Opening time: 8 a.m.
Weather: Overcast; only cold on the parking lot tram
Crowds: Spring Break is over. Why am I surrounded by Midwesterners?
Not-so-blind-item: A certain motel on Harbor Boulevard had "Ask About Our Winter Specials" on its marquee up until this week, despite winter ending more than a month ago. They have since changed 'winter' to 'summer' on the sign, which looks marginally smarter, given that it's not even May yet.
Front gates opened late today. At least one family in line ahead of me had somehow not noticed the great big ticket booths with price lists above the windows and tried to pay at the gate. (And tourists wonder why they're stereotyped as clueless.) By the time I actually got in, it was 8:20. I think everyone prefers it when guests are let in but not allowed past the end of Main Street until opening time - as hard as they work, most ticket takers can't check and scan tickets nearly as fast as excited visitors can walk.
Two tiny props have returned to Storybook Land's London Park. I wish I could say someone's fixed the thatched roof on Alice's cottage - it's gotten worse. Last week I noticed a section of thatching on the back of the cottage falling off while riding Casey Jr. Now, it's fallen so badly you can see the plaster and dried glue underneath - while riding in a canal boat.
The big artificial rose held by a certain Alice animatronic has vanished - only a long thorny stem remains. Darn pranksters. Mechanical bluebird holding fiberglass striped sock in Snow White's cottage is turned to yet another weird angle.
A duckbilled platypus seems to be missing from It's a Small World. You know, I've always wondered why the platypuses in the ride are shaking eggs. (If you dozed off in 4th grade science class, FYI: platypuses reproduce by laying eggs.) Are they trying to scramble their offspring? (BTW, did you know that entire scene was added after the World's Fair? I understand omitting Hawaii for space reasons, but you'd think there'd have been SOME mention of Australia in there - it IS an entire continent, after all.)
Trivia fact: Disneyland Paris' version of It's a Small World has a large Canada/USA scene. Disneyland Anaheim's version contains only two dolls representing North America - a Native American and a cowboy (I'm not counting the bucktoothed Mountie figure). They can be seen in the finale scene, next to...drumroll please...the French cancan dancers.
Spotted from lookout point near Davy Crockett Explorer Canoes: three maintenance men steering the Huck Finn raft along a stretch of the river. They didn't seem to be transporting anything so I'm guessing it was to check the motor or something. Opted to skip the canoes today; I have a sore shoulder due to sleeping on it funny.
Spotted in New Orleans Square: 1. Electric-blue painter's tape lining French doors opening onto balcony above the Port Royal gift shop. What with planned rehabs, emergency work on the Mark Twain and Tarzan's Tree House, *and* the mad scramble to get Pirates' Lair ready before the POTC3 premiere, I'm guessing every park craftsperson, including the paint department, is swamped with work.
2. The Court des Anges courtyard is blocked from view on all sides - it can't even be seen through shop windows. I'm guessing it's routine maintenance (that big wooden staircase is going to need minor repair now and then), but given its location it could have something to do with Club 33. (Given that it's been closed off for at least 3 weeks, I'm inclined to lean toward the latter.)
I've got to hand it to Disneyland - only they could turn a ride rehab into an exhibit. The Mark Twain paddlewheeler, a guest favorite since opening day, was recently pulled into an emergency rehab (severe dry rot was involved). Even though it's not a full-size boat, it's still pretty big, and it's much more practical for crews to work on it in the Fowler's Harbor dock area. Since most guests are going to pass that way at some point (the Haunted Mansion is across the walkway, and next to that is Splash Mountain, which is currently in rehab and due to reopen next month), there isn't much of a point in trying to hide it. Some smart Mousecutive (my new word for Disney execs: pronounce it like 'Mous-zecutive') came up with the idea of putting a nice sign in front of the Harbour Galley sitting area explaining the rehab and inviting the observer to watch the old boat get some work done while having a snack (for those who haven't visited in years, Harbour Galley used to serve salt-and-vinegar fries, but now it's a McDonald's fry stand that happens to have a choice patio). Incidentally, I noticed a new cotton candy cart AND an ice-cream cart very close by (there was already an adjacent churro stand and a popcorn cart, each about 20 feet away from Harbour Galley). I must say, turning a long ride rehab into a sort of live show AND encouraging the guests to sit and watch by making a variety of snack foods available is a stroke of genius. All things considered, though, I sincerely hope the park never lets a ride get that worn out again before giving it some needed TLC. The last thing any DL enthusiast wants is for the Walt Disney World mentality to kick in over here.*
Shame on: 1. People who litter in rides. There's garbage in the Jungle Cruise river and a Buzz Lightyear toy in Snow White's pre-show scene.
