In this Behind the Scenes: Cast Member Profile, part of the Disneyland series “Every Role a Starring Role,” find out how painter Alan Smith keeps old world traditions and techniques alive in hand-painting ride vehicles.
Archive for Disneyland
Point of View Video: Big Thunder Mountain Railroad at Disneyland Park
The wildest ride in the wilderness, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad at Disneyland park, is reopening on March 17! To read more, visit the Disney Parks Blog: http://bit.ly/MTXCba
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad: The Wildest Ride in the Wilderness Returns with a New Track and Good Old Rollicking Fun
Hold onto your hats and glasses! The wildest ride in the wilderness reopens March 17 with an upgraded track, restoration of the historic Rainbow Ridge Mining Town, new paint on portions of the mountain and updates to the train vehicles. Guests taking a ride on this runaway mine train will discover some new surprises, too.
- Along with the new track, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad reopens in 2014 with an enhanced audio system that sharpens the sounds heard by guests on the trains and in the caverns and buildings. Even the wildlife at Big Thunder can be heard more distinctly.
- Big Thunder Mountain Railroad celebrated its grand opening in September 1979, becoming the third peak in the Disneyland Park “mountain range of thrill rides.” It was preceded by Matterhorn Bobsleds (1959) and Space Mountain (1977) and followed by Splash Mountain (1989).
- The attraction’s setting evokes 19th century gold-mining territory, with rugged bedrock and desert cactus. Guests board a mine train for a thrilling, high-speed adventure past the spires and buttes of the old West and into the tunnels and shafts of a dark and mysterious mine.
- Since its opening in 1979, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad at Disneyland has carried more than 225 million guests who are warned to “hold onto your hats and glasses” as they prepare to dip and drop into the canyons and caves of the Big Thunder ghost town.
- The unusual rock spires of Big Thunder Mountain were inspired by the “hoodoos” of Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah. The tallest spire on Big Thunder Mountain reaches 104 feet.
- Objects that may be spotted by guests in and around Big Thunder Mountain include a century-old stamp mill, hand-driven drill, press gears, picks shovels and other artifacts acquired from abandoned mines in Nevada, Colorado, Minnesota and Wyoming, as well as museums and swap meets.
- Subsequent versions of the attraction appeared in Magic Kingdom Park, Walt Disney World, Florida in 1980; Tokyo Disneyland Park in 1987 and Disneyland Paris in 1992.
- The miniature town of Big Thunder, seen at the end of the attraction, first appeared in 1956 as part of the Rainbow Cavern Mine Train and Mine Train through Nature’s Wonderland attractions. Many Disneyland fans still call it by its original name: Rainbow Ridge. The town is said to have been a favorite of Walt Disney, who built miniatures himself as a hobby.
- Other items from the Nature’s Wonderland days include the caves of Rainbow Caverns, the rockwork buttes at the entry to Balancing Rock Canyon, and some of the animals – the dynamite-devouring goat, coyotes, possums, snakes, turtles, vultures – who appear among the rocky cliffs surrounding the mine tunnels.
- Big Thunder Mountain Railroad was the first major design project for Walt Disney Imagineer and Disney Legend Tony Baxter, whose subsequent projects at Disneyland included the new Fantasyland of 1983, Splash Mountain and the Indiana Jones Adventure.
The Red Car Trolleys of Buena Vista Street at Disney California Adventure
Guests enter the newly expanded Disney California Adventure Park through a completely redesigned entrance that brings the spirit of Walt Disney into the park like never before. Immersed in a locale reminiscent of Los Angeles in the 1920s, when Disney first arrived in California, guests encounter the Red Car Trolley, one of four new attractions opening June 15 at Disney California Adventure.
- The Red Car Trolleys are inspired by Los Angeles’ historic Pacific Electric Red Cars from the 1920s and ’30s.
- Two Red Car Trolley cars operate daily, traveling from Buena Vista Street through Hollywood Land and on to the Twilight Zone™ Tower of Terror. The trolleys traverse back and forth, making several stops along the way
- The Red Car Trolley route passes the new icon of Disney California Adventure, the Carthay Circle Theatre, inspired by the site where Walt Disney premiered “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” in 1937.
- Two conductors operate each Red Car Trolley, engaging riders with fun details about Disney California Adventure, including architectural, design and historical facts about the Red Car Trolleys and Carthay Circle Theatre.
- The trolley interiors showcase the soft green and cream colors of the time period. Guests also find vintage-looking ads highlighting food locations and shops in the park.
- Each Red Car Trolley has a bell and a whistle, adding to the melodic sounds of the street.
- The “Red Car Trolley News Boys” roll into town on one of the Red Car Trolleys singing “California Here I Come!” and other fun songs inspired by the spirit and style of Disney’s Broadway show, “Newsies.” Even Mickey Mouse joins the show.
- From the Red Car Trolley, guests can wave to “citizens” of Buena Vista Street, resplendent in their period attire and filled with the optimism of the era.
- The Red Car Trolleys are 26 feet long, 8 feet wide and 11 feet tall. They seat 20 passengers with an additional space for a wheelchair.
- Each Red Car Trolley has a number. The 623 car, with “23″ as a nod to the year 1923 when Walt Disney arrived in California, is based on the 600 series of trolleys built by the St. Louis Car Company in 1922. The 717 car is inspired by the 700-750 series manufactured by the J.G. Brill Company in 1925 (7-17 also refers to the birthday of Disneyland Park, July 17, 1955).
- Catenary lines – the classic above-vehicle electric cabling - have been added above the trolleys to enhance authenticity. The trolleys are actually powered by onboard 12-volt batteries and they are fully recharged in the Red Car barn each night.
