The Simple Life of Casey Jr. and Storybookland

Life can get pretty complicated on occasion. There are ups. There are downs. Sometimes it seems like a thrill a minute as the saying goes. When things seem on the verge of going out of control, sometimes quiet is a gentle place of respite. Such is my story about two Disneyland classic rides that date back to 1955 - the Casey Jr. Circus Train and the Storybookland Canal Boats.

The two rides basically occupy the same area toward the back of Disneyland's Fantasyland. This past week they both closed down for refurbishment until sometime towards the middle of November. Apparently someone thought it was a wise idea to add some pathways around the Casey Jr. train track for maintenance workers and guest evacuation. Safety is big in Disneyland these days or so the state of California keeps telling them. So the two rides quietly close down with barely a whimper in Disney fandom. Oh, but Indiana Jones Adventure closed down at the same time and there's plenty of fist shaking out there even though the huge ride badly needs attention and repair. The IJA thrill is gone while the quiet of two legacy attractions falls by the wayside.

Last year I wrote about how members of my own family thought the Storybookland Canal Boats was the most boring ride in the park. I'll remove the word boring and insert quiet. There are no thrills in the gentle boat ride through the world of storybook miniatures and well manicured topiary. Both these rides came from Walt Disney himself and for that reason alone they are keepers. But there is something to be said for simple rides in a lovely setting that many people just find nice and relaxing. No, everything doesn't have to provide a thrill. Quiet is its own reward.

Nobody is counting down the days until these rides re-open again. Their closure is not causing anyone to second guess their trip plans. Not being able to take a ride on either of these attraction is a "deal breaker".

But with their closure, a little piece of Disneyland's heart is missing. Even if you never went on the rides they certainly were pleasant to look at - a lush oasis amidst the hustle and bustle of a busy Fantasyland. No, these are not major attractions by any stretch of the imagination but Disneyland certainly is a nice place for having them.

Before Casey Jr. closed last week, MiceChat's Andy Castro took a final video look at the train ride from the back end of the caboose. Nice. (fun fact: Walt Disney wanted only horses for his carousel ride. Most older carousels have fixed stationary pieces where people could just sit while going round and round instead of going up and down on some kind of animal. So King Arthur's carousel is made of up from a few different carousels purchased by Walt Disney. Walt used the horses and constructed the Casey Jr. train cars from unneeded odds and ends from the carousel collection)

Here is Andy's video

Fantasy Faire Village or Intrusion on Main Street

Model of the Fantasy Faire Village - Opens Summer 2013
A Disney Parks Blog Photo

I don't know how I missed it but Disney Parks Blog did post an entry last week that contained the first models of the Fantasy Faire Village, the new home for Disney princesses that is now scheduled to open next summer (link here). I probably missed it because I don't actively go out and look for information about Disney princesses, Fantasy Faire, or anything like that. I'm a guy and I'm preoccupied with the impending start of football season. But enough stereotyping....

I must say, the models do look much nicer than the conceptual artwork Disney has previously released. The place is very detailed and ornate. But here would be my issue (and the issue of many fans of Disneyland Park). The new Fantasy Faire Village sits in front and off to the left side of the Sleeping Beauty's Castle as you walk down Main Street towards the Hub area. Most consider the Hub area still a part of Main Street so now you have a replica of a 500 year old village with an entrance facing Main Street - the Partners statue, Plaza Inn Restaurant, Jolly Holiday Bakery, etc. It doesn't quite fit the theming.

Disney Imagineers and Show Producers Work with FFV Model
A Disney Parks Blog Photo

Or did Disneyland just find an excuse to extend the boarders of Fantasyland. Granted, Disneyland boarders inside the park tend to be more guidelines than rules - witneess Nemo in Tomorrowland along with other examples if you think and question hard enough. One would hope the Disney recognizes this as well and finds a way to somewhat conceal the area from Main Street views. Disney can be very creative this way. Pixie Hollow, the area and the entrance, can barely be seen though it too infringes on Tomorrowland. But Fantasy Faire Village is a larger area. I'm sure it will be nice. The question is whether "nice area" or "questionable intrusion" win out with the final product.

