The fabulous 'Tony Baxter Tour of Disneyland' - a venture

[Figments Friend]

Only two days into the latest venture, and i can already say this -

I think Tony himself would be very warmed by the love and appreciation of him by the Cast Members here that i have so far interacted with.
A couple of stories to tell later, but i needed to express that now.
Some really nice sentiments being shared by them with me.

Some highlights so far over the past pair of days here in 'Baxterland' -

Rode the midnight, final train on 'Tony's Mountain' ( aka 'Big Thunder Mountain Railroad') the other night.
One of those things i have always wanted to do, but never quite timed it right. A thrill to finally pull it off.

'Star Tours' had armed Stormtroopers patrolling the loading area the other day, which was quite cool.
They were also wandering around Tomorrowland in general, but seeing them keeping a eye on passengers before they boarded their Starspeeder was a great touch.

'Tony's River Run' ( aka 'Splash Mountain' ) - the Show elements look fantastic right now.
Best condition i have ever seen them in since visiting 'Baxterland' over the last few years to date.
The Animatronic figures were moving in ways i had never seen them do before...and it was wonderful to see that.
Nice to see the Show get some much needed attention.
The last few visits i had noted the poor condition of the figures, but now i am pleased to see them looking great again.

So much more, but i shall save that for a later time.

Off now for another day of adventure ( regardless of 'Tony's Temple of Wonders' being down for refurbishment...cough...)....

More to come!

 

[Figments Friend]

I would love to visit DL but they don't seem to do the same holiday packages from the UK to DL as they do to WDW so it is more of a problem planning a trip out

Understandable, plus the flight across the pond would be quite long compared to a flight to Florida.
Still, try to make it happen.
You will not be disappointed!

 

[LieutLaww]

Yea I may have to do a custom holiday if I want to get to DL the flight time doesn't bother me tbh.

 

[Figments Friend]

Well then, definitely go for it then !



Had a surprise ending to my day today.....saw some interesting pyro being shot off at Disneyland a couple of hours after the Park closed.
I can only guess, but i might have been looking at a preview test of the new 60th Show.
Some really beautiful shells....stuff i have never seen used before.

 

[Figments Friend]

Wow..a absolutely amazing day today.
Cannot even begin to put into words some of the neat things that happened at this stage, due to me having a tight time limit on a hotel lobby computer...
But i must share this :

Top 'Baxterland' related highlight of the day -

Standing in the Single Rider line at 'Tony's River Run' ( aka 'Splash Mountain') and a gentlemen coming up behind me who spots my Tony Baxter Fan Club pinback button and wanting to talk.
Turns out he has worked on some projects for Imagineering, and Mr. Baxter was his boss at one point.

Very talkative fellow...liked my 'Discovery Bay' painted t-shirt i had made which i wore today and was apparently impressed enough to want to see more of my artwork.
He showed me some of his work via his smart phone and tablet he was carrying around with him.
Some very nice Disney related artwork he has done, very bright and detailed.
He also shared some insights into his other projects ( Star Tours 2.0, Soarin' Over California, etc. )

By the time we boarded our logs, we had exchanged quite a bit of info and i have to say it was quite a treat.
Hoping to get to know who he was better via social media ( we exchanged info ).

The ride ended up being one of the best ever...well, after that surprise start in just the queue how could it not be..?
Couple that with a 1st time ride at the front of a log ( never had the courage or willingness before until now ) and yeah, a epic experience!
Totally soaked of course...but i had to laugh to myself as i recalled a story Tony once told of one of his first rides back when they were building the Attraction.

The water levels had not really been adjusted yet, and the logs were a early design.
He tried it out and ends up getting so incredibly soaked from head to toe, he has to run backstage to the WDI office behind the Temple to change his cloths afterwards.
This resulted in the decision to change the log design, as it was felt Guests would not enjoy getting THAT wet during the experience.
So the re-designed logs featured a front end 'scoop' that is so familiar today, to push the water away as you tumble down into the Briar Patch.

So i was thinking of him today after getting drenched...and thinking of his story, as that is actually how i felt today once taking the front-seat plunge.
Ahhh...totally worth walking around the rest of the day with wet shoes and socks, though.

 

[Figments Friend]

Tonight i walked into the plaza between the Parks and saw tonight's 2nd testing of the new 60th fireworks presentation.
Really impressive, and it lit up the Anaheim sky in a spectacular way ( with more then just pyro ).

I was hoping this might happen since the Park closed early again tonight, and it was awesome seeing it from right outside the gates.
A preview into the future!

 

[LieutLaww]

Wish I could be there for the 60th, will just have to settle for WDW this Sept instead

 

[Figments Friend]

Heading off for some more exploration ...and having a 'Baxterland' celebration today in the Park.
If anyone reading is around Disneyland today, come out to the Park and join the party!
Open til' midnight tonight, and it will likely be one entertaining evening of delights.

Try to find me...i'll be wearing my 'Baxterland' t-shirt.

