Mrs. DLT Sets Me Straight On Glow With The Show

Glow With The Show Lighted Mouse Ears
A ThemeParkInsider.com photo

As she is not shy about doing, Mrs. DisneylandTraveler told me I was missing the point about the Glow With The Show events at the World of Color. It's an enhancement to the show where now the spectator is part of the show itself rather than a distant viewer. My point about 4000 people all wearing the same night light on their heads removes the individual spectator and replaces it with a mass ensemble of sheep was, well... all wet.

Here is the one thing we did agree on. Twenty-five bucks for the ears? My niece and her husband go to Disneyland quite often. She has four kids. Let's see...mom, dad, kids X 4 - sounds like $150. Ouch! 

Here is another problem that has surfaced since my original post yesterday. Most of the video of the World of Color Glow With the Show out on the internet came from a press preview event last Thursday. Everyone watching World of Color was given a set of ears to put on. No one had to lay out the $25. When the regular World of Color shows ran over the weekend, only a few people in the audience were actually wearing the lighted ears. There's a big difference when there are only 40 people with lighted ears on viewing the show compared to a couple of thousand. It loses a lot of impact, a lot.

And someone else pointed out another issue. You are spending $25 to watch other people's heads. You can't see your own. How do you know your own head is glowing with the show?

Disney is holding special Glow With The Show events for select annual pass holders later in the month. Once again, Disney will distribute the expensive ears for free. The hope is that if they can get annual pass holders to return to the park with the ears and participate in glow events then maybe the idea will catch on and everybody will want the ears. Seems like a stretch, a really big stretch...

Let's Glow With The Show....Or Not

Glow With The Show at World of Color
An O.C. Register Photo

As mentioned, I'm a sports guy. I like sports. Currently on tap is the NBA Finals with the Miami Heat (boo) vs. the  Oklahoma City Thunder (yah). Both teams, especially OKC, have rabid fans. And both teams do something similar. Before every game a cheap t-shirt is draped across the expensive seats that are within view of the TV cameras. It is hoped that everyone puts the t-shirt on. What is presented on TV is a sea of white if you are Miami at home and a sea of blue if you are OKC at home, basically the fans are wearing the same color as home uniforms of the players. Now it may look like a united front on TV with players and fans all wearing the same colors, but I struggle with this lemming type of behavior. Whatever happened to the individual? If I were fortunate enough to get one of these expensive seats, there would be no way I would put on the same shirt just because "everyone else is doing it". As my Dad said years ago, "if everyone else was doing it, would you jump off the Golden Gate Bridge too?" (his examples were a bit on the extreme side).

Which brings me to the great "Glow with the Show" experiment which is being test run with spectators of the World of Color water show at Disney California Adventure. Special lighted Mickey Ears can be worn which will turn colors to match what is being presented with the show itself. Emitters placed around Paradise Pier send signals to the ears telling your noggin to change colors. Yep, there is a certain amount of technology going on here but I'm not interested enough to try and explain it. I'm trying to figure out the purpose of doing the exact same thing as a few thousand other people standing there watching the show. I'm there to watch the World of Color, not look around and watch the top of people's heads. To me, the idea seems kind of lame. But I'm also perfectly willing to admit that this could be just me as there are people desperately trying to get into the special Glow With The Show World of Color. Did I mention the special ears cost $25? You get to look like the people standing next to you, Disney pockets large amounts of cash from ear sales.

I'm no fun at all.

Check out a few minutes of YouTube video from Glow With the Show from wdwinfo.com and decide for yourself.

Early Votes Are In - Cars Land Is A Hit

You know when you watch election returns on TV (do people still do that?) and as soon as the polls close a whole bunch of votes come in from the already counted absentee ballots of people who voted early? Well, the early votes are in on Cars Land and I think we have a pretty clear winner. The place is a hit though not without faults (like most politicians).

The Clear Winners

Radiator Springs Racers - One of the best attractions ever built by Disney. Fully immersed in theming and fun for the whole family, RSR delivers in a big way. The only complaints I read about were those who wished there were more indoor dark rides scenes or thought maybe the car was just a little too quick going by them. 

