First visit to Disneyland, Day Two, Post No. 10

Toy Story Soldiers, what a huge surprise!

I read this online about the attraction at Disney's California Adventure:
"Operation: Playtime! With The Green Army Men. Watch the Green Army Man drive around Paradise Pier in their army Jeep, beating their drums and looking for other toys to join their cause. Eventually the jeep stops, the soldiers unpack the rest of their drums and start playing in unison. Sarge picks a few "new recruits" (kids) from the crowd and lets them get in on the act. As Sarge barks out orders, the kids and soldiers respond."



Loud fellow. He must be Sarge!



Giving orders. Yep, he's Sarge.



See what I mean? Loud. Speakers and drums.



After everything was unloaded the performance began. I can't remember much about what was said or sung because their green suits and matching green make-up mesmerized me.
 

I believe that they did have fun and entertained the people who paused to take it all in.



Seems like Sarge told the soldiers that they needed help. But, I really cannot remember for sure. Have you been there in 2014? Do you remember the show?



Sarge must have asked for volunteers to join in the activity. Why else would those kids be raising their hands?



They drew a crowd and I do see some kids dancing around with them. Success!

First visit to Disneyland, Day Two, Post No. 9

Phineas and Ferb's crew leads children of all ages in a rousing dance routine during the Rockin' Rollin' Dance Party. This little boy excelled at following most every step, arm swing, fist pump that this young lady threw his way. I couldn't take my eyes off him and the fun he was having!

Found on the Internet:

Party on Wheels

Phineas and Ferb, from the Disney Channel Original Series, have taken an ordinary, everyday car, added a panoply of dance party paraphernalia—and transformed it into Phineas and Ferb's Mobile Party Mobile, also known as the "A-Little-Too-Young-To-Drive-O-Matic.”

They pilot their invention around with their friends, and when they reach the middle of the Paradise Pier Parade Route… well, that’s when the party really gets started!

Like I said, he kept up with her for the long, long song.

First visit to Disneyland, Day Two, Post No. 8

Huge. Not my thing--afraid of heights and I get motion sickness, although I do wear acupressure motion sickness bracelets with great success for every day needs--but I did like seeing Mickey's Fun Wheel at the Paradise Pier section of California Adventure. Info that I found on the Internet:

Revolutionary Fun

Hop inside a roomy gondola for a breezy, 9-minute jaunt above Paradise Bay.

Stroll along the sprawling Boardwalk at Paradise Pier and make your way beneath a towering wheel adorned with Mickey’s smiling face. On Mickey's Fun Wheel, the rotating rays of the wheel spokes twinkle like a kaleidoscope. Before you take off, choose the type of gondola you want to ride in: stationary or swinging. Then, hop on board and ascend 150-feet high in the sky, marveling at the scenic views of Disney California Adventure Park all around you.

The Gondolas
24 colorful gondolas revolve around the giant wheel at Paradise Pier. There are 8 stationary gondolas identified by the face of Mickey Mouse, and 16 swinging gondolas featuring Goofy, Minnie, Pluto and Donald faces. The swinging gondolas glide on interior rails and sway during the trip, creating a sometimes dizzying—but always exhilarating—effect. All gondolas carry up to 6 people.

Full Circle
Mickey’s Fun Wheel is one of only 2 “wonder wheel” Ferris wheels still operating in the United States. The other is the original 1920 Wonder Wheel at Coney Island in New York, which acted as the design inspiration for Mickey’s Fun Wheel.

First visit to Disneyland, Day Two, Post No. 7

We three rode Heimlich's Chew Chew Train--someone at our hotel recommended it, so we decided to try it. Turned out to be a cute and creative ride meant for adults with little children.

From the Disney Web site: Ride atop the Bavarian caterpillar from Disney•Pixar’s A Bug’s Life on a fragrant journey through his favorite food. Chew, Heimlich, Chew! Crawl through a garden in search of tasty treats on a toothy tour with the ever-talkative Heimlich.

