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Are you really enjoying Disneyland so much?

by Mark Eades February 25, 2024

When did going to Disneyland become a battlefield between Disney fans?

I recently visited Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room (Did you notice I used the correct name for the attraction?) with one of my grandkids. At their age, they enjoy the singing birds and flowers. However, I did not enjoy it. Thankfully, my grandkid did.

Why did I not enjoy it? Because there was a gaggle of talkative and downright rude uber-Disney fans sitting in there.

One group of them were yacking away about some misdeed they had gotten away with in line (or was it skipping the line) at the Indiana Jones Adventure. Another group was singing the tunes, but substituting different words. Finally, a third group tried to loudly teach some other Guests the words – whether they wanted them to or not. Sing along, fine. But not so loud that it is intrusive.

I tried to motion for them to quiet down, they either ignored me or made the classic Disney brush-off comment, “Have a magical day.” It was like being in the middle of a talkative battlefield.

(And I won’t even go into how you cannot hear the Ghost Host’s spiel in the stretching room of the Haunted Mansion over them anymore.)

These uber-Disney fans are getting out of hand. Steven Wilk recently wrote a column for the Disneydining.com website in which he labels these folks as “Disney addicts.” (Click here to read that column)

That seems like a good label. I have a better label for them: Disnoids. They’re everywhere at the park. Actually parks, as they are at all of them now.

Disnoids occupy the front porch on Main Street U.S.A. You know where I’m talking about, it was the entrance to a bra shop on opening day.

Disnoids have all the prime (non-reserved) spots for watching parades, fireworks or live shows – usually hours ahead of time.

When Disnoids go on attractions like Pirates of the Caribbean or the Haunted Mansion, they talk during their entire adventure – about the changes good or bad, or sometimes about other topics like politics, or where they think the best place to eat is at different times of day.

And try to get a seat at a popular bar, such as Trader Sam’s or Oga’s Cantina. Disnoids have been in their seat since the bar opened that morning and stayed in it for hours!

So, I have to ask the question Steven didn’t ask: Why do you still have to go to Disneyland?

You can sit on your own front porch. I do, it’s called “The World Famous Eades Front Porch.” (See the photo at top?)

If you’re on an attraction and talk about other things (loudly) are you really enjoying it? Do you think the people in the rows in front or behind you need to hear you talking or singing badly? If that’s all you’re going to do, do the rest of us a favor: Stay off the attraction or zip your mouth shut.

Then there’s hanging out for hour chattering away while others wait to get in one of those bars. Even then it’s hard as you know how to make a reservation, and those reservations were gone within minutes every time they became available. Frankly, if all you want to do is hang out at a bar and meet up with friends, there are plenty of others out there (many of them very nice) that would be better suited to this. I first wrote about this problem in a column for Jim Hill Media, which was originally published in 2001! (Here is the link to that column.)

From what I understand, that column stirred up a hornet’s nest of comments on his website, and spilled over to many other Disney oriented websites. Worse yet, back then people did not always use their real names.

I think it’s time for folks to recognize their problems.

You want to visit Disneyland a lot? Fine. But keep your voice down in case others want to hear the actual sound that Disney Imagineers created.

Visit the bars, but maybe don’t stay for more than an hour.

And if you want to sit on the front porch, that’s okay. I people watch too, but give up your seat after an hour or so and give others a chance!

Yes, I’m an Annual Passholder. but now that I have grandkids, I find I only want to go when they want to go, and enjoy the parks through their eyes.

So, if you’re going to Disneyland make sure you enjoy it, and not wreck it for others. Or maybe stop going for a while.

February 25, 2024 1 comment

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Fantasyland at Disneyland Paris

by Mark Eades December 29, 2020

Time for a tour of Fantasyland in the Magic Kingdom of Disneyland Paris. This is from a trip I took with the family last February.

Fantasyland in Paris is similar to other Disney parks, with a lot of the same attractions, but…

It is very spread out, and to me that works against it. Even the Fantasyland in Florida does not feel as barren.

There are plenty of attractions in this land. More than any other. And while many of the dark ride buildings have the same type of look as Disneyland in California, the distance between things makes it much less charming.

Snow White is similar to the one that was at Disneyland.

The chance to Meet Mickey Mouse does not look as appealing as the one in Toontown in California, at least on the outside. It needs something more to draw a guest over other than a sign.

To me, Casey Junior was a missed opportunity. A brand new version of Fantasyland and the Imagineers could have designed it wander throughout the land. Instead, it is tucked in a back corner by the Storybook Canal attraction.

The Storybook Canal attraction is a nice leisurely attraction. No host or hostess, just music along the way as you see the different scenes. The music for each movie represented is correct throughout. I do miss being swallowed by a whale. It and Casey Junior are tucked back beyond the railroad berm, and not much to draw guests back there. Sigh. Design 101 failure.

