Hello, dear readers! I had planned to post this from California, but the lovely Wi-Fi situation being what it was, this just didn’t happen. That being said, now that I’m back, I have a few pictures that I look forward to sharing with you! The first group of pictures comes from one attraction in Disneyland: It’s A Small World Holiday. The decision by the powers that be at Disney to give Small World a holiday makeover is just genius. For a couple months each year, the attraction becomes all Christmased out, as guests are led on a holiday celebration around the world. The song that never seems to leave one’s head is partnered with Jingle Bells and Deck the Halls for an even more unforgettable experience, and the results are, to say the least, catchy and fun. With that much being said, I will now stop with words, and let pictures of this attraction speak for themselves.
Quick note: All of these pictures were taken with no flash, as flash photography is not allowed on the attraction. Therefore, a few of the pics may seem a little fuzzy. However, I hope to have caught enough of the spirit and essence of the ride to pass along to you, dear readers!
(To see bigger versions of the pictures, click on the pictures in this post.)
Merry Small World, Indeed.
Entering Europe!
The Mayans may have said 2012, but Small World predicts we carry on!
Prospero Ano y Felicidad!
It’s the thing to say on this bright Hawaiian Christmas day!
Can It Be?
We’ll end with a few night time shots:
Nothing quite as beautiful as Small World Holiday at night…
That will do it for this photo essay – I’ll try to have more pictures up next week! Hope everyone has a blessed Thanksgiving!
(Note from a DisNerd: I promise in any movie I review here to keep the reviews short, sweet, and spoiler free – I encourage anyone who wants to see this or any movie to make up their minds for themselves and enjoy the magic!)
Images in this post copyright The Walt Disney Company
I’ll be the first to admit, I was taken by surprise by the Tinker Bell series of movies. Somewhere along the line, I went from, “Oh look, a blue fairy…” at Pixie Hollow in Disneyland, to insisting on picking up and immediately watching the latest movie in the Disney Fairies franchise, “Secret of the Wings.” I’m sure it has something to do with a certain blue-eyed little girl, but it also has a lot to do with quality film making.
For anyone not familiar with the series, it follows Tinker Bell’s origins and her adventures among other pixies in Pixie Hollow, an apparent appendage of Neverland. Will we ever find out how she comes to meet Peter Pan and his Lost Boys? That remains to be seen, but the stories being told in this realm have been entertaining enough to keep bringing fans back. Stories of friendship, loyalty and courage – these are values that good family stories are made of.
Needless to say, expectations for this one were pretty high, and it didn’t disappoint.
In “Secret of the Wings,” we learn that unlike other pixies, winter fairies live in a separate area of Pixie Hollow: the Winter Woods, which are off limits to everyone but winter fairies (and the rest of Pixie Hollow is off limits to winter fairies as well). The reason? Apparently, the change in climates can damage their wings; if that happens, there is no cure and the fairy can never fly again.
However, this doesn’t stop the curious Tink from setting out for the Winter Woods, where she seems drawn by some mysterious force, noticing her wings appear to sparkle when she steps foot in the forbidden land. The reason her wings sparkle, she soon discovers, is because she is in the presence of the frost fairy Periwinkle – her sister, born of the same laugh. While thrilled at the prospect of having a sister and someone with so much in common, the joy is short lived; as mentioned before, it is forbidden to cross over into each others’ respective land. This doesn’t stop Tink and Peri from trying, however. Let’s just say the results are far from successful, and soon it’s up to fairies from both lands to work together and save the day. Of course there are a few more twists and turns than that, but what fun would spoiling the movie for others be?
Sisters? There were never such devoted sisters!
As I stated before, the Tinker Bell movies are a big hit in our house, as is anything to do with the realm of Neverland. This movie seemed a little slower to start than the others, but once it got going it was really quite a treat and lots of exciting fun and quite a few laughs as well. The little girl loved it. Even though there were a few heart tugging moments, including when Tink and Peri thought they would have to say goodbye forever. Sometimes it’s hard to watch those goodbyes, even for adults! However, as the fairies worked together to save Pixie Hollow, she sat on my lap with rapt attention. Afterwards she informed us she was Periwinkle – a sure sign that the movie was a hit!
