Category Archives: DisNerd Vacations

Trips taken relating to Disney in some way, shape or size.

The 15 Day Disneyland Challenge: Day 2

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Note: This post is part of a 15 Day challenge with questions referring to Disneyland or Walt Disney World. For more information, or to see all 15 questions, please refer to the introductory post, The 15 Day Disneyland Challenge. As stated in that post, I am not the creator of the challenge – just a willing participant!

Day 2: Your Favorite Show.

Once again, I have to say: ONLY ONE?

Oh, so many choices I could go with just based on emotional impact and beauty alone. “Believe: There’s Magic In the Stars” was the firework show that was playing the year my wife and I were married – we watched it every night we were there, because it was just that good. Even now, hearing the soundtrack evokes some great misty-eyed memories. “Remember – Dreams Come True” – the firework show created for Disneyland’s 50th Anniversary – is just beyond phenomenal, bringing back memories of rides from today and yesterday. “Aladdin” over at Disney California Adventure is a great Broadway style musical that never gets old, with a genie that mixes things up on a regular basis. “Believe… In Holiday Magic” – the Holiday firework offering – holds a near and dear spot to my heart. It was my daughter’s first firework show; the sight of her watching in wonder, then in awe once more as the “snow” began to fall is permanently engrained in my mind as a wonderful memory I’ll never forget.

Of course, those are just a few of so many great shows, but if I had to choose just one…

 

“IMAGINATION!!!!!”

 

I remember when Fantasmic first opened – my junior year of high school. Traveling in by bus, seeing the signs along the freeway, I had no idea what exactly Fantasmic was… but my interest was definitely piqued. However, once at Disneyland, seeing crowds staking out their spaces on blankets as early as noon, the impatient teenager in me took over. I would rather ride rides than watch “some show,” and chose not to watch. Now I’m not saying I would have waited THAT long to see it, but I wish I could go back and kick the teenage me in the pants for not waiting. All I heard about on the bus on the way back home was how amazing it was.

My first real exposure to Fantasmic was not the show at all, but the music. A friend of mine had the CD, and being over at his house I experienced the awesome orchestrations long before the show. However, that was enough. I had the show memorized before I had ever seen any of it.

My first experience of seeing the show in person came about five years later, on my next trip to Disneyland. To say I was in awe would be correct. The theatrics, the pyrotechnics, the water screens, special effects, music, story…everything flowed perfectly.

And it still does. Good still triumphs over Evil, and imagination reigns supreme. As it should be in the world of Disney!

I’ve included a multi-shot edit video from my friend Matt. Although nothing beats seeing it live, the essence is still there. For those of you who don’t live near enough to see it often, or have perhaps never seen it -enjoy!

 

 

So now, I ask – what’s your favorite theme park show? Make sure and leave your answers below. I love reading others’ input!

Make sure to come back tomorrow for Day 3 of the challenge and tell your friends!

The 15 Day Disneyland Challenge: Day 1

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Note: This post is part of a 15 Day challenge with questions referring to Disneyland or Walt Disney World. For more information, or to see all 15 questions, please refer to the introductory post, The 15 Day Disneyland Challenge. As stated in that post, I am not the creator of the challenge – just a willing participant!

Day One: The Attraction You Have To Go On Multiple Times.

ONLY ONE?????

When thinking about this one, the first ride that came to mind was “It’s a Small World,” mainly because of the multiple times we have ridden it. It was my daughter’s first ride, and the one fail safe with the shortest line and an opportunity to sit in air conditioning for nearly 15 minutes. But while the ride is classic and the song charming, ultimately, it’s not the one that leaves me longing for more.

I then thought of my favorite ride: Space Mountain. Thrilling at every turn, great effects in the “launch tunnel,” and an amazing in ride score, it’s a must ride for me. However, riding multiple times, I’d rather see more than stars and asteroids, or whatever silly pose I choose to come up with for the picture in the end.

So which ride is it that leaves me wanting more? That makes me want to ride over and over if only the line would permit? That makes me wish the ride would just stop for a minute in any given scene?

Second star to the right, and straight on ’til morning!