Cars Land at Night - Dripping with multi-colored neon with the flood-lit Cadillac Mountain Range in the background, the place looks absolutely stunning at night. It will be an absolute DCA must to catch the moment of the day when they turn the lights on with "Sha-Boom, Sha-Boom, Life Can Be a Dream" playing in the background.

Positive Plusses

Flo's V8 Cafe - The new counter service restaurant is large and spacious with indoor and outdoor seating. Most have commented how much they have enjoyed the main course entrees (beef, turkey, or pork) and really like the apple - cheddar pie. Flo's also serves breakfast though I saw a few negative comments with the breakfast offerings, the most common being what was supposed to be a hot meal came out a little cold. Any DCA restaurant that will serve Racer 5 IPA on tap is OK in The Disneyland Traveler's book. 

Mater's Junkyard Jamboree - This little ride has proved to be quite enjoyable for people of all ages and provides a pretty good jolt of fun as it whips you around. It's a keeper. Not a fast loading ride though. There will be an always present fairly long line.

Cars Land Exclusive Merchandise - The merchandise being sold that is exclusive to the Cars Land area was flying off the shelves. It was being purchased so fast in fact that Disney had to pull some of the hot sellers back in order to have stock for the opening this weekend.

Seemed Like A Good Idea At The Time

Luigi's Flying Tires - This was supposed to be the successful return of the Tomorrowland's Flying Saucers attraction of the 1960's. Well that ride had to be taken out after only about 5 years of operation. It was extremely slow loading and required a large operational and mechanical staff to keep it running. Guess what? Luigi may face the exact same problems. Only about 400 people an hour can ride the 90 second ride. It requires a staff of cast members to be on hand to tell people how to operate the thing and the tires get stuck in corners requiring cast members to dangerously go out and physically push the stuck vehicles. Those who get the hang of operating the ride kind of like it, but the operational overhead may just not be worth it. Most complain the queue line moves excruciatingly slow but has nice theming. Unless the wait is 30 minutes or less, it just doesn't seem to be worth it and once it goes into full operation this weekend, it will NEVER be less than a 30 minutes wait. Trouble.

Cozy Corn Motel Food Stands - Looks nice and may still work out OK but having 5 separate cones each selling a different food item and specialty drink has proved to be a problem with the large number of guests in Cars Land. Lines to get the food, even something as simple as popcorn or churros, move extremely slow and then there is the problem of what to do when members of your traveling party can't agree what food items to get. Jumping from cone to cone for different food items proved to be impossible. Once you pick a cone, you are pretty much committed to what that cone has to offer because the wait could be a half hour or more. Ugh!

This Could Be Bad

It's Hot In Here - MiceAge started a thread with some people complaining about the lack of shade, the high numbers of people, and the absorption of heat. Getting overheated is never a good thing. Inside at Flo's enjoying a Racer 5 might be a popular past time.

Let The Madness Begin! Mad T Party Soft Opens in DCA

Entrance to Mad T Party - USA Today Travel

Though Disney California Adventure's Mad T Party street party isn't officially scheduled to open until June 15th with the rest of the DCA relaunch, last night the audio visual assault on ones senses soft opened to an enthusiastic crowd of mostly a younger demographic than the ol' Disneyland Traveler here. Colorful? You bet. Upbeat? C'mon, it's a party after all. Weird? Well, there's that too.

Anyway, my favorite Disneyland (and all things Southern California) YouTube videographer - Asianjma123 - has already uploaded the Walk Thru of last night's premiere of Mad T Party. Enjoy the sights and sounds in his video.

I was pretty hard on ElecTRONica in some of my posting over the last year until it closed up for good. The street party concept in DCA, now in it's 3rd generation, is just something that seems foreign to my vision of a Disney experience. But they are very popular with a certain age group and Disney parks are supposed to be for people of all ages. I'm not going to be as hard on Mad T Party as I was with ElecTRONica. Mad T Party already has a big plus for me by confining the rigging, sets, and equipment to the plaza area outside Monsters Inc and Stage 17 rather than having it sprawl all over the Backlots (now Hollywoodland) area like the obtrusive ElecTRONica. (My other issue with ElecTRONica was that at just under 2 years, it just lasted far longer than it should have)

Anyway, if Mad T Pary is still playing when Mrs. DisneylandTraveler and I make our next trip, we'll make it a point to stop by and take pictures and shoot video to check the box and prove that we were there. I'll stand around scratch my head and wear a look of bemused puzzlement. I'll need one of those $11.50 cocktails to reel in my sanity. And once we've spent about a half hour taking in the sights and sounds, we'll move on probably never to return to the Mad T Party, just like our ElecTRONica experience. 