Fantasy Faire Village Model - A Disney Parks Blog Photo

Disneyland Princesses On The Run

I know very little about the Princess Fantasy Faire Meet and Greet that gathers daily inside the cavernous Fantasyland Theater. I do know that it is hugely popular as I glance over there and see the long lines of little princesses with their parents patiently waiting (usually) to meet their favorite princess. My little MouseWaits phone app says the line is often 60 - 90 minutes long. Ouch! A wait for something that long that isn't a ride? Well, the Princess Fantasy Fair Meet and Greet got itself an eviction notice from its current Fantasyland location several months ago as plans were made to construct a new fully themed meet and greet area in the space in front of the castle formerly occupied by the Carnation Gardens Plaza. The rumored cost of the new Princess Fantasy Faire is somewhere around 12 million bucks. That area is now currently behind construction walls with an opening slated sometime after the start of 2013, assuming we all survive that Mayan end-of-the-world thing. But the time has come for the princesses to move on out as the Fantasyland Theater prepares to go back and do what it was intended to do once upon a time - present live Disney character performances in a theater setting. Personally, the area is big enough to support a new ride which would have been my preference for use of the space, but that's just me.

So the princesses basically get run out across the street and will temporarily set up shop in the small world promenade area across from the namesake attraction until their new permanent home is ready. There the princesses will continue to meet with their adoring fans complete with photographs, autographs, and of course, the selling or princess merchandise. Date for the princesses move is now set at August 12. 

Ugly Alice Will Get Her Face Lift

Ugly Alice in Wonderland
Hideous upper railing with tarps draped to cover additional additional unsightliness

Once upon a time a classic Disneyland Fantasyland attraction benevolently ran for more than 40 years without incident. Then an ogre (and we are not quite sure who the ogre is) said "that won't do at all". Such is the story of Disneyland's Alice In Wonderland.

About 2 years ago, either Disney voluntarily or through strong prodding by the Occupational Health and Safety Administration, came to the conclusion that the raised outdoor "vine" section of the ride was unsafe for maintenance workers who could conceivably fall from the exposed concrete platform to the ground below. The decision came almost overnight. The ride was shutdown and over about a 3 week period, a hastily constructed railing was put in place with ugly plastic tarps draped to cover the fastening points. Following what amounted to a patch job, the ride resumed operation just a bit uglier than originally conceived.

Fans have been waiting both patiently and impatiently for quite some time waiting for when Disney was going to make its move and restore the ride to its charming glory. Well the date has been set if you can believe MiceAge's Al Lutz. Alice in Wonderland will be shutdown right after Labor Day on September 4 to begin its transformation. The rumor is that it will take a few months of refurbishment. Alice will get her face lift after all.

The original Alice in Wonderland
No railing, no tarps

Matterhorn Returns - The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

With all that went on with Disney California Adventure yesterday, quietly over in Disneyland, an icon was returned to service, the mighty Matterhorn roller coaster. The mountain has been closed for 6 months for refurbishment. Was the wait worth it, or a bit of a disappointment? Both.

The Good -

For generations, the Matterhorn has provided screams and fun for Disneyland fans. It was the first roller coaster I ever rode on as a child and I remember it to this day. Just having the coaster up and running is a very, very good thing. The mountain looks great with a fresh coat of paint. Also, for the first time since Disneyland's 50th Anniversary celebration back in 2005, climbers have returned to the mountain. It's an entertaining spectacle to watch them trek up the mountainside while enjoying a break over at the Tomorrowland Terrace.

The Bad -

While the outside sparkles with new paint, many fans were looking for something new and exciting inside the ride, perhaps a new abominable snowman, or a new scene of fright. Well that didn't happen, the ride is essentially the same. Maybe he's been cleaned up a bit, but it's the same old Harold.

The Ugly -

Disneyland forums and discussion boards are filled with negative comments about the new 3-seat sleds. Maybe if you're a kid, all is well in the Matterhorn world. But if your an adult, especially if you are a bit on the taller and larger framed side, the comfort of the old sled design has gone out the window. The new sleds are considerably more cramped inside, though the more typical Disneyland side-to-side seat belt design (similar to Indiana Jones, Soarin', and the Tower of Terror) makes getting buckled in much quicker.

