Disneyland California - Fantasyland (part I)

Cross the draw-bridge - and enter a whole world of Fantasy!

I think Fantasyland is one of my all-time favourite places in the world. It is a place where fairytales seem to come to life and where adults become a wide-eyed child all over again. In this post, we will focus on rides and attractions in Fantasyland, and in a post later, we will explore the food and shopping outlets in and around Fantasyland.

As you walk across the drawbridge (yes, it was once raised and lowered. On the 17th July, 1955. When children ran across it for the official opening of the park), the overwhelming sights, smells and sounds of Main Street are quickly replaced with new sights, sounds and smells. Half dream land, half fairytale land, Fantasyland provides something for everyone to be delighted with. Toward the rear of the Castle tunnel, on your left will be the entrance to the castle walk through. This requires the navigation of stairs - so probably isn't suitable for those with wheelchairs or prams. As you climb the stairs, walk through and down the other side, animated figures, pictures and figurines tell the story of Sleeping Beauty - probably not one for the boys, but little princesses (and those young at heart) will love it!

The first Disneyland ride I ever went on, after my train trip around the park, was Dumbo the Flying Elephant. I remember it like it was yesterday. I was so little at the time, and making that elephant fly high up into the sky is one of my fondest memories. If I remember rightly, Mum, Dad and I all crammed into one elephant - I doubt we'd be able to do that anymore, given that Andrew and I find it quite snug next to one another!

Little ones, or those young at heart will really enjoy the Storybook Land Canal Boats and the Casey Jr. Circus Train rides. Storybook Land is a slow boat ride with a captain who narrates the journey for you. You travel through canals of water with miniature versions of your favourite story scenes right beside you. As you float past, you'll see Pinocchio's village, Toad Hall, the Sultan's Palace from Aladdin, the town from peter Pan, the Dwarfs Cottage and mine from Snow White and many other special surprises. If you're lucky, young children may get to sit beside your captain or on the front part of the boat - don't be afraid to ask! The Casey Jr. Circus Train is so endearing to young and old. The track travels around a similar area to that of the Storybook Land canal ride but instead of narration, you listen to the famous Casey Junior song from Dumbo. The ride even includes a small hill - that Casey Jr has to really "believe" in to make it over the crest and down the other side. This ride usually has very small queues - but is definitely worth it. The Monkey cage is my favourite to ride in - a Disney Cast Member will be happy to take a photo of your group if you all end up inside the cage together!

Some people can't see the attraction of a carousel, but even the hardest to inspire (like my Andrew) will enjoy the King Arthur Carousel in Fantasyland. To my understanding, the carousel was built in 1875 and had operated in Canada prior to being moved to Disneyland for it's opening in 1955. It has four courses of horses - that, in according with Walt's wishes are all jumpers (that is, they all go up and down). There are big horses and small horses as well as some stationery sitting areas. Make sure you have a look at the Sleeping Beauty motifs around the top - they are just beautiful. The horses are all hand-carved and built in the late 19th and early 20th century. Even if you aren't a fan of the carousel - make sure you take a ride on a little piece of history!

The Carousel

Just near the carousel is the "Sword in the Stone". Each day (several times), Merlin hosts a ceremony to see who shall be "King for the day." Obviously, the newly crowned King is the person able to pull the sword out of the stone. Ask a Cast Member for details about times.

Fantasyland is famous for it's "dark-rides." It took me a little while to figure out what they meant, was it "dark" like the Grimms brother's fairytales or was it "dark" as in lacking light? As it turns out, it's the latter. The rides are enclosed. The dark rides are Alice in Wonderland, Mr Toad's Wild Ride, Peter Pan's Flight, Pinocchio's Daring Journey and Snow White's Scary Adventure.

Alice in Wonderland sees guests board a caterpillar to be taken on a journey through the story, from Alice's point of view. The ride goes through the scenes at a frantic fashion, mimicking closely the fast-paced nature of the animated classic. There is, as always, a few sneaky appearances from the Cheshire Cat. The ride becomes a little scary when the Queen of Hearts threatens to cut off Alice's head (the famous "Off with her Head" makes an appearance). The ride finishes with the guests travelling through the scene of the Mad Tea Party. The White Rabbit ducks as a giant cake explodes - due to a dynamite candle. Keep an eye out though - Alice only makes one appearance on the whole ride - in the singing flower garden, to the visitors right. This ride is charming as it originally opened in 1958 and hasn't changed too much. It is important to not expect the thrills or effects that you will find in other attractions in the park on these dark rides. If you take them at face value, as rides that are almost 60 years old and the vision of Walt himself, you will thoroughly enjoy them!