House of Cards - Mad T Party - USA Today Travel

Cars Land at Night - 30 Amazing Seconds

The video below is only 30 seconds long and was shown in ABC's Modern Family Disneyland episode last night. The Mater voice drives me up a wall but the spectacular video of Cars Land lit up at night more than makes up for it. This place is going to be amazing. This place is going to be CROWDED.

End of Line Club

I posted the following to MousePlanet Forum a little while ago.  It bears repeating here I suppose.  ElecTRONica is over, my life can now move on.

______________________

OK... I may be in the minority, or maybe the majority (but in the end my vote doesn't count) but tonight brings a merciful end to ElecTRONica, a spectacle that should have had a shelf life of 6 months tops but somehow managed to live close to a year and a half. I guess there are some dance-off finals going on but in my world, I'm just doing a quiet happy dance because the production is being shown the exit door, don't let it hit you in the rear on the way out. Imagine, no more tweets from Disney to my cell phone announcing who tonight's DJ is going to be. I can't hit the DELETE button fast enough for these.

And so ElecTRONica is gone only to be replaced by something that seems to be even more savagely attacked by bloggers and forum posters - this Mad T Party, which only saving grace may be that it promises to be less obtrusive and occupy a smaller footprint in the new Hollywood Land than its predecessor. Disney missed the boat. This would have been the perfect time to bring in an Avengers audio-visual spectacle with the anticipated blockbuster hitting the movie screens in a few weeks. Kids would have ate it up as would their parents unless they are part of the "KEEP MARVEL OUT" contingent. Then again, with all thats going on with DCA this summer, did Disney really need to bring in something that would have brought even more people into a park that may present opportunities for grid-lock?

But I Miss the Electrical Parade (I Think)

With all the excitement about Cars Land and Buena Vista Street opening up in what now seems to be weeks instead of forever, the plans are to resume the Pixar Play Parade (slightly upgraded according to insiders) on what is now an incredibly long parade route winding through Disney California Adventure.  The new route now extends from the Tower of Terror in Hollywood Land through the front section of Paradise Pier.  That should allow plenty of space to allow spectators to enjoy views (including packaged premium views) without the claustrophobic conditions that can exist in Disneyland with parade viewing.

Now don't get me wrong, I really like the Pixar Play Parade the far superior effort to its Block Party Bash predecessor.  PPP has great parade pieces, a catchy musical score, and provides some degree of fun for everyone (though not everyone - Mrs. DisneylandTraveler - enjoys being squirted with water).

There was a time when DCA ran both the Pixar Play Parade (late afternoons) and Disney's Electrical Parade (after dark) on the same days.  When DCA went into major construction overhaul, the Electrical Parade was sent packing to Orlando.  Is it time to ask for it back?

They Electrical Parade is a classic.  But its also one of those things where you really can get too much of a good thing.  Like the it's a small world attraction over in Disneyland the music of DEP can grate on a person with repetitive viewing.  And the parade has been around for so many years in both Disneyland and Disney California Adventure that its most impressive pieces seem a bit tiresome.  I really don't need to see Pete's Dragon a dozen times.

But I have to admit, I kind of miss the Electrical Parade now that its been gone awhile. If it were to come back (and I don't think there are any plans to bring it back just yet) I would want to see it again.  Its like seeing an old friend.  But I would also have to say that after seeing it, I might be good for a few years from not seeing it and maybe that's why Disney should keep it away for awhile longer.  Let the longing keep building to where when it does come back, it will pack people in.

Then there is the logistics factor.  How can the Disney Electrical Parade (in DCA anyway) co-exist with the nightime World of Color crowds?  Not sure how to work that out but if Disneyland can figure out away to run two Fantasmic shows, fireworks, and a parade in the evening hours, I'm sure some bright guy can come up with a workable schedule.  

