunday. Hopefully you are better right now.

That is kind of shocking to hear that Ghirardelli takes the AP discount & Gibson Girl on MS doesn't. But I don't eat ice cream when I at the parks. I always go to the Tiki Juice Bar and get a Dole Whip Soft Serve as my dessert.

Ghirardelli is already making some good strides of giving discounts and a lot of choices. So after WoC, it is a great place to get some dessert after a long day at the park. It will be very interesting to see what Ghirardelli will offer during the Halloween season and Holiday season. That will be neat if they start selling peppermint ice cream.

Thank you. RSR is so amazing. Not only the ride, but also the details of the queue. You see the old signs, gas pumps, etc. when you walk through the queue. When I do see the signs in the queue, I think of "American Pickers" show on the History Channel where these two pickers go around the US looking for old American items which includes signs, cars, toys, etc. The Imagineers did a really great job on the ride as well as the queue.

Now after seeing CL & BVS, it is making me even more excited for the Holiday season. We know that you and I are hoping that they will decorate both lands this year.

Thank you, Bret -

Yes, I definitely feel better now. It was kind of a delayed reaction. I was afraid I would get sick in one of the parks, knowing how even mild heat affects me. (Which is why I never try to go to DLR in the Summer!) I started to feel a little 'off' on Saturday afternoon before we went home, but I really didn't get hit with the wave of nausea and massive headache until the next morning. And I'd rather be sick at home for half a day than to be sick at Disneyland!

I think I've only seen "American Pickers" once or twice, but I see what you mean about that. It does seem like most of the stuff in CL is what you'd see on that show!

Wow! Thirty minutes to wait at Cozy Cone? The interesting thing is that the Cozy Cone lines were not too long during my preview slot. There were definitely a few people lining up to sample the treats, but it wasn't anywhere close to a 30-minute wait.

The lines at Flo's, however, were already super-long at 10 a.m. on Saturday. I can tell that Flo's is going to be a big, big hit - if their food is half as interesting as their color-changing ceiling, I think they will get lots of business!

As you said, if the lines are that long for things just during a preview, we can only imagine how long the lines will and how crowded all the restaurants and shops will be after June 15th! Yikes!!

That's another thing I did not do - in addition to not going on rides, I also did not eat anything in Cars Land. But, I accomplished a lot in my 4 hours (though I didn't spend enough time on BVS), so I will just have to do the other stuff another time.

I am almost positive that both Cars Land and Buena Vista Street will get some cool Christmas decorations - hopefully it will be this year and we won't have to wait to see them! I can totally picture BVS with carolers and vintage decorations. Cars Land will have its own special themed decorations, I'm sure.

My only concern is that Disney doesn't pull one of its usual tricks and take away decorations from other areas (in Disneyland) to have more stuff to put up in DCA! They need to get all new stuff for DCA and leave our lands in DL alone!

We will be able to tell if decorations are missing in DL, so we will be keeping an eagle eye on anything that might suddenly 'disappear' in Disneyland and show up in California Adventure in November!!

But I am really, really curious to see if DCA can once again become part of Halloween Time now that the makeover is complete. It's been almost entirely separate from Halloween Time since they got rid of Candy Corn Acres. It would be nice to see a bit of Halloween (beyond Duffy's photo spot) return to DCA. I don't know why they can't take one of the giant candy corn pieces and stick in it A Bug's Land, where the giant Christmas ornaments usually sit.

 

[mvf-m11c]

Thank you, Bret -

Yes, I definitely feel better now. It was kind of a delayed reaction. I was afraid I would get sick in one of the parks, knowing how even mild heat affects me. (Which is why I never try to go to DLR in the Summer!) I started to feel a little 'off' on Saturday afternoon before we went home, but I really didn't get hit with the wave of nausea and massive headache until the next morning. And I'd rather be sick at home for half a day than to be sick at Disneyland!

I think I've only seen "American Pickers" once or twice, but I see what you mean about that. It does seem like most of the stuff in CL is what you'd see on that show!

Wow! Thirty minutes to wait at Cozy Cone? The interesting thing is that the Cozy Cone lines were not too long during my preview slot. There were definitely a few people lining up to sample the treats, but it wasn't anywhere close to a 30-minute wait.

The lines at Flo's, however, were already super-long at 10 a.m. on Saturday. I can tell that Flo's is going to be a big, big hit - if their food is half as interesting as their color-changing ceiling, I think they will get lots of business!