Mr Toad's Wild Ride is one of the few rides or attractions that still remains that was operational on opening day. The ride is based on Disney's adaptation of The Wind in the Willows. Guests enter Toad Hall and board miniature 1900s colourful cars. The cars are named after characters from the film. The journey begins when passengers crash into a library, then, narrowly avoiding a suit of armour you break through a set of doors to find an interior hallway of Toad Hall - in complete disarray. The ride ventures through the dining room, Mr Rat's house, the docks, London, Winky's pub and the town square. The final scene you travel through is a tongue-in-cheek depiction of Hell - that was not inspired by or reflects either the book or movie. The room is heated and small devils bounce up and down. Granted a redemption, riders return to the area they originally boarded and disembark. Andrew and I were surprised that how "adult" we found the content of this ride on our last visit. However,  young children would probably ignore the sub-text of the ride and just enjoy the characters and chaotic nature of the ride. My advice for this ride would be to send someone to test the ride first - then decide if it is right for your group or not!

 I'm going to address Snow White's Scary Adventure and Pinocchio's Daring Journey together. If the children you are travelling with have seen the movies, you should be fine - however, I have witnessed many children coming off these rides crying or cowering because the content has frightened them. When you look at the facade of Snow White's Scary Adventures, look up. Standing at the window is the Wicked Witch and she opens and closes the curtains from time to time. I was fascinated with this when I was younger and every time we walk past now, I still find myself being guided by Andrew as I watch that window. Both these rides follow the same concept as the other dark rides. You board a vehicle (that normally seats 4 comfortably) and the vehicle will be themed around the movie. You travel through famous scenes from the movie - and some are frightening! I'm not going to write too many details about these rides on here - just enjoy them. They are great for the whole family - provided little ones are given some warnings!

Peter Pan's Flight has got to be one of the most magical experiences any child or adult can ever have! Once again, this ride was operation on the opening day of Disneyland in 1955. You board a 3-seater miniature galleon ship and travel through and above scenes of the famous film. It was only on my Honeymoon that I finally discovered how the Disney Imagineers make the boats fly... I was always too captivated to even care!! Little ones and Big kids alike will thoroughly enjoy this ride - the soundtrack is one of my favourites too!! This ride tends to get rather long queues so try and go early in the morning or late in the evening!

The Matterhorn Mountain

Fantasyland lays claim to the Matterhorn Bobsleds. Finally, the adrenalin junkies have something to cheer about! Opened in 1959, the bobsleds have a purpose built mountain complete with waterfalls, snow on the top and an illustrious Abominable Snowman. I recently learnt that this yeti-like character has a name - Harold! This ride features two tracks - the Tomorrowland track and the Fantasyland track - I'm sure you can guess that the tracks are named after what side of the mountain their queues start on. Each track is slightly different. Passengers sit one behind the other in the bob-sleds. Each sled can take up to 8 passengers at a time. You may get slightly wet when the ride splashes into pools of water near the end of the track. The ride is not intended to wet you, rather, it uses water as a breaking mechanism. It is rumoured that inside the mountain is a basketball court and break room for Cast Members. Also, I have never witnessed this, but many people have claimed to see Mickey Mouse, Goofy and 2 mountain climbers scale the mountain. If you have been to Disneyland and have seen this and have a photo - let me know!! I'm so curious!

Teacups!!

Entitled Mad Tea Party, I think this ride is more commonly known as "the Tea Cups!" The ride's theme song is the Unbirthday Party music from Alice in Wonderland. The most exciting part of the ride is the mad dash everyone makes when the Cast Member opens the gate to let you on. Everyone has picked out the cup they want based on colour, pattern or how fast they saw it spinning on the previous run. When you board your cup, close the door and before the ride starts, take a look at the giant teapot in the middle. The Dormouse will pop out occasionally! The ride itself is pretty tame. It's the control you have over the spinning motion that can make it a real doozy! Andrew likes to spin as fast as he can - he even has a special technique now. Just watch your step getting off! You will be a little woozy! A little tip - this version at Disneyland is the only uncovered version of the ride. It cannot operate in the rain as the water makes the cups unable to spin. At all 4 other Disney resorts, the ride is under a canopy or cover to prevent the ride from needing to close during rain!!

The "It's a Small World" building with the Disneyland Express going through

Hourly the clock has a parade of animatronic figurines!