The Bottom Line -

Yeah, people will long for the space of the old sleds and the ability to ride tandem and maybe there was a wish for something new and different with the mountain but in the end, just having the ride running again is its own reward. It's a classic and a Matterhorn with a few shortcomings is better than no Matterhorn at all.

In The Meantime, The Matterhorn Says..."What About Me?"

As I had written in a previous post, Cars Land, Cars Land, Blah, Blah, Blah.... That is all we here about now as we approach Cars Land grand opening. Even Buena Vista Street plays second fiddle. Well, the third fiddle belongs to the reopening of Disneyland's venerable Matterhorn, also slated to begin regular operation June 15, the same day Cars Land and Buena Vista Street are thrown open to the public. It almost seems like the great Matterhorn ride is playing off the Rodney Dangerfield classic comedy routine which begins - "I don't get no respect, no respect at all I'm telling you..."

So with all the talk of what's going on in Disney California Adventure, the Matterhorn re-opening almost seems like an afterthought, which it never should be. Some of the most highly read posts in this blog as far as number of viewers are about the Matterhorn. The real fans of Disneyland know its place and while little is being written about or said in the grand scheme of things about its re-opening, down deep, fans know the importance of the attraction.

While everyone marvels at the new paint job of the mountainside, are curious about what riding in the new sleds will be like, no one really knows or is saying anything about the changes that are inside the mountain and the return of our friend Harold the Abominable Snowman. Will he be just be cleaned up with his hair combed and best suit of white fur on, or will it be an all new encounter with the monster? Cars Land I'm sure will be great to visit but underneath it all, it is primarily a kids area. In the meantime, there is a great roller coaster waiting to return and bring happiness to the kid in all of us. 

My Disneyland Bucket List - Item #5

As comedian Bill Cosby once said "I started out as a child...." and so it is with me and Dumbo. I'm sure I have ridden Dumbo the Flying Elephant in Disneyland, but that was back in childhood and childhood is now a long time ago. Me riding Dumbo isn't even a memory anymore. It's gone, a memory vanished into thin air.

Dumbo is an original attraction to Disneyland dating back to 1955. Oh, the ride has been moved around once or twice. The water feature part of the ride wasn't always there. But Dumbo is one of the quintessential Disneyland rides. Riding Dumbo is a rite of passage for all children fortunate enough to pass through the front gates. And my memory is gone.

Dumbo is a child's ride if there is such a thing. Children ride Dumbo. Parents with children ride Dumbo. Young couples in love ride Dumbo. Grown-ups riding Dumbo alone get stared at. At least that would be my impression ("Hey, isn't that guy a little old to ride Dumbo. What a loser"). I suppose when he was very young, there may have been an opportunity to ride Dumbo with the Boy but for whatever reason, it didn't happen. But he's 23 now and about 6'5". The two of us together? That's not going to work very well. When Mrs. DisneylandTraveler and I were making trips to Disneyland with my nieces and their kids, I always kind of wanted to borrow a kid to take on Dumbo but somehow, mom or dad always got that opportunity while I stood by the railing and took pictures of family in full flight.

So on the bucket list I know at some point I am going to have to bite the bullet, stand in line, and ride Dumbo alone just to recapture a memory that is long forgotten. Silly? A bit, but it's something that has to be done.

I shouldn't feel too embarrassed. After all, if Darth Vader can ride Dumbo alone, so can I. Enjoy a Disneyland classic video from last year.....

Favorite Disneyland Photos #1 - Quiet Matterhorn

As I move on through this blog, I constantly have to revisit my Disneyland digital photographs looking for what hopefully is the right picture to go along with whatever I am writing about in the blog. Sometimes I have the right picture. Sometimes I have to settle for the best that I have on hand with a reminder to myself that I need to get a better shot of xxxxxx on my next trip. I suppose the constant looking through the photographs would be easier if I had them better organized but I really don't. I just have them organized by year.

For the readers of this blog, these pictures that I select as my favorites may not seem like anything special but there is just something appealing about them to me, something that catches my eye in an interesting way.

