My First Trip to Disneyland, Plus the D23 Expo and Walt Disney Studios

[Captain Hank]

I've taken many trips to Walt Disney World (not counting working there for about 5 years now). However, I only just made it to the Disneyland Resort for the first time this August. I'm not really sure why I hadn't made the trip out there, but I was finally *strongly* encouraged to by a group of friends who went to the first D23 Expo. The plan was to fly in on August 17, visit the parks on the 18th, go to the Expo from the 19-21, and visit the parks again on the 22 and 23. Just prior to leaving, I was able to make arrangements for part of my group to visit the Walt Disney Studios and Archives on the 23. Thus, I'll break this into three major parts: Disneyland, the D23 Expo and the Studio.

First, Disneyland.
In short, I fell in love with the place. Yes, it's smaller than its East coast cousin, but there's a lot of magic packed into the place. I feel like there's a whole extra level of detail present at Disneyland that we just don't have at WDW. Also, considering how familiar I am with operations at WDW, I was shocked at how differently things are done at Disneyland--but how well they worked in that environment.


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So, yeah, the castle is pretty small. Though, after hearing all that I had, I actually expected smaller. I think I still prefer the WDW castle, but I definitely respect DL's

The very first thing we did was take a grand circle tour on the Disneyland railroad. It helped to give me an idea of how things are laid out at DL. After being so familiar with where things are at MK, it's weird to see things in very different places at DL. We had lunch at the Blue Bayou, which was excellent. The Monte Cristo is basically death on toast, but is tremendously tasty.


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We took some time to wander through New Orleans Square, which is beautiful. Having worked at Port Orleans, it was interesting to see another Disney take on the city of New Orleans. Of course, we rode Pirates--which is AWESOME. I'll be honest, I've never been a huge fan of the WDW Pirates. i always thought it was too short--just as it gets going, it's practically over. The extra length and better pacing at DL helps tremendously. WDW definitely has a better queue (DL's is kind of weird with the last curve of the flume going by roughly at eye level), but DL has a significantly better ride experience. We also rode Haunted Mansion. It's a very similar experience as compared to WDW. I think the portion from the queue to just before the load area is a bit better at DL, while the ride experience is just a bit better at WDW. Both are excellent experiences, regardless.


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[Captain Hank]

The attraction that I was most looking forward to was the Indiana Jones Adventure. I LOVED it. It’s definitely the most immersive attraction I’ve ever been on. IMO, it’s almost worth a trip back to DL just to ride it again. I ended up riding it twice, but could have ridden many more times.

The Soundsational parade is definitely one of the best Disney parades I’ve ever seen. It has great floats, music, costumes and choreography. Can we only hope that WDW gets something comparable soon?


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This picture is brought to you by sheer dumb luck:

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Fantasyland was nice, and I finally had my first-ever ride on Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride. We also rode Pinocchio’s Daring Journey, which is completely unique to DL. I was also impressed by the Sleeping Beauty Castle walk-through. Very, very well done with lots of neat effects.


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[Rufus T Firefly]

Another convert? So glad you enjoyed Walt's humble, little theme park. Bigger is not always better.

 

[Captain Hank]

Another convert? So glad you enjoyed Walt's humble, little theme park. Bigger is not always better.

For many reasons WDW will always be my home park, but I'm definitely going to be making the effort to visit DL when I can. Lots of respect.

 

[Rufus T Firefly]

Did you know that the little fire truck that putt putts up and down Main St. is the very same vehicle that Walt Disney used to drive around the park while it was under construction?

 

[Captain Hank]

DCA was an interesting experience. Most of it was RefurbWallLand, so I look forward to visiting it at some point in the future when the overhaul is finished. Two major standouts were the Aladdin Musical and World of Color--both were fantastic.


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We also rode Ariel's Undersea Adventure. It was a very well done dark ride. I'm just afraid that it might be marketed to the WDW audience as something it isn't--namely an E-ticket. It's a highly detailed Fantasyland dark ride, roughly D-Ticket level. It's a great ride, but it's not a headliner...which I fear that it might be cast as in the Fantasyland expansion. We also rode Monsters Inc. (okay), Tower of Terror (surprisingly different and cool), California Screamin' (excellent!) and Mickey's Fun Wheel (fun, indeed).

A real stand-out for me was the Animation building. It has a beautiful lobby area and lots of neat little interactive exhibits. Many of these are also at DHS, but here they are in highly themed environments. At DHS, they are enclosed by turquoise wall carpet.


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[Captain Hank]

We also saw the fireworks show "Magical." Overall, I think Wishes works better as a cohesive show, but I liked many of the individual shells better in Magical versus Wishes. Both the Dumbo and Tinker Bell effects were outstanding, but I really wish I could have seen Remember in person.

Fantasmic was awesome. One of the neat things about it is that it just sort of happens. One minute, it's the Rivers of America. The next, it's Fantasmic. It's weird after being used to the DHS mountain. I really hope we see an investment in WDW's show to bring it to this level. I'm just a little confused as to exactly what Ursula is taking matters "into." :lol:

I took some time to capture some photos of Disneyland after dark. Like all Disney parks, it's extra magical at night.


