Traveling Thursdays: Santa's Village, August 1955, Pt. 2

It's back to Santa's Village in Skyforest, California, circa August 1955. Photo #1 shows the Jack In the Box Stand; to the right of the photo is The Lollipop Tree with a sign directing you to "Pick One!" How cool is that? According to the park's brochure, "Part of this whole exciting adventure is helping yourself to a lollipop from this amazing tree."

If you prefer something a little heartier, stop by Santa's Snack Shop:



Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer flies overhead:



I wonder what kind of goodies you can find inside The Mill Wheel Toy Shop?



Want to know more about Santa's Village? Join the Santa's Village Facebook page.

See more vintage Santa's Village photos on my Santa's Village web page.

Cascade Peak Construction, February 1960

Some February 1960 shots of Cascade Peak under construction. Hard to believe that this mountain is no longer here, even though its older "sister," the Matterhorn, is still thriving.



A view that cannot be duplicated today; from the construction scaffold of Cascade Peak, the photographer shot this view of the Rivers of America, Tom Sawyer's Island, and Frontierland:



This previously posted shot from March 1960 gives you a look at the construction in living color:



See more vintage Cascade Peak at Disneyland photos on my Cascade Peak web page.

Halloween Trip Report, Pt. 2

After lunch, we added 2 more to our group as we migrated over to Disney California Adventure, affectionately known as DCA. Lately, it has also been called Disney Construction Adventure. There's quite a bit going on behind those construction walls.



There's still some of the original theming left, but for the most part, the old Sunshine Plaza is bare and ready for its next incarnation as the Buena Vista Plaza.



Not a whole lot of new stuff going on at The Carthay Circle Theater, but the pump house appears to be pretty close to being finished. A few new palm trees border it now.





Cars Land is where you can really see the progress; the rock work on this section of DCA is unbelievable.













Back to our regularly scheduled program; avoiding Phineas & Ferb, we ducked into Little Mermaid, where there was actually a bit of a wait.



Just as before, love the music and am blown away by a few of the animatronics...







yet overall, it underwhelms. The mix of sophisticated animatronics with the majority of static or extremely limited motion figures just seems a bit odd and makes the attraction seem like a snoozer. Snow White, Mr. Toad, and Peter Pan all have a fairly good pace, leaving you wanting more with their exciting vignettes.



It was time to raise the excitement level with Toy Story Mania; this attraction has yet to disappoint. The obligatory 3D glasses group shot:



Although not one of my higher scores, I still had a blast! I could probably ride this one for hours.



Kathy and Matt were in the spirit of the game as well:



Penny and I bypassed the Mickey Ferris Wheel; I felt no need to urp up my lunch from Celebration BBQ; the rest of the gang braved the swinging carts and lived to share the tale.



As if that wasn't enough, Dough, Mick, and Matt did the Silly Symphony Swings afterwards.





I snuck into the Boardwalk Pizza & Pasta to take a look around; not only does the interior of the restaurant look great, but the aroma of Italian cuisine immediately made me hungry.





Nothing like a glass of vino at the Golden Vine Winery while watching the daylight fade at the Disneyland Resort:



Back at the Anabella Hotel, which is less than a 15 minute walk from Disneyland, we had a few more cocktails at the Nectarine Bar while listening to live jazz. Couldn't have ordered up a better evening.



Located on Katella, this hotel really is a hidden gem. Clean, ideally located, and well designed, it's the perfect place to rest your weary bones after a full day at Disneyland.



As is typical with a Daveland Day at Disneyland, there is no rest for the weary. We all trudged back to Disneyland for a fantastic meal at Club 33. Chicken Pot Pie may not sound very high class, but the one I had for dinner ranks as one of the best.



All in all, it was as close to a perfect day as one gets. Thanks for sharing it with me!




See more DCA vintage & current photos on my Disney California Adventure web page.

Halloween Trip Report, Pt. 1

Disneyland...three weekends in a row. The things I do to stay current on my blog! Halloween was in full force at the park; I didn't necessarily notice any new decorations around Main Street, but regardless, it sure looked beautiful to see all of the autumn colors draped around Disneyland.









Once again, we did the Character Breakfast at the Plaza Inn, allowing us to enter half an hour before the park officially opened. Minnie was in her usual polka-dot garb; no fall colors for her!





Thanks to an early breakfast, our group was able to practically walk onto Star Tours...two times in a row! Always good to see C3PO and the gang:





I really love the "rebel spy" part of Star Tours with the random selection of a guest from each vehicle. It was especially fun on one of our journeys since Mick, my friend Kathy's son, was the spy. He lived in shame for the rest of the day!



Across the way at Buzz Lightyear, I was able to achieve one of my highest scores, despite my friend Matt's attempt to keep the vehicle in motion with the joystick. Don't mess with my Astroblaster!



Because of a photo request, we jumped over to Frontierland and Big Thunder Mountain. Don't ask me why, but someone wanted a shot of the bats in the first cave.



I have always loved the Dia de los Muertos display in Frontierland. Everything seemed about the same from previous years, except...





if you zoom in on this display...



you'll see this photo which I'd never noticed before. Anyone know the significance?



Still enjoying the short lines during the early park hours, we also were able to ride Indiana Jones. Of course, we chose wisely.







Jack Skellington & Company have taken over the Mansion again; if there were any changes to the overlay this year, I missed them.





One thing I did notice that might be different was this little sign on top of the coffin in the corridor:



Zooming in for a better look:



Seems like we just ate breakfast at the Plaza Inn, but before we knew it, it was time for a lip-smacking lunch at The Celebration BBQ. It sure is a tasty meal (love the beans!) with great entertainment. We sure had a good time, as you can see by this photo (and we hadn't even eaten yet!).



One thing I noticed (always checking out the details) was that this laminated sheet music for "You've Got A Friend in Me"...



Is actually for "Down By The Old Mill Stream":



With bellies full, we posed for one last photo as we left Big Thunder Ranch:



You'll have to return tomorrow to see about the rest of our day.

See more Disneyland Halloween photos on my Disneyland Halloween web page.