Sailing Ship Columbia Articles
10 Disney Attractions Closing For Rehab
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Indiana Jones Adventure and two Fantasyland rides will close for most of the fall to undergo renovations as summer crowds dissipate at Disneyland. That park and neighboring Disney California Adventure will shut down 10 venues in September for refurbishment, after the record-breaking summer season wraps up with Labor Day. The longest closures, which begin Tuesday, will be Indiana Jones Adventure, ...
12 Unique And Magical Memories To Be Made At Disneyland
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When visiting Disney, many families head straight for the E-ticket rides, from Space Mountain to the Matterhorn to Dumbo. But in doing so they not only spend a whole lot of time in long lines, but they miss out on so many magical moments and memories that can be made at the "happiest place on earth.' Though these attractions are less popular, they are just as special and endure in family memories far ...
14 Venues, Show Temporarily Close In Disney Parks
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Disneyland Resort parks have 14 venues and one show that are temporarily closed during May, mostly for major makeovers or special events. Many of the projects are ending this month as the two parks -- Disneyland and Disney California Adventure -- prepare for the summer season. Along Disneyland's Rivers of America, four attractions and the Fantasmic! Show are shut down for preparations of the ...
50 Things You Didn't Know About Disneyland
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In honor of Disneyland's 50th anniversary, we present 50 cool, obscure and simply odd things you probably didn't know about the self-proclaimed Happiest Place on Earth. Many were culled from Mouse Tales by David Koenig (Bonaventure, $19.95). Some were provided by Disney archivist Dave Smith, and others came from 101 Things You Never Knew About Disneyland by former park employee Kevin Yee and lifelong fan ...
58 Ways Star Wars Land Is Changing Disneyland
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The Walt Disney Company recently announced that an entirely new land based on the Star Wars universe would be coming to Disneyland, likely in 2019. The 14-acre mini universe will feature two major new rides and other attractions including a restaurant based on the Mos Eisley cantina in the films. I'm not a big Star Wars aficionado, but I hear that the designers working on it are, and genuine fans can ...
7 Attractions Temporarily Close At Disney
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Visitors to Disneyland resorts may want to check ahead to see if their favorite rides are operating as the park begins its annual maintenance. Starting Monday, seven attractions will close for refurbishment as well as some shows and restaurants. The 52-year-old Matterhorn Bobsled ride will be closed until summer while crews update the ride and add new vehicles featuring three seats. Crews ...
7 Tips For Watching The Return Of Fantasmic
“Fantasmic” has returned to Disneyland after a two-year pandemic pause and an extensive reconfiguration of the waterfront viewing area that will require first-time and longtime visitors alike to adjust their strategies for watching the venerable nighttime spectacular. Disneyland presented the return of “Fantasmic” along the Rivers of America on Thursday, June 2 as part of a summer kickoff ...
8 More Unanswered Questions About Star Wars Land
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Disney raised even more questions with the recent announcement of plans to temporarily close the Rivers of America, Tom Sawyer Island and the Disneyland Railroad to allow for construction of Star Wars Land. Here's what we know so far: The new 14-acre land will feature two attractions set in a remote frontier town on the outer rim of the "Star Wars" galaxy. While no opening date has been set, ...
A Brief History Of Disneyland, An American Classic
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"The thing will get more beautiful year after year. And it will get better as I find out what the public likes; I can't do that with a picture it's finished and unchangeable before I find out whether the public likes it or not." Walt Disney on Disneyland. Walt Disney found different reasons to build his seventeen million dollar Magic Kingdom in Anaheim in 1955. The idea had originally stemmed ...
A Darker Side
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When a Disneyland visitor from Washington state was fatally injured by a flying piece of metal last month. the folks at the self-proclaimed "Happiest Place on Earth" had the blood and debris cleaned up within half an hour -- before investigators could get a look at the scene. Legally. Disneyland did nothing wrong. But to some. the quick cleanup illustrates corporate arrogance and an extreme desire to ...