Instead of a dark ride, Alice in Wonderland is represented by the Labyrinth as seen in the movie. The problem? It closes in the rain, primarily because of poor drainage. (The Cast Members told me this was why it was closed that day.) It looks charming, one of the few things in the land that does. But there is also another design failure – no place where guests can see the Labyrinth from like a viewing area. Sigh.

There is a statue of the White Rabbit outside the entrance to Alice’s Curious Labyrinth. Yep, it’s made of plastic.

This was the only location where I could snap a photo of the Labyrinth, but it’s only a place where the walkway is a little higher. There should be an easily accessed viewing area where guests can watch other family members navigating the Labyrinth. Just my opinion.

Instead of white, the it’s a small world facade is layered in blue and salmon pink tones – not white like at Disneyland. You know what? I like it.

The Sword in the Stone is there in Fantasyland as an obvious photo opportunity.

Well that’s it folks. I’m all done with my posts about my trip to Disneyland Paris.

Here’s my look at Adventureland.

Here’s my take on Frontierland.

And here is a look at Discoveryland.

And here is a brief look at Main Street.

December 29, 2020 0 comment

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Frontierland at Disneyland Paris

by Mark Eades November 24, 2020

The entrance to Frontierland at Disneyland Paris looks and feels like a throwback to the Frontierland as it used to be at Disneyland in California, starting with the entrance to the land. You enter through the same style “entrance” to a frontier fort.

Indian Village in Frontierland at Disneyland Paris.

On the right, just before you enter Frontierland, sits a Native American Village – just outside the fort’s walls.

One thing feels familiar, the river. Now it’s not the “Rivers of America.” Rather, it’s the Western Rivers. Yes, there is a paddlewheeler that plies the river (sorry, I didn’t get photo in my one short day in the park.) but that’s where the similarities end. Because where it should be Tom Sawyer Island, it is, instead, Big Thunder!

That’s right, the majority of the attraction is on the island. But you don’t get to the ride via a raft. That’s because the station for the attraction is on the mainland.

Some of the mining gear in the Big Thunder queue area

The queue line for Big Thunder is similar to others in that it has a number of mining artifacts sprinkled throughout.

As you can see, the trains are pretty much like all the others, complete to the ties in the rails. You might be able to see at the back of the train that it is coming up out of a tunnel. That’s the return from the island, which makes for a much more dynamic finish to the ride than the one here or in Florida. Riders also get to the main part of the ride via a tunnel as well. But beyond that the ride dynamics on the island are pretty much the same as both parks here in America.

Here are some of the shops in Frontierland, right across from Big Thunder. The colors in France for Frontierland are, with one exception, much brighter and bold.

The shops in Frontierland pretty much contain the same type of merchandise as found at most Disney theme parks.

Phantom Manor is Paris Disneyland’s version of the Haunted Mansion. But unlike other parks, designers decided to make the house appear a lot darker and eerier, almost rundown. It’s okay, though I’m not sure I agree with their choice of using a cliche approach to a haunted house. That’s what makes Disneyland’s so interesting; the house is not dark and eerie and definitely not rundown looking from the outside.

The attraction cast members at Paris Disneyland were really into their role. Here this hostess always maintained an Edgar Allen Poe type of demeanor, and it worked. Others on the attraction were similar into their approach, though I didn’t really understand what they were saying in French. But the fact that they were all into it says plenty about the quality of Cast Members there. They were great!

This interesting building’s backstory is supposedly where the “bride” from the manor would host tea for visitors. Obviously she’s not there, but the tea set sits – waiting for her return from the hereafter. The bride character is a major part of the Phantom Manor story, though I think it’s overwrought in the current version and hard to follow.

Just like California’s Haunted Mansion, the queue line heads up to the side of the house before moving around front for entry into the attraction. Here you can see the deliberate approach to making the house exterior look rundown. Inside the attraction many things are the same to a point. There’s the stretching room then you board the omnimovers to go through the house then into the graveyard. However, there is a long scene set in a haunted western ghost town that is, well, strange. It’s definitely different and I guess it was added to ground the attraction in a western Frontierland.

It wouldn’t be Frontierland unless there was a shooting gallery, and this one seems to be pretty popular.

I did not have time, but word is that this steakhouse is pretty darned good. It is, appropriately, located in Frontierland and does require reservations. The prices are in line with a higher end steakhouse too, but I wish I had had the time to dine there. Oh well, next time.

Read about Discoveryland at Disneyland Paris at this link.

You can read and see photos of Main Street at Disneyland Paris at this link.

November 24, 2020 1 comment

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A visit to Downtown Disney in Paris

by Mark Eades November 8, 2020

Yes, there is a Downtown Disney in Paris, and like California, it is located conveniently outside the gates of the two theme parks. This visit is from February, 2020 before the whole COVID-19 stuff hit.

But it’s not really between the two parks. Instead, it serves as a buffer zone between the railroad station that serves Paris and France, and the hotels located at the resort.

The Disneyland Hotel is just outside the gates to the Magic Kingdom in Paris. To get to the gates you walk under the hotel.