 

[Figments Friend]

Wow...maybe i should have rethought the open invitation to 'join the party'....the Park was pretty full all day and a lively crowd was there tonight.
Quite busy but what a fabulous time.
Found some more gems to share related to my favorite 'idea guy'. ..and also have a few more fun stories to tell at a later time when i have a chance to tell the whole tale of this chapter of the ongoing adventure.

But this i will say for now -

Highlight of today was a great, unexpected surprise :
'Indiana Jones Adventure' opened a day early out of it's refurbishment so i was able to experience it this visit!
I was in the right place at the right time, and discovered late today while passing through Adventureland that the walls were gone and the queue was being filled.
Woo Hoo !
Was hoping to experience it again this time around as it is a favorite, and high up on the list of all-time great 'Baxterattractions'.

In the late afternoon it 'soft opened' with some lights and several effects out.
Particularly noticeable was the boulder sequence...it was completely shut off.
A interesting few rides - each progressive pass through more of the missing elements were once again turned on, but the boulder sequence was completely inactive.

Have standards changed regarding when a Attraction can be open when half of it's effects are missing including it's climax?
Perhaps i am showing my age, but it was my understanding that if certain 'important' elements of a Show were not operational the Attraction would go down.
I don't want to give the impression of complaining, far from it. More curiousity.
I am quite grateful i was able to ride this visit when it appeared as though it was not going to happen due to the refurb schedule.
Just curious as to why they opened it as it seemed it was not quite 'Show ready'.

Despite the obvious issues that were going on with 'Tony's Temple of Wonders' today, it was still a really nice turn of events as it was not scheduled to re-open until tomorrow, and i leave for the long journey back home then.
So i would have missed it this time around.
It was a welcome and delightful surprise to see it open!

Yes indeed, tonight was a 'Baxterland Celebration' in full.
Great to have had all of Tony's Attractions open tonight for the party!

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

Wow...maybe i should have rethought the open invitation to 'join the party'....the Park was pretty full all day and a lively crowd was there tonight.
Quite busy but what a fabulous time.
Found some more gems to share related to my favorite 'idea guy'. ..and also have a few more fun stories to tell at a later time when i have a chance to tell the whole tale of this chapter of the ongoing adventure.

But this i will say for now -

Highlight of today was a great, unexpected surprise :
'Indiana Jones Adventure' opened a day early out of it's refurbishment so i was able to experience it this visit!
I was in the right place at the right time, and discovered late today while passing through Adventureland that the walls were gone and the queue was being filled.
Woo Hoo !
Was hoping to experience it again this time around as it is a favorite, and high up on the list of all-time great 'Baxterattractions'.

In the late afternoon it 'soft opened' with some lights and several effects out.
Particularly noticeable was the boulder sequence...it was completely shut off.
A interesting few rides - each progressive pass through more of the missing elements were once again turned on, but the boulder sequence was completely inactive.

Have standards changed regarding when a Attraction can be open when half of it's effects are missing including it's climax?
Perhaps i am showing my age, but it was my understanding that if certain 'important' elements of a Show were not operational the Attraction would go down.
I don't want to give the impression of complaining, far from it. More curiousity.
I am quite grateful i was able to ride this visit when it appeared as though it was not going to happen due to the refurb schedule.
Just curious as to why they opened it as it seemed it was not quite 'Show ready'.

Despite the obvious issues that were going on with 'Tony's Temple of Wonders' today, it was still a really nice turn of events as it was not scheduled to re-open until tomorrow, and i leave for the long journey back home then.
So i would have missed it this time around.
It was a welcome and delightful surprise to see it open!

Yes indeed, tonight was a 'Baxterland Celebration' in full.
Great to have had all of Tony's Attractions open tonight for the party!

I'm glad you got to go on Indy. Your trip seems full of surprises so far, meeting the guy that worked with Tony Baxter, the testing of the fireworks, and Indy opening! I'm sure you are having a lot of fun!

 

[George Lucas on a Bench]

It's always a bummer when stuff is broken on rides. With Indy, it seems something is always broken, usually the doors or the boulder. The doors haven't worked properly for a long time now and if that hasn't been fixed during the closure, that's pretty sad. The boulder is hit-or-miss, but I usually always get it these days.

 

[Figments Friend]

I'm glad you got to go on Indy. Your trip seems full of surprises so far, meeting the guy that worked with Tony Baxter, the testing of the fireworks, and Indy opening! I'm sure you are having a lot of fun!

Every visit seems to bring with it it*s own collection of unexpected surprises that suddenly happen due to being somewhere at just the right moment.
So many examples i can recall from past chapters of this venture, as well as this visit too.
You come upon something at the right moment and it turns into a special little experience.

The ultimate such surprise would be to meet Mr. Baxter himself *out there* in the Park, but that has yet to have happened.
Perhaps some day.

Yes, this recent venture has been wonderful.
Every visit to *Baxterland* is special, but i can safely say that this one is high up on the list of *best visits* to date.

Did a lot of new experiences i either missed previously ( Casey Jr., Tom Sawyer Island ) or did not invest enough time to fully explore , or was simply too afraid to try ( Space Mountain ).

The Cast interactions were a highlight ...and of course meeting a new friend who worked with my favorite *idea guy* was a thrill.