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[Rufus T Firefly]

The Animation building is an underrated gem.

 

[Captain Hank]

The Animation building is an underrated gem.

Agreed. There's a ton of neat stuff in there, and a real sense of exploration in the Sorcerer's Workshop. The Toy Story Zoetrope is really cool, too.

 

[TP2000]

First, Disneyland.
In short, I fell in love with the place. Yes, it's smaller than its East coast cousin, but there's a lot of magic packed into the place. I feel like there's a whole extra level of detail present at Disneyland that we just don't have at WDW. Also, considering how familiar I am with operations at WDW, I was shocked at how differently things are done at Disneyland--but how well they worked in that environment.

Yup, Disneyland converts yet another one. Welcome! :wave:

I'm curious about your observations between the "operation" of Disneyland vs. WDW. That's something I've been picking up on more and more, and the differences have become quite glaring between Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World. It's fascinating how the two properties run by the same company can operate so differently.

What did you notice about the Disneyland operational differences?

 

[Walt Disney1955]

So I was just wondering, as a fellow WDW veteran who is anticipating a trip to Disneyland soon, where is the Walt Disney Studios? I know the Walt Disney Museum is in San Francisco. But where is the studios? Burbank?

 

[KingdomofDreams]

:sohappy: Great photos Captain Hank! Thank you for sharing. Anxious to hear about the rest of your trip.

 

[Captain Hank]

Yup, Disneyland converts yet another one. Welcome! :wave:

I'm curious about your observations between the "operation" of Disneyland vs. WDW. That's something I've been picking up on more and more, and the differences have become quite glaring between Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World. It's fascinating how the two properties run by the same company can operate so differently.

What did you notice about the Disneyland operational differences?

Lots of little things. For example, at Mr. Toad and Pinocchio the CM at load is sitting on the opposite side of the ride path from the Guests, and the Guests have nothing but a painted yellow line separating them from the moving ride vehicle. There's not CM anywhere close to them on their side of the ride path to stop them from entering the ride envelope, just the CM on the opposite side holding up their hand to "stop" them. That would NEVER work at WDW. It places an enormous amount of trust in the Guests at DL that we really can't at WDW. I'd guess it's due to the much lower percentage of first-time Guests at DL vs. WDW. But, it seems to work well at DL.

What really blew my mind was that the train conductor rides on a tiny platform attached to the outside of the train with nothing between them and the ground but air and gravity.

Also, line management. There are lots of very close spaces in queues that require a single-file line, sometimes two opposite single file lines on a fairly narrow staircase, like on the Jungle Cruise. In Attractions at WDW, we spend half of our working lives asking Guests not to form a single-file line.

I'm not really saying that one way of doing things is better than the other. Both work for their respective audiences. But, after you've been immersed in one way, it's culture shock to be in a Disney park where things are done differently.

 

[Captain Hank]

So I was just wondering, as a fellow WDW veteran who is anticipating a trip to Disneyland soon, where is the Walt Disney Studios? I know the Walt Disney Museum is in San Francisco. But where is the studios? Burbank?

It's in Burbank. Normally, in order to gain clearance to the Studio you need to either be a Walt Disney Co. CM/employee or be escorted by one. I know that they will sometimes do special tours for D23 members, though.

 

[TP2000]

I'm not really saying that one way of doing things is better than the other. Both work for their respective audiences. But, after you've been immersed in one way, it's culture shock to be in a Disney park where things are done differently.

Yes, there's a lot of examples like that. It's fascinating, isn't it?

The difference in the Rivers of America operation between Magic Kingdom and Disneyland is MASSIVE. Amazing how those two nearly-identical concepts could have grown to become so very different over the last 20 years.

Okay, I just have to get this off my chest... one thing that always reminds me that I'm at WDW is a really bad DJ working in a theme park. :lol:

WDW "dance parties" seem to be aimed at a mythical 7 year old girl from Columbus, Ohio and her puffy mother in clamdiggers and cloggy Crocs. The DJ will be jamming in Tomorrowland and playing aged Top 40 hits like the Macarena or the Electric Slide with a little Village People thrown in. It's like it's a bad wedding reception circa 1997, and no one finds it ironic or painful. Just to make it DISNEY! they then push some costumed Characters out there to dance very lethargically in the heat and humidity. And the DJ is usually this middle-aged guy in a Hawaiian shirt and tennis shoes, looking for all the world like a guy trying to be the "cool dad" volunteering for a Junior High fundraiser or something. I watch this all play out and think... who the heck is in charge of this stuff? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nXKN5WikUk0 (Watch with caution)

And then you contrast it to DJ dance parties at Disneyland. And the end-result at Disneyland is stuff like Glow Fest or elecTRONica or Tomorrowland Terrace. It's just bizarre how the two properties can be operated so very differently.

 

[Communicore]

These are awesome pics. Disneyland is the best. Awesome cast members, extremely magical atmosphere, cleanliness all around, and it's the Westside so it has that going for it that WDW will never, ever have. I haven't been since 1995, and that was at night but I will always remember how nice and neat it is and how totally different it is from over here.