Hop on top a giant caterpillar and take off on a journey through a food-filled garden. As the hilarious Heimlich winds his way through the grass, he devours one snack after another. Smell each scrumptious morsel as he chomps through every delectable tidbit: watermelon, carrots, candy corn and more! You'll soon discover he's not particularly "chew-sy" about what he likes to eat because his belly seems to be bottomless.

All Aboard Each of the two 5-car-long “trains,” designed to look like Heimlich himself, can accommodate 2 Guests per seat.



Sharon and Amy sat in the car in front of me. I was last in line and sat in a car alone which was great because with another person in there with me, it would have been tight, no matter what it said on their Web site. How about that huge slice of watermelon!



If I remember fight, Heimlich's favorite is candy corn. He's eating a piece of it in the top photo. He talked about it a lot during the ride.

The Portland Trail Blazers are ahead in the first round of the NBA playoffs, Western Conference--we won both games in Houston. Now the Rockets will be in our house where we fans will be loud and proud as we watch our team make every effort to win the third game in the best-of-seven series. Go, Blazers!

First visit to Disneyland, Day Two, Post No. 6

Characters here, characters there. And I'm not talking about Sharon and me, although we are known far and wide to be a couple of characters!

 

Sharon, Pluto, and me, smiling our heads off! How kind of him to wear a name tag! Most everyone we saw out and about smiled a lot, well, except for tired and/or frustrated children, toddlers and babies, followed by their parents/grandparents/extended family members. Whew. A real-life reinforcement of the brilliance that children are born to the younger generation, let me tell you! Thankfully for everyone, most of the babies, etc. within earshot made it A-OK. By the way, his whiskers did not touch our faces, so everyone else who poses with him shall be safe and sound! Hey, Blue Diamond PDX, my favorite neighborhood bar in Portland, I'm wearing one of your comfortable T-shirts!



Mrs. and Mr. Incredible, aka Helen and Bob Parr! Wearing their suits designed by Edna "E" Mode. Do I ever wish I'd seen her. You see, my little Mama's first name was Edna, her middle name Earle, therefore she was an Edna E, too! And she stood right around five foot tall, probably a little taller than Edna "E." So, besides the fact that Helen, Bob and I are all incredible, we're closely connected with a tiny woman named Edna!



On to the next attraction with characters!



The speedy, suave and debonair Lightning McQueen entertained Sharon and me as we posed for a photo while visiting Radiator Springs in Cars Land. Ladies, y'all ought to hear him roar!




Amy joined her mom Sharon and I as we met Sir Tow Mater! Love that guy! It was a lot of fun to pose with him and Lightning in front of the Cozy Cone Motel.

First visit to Disneyland, Day Two, Post No. 5

The Bubble Gun Story, as photographed by me while in line at Soarin' Over California, a really neat ride that even has scents to enjoy, a favorite for many who visit Disney California Adventure. I made up all of these captions beneath the photos.



The man in the hat reaches for bubbles spewing from the boy's bubble gun, to the delight of the little boy. Meanwhile, over at the right edge of the photo, it almost appears that the other little boy is drinking from his bubble gun. Surely not!



The man keeps his hand out even after all of the bubbles have floated beneath it. Looks sort of like he's saying, "Gimme five!" to the boy in the Athletics' T-shirt.



The boy squeezes the trigger and bubbles spew into the air, catching the sunlight. Meanwhile, over at the right edge of the photo, the other boy's shooting bubbles, too. In between the two boys, there is a young woman who I figure must be their big sister. She looks too young to me to be their mother. What do you think?



Ah, boys will be boys! It's a bubble shoot out! Wait! Has the man said something alarming that the young woman has overheard? I prefer to think that he said, "It's great that they brought the bubble guns with them because watching the bubbles helps me pass the time in this long, long, line."