Mix that all together with terrific weather, exploring new things, and a further appreciation of what is around me in that environment thanks to a certain individual, and you have a recipe for pure un-bridled joy.

 

[Figments Friend]

It's always a bummer when stuff is broken on rides. With Indy, it seems something is always broken, usually the doors or the boulder. The doors haven't worked properly for a long time now and if that hasn't been fixed during the closure, that's pretty sad. The boulder is hit-or-miss, but I usually always get it these days.

It is indeed hit or miss.
I would usually see the Boulder Room work fine on most ride throughs, so out of the typical 10 to 15 rides i would take it would not work correctly due to timing once or twice.
This time however it was completely down and did not work any of the times through for me.

Still, i am grateful *Indiana Jones Adventure* opened a day early.
It was the only disappointment i had about the upcoming visit, knowing it would be closed while i was in town.
So imagine my delight when i walked by and saw the walls down and the queue starting to fill!

Despite all the missing Show elements, i was just thrilled at this unexpected turn of events and getting multiple chances to ride.

 

[Figments Friend]

I am sure most folks are familiar with the song with lyrics that go like this :

*California here i come, right back where i started from....*

Well, that song and those lyrics have a whole new meaning for me now.

Yesterday afternoon the time had come to return home after a wonderful week in Anaheim.
So i fly out of Orange County around 1PM heading to Denver, CO to connect with another flight heading to the Eastern seaboard.
Fairly typical, right?

Well...not this time, friends.
Little did i know that in a few hours i would indeed be headed back to California, *...right back where i started from..*!

Yet another unexpected surprise - unaware that i was about to begin my own Indiana Jones-like adventure in aerial travel. I was even wearing my IJA 20th Anniversary shirt that day....

Read on -

The weather in Denver was dangerous microburst thunderstorms, which closed the airport just before the plane i was on was to land there.
Since we could not land, we had to circle around with several others airplanes in the air waiting for it to re-open...which it did not for some time.
We end up being sent with three other flights to Cheyenne, Wyoming as we were all running out of fuel.
So off we go to the humble small airport ...through very turbulent, unfriendly skies.

It was a good thing i had spent so much time riding the coaster-like Attractions and plunging into Briar Patchs during my visit, or i probably would not have been able to handle a couple of tense and dramatic turbulence *drops* experienced during this detour.
I felt like i was back in the Park again, riding *Tony*s Mountain* the way we were being tossed around in midair.
Really freaked out some of the other onboard passengers.

Grounded in Wyoming, we sit on the tarmac for about an hour and then fly back to the re-opned Denver airport.
Yay!
But wait....

Because of the delay, just about everyone on board missed their connecting flight...self included.
In a confusing whirlwind to try to find out what my alternative options are, i by chance discover i have been automatically re-booked on another flight......
.......to San Francisco, CA.

California here i come...right back where i started from.
Indeed.

Yes friends, it is indeed true -
Eight hours after leaving Orange County ( or was it seven, considering the time zone jump ) i am BACK in California!
I was sent to San Francisco to take the midnight *red eye* flight ( or the more thematically appropriate term *Mara eye* flight ) to the East Coast.
Fun.

Let*s review -
California to Colorado - turned away from Colorado, diverted to Wyoming - Wyoming to Colorado - Colorado to California (again) - California to the East Coast.

So yeah...it has been a interesting and surreal day-night-day 24 hour experience.
Feeling so mixed up right now...but also feeling like Indiana Jones.
I will never view those scenes in his films of traveling airplanes to multiple exotic destinations quite the same way again.

 

[maxgoof]

Cant wait to hear more of your adventures...Just like my dad and I did on our car trip to CA! Did you get to see the worlds largest ball of twine? or the river dad and I got to ride our car in?

 

[Californian Elitist]

^^^^????

 

[Figments Friend]

Perhaps i need to explain....

Maxgoof above is a longtime friend of mine who is *role playing* one of his favorite characters from one of his favorite films, *A Goofy Movie*.
His comments refer to things Goofy*s son Max did during the course of the film when he took a road trip across the country with his Dad.

( waves to Maxgoof )

 

[Figments Friend]

Well this chapter has been quite a ride.
Looking forward to sharing the story of this most recent *Baxterland* adventure with everyone soon, once i adjust back into my own tiny environment.
Some rest is needed, but that is to be expected after what took place.

Be back soon.....

 

[Figments Friend]

Ready to here this chapters' story?
Then settle in...partners...and all aboard the 'Baxterland Express'......!

Better hang on, this here is going to be the Wildest Ride In Anaheim !

 

[Figments Friend]

-

Now let*s begin the tale of this chapters adventures....





I will begin at the beginning, with a look at the Guide Map that greeted my eyes upon entering the front gates of this marvelous place.
I had to smile, seeing it too was perfectly themed for yet another grand tour of *Baxterland*....featuring one of Tony*s most famous creations right on the front cover -




Little did i suspect then that this Guide Map was foreshadowing where something remarkable would take place a few days later during my visit, and become the highlight of this particular chapter.
Not every day you meet someone who worked with Mr. Baxter himself on a project, while standing in the Single Rider line at a *Baxterattraction*...!