I don't need the Electrical Parade just yet.  Maybe by next year, it would be welcomed back with open arms.

The Madness Starts June 15

Mad T Party logo - Artwork from Disney Parks Blog

Nothing like having a party and inviting the world - Disney Parks Blog (link) announced this past week that along with Cars Land and Buena Vista Street, June 15th will also be the date for the premier of Mad T Party, the DCA street party replacement for ElecTRONica (and before that - Glowfest). The blog entry features some artwork for the Mad T Party costuming which can be described as interesting to say the least.

When did they start make male Bratz dolls?

Mad T Party costuming artwork - Disney Parks Blog

Mad T Party costuming artwork - Disney Parks Blog 

A Look Back and Ahead to the Carthay Circle Theater

Disney Conceptual Model for the Carthay Circle Theater at DCA

Well they couldn't build another castle. When Disney announced their 1.1 billion dollar expansion of Disney California Adventure they knew they needed a signature structure, a park focal point, something sorely lacking in the original DCA. What to do, what to do... The new theme for the entrance of DCA was early Hollywood in the 1920s and 30's when a young Walt first came to town and made his mark. I'm sure imagineers pouring over black and white photos didn't have to look too far before they came up with the striking Carthay Circle Theater in Hollywood. And the theater had a history with Disney because this where Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Walt's first feature length animated film, made its stunning premier in 1937.

Well now that the imagineers had a structure they had to give it a purpose. This is were it got kind of murky for awhile. The early stories had the building becoming a kind of tribute to Walt Disney, part museum, part exhibition hall for treasures of the Disney archives. A sort of west coast version of Walt Disney World's One Man's Dream. Disney wasn't saying. They let people believe what the wanted to believe, their only commitment was to build the structure.

And then the story began to change. It wasn't going to be a museum at all. It was going to be a restaurant. And I think all but the ardent traditionalists were OK with that. Goodness knows...the Disneyland parks need good restaurants. Besides, when Disney digs down deep, despite the rich history and legacy, few people care about museums. One Man's Dream in WDW is sparsely attended. I remember looking intently and fascinated by the actual office of Walt Disney when it was set up behind glass inside the Disneyland's Opera House but as I recall, I looked at it pretty much alone most of the time as the other people milling around stared into the piece of Disney history for all of 5 seconds then moved on.

And then there is the other side of the coin so to speak. Disney has to actually pay of the DCA expansion. There is no money in people wandering around a museum once they have paid their way through the turnstiles. There is money to be made if the structure actually housed a restaurant. Then things became more clearer. This wasn't going to be just a restaurant, this was going to a high end restaurant, a sort of Napa Rose inside the park. And you know what you need with a high end restaurant? That's right, a cocktail lounge avoiding the use of the word 'bar' for now.

Finally, the DCA revenue stream that is the Carthay Circle Theater (Restaurant and Bar) came to complete fruition. Not one bar but two with one being reserved for Club 33 members at the premium level. There you have it - a high-end, high dollar restaurant, two high price lounges with one tied to Club 33 membership, the money was going to roll in huge on a daily basis.  Ooops, Disney always looking to squeeze every last dollar bill out of your bank account, took a look at the Carthay Theater structure and said to themselves "We've got a second floor, we've room for an outside patio or two. we got a parade that is going to run right out front - let's go for the moon with dining and parade packages. Ca-Ching!!!!"

Sarcastic as I may sound, I don't have a problem with any of this. Most of Disneyland and DCA is for kids. Giving adults a chance to pamper themselves with a wonderful (albeit expensive) meal with wine and perhaps a before dinner and after dinner drink inside a Disney park sounds absolutely wonderful. I'll just have to make sure I get that loan approved before I make the reservation.

The real Carthay Circle Theater in Hollywood.