2. Rude, selfish jackass smoking on side path to Frontierland. Excusez-moi, there are people walking here, and there are TWO smoking areas a reasonable distance from that particular spot. Ugh. If I owned a theme park, tobacco products wouldn't be allowed inside.
Yay for: The City of Anaheim's decision in favor of affordable housing on a plot next to Disney property. A lot of people don't like it. They seem to conveniently forget that most Mouse employees make VERY low wages (starting wages at neighboring fast food places are reportedly higher). I happen to know that many of them can only afford public transportation and shared small apartments - and still struggle to pay the bills. (This is especially relevant considering the ever-higher price of a college education - the Cal State Fullerton students who comprise most of the recruiting pool are no exception.)
Frankly, if I worked for Disneyland, I'd be a LOT more concerned about all the convicted sex offenders living in the sleazy motels on Harbor Boulevard. (A certain local news publication ran an article just days ago concerning Orange County motels - some of which are just a few miles down Harbor in neighboring Garden Grove and appeal to travelers on a budget - that house sex offenders on parole.) This is nothing new, it's been that way for years. Child molesters in particular are going to situate themselves in places where there is proximity to young children. (I live two blocks from an elementary school in a "nice" neighborhood. Three convicted sex offenders live even closer to the school than I do - which is against state law. A family-oriented vacation destination ought to be more concerned about the proximity of *real* criminals than I am, given that I don't have children and therefore don't have to worry about them.)
See you at Disneyland.
*For the sad, sad dirt on Walt Disney World's state of neglect and disrepair, please refer to Kevin Yee's column on MiceAge.com.
Weather: Overcast; only cold on the parking lot tram
Crowds: Spring Break is over. Why am I surrounded by Midwesterners?
Not-so-blind-item: A certain motel on Harbor Boulevard had "Ask About Our Winter Specials" on its marquee up until this week, despite winter ending more than a month ago. They have since changed 'winter' to 'summer' on the sign, which looks marginally smarter, given that it's not even May yet.
Front gates opened late today. At least one family in line ahead of me had somehow not noticed the great big ticket booths with price lists above the windows and tried to pay at the gate. (And tourists wonder why they're stereotyped as clueless.) By the time I actually got in, it was 8:20. I think everyone prefers it when guests are let in but not allowed past the end of Main Street until opening time - as hard as they work, most ticket takers can't check and scan tickets nearly as fast as excited visitors can walk.
Two tiny props have returned to Storybook Land's London Park. I wish I could say someone's fixed the thatched roof on Alice's cottage - it's gotten worse. Last week I noticed a section of thatching on the back of the cottage falling off while riding Casey Jr. Now, it's fallen so badly you can see the plaster and dried glue underneath - while riding in a canal boat.
The big artificial rose held by a certain Alice animatronic has vanished - only a long thorny stem remains. Darn pranksters. Mechanical bluebird holding fiberglass striped sock in Snow White's cottage is turned to yet another weird angle.
A duckbilled platypus seems to be missing from It's a Small World. You know, I've always wondered why the platypuses in the ride are shaking eggs. (If you dozed off in 4th grade science class, FYI: platypuses reproduce by laying eggs.) Are they trying to scramble their offspring? (BTW, did you know that entire scene was added after the World's Fair? I understand omitting Hawaii for space reasons, but you'd think there'd have been SOME mention of Australia in there - it IS an entire continent, after all.)
Trivia fact: Disneyland Paris' version of It's a Small World has a large Canada/USA scene. Disneyland Anaheim's version contains only two dolls representing North America - a Native American and a cowboy (I'm not counting the bucktoothed Mountie figure). They can be seen in the finale scene, next to...drumroll please...the French cancan dancers.
