A Bug's Life - pt 1

It may be tough to be a bug, but it's fun to play with them.

In A Bug's Land we get the chance to spend a little time with Flik

and the rest of the buggy gang. Come play with the crawly ones.

Flik's Flyers

Flik loves to float on the wind. so it's only right that he created a

ride to allow his guests the same chance. Using recycled snack

boxes and found leaves you can take a quick spin.

Take a ride

I predict you had a great flight.

Francis' Ladybug Boogie

Francis may be a Ladybug, but he sure knows how to dance.

You get  your chance to ride in your own ladybug car,

swinging and swaying to some fun tunes.

Let's Boogie

Despite the sour look, Francis hopes you had a great time.

Princess Dot's Puddle Park

Princess Dot has her own play area. This is your chance to get wet.

Run through the enormous sprinkler, or avoid the jumping fountains.

Check back on Friday for part 2 of our tour.

18 Days and Counting

Beautiful Buena Vista

more updates on what's coming down the track...

 

Dining Music at Carthay Circle

Red Car Trolley Collection

links to the Disney Parks Blog

BONUS: Sunday Supliment

Sunday Supliment

Although I am in the parks weekly, taking pictures and video, other blogs are as well. I wanted to give one of those blogs some props.  Mice Age does a great job of reporting on multiple topics including other theme parks (Knotts, Universal, Sea World, etc.)  They also get some great photo and video of things going on in those parks.  However, I am most interested in the updates for Disney related things. So, I wanted to link to the latest update they did which points out many of the DCA updates for the fast approaching Buena Vista Street and Cars Land.

You'll find the Disney update about 2/3 of the way into the article.

In The Parks

Check it out for some fabulous photos.

Unusual Sights In The Park

While I was in the park last week, taking pictures and filming clips, something a bit unusual happened.  During a normal operating day all of the attractions and features of those attractions are working in normal "show" mode. However, sometime an attraction will need to shut down unexpectedly.  This is not a huge problem for most attractions.  If Space Mountain or Tower of Terror aren't running you would not notice from outside the ride.  If California Screamin' of Thunder Mountain shut down all you will see is am empty track. But, if Small World or Grizzly River Rapids go dry (shut down and drain water) you will see boats/rafts stranded in the flume.  That's exactly what happened. Grizzly shut down and the flume was drained; river rafts were left sitting in a virtually dry flume, and all of the water features stood dry. Here are a few photos and video.

******************************************

Here is what we regularly see.

A clip of the falls falling:

But here is a veiw of Grizzly dry.

and here are two clips. First, the waterfall completely dry.

And here is what it looks like when they restart the waterfall.

It's A Jolly Holiday with Mary

video: Disney Parks Blog

The Cost of Cars

Ka-chow!  Ka-Ching! $$

How much did Cars Land cost to build?

No matter how much it cost Disney it's going to cost passholders more to see it.

Learn more about the recent change in the prices for both Annual Passholders and park tickets.

Disney Parks Blog - the official notice

Blue Sky Disney - a perspective peice

Highway In The Sky

It's a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow

Take a ride on the Disneyland Monorail -
The Highway In The Sky.

**NOTE**

Since the filming of this the Monorails have been plussed out

in preperation of Cars Land.  Read more about it and see photos here.

Night Lights in Cars Land

As we race closer to the opening of Cars Land more pictures are revealed.

Disney Parks Blog has a cool look.

Read the story and see more here.

Toy Story 2 - Lost Forever ??

You may have seen this video clip making the rounds on the internet.

I don't know how true it is, and if it is...How true? 100%, 75%, or less?

Take a look and you judge for yourself.

And... if this were true... would we ever have had

Toy Story - Midway Mania at Disney California Adventure??



Yodel Me This!

With less than a month to go to the reopening of the Matterhorn Bobsleds

here is a little behind the scenes from Walt Disney Imaginearing.

Here is a short clip I shot last week.

The mountain is all painted and waterfalls are falling.

To Infinity...

Enjoy this fun look at our favorite Space Ranger.

D Que Stat Update

Monthly I will try to give you all an update on the blog.

Here goes.