If you’ve seen the other Tink movies, this one stands well with the rest. If you haven’t, it also works well on its own, but I recommend the rest as well! Mae Whitman brings a great voice personality to Tinker Bell, a character who I previously thought was best to remain voiceless. The new characters are a treat as well, and of course, the stories are great ones of courage, strength, loyalty, faith, trust, and pixie dust.
Anyone else out there fans of the Tink movies? Have you watched this one as well? What did you think? Can’t wait to hear from you!
(Disney’s Secret Of the Wings is available now on DVD and Blu-ray.)
Special thanks to Jenny Skousen for the awesome picture!
So, what exactly is The Lost Safari?
The Lost Safari is a primarily Facebook focused group consisting of the aforementioned blogs created with the intent of having one location to share information and blog postings with our readers. By having this group, this one location, readers can join and choose to be notified via Facebook whenever one of the blogs has a new post, story, or something else we want to share with everyone.
Why was the Lost Safari Formed?
When we first started discussing the possibility of a “support group,” so to speak, our main intent was for a group of bloggers to be able to show support for each others’ writing and postings, as well as promote each others’ blogs in one place. Stated plainly, there are many sites and blogs and websites out there – many on the subject of Disney alone. We realize the individuality of each blogger, but at the same time find ourselves united in one common denominator: Our love for Disney. Through our discussions, we’ve come to realize that the blogosphere is not a place of competition. There are so many worth reading. If we can occasionally partner with each other on content and support, perhaps we can broaden our audience and share our passions with others while maintaining our own unique identities.
In doing this we promise two things:
1:To remain upbeat. If you are looking for Disney “watchdog” groups, you won’t find them in The Lost Safari. There are plenty of websites, blogs and even Twitter accounts that specialize in that sort of thing; just not us. We are, first and foremost, fans. Therefore, our views will more than likely celebrate the things we love about Disney.
2: We won’t overwhelm you with posts. The beauty of Facebook groups is that one can elect to receive notifications whenever there is a new post as opposed to relying on a news feed to show you the latest posting, which can easily be missed. This being said, we promise not to overload your notifications with multiple posts.
So, Mr. DisNerd, we know about your blog. What about the other two?
The other two blogs come highly recommended – great reading indeed! A little info on both:
Tales Of A Disneyland Cast Member
Danielle, author of Tales of a Disneyland Cast Member, worked for The Disneyland Resort at both The Grand Californian and The World Famous Jungle Cruise. Through her recollections of experience and one on one personal interactions, you’ll find yourself laughing one minute and in tears the next. Many of her stories seem to hit home with many readers, either through the magic Disney provides or similar life experiences. I highly recommend reading stories like “A Main Street Kiss” with a box of tissue.
Disney Park Secrets
Meanwhile, over at Disney Park Secrets, Austen and Jake have taken the time to set up a blog to appeal to even the most casual of Disneyland visitors. They have combined their knowledge of park information, such as history and details of rides, to give park visitors a new appreciation for what they are seeing as they go through the park, as well as things to keep an eye out for, such as finding Jabba the Hutt in Adventureland (who knew?!?). In addition, with one of the authors living locally, you’ll see newer pictures and reports of more recent experiences, such as the space shuttle Endeavour’s final flyover of Disneyland.
As for me, I’ll keep doing what I always do, covering and chronicling my love for all aspects of Disney, perhaps with more reviews and articles that focus outside of the parks. One thing will stay consistent – hopefully my love for all things Disney, i.e. my DisNerdom shines through.
I encourage anyone who is interested in following this new partnership to check out and join The Lost Safari on Facebook, as well as follow both Tales and Secrets on their individual Facebook fan pages as well. And of course, if you haven’t yet followed Confessions of a DisNerd on Facebook, I encourage you to do that also!
Thanks for taking the time to read this rather lengthy post – we all look forward to seeing what the future holds for our new partnership!