The picture above (and the one below) are from 2004 taken with my first 3mp Fuji digital camera. These are pictures of Matterhorn Bobsled cars (now retired) first thing in the morning before the ride has started to take on guests. The picture above I like because its like peeking around a piece of foliage to steel a glance at something very special at an interesting angle. The picture below is a step or two away with the bobsled cars quietly lined up waiting for the busy day ahead of taking delighted Disneyland guests up and down the iconic mountain. The stories those sleds must have.

Do We Really Need a Mr. Toad Movie?

Disney is dead on determined to movies based on their classic theme park attractions hoping to catch lightning in a bottle like they did with their Pirates of the Caribbean franchise which has made over two billion dollars for the company. So in the works are movies based on The Haunted Mansion and The Jungle Cruise.  Yep, they made a Haunted Mansion movie before with Eddie Murphy in the lead but I guess they are promising to do it right this time. Anyway, deadline.com reported last week that Disney is in the initial stages of putting together a movie based on the Disneyland legacy attraction dating back to 1955 - Mr. Toad's Wild Ride which in itself was a part of another Disney movie (and book) The Wind in the Willows. Are you kidding me? Mr. Toad's Wild Ride. Now this ride does have its legions of fans, fans to the point that when they removed the Walt Disney World version of the ride they organized formal protests, but really, Mr. Toad's Wild Ride a movie? The ride isn't even 2 minutes long.

It's a ride that is based on everything that is counter to automobile safety. So you get to crash your motorcar through Toad Hall, run amok in the countryside terrorizing a farmer and his sheep, piss off the cops, run through a warehouse full of dynamite down at the docks, stop off to have a few beers along the way from your friendly neighborhood pub, and finally get sentenced for the mayhem you have caused by a nice warm trip to.... hell, that's right, Mr. Toad's Wild Ride ends in hell. Great family entertainment, should make a wonderful kids movie. The only saving grace in all this is the ride is so short with so much going on so fast that most people don't even know what the "hell", excuse the expression, just went on.

Pretty tough to video a dark ride, especially a dark ride as dark as Mr. Toad but Disneyland videographer asianjma123 posted this video recently to YouTube. Enjoy a trip on Mr. Toad's Wild Ride. Get back to me later on why this is a classic (and movie worthy material).

A Closer Look At - Peter Pan's Flight

The throng gather in front of Peter Pan's Flight

Peter Pan's Flight is not my favorite ride at Disneyland but if someone were to ask me which ride best represents the spirit of what Disneyland is all about, Peter Pan's Flight is the one I would pick.

PPF is a dark ride based on one of Walt Disney's classic films made long before the ride or the park were ever built. And PPF is one of the dozen or so rides that are still in existence from when the park opened in July 1955. So there is a certain timelessness about Peter Pan's Flight with its history intertwined with the Disney legacy for decades upon decades.

But there are other dark rides in Fantasyland that date back to 1955, what makes Peter Pan so special? Well, you really do fly. Rather than scoot a long the ground in some sort of vehicle that has you peering into brightly colored scenes around each turn, PPF takes you above it all in a ride vehicle suspended from the ceiling and has you looking down on the story below. Its really a unique ride experience. The scenes of the ride are classic taken right out of the movie as is the music that plays during the 2 minute and 30 second flight. Its a ride experience that most Disney fans will remember and cherish.

But here's the rub as they say. Peter Pan's Flight is popular, very popular. And PPF is what is known as a slow loader only able to handle about 600 guests per hour (compared to about 3000 guests per hour that Pirates of the Caribbean or the Haunted Mansion can move through) so PPF always, I mean always, has a line. If you think you are going to get a jump on the line by getting to the ride first thing in the morning, guess again, because by the time you arrive, the line will most likely have already started to form. Sometimes it seems that when Disneyland rides open in the morning, about half the people there are heading for Peter Pan. They already know that if you don't get there early, the wait time will normally be 30 - 45 minutes and this is any day, slow days, busy days, it doesn't seem to matter. People will always be waiting to get on Peter Pan.