I actually don’t remember riding this one as a child. That’s not to say I didn’t; I just don’t remember. I do, however, remember the first time I rode it in high school. I don’t know if I could even talk about it afterward – I was just a 15 year old with his jaw very near to hitting the ground. Flying over the city of London, then onto Neverland… I was in awe. To this day I dream of building a room with a loft bed and thousands of fiber optic lights that turn on once the room is dark – just because I want to live in my own Neverland.

Now that I’m older with my own family, I still see the look of wonder in my little girl’s face whenever we ride; it is definitely a family favorite. Of course, we’ve put our own traditions into riding the ride. While waiting in the queue, we yell at the Evil Queen from Snow White peeking out through the window across the way to be nice. When we are first able to spot the Darling children’s nursery we say hi to Nana in our own special way: either barking or making other various animal sounds. However, once the ride starts, we’re still all transfixed by London and Neverland, although we do try to spot Mickey hiding in the windows of Big Ben.

Of course, the view of the real night sky isn’t so bad either!

So many rides could have been used for this one, but I think this one takes the cake for sheer beauty and wonder. Perfectly fitting for a boy who refuses to grow up!

Now it’s your turn, dear readers: What’s your repeated ride of choice?

The 15 Day Disneyland Challenge

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I’m sure many of you have seen those posts on Facebook: “30 Day Movie Challenge,” “30 Day Song Challenge.”

Today, a friend of mine sent me a new one: The 15 Day Disneyland Challenge. While my initial thought was to do this on Facebook, I thought to myself, “Why not post on the blog instead? It would give readers an opportunity to know me better, and they could respond with their choices as well!”

Since a big part of the changes I have in store for Confessions of a DisNerd involve community and interaction, I felt this would be a great way to kick things off. I’m posting the picture of the challenge here; I lay no claim to being the inventor of the challenge, just an eager participant. Feel free to use it on your own Facebook walls, but I truly hope you will post and share here as well! Obviously here you won’t be able to post photos in the comment section, but as fellow DisNerds, I’m sure we’ll all know what each other is talking about.

If you’re more familiar with Walt Disney World, feel free to talk about that here as well – or even combine the two!

Tomorrow starts day one of the challenge: The attraction you have to go on multiple times. See you then!

Happy Birthday to a Timeless Voice

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If I had to choose one song in the Disney library to hear for the rest of my life, it would be Leigh Harline and Ned Washington’s  “When You Wish Upon a Star.” The lyrics are incredibly moving, speaking to the hopeful child in all of us: if you wish it with all your heart, and of course on a star, your dreams can come true. The melody fits perfectly as well – one is soothed in the belief that, for at least the three plus minute duration of the song, everything is going to be wonderful. The songwriters did an amazing job, and “When You Wish…” has been covered by countless musicians, both lyrically and instrumentally.

However, the original version is the one that remains with me. It’s the version that still plays in the walkway to Sleeping Beauty’s Castle at Disneyland. It still makes me slow my pace as I walk through, because I hear that voice, and feel… home.

That voice. Belonging to one man: Cliff “Ukelele Ike” Edwards.

The Man…. The Cricket… The Legend

On this day (June 14th) in 1895, Cliff Edwards was born in Hannibal, Missouri. Before he was known as the voice of Jiminy Cricket, as well as Jim Crow in Dumbo, and his appearances on The Mickey Mouse Club in the 50’s, he was a well known vaudevillian, singer and actor. He was the first person responsible for singing this familiar little tune on the silver screen:

Life, sadly, was not kind to Ike. Despite his resurgence as a voice fixture with Disney, he was also a drinker and drug addict with many financial difficulties, a grim reminder that dreams in the real world didn’t always come true. When he died, penniless and unknown in 1971, his body lay unclaimed for several days; no one knew who he was.

I’m hoping that today, many of you, dear readers, will remember and spread the word of who he was: A man who touched the world with his voice. Although his face may not be recognizable, any time you watch Pinocchio or Dumbo; whenever you think “I’m No Fool” as you cross the street; as you pass under Sleeping Beauty’s Castle, I hope you remember Ukelele Ike.

Happy Birthday, Mr. Edwards. Your life on Earth was not always the easiest, but your voice helped define generations of Disney lovers around the world. For that, we are eternally grateful.