With the first two parts of my photo essay taking place over on the Disneyland side of the resort, it’s now time to head over to California Adventure with a few pictures of their two newest areas, Buena Vista Street and Cars Land.
Of course, first, we had to stop and eat our fill at Goofy’s Kitchen. While a little up there in price, the character interactions are always awesome. We always make sure to go back for seconds in the all-you-can-eat buffet, along with desert; thus eliminating the need for lunch, making things a touch more cost effective.
Not to mention, the PB&J pizza is out of this world!
Peace out, Pinocchio!
Time to walk off our breakfast from Goofy’s and head to Disney California Adventure! So much to see, new places to discover – where o where do we start?
Luckily, we have our tour guide to check the map!
I have to say, Buena Vista Street is a great addition to the park. I love the idea of a 1920’s “Walt was here” theme. The music is great, the “citizens” roaming the street are awesome – the atmosphere is just right.
I keep wanting to call the cop “Ward” for some odd reason…
I couldn’t help feeling truly transported on Buena Vista Street. I have a friend who happens to live near the resort; one of his favorite things to do is drinking coffee and reading the latest copy of the Buena Vista Bugle in the mornings while people watching.
With views like this, I can’t say I blame him!
From one red car to the next…
See what I did there with that transition?
Cars Land is a huge home run for the folks at Disney. the detail of…well…. everything is amazing. So great to see such a welcome addition to the park! I couldn’t help but notice everything from the tiniest details like the tops of the chain stanchions in the queue for Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree….
They’re radiator caps!!! I’m amused by these little touches.
…. to the tribute to Teepee-style lodging on Route 66 with the Cozy Cone Motel!
FYI, if you have the opportunity (and don’t mind ultra sweet stuff), I highly recommend the deliciousness that is Red’s Apple Freeze at the Cozy Cone!
Of course, the rides are awesome as well – I’m just a huge fan of being able to take in all of the touches that bring about an authentic “Disneyfied” feeling. Both new parts of the park do this well. I couldn’t help but think as we exited, that it truly lived up to the name of Disney, as well as the fun and entertainment it stands for.
Thanks again, Walt. For your dream that turned into so much more! I know so many dreamers who appreciate that!
Folks, that wraps up my photo essay of the latest trip. I look forward to bringing you more for the kickoff of the holiday season in November. Keep your eye on the blog for more stories, thoughts and views of Disney (parks and otherwise) from the eyes of a true fan. Please know that I appreciate your reading, your comments, follows, likes and shares more than you know!
This afternoon, my wife was explaining copyrights to my daughter. The little girl was talking about wanting to write “Froggy” books, based off of the popular picture book series by Jonathan London. As my wife continued to explain why we couldn’t sell our own Froggy books, the subject of Disney came up as an example.
“For example, only Disney could sell stories of Mickey, Minnie, or other Disney characters. Nobody else.”
“But, aren’t I Disney, Mommy?”
Maybe she has a point. Time to discuss her rights with Disney marketing, I guess….
I’d like to start this next part by stating the following: I never understood the appeal of Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique at Disneyland. Never understood, that is, until I had a little girl that was old enough to be appealed to.
Oh boy, do I understand now!
The Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique is a special experience that caters to the inner princess of every little girl. From the care of the “Fairy Godmothers in Training” to the magic mirror reveal, it’s a great way to make a little girl feel very special for a day (or two, if the hairspray and style holds)!
Who doesn’t feel like a royal princess after this experience? Our little girl sure did!
In fact, a few families with small children (and a couple grown ups as well) asked our daughter if they could get their picture taken with her. Of course, she obliged and felt like holding court to see if she could get even more visitors! Special thanks to my good friend Austen from the Disney Park Secrets blog for being part of her entourage and acting as royal guard along with another friend!
“Sure, you can have my autograph too!”
Going forward into Fantasyland, the next stop is definitely a must for multiple rides in a trip….
In a discussion with a friend the other day, we were both talking about how well classic dark rides have held up in Fantasyland. The paint schemes, the story, the music, the feeling of immersion – you ARE part of the story; it just draws the rider in. Nowhere is this exemplified better than in Peter Pan’s Flight. The continuous 30-45 minute waits for a 2 minute ride are proof of that!