I've been on Peter Pan's Flight plenty of times in my life. I can picture the flight right now. So I really don't count PPF as one of my must do attractions when I go to Disneyland though I completely understand those that do. Again, the long wait wait in a slow moving line for a ride that is only a couple brief minutes long doesn't fit into time budget. But every few years, there is an opportunity. I haven't been on Peter Pan's Flight since December 2008. There was a driving rainstorm in Disneyland. Guess what? The wait for PPF on that day was only about 15 or 20 minutes. I had my opportunity to experience the timeless magic of Peter Pan's Flight once again.

A Closer Look At - it's a small world

When I write a story for this blog I often have to go a through multitude of digital photos to find one or two to accompany the story. Just a guess but I would suspect I have the most photos taken of the Disneyland's Sleeping Beauty Castle followed by the front entrance and the train station. In third place for the number of photos in my collection would probably come from Disneyland's iconic it's a small world attraction. Why so many pictures? Easy, the Mary Blair facade is a work of art and a work of art that is made even more special when it lights up with its holiday overlay. In every way, from the outside looking in, it's a small world is a shining example of why Disneyland stands head and shoulders above every other theme park. But what about the inside, what about the ride itself? Line 'em up - most people either love it or hate it.

Awww...... why the hate? It all starts with THAT SONG. Walt blessed us with something that is no longer done in modern theme parks - build a ride that approaches 15 minutes long. 15 minutes and 1 song. One song, over, and over, and over again to the point of being mind-numbing. Granted, it gets changed up for Christmas and is much more appealing and festive but that's only for two months out of the year. And what else about iasw (for short)? Well, for most there just isn't a deep emotional attachment to the ride. It's a collection of dolls and cutouts inside of a series of rooms in a show building. In Pirates of the Caribbean, the park guest doesn't see anything but the scenes in front of your eyes. In small world you see the ceiling, the corners, the lighting, even wires if you look hard enough. Its almost like they took their level of detail for the attraction to a certain point and called it quits.

But on every trip to Disneyland Mrs. DisneylandTraveler and I will get on small world at lease once and sometimes two or three times. Why? Tradition mostly and it doesn't hurt that there is generally a short line and a small wait to get on. It also helps that in the course of an exhausting Disneyland day you can get in a small world boat and get off your feet for awhile. If you don't let the song get to you, the ride can be quite relaxing with you feet saying 'thank you'. Not listening to the small world song, it's one of the reasons the iPod was invented.

Fantasyland and the Use of Space

Without small children (unless we are with family that have small children) I have to admit that Mrs. DisneylandTraveler and I do not spend a lot of time in Fantasyland anymore with the exceptions of the Matterhorn and it's a small word (two must-do attractions providing they are running). Mostly Fantasyland is a place for us to pass-through. Sometimes I go there early in the morning to take some pictures. Every few years or so, we may, on a slow day attendance wise, hit the Fantasyland rides for old times sake but generally we have no compelling reason to do so.

But there are two spots in Fantasyland that absolutely blow me away for the same reason. Go up to the little patio area adjacent to the Casey Junior Circus Train and look down towards the Matterhorn or take a look around the next time you are standing in line to get on the Tea Cups or Alice. From those place, how many rides can you count that are in your line of sight? Disneyland is space challenged. Fantasyland is really space challenged within the confines of the castle area but somehow Disney was able to put in a lot of punch in a very small footprint of space. 

Think about Alice in Wonderland, a traditional dark ride whose special magic stems from the small design feature that actually elevates most of the ride. Elevates to where? Well, most of the ride runs over the top of Mr. Toad. Talk about using space - two dark rides in one building. Even Walt must of seen opportunities for maximizing space. Casey Junior and Storybookland Canal Boats are both 1955 original rides - two modes of transportation that basically cover the same plot of land. Brilliant. 

Of course we are about to run full circle here. Putting so much (and so much whose primary audience is children) in such a small area also put an awful lot of people in a very small area. On a really hot, crowded day, spending time in Fantasyland people dodging is no fun at all which is why I spend very little time there. Did I mention the strollers? Hundreds of em'.

it's a small world at Christmas

What is your favorite thing to see and enjoy at Disneyland during the Christmas season? It is the giant Christmas tree on Main St. with all the accompanying Main St. decorations? Is it the lighting of the winter castle and seeing it "snow"? Is it seeing A Christmas Fantasy Parade"? Perhaps it is taking your child to see Santa at Disneyland within the confines of the Reindeer Roundup. How about the charm and detail of the exquisitely decorated New Orleans Square? You need to see all of them during a holiday visit of course but for me, tops on the list, is standing in amazement before the dazzling light display of it's a small world in the cool of a December evening then making my way down to the boats for journey of wonderful holiday cheer.