A Moment of Silence for the Passing of ElecTRONica

ElecTRONica Dancer - A Disney Parks Blog Photo

I just read in Disney Parks Blog (link to story) that ElecTRONica will shut down the portal permanently April 15th.  Pardon me while I have a moment of silence for its passing followed by a short prayer of thanksgiving.  Good riddance to the tons of Audio/Video equipment that ruined a perfectly nice walk through the Backlots area.  Laseman - nice to see you....once....that was quite enough....and to the obnoxious emcee and all the DJs....don't let the exit gate hit you in the rear on your way out of the park. As for the neon cocktails -I'm sure we'll meet again.  There's no way something that should have had a 6 months lifespan - tops - made it close to a year and a half.  And lets hear no more nonsense talk of a permanent TRON attraction in Tomorrowland.  The movie was no John Carter in the bombing category but its success was marginal at best and nothing to hang your hat as an attraction for decades extending into the future. Good-bye ElecTRONica - you milked a pretty good ride even though I was done with you a year ago...

And The Mickey Goes To.... (2012)

We are smack in the middle of award season culminating with the Academy Awards sometime in March (not sure when, I seldom watch the show and if I do, it's probably because Mrs DisneylandTraveler made me).  I think Woody Allen used a variation of the following line many years ago in his great film Annie Hall "I can't believe it, they give an award for everything....".  The Disneyland Traveler is no different as I pass out my Mickey awards for 2012 that looks back at The Disneyland Resort in 2011 (note: in my world, you can win the award over and over again). So here we go with some fun.

Best Disneyland Resort Table Service Restaurant (inside the park)....and the Mickey goes to ... The Blue Bayou.  Yeah... the meal is expensive, especially at dinner, and the food may not justify the price, but the Blue Bayou is all about the setting.

Best Multi-Media Show ... and the Mickey goes to .... Fantasmic (beating out World of Color and A Christmas Fantasy Parade)

Best Cup of Coffee in park....  and the Mickey goes to .... The Market House (there isn't even a close second).

Best Dark Ride.... and the Mickey goes to.... Roger Rabbit's Cartoon Spin.

Best Interactive Ride Where Points Are Awarded .... and the Mickey goes to.... Toy Story Mania (too bad the wait is so long that you can't really play over and over again)

Best Sweet Treat ... and the Mickey goes to...  Dole Pineapple Whip (or Float)

Best Food That Comes Out Of A Cart... and the Mickey goes to... The Chocolate Covered Banana

Best Food Item Less Than 5 bucks... and the Mickey goes to... Safari Skewer (bacon wrapped asparagus) from Bengal BBQ

Best Animatronic.... and the Mickey goes to... Abraham Lincoln (watch the hand movements amazing).

Best Cast Member Uniform (Outfit The Disneyland Traveler Would Be Least Embarrassed to Wear.... and the Mickey goes to.... the Soarin' Over California jumpsuit

Best Show with Live Performers.... and the Mickey goes to.... Billy Hill and the Hillbillies

Best Beer Served in DCA... and the Mickey Goes to.... Karl Straus Red Trolley Ale

Best Counter Service Restaurant (Cafeteria Style).... and the Mickey goes to... The French Market

Best Counter Service Restaurant (Walk Up Window Style).... and the Mickey goes to... Cocina Cucamonga... (tough vote in this category but the chicken tamales are really good and you can get a beer to wash them down with....)

Best Counter Service Restaurant That Only Serves One Food Item....  and the Mickey goes to.... Corn Dog from The Red Wagon... ( I had to sneak a Disneyland corn dog in here somewhere)

Best World of Color Dining Package... and the Mickey goes to... Ariel's Grotto - dinner package

The Kurt Russsell Achievement Award for an Actor Who Shows Up In Disney Movies Over and Over Again.....and the special award goes to.... Johnny Depp.

Best In Park Retail Store.... and the Mickey goes to...  Off The Page

Best New Attraction Opened in 2011.... and the Mickey goes to.... Star Tours.... (yeah, a remake of an existing attraction but its changed enough to consider it all new.... I haven't been on it but all those people who rave about it can't be wrong).

Best Ride That's a 1955 Park Opening Original.... and the Mickey goes to....  The Jungle Cruise

Best Ride That Represents the Creative Genius of Walt Disney... and the Mickey goes to... Pirates of the Caribbean

Special Disneyland Lifetime Achievement Award....a tip of the scorcer's hat and the special award goes to Chef Oscar at the Carnation Cafe... 56 years and still going strong (and still doesn't know when he's going to retire).

