Life Day Eighteen At Disneyland

Did You Know? - Original plans for Disneyland show that there was to be an "Alice in Wonderland" walk-through attraction in 1955, but time and budgetary restrictions forced planners to defer the attraction and the designated space was instead occupied by the Fantasyland Theater (now the location of "Pinocchio's Daring Journey"). Three years later (1958), an "Alice in Wonderland" ride-through opened, with Mouseketeer Karen Pendleton dressed as Alice appearing at the ribbon-cutting ceremony. Now located on the north end of the building occupied by "Mr. Toad's Wild Ride," "Alice in Wonderland" differed from other Fantasyland dark rides which appeared as openings in flat, faux-stone walls (the extended arms of Sleeping Beauty's Castle) and decorated with colorful banners and canopies made of sheet metal. Instead, "Alice in Wonderland" featured a stylized, oversized garden of towering blades of grass, dandelions and a tall mushroom that served as the attraction's ticket booth. The caterpillar ride vehicles moved gracefully along a winding path of massive leaves, helping create the illusion that guests had shrunk to a tiny size, thus imitating Alice's experiences in Wonderland. This attraction also differed by the vehicles negotiating a path that involved both upward and downward inclines, necessitating three wheels instead of four.

Did You Know? - During the construction of the park, dirt from the excavation of Sleeping Beauty Castle's moat was piled in an area between Fantasyland and Tomorrowland. When the park opened, the area, dubbed Holiday Hill (and later Lookout Mountain), was improved with benches and pathways to encourage its use as a picnic area.

After the opening of the Disneyland Skyway in 1956, Walt Disney conceived the idea of a toboggan ride on the mountain with real snow but the logistics caused vehement objections by Disneyland construction chief Joe Fowler.

In this period the hill began to be known as Snow Hill. By now instead of picnicking, the hill had come to be used primarily as a nighttime lovers' lane, much to Disney's dismay. New wild mouse-style roller coasters got the attention of Disneyland executives who began to consider applying this emerging technology to the creation of a toboggan-themed coaster ride on an artificial mountain at the site.

The structure was also intended to act as a decorative overlay to camouflage the central pylon of the Skyway. Use of the Matterhorn both in style and name grew from Disney's extended vacation in Switzerland while filming Third Man on the Mountain.

In a moment of inspiration, impressed by the beauty of the real Matterhorn, Walt grabbed a postcard of the mountain from a souvenir stand and sent it back to Imagineer (architect) Vic Greene with the message, "Vic. Build This. Walt."

This resulted in the merger of the toboggan ride concept with the thoughts of a bobsled coaster ride that would run around and through the structure. The peak was first shown in a conceptual drawing that was once on display at The Disney Gallery.

Did You Know? - The Jolly Holiday Bakery opened January 2012 with a Mary Poppins theme. The beautiful stained glass windows depict penguins! There's ample outdoor patio seating where you can enjoy people-watching.

The bakery features an assortment of pastries, specialty coffees, and signature entrees. Stop here for a fresh salad, specialty sandwich, soup and quiche selections, Merry Cherry lemonade and kid's meals. Items are freshly made with the finest ingredients!

Did You Know? - A January 2008 company press release described the suite as follows:

"Guests may enter the Dream Suite by climbing the grand staircase outside the entrance to the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction. An elevator will be available to accommodate guests with disabilities. Through the doorway at the top of the stairs is the Living Room, designed in a French Provincial style reflecting the New Orleans Square setting. Unusual decorative items like a full-size carousel horse, a mechanical songbird and original wall paintings of European castles will conjure up memories of Walt Disney and the inspirations that went into creating the magical world of Disneyland.
The suite features not one, but two master bedrooms. In one, the spirit of early 20th century innovation and the American frontier are summoned with an earthy color scheme, leather furniture, a cast-iron stove, an electric train and vintage mechanical toys. The other master bedroom is on the side of the residence nearest Adventureland, and its lush décor and atmosphere evoke the exotic flavor of jungle adventure stories as told in the Victorian era.
The bayou-themed patio, central to the Disneyland Dream Suite and open to the sky above, is filled with tropical vegetation, furnished with comfortable chaises and illuminated by Chinese lanterns. Using a type of Disney magic familiar to guests on Pirates of the Caribbean, the patio is also visited by fireflies.
As guests settle in for a stay in the Disneyland Dream Suite, they'll discover special effects surprises in each room. It could be a special tune in a striking clock, a sunset or a starscape that appears when the lights go down, subtle audio enhancements, or something totally unexpected."

