All right, here we go...
There's a very good chance that, after arriving at Disney Down Under Resort, you checked into the
Disneyland Hotel. The largest hotel at the resort, the Disneyland Hotel serves as a counterpoint to the Disneyland Resort hotel of the same name and Walt Disney World's Contemporary Resort with its ultra-modern design, restaurants, shops, and THREE pools.
While at the Disneyland Hotel, you can climb aboard the Monorail, which will take you directly to the flagship theme park of the resort, Disneyland Australia. Please stand clear of the doors... Por favor mantegase alejado de las puertas...
Welcome aboard the
Disney Down Under Resort Monorail. For those of you standing, please hold on to the handrails throughout our journey and stay clear of the doors. For the comfort of others, no smoking, please.
Ladies and gentlemen, we are now approaching our station at the entrance to Disneyland Australia Park. If you're standing, please hold on to the handrails and stay clear of the doors until the Monorail comes to a complete stop and the doors open. Welcome to the Magic Kingdom of
Disneyland Australia.
Remember to collect your belongings and assist small children by the hand.
We step off the monorail and make our way down a large sloped walkway. The entrance turnstiles to Disneyland Australia stand nearby. Instrumental versions of such beloved Disney songs as "Heigh-Ho", "A Spoonful of Sugar" and "When You Wish Upon a Star" can be heard. By now, you're probably very excited.
Once through the turnstiles, you'll probably notice the park's train station high above you. In front of the station is a flowerbed featuring a depiction of Mickey Mouse's smiling head made out of flowers. If you'd like, you could take a ride on the
Disneyland Railroad, which takes you on a round-trip around the park. There are also stations in
Frontierland and
Mickey (and Donald)'s Toontown. The train even goes through some of the park's other attractions. Of course, if you'd like to ride the train, you'll have to enter
Main Street USA by walking under the train tracks...
Main Street USA
The world used to be a much different place. At the turn of the century, for instance, it was a lot like Main Street USA.
Taking inspiration from such locations as Marceline, Missouri (Walt's boyhood home), Main Street USA truly does feel like you've stepped back in time. The land has a relaxing atmosphere and something for all the senses. Look around and you'll see citizens of the town walking around acting all friendly-like. Take a whiff of the air and you'll smell freshly-baked chocolate chip cookies. Listen and you'll hear someone playing a ragtime piano. Chances are you've walked right into Town Square, where the American Flag stands on a flagpole. Benches sit under large shade-providing trees. Disney characters also often roam Town Square - perhaps you'll meet Mickey or Minnie Mouse, Donald or Daisy Duck, Goofy, Chip and Dale, or Pluto. City Hall is also open, serving as a location for Guest Relations.
There are a lot of things to do and see on Main Street USA. For example, you could step inside the Main Street Cinema. Modeled after the movie houses of previous decades, here you can sit down and watch a classic Disney cartoon short. Shorts featured include Flowers and Trees, The Three Little Pigs, Music Land, The Wise Little Hen, and The Tortoise and the Hare.
The entrance of the Main Street Cinema looks something like this, except that the marquee reads something other than "NOW SHOWING: THE ART OF DISNEY".
Nearby, there's the largest shop in the park, known as The Emporium. Among the things sold at this store are apparel, toys, books, pins, and candy. Out front, large windows display dioramas based on such beloved Disney films as Aladdin, The Little Mermaid, and Tangled.
You can stop by the Main Street Barber Shop for a trim, or to listen to a performance from the barbershop's quartet, the Dapper Dans. You can hop aboard one of the Main Street Vehicles for a ride down Main Street USA on a horse-drawn trolley. The Main Street Arcade is open - perhaps you'd like to play one of its vintage arcade games?
There are other shops on Main Street too, of course. Disney Clothiers prides itself on its large selection of Disney-related apparel. This is THE place to get one of the iconic Mickey Mouse Ears hats. The Main Street Magic Shop, meanwhile, sells magic tricks, science kits and disguises... among other things. Main Street Pin Traders is a great shop to visit if you're obsessed with getting your hands on pins.
Over at the Town Square Exposition Hall, you can take a ride on the Magic Skyway. One of the park's many dark rides, this attraction draws inspiration from the Ford Motor Company's collaboration with Disney for the 1964 World's Fair. Riders climb aboard rickety Model Ts for a journey through time. You'll encounter dinosaurs, woolly mammoths, Roman gladiators, and more.
At the Main Street Opera House is another attraction from the World's Fair: Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress. This revolving theater attraction is sort of a one-act play featuring a cast of animatronics, following the lives of a family as their world changes with each new technological marvel.
Are you hungry? Well, perhaps we could drop by the Main Street Bakery for a cup of coffee, a chocolate chip cookie, or a bagel. The Main Street Confectionery caters to your sweet tooth, boasting all sorts of sweet treats, most of them freshly-baked. The Plaza Ice Cream Parlor, as you might have guessed, is a place for anyone and everyone who likes ice cream. You can get a sundae, a root beer float, a triple-scoop cone, an ice cream soda... anything that qualifies as ice cream, really. Refreshment Corner is right next door, a quaint little shop where serving delicious drinks are the top priority.
If you're looking more for a meal than a quick snack, you have two choices. One is the Town Square Restaurant, an upscale eatery with a menu that mainly leans towards Italian food. There's also the Crystal Palace, a buffet restaurant that features character dining for all three meals - Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Piglet, and Eeyore are constants, but every so often they'll be joined by another character like Rabbit or Owl.
At the end of Main Street is the Hub of Disneyland Australia. Here Elsa's Castle stands proudly, a counterpoint to the Sleeping Beauty Castles and Cinderella Castles at other Disney Parks. A moat surrounds the castle, but you can get across it via a bridge. In front of the castle is a statue of Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse dubbed "Partners".
From the Hub, you can go down several different paths that will take you to one of the park's other five lands. The sound of tribal drumming leads us down one path towards Adventureland...
----------------
- The Monorails look similar to the ones at Walt Disney World.
- I admittedly don't care for
Frozen, but I knew that I had to put it in the resort SOMEWHERE, so I decided to make the castle of the park Elsa's.
- I'm a little unsure if the Carousel of Progress and the Magic Skyway would work better in Tomorrowland or not, but eh...