The Legends Statue at Downtown Disney has the names of significant people who made major contributions to the Resort, either during construction or otherwise.

World of Disney at Downtown Disney of the Disneyland Paris Resort.

Of course, one of the first shops seen when going to Downtown Disney from the theme parks is the World of Disney. It is also very large and does seem to have a Disney style to the architecture.

There is a Rainforest Cafe and Cafe Mickey there.

Generally, the theming of Downtown Disney in Paris is, well, more outdoor mall, and not really all that great. But that seems to be true for all the Downtown Disney’s. But here, well judge for yourself.

That Earl of Sandwich sure gets around. They have outdoor seating, but as this was winter – no thanks. Lots of open glass in this building’s design. But inside it’s still just an Earl of Sandwich. I’d rather eat in Paris.

McDonald’s is here at Downtown Disney too. Offering a more economical selection for the budget conscious traveler. A bigger budget? Visit “The Steakhouse” next door. Not a very French name.

Here’s a better view of “The Steakhouse” and the neighboring “Billy Bob’s Saloon.”

The prices of The Steakhouse are more in line with a higher end steak restaurant. The saloon looked interesting, but I did not have much time to visit and did not go inside.

This side of Downtown Disney features a series of interconnected shops (good during the winter and other times of inclement weather), but it’s rather plain looking. But lots of windows from which to window shop.

Pretty easy to window shop, but the window displays were, frankly, uninspiring. Disney needs to make Downtown Disney more interesting. I know inclement weather in the late fall through early spring means stuff needs to be inside, but it could have been designed better to attract people inside and to wander the whole area.

We stayed at the Sequoia Lodge on property while visiting Disneyland Paris Resort, but just for two nights. (Really just one and a half daytime hours.) I did not have any time to get outdoor photos. But I did take two detail shots in our room.

The room was nice enough, but this was a moderate price hotel. I did get down to the bar and while the bartenders were nice and friendly, I had to teach them how to make a Manhattan!

A deer theme to the hotel wall lamp in the room.

I would have liked about four days to really see the place, but on a family budget (all five of my kids, wife and three significant others plus a grandson meant no.) it was not possible.

Ah well.

You can read about Part 1 of my visit to the Walt Disney Studios in Paris at this link.

Part 2 of my visit to the Walt Disney Studios in Paris is at this link.

Here’s a look at Main Street at the Disneyland Park aka the Magic Kingdom.

November 8, 2020 1 comment

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Disneyland Mine Train Restoration underway

by Mark Eades May 16, 2019

The “abandoned” Mine Train that was once part of “Mine Train Through Nature’s Wonderland” sits by the Rivers of America in 2010. Photo courtesy: George Kissinger.

Remember when the mine train engine sat like an abandoned railroad by the Rivers of America at Disneyland?

It was removed in 2010 for a then newly imagined Rivers of America, and was replaced with a rockslide on the abandoned rails.

A rock from a “rockslide” now sits on the abandoned tracks of the “Mine Train Through Nature’s Wonderland” by the Rivers of America at Disneyland. Photo by Mark Eades

Those of us who go back further, remember when it was one of the locomotives on the “Mine Train Through Nature’s Wonderland” attraction at Disneyland. That was removed in 1977 to make room for “Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.”

The Mine Train travels across a trestle in “Bear Country” on the “Mine Train Through Nature’s Wonderland” in Frontierland at Disneyland. Photo courtesy: The Disneyland Resort.

The rails alongside the Rivers of America and two of the tunnels from the attraction are still there, but the engine and two cars were sent to an outside storage area owned by Disney.

Then, in 2015, they were sent to Walt’s Barn, to be restored by the Carolwood Foundation and put on display there. But there were some contractual issues that needed to be resolved between the foundation and the Walt Disney Company before anything could be done.

The wrapped up Mine Train waits for a restoration in 2015. Photo courtesy: Ed Romero.

Finally, in December 2016, an agreement was reached and the foundation started devising a plan to restore the engine and cars to their former glory, as written in this story by me for the Orange County Register. There were further delays in finding someone to do the work, but that person and their company was identified and the work is starting.

A member of the Carolwood Foundation holds up the sign that used be on the side of the engine from Disneyland’s Mine Train Through Nature’s Wonderland. The engine and two cars will be restored by the foundation, and eventually put on display at Walt’s Barn in Griffith Park. Photo courtesy Ed Romero.

The work is being done by Tim LaGaly and his company, TJL Construction, Inc. in Burbank.

Tim LaGaly of TJL Construction, Inc. stands by some of the metal pieces from the Mine Train that he is working on for the restoration. Photo by Mark Eades

But it also takes money. With that in mind, the Carolwood Foundation has launched a funding drive to raise $150,000 to fully restore the engine the cars, and even build a new tender, that held the actual motor and batteries for the train. (Though this restoration will not include a working motor nor batteries.)