They shut down iasw for 3 weeks to install the holiday overlay, usually the last week or so of October and the first part of November. The time the ride is down is a small price to pay for what can be seen and marveled at once it returns in all its festive Christmas glory. Disney Parks Blog posted a video of cast members working on the overlay installation and you can see their attention to detail

For most of the year, it's a small world, sits as a majestic iconic Disneyland attraction - important but just not enough there to make it into anyone's top 5 or maybe even top 10 favorite Disneyland attractions. Some people avoid the thing altogether because the insipid song that plays for all 13 minutes of the ride can be beat head against the wall time when the ride is through.  But it all changes during the holidays when it's a small world transform into wondrous holiday magic not to be missed or experienced.

Can Someone Explain Mr. Toad...

There's a lot of things in life I don't understand.  There's a lot of things in Disneyland I don't understand. Maybe I'm some kind of simpleton.  Anyway, Mr. Toad's Wild Ride is a Disneyland original dating back to 1955.  It's got a lot of history behind it, but few will remember the movie or stories that are behind its being there in the first place. So yes on history, but where is the charm?  A wild ride?  No, this is the adventure of a maniac so there's running from the cops, a dynamite explosion, a bartender juggling mugs of beers, assorted crashing, and finally ending up in hell (literally) as the ride ends.  Walt and his imagineers must have had a few when they came up with this idea.  Walt Disney World Magic Kingdom pulled the plug on it's Mr. Toad 10 or 12 years ago but the Disneyland version continues on.  Granted, the ride is really short at about 2 minutes so and there is little you can do with the space but still, try explaining Mr. Toad to your 5 year old.

Oh well, I think I get on old Toady about every 5 years or so then think to myself, "what did I do that for?"  At least its a ride, small it may be, and there is seldom a long wait so that is always a good thing.  But really, Mr Toad?

The 2012 Matterhorn Bobsled

The next generation of the Matterhorn Bobsleds

Disneyland's Matterhorn Bobsleds attraction is entering its final week of a summer refurbishment.  It will reopen after Labor Day and stay open until after the first of the year at which time it will undergo a six month major refurbishment which includes (allegedly) repainting the mountain and finally the permanent installation of the next generation of the bobsled ride vehicle.  MiceChat posted this picture (above) of the new bobsled yesterday. The sled has been in testing at various times for over a year.

Finally gone is the Matterhorn Boblseds rather unique two-up seating where 2 passengers could occupy the same seat with a seat belt for each passenger.  Many people loved this arrangement.  Parents could take good hold of their children sitting in front of them and give them their first real coaster experience safely in their arms.  It was the ultimate togetherness for boyfriends and girlfriends as they grappled on to each other flaying away down the mountain.  But for many people, the two-up seating was kind of needless and inefficient.

The new sleds provide three individual seats per vehicle and restraint is still provided by a good old fashioned seat belt rather than a lap bar arrangement (from my understanding). And finally, the new vehicles kind of look like sleds rather that projectiles recycled from Space Mountain (picture below).  The 2012 Matterhorn Bobsleds hit the mountain sometime around summer 2012.

Current Matterhorn Bobsleds

Ugly Alice

Alice in Wonderland is one of the better "dark ride" attractions in Disneyland.  It's the only dark ride that has a change in elevation (much of it runs above Mr. Toad's Wild Ride) and has an exterior portion of the ride.  Alice isn't a Disneyland original, but pretty darn close entertaining guests since about 1959 I believe.  As far as I know, no one has ever been hurt or killed on the Alice in Wonderland ride in all these years.

Enter Cal-OSHA, the occupational health and safety police.  In 2010, depending on who you believe, OSHA either forced Disney into shutting down Alice for safety reasons or Disney volunteered to shut down the ride at OSHA's recommendation.   Apparently, the upper exterior "vine" portion of the ride presented a safety hazard either in ride maintenance for the workers or if there were to be some kind of emergency ride evacuation, there was nothing preventing people from falling off the exterior track platform.  Disney needed some kind of railing.

