Posts Tagged ‘Disneyland’

Ten Years of California Adventure

Tuesday, February 8th, 2011

Wow! How did I miss this today? It’s February 8th!! Today’s the tenth anniversary of Disney’s California Adventure theme park!

Here’s the Orange County Register story on it: “Disney park makes impact over 10 years“.

Personally I think the park has its shortcomings – it was cheap from the start, quite frankly – so it’s nice that they’re now investing in renovations and additions. However, I always though that the park had a certain charm to it. I really became quite fond of it in my last few years in California.

At the time it opened I was living in Burbank, and although I had gone to an Employee Preview day in January (see My thoughts on Disney’s California Adventure) I still decided to make the drive down to Orange County on that first Thursday night.

I also wrote about that trip (see Only in California!).

Ten years later I still like my opening:

Imagine an event so special, it’s only taken place seven times over the past 46 years. The next three times it happens, it won’t even be on North America. And I live only 34 miles away from it.

Yesterday, Disney’s California Adventure opened.

Yesterday, I drove down to Anaheim after work.

I mean, c’mon, who knows where the next Stateside Disney Theme Park is going to be? And I’m sure as hell not going to Tokyo DisneySea in 2001, Disney Studios Paris in 2002, or Honk Kong Disneyland in 2005! But I’m here now, so I figured I’d go for it.

Prescient really, as there hasn’t been a new park in the US since!

There hasn’t even been a new one since Hong Kong, and Shanghai Disneyland is still four years out.

Anyway, I took a roll or two of photos that night, too. Here’s one of the Sun Icon fountain, one of my favorite Disney subjects. Sadly it’s on the chopping block and will be removed in the renovations.

Anyway, happy birthday, California Adventure!

New California Adventure Posters

Thursday, January 27th, 2011

One of my favorite things about Disney is the attraction posters from the theme parks.

With California Adventure getting a new design and new facelift, they’ve made new posters:

Check out: “New Attraction Posters Paint a Fresh Vision of Paradise Pier“.

Mickey Hates Muslims, too? Shit.

Tuesday, August 24th, 2010

Yuh-oh. Nobody wins here: “Disneyland Prohibits Muslim Worker from Wearing Hijab on the Job, Suit Claims.”

Happy Birthday Disneyland

Saturday, July 17th, 2010

On July 17, 1955, Disneyland opened in Anaheim, California.

After 55 years, I think it’s safe to say to truly is a source of joy and inspiration to all the world.

Disneyland Hotel Pool

Friday, May 28th, 2010

Yesterday the Disney Parks Blog released some concept art for the Disneyland Hotel Makeover. One of the centerpieces of the blog is the redesign for the pool that lies at the center of the hotel’s three towers. Currently the pool is themed to Peter Pan characters. Soon it’ll be a little bigger and splashier (excuse the pun):

Showing my age, as soon as I saw this I thought, “But they just re-did the pool the year I moved to California!”

Which was in 1998.

Yeah, I guess it’s time for a makeover, eh?

Shermans Get a Window

Friday, March 12th, 2010

Robert and Richard Sherman are the songwriters behind a host of tunes from Disney movies such as Mary Poppins, The Jungle Book, and The Aristocats as well as theme park attractions such as It’s a Small World, Carousel of Progress (both the original and the 1975 revamp), Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room, and my personal favorite, Journey Into Imagination.

Well yesterday they received the highest honor that a Disney theme park can bestow – a window on Disneyland’s Main Street, U.S.A.

Check out: “Songwriting brothers get window in Disneyland.”

Lost Theme Park Attraction

Tuesday, March 2nd, 2010

I have no idea what website this came from, or what a “PaleyFest” is, but this article popped up on my radar yesterday: “‘Lost’ Creators Want to Get the Finale Right – PaleyFest Report.”

Most of it was useless info, but then there was this bit:

the most exciting bit of news for series fans might be that Disney is considering turning the island attraction at Disneyland (once the ‘Swiss Family Robinson’ Tree House, later a ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’-themed scene). Yes, ‘Lost Island.’ Theme park fans should stay tuned.

Awesome!

The problem is … it doesn’t make sense.

See, Disneyland (in California) had a Swiss Family Treehouse that turned into Tarzan’s Treehouse about a decade ago. No Pirates to be seen.

In case they messed up their coasts, Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdon (in Florida) has a Swiss Family Treehouse that’s still Swiss.

The Pirate Treehouse just doesn’t exist.

I think the attraction to which they are referring is actually Disneyland’s Pirate’s Lair on Tom Sawyer Island.

In 2007 the island, formerly all Tom Sawyery, was invaded by Pirates for the release of Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End. They still haven’t left yet.

It’d be relatively cheap to overlay Lost on the island, and it’d be a huuuugggggeee draw. Especially for the repeat crowd in Southern California.

Yep, Sawyer on Tom Sawyer’s Island? Let the in-jokes begin …