 

[Captain Hank]

In addition, one part of our party spent a night at the Disneyland hotel, and invited all of us there to check it out.


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In the lobby. I loved all of the concept art all over.


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Beautiful rooms, with neat special effects inside.


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So, being the Adventurers Club fan that I am, I totally geeked out over Trader Sam's.


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I liked all of the theming and countless references to all sorts of things (especially, of course, to the AC). I even happened to find an oblique Mary Poppins reference in there.

I really loved visiting Disneyland, and I definitely plan on coming back in the not-too-distant future. I was a little disappointed that the Matterhorn was down for a refurb (but knew that coming in). I could have definitely used another day at the parks, as I still missed out on a few things that I wanted to see, such as Toontown.

However, visiting Disneyland actually turned out to be the least exciting thing that we did on vacation (and that's saying a lot!).

 

[Figment82]

Isn't Trader Sam's fantastic? I don't do alcoholic drinks, but my boyfriend had the Rosita's Margarita and (I think) the Uh Oa (the one that came in a souvenir brown tiki mug). We also had the lettuce wraps and the fish tacos which were delicious. Of course, we went the night before the Disneyland Half Marathon - I don't know what my boyfriend was thinking but we bettered our time by 20 minutes so maybe it helped!

The immersive setting - even down to the tiki beer taps - was just incredible. Even the Orange Bird was present. I'd love to see a similar concept come to the Polynesian one day.

 

[Captain Hank]

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I really enjoyed the D23 Expo. Yes, there were some issues (surprisingly, mostly related to crowd control). Many things also started later than advertised and went waaaaaay over on time, which messed up the scheduling. But, overall, I was able to get into nearly all of the presentations that I wanted to.


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The first thing we did was make a beeline for the Disney Legends Ceremony. We ended up being part of the last group admitted to the arena. Consequently, we were up near the rafters, but I managed some pretty good pictures. Above is Jodi Benson, showing off her Cast ID. She gave a really passionate speech about how much being a part of Disney meant to her. However, even better was when Paige O'Hara, Lea Salonga, Jodi Benson and Anika Noni Rose each took the stage and sang their signature songs from their respective films. Then, even more incredibly, they all came together to sing "A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes." It was awesome.


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At that point, I'd pretty much figured I'd gotten my money's worth. Then, to finish the ceremony, the Hensons took the stage, followed by Kermit and Rowlf singing "Rainbow Connection." I was pretty much speechless heading out of the arena.


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I also went to the Parks and Resorts presentation, which was...well...underwhelming (as has already been established by many, many people). I also got to experience the 25 Years of Pixar panel, which was incredible. It was so neat to hear the Pixar brain trust talk about the early days of computer animation, and also share stories of the production process. Also, by sheer dumb luck, we managed really awesome seats.


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I also managed to see the Art of Brave panel. Unfortunately, no photography was allowed (though that didn't stop some people), but the art looked beautiful, and I'm really excited for the movie. Finally, I ended up waiting about half of Sunday for the making of Star Tours panel. It was definitely worth it--we got to get a very cool look at the development process for the attraction.


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I also spent a lot of time wandering around the Parks and Resorts pavilion. Getting to see the ride vehicles for the Carsland project was very cool, as was the opportunity to talk with the Imagineers working on the Fantasyland project. I'm definitely looking forward to seeing how both projects turn out.


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One aspect of the Parks and Resorts pavilion that I don't see being publicized as much as I expected is Destini, a fully autonomous Audio-Animatronic. He is neat! He's a fortune teller in an arcade booth that interacts directly with Guests without any human control. Very neat application of artificial intelligence. I'm pretty sure that he's a re-purposed Tom Morrow 2.0 animatronic from Epcot's Innoventions, by the way.


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Here's a nearby display showing a readout of Destini's various sensors.


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[TP2000]

I also spent a lot of time wandering around the Parks and Resorts pavilion. Getting to see the ride vehicles for the Carsland project was very cool, as was the opportunity to talk with the Imagineers working on the Fantasyland project.

Isn't that the best part of the Parks & Resorts Pavilion?!? They staff the thing with the real Imagineers who are working on said project. When I was at the 2011 Expo this nice young lady Imagineer handed me one of the heavy cardstock New Fantasyland postcards and asked if I had questions. I said "Yeah, when does it open?" and then she proceeded to walk me around the entire model talking about the "phasing" (her words) of which parts opened in which quarter of which fiscal year. Amazing!

A similar thing happened at the '09 Expo, when I was enjoying just staring at the huge Cars Land model. A nice lady began chatting with me (I'm a ladies man, what can I say), and she offered up some very interesting facts and figures about Cars Land. I thanked her for her time and info, and moved on through the exhibit. Only later did I realize I had been chatting with Kathy Mangum, the senior VP and top creative director for the entire Cars Land project. Uh, okay, thanks for the chat Kathy!

The Parks & Resorts Pavilion is always a top hit from D23 Expo. And I'm glad you enjoyed it as much as the rest of us did.

Great TR, by the way. I'm on the edge of my keyboard waiting for your experience at the Studios up in Burbank!