Disney complied and after a quick 3 week refurbishment, Alice came back complete with a temporary railing along with hideous looking plastic tarps covering the railing support structures.  So now we have ugly Alice, and it's been that way for over a year.  One of the compelling reasons that people give as to why Disney was forced to shut down the ride for safety is that Disney isn't big on temporary fixes.  When it comes to refurbishing a ride, there's a plan.  There is also money in the budget to take care of the refurbishment which apparently isn't the case for poor ol' Alice.

The rumor is that Disney has budgeted money to "imagineer" Alice's exterior in 2012 and do the job right.  We'll see since Alice's neighbor the Matterhorn is scheduled to be down for a six month refurbishment at the start of 2012.  Having side by side rides both down for maintenance is not the Disney way, but not beyond the realm of possibility either.

You do have to give Disney park management some credit though.  As ugly as Alice is as it stands right now, it is running and entertaining several thousand people a day.  You might have to cringe a little bit looking at it though.

Evicted! Giving the Boot to the Princess Fantasy Faire

I don't have anything against Disney princesses (well, maybe just a little bit) but I never quite got the Princess Fantasy Faire. Meet and greets are fine but the princesses were squatting on a huge piece of very valuable real estate that could be put to better  use. Use the space as it was intended as a theater or take the whole thing out and put in some kind of ride, anything but "and what is your name?". Heck, they even set up tables where kids could color. Now I don't have any small kids but the idea of taking kids to Disneyland so they could 'color' was something I never quite understood. Admission prices are steep and once in the park, we are 'on the clock'. Taking time to 'color' seemed like a poor use of resources. But that's just me.

I'll have to admit the Princess Fantasy Faire is hugely popular. A quick check on MouseWait shows the current wait time for the princess meet and greet at 48 minutes and it gets even longer than that, much longer. But not to worry, Disney is simply relocating the princesses to the seldom used Plaza Gardens area that is primarily used for social events - the area just off to the left as you walk across the Castle bridge. That seems like a fine place, a really good idea actually. Having the princesses in the shadow of Sleeping Beauty's Castle seem like the right thing to do. This is a move that I can applaud with enthusiasm even if I'm not a princess kind of guy. (The internet is filled with grown men getting their pictures take Disney princesses - it may be just me once again, but I find it kind of weird).

Anyway, the rumor is that Disney will once again put in some kind of show at the huge Fantasy Faire Theater. We may get some sort of official confirmation later this week at the D23 Expo. With everyone getting excited about Carsland next year, a few things may need to be done to prop up Disneyland as well.

Below is a picture of a view from about where the new princess meet and greet will be located if the rumor pans out. Very nice.

"The Most Boring Ride in the Park"

Let's take a more up-close look at the Storybookland Canal Boats. Let's see, it's a 1955 original - there since the park opened. It was imagineered by Walt himself and his love for miniatures and topiary. It's pleasant enough, kind of cute, but as my one of my nieces once said, "it's the most boring ride in the park" to which another niece replied, "they should take it out and put in something good".  An interesting point is these remarks were made in the darkness of night. Someone said, well, you really ought to go on the ride at night. We did. It was the same - just dark.

So in my family, the Storybookland Canal Boats get beat up pretty good. I'm sure others feel the same way. But will Disney have the guts "get rid of the Storybookland Canal boats and put in something good". I doubt it. This would have to be considered a legacy attraction tied to Disneyland history and Walt Disney himself. For the multitude of people who would like to see "something better" in its place, you would find an even more vocal community protesting its removal and these are people who probably haven't been on the ride in years but know its history. As long as imagineers like Tony Baxter have their imprint in the park, the legacy of Disneyland will be safe but that sense of history also has to be passed down to imagineers of the future.

No matter how boring some things in Disneyland just need to be left alone because it just wouldn't be the same without them. And if nothing else, I wish my yard looked that good.

For those who haven't been on the Storybookland Canal Boats in years, here's a YouTube video by Dolbyman that will help you remember just how boring,......eh, I mean..... how nice the ride is.