Best TV Show On A Disney Owned Network... and the Mickey goes to.... PTI (Pardon the Interruption) ESPN (thanks Tony and Mike for all the entertainment)

Best Restaurant Downtown Disney... and the Mickey goes to... Naples (pizza to die for).

Best Downtown Disney Quick Snack Food... and the Mickey goes to.... Beignets - Ralph Brennan's Jazz Kitchen Express

Best Disney Movie of 2011... and the Mickey goes to... Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (slim pickings in 2011 and I haven't seen The Muppets.  I reserve the right to change my vote later).

Best Themed Ride (Disneyland)... and the Mickey goes to...  The Haunted Mansion

Best Themed Ride (DCA)... and the Mickey goes to.... The Hollywood Tower of Terror

Best Ride in Either Park (Ride of the Year)... and the Mickey goes to... Pirates of the Caribbean

Best Park Character.... and the Mickey goes to.... Mickey Mouse, of course

******

Check back on Monday when I post my 2012 Irate Donald Awards for the worst of the Disneyland Resort in 2011.  I would have posted those awards first but then I would be accused of being negative and a curmudgeon (both of which are true).

Minnie's Fly Girls Debuts Today at DCA

Minnie's Fly Girls Song & Dance Show at DCA - Disney Parks Blog Photo

Disney Parks Blog just posted that today is the opening of the Minnie's Fly Girl song and dances show at Disney California Adventure park in the Condor Flats area (across of Soarin'). Great, another DCA pop up show I can see once then move on.

That sounds a bit sarcastic. Actually, a small show that provides entertainment from one of Disney's classic characters would be a welcomed addition and I believe would be far better received by the Disney public than the song and dance shows based on Disney Channel shows that have limited popularity and are often the subject of ridicule (i.e. High School Musical). A mini-Minnie show might just hit a welcomed spot.

Who's the lucky guy that gets to appear in the Fly Girls show?

Minnie's Fly Girls - A Disney Parks Blog Photo

The Good, the Bad, and the Return of the Mad Hatter

Artwork for Mad T Party - Disney Parks Blog

Disney Parks Blog announced this past week the long rumored replacement for the ElecTRONica street party in Disney California Adventure. Al Lutz first reported about an Alice in Wonderland / Mad Hatter themed street party coming to DCA in his MiceAge.com column several months back but now its official that a Mad T Party will make its debut in DCA this summer. Of course, this isn't based on Walt Disney's Alice in Wonderland characters, it's the Tim Burton / Johnny Depp version the proved to be such a major hit for Disney in the theaters last year. 

So here we go again.... Mrs. DisneylandTraveler and I managed one evening gawking at ElecTRONica and that was enough. Laserman - interesting, the rest of it was pretty much an assault on your eyes and ears. It can't go away soon enough for me. And now we bring on a Mad T Party another garish assault on our senses based on another movie we really didn't care for. I think we are showing our age and demographic here as the street parties, beginning with the original GlowFest, have proved to very popular especially with the local Southern California passholders. The freak show will also continue to provide Disney an excuse to sell exorbitantly priced adult beverages to an assembled mass of party goers. There is profit in that spectacle. Where is the Electrical Parade when you need it?

So the Good - farewell ElecTRONica (more like good riddance). The Bad - the continuation of street parties - good Disney family entertainment? Not so much. And the eerie specter of Depp's Mad Hatter doesn't seem like its going to fade away to memory any time soon. 

You can read more about the Mad T Party in Disney Parks Blog - here.

Are You Sure About This Cars Land Thing?

Disney has got several hundred million bucks invested in this Cars Land expansion and without a doubt the pictures that are still coming out of the soon to be opened land (June 2012) show a level of detail that is second to none. A reasonably close rendition of Radiator Springs will spring to life but is Disney sure about hitching something that is supposed to last generations to the Cars movie franchise?

I watched Cars 2 on blu-ray last night. Without a doubt, it is the worst thing from Pixar that I have seen (my previous Pixar low water mark was Finding Nemo). Now to be fair, the computer generated graphics and especially the use of color, light, and reflection are eye popping but there is a movie behind dazzling colors and that movie isn't very good. I could go on and on about why I didn't like it but it comes down to too much Larry the Cable Guy and taking the simple charm of the original Cars on a globe trotting spy chase almost seems like something that would come out of an old copy of Mad Magazine.