“There it is, Wendy – second start to the right and straight on ’till morning!”
Moving on to our next destination, It’s a Small World, we stop for a picture in the stationary teacup, a photo favorite of kids and adults alike… wait…it’s missing!
Hopefully it’s just getting some touch-up and will return; perhaps it has already. Any readers who frequent the park, can you confirm this?
No time to stop and cry over spilled tea… we have to journey to the rest of the world!
It is a small one, after all!
We arrived at It’s A Small World, right about the time of the Soundsational Parade. With all eyes fixed on the parade route, the line for Small World was nonexistent. Not only were we loaded onto our own boat, the boats behind us were empty!
Which gave me thoughts for a great Small World Halloween picture…..
“Sure, they go on, but nobody ever comes out…….”
Time to move from that horror into Toontown. Such a great themed land. Sure, there could stand to be a little more in the way of rides, but the detail put into this area is just amazing. From the curved architecture, the talking mailboxes and gag boxes to the little details in every house, there are so many opportunities to just admire the thought that went into it!
One of my favorite resting spots (for a parent, that meant about two minutes to be still in shade) is the area behind Donald Duck’s Boat, The S.S. Daisy. Between the shade and constantly running water, it’s quite a nice area to cool off! Which leads to one of my favorite pics of the trip – finding a bit of Adventureland in Toontown:
I’ve titled it “The Backside of Duckwater.”
With the mention of Adventureland, I’ll leave you with one more picture today; this one a bit of an observation. I often forget how awesome Adventureland looks in its theming. Even in a little area, it really does feel like you’ve been transported to a little outpost in the Jungle. The reason it gets missed so much is due to the bottlenecks that tend to happen between strollers, people walking toward New Orleans Square, and Indiana Jones riders. This past trip, with Indy closed, Adventureland became walkable again, and we were really able to enjoy the beauty:
Look! Elbow room!
Well, dear readers, that wraps up part two of my photo essay! I have one more part coming – a few pictures from California Adventure. Until then, I hope you’ve enjoyed these pictures. Feel free to share with your friends and leave any comments you may have as well! Thanks for reading!
Hello, dear readers! Really, it’s been too long. Having arrived back from a trip to Walt’s original Magic Kingdom last week, I thought I’d share some pictures with you via this blog. Before we begin, I would like to note a few things:
First off, I am not a professional photographer. The pictures you see here were taken either with my cell phone or our family point-and-shoot, either by myself or my lovely wife. We do not claim them to be works of art (although some of them turned out pretty cool), just pictures we felt like taking.
Second, while there may a few things we noticed this trip that may not have been there before, this is not intended to be a photo update or trip report. Just pictures I felt like sharing. You won’t see twenty five pictures of construction walls and dirt.
Lastly, I have no intention to make Confessions of a DisNerd a running commentary or “watchdog” type site. There’s plenty of those already, and you can follow lots of people on Twitter for that. I just want to have fun, and enjoy the magic of Disney – and I hope you do too.
So without further adieu, here’s the first of our pictures from our latest trip (you should be able to click on them to see bigger versions) – hope you enjoy!
How many of us actually wait for a Main Street vehicle to show up as opposed to jumping on because it happens to be there? My little girl loves the vehicles and was very willing to wait for the double-decker Omnibus to arrive!
Always love seeing this most welcome sight – the horse drawn carriages, the train station announcements, the music playing…. Main Street doesn’t need the words to say. “Welcome Home.”
One thing you will notice is that City Hall (as well as the fire station) was under construction. One thing I love when they do these refurbishments on Main Street is the facade covers they put in place. The details are great, and still give a feel of Main Street, U.S.A. For example….
If you look closely in the window of the fire station, you can’t help but notice: the light is still on for Walt!
One of my favorite places to visit is the gallery at the front of Main Street – I love seeing the concept art, renderings and models. Right now, the focus is on the various castles of Disney theme parks. What a beautiful exhibit to behold!
Le Château de la Belle au Bois Dormant from Disneyland Paris is a sight to behold, even in scale!