The Mine Train engine sits in a storage bin at TLJ Construction, Inc. waiting for restoration work to start. Photo by Mark Eades

Here is the direct link at www.carolwood.org/contact and click on the donate to donate to this effort via PayPal. But people can also write a check made out to “The Carolwood Foundation” and put “Mine Train Resoration” in the memo space. Checks may be mailed to Carolwood Foundation, PO Box 2208, Toluca Lake, CA 91610, Attention: Larry Boone.

Some of the metal parts to the Mine Train that have all ready been restored. Photo by Mark Eades.

The foundation is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit foundation, so donations may be tax deductible. It also operates and cares for Walt’s Barn, which is located at the Los Angeles Live Steamers Railroad Museum in Griffith Park. The Barn is open free to the public on the third Sunday of each month.

Bill Barbe (left), president of the Carolwood Foundation, along with Tim LaGaly of TJL Construction, Inc. show of the undercarriage for the Mine Train cars to four members of the Order of the Red Handkerchief led by their president, Scott Fleener. Photo by Mark Eades.

Recently, members of the Order of the Red Handkerchief visited to see some of the progress being made. Members of the order used to work the original attraction and include a few “Club 55ers” such as Ron Dominguez. The order is also helping with a financial donation and expertise from their time working the attraction.

Bill Barbe, president of the Carolwood Foundation, shows two members of the Order of the Red Handkerchief some of the wheels to the cars of the Mine Train. Photo by Mark Eades.

Besides money, foundation president Bill Barbe says they are looking for additional items to help with the restoration. Those items include a Drive Wheel, an oiler for the wheels, color photos, particularly of the controls for the engine, and good color photos of the tender.

The smokestack and part of the roof for the Mine Train. Photo by Mark Eades.

They would also like either receive a donation of, or borrow the following, so they can do a 3D scan of them: an original bell, an original whistle, and a number plate. All three have been purchased at Disney auctions, mostly through the Van Eaton Gallery.

“If those who own them could either let us have them on loan for display, or to borrow so we can make a 3D scan of them to reproduce for the display, that would be terrific,” said Bill adding, “We’re trying to make this as authentic to the original as we can.”

Anyone who has these materials can contact Bill via email at: waltsbarn@carolwood.org, or send him a snail mail to his attention at: Carolwood Foundation, PO Box 2208, Toluca Lake, CA 91620.

A wood siding from one of the rail cars for the Mine Train, it is completely rotted and will have to be replaced. Photo by Mark Eades.

Unfortunately, most of the cars that followed behind the engine and tender were made of wood, and the wood has rotted to such a condition that it will have to be replaced. The underlying metal carriage and other metal parts, including the wheels, are in good shape and refurbishment of all of them is underway.

Part of the wood that was once part of the rail car that was part of the Mine Train. Photo by Mark Eades.

Bill also said they would like a couple of the rails from the original attraction to set the engine, tender and cars on when the work is completed. Anyone who visits Disneyland can still catch a glimpse of those rails along the Rivers of America, but there are also some rails in the two tunnels that are not really visible and hopes to get a couple of them.

A tunnel through which the Mine Train Through Nature’s Wonderland still exists at Disneyland in Frontierland. Inside the tunnel are rails from the original attraction. Photo by Mark Eades.

May 16, 2019 3 comments

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Disney sponsors a new playground at Barton Park in Anaheim

by Mark Eades January 31, 2019

Volunteers from the Disneyland Resort and the Anaheim Family YMCA work on a new playground with special equipment for children with disabilities at Barton Park in Anaheim. Photo by Mark Eades

It was a beautiful, sunny day in Anaheim when 300 volunteers showed up at Barton Park. They were there to build a very special playground, one with play features for children with disabilities.

Photo by Mark Eades

They were also going to build it in just six hours on Saturday, January 26, 2019.

Photo by Mark Eades

The playground build was organized by KaBOOM! The non-profit organizes events like this for parks in disadvantaged neighborhood parks across the country.

Photo by Mark Eades

Here in Anaheim they worked with volunTEARS from the Disneyland Resort, the city of Anaheim, the Anaheim Family YMCA and others from the local community to build the playground. The Disneyland Resort also sponsored the playground.

Photo by Mark Eades

Included in the playground are a variety of play pieces with unique equipment and accessibility features that will allow all children to play together.

Photo by Mark Eades

The pieces include a merry-go-round style device with a Unity Spinner that includes seatbelts for wheelchairs. A Teeter Tunnel with a feature that will help children transfer out of a wheelchair and onto the teeter. Many of the items feature braille panels for this visually impaired.

Photo by Mark Eades

The playground’s design was aided by children from the area including students at neighboring Barton Elementary School. Volunteers from KaBOOM! met with more than 650 kids soliciting design ideas and drawings for this playground.

Photo by Mark Eades

Disneyland Cast Members took part in the playground build, as did members of the Anaheim Family YMCA, along with folks from the city of Anaheim.