The buttons I wrote about on a previous entry got us a private boat! Cast Members definitely treat you "extra special" if you are celebrating something!!!

It's a Small World is one of those rides that you either thoroughly enjoy or really despise. It's a must do, at least once. Purely so you can say you've done it. The ride takes guests on a journey through the continents of the world with nations represented with animatronic singing dolls dressed in national costumes and doing activities that represent their culture. The boats tend to get backed up and the ride can often take 10-15 minutes to get through - all whilst singing a really repetitive song. The ride is visually spectacular and enjoyable for young and old. Those who have played the Epic Mickey game for Nintendo Wii will recognise the building and ride concept from early in the game. 

Well, this post has been quite long and full of information. I'll give you more of a Fantasyland run down in my next post - plus some Magic tips to make navigating this area of the park a little easier!

Until the next post, Have a Magic Day

Love,

Michelle

xxx

Airfares....

Sunrise on the plane - January 19 2011

I guess, this is what we get for living in one of the best countries in the world. Being away from everything often means rubbish airfares. However, in the volatile market we are currently experiencing, there are some absolute bargains to be had.

The only reason we decided to take our holiday to Florida at the beginning of this year is because in Late September/Early October last year, there were some absolute bargains to be had. We travelled for $1336.36 each return to Florida. We flew with V Australia on the Boeing 777 aircraft. We flew Sydney-LAX-Orlando. On the way over we had a 3 hour stop in LAX, and once clearing customs and security, only made our connection to Orlando with about 30 minutes to spare. On the way back from Orlando, we had a 12 hour stop in LA so we hired a stretch limo for the day (that worked out about $85 a person) and toured the sights for 6 hours! The cheap airfare was really competitive with some of the Asian Airfares that were around at the time - and for just over $600 each way we weren't complaining.

Remember that peak periods in America tend to be June, July and August, plus Thanksgiving through to New Years. We travelled from the 19th January - 6th February. The longest wait we had for any ride was about 40 minutes. It was FANTASTIC!

Approaching LAX - January 19 2011

When we travelled for our Honeymoon, we were there in peak period. We booked at the last minute and our flights were about $1500 each. However, we only flew Sydney - LAX (you are now seeing what an absolute bargain our Florida tickets were!!).


If you are looking for a potentially less expensive option to get your Disney fix, might I suggest that you look into flying Jetstar to Tokyo?? We flew in December 2009 for $1200 return - $600 each!! $300 each way!! Tokyo Disneyland is a smaller version of the one in California and has it's own unique flair - but the Tokyo Disney Sea park is out of this world!! (Can't wait to blog about this one later!) Disney Sea is one of my favourite Disney Parks - I'd rate it top 3! Plus, the Japanese people are so lovely and accommodating - not to mention their economy could really do with our tourist dollars at the moment!

Michelle's Magic Tips:

Have some money saved in the bank for a trip that you intend to take in the next 6-18 months. You used to be able to tell when the sale fares would hit, as it used to be the same time every year. Now, with the introduction of internet booking, when you see a bargain fare, you need to be ready to book then and there! If possible, try and travel outside of peak - this tends to rule out December and the first week or so of January - and for your sanity, try to not travel in the Northern Summer (June, July and August). Also, watch out for Spring Break.

Otherwise, if you can't just book, spur of the moment, plan as far ahead as possible. If you are happy to pay agent fees, by all means see a travel agent and talk deals!

Happy Bargain Hunting!

Until Next Time - Have a Magic Day

Love,
Michelle

xxx

Disneyland California - Main Street U.S.A

Each Disney Park has similarities. Each has it's own version of the famous Disney Castle. They have similar rides. And mostly, a similar layout. However, each park is distinctly different with a different feel.

Disneyland in California is the original Disney Park. It opened on July 17th 1955 (however, some people will tell you that it opened on 18th July - it's a long story) and it is the only of the Disney Parks that Walt Disney had direction over the building of. I wish that I had've been alive or had the opportunity to meet Walt Disney. It seems that he had a mind full of hopes and dreams that he never gave up on - and in essence the Disney Parks are still carrying forth that tradition.

Over the next few blog entries, I will take you through each area of Disneyland in California. We will begin with Main Street U.S.A. and then continue with Fantasyland, Tomorrowland, Frontierland, New Orleans Square, Adventureland and Critter County. Following these lands, we will take a hop, skip and a jump (because you will be too excited to walk once you are inside the parks and running is not allowed) over to the California Adventure Park. Toward the end of July, I will began writing about Walt Disney World, in Florida before moving on to Japan's Disney Parks in August.