As you said, if the lines are that long for things just during a preview, we can only imagine how long the lines will and how crowded all the restaurants and shops will be after June 15th! Yikes!!

That's another thing I did not do - in addition to not going on rides, I also did not eat anything in Cars Land. But, I accomplished a lot in my 4 hours (though I didn't spend enough time on BVS), so I will just have to do the other stuff another time.

I am almost positive that both Cars Land and Buena Vista Street will get some cool Christmas decorations - hopefully it will be this year and we won't have to wait to see them! I can totally picture BVS with carolers and vintage decorations. Cars Land will have its own special themed decorations, I'm sure.

My only concern is that Disney doesn't pull one of its usual tricks and take away decorations from other areas (in Disneyland) to have more stuff to put up in DCA! They need to get all new stuff for DCA and leave our lands in DL alone!

We will be able to tell if decorations are missing in DL, so we will be keeping an eagle eye on anything that might suddenly 'disappear' in Disneyland and show up in California Adventure in November!!

But I am really, really curious to see if DCA can once again become part of Halloween Time now that the makeover is complete. It's been almost entirely separate from Halloween Time since they got rid of Candy Corn Acres. It would be nice to see a bit of Halloween (beyond Duffy's photo spot) return to DCA. I don't know why they can't take one of the giant candy corn pieces and stick in it A Bug's Land, where the giant Christmas ornaments usually sit.

I see, glad to hear that you are feeling better. It was kind of warm that whole week, at least it wasn't super hot. It is even hotter up here in NorCal and I would prefer to be back down there instead of here. I know what you are saying that hot weathers are not good and I would prefer this weather then going to DL in July or August when it is very hot.

I didn't keep track of how long I was in line at the Cozy Cone. It was my DA that said that I was in that line for quite some time. It did seem long just to get popcorn since people were deciding on what to get. There are only two flavors at the popcorn stand which is Dill Pickle or Sweet & Spicy. I just don't know why it would take that long just to get popcorn. I enjoyed the popcorn, but to wait that long didn't seem like it was worth it. It is difficult if you want to get two different food or beverages at the Cozy Cone and have to go through one line and have to get in another just to get it does seem stupid. But if you have multiple people, then it will be easy. But if you are solo then it will take a lot of time just to go from one counter to another.

Flo's V8 Cafe will definitely get a lot of business for anytime of the day. The only time I have seen it so slow was when it was around 10pm on Sunday night. I should have gone to Flo's and get some pie, but I wanted to spend my time wisely. That is the only place that I didn't get any pictures which I am now regretting. At least I can enjoy your pics of the inside of Flo's V8 Cafe.

With the time you have at CL of 4 hours, you did accomplish a lot in your time and with all those amazing photos that you took during your preview on Saturday.

I am hoping that we will get some Christmas decorations at BVS & CL.

It will be very interesting to see what Holiday decorations will be at DL with all the cut backs they have done the last couple of years.

That will be nice to see DCA be part of the Halloween season after the last couple of years that they toned down the decorations. Mostly due to the construction, so hopefully they will have some Halloween decorations at DCA. They should put the giant candy corn in ABL since it would fit in perfectly just like the Christmas ornament.

I can't wait to see more. I still have so much uploading to do with all my pics.

 

[Sherry E]

I see, glad to hear that you are feeling better. It was kind of warm that whole week, at least it wasn't super hot. It is even hotter up here in NorCal and I would prefer to be back down there instead of here. I know what you are saying that hot weathers are not good and I would prefer this weather then going to DL in July or August when it is very hot.

I didn't keep track of how long I was in line at the Cozy Cone. It was my DA that said that I was in that line for quite some time. It did seem long just to get popcorn since people were deciding on what to get. There are only two flavors at the popcorn stand which is Dill Pickle or Sweet & Spicy. I just don't know why it would take that long just to get popcorn. I enjoyed the popcorn, but to wait that long didn't seem like it was worth it. It is difficult if you want to get two different food or beverages at the Cozy Cone and have to go through one line and have to get in another just to get it does seem stupid. But if you have multiple people, then it will be easy. But if you are solo then it will take a lot of time just to go from one counter to another.

