Trip Report Pt. 6: Various Disneyland

With all the DCA news, Disneyland has gotten the shaft, so the remaining posts of this series will focus (literally!) on the original park.

With the bright reflections in the pavement, how could you avoid purchasing one of these festive balloons, especially with the balloon seller smilingly taunting us to do so?





I had never noticed these cool little window displays at the Coke Corner before. The glowing red at night demanded that I pay attention.





Meanwhile, the Carnation Cafe is back open for business; I look forward to trying it out!





With Jolly Holiday filling the void, I seriously doubt that Blue Ribbon will be missed.









An interior shot, with some awesome light fixtures!



A daytime view:



At The Opera House, The Voices of Liberty have joined the Mr. Lincoln show. Again, time did not permit me to see them, as their performing times are limited. Another one for "the list"!







The main characters were out in abundance:







The Dapper Dans are an integral part of the Main Street U.S.A. experience:





The Indian Penny at the top of the Penny Arcade is a detail that's best visible from the Omnibus:



A view into the Arcade from the Omnibus:



Construction continues on at the former Carnation Plaza Gardens area:







A favorite little stretch of Frontierland:



along with two other views of this area that sees little traffic early in the day:





See more vintage and current Disneyland photos on my main website.

Trip Report Pt. 6, Luigi's and Mater's

Luigi's Flying Tires has the distinction of being the only part of the DCA revamp that has gotten consistently fair to poor press. I was reluctant to waste my time riding it based on what I heard, and preferred to spend my time taking photos instead. However, on this particular day, I was early enough that the lines weren't bad, so I figured I'd give Luigi's a try. I am so glad that I did!

Plenty to check out in the attraction queue; so much in fact that I meant to go back and shoot more details.



Unfortunately, that never happened. Something to put on the “to do” list for my next visit!



Like everything else in the DCA revamp, it would appear that every inch of this attraction was given careful thought, design, and meticulous attention.





Each gate has a different name:



Detailing on the tires:



From this area, you have a great view of the Tower of Terror, looming in the distance:



The landscaping helps set off the cold black of the tires:



The attraction itself was a lot of fun; floating around on the tires, using my body weight to steer, was a very cool sensation.



The beach balls were added to make up for those who can't quite get the hang of the tires; supposedly tossing a beach ball around is compensation for a tire that might be stuck in a corner.



For maximum fun on this attraction, I would suggest a large group of guests ride in different tires so that the "bumper car" effect and tossing of beach balls becomes more of a party, instead of attempting to float around individually. I don't quite understand why early guests were having a difficult time figuring out this attraction. Don't let the early detractors cause you to avoid Luigi's!

Mater's was also a lot more fun than I anticipated. Imagine the tea cups on steroids; that's my expert analysis of this attraction!



As the little Maters start to spin around the turntables, you'll be swung from side to side. It really is a cool sensation, even if it is a simple attraction aimed at the younger set.









The characters were out as well, including Lightning McQueen and Tow Mater.



I couldn't bring myself to photograph the dancing car parade. It just didn't seem worth the shutter clicks.



See more DCA Cars Land photos on my Cars Land web page.

Trip Report Pt. 5: The Red Car Trolley

Finally! On my last visit I actually rode one of the new Pacific Electric Trolley cars. This is probably the most exciting part of Buena Vista Street for me.



The conductors are extremely friendly and helpful, letting waiting guests know when the next trolley will arrive and any possible delays caused by the entertainment near the Carthay Circle Restaurant.

Here are a few shots of the gleaming interior:





And the interior signage, appropriately highlighting some of the featured attractions of Disney California Adventure:







The graphics are stellar; they all look like they stepped right out of the period. Rather than having an amateur computer-ish look, it would appear that the designers who created these did their research.













At the opposite end of the line, here is the gate near the Tower of Terror:



Next time you visit, make sure you hop aboard!

See more DCA Buena Vista Street Red Car Trolley photos on my Red Car Trolley web page.