Yes! Smiles all around as everyone continues to enjoy the bubbles. I say, "Thanks, boys!"

First visit to Disneyland, Day Two, Post No. 4

On our way to Soarin' Over California which I had heard was an absolute must at Disney California Adventure, I spied sweetness herself, Minnie Mouse, outfitted delightfully as an airline stewardess. Oops, to be politically correct, I should say flight attendant. Whatever you call her, Minnie made this little girl very happy by signing her autograph book. I'll bet the book is the Official Disneyland Resort Autograph Book--I saw lots and lots of kids filling their books. By the way, that helper in the shirt with the red collar evidently cannot talk without moving her hands, and I caught her left hand mid-motion. Looks sorta weird, doesn't it?

Soarin' Over California at Disney California Adventure is one of the most popular attractions in the Disneyland Resort and usually has wait times ranging from 30 to 150 minutes. However, the attraction is tied into the park's FASTPASS system, allowing guests the option of bypassing a long wait. In front of the building, there is a mock-up RS-25 rocket engine. (We didn't do the FASTPASS, but if I ever go back, I surely shall take advantage of that option, if it's still offered and I still relatively mobile.)



While waiting in line, guests pass the Wings of Fame, an homage to significant aircraft in the history of aviation in California. Some of these include the P-51 Mustang, SR-71 Blackbird, and the Bell X-1.



There is also a section dedicated to individuals such as Amelia Earhart, Jimmy Doolittle, Charles Lindbergh, Jack Northrop, the Wright brothers, Howard Hughes, Jacqueline Cochran, Kelly Johnson, and Chuck Yeager.



His info plaque.



(I just had to take a close-up of Mr. Yeager because he reminds me a whole lot in this photo of a man with whom I work. I shall send him a message to check out this photo--I hope he agrees with me!)

Before entering the theater area, guests are placed in one of three preshow areas, called "Alpha Gate", "Bravo Gate", or "Charlie Gate," (named for the first three letters of the NATO phonetic alphabet). Just before boarding, guests watch a pre-boarding video hosted by their chief flight attendant, Patrick, portrayed by actor Patrick Warburton wearing the uniform of a first officer. (That was a lot of fun!)

More info about this splendid ride which I am proud to have ridden. The fact that I didn't get sick from the motion (read the rest of this post for more info on that motion) thrills me no end. What a great experience!

The Soarin' Over California is a simulator attraction at Disney California Adventure. The ride employs a mechanical lift system, a film presentation on a large concave projection screen, and at certain points artificial scents to simulate flight via a hang glider ride over several California landmarks. The ride's soundtrack was written by Jerry Goldsmith.

The original Soarin' Over California was an opening day attraction at Disney California Adventure on February 8, 2001. In addition to the main ride and film presentation, the attraction features a pre-show tribute to the history of California's aviation industry. Soarin' Over California has consistently been a popular attraction at the park despite its low attendance in its early years, and the ride was duplicated at Epcot under the name Soarin' in 2005.

Description

The attraction, which lasts about four minutes and 51 seconds, takes 87 guests at a time on a simulated hang glider tour of California, flying over the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, Redwood Creek in Humboldt County, Napa Valley, Monterey, Lake Tahoe, Yosemite National Park (including Yosemite Falls and Half Dome), the PGA West Palmer Course in La Quinta (credited in the queue video presentation as Palm Springs), Camarillo, Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, San Diego, Malibu, Los Angeles, and Disneyland itself during the Christmas season. The last few scenes transition from daytime to dusk and then to night, culminating in Disneyland's Holiday fireworks surrounding the riders in the nighttime sky. In addition to the state's various landscapes, the ride also highlights its diverse recreation, including snow skiing, river rafting, kayaking, golf, horseback riding, hot air ballooning and of course, hang gliding. The USAF Thunderbirds and aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN-74) at Naval Base San Diego are also featured. An original score by film composer Jerry Goldsmith accompanies the imagery, and appropriate scents (citrus, pine, sagebrush, ocean mist) fill the air as the ride vehicles themselves move gently to simulate the sensations of flight.