As of 5-8-12 here are a few stats about this blog:

Total Disneyland videos in archive: 5+ hours

Total Disneyland photos in archive: 800+

Total DCA videos in archive: 2.5 hours

Total DCA photos in archive: 300+

Total Resort/Downtown Disney videos in archive: (still filming)

Total Resort/Downtown Disney photos in archive 100+

I am in the parks weekly, taking photos and video.

I am always trying to add new content.

If you have any specific requests for content

leave a comment or contact me here.

BONUS: Crazy Fun

This is not directly Disney related, but it does relate in the categories of

imagination, creativity, and shear determination.  Enjoy!

Also, click over and watch this authors other videos on You Tube.

30 Days and Counting...

As we get closer to the opening of Cars Land

here are a few videos I took at the Blue Sky Cellar.

First up - the preview video from the cellar

And here are a few different angle of the mock up display case

showing what Radiator Springs will look like

Soon we will have the real thing to walk through.

June 15th can't come soon enough!

M-I-C K-E-Y

Hey, hey, hey! It's a Music Celebration...

Take some time to enjoy one of the most upbeat parades Disneyland has ever produced.

 

 

Mater sheds light on Cars Land

The first promo clip from Disney:

 

 

and be sure to visit

 

the new Cars Land website

Baroque Hoedown - Back on Main Street

It was 40 years ago (as of June 17th) that we first heard that familiar electrical sound.

The lights up and down Main Street USA were dimmed and then went out.

A hush fell over the crowd, as a bright blue glow came around the corner.

And then, in all majesty, comes the Blue Fairy right out of the Pinocchio movie.

To this day I cannot hear Baroque Hoedown without imagining that image.

Now, after almost 40 years, the magical lights, sounds, and motion of the

Electrical Parade return to Main Street.

The Main Street Electrical Parade

in miniature

and here we see "behind the scenes".

I hope you enjoyed the video. It really brought back great memories for me.

Fantasmic at 20

Did you know that Fantasmic, a Disneyland Original,

is no longer a teenager and turns 20 this week?
This is one Fantastic Fantasmic 20 year old.

Read More Here

Be sure to read the comments. Lots of cool details there.

A Goofy Vacation at the Disneyland Resort

Don't be Goofy - Book your vacation today!

video: Disneyland Resort & Disney Parks Blog

Running Grizzly, Hidden Splash Zone - part 2

It's time to end our hibernation and wake the grizzly again to continue our tour of Grizzly River Rapids. To review part 1 of this report click here. Now let's move on...

As we continue our tour of the Grizzly Peak Recreation Area we see the continuation of the theming surrounding the Grizzly River Rapids raft ride. 

As we exit the Que area and turn left, crossing in front of the Rushin' River shop,

we follow the rafts and flume around to the lift hill.

We pass through the mill...

...and head up the lift hill.

After crossing under the left hill, and dodging some water splash,

we come across what looks like and gold and mining company.

 

 Across the road we spot the ore carts and chutes.

 

 A large wooden door, designed to look like an ore cart storage bin, sits next to the chutes.

 Embedded in the path are rails that cross over toward the ride load area.

We see the remnants of an old cart there. 

 We can also spot and old rusted out vehicle, possibly used by the miners or rangers. 

 Of course this whole area is visible from the load area...

Scenic things like this are often placed in/around a ride area to both enhance the experience and hopefully draw the guest to explore further. This is the immersive theming that Disney is known for and has made world famous.

Continuing down the pathway we see more theme items: a wooden canoe...

...warning signs about rocks falling... 

 ...and beautiful foliage. 

The sound of thunderous water is just around the corner. 

 We finally re-emerge at the base of Frog Jump Falls.

 exiting past bubbling geysers and the ride splashdown.

 

That completes the tour of Grizzly Peak Recreation Area.

But wait! There's more...

 

After leaving Condor Flats area we move back into the park.

If you follow the parade corridor towards Paradise Pier you see more theming.

On the hillside behind the Blue Sky Cellar are grapevines, which theme to nearby restaurant.

 And, of course, another waterfall. This one is a photo spot backdrop.

Currently it is a photo op for Lightning McQueen & Mater.

This will undoubtedly change once Cars Land opens.

Enjoy the view.

  

  

Thanks for visiting the Grizzly River area.

 

Coming Soon... On Ride Video of Grizzly River Rapids.