I love seeing Main Street this time of year. Before the fall decorations are put up, when it’s in all of it’s non-holiday glory. It’s second only to…
Christmas!?!? In September???
It was only on a couple buildings, so we figured there had to be something promotional going on.
Yep – this explains it!
We saw filming going on that night, or at least prep for filming. Whatever the reason, it was a prefect tease of the season coming in just a couple months!
Might as well enjoy the short lived holiday spirit! I must say, nothing makes you ready for Christmas on a 90+ degree day like seeing these decorations. I’m ready!
But, as it turns out, those few shops on Main Street weren’t the only ones ready to get in the holiday spirit!
Over in Pixie Hollow, things have been getting their own winter touch in preparation for the latest Tinker Bell movie, “The Secret of the Wings.”
Little touches, like the statues in Pixie Hollow make the wait so pleasant! Can’t help but love the details (and the music) in this area!
Fortunately, we happened to be among the first group of people to meet the newest pixie friend, Periwinkle!
Pixie Hollow is always a fun time, especially for the little ones. The fairies are always so entertaining! It helps when you’re as into the movies as we are, but on that end, they really are surprisingly good movies!
Well, as we’ve reached the end of Main Street and enter the realm of Fantasy, we’ve also reached the end of this entry. Look for part two to come within the next day or two – I appreciate your patience in waiting for this post and hope you’ve enjoyed!
Credit goes to the lovely Mrs. DisNerd for taking this awesome sunset shot – seemed like a great way to end this entry!
Although it’s been open for a few months, we like to avoid summer months at Disneyland – the crowds are a bit much for our tastes. Therefore, this trip has been our first glimpse into the newly completed Cars Land; needless to say, it did not disappoint. By now you’ve seen countless pictures of the land, but in all honesty, pictures do not do it justice. It has to be seen to be believed! While pictures show the grand layout, there are so many little details that can be easily overlooked. For example, the tops of the posts of the chain barriers in Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree:
They’re radiator caps!
It’s little touches like this that make Disney stand out from the crowd. Add touches like this to the land, the layout and the music, and you have a grand addition to the parks.
Not to mention, you never know who you’ll see on the streets or Radiator Springs!
One of our “counting down to Disneyland” traditions has always been movie nights. We’ve done different things throughout the years. One year, we decided to theme our movies by lands. Tarzan, Swiss Family Robinson, and Indiana Jones for Adventureland, Star Wars for Tomorrowland, a number of animated movies for Fantasyland…. you get the idea. We’ve even attempted to watch movies in chronological order, starting with Snow White and working up. Many times, the only criteria needed is whether the movie is Disney or at least in a Disney vein. Lately, (and my wife has been thankfully been going along with it) I’ve been in documentary mode.
One thing to know about me and my taste in movies: I’m an escapist. I don’t look for realism in my movies; I look to be entertained. There’s enough real in the world, and I’d rather have two hours of good storytelling than two hours of depressing realism followed by another two hours of deep thought.
With that being said, it’s amazing what good storytelling and entertainment Disney documentaries provide. They are among my favorite movies – not just documentaries. This week, we’ve watched two such docs – “Frank & Ollie” and “Waking Sleeping Beauty.” What great movies to bookend each other.
“Frank and Ollie” chronicles the journey of two lifelong friends who happened to be animators at the Disney studios – Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston, two of Walt’s “Nine Old Men.” Aside from being great guys and storytellers, the two were geniuses in the animation field. To watch them describe their work, through drawing and facial expressions, you can’t help but feel in awe of the animation process: the nuances of the characters, the humanizing of non humans – it’s truly amazing. The examples given, from Baloo agonizing over telling Mowgli it’s time to go back to the man village in “The Jungle Book”, to Archimedes the owl laughing hysterically at the idea of man someday mastering flight in “The Sword in the Stone,” really make me want to play closer attention to these little sequences of animation.