Flo's V8 Cafe will definitely get a lot of business for anytime of the day. The only time I have seen it so slow was when it was around 10pm on Sunday night. I should have gone to Flo's and get some pie, but I wanted to spend my time wisely. That is the only place that I didn't get any pictures which I am now regretting. At least I can enjoy your pics of the inside of Flo's V8 Cafe.

With the time you have at CL of 4 hours, you did accomplish a lot in your time and with all those amazing photos that you took during your preview on Saturday.

I am hoping that we will get some Christmas decorations at BVS & CL.

It will be very interesting to see what Holiday decorations will be at DL with all the cut backs they have done the last couple of years.

That will be nice to see DCA be part of the Halloween season after the last couple of years that they toned down the decorations. Mostly due to the construction, so hopefully they will have some Halloween decorations at DCA. They should put the giant candy corn in ABL since it would fit in perfectly just like the Christmas ornament.

I can't wait to see more. I still have so much uploading to do with all my pics.

Bret -

You know what's interesting about the Cars Land/Buena Vista street photos that we all have taken since Saturday - and this is what I'm most excited about - is that it was totally new, uncharted territory for all of us. No one had an advantage over anyone else. It was kind of a level playing field. It's not like we had already seen photos of Buena Vista Street or of Cars Land before we actually did our previews and knew what to take photos of. Quite the contrary. None of us knew what was in store for us. We didn't know what we would find.

So the way it worked out is that you did your previews and captured whatever interested you most on camera. I did my preview and focused on what interested me most at that specific time. Liza was doing her own thing during the preview, so she may have spotted things that I didn't see, or I may have spotted things that she didn't see.

It was basically a blank slate for all of us, going into Cars Land and Buena Vista Street, so it should be interesting to see exactly which things caught everyone's eye!

Don't regret not going into Flo's to get pictures - it will still be there the next time you go to DLR! I'm not sure that anyone else would be as interested in the color-changing ceiling as I was!

What you did get that neither Liza nor I got is nighttime photos of Cars Land, and I assume some nighttime photos of Buena Vista Street too! We don't have any of that. In fact, you probably got way more Buena Vista Street photos in general than I did. I waited too long to head over there during the 4-hour preview time slot, so I didn't have much time to take photos. After that, I joined back up with Liza.

What I should have done, really, was march straight back to BVS when Liza was in DL getting her pin, but I was already starting to feel a little 'off' at that point and I was not thinking clearly or wisely!

Oh well, whatever I missed on BVS I will get the next time I go! I got enough to tide me over for now!

Yes, that spot in ABL where the huge ornaments usually go would be a perfect spot for one of the giant candy corn pieces from Candy Corn Acres. I have no clue why they haven't put the giant candy corn there for the last 2 Halloween seasons.

The way DCA is set up now, I can't see any large, bright orange Halloween symbols sitting at the entrance like there used to be. I don't think it would work with the new layout. But surely there must be something to put in California Adventure (aside from the piddly little Duffy photo spot) to celebrate Halloween so that's it's not all focused on Disneyland.

We shall soon see, I guess. Halloween Time starts in 3 months!!

 

[Sherry E]

Continuing on....


I had spent a good deal of time in Cars Land, and I realized that my preview time was almost up. At that point I didn't realize that all of the preview people - in other words, anyone with a wrist band - could get into Buena Vista Street all day long. This was something Liza found out as she wandered around, as she later told me. She had initially left Cars Land only about halfway into the preview (so at around 10:00 a.m. or so, maybe a bit before that) so she could get almost equal time in BVS (and you have to walk a ways between the two, so that eats up a few minutes).

But when Liza got to Buena Vista Street she discovered that anyone with a wrist band would be allowed to come and go all day long, so she headed right back to Cars Land to see more of it before the preview time ran out.

Meanwhile, I stayed in Cars Land until the last 30 minutes of the preview, and at around 11:30 a.m. I exited near the Pacific Wharf side and began to head towards Buena Vista Street...

...Because one photo of this dragon at the Lucky Fortune Cookery wasn't enough for the day, I took another one!

And, of course, since I was passing right by Ghiardelli, I had to stop and get my caramel-filled sample (which is in an open-ended package, so all you have to do is just slide the chocolate bar out of the wrapper!) - for some reason, I could not get one single non-blurry shot of this sample! I took this photo repeatedly, and one came out blurrier than the next, so I just gave up!

What am I doing, wasting time at Ghirardelli's? I have to get to Buena Vista Street! Get moving, Sherry!!