Raising a DisNerd

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A letter to my  four and a half year old daughter:

My dear little girl,

I would like to start off this letter to you with an apology. I’m sorry we weren’t able to stay at Disneyland longer on our last trip. It broke my heart to see the tears rolling down your face as we headed toward our car to make the long trip home. To hear you pleading, “Pleeeaaaase can we go back and ride Pooh Bear?” Well, I wish I could have done that, but, alas, work beckoned for me the next morning and we had to go. As sad as I was to see your tears and hear your cries, I understood why – and it makes me smile a little.

We’re raising someone who has as deep a love for all things Disney as her mother and father do.

I think this trip I noticed even more than usual how much that love has grown. Watching you interact with characters, talking to them as if you were old friends… well, in a sense you are. Mickey and Minnie have been a part of your life from the beginning, as have so many others. To hear you say hi to Mickey and Walt as we pass the Partners statue warms my heart; at such a young age, you already know who Walt was, and what he meant to the company you’ve grown to love. Watching as you noticed areas of the park that could use touching up made me giggle. You really care about its upkeep!

I could tell you touched others as well. Mary Poppins couldn’t believe you were only four based on what you knew and said. Cast members enjoyed conversations with you. Rapunzel was an eager student as you patiently taught her to dance. And the memory of the two of you skipping down the walkway is a memory I’m sure we’ll all cherish for a lifetime.

It’s not just at the park I’ve noticed this love, though. At home, your go-to games are usually Disney-tinged ones. You love playing with your princess dolls. You ask for me to make up stories for you – “But make sure you use Disney characters I already know,” you remind me. When we read stories, 9 times out of ten, it’s a Disney book. Your first words besides “mama” and “dada” were “Donald Duck!”

I know that you haven’t had much of a choice; being given parents such as your mother and I, you were bound to be inundated with an appreciation for the mouse. However, I believe that God gave us someone who wouldn’t mind that fact too much. Instead of just accepting it, you embrace it wholeheartedly.

As you continue to grow, I pray for so much for you in your life. For wisdom, strength, faith and courage. I also pray that the magic never leaves you. That your face lights up at the sight of a castle. That you always remember your friends at Disneyland and never truly be ready to leave. That you sing about wishing upon stars and dance with a smile and a song.

And that you’ll never be too old to skip down the street.

Love,

Daddy

Plaza Gardens Memories

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April 30th, 2012 marked the end of an era for Disneyland. Carnation Gardens Plaza was closed to make way for a new Princess Fantasy Faire location. The site of swing dancing, school choirs, bands, and other various performances has gone into Yesterland along with the Skyway, the People Mover, and so much more. It seems this piece of Disney history has hit so many people harder. Was it because they performed there themselves? Was it because they loved to dance there on Saturday night? Is it because another original piece of the park is being torn down to make way for something new? Perhaps it’s all of the above. Over the past few days I’ve read many personal stories about people and their connections to the Plaza Garden area. While I never performed there in choir (we sang at the Disneyland Hotel) or took a spin across the floor, there are a couple memories that stick out in my mind.

Even the man himself would dance here!

A few years ago, my wife and I were fortunate enough to see the original Mousketeers from the Mickey Mouse Club reunite on the Garden stage for their 50th anniversary . What a kick we got out of hearing the Mousketeers tell their stories, sing their songs, dance, and even seeing Cubby play the drums! Perhaps more entertaining were their legions of followers, screaming as if David Cassidy or Davy Jones had just taken the stage. The fact that these performers, so many years later, still held a place in so many people’s hearts was amazing and warming to see. Later that evening, we made our way back to the stage. It was dark and empty, just the backdrop for the show remained. Although the show was over, we managed to snag a few pictures up on stage, pictures that will remind us that we were briefly Mousketeers as well.

Why? Because we like you!

The other memory that sticks out in my mind does not involve the performing area at all, just the area surrounding it. Last December, my family and I were at the park and happened to see Cinderella in the Gardens area as we waited to see her, who should walk up but Alice and the Mad Hatter? Turns out they were in the area “conducting interviews” and needed a subject. And something to write on. Cinderella became the subject, and my daughter offered up her autograph book as the interview pad. As they kept interrupting the princess and her guests, Mary Poppins and Bert were taking a “Jolly Holiday” stroll to the same location and joined in the interview and ensuing silliness. There were so few areas in the park that accommodated such a gathering, such a grand time as the Carnation Plaza Gardens, and it will be truly missed.