Photo by Mark Eades

January 31, 2019 0 comment

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A review of Disney On Ice – Dare to Dream

by Mark Eades December 20, 2018

My wife and I got a chance to see Feld Entertainment’s “Disney On Ice – Dare to Dream” and I must say it is an incredible show.

Any Disney fan, and especially those with kids, will thoroughly enjoy this ice skating extravaganza.

It features appearances by Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck and Goofy, but the real show stoppers are the big productions based on Disney’s animated feature films.

The show opens with the song “Remember Me” from “Coco,” featuring only four skaters on ice, but it grows from there.

The song “Remember Me” from “Coco” is performed on ice during Disney On Ice – Dare to Dream. Photo by Mark Eades

“Be Our Guest” from “Beauty and Beast” has skaters dressed as Lumiere, Cogsworth, dishes and spoons. It is well staged and everyone in the audience sings along.

The “Be Our Guest” production number based on Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast” in the ice show “Disney On Ice – Dare to Dream.” Photo by Mark Eades

A wonderful number based on “Cinderella” features absolutely spectacular skating by Cinderella and the Prince.

The skaters for Rapunzel and Flynn Rider take to the air above the ice at times during the production set based on “Tangled,” and brought the audience to its feet afterwards.

The same movie had a 20-plus set of skaters in the sequence based on “I Have a Dream.”

“I Have A Dream” is a real show stopper during “Disney on Ice – Dare to Dream.” Photo by Mark Eades

And the finale with the lanterns brought tears to many of the lady’s eyes.

After the intermission, the production did not slow down as it told the story of “Frozen.” Yes, many of the ladies and girls sang along to two of the movie’s songs, “Love is an Open Door,” and of course, “Let It Go.” But the production values of “Let It Go” are as good as Disney’s live show at Disney California Adventure.

Olaf and Anna skate during the “Frozen” production number of “Disney On Ice – Dare to Dream.” Photo by Mark Eades.

The final number is based on “Moana” and the spectacular skating continues here as they do an ice skating version telling of the film’s story.

I highly recommend seeing Disney On Ice – Dare to Dream to anyone who likes Disney movies, and to anyone who wants to see some great ice dancing and a great production.

December 20, 2018 0 comment

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Adventures in the Daddy Zone with the baby at Disneyland

by Mark Eades June 15, 2018

Editor’s note: This was originally written and to be published in the June 2018 edition of Parenting OC Magazine. But do to space limitations it was cut. So it is posted here by the author.

Well here I was, sitting on a bench under the shade of a tree in the Central Plaza at Disneyland. With me was our daughter, then about eight months old. Where was Mom? She was off in the long line for Pirates of the Caribbean with our four-year-old son.

He decided Mom deserved a trip to Disneyland for her birthday. Meanwhile I, the Dad, got to come too as it was Father’s Day, but it really meant I would watch baby sister while they went on a bunch of Disneyland attractions, especially those the baby could not ride.

My wife really knows how to get ready for trips to places like Disneyland. She was determined to not bring a stroller. So, we had a front pack for our daughter, and a backpack with all the baby stuff in it: Formula, bottles, baby food, disposable diapers, a change of clothes, extra blankets, two containers of baby wipes, and large, sealable, baggies to put, well, soiled things in.

The last would come in handy, as I would find out.

Thankfully, before they ran off to see the pirates, my wife took our daughter into the ladies’ bathroom and changed our daughter’s wet diaper. I figured that would hold her for a while. But my wife also assured me there were changing tables in the men’s bathrooms too.

I’m a little old-school. If my daughter did something while my wife was gone, I really didn’t want to have to change my daughter’s diaper in a men’s room. But I also did not want to do it out in the open on a Disneyland park bench either. My wife pointed across the plaza.

“There’s a Baby Care Center over there, I’m sure they can help you out,” she said as the two of them took off to get in the 90-minute line for Pirates of the Caribbean.

Now the nice thing about being a Dad with a baby, is that all the people like to stop by and make fun faces at the baby. And I will admit some of them were some nice-looking women. But I digress.

There we were, baby daughter and me sitting across from Sleeping Beauty Castle. She seemed to be very happy. When the horses pulling the street cars stopped nearby, we would walk over to them; she really liked them. Mary Poppins and Bert strolled by and said “Hello.” She really liked that.

We watched some ducks waddle by for a handout, I had a box of popcorn and “accidentally” spilled some on the ground for them. It went fine with my cup of soda, which did have a baby spillage prevention device on it, better known as a lid.

Things were going along fine for about an hour when she got fussy. Usually a sign that she wanted to either eat or drink something, so I carefully set my popcorn and drink down on the bench and got a ready to go bottle of formula of a side pocket of the backpack, and a baby blanket from another pocket. The bottle satisfied her for a while.

Then she spit the bottle out, obviously full. I set the bottle down next to the popcorn and soda, put the blanket on my shoulder, put her up there, gave her a few pats on the back and she burped. I was a pro at this. Then I laid her down on the blanket, with an arm in place to keep her from rolling off.