Ride design Soarin' Over California was first conceptualized in 1996 as "Ultra Flight," a name which can still be seen on the tower consoles of the California Adventure attraction. It was to feature an OMNIMAX screen with an inverted track allowing guests to fly over California's landmarks. The attraction would have three load levels and the system would operate on a horizontal cable, much like a dry cleaner's rack. This plan was abandoned, however, when it was determined that the construction and labor costs for that design would be prohibitive. It seemed that Soarin' wouldn't become a reality until engineer Mark Sumner developed a different idea for the ride vehicles, using an Erector Set and string to create a working model. This design would allow Disney to efficiently load guests on one level instead of three, thus cutting construction and labor costs greatly.

Each ride vehicle within consists of three rows of seats under a wing-like canopy. After guests have been safely restrained in the vehicle using standard lap belts, the canopy descends slightly and a cantilever system lifts the chairs forward and into the air with the guests' feet dangling freely. The vehicle is lifted forward so that guests look into a large, concave movie screen onto which aerial views of California are projected. The scenes were shot with an IMAX HD frame rate - 48 frames per second, twice the conventional output for regular films. Since the vehicle is moved forward toward the center of the dome, guests can only see the images projected on the screen and experience the sensation of flight. The ride structure contains about one million pounds of steel, and 37 tons are lifted during each ride cycle.

To enhance the illusion of flight, subtle vertical movements of the seats are synchronized to the film. According to cast members who operate this attraction, the carriages do not move horizontally. Sensations of horizontal motion are created using a combination of vertical carriage movement and then turning image on the screen. In addition, scents complementing the various scenes are injected into the air streams blowing on riders. In the Ventura orange field scene, for example, guests are treated to the scent of orange blossoms. The mountain scenes are accompanied by the aroma of evergreens. The Monterey and Malibu scenes have the scent of a sea breeze.

Soaring Music One of the most unforgettable aspects of Soarin' Over California is the serene and dramatic musical score. The music was written and recorded for the attraction by Academy Award®-winning composer Jerry Goldsmith. Inspired by the optimistic spirit of California, the magnificent score is one of the master musician's final works and the culmination of a 5-decade career.

First visit to Disneyland, Day Two, Post No. 3

A few minutes later we caught another great performance--lucky for Sharon and me because we truly love live performances. The Red Car News Boys certainly performed very well. These first two photos actually show the action at the end of the performance. I very much like the expression on this young man's face in each of the photos.



I found a person's impression of the Red Car Newsboys' performance on the Internet.

Red Car News Boys

I always walk away from a performance by the Red Car News Boys humming one of the show's songs. It's hard not to be charmed by this engaging troupe of news boys (and one news girl), who roll up in a shiny new Red Car Trolley singing, "California, Here We Come!" Arriving in front of the Carthay Circle Theatre, they proceed to sing out the day's headlines in an effort to attract buyers for their papers.



Each headline is accompanied by a different song: "Take Me Out to the Ball game" for news about Babe Ruth; "Clap Hands, Here Comes Charlie" for a story about Charles Lindbergh; "We're in the Money" for a financial headline. These songs provide every performer an opportunity to spend a moment as the lead. The performers also showcase their physical talents while they sing, such as dancing the Charleston or executing cartwheels.



(My observation, not the other Internet author: Mickey came out of the trolley car, too, then put his suitcase down and joined in the performance.)



(My observation: That's the News Girl Mickey appears to be pointing at, in the gold pants with the strange spots at her thighs.)
 

(More of what I found on the Internet.) Mickey's just arrived in town, and the news boys want to see if he really has what it takes to become "the next big thing." This is a Mickey we rarely see—shy, bashful, somewhat uncertain. (My observation: I didn't notice Mickey being shy, but it all happened pretty fast.)
 