Oh, it's a Jolly Holiday with Mary.... and Bert ... and Alice... and the Hatter.... and Cindy! No wonder it's the Gardens that we love!

I, like so many, will miss the Gardens. I’ll miss the entertainment, the space, the unexpected meetings. But Disneyland IS always changing. It doesn’t stay the same from one visit to the next.  The classic look and feel may be going away, but swing dancing will return there. Shows will find their way back to the stage. New favorites will emerge. My daughter loves the princesses, and plans for the new Fantasy Faire area look nothing short of beautiful. I can’t help but wonder, many years from now, if the Fantasy Faire gets replaced with something else, will she lament the renovation of a dear friend, as so many of us are doing now?

Perhaps so, but hopefully she’ll be able to look forward to sharing something new with future generations as well.

Farewell, Plaza Gardens, and thanks for the memories.

How to Play to DisNerds

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My wife and I, along with other people we know, are fans of ABC’s new show, “Once Upon a Time.” Aside from just being plain intriguing with its warped fairy tale characters and alter egos, it’s a product of Disney synergy at its finest. The Dwarves are named after their Disney counterparts, Snow White has been known to hum “With a Smile and a Song,” and Belle looks awfully familiar in her gold dress. Then there’s the case of the “antique” in one of the cases of Mr. Gold’s antique shop:

That push button Mickey phone must be a pretty magical antique – why else would he have it locked up?

Watching the show to see what special touches like that may be thrown in next is definitely a highlight for me. Of course, being on ABC, a Disney owned company, the show writers can throw Disney-esque references in there and get away with it.

Of course there are other references out there, not necessarily in a television show, not necessarily linked directly to Disney, but references that, being a geek for all things Disney, I eat right up.

For example, foods that remind me of Disney catch my eye, and sometimes taste buds as well. I can’t resist the scent of churros. While not a Disney specific product, boy do they ever remind me of a certain theme park in Anaheim. Taking a bite, for a few brief moments I can almost see myself standing by the churro cart at the end of Main Street, USA, and I think the people that sell churros outside of the parks know this. I’m a sucker for cinnamon, sugar and Disney.

If I need Orange Juice, what kind do I enjoy the most?

Oh Donald, I’m so glad you can be a part of my balanced breakfast!

Then there are those products that aren’t aimed at Disney fans at all; nonetheless, they hit the mark. A few years back, Avon sold a cologne for men called “RPM.” It was described as a fresh, citrus, and slightly woodsy smell. So naturally, what did it remind me  of? Soarin’ Over California. Of course, I bought it because I’m a sucker for scents of Disney. I once spent an hour at a nickel poker machine at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas just because the fountain I was sitting next to reminded me of the smell of the water in Pirates of the Caribbean. I’m convinced a former Imagineer designed that fountain just to ensnare DisNerds like me.

Apparently it doesn’t take much to get my attention with a mention, tie-in or even scent that brings about a Disney feeling or memory. The latest product to come my way and evoke those feelings?

Look, they even have a Skyway!

There are so many other examples I can’t even think of at the moment, but sometimes even I look at myself and think, “How crazy am I to let myself be so influenced by Disney?” Yet, tis the life I lead… the life of a DisNerd.

And for some odd reason, I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s a perfumist out there trying to concoct “Eau de Pirate Water.”

Remember: The Bad Guys Never Win

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This past weekend, my wife and I took our daughter to see “Disney on Ice: 100 Years of Magic.” Having taken her the previous year to see to see a different incarnation, we assumed she would be thrilled to be going again. Instead, her response?

“I think I have plans that day.”

Upon further prying and questioning, her reasoning for not wanting to go was revealed: Villains. Fortunately for us, this particular show was bad guy lite. Just a handful to worry about: Gaston (brutish, but not scary), Huns (a threat to China, but not to us), and…Monstro the whale. Ahh, Monstro, you devilish whale, you. My little girl, who used to be inseparable from her plush Pinocchio, wants nothing to do with you. No movie, no ride at Disneyland, no Disney on Ice… not even Storybook Land. Casey Jr. is  okay, but riding a tranquil boat through Monstro’s mouth is out of the question.

Such a frightening ride.