It was fun to see the Radiator Springs on the screen (what little of it there was) and compare it to what is being built in Southern California but building a land on the movie franchise where its last effort was horrid seems a bit of a head scratcher. The original concept of Cars land wasn't based on the movie at all but the original Route 66 that wound its way half way across this country once upon a time. But Disney in their never ending quest to tie their brands and franchises together in profitable packages moved into the Pixar Cars realm. Hopefully Cars Land comes together better than Cars 2 the movie.

Fantasmic Vs. World of Color

As far the epic battles are concerned, the war of words that center on the question "Which is a better show - Fantasmic or World of Color?" doesn't amount to a hill of beans. But Disneyland fans, not short on having opinions, definitely do line up on one side or another. Now many of them will say both shows are great (they are) but if you pushed their backs up against the wall, they would give you in detail why they prefer one of the night time shows over the other. The Disneyland Traveler is no different.

I'm a Fantasmic guy pure and simple. I've probably seen the show more than a dozen times over the years and I have to say I admire its creativity and imagination each and every time. This is some of Disney imagineer's best work. What Fantasmic does that World of Color fails to do is tell a story that builds to a climatic finish. Twenty-five minutes of pure Disney magic. And for all his prominence throughout Disneyland, this is a Mickey attraction. Although he has a house in ToonTown, there are no Mickey Mouse rides or attractions in Disneyland itself minus his appearances in parades or on the screens at the Main St. Cinema. Yes, Fantasmic is Mickey's chance to triumphantly shine in his own park by slaying the villains that creep into his imagination. It's a great story and one that bares watching over and over again.

Now watching the ever popular Fantasmic is a bit of a challenge but most Disneyland regulars have their own ways of spectating the event whether its staking out a perfect viewing spot for hours or just dropping in shortly before the show is about to begin. An evening of Fantasmic is what you make of it.

World of Color in Disney California Adventure is spectacular as I mentioned in my previous post World of Color or My Aching Feet blog post back in August. My feelings about the show are pretty much summed up in there. In the end, as impressive as the water display is, it just doesn't scream out Disney and seems more of a Las Vegas type of show - big, impressive, but somewhat shallow. And the idea of having to get a show pass to see the show seems rather intrusive (necessary, but intrusive). Hopefully in the future, as California Adventure completes all its expansion, the viewing of World of Color at least in the off seasons (what few of them are left) is a walk up affair and not something you have to plan a day around.

If I were to ask Mrs. DisneylandTraveler "On our next trip to Disneyland, do you want to do a World of Color dining package?"  (the thought of waiting in the GRR fast pass line isn't appealing at all)  I'm pretty sure the dining part of it would be appealing to her but the thought of the World of Color standing and waiting ordeal would not be appealing. All the water in the world being sprayed hundreds of feet in the air just isn't worth standing around and waiting for a couple of hours for the show to start. Now that we've seen WOC a few times (4 for me), I think we're good for a few years.

Why I'm Not A Fan Of The Lion King - Sorry

As mentioned in my What's New In Disney News - Vol 2 post a couple of weeks ago, Disney's animated classic The Lion King is having something of a rebirth.  Now remastered in 3D, Disney re-released the 17 year old film in theaters for what was supposed to be a two week limited engagement before the new 3D version hits retail stores with all the special packaging sometime here in October.  Well that limited engagement has been 3 weeks now as The Lion King remains on top, or close to the top of the weekly box office reports.  My post a few weeks back ended with "Three cheers for The Lion King" as I can only tip my hat to the magic of Disney taking down all comers with a 17 year old movie.

But....

I am not a big fan of The Lion King.  You can admire its brilliant animation qualities, its triumphant story line, its wonderful musical score, and I certainly do but for me, The Lion King possesses one key element that I find horribly unsettling and is present in many Disney animated features going back to the time of Walt Disney. And that is the need to tragically, and often quite sadly, kill off a featured character.  Does death belong in an animated movie that is primarily targeted for children?  I come up on the 'No' side of that argument and I find the Mufasa death scene absolutely heartbreaking in a movie I really want to enjoy.  The Circle of Life doesn't always trump death.

