Tinker Bell Half Marathon & Trip Report, Pt. 1

When I found out that guys were eligible to run in the Tinker Bell Half Marathon, of course, I had to sign up. Disney definitely has the most organized and entertaining races; plus, it was a good excuse to keep training through the holidays (and thus help me from packing on the extra pounds!). Attempting to conserve my energy, I took the Monorail into the park after picking up my race packet at the Disneyland Hotel. This provided me with some overview of the all the construction going on at Buena Vista Street in Disney California Adventure.





The Monorail also gave me a view of the construction going on at The Matterhorn.



Sounds like this beloved 1959 attraction is getting a complete overhaul. Note the flag on top of the construction site.





The lone bucket.



I was pretty excited to try The Jolly Holiday Bakery Cafe; it didn't disappoint, either.



The Merry Cherry Lemonade that's on the exterior menu board is nowhere to be found inside, but that was really the only negative.



The chat boards have lit up like Christmas trees, debating the thematic appropriateness of Mary Poppins on Main Street. I have no desire to weigh in on that particular debate. What I can tell you is that it's a beautiful restaurant and that I very much enjoyed my meal.



Plenty of fun details from the classic Disney film to keep guests occupied while they wait in line (and yes, the lines are long...it appears to be a guest favorite already).



The cast member appears to be attempting to step into Burt's "chalk" scene recreated in tile:





When cast members are ready to take your order, they hold up a penguin fan.



The loss of the Stouffer's meal was a real cluster move on the part of the Imagineers, but I do have to give them credit for this wonderful little tribute.



Great silhouettes of the four main characters from Mary Poppins:



My sandwich and chips hit the spot.



Unfortunately, because of the race I didn't indulge in this delicious looking lemon cupcake. I vowed to take a raincheck.



Another great detail is the Mary Poppins weathervane.



The exit sign frames the Matterhorn perfectly.



Over in Adventureland, the entry sign looks great after its recent refurbishment:





I always try to take advantage of The Haunted Mansion, especially when it's in classic vs. Jack Skellington mode.



I just love it when Little Leota invites me to hurry back.



On the way out of Town Square to DCA, I made sure to stop and look at the beautiful poppies:



The Carthay Theater construction appears to be wrapping up. It will be a great addition to DCA.









We headed over to The Art of Animation to draw Pluto:









A little Tower of Terror action to whet our appetite before dinner:





And the last ride of the evening was The Little Mermaid, which is apparently about to go under tarps soon for a few tune-ups. This makes me happy, as it shows that Imagineers realize this attraction fell a bit short. For me, the Ursula scene is the highlight:



Overall, this attraction could use a little more drama and excitement. Love the music and the design, but just a little more oomph would help.





And then it was time to head "home" to the Anabella Hotel for a good night's sleep before the Half Marathon.



Stay tuned for part 2 on Sunday! See more vintage & current Disneyland photos at my Disneyland website.

Traveling Thursdays: The West Baden Springs Hotel, Pt. 2

Last week, you saw vintage photos of The West Baden Springs Hotel during its heyday. Today, you'll see photos from the first few visits I made to it back in 1996 when it had slid into ruin.



After closing during the Great Depression, the hotel was repurposed in 1934 as The West Baden College, a Jesuit Seminary. Many in the area were upset that the Jesuits removed much of the building's decorative elements to make it more suitable for their purposes. However, without the Jesuits, the vacant hotel may have slipped into a greater state of disrepair. Even the Jesuits found the property to be a fiscal challenge to maintain, and finally had to sell it in 1966 to another school, The Northwood Institute, a private college which operated a satellite campus of their business management school at West Baden until 1983. Here are a few shots from Northwood's 1970 yearbook, the Norfindia. As you can see here, the mighty atrium was being used for car shows:



The former Hygeia Spring had been converted to a chapel:



The once grand Pluto Spring was a dumping ground:



Remnants of the Jesuit era were still to be seen:



Flash forward to 1996. Located an hour from my house, I had read about this hotel for years, and even drawn the cover for a fiction book about it. It was difficult for me to imagine a place this grand located in the middle of nowhere.





Like something out of Rip Van Winkle, the weeds had taken over the once beautiful gardens.



A huge slab of the hand laid italian marble floor from the atrium was sitting outside, unceremoniously dumped many years before. The lobby was in a sad state of decay.



An exterior wall had collapsed, leaving bathtubs, tile, and other items entirely exposed to the elements.



Even additions made by the Jesuits had been ravaged; this is the same statue shown in the Northwood yearbook:



The once grand dining room was in no condition for any meals to be served.



Still, there were glimpses of its former grandeur, as can be seen in this statue of a Muse that was too large to be carted off by vandals:



This fireplace was made entirely of Rookwood Pottery, a famous art pottery once manufactured in Ohio:



Zooming in, you could see Sprudel, the hotel's mascot:



See more vintage & current West Baden Springs Hotel photos on my WBSH web page.

Crest on the Castle, January 1964

More from January 1964 today, as we see this charming couple posing in front of the Castle.



To their left is nothing but mayhem and mischief, as these two young guests get ready to duke it out. One in Mouse Ears, the other in a Cowboy hat, and both with toy weapons...this can only end in a spanking.



Zooming back to the center of the Castle, we can see that there's still no crest atop the drawbridge door.



June 1965 is the first photo in my collection to show the new crest; I can only assume it was placed there for the Tencennial. Whether it is or isn't the actual Disney Family Crest is still a matter of heated debate; one I have no intention of jumping into!



One last shot from my January 1964 batch is this image of Fantasyland, with the Mad Hatter drawing a crowd around him:



See more vintage & current Disneyland Sleeping Beauty Castle photos on my Castle web page.