I've been unusually busy lately, so kindly forgive the lack of recent updates.

Halloween has come and gone again (mmm, apple cider cupcakes...), and the Halloweentime crowds are gone. The mini Zonie Invasion appears to be over, though I suspect it'll be back with a vengeance as Christmas approaches. It is my honest opinion that if someone built a theme park in Phoenix, it'd rake in a tiny fortune.

Christmas decorations have, once again, started to appear in the park. The castle already has sparkly fake snow caps and icicle lights, and New Orleans Square's transformation began a couple days before Halloween. Toontown is nearly done. It's a good thing Disneyland's decorations are among the most beautiful I have ever seen (and when you have a design background, you see a lot of good stuff!), since "Christmas creep" really is tacky. I know I say that every year even though I don't actually celebrate Christmas, but it's the truth.

Most of the Halloween decor is gone, with the exception of a few window displays. It's not like I mind, since the color scheme works for Thanksgiving, too.

Sharp-eyed visitors to Fantasyland just may spot a brand-new hidden Pixar character, though I won't say which one or where. If you're smart, you'll figure it out.

Alice is down for rehab, earlier than anticipated. Given the recent improvements it'll probably be better than ever when it's ready to re-open later this month. It's a Small World Holiday is set to open later this week. The planned rehab is still on (read Al Lutz's MiceAge column for the nice version, or http://blogs.ocweekly.com/navelgazing/disney-dirt/churros-anyone/ for a snappier take on the situation). While I have never actually seen IASW boats get stuck, I have it on good authority that this does happen with increasing regularity.

Spotted in Town Square: Cruella de Vil giving the thumbs-up to a guest in a long leopard-print coat. I wonder if "Cruella" could see the guest's "Faux, Not Fur" lapel pin!

It has come to my attention that a few of the dozen or so people who actually read this blog have made a few guesses as to my real-life identity. There are a number of AP's who fit my general description. I know a few of them, and I am sure of the speculation because one of them mentioned a comment from a cast member that struck her as bizarre but which I recognized as a reference to this blog. Nobody who knows me offline knows I keep this blog, and I am very careful about what I post. Identifying details are always worded very, very carefully or left out entirely. Put simply, you'll just never know. And really, who doesn't have something better to do anyway? ;)

That's enough out of me for now...see you at Disneyland.

Opening time: 8 a.m.
Weather: Mostly sunny, warm
Crowds: Yep...still summer.

If you've never heard of it, Overheard Everywhere is a newer offshoot of Overheard in New York, a humor blog documenting overheard dialogue (most of it funny) in the city that never sleeps. Overheard Everywhere has conversational snippets from just about everywhere on Earth.

Naturally, I just had to submit a couple of the funnier things I've overheard at Disneyland over the past couple of years. Yesterday (probably while I was at Disneyland) they posted one such example. Don't waste time digging through the archives - you can read it here:

http://www.overheardeverywhere.com/archives/001034.html

Disneyland is already promoting HalloweenTime, which is starting on the autumnal equinox this year. Damn. I loved HalloweenTime and all the bright orange decor from last year, but October used to be my top-secret ideal time to go to Disneyland and now it's going to be packed all month. Oh well, you can't win 'em all.

They say that sometimes you just need to go someplace where everyone knows your name. I don't drink (booze = bloating, no thanks!), so Disneyland is apparently turning into one of those places for yours truly (this is true for more than a few passholders out there). Several cast members address me by name, and a couple automatically direct me to a seating row without the usual "How many are in your group?" They know I almost always go alone. Hardcore party animals may scoff at this, since it's not as "cool" as cutting the line for the hottest club in town because you know the bouncer, but I don't care what they think and I got clubbing out of my system in college anyway. Frankly, it's not that great - watered-down drinks, steep covers, smoke wafting in from the patio, creepsters trying to pick you up, sweating, too-loud music, and who knows how much filth the darkness is hiding. Give me reasonably-well-scrubbed, friendly, sober-enough Disneyland any day.

A thought popped into my head on the Jungle Cruise: Why not re-release The Jungle Book in theaters (it's a classic) and add Mowgli, Baloo, and Bagheera animatronics? There's already a Bengal tiger and a very long snake...OK, I'll stop now.

On my way home, I made a detour to Art Supply Warehouse (needed a new sketch pad) and discovered a book in the animation-art section titled "The Art of Ratatouille." I haven't seen the book for sale anywhere in the resort, so once I scrounge up $35, I'm probably going to go back to buy it.

See you at Disneyland.