What a lovely day, she was kicking and smiling and goo-gooing. As I watched people taking pictures in front of the castle. I wasn’t really paying attention when she stopped making noise. I looked down at her and saw she was making a face of great concentration.

Oh oh. Did I just hear some music of impending doom? No, it was a different kind of noise – equal to the level of concentration on her face. It was a doom of a different kind – she was going poo-poo. Now normally, at home, this would not be that big a deal. But she was doing it right here on a park bench in the middle of Disneyland.

Worse yet, it was massive as it started to ooze out the sides of the diaper like the Blob and onto the blanket. And the smell? It was worse than anything the horses could do. I panicked and quickly grabbed the bottle of formula and stuffed it into the backpack – knocking over the popcorn in the process, to the great joy of the ducks in the area.

I needed to get to the Baby Care Center – and fast, as the daytime parade was approaching and I needed to get across Main Street U.S.A. before it arrived at the crossing. I wrapped her into the blanket, hiding the evidence of her dastardly deed, and quickly headed across the plaza, leaving my soda behind. Oh well, Disneyland’s Custodial staff, I was sure, would make quick work of that.

I did get stuck at the crossing while the first few floats passed, I had visions of her poo-poo oozing out like the Blob and devouring all nearby. Finally, they let us cross. I strived not to bump into anyone while carrying a baby with a diaper full of bad news. Suffice it to say, I made it to the Baby Care Center.

The Disneyland Baby Care Center is located just off the Central Plaza (also known as “The Hub”) at Disneyland. Inside the entry lobby there is a photo of Walt Disney when he was a baby on the wall. Photo by Mark Eades.

When I entered, it was like I’d gone to heaven for anyone needing to deal with feeding, nursing or having to change extremely dirty poo-pooed diapers like me. I thought I even heard angels singing.

The two Cast Members inside took one look at me and seemed to immediately understand what was going on. They directed me to one of the changing stations, which also had a nice paper liner on it to keep it clean from messes like my daughter’s.

One even asked if I needed any other assistance. I said no, but that they might want to hold their noses.

“We’re used to that, but this facility has excellent air circulation to take care of any unwanted odors,” the Cast Member said as she smiled.

I laid my daughter down, she seemed to relish squirming around in her mess. This was going to be a multiple baby wipe extravaganza to clean this mess up. I set the backpack emptied it, then proceeded to undo the diaper and was immediately assaulted by a pile of goo that would have been better handled by a large bulldozer.

I opened up two of the large zip top baggies; one for the diaper and wet baby wipes, the other for everything else. It took about 15 minutes to clean up the mess, with my daughter constantly moving the whole time. Finally, I was done. The dirty diaper and wet wipes filled one baggie, the dirty clothes and now dirty blanket filled the other. I sealed them both up and looked around for a waste basket for the one. The ladies pointed.

“Looks like you’ve done this before,” one of them said as they changed the paper liner.

“You might need to feed her soon,” the other Cast Member said.

I nodded and got out a jar of food, then realized there was no spoon in the backpack. One of them offered me a disposable plastic spoon, and suggested I take a few more with me.

Thank goodness for the Cast Members at the Baby Care Center. After feeding my daughter, I packed everything, not as neatly as my wife had done, and went outside. The parade had passed, and I could see my wife and son strolling this way, thank goodness, as I suddenly realized I needed to use the restroom.

The Disneyland Baby Care Center is located just off the Central Plaza (also known as “The Hub”) at Disneyland. Inside, parents or guardians can find a variety of things to support those with babies. In addition, the center serves as the location for lost children or lost parents. Photo by Mark Eades.

–Some additional tips from Linda Marquez, a Disneyland Park Specialist of the Disney Parks Moms Panel: “Traveling with infants is making sure they are comfortable while at the parks. Bring along kid-approved sunscreen, a hat to provide shade from the sun, and a small, portable fan to keep cool. You will definitely want to bring your stroller from home or rent one at the parks. A stroller is not only the safest and most efficient way to get your little one around the parks, but it’s also an excellent place to store your belongings and a comfy spot for your little one to take a snooze. If you use a baby carrier or wrap, you can wear your baby on the majority of attractions that do not have height requirements.”

Personally, my wife and I always found it easier to go without a stroller. It was easier to move throughout the parks, and we’re good with backpacks. The Baby Care Center in each of the Disneyland Resort’s two parks have a microwave, handy for warming formula. In addition, it is the place that any lost children or lost parents can be found as well.

June 15, 2018 0 comment

Disney Disneyland

Are too many regular visitors wrecking Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion experience?

by Mark Eades February 22, 2018

Visiting Disneyland is almost always fun, but sometimes the visit can have its challenges – rarely from the park, almost certainly from other visitors.

Thanks to Annual Passes, there are a lot more “regulars” who visit Disneyland on a regular basis. They still enjoy themselves (I would hope so at the prices some pay for the higher end passes!) but the question I have to ask is: Do they enjoy it just for themselves at the expense of others?