(In advance, I apologise for some of my dodgy photography, I get so excited when I'm at the Parks that I want to capture everything but at the same time, I want to embrace everything all at once. Since these photos were taken, we have invested in an SLR that takes a much nicer photo - which you'll get to see when we get to blogging about Walt Disney World!)

These two images, are two of the first things that you will encounter on any visit to Disneyland. Most people who have visited the parks would say that I have them around the wrong way - but I have put them in this order for a reason. I want you to remember, that this is not a theme park. Rather, you walk under the archway, and, like the sign says, you enter a new world. A world where there is a blur between fantasy and reality, between current and future, and also a blur between present and past. When seeing my images and reading my words on this blog, remember that you are not hearing, smelling or sensing any of your surrounds - this all encompassing nature is what makes Disney the best at what it does.

This second image - Disney's pride and joy and Walt's best mate, Mickey Mouse. Walt Disney once said, "Let's not forget, it all started with a Mouse." A Mouse that he dreamt up on a train trip, that had a personality unlike any other character of it's time. Speaking of trains, the brick building you can see in the background of the image is Mainstreet U.S.A. station, one of the stations on the Disneyland Railroad - one of my all time favourite rides at the park. Oops, tangent. Back to where we were, this garden must appear in a gazillion tourists photographs around the world - particularly those who wait and wait and wait and get that illustrious shot with the train pulling into the station in the background. It's the perfectly manicured lawns and plants that give away that you aren't just at any theme park - this is a Disney Park. Attention to detail separates the Disney experience from any other.

Main Street U.S.A. - Sleeping Beauty's Castle in the distance

Main Street U.S.A.

As you admire Mickey in the garden and the sound of the steam train in the distance, you are drawn with the crowds under the archways and into Main Street U.S.A. As you can see, Main Street is actually quite wide, with what appears to be tram tracks down the middle. The buildings are quite old fashioned in style. The street is designed to represent Walt Disney's home town of Marceline, Missouri at the turn of the century. At the end of the street stands Sleeping Beauty Castle. Sleeping Beauty Castle stands at the end of Main Street in Disneyland Paris and also Disneyland Hong Kong as well - however in Tokyo Disneyland and Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World, the castle is actually Cinderella's Castle. Mainstreet U.S.A. is home to Town Hall (which houses Guest Relations), a Fire House (that above it, is Walt Disney's own apartment - a lamp is kept lit in the window in his memory), a cinema, a gallery, several restaurants and cafes as well as a significant amount of souvenir shops. As you enter Main Street, you come to a town square with a flag pole. This area is popular for character sightings so have your camera ready! As you head down the stretch toward the Castle, you will notice the smells and sounds around you change as the scenery does. The bakery and confectionary shops actually pump smells into the air and the music changes to match the stores around you. Make sure you read the names on the second floor windows of the stores on Main Street. These names, although utilised in a fictional context, are there to pay tribute to cast members, Imagineers and friends of Walt Disney. It's a really great concept!

Michelle's Fast Fact: Main Street U.S.A.

If you are celebrating ANYTHING while you are at the Park, go and see Guest Relations in the Town Hall on Main Street. We had big button-style badges that said "Happily Ever After" and "Just Married" whilst on our Honeymoon. Everywhere we went, Cast Members congratulated us and more than once, our buttons got us to the front of the queue with the aide of a kind staff member! They seem to have these badges for everything - birthdays, anniversaries, family vacations. Just pop in and let them know! You can also make restaurant bookings and character dining bookings at guest services.

Michelle's Must Sees: Main Street U.S.A.

My own personal suggestion for first time visitors, is a suggestion that my Mum "forcibly suggested" to Dad and I on our first visit to Disneyland in 1993 (sorry Mum - but you were definitely right in the end!). Walk under the archway, climb the stairs to Main Street Station and board the train for a full round journey of the park. It sounds silly but it is the absolute best thing that you can do. Not only do you get acquainted with the park and get to see some of the rides and attractions as you go past on a steam train but the round trip has a few surprises. The first surprise is the train pulls into a tunnel and you go inside the Critter County favourite - Splash Mountain. You are able to see the audio-animatronic figures, hear the music and if the timing is right, see some fellow visitors cruising past in a log! The second surprise is a journey back in time, through the Grand Canyon to the time of the dinosaurs. The settings are so detailed and the animatronic dinosaurs are a delight to young and old! You'll be back at Main Street before you know it. The round trip takes about 20 minutes but it is a great orientation ride - and family and friends who aren't anticipating the surprise will just love it!!