A Fantasy That Paid Off
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The place is surrounded by a berm, a high barrow of earth, that insulates it from the external world. There is a single gateway where admission is charged. This, the land of Disney, is more secure than ancient Troy. No Trojan horse will get into Disneyland. Guards at the main gate closely scrutinize all who enter. Not even an unseemly teenager will get past them, much less a Trojan horse. Disneyland is ...
A Park With A Powerful Spell
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Disneyland opened on this day in 1955. For five decades, the Anaheim attraction has worked its magic on our culture and transformed the entertainment industry. To build his dream theme park in Anaheim a half-century ago, Walt Disney borrowed against his life insurance policy and cashed in property, including a vacation home in Palm Springs, to pay the $17-million construction bill. When the ...
A Special Kind Of Weird
Howard Johnson 's Anaheim branch hotel is less than half a mile from the Disneyland Resort, a roughly 8 minute walk. The hotel also has a webcam pointing at various spots at the Resort. The main spots are in Disneyland, with the Matterhorn acting as Sleeping Beauty Castle, so to speak, having the whole mountain and a zoom in on one of the Bobsleds. The mountain is featured prominently in the overview of ...
African Veldt
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Way down in Jungleland, below the Amazin' Disney line, there's news among the gnus. "The Trapped Safari" is the new headline feature and a bit of bright fun in Disneyland's far-famed Adventureland and the Jungle River Cruise. Jackals, hyenas and buzzards lay siege to a comical hunter and his retinue treed by the wild beasts. Disneyland adventurers drift safely past as lions devour an unsuspecting prey ...
After 40 Years, Disneyland Begins Unisex Assignments For Ride Operators
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For 40 years, the theme park chose ride operators based on gender-with frilly-frocked females working Storybook Land and macho men in pith helmets wisecracking through the Jungle Cruise. But last month, the first woman took up oars to help guests paddle canoes around Tom Sawyer Island, and the first man in 38 years piloted a Storybook Land Canal Boat through the whale's mouth. Soon, female conductors ...
After More Than A Year Away Disneyland Debuts Updated Fantasmic River Show
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Mickey Mouse made a triumphant return to the Rivers of America as "Fantasmic!" came back to Disneyland after a more than a one-year absence. The show, which originally debuted in 1992, went dark in early 2016 as the waterway it is staged on was closed to boat traffic for construction of Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge. The new 14-acre land, which will open in 2019, gobbled up a chunk of Frontierland, ...
All 9 Lands At Ranked
Fantasyland offers the most rides and is ideally located in Disneyland. Mickey's Toontown has mediocre rides and limited shopping and dining options. New Orleans Square has the best dining options and underrated classic rides. Disneyland in Anaheim is divided into nine distinct ''lands,'' and some of these certainly offer better experiences than others. ...
All Water Rides Ranked By An Expert
I 've ridden every one of the water rides at Disneyland Resort trust me, these are the best (and worst!) in the parks.
In the last 30 years, I 've visited Disneyland nearly every month, which means I 've ridden a lot. And while there 's magic in (almost) every attraction, Disneyland 's water rides are a bit different. They run the gamut from calm and completely dry to thrilling and full of ...
Another Fantastic Dream
Fantasmic! Will forever be my favorite Disney Park show. So, when I heard that the show was getting an upgrade on effects and scenes, as one might be able to imagine, I was happy about the new effects and iffy about the new scenes, especially when I heard that "Peter pan" would be replaced with "Pirates of the Carribean." Believe me, "Pirates" is one of the best movies ever made, but come on, leave the ...
Behind-The-Scenes Look At Disneyland's New River
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Disneyland's main waterway has always been called the Rivers of America, but it wasn't clear what the name meant. "We've never even named the rivers," said Kim Irvine, art director of Walt Disney Imagineering. For the first time, the body of water around Tom Sawyer Island will have distinct sections designed to look like four U.S. river regions: the Mississippi, the Columbia, the Potomac and the ...
Best Spots For Making Tiktok Videos
TikTok has become hugely popular in recent years, with people creating fun 15 to 60 second videos set to music. Disneyland is a prime location for making engaging TikTok content. Guests are allowed to film TikTok videos throughout the Disneyland parks and resorts. When deciding where to film your Disneyland TikTok videos, it 's best to choose locations that are less crowded so you don 't disrupt other ...