Hello, Bugs! It’s funny because I tried the Auto Fix feature in Photobucket, just to see if these photos significantly lightened up at all…and they didn’t! So I didn’t even bother using Auto Fix. It was just a gloomy day to begin with, and I guess the camera picked that up!

​

Okay, in the next post we will once again arrive at the beautiful fountain in the Carthay Circle area, and then we hotfoot it into (seemingly) a bygone era celebrated on Buena Vista Street!!

 

[mvf-m11c]

Bret -

You know what's interesting about the Cars Land/Buena Vista street photos that we all have taken since Saturday - and this is what I'm most excited about - is that it was totally new, uncharted territory for all of us. No one had an advantage over anyone else. It was kind of a level playing field. It's not like we had already seen photos of Buena Vista Street or of Cars Land before we actually did our previews and knew what to take photos of. Quite the contrary. None of us knew what was in store for us. We didn't know what we would find.

So the way it worked out is that you did your previews and captured whatever interested you most on camera. I did my preview and focused on what interested me most at that specific time. Liza was doing her own thing during the preview, so she may have spotted things that I didn't see, or I may have spotted things that she didn't see.

It was basically a blank slate for all of us, going into Cars Land and Buena Vista Street, so it should be interesting to see exactly which things caught everyone's eye!

Don't regret not going into Flo's to get pictures - it will still be there the next time you go to DLR! I'm not sure that anyone else would be as interested in the color-changing ceiling as I was!

What you did get that neither Liza nor I got is nighttime photos of Cars Land, and I assume some nighttime photos of Buena Vista Street too! We don't have any of that. In fact, you probably got way more Buena Vista Street photos in general than I did. I waited too long to head over there during the 4-hour preview time slot, so I didn't have much time to take photos. After that, I joined back up with Liza.

What I should have done, really, was march straight back to BVS when Liza was in DL getting her pin, but I was already starting to feel a little 'off' at that point and I was not thinking clearly or wisely!

Oh well, whatever I missed on BVS I will get the next time I go! I got enough to tide me over for now!

Yes, that spot in ABL where the huge ornaments usually go would be a perfect spot for one of the giant candy corn pieces from Candy Corn Acres. I have no clue why they haven't put the giant candy corn there for the last 2 Halloween seasons.

The way DCA is set up now, I can't see any large, bright orange Halloween symbols sitting at the entrance like there used to be. I don't think it would work with the new layout. But surely there must be something to put in California Adventure (aside from the piddly little Duffy photo spot) to celebrate Halloween so that's it's not all focused on Disneyland.

We shall soon see, I guess. Halloween Time starts in 3 months!!

I completely agree with you on that topic that we were in uncharted territory and no one had any advantage of CL & BVS. It was so neat that we were going around the two lands and getting a lot of different pics that we didn't see from the Disney company that released. We were looking around for out of ordinary stuff that we didn't see on the web until we attended the event last weekend.

Just went around CL & BVS that looked very interesting to me and take a picture of it. Like we got all those signs, trees, lights, etc.

I really wanted to eat at Flo's, but it was too busy and I didn't want to be full late at night when I got back to the hotel.

You will like the photos of CL & BVS at night. I just need to upload them when I get most of them uploaded from Saturday.

We haven't seen the giant candy corn at DCA the last two years and it will be very interesting to see where they will put them or leave them in the storage.

I agree that I can't see the giant candy corn in BVS. It will be very interesting to see what Halloween decorations will be put up in DCA this year.

 

[Sherry E]

Continuing on to Buena Vista Street...

This fountain is a good place to sit on a hot day, because the mist sprays your back!

This is a CM (below), dressed in vintage attire (look at the shoes!), carrying a dog, often overheard saying "Dahhhhhling...." She's fabulous!! I wanted to follow her around all day, listening to what she was saying (in 1920's/1930's speak), but I had to move on! Time was a-wastin'!


Oh, I just knew I loved Buena Vista Street already!! This is a land that my grandmother would have loved!

Here is some of the amazing detail on the facade of Trolley Treats! (Have I mentioned that I just love Buena Vista Street already?)

I wish I had been able to get a photo of this CM's face. She rode around, up and down the street, singing loudly and talking in Newsie-esque lingo. Some of the people she spoke to were not particularly appreciative of her 'staying in character' so much, and after she was out of earshot they grimaced or made comments such as "Whatever..."