My second suggestion is allow yourself time to explore the shops - most days the park opens earlier than the rides and you can go no further than the end of Main Street. The shops have some amazing things in them - not just for buying but the way they are decorated! My one purchase suggestion for adults and children alike - buy an autograph book (or bring one with you) and make sure you have a pen. Characters you meet and greet around the park are all able to sign autographs! Even as a fully grown adult, I still delight in collecting autographs from characters! Most of the autograph books now have a photo slot - it becomes a keepsake all of its own. Here's a few shots of some of the characters Andrew and I met in the Main Street U.S.A precinct on our visit in July 2010:

Cinderella's Fairy Godmother (she was so lovely!!! )

Minnie Mouse

Andrew and Pluto with the Main Street Fire House in the background

Alice and The Mad Hatter from Alice in Wonderland

Partner's Statue - Walt and Mickey

My third suggestion - ride one of the Main Street Vehicles. They are all designed to reflect the turn-of-the-century feel of Main Street. My favourite is the fire engine or the double-decker bus. However, sometimes there are horse drawn cars, horse-less carriages and other vehicles that do laps of the stretch between Main Street Station and the Sleeping Beauty Castle end. They will normally take you one-way from either the station to the Castle or vice-versa. However, more than once, we had a kind driver allow us to stay on for a full circle!

My final suggestion is to enjoy the small park in front of the Castle that features the "Partners" statue. This statue of Mickey and Walt is one of my favourite things to admire in the park. In this park, on our Honeymoon in July 2010, they also have the Disney Photo Pass people who are happy to take a group shot of your family or group and give you a card so you can access your photos online later. I wish we had've taken advantage of this more on our Honeymoon as we have very few shots of us together as a couple.

Make sure you take time to explore the shops, admire the gardens, greet the characters and stop for that all-important shot of the Castle on Main Street. Despite their being no rides or big attractions on Main Street, it truly is amazing in terms of the amount of detail placed into absolutely every store, shopfront and garden. In a future post, I'll write some details about parades and the best viewing points - Main Street is definitely one of my favourite places to watch the parades!!

Until next post, Have a Magic Day!

Love,

Michelle
xxx

Sleep Beauty Castle at night! 

New Beginnings..

I can't believe I'm actually doing this. It is something that I have thought about and processed in my mind for many months now and today I just decided to 'bite the bullet.' So here I am. Welcome to Disneyland Dreaming. My guide to Disney Parks that I am going to write based on my own personal experiences and trips to Disneyland, Walt Disney World and Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo Disney Sea.

So, who I am I? I'm Michelle. I currently live in Canberra, but grew up in Sydney, Australia. I am married to Andrew and although we share a lot in common, the places we have been together, with the fondest memories, are all Disney related. We had our first Disney experience together in Japan in 2009. We Honeymooned in Disneyland in 2010 and in January 2011 we embarked on a family vacation to Walt Disney World in Florida. How do a young couple who are yet to have children have a family vacation you ask? Well... we travelled with my parents, and Andrew's Mum (plus a friend of ours tagged along as well)! I had also had two Disneyland trips when I was 6 and 11 - and I am hoping that Mum and Dad will have some input down the track for navigating the parks with younger kids!

I wish there was a way to describe to people who haven't previously visited a Disney park, what you experience once you get through that turn-style at the entrance. It is more than a theme park. It's like a new country, a new world, a new universe! Everything you experience from the start of your day to the end is unforgettable. There are so many things that Disney do, that you just don't find anywhere else. While the pictures look pretty to the person who hasn't attended a Disney park before, you have no idea about the sounds, the smells and textures around you! It is a full, multi-sensory experience that is unlike any other.

What I intend to achieve through this blog, is an outline of my personal experiences that will hopefully inspire you, your partner and your family to want to plan your Disney holiday. Or, if you are already in the planning stages, to give you some tips and tricks that may make your holiday, just that little bit more special.

I'm happy to answer any questions through this blog - and if I can't answer it, I might be able to point you in the right direction of your answers.

This first entry, is going to be the start of a great adventure! For me, this is my first blog and my first real experience in writing anything to do with travel. But I am so passionate about this, that I hope my enthusiasm makes up for any potential shortcomings in my writing style.

Have a Magical Day - until the next entry,

Michelle
xxx