So here comes some food for thought about some things us “regulars” should consider when visiting Disneyland on one of our regular visits.

One of my favorite attractions is the Haunted Mansion. It was, when it opened, one of the most ground-breaking and innovative attractions ever made. So successful it has stood the test of time and is still popular nearly 50 years after it opened.

But that popularity and repeated visits have created some odd circumstances for anyone going through the attraction.

Before I get to those odd circumstances, a brief synopsis of the attraction.

This is not just a ride, it truly is an attraction. It starts with the approach to the mansion, a Victorian looking structure, complete with pillars and a porch. Not really that foreboding looking.

Then one enters the foyer, where the enveloping into the experience begins. Eerie organ music plays, and after a few moments (depending on the timing of one’s entrance into the space) a voice is heard. “When hinges creak in doorless chambers, and strange and frightening sounds echo through the halls. Whenever candlelights flicker where the air is deathly still (the air is still in here and the candlelights are flickering.) – that is the time when ghosts are present, practicing their terror with ghoulish delight.”

Okay, this is where the people and more comes in. Some of the “regulars” are trying to appreciate the experience right at the start. Still other “regulars” feel they should be a part of the show and start either mouthing those words quietly, or out loud. Still others have seen it so many times that they just keep their conversations from waiting in the queue line going – in complete disregard for others trying to enjoy the show.

Finally, you have the newbies, those who haven’t seen it before – and because of all those different “regulars,” they aren’t quite sure if they should be quiet, talk amongst themselves or what. Of course, the other factor is if the attraction host or hostess has closed the foyer entrance door in time to block out the outside light and signal that something is about to start.

Next comes Act 2, the art gallery room, known to “regulars” as the “Stretching Room.”

A wall (door) opens to reveal that room, one with art work on the walls, and everyone moves into it. The voice continues by introducing himself, “I am your host, your ghost host.”

Now usually, some of the guests (regulars and newbies) are talking as they move into this room, while others are looking around and straining to hear the ghost host voice of Paul Frees.

Here is where the problems I talked about happening in the foyer come to the forefront.

Depending on the mix of “regulars” and newbies, the Stretching Room can, at times, be Disney’s version of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.” There are times when you can’t hardly hear the Ghost Host because everyone, or nearly everyone, is saying the infamous words out loud. Imagine, an enclosed room of 90 or so people talking and saying the same thing all at once. Sort of surreal.

Then comes this, “Of course, there’s always my way,” followed by a person who has been hung up in the rafters, then total darkness and a scream. And many people do scream – very loudly.

Many young ones, especially those who have never experienced this before, are very frightened by this, effectively ruining what should be an eerie, yet comical, experience for them and their parents.

Next, it’s time for the walk down the hallway and boarding the “Doom Buggies,” Disney’s term for the Omnimover ride vehicles that will take visitors on a ride through the rest of the Haunted Mansion.

This experience can be slowed down due to guests with disabilities trying to board or exit the Omnimovers, and I have no problem with this at all. No, it is others that are riding that can take one right out of this immersive experience. There are some who take flash photos of the ride now that’s where “regulars” either know better (that the flash will ruin the shot) or they want to take the flash to show the “secrets” the Imagineers used to create the ride.

Still others have their phones or iPads up and running, their screens visible throughout the whole ride by those in the adjoining Omnimover vehicles. Sigh, kind of annoying.

I don’t know that there is a solution to all these issues, as different folks enjoy Disneyland different ways. But I feel there is a societal issue at play here, bigger than Disneyland. That of people not considering the feelings and effects of their actions on others.

It’s part of the selfishness that has reared its ugly head in the current social media driven society.

So, here’s what I would like to see: “Regulars” start being a little more aware of others, “regulars” and newbies, trying to enjoy their visit without intrusion from others. Think of it as being neighborly. Don’t carry on a loud conversation inside an attraction. Don’t take flash photos, it’s just downright rude. Be discreet in your use of smart phones or iPads. Try to enjoy the Haunted Mansion, and let others enjoy the classic entertainment created by Walt Disney’s original Imagineers in all its eerie glory. And if you can’t do that as you’ve seen it so many times, then maybe consider not visiting the attraction for a while so you can maybe enjoy it like new again.

Just my thoughts, I’m sure some will disagree, and that’s okay.

February 22, 2018 3 comments

Carl and Sue Casebeer met at Disneyland while both were working in Frontierland. Him on the Mark Twain, her at the Golden Horseshoe.

Disney Disneyland Disneyland Alumni Club theme parks

A Marriage Made in Frontierland

by Mark Eades August 11, 2014

Carl Casebeer’s Disneyland story started the same day the park opened, on July 17, 1955. No, he wasn’t one of the first cast members. He was a second grader at a local school in Anaheim. His class and many others were invited to the park for opening day. So they boarded buses and were off on an adventure into this new place on Harbor Boulevard. “I spent the whole time in Fantasyland. We were not allowed to go to the other lands,” Carl said.