- The Red Car Trolleys were engineered from the ground up to meet today’s industry standards, operating efficiently with steel wheels on steel rails.
- When necessary, the trolleys recharge at one of the stops using inductive power transfer. This technology is used on Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage and also used to recharge consumer products such as cell phones.
Traveling with Teens to the Disneyland Resort
Make a trip to the Disneyland Resort with teens much easier with some of these magical travel tips!
Disneyland Resort Dining: Fun Facts
It’s a Jolly Holiday: The décor of the Jolly Holiday Bakery Café is inspired by the song ”Jolly Holiday,” from “Mary Poppins.” The café on Main Street, U.S.A. has whimsical touches from the film throughout the building and outdoor seating area, including stained-glass images of penguins on the entry windows. The menu offers sandwiches, salads and bakery items, including a cupcake of the day, flourless chocolate cake, fruit tarts and Mickey-shaped desserts.
Award winners . . . Both Napa Rose and Steakhouse 55 have won the Golden Bacchus Wine Award, the highest honor awarded by the Southern California Restaurant Writers Association for exceptional wine cellars. In addition, each restaurant has received a coveted Five («««««) Star rating and Golden Sceptre Award for outstanding culinary achievement.
Healthy options . . . Fifty-five percent of all kids entrees at table-service restaurants are healthy-option choices.
Hot diggity dog . . . Refreshment Corner, better known as Coke Corner on Main Street, U.S.A., in Disneyland Park sells enough hot dogs in one year to circle DisneylandPark 36 times.
A mountain sweets . . . The Disneyland Resort Central Bakery produces more than 3,000 celebration cakes per year for birthdays, anniversaries and other special celebrations. The bakery also creates nearly 250 wedding cakes a year.
How many bottles? . . . Napa Rose at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa offers a selection of nearly 70 wines by the glass from an award-winning list of more than 450 international wines (80 percent Californian) and a 16,000-bottle wine cellar.
Royal Street Veranda . . . Check out the wrought-iron balustrade above the Royal Street Veranda restaurant in New Orleans Square in Disneyland Park. The initials at the center are those of brothers Roy and Walt Disney. The balcony belonged to an apartment being constructed for Walt before he died (now the Disneyland Dream Suite).
“Oscar’s Choice” . . . There’s just one dish named after a Resort cast member, and it’s “Oscar’s Choice” at Carnation Cafe on Main Street, U.S.A, in Disneyland Park. Oscar was hired at Disneyland in 1956 and has been on the team at Carnation Cafe since 1967. He has more years of continuous service than any other cast member at Disneyland Resort. The breakfast creation is scrambled eggs with melted cheddar cheese, potatoes, bacon or sausage, a croissant and fresh fruit.
The most wedding proposals . . . Blue Bayou restaurant in New Orleans Square competes for this honor with the Wishing Well in the park’s Fantasyland.
That’s a lot of chowda . . . Guests consume 14,000 bowls a year of the signature Charred Nebraska Corn Chowder at Storyteller’s Cafe at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa.
Not your classic Caesar . . . On the menu at Rancho del Zocalo, located in Frontierland at Disneyland Park, is Hacienda Chicken Caesar Salad. The Caesar is Mexican in origin, not Italian, says Disneyland Chef Jesse Tiscareno. It originated at the Caesar’s Palace Hotel on Revolution Avenue in Tijuana.
Pop-pop-pop . . . If cast members stacked every kernel of popcorn popped in Disney California Adventure park every two days, it would reach 200 feet high – as tall as the tallest fountain in the “World of Color” show.
Get your Cotton Candy here! . . . Disney California Adventure spins enough cotton candy in one year to blanket the entire Paradise Pier Lagoon
Disneyland Resort Fact Sheet
When Walt Disney opened Disneyland, the original Disney theme park, on July 17, 1955, he said he hoped it would be “a source of joy and inspiration to all the world.” He famously observed: “Disneyland will never be completed…as long as there is imagination left in the world.”
Since 1955, the Disneyland Resort has welcomed more than 600 million guests. It has expanded to become an approximately 500-acre, world-class, multi-day, family resort destination, complete with two renowned Disney theme parks, three hotels and the exciting shopping, dining and entertainment district known as the Downtown Disney District.
With the completion in June 2012 of the Disney California Adventure park expansion, the parks of the Disneyland Resort offer guests more classic characters, more storytelling, more attractions and more of the unique Disney heritage that gives Disney theme parks their special personality.
Disneyland park – Upon its opening on July 17, 1955, Disneyland introduced a new concept in family entertainment and launched the theme park industry. Disneyland presented 18 major attractions on its Opening Day including the Mad Tea Party, the Jungle Cruise, Autopia and the Mark Twain Riverboat, and it featured five themed lands: Fantasyland, Adventureland, Tomorrowland, Frontierland and Main Street, U.S.A. Today, Disneyland is an evolving 85-acre American institution featuring more than 60 adventures and attractions in eight themed lands, having added New Orleans Square in 1966, Critter Country (originally Bear County) in 1972 and Mickey’s Toontown in 1993. Favorite attractions include Pirates of the Caribbean, Star Tours, “it’s a small world,” Indiana Jones Adventure and the mountain range of thrill rides: Matterhorn Bobsleds, Space Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and Splash Mountain.
Disney California Adventure park – Since its opening in 2001 with such popular attractions as Soarin’ Over California, California Screamin’ and Grizzly River Run, Disney California Adventure has been bringing adventure and fun to life with Disney storytelling magic. The extremely popular Twilight Zone™Tower of Terror attraction debuted in 2004. On June 15, 2012 three new attractions opened in the new Cars Land, based on the Disney•Pixar movie “Cars,” along with an all new park entry, Buena Vista Street, highlighted by the Carthay Circle Restaurant and