Ride Thru: small world holiday

If you are missing the holidays, then this post is for you. If not...come back tomorrow! Today I am featuring a chronological ride-thru of it's a small world: the holiday version. I typically avoid this attraction like the plague, as the Sherman Brothers' memorable tune stays in my brain for days. However, for the sake of my niece, I made a sacrifice. Hope you appreciate!



Our VIP Tour Guide pointed out this Hidden Mickey:



The Mary Blair-styled figures:



Yup: it's 2016!



One of the controversial Disney animated characters that was added a few years back. To me, the whole thing was a tempest in a teapot.



Looks like I missed both lists.







Marc Davis' influence can be seen in these animals:





The Three Caballeros:





A tribute to Lilo & Stitch:



Zooming in I noticed this Elvis figurine for the first time:





The rainforest scene has survived:





Woody and the Americana scene; the one sloppy area on this attraction that just does not fit.





Peace on Earth: a message that should be followed year-round.



Continue the holiday celebration at my main website.

Off To Neverland 6.0 Pt. 2

I know I am in the minority, but I was not as "wowed" as I thought I would be when I took a spin on the newly refurbished Peter Pan's Flight. I can't quite put my finger on it, but unlike the Alice dark ride, this one just doesn't seem to have integrated the new digital effects as well.



It's cool to see the pixie dust effect in the nursery, but it now makes the static nature of the children seem odd.



I did like how it now appears that you are following Tinker Bell's light as you soar over London.



What I didn't like was how bright all of the tiny lights below seemed. For whatever reason, it killed the magic feeling I used to get as the ship sailed over London and Big Ben. The red lights seem much brighter; what the heck at that time would show up as a bright red light in the sky?



A closer look at Big Ben:



and a closer view of the Hidden Mickey:



On all the lights below, it just seemed like a lot of noise. Too too much.



And then there was some kind of digital effect on the wall that looked like something from Star Trek; I didn't capture it this time, but whatever it was, it just did not seem to have any place on this attraction. Call me stupid…I just didn't understand the need for it. Flying over Neverland was fun though; the digital effects here are integrated in a way that is subtle and enhances the scene.



The new rippling water effects around Tiger Lily are also effective - yay!



I didn't notice much new in the Walk the Plank scene.



Still cool…still difficult to photograph!



Poor little Wendy looks mighty scared.



Have no fear; the gang is sailing home as soon as you round the next corner.



The digital effects are nice here, but the little fiber optics coming out of Tinker Bell's hand look cheap now.



Another tough scene to catch as your ship zips by. Time to invest in a new lens!



I did enjoy all the instances of the digital water.



Again, I know I am in the minority. Overall it seems like most are very happy with this refurbishment. While I still rank this as one of the best Fantasyland dark rides, I would have to say that I now put it much closer to Alice and Snow White.



More photos of the refurbished Peter Pan's Flight at my main website.

The Disney Studio in Burbank, Pt. 3

Just a few more shots to round out this series, beginning with the Mickey Sorcerer’s Hat at the animation building, which is visible from the 134. I really love the deco-style silver letting above the doors:





The tree-lined avenue and benches make for a very inviting spot to rest, eat a snack, or feed Walt’s squirrels.



And last but not least, a shot of the studio water tank/tower:



Back in Anaheim...thanks to a new DVD that is about to be released (more to come soon on that) I learned about a Hidden Mickey in the park that is the only one to show Mickey’s entire body:





In Frontierland, the Celebration Roundup & BBQ has opened up for guests at the Big Thunder Ranch. And please do not think that these photos are an indication of how guests feel about this as a dining spot; they were taken at about 9:30 am, many hours before guests start making their lunch plans! Still, it has not been as successful as Disney had hoped, so it is in the process of being tweaked. Most criticism has been launched at the price, not the food. My friend Stacy & I thought it looked like a lot of fun and the food has gotten good reviews. We have put it on our list of next-trip to-do’s.









See more Disneyland photos at my website.