Carl Casebeer in one of the Adverntureland costumes from the late 1960s.

The memory of that opening day stuck with him so much that when he turned 18 and was finishing up at Anaheim High School, he applied for and got a job at Disneyland, starting with cracking jokes as a skipper on the world famous Jungle Cruise in 1965. Two years later, he was part of the opening crew for Pirates of the Caribbean.

“I really enjoyed working on Pirates,” Carl said, admitting to occasionally joining fellow cast members in pulling a prank on park guests. “We would go out into the ride and stand there like we were one of the Audio-Animatronics pirates. The Tour Guides knew who we were and would point us out,” he said. Somehow, they didn’t get in trouble for that

It was a different story while working on the Mine Train Through Nature’s Wonderland. “I got my only reprimand there when I derailed a train once because I threw the switch at the wrong time.” (No one was hurt in the incident.)

Eventually, he worked on every attraction in Adventureland and Frontierland, including stints as foreman on both shooting galleries. One day, while working at the Adventureland Shooting Gallery, Walt Disney brought his grandson over to shoot. “I didn’t get money or a C coupon from him, so I was short that night.”

A few years later, while working as foreman of the Mark Twain and Columbia Sailing Ship, his sharp eyes saw something he liked. “I spotted a beautiful girl at the entrance to the Golden Horseshoe Review. She had a short dress on and cut an attractive figure. I kept seeing her over there, so I asked the Horseshoe’s foreman about her availability. Turned out she was not taken, so I asked her out.”

Sue (Anderson) Casebeer in her Golden Horseshoe waitress costume.

That girl was Sue Anderson, who had gotten the job after showing off her legs.

“They made me stand up and show them my legs when I was being hired to see if I could work at the Golden Horseshow,” she said. (At the time, the costumes for female food hostesses at the Horseshoe were short skirts.)

Working at the Horseshoe could be a challenge. “One time I dropped a whole tray of cups filled with Pepsi on a guest,” Sue recalled. Another time while cleaning up on the upper level after a show, Sue says she found somewhat startling evidence that a couple up there had been doing more than just watching the show.

Carl and Sue’s first date was at a small employee party held in Frontierland. “I knew she was a good catch when she let me finish her steak on that date,” Carl said. They kept dating and Sue kept waiting tables at the Horseshoe. She eventually left to work as a flight attendant at Western Airlines but that lasted less than a year, as they married on August 22, 1970. “I was always on call, and I was getting married and they (the airlines) discouraged it (marriage) at that time,” she said.

Carl stayed at Disneyland and went on to become an assistant supervisor for Attractions in Tomorrowland. In 1974, he left Disneyland to become a Fotomat manager and eventually went into pharmaceutical sales—a career that lasted 30 years until 2010.

For many years, Sue created homemade ceramic souvenirs, some of which (ceramic chess sets) were even sold at Disneyland. She now makes sculptural jewelry that she and Carl sell at art shows in Oregon, where they have lived for years. Samples of her current work can be found at thegreengypsy.vpweb.com.

Carl and Sue Casebeer and family at Disneyland for a reunion on the occasion of their 44th anniversary during the summer of 2014.

Sue made enough money from her jewelry sales to pay for a special trip to Disneyland this year (2014) for their 44^th anniversary—a trip that featured a reunion with most of their extended family, including three children and six grandchildren, inside Walt Disney’s original Magic Kingdom. Of course, they had to take the whole family on The Jungle Cruise, where they all tried to get Carl to do his old spiel, but he claimed the attraction had changed too much. “We had a fantastic skipper on the ride. Even our five-year-old grandchild, William, liked it,” Carl said.

Carl and Sue Casebeer met at Disneyland while both were working in Frontierland. Him on the Mark Twain, her at the Golden Horseshoe.

The couple is already planning a Disney family reunion for their 50^th anniversary in 2020. “We’re going to try and get everyone to Disney’s Aulani Resort in Hawaii,” Sue said. For the Casebeers, it’s been a truly Disney life.

This profile is part of a series featuring former Disney Cast Members being written for the Disneyland Alumni Club. These stories reveal the role working for Disney has played over the years in shaping the lives of the people who help “make the dream a reality,” as Walt would say.

In honor of the 60th anniversary year of Disneyland in 2015, the Disneyland Alumni Club is reaching out to former employees, whether retired or younger, who may not be aware of the organization. The Club was started in 1983 by Disneyland executives Van France and Dick Nunis as a way to help Cast Members stay in touch after moving on to other careers. Is that you? If so and you’d like to take part in the Club’s private celebration next August—or participate in their many other activities and benefits, please visit www.disneylandalumni.org and join today!

Here’s some previous stories about Disneyland Alumni:

Former Cast Member Remakes Heavenly Music

Lifelong bonds formed working at Disneyland

John Waite Loves Theme Parks

Caretaker of Walt Disney’s Family Film Legacy

A Real Disneyland Character

August 11, 2014 0 comment