Guess it’s true what was said in Brad Bird’s “The Incredibles:”
Of course, the other focus of the movie – the friendship of the two – is truly touching. These two neighbors had different interests, different ways of doing things, but there was a genuine connection between the two. Knowing this movie was made toward the end of their long and amazing lives makes the final (wordless) few minutes incredibly poignant – Frank playing a tune on the piano while Ollie rides his trains (both their lifelong passions outside of animation) – it’s just about perfect. As were their animations.
If you’ve followed my Facebook page, I’ve made it no secret that not only is “Waking Sleeping Beauty” my favorite Disney movie, but it’s at the top of my list of all time favorites. Not bad for a film that wasn’t even made by Disney (only distributed)!
WSB follows the story of Disney animation through the turbulent years of 1984-1994. These were the years that saw “The Black Cauldron” get beat out at the box office by “The Care Bears Movie,” that saw the animators get evicted from their own building, that saw a drastic overhaul of the Walt Disney studios. But this was also the era that brought us “The Little Mermaid,” “Beauty and the Beast,” “Aladdin,” and so much more. The story is told through the eyes of the animators – their successes and their failures. Ideas that worked and many that didn’t. Masterfully narrated by Don Hahn, and filled with interviews from those that were closest to the situation, including those involved in upper level power struggles (including Michael Eisner, Roy Disney and Jeffery Katzenberg) – this movie is master storytelling at its best.
Besides being informative and many times funny, the movie is a bit of a tear jerker as well. The filmmakers deftly chronicle the late Howard Ashman’s role in the resurgence of animation. Without him, one would question whether The Little Mermaid would have ever stayed afloat. Many of us knew of Howard as the other half of a songwriting team with Alan Menken; very few of us saw his creative process with the animators, the voice actors and the musicians. By the time the segment covering his passing arrives in the film, we really feel as though we’ve lost an amazing influence.
I’ve linked a bonus feature from the DVD on Howard here, but it’s nothing compared to the segment in the movie:
After I posted on Facebook, my friend and reader of the blog, Debi shared this with me:
“Feeling grateful again to my friend Craig, who turned me on to Don Hahn’s documentary, WAKING SLEEPING BEAUTY. I bet I can do an RTI enrichment class based on this movie. Just watched the “Part of Your World” recording piece. Fabulous. The piece about losing Howard Ashman is very powerful and kids will lean from and relate to that story in an important way.”
I couldn’t agree more, Debi. This movie means that much to me, too.
This post has gotten rather long winded, but I do feel it has given you, dear readers, an insight to the mind of this DisNerd. And I’ll be going to Disneyland soon, thinking of these stories as I ride rides and see shows that they have influenced – can’t wait to share that with you as well!
If you haven’t noticed by now, my family’s a little nuts about Disneyland. Aside from the trip itself, one of our favorite times is the time when it starts getting close enough to have “countdown” activities.
4…3…2…1….. Blastoff!!!
In the past, we’ve done advent type calendars where the kiddo can put stickers on each day as we creep closer. We’ve had Disney-themed meals from an alfredo pasta resembling the Countdown Chicken Fusili from Redd Rockett’s Pizza Port to freshly popped popcorn served in Disney souvenir bucket. We play games – the latest being a yard sale find of “The Magic Kingdom” board game. We watch Youtube videos of rides. We listen to music – the “Musical History of Disneyland” 6 CD set is practically memorized around our house!
And of course, there are movies. Videos that range from classic Disney films and shorts to old Disneyland television specials to home movies. After the little one goes to bed, my wife and I may put in something that wouldn’t hold the little girl’s interest, like a documentary or opening day coverage (I know what you’re thinking, but our daughter is four – I’m sure she’ll appreciate it someday!).
As our next vacation is rapidly approaching, I thought over the upcoming days, I’d share Disney related activities we’ve done here on the blog. Whether it be music that catches my ear and inspires me to write about it, movies that I watch that inspire thoughts, or activities that inspire a story I think you might enjoy, I’ll share it here.
I hope you enjoy and have fun reading – if signal permits, maybe I’ll even be able to share pictures from the park once I’m there!
Until then, I ask you, fellow readers: Do you do anything special to countdown the days until your Disney trip? If so, I’d love to hear what you do in the comments below!
Confessions Of A DisNerd 