Of course, she’s not the only person out there to be frightened by Disney.

My father told me of going to Disneyland when he was five years old. He was bound and determined to ride Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride all by himself; no parents, no siblings, he was a big kid. He could to it. Therefore, his parents let him. How did you like that ride, dad? “Scared the HELL out of me.”

My mom loved to tell the story of taking my sister to the movies when she was a toddler to see Snow White. Everything was fine until the Queen transformed herself into the witch. The theater fell into silence as the old hag crept through the dungeon. You could hear a pin drop. You could hear a cute little two or three year old say “Oh sh–….”

As for me? Well, aside from the fact that, as stated in a previous post, I refused to ride Space Mountain due to lack of seat belts, not much phased me. Really. Unless, of course, you count the real mice that hide in the bushes of the Matterhorn, then I may be guilty of freaking out just a touch. But I digress.

After much cajoling, we finally got out daughter to the arena, sat in our seats, and generally speaking, everything was fine until the second half began with…. Pinocchio and a giant ice skating whale. At this point our little girl, tears rolling down her face, was screaming, “I COMMAND YOU TO GET ME OUT OF HERE!!!! I COMMAND IT!!!!” Instead of acquiescing to said commands, my wife and I held her hands, covered her eyes and ears and acted as human shields until the segment was over. Once it was over, she watched the rest of the show with rapt attention. On our way home, she said from the back seat, “I’m so glad we got to go to Disney on Ice today.” Then, looking in the program, said, “That silly Monstro didn’t even look like Monstro!” She had forgotten her fears (at least temporarily) and managed to have a good time and can’t wait for the chance to go again.

And that’s part of the magic of Disney – no matter how scary, how harsh things may get, good triumphs over evil, and we walk away happy, remembering for the most part, the good stuff. To this day, my dad still rides Mr. Toad, my sister still loves Snow White, and I ride Space Mountain without seat belts.

But I will still move to the other side of the line if I see a mouse in the bushes….

A DisNerd At An Early Age

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It’s not like I live at Disneyland. As a matter of fact, I live out of state and make it there about four times a year. To some, that’s too much, but not to me, my wife, or my daughter. It’s just that Disneyland has always been a part of me. In my blood, so to speak. My father started going to Disneyland with his family in 1956. My mother will volunteer the fact that I was conceived on a trip to Disneyland, a fact that just kind of freaks me out and for that reason, will not be discussed from here on out.

With my sister and Mickey, circa 1977

 

When I was younger, Disneyland was a favorite vacation destination for me. I can’t remember too much about those trips; I was a little too young. I do know that one of my family’s favorite photographs come from me being pushed in a stroller by Dale the chipmunk, screaming my cute little Mickey ears off. There are many other pictures of me at the park, but no real memories come of those.

The few things I do remember are little in the grand scheme of things. I remember my mom and dad making me and my sister lay down for a nap on a bench while my mom had iced tea and my dad had a vanilla milkshake, of which I got to have a sip of. A little thing, right? But here I am, 40 years old, and nothing tastes better to me than a vanilla milkshake from the happiest place on earth. (On a side note, on a trip there in 2006, I discovered the Gibson Girl Ice Cream Parlor no longer sold shakes. I almost cried.)

I remember waking up on the floor of the hotel room, being told I had just rolled off in the middle of the night. (Just rolled off? I was sharing a bed with my older sister at the time, and I still suspect foul play.)

I remember riding my first roller coaster, The Matterhorn, with my dad. And it scared the living daylights out of me. He tried to get me to go on Space Mountain with him. He said I’d like it because it had cool pictures of the solar system as we were walking out. He almost had me sold on it as I was a pretty big astronomy buff, until I asked one more important question. “Does it have seat belts?” I asked him. No, he told me, just safety bars. “Then I’m not riding. Not until they have seat belts.” I have since softened my stance on rides without seat belts, though I still won’t get into a car without one.

Perhaps the memory that stayed with me most, however, is that we went as a family. My parents divorced soon after our last family trip to Disneyland, and I wouldn’t get to go again for quite a few years. Nonetheless, when I think of my family being happy together, I think of our trips to Disneyland. I still think of family every time I go there, hoping my daughter will have similar memories and feelings.

And I think Uncle Walt would be happy.