Big Thunder Trail Reopens With New Features
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It is now easier to get from Frontierland to Fantasyland at Disneyland, or vice-versa. The theme park on Thursday, June 8, reopened its Big Thunder Trail that connects the two lands to the public, after being closed since early 2016. The trail was shut down so it could be revised, with new rock work, and themed decorations related to Disneyland's construction of the "Star Wars" land expansion. ...
California vs. Paris: Rivers of America
I learned something today. My comparison article for January 2013 was always going to be about the Rivers of America in Anaheim's Disneyland Park, and its counterpart in Disneyland Paris. However, until perhaps five minutes ago, I had assumed that the Paris equivalent was also called Rivers of America. Turns out, it's the Rivers of the Far West. Whilst it has been made clear which rivers ...
Cal-OSHA Finds Disney Coaster Accident Due To Faulty Brakes
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The collision of two trains on the California Screamin' roller coaster, which sent 17 riders to the hospital, was caused by air leaks in the braking system, according to a state report released Thursday. The July 29 accident, in which a 24-person rail car rear-ended another 24-person car and stopped near the passenger platform, has been under investigation by the California Division of Occupational ...
Can You Name All 15 Eticket Rides Still At Disneyland It Is Not As Easy As You Think
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As Disneyland celebrates the 60th anniversary of the E-ticket, it seems like a good time to look back at the rides that earned that distinction at the Anaheim theme park. But what are the E-ticket rides of Disneyland? Naming them all is not as simple as you might think. There were 23 E-ticket attractions during the ticket book era that stretched from 1955 to 1982, according to ...
Canoe Down The Rivers Of America
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Insiders, did you know you could canoe down the Rivers of America at Disneyland Resort? If not, or if you did and have yet to experience it, you are in for a treat! Davy Crockett 's Explorer Canoes gives you the chance to paddle down the most famous river at Disneyland on a grand oar-venture all the way around Pirate 's Lair on Tom Sawyer Island. This attraction is a great way to cool off from a warm day ...
Captain Takes You Inside The Wheelhouse Of The Mark Twain Riverboat At Disneyland
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Ever wonder what it's like to steer the Mark Twain Riverboat through the Rivers of America at Disneyland? Or how the Radiator Springs Raceway cars get their power? "Every Role a Starring Role" is one of my favorite Disneyland blogs that takes you behind the scenes with various cast members who describe their jobs. Jen Holst, a Mark Twain Riverboat captain, describes herself as "the eyes and ears" ...
Cast Members Testing Davy Crocketts Explorer Canoes
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Over the last few weeks, Disney fans have been excited to see progress at the Disneyland Resort. Recently, we shared that Disneyland is prepping many restaurants to reopen very soon in Disneyland and Disney California Adventure Parks, and Avengers Campus is allowing Guests to fully enjoy their own Marvel experience with super hero interactions happening in every corner. With Disneyland ...
Cool Clear Water Water
My how time fly's, seems like yesterday I was asking about when the Rivers of America would be filled again. I never like to visit the park when any of the water is not working. It even bummed me out during the renovation of It's a Small World when I saw the canals were dry. I know, weird eh? Yeah that's me; the water kind of calms me down. Those of you that have read my previous articles know ...
Dangerous Disneyland Mental Fatigue Part 2
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It wasn't until I was almost finished with the human stupidity portion of this "Dangerous Disney" article that I realized that this should be a two-parter, so that (in addition to keeping it from being too long) some might hopefully regain some faith in humanity. Here is that second part. Again, some of these I've only read about on one site. I start with the PeopleMover, again. In 1968 a rainstorm ...
Dazzled In Disneyland
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In the third decade of this century America produced a young man of genius. He drew pictures with pen and ink and wash. Like other geniuses, such as Michelangelo, Leonardo and Bernini, he had a mechanical turn of mind; and, by means of all sorts of devices, he made his drawings into motion pictures which were works of art. He drew animals to perfection. With care and his knowledge of mechanics he made ...