Did You Know? - The ride's concept dates back to Walt Disney's plans for a "magical little park" across the street from his Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California. This modestly scaled, never-built amusement park was to include a gravity flow canal boat ride among its attractions.

When plans for the much grander Disneyland were being made, there was to be a "Lilliputianland", inspired by Madurodam, a miniature city in the Netherlands that Disney once visited. However, the technology did not yet exist to create the miniature animated figures that were to inhabit the "Lilliputian" village, so the canal ride opened under the name Canal Boats of the World. It was intended to be a journey past miniature recreations of the great landmarks of the world, but time and money prevented its completion. The ride was plagued by other problems. The outboard motors were prone to overheating, often forcing the boats to be pulled by hand, and because the attraction opened with little landscaping, it earned the nickname among park executives as "The Mud Bank Ride".

After two months of operation, the Canal Boats closed while Storybook Land was constructed and the muddy banks were landscaped with miniature plants, including a bonsai tree planted by Walt Disney himself. The idea of having Monstro the whale consume the canal boats came from a never-implemented concept for a "Monstro the Whale" ride, in which small boats were to be swallowed by Monstro and then plunged down a watery path into a pond below.

Grandpa's Note - We tried to go to Space Mountain (Nick's favorite ride) but the wait time was an hour.  Nick is such a grown up young mad he decided "Let's do Grandma's favorite rides". It's not often you see a teenager giving up his desires for someone else! We are very very very proud of Nick and happy he is on our family!

Did You Know? - The Casey Jr. Circus Train is an attraction found at Disneyland and Disneyland Paris. Based on the train of the same name from the 1941 film Dumbo, it gives passengers a tour of many miniature versions of classic Disney animated film scenes.

This tour is similar to the one given on the slower paced Storybook Land Canal Boats, but does not incorporate narration. The attraction was opened two weeks later than Disneyland due to testing.

Did You Know? - Big Thunder Ranch is an attraction at Disneyland. It includes an outdoor petting zoo, a walk-through cabin, and a variety of scenery meant to create the atmosphere of a Western ranch. It is located in Frontierland, close to Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.

Inside one can find sheep, goats, cows, and other farm animals. Among these animals are the two turkeys who received presidential pardons in honor of Thanksgiving in 2008. The attraction is hosted by Brawny.

Big Thunder Ranch will close permanently on January 10, 2016, as the attraction (and some nearby backstage areas) will be the future site of a 14-acre Star Wars-themed land.

Did You Know? - The island that is surrounded by the Rivers of America in Frontierland was left almost completely bare when Disneyland first opened in 1955. Time and money had both run out, forcing Walt Disney to leave it unfinished; but on the shores of this once barren isle, the following summer Disney would unveil what is perhaps the most distinctive outdoor playground ever conceived, the Tom Sawyer's Island.

To gain access to the island, explorers board a log raft to carry them across the river. Over time, the railings on the rafts had to be raised for safety reasons, and netting on the railing keeps small children from falling out.

There was an instance in the 1970s where a raft was overloaded with guests and previous wear on its hull caused it to start sinking. Another raft was deployed to assist in removing the guests from the sinking raft just as they were sunk knee deep in the river. Contrary to belief, the rafts are not on a track of any kind, they float freely and are navigated by the Cast Member on board.