And for the life of me, I cannot explain why Disney imagineers would want to include the Mufasa death scene in World of Color.  It almost seems like an over the top grab at an audience's emotional heart strings rather than letting a story naturally play out.  For me, this almost cheap grasping at sentimintality keeps the show from being all it could be.  Three cheers for The Lion King but in the theaters or buying the new version in the store, I'll pass.

Aldaddin - A Magical Musical Spectacular

Yesterday at the 4:45 pm performance of Aladdin A Musical Spectacular (that is performed 5 days a week at DCA's Hyperion Theater) the magic carpet that soars above the theater with Aladdin and Jasmine riding it while performing A Whole New World, flipped upside down leaving the two performers hanging in the air by their safety harnesses. The audience was quickly removed and the performers were brought down safely.  Thankfully, no one was hurt. Here is a short YouTube video of the performers dangling from the magic carpet as the audience evacuates:

All Disney accidents are investigated. Sometimes internally. Sometimes by safety officials (OSHA). In either case, I would suspect at least a temporary interruption in the performances of the 50 minute stage show that has a large cast and entertains guests by the thousands each day. Another story has come out that performances would continue but without the flying carpet sequence (the highlight of the show).

Aladdin is one of the jewels of Disney California Adventure and is easily one of the top ten attractions in either park.  This is a true Broadway musical in an abbreviated form but at 50 minutes it still packs music, adventure, comedy, and stunning stage visuals by the score as the story, based on the animated Aladdin film, is told.  I have to say I have probably seen Aladdin 8 to 10 times and enjoyed every single minute of it with the only drawback being having to stand in that miserable queue line outside, as they don't let the guests in until right before show time. 

The Whole New World segment is one of my Disneyland (DCA in this case) goosebump moments.  To see Aladdin and Jasmine soaring above you (or below you if you are well up in the balcony) with that beautiful song being sung is just one of those pure Disney magic moments.

A year or so ago, Disney tried to remove Aladdin. They floated out the rumor of a new stage show (Toy Story The Musical) coming to replace Aladdin and it was immediately met with a chorus of "NO, DON'T DO IT" from the throng of fans of the show. The rumor quickly faded away however, the idea of a new show coming on board once all of the construction/expansion is complete is still strong.

If you go to Disneyland and haven't seen Aladdin.....put it on your must-do list. Yes, it does take a chunk of time both in the performance and the wait to get in but it is well worth it. It's a delight for guests of all ages.

The Amazing Toy Story Zoetrope

I can't help myself. I have probably seen it a dozen times before but on every trip to the Disneyland Resort I have to stop by the Disney Animation Building in DCA to check out the amazing Toy Story Zoetrope. I can't explain my fascination with seeing this thing but it's there. Maybe it's seeing what the human brain is capable of doing when models spinning on a platter hit the magical speed, but it never ceases to amaze me. The Toy Story Zoetrope, built by Pixar, is just one of the things that make visiting a Disney park so special - how a small little attraction adds so much to the detail and intricacies of the parks. Check out the Toy Story Zoetrope below in a video I found on YouTube and you can be amazed too.

Turtle Talk (with Video)

Turtle Talk with Crush in the Disney Animation Building in the Hollywood Backlots (soon to be Hollywoodland) area of DCA is for kids.  Well, kids of all ages, but mostly kids.  It allows them to interact in real time with the super cool Crush from the Finding Nemo Pixar film.  It can be hysterically funny but can also fall a bit flat.  Like most "live" performances, Turtle Talk is dependent to a certain degree of the level of audience participation, the questions being asked, and what is being said.  Mrs. DisneylandTraveler and I are Crush fans but I have to say, the last couple of times we have been in there, the performance has been a bit on the flat side.  With Crush, you never go in there quite knowing what you'll get.  You may get a fall down funny jewel or a "why did we go in there?" when all is said and done.  That being said, if you have kids, Turtle Talk with Crush is a must-do.  All others, eh, sometimes yes, sometimes no.

It may be taken for granted at this point but you do have to marvel at the technology that allows a live audience to interact dynamically with an animated character.  Something tells me computers and "blue screens" are behind the magic.

Here is a video Mrs. DisneylandTraveler took of one the more cuter interactions between the audience and the talking turtle.