This is a fantastic store, with a few different rooms - or paths leading into other stores. Each room has a sort of theme to it, which we will revisit shortly...There are some great t-shirts to be found here, too (if you like a good Mickey t-shirt!)!!

Have I mentioned that I love Buena Vista Street? Just seeing my pictures now makes me want to hurry and get back there! Notice the CM in vintage attire who is standing outside of a shop?

I guess this is the Glendale-Hyperion Bridge replica. Okay, it doesn't make as grand of a statement as the Golden Gate Bridge made, that's for sure, but it's a bridge...

​

Back with more of the beautiful Buena Vista Street in a moment...

 

[Sherry E]

Continuing to move along down Buena Vista Street....

There she goes again, riding on by!

I have no clue who this lady is, but I hope she doesn't mind that I snapped a photo - I was trying to get him in the photo! Look at his fantastic costume!

This street car was not moving, but people were enjoying climbing in it and pulling the whistle/bell thingy!

Another beautiful building!

Ugh! I hate it when people go marching through my photos!

That's better!

This amazing tile work reminds me very much of what I would see on Catalina Island (look for photos from my return-to-Catalina-Island visit next month!!)!

Bathroom sign alert!

Even the building where the lockers are located has a great facade!!

It's a bit of nostalgia for me, because in my area - and remember, I live in and grew up in an area that housed the original Pan Pacific Auditorium and is considered a part of Hollywood/West Hollywood/Beverly Hills/Miracle Mile/Fairfax District - there are still little signs and remnants of this sort of architecture and design here and there. If you go down certain streets you will see random apartment buildings that have entrances like this, or very Art Deco/retro looking motifs! When I was a kid I saw much more of this sort of architecture around the neighborhood, but it didn't have much meaning to me then. Now that Disney has embraced it and I am much older, it reminds me of the buildings I saw when I was growing up!

(If you pay attention, you will hear interesting audio and things coming from the speakers by the Locker building!)

​

More from Buena Vista Street coming up....

 

[kmedina]

Welcome! I'm glad you joined in! Thank you for the nice comments.

I didn't even go on any of the rides in CL because I was so busy with the pictures during my piddly 4 hours!

However, if I'd had small kids with me, I'm not sure that encouraging them to run out in front of a 'car' to get to the other side of the road would have been the most responsible thing to do.

There is a hidden Mickey in every hood in the windows of Ramone's House of Body Art. But that one I showed you was probably the easiest to locate. There was another hood that I looked at, and I could not tell where the hidden Mickey was for the life of me!

Kim, I hope you'll be posting photos - I'd love to see them!

Thank you. I am loving your report (for the pictures and the writing).

I am sorry that you did not get to ride anything, but it sure looks like you had a great time. Judging by how many pictures you took, I am guessing that your camera was rarely away during the preview. You got some great shots too, and I did not mind that your Ghiradelli chocolate picture was blurry at all. I love all of the touches there so much.

That cast member saying can you move sounds a little rude to me. Sounds like you handled it very well. There is no way I would have moved in front of a moving vehicle with my small kids no matter how slow it was moving unless it was really far away still.

If I remember, I will try to spot the all of the hidden Mickey's at Ramones.

I will be doing a trip report. Hopefully, we get some decent pictures. DH is not big on taking pictures, so I may need to take a few or a few hundred of my own.

Disney should have told you Buena Vista Street would be open all day. How disappointing that you missed out on Carsland time to rush over there unnecessarily. That said, I am really impressed with how beautiful Buena Vista Street looks. I was really only excited about Carsland prior to seeing pictures from you, Bret and Alison. Now, I really am looking forward to BVS as well. I am really looking forward to dining at Carthay Circle too!

 

[Sherry E]

Continuing on...

Oswald's!!! (And there are other Oswald-related things around BVS and in the shops.) Have I mentioned that I love Buena Vista Street?

This is in the window at Trolley Treats! So cute & fun!

If I'm not mistaken, I think these mugs may be in the Elias store...I can't remember!

Light fixture alert!

​

More coming up (including my favorite Mickey t-shirt)!!

 

[tksbaskets]

WOW~ I just can't wait to walk into DCA and be on BVS! I love the retro feel. I can't believe Deej hasn't popped in to comment on all the great flower and light post pictures.

I can't even imagine experiencing this in person. Smiling looking at the great photos.

Yes, I am reading along too - I hate it when strangers' body parts get in my pictures