(My observation: Mickey is such a cute little guy, even in this costume.)
 

(My observation: Mickey danced along, too, amazing to me in those huge shoes.)

(I didn't see this next part which makes me wonder if it has been removed from the performance.)

The show ends with the Newsies anthem "Seize the Day," and includes a novel encounter with one of the Citizens of Buena Vista Street. Molly the Messenger arrives with a telegram for Mickey Mouse, with news of a big audition. I love the way the show's creators pulled Molly—a character you see riding around Buena Vista Street throughout the day—into the show for a cameo. It gives the show a sense of place and immediacy, and it's really a lot of fun.



(My observation: The News Boys help Mickey down so that they can all leave on the trolley car once their performance is completed.)

(And here's the last of what I found on the Internet.)

While some (including this writer) feel that the thumping bass beat behind some of the arrangements is a bit too modern for 1920s Los Angeles, the era re-created on Buena Vista Street, the show has an endearing quality that makes me enjoy the performance, and willing to overlook an anachronistic musical choice or two. With concealed speakers built right in, the Red Car Trolley makes a great backdrop and rolling stage, though I've noticed that the acoustics seem optimized for the crowd gathered around the performance space; from elsewhere on Buena Vista Street, the vocalists do not seem to blend or harmonize quite as well. That means you should try to grab a front-row seat if you want to catch the Red Car News Boys in any of their six daily performances on Buena Vista Street.

First visit to Disneyland, Day Two, Post No. 2

Street performances happen every time you turn around, seems like. Here's a shot from the first one we witnessed at Disney California Adventure on January 18, 2014--it's on Buena Vista Street. Neat to see children from the audience taking part, some with no shyness at all, some a bit unsure. Still, making memories is what it's all about. Here's what I found online about this particular group: Five 'N' Dime
         A group of maverick musicians arrive in their makeshift jalopy on their way from Chicago to Hollywood looking for their big break. They enlist the help of the crowd (and Goofy) while performing standards from the 20s and 30s.
 

I don't remember seeing Goofy out there with them, but you can tell that his outfit goes with theirs and he was on Buena Vista Street posing with park visitors--we saw him there before we enjoyed the performance.



Once the performance ended, Five'N'Dime climbed in their jalopy to continue the journey towards their big break.

I found a bit more about Five'N'Dime online and saw photos of Goofy included in their performance, when it debuted. Changes must have been made in the meantime--this is pretty interesting reading: Five and Dime is a talented quintet of jazz performers (“Five”) plus one vocalist (“Dime”) who roll out several times daily onto Buena Vista Street from Hollywood Land and park in Carthay Circle to perform a variety of familiar standards and dance-worthy numbers. Alan Bruun, creative director of entertainment for Disneyland Resort, describes the group as moving to Hollywood after “having sold everything, bought this jalopy, [and] driven down from Chicago to make it big in the movie business.” Featuring the sounds of a saxophone, trumpet, guitar, drums, upright bass, and one powerful voice, this group commands attention across Buena Vista Street, drawing visitors to circle around and enjoy their 15-minute show, with some guests even pulled into the show to join the group for a tune or two. And Goofy, sporting a bright green zoot suit, also joins in the toe-tapping fun. Of all the new live entertainment added to Disney California Adventure, Five and Dime fits the 1920s theme the best, offering the feeling and vibe of the early 1900s. The official debut performance of Five and Dime took place on the morning of June 14, 2012 during a special press preview of Buena Vista Street and the rest of the “new” Disney California Adventure theme park. That performance, including some entirely amusing facial expressions from one of the guests who somewhat unwillingly became involved, can be seen below.

First visit to Disneyland, Day Two, Post No. 1

Mickey Mouse and Walt Disney perpetually enjoy the sunshine at Disney California Adventure, the second park at the complex in Anaheim.



The plaque.



Sharon with Mickey and Walt.