Spotted from lookout point near Davy Crockett Explorer Canoes: three maintenance men steering the Huck Finn raft along a stretch of the river. They didn't seem to be transporting anything so I'm guessing it was to check the motor or something. Opted to skip the canoes today; I have a sore shoulder due to sleeping on it funny.
Spotted in New Orleans Square: 1. Electric-blue painter's tape lining French doors opening onto balcony above the Port Royal gift shop. What with planned rehabs, emergency work on the Mark Twain and Tarzan's Tree House, *and* the mad scramble to get Pirates' Lair ready before the POTC3 premiere, I'm guessing every park craftsperson, including the paint department, is swamped with work.
2. The Court des Anges courtyard is blocked from view on all sides - it can't even be seen through shop windows. I'm guessing it's routine maintenance (that big wooden staircase is going to need minor repair now and then), but given its location it could have something to do with Club 33. (Given that it's been closed off for at least 3 weeks, I'm inclined to lean toward the latter.)
I've got to hand it to Disneyland - only they could turn a ride rehab into an exhibit. The Mark Twain paddlewheeler, a guest favorite since opening day, was recently pulled into an emergency rehab (severe dry rot was involved). Even though it's not a full-size boat, it's still pretty big, and it's much more practical for crews to work on it in the Fowler's Harbor dock area. Since most guests are going to pass that way at some point (the Haunted Mansion is across the walkway, and next to that is Splash Mountain, which is currently in rehab and due to reopen next month), there isn't much of a point in trying to hide it. Some smart Mousecutive (my new word for Disney execs: pronounce it like 'Mous-zecutive') came up with the idea of putting a nice sign in front of the Harbour Galley sitting area explaining the rehab and inviting the observer to watch the old boat get some work done while having a snack (for those who haven't visited in years, Harbour Galley used to serve salt-and-vinegar fries, but now it's a McDonald's fry stand that happens to have a choice patio). Incidentally, I noticed a new cotton candy cart AND an ice-cream cart very close by (there was already an adjacent churro stand and a popcorn cart, each about 20 feet away from Harbour Galley). I must say, turning a long ride rehab into a sort of live show AND encouraging the guests to sit and watch by making a variety of snack foods available is a stroke of genius. All things considered, though, I sincerely hope the park never lets a ride get that worn out again before giving it some needed TLC. The last thing any DL enthusiast wants is for the Walt Disney World mentality to kick in over here.*
Shame on: 1. People who litter in rides. There's garbage in the Jungle Cruise river and a Buzz Lightyear toy in Snow White's pre-show scene.
2. Rude, selfish jackass smoking on side path to Frontierland. Excusez-moi, there are people walking here, and there are TWO smoking areas a reasonable distance from that particular spot. Ugh. If I owned a theme park, tobacco products wouldn't be allowed inside.
Yay for: The City of Anaheim's decision in favor of affordable housing on a plot next to Disney property. A lot of people don't like it. They seem to conveniently forget that most Mouse employees make VERY low wages (starting wages at neighboring fast food places are reportedly higher). I happen to know that many of them can only afford public transportation and shared small apartments - and still struggle to pay the bills. (This is especially relevant considering the ever-higher price of a college education - the Cal State Fullerton students who comprise most of the recruiting pool are no exception.)
Frankly, if I worked for Disneyland, I'd be a LOT more concerned about all the convicted sex offenders living in the sleazy motels on Harbor Boulevard. (A certain local news publication ran an article just days ago concerning Orange County motels - some of which are just a few miles down Harbor in neighboring Garden Grove and appeal to travelers on a budget - that house sex offenders on parole.) This is nothing new, it's been that way for years. Child molesters in particular are going to situate themselves in places where there is proximity to young children. (I live two blocks from an elementary school in a "nice" neighborhood. Three convicted sex offenders live even closer to the school than I do - which is against state law. A family-oriented vacation destination ought to be more concerned about the proximity of *real* criminals than I am, given that I don't have children and therefore don't have to worry about them.)
See you at Disneyland.
*For the sad, sad dirt on Walt Disney World's state of neglect and disrepair, please refer to Kevin Yee's column on MiceAge.com.
posted by Sally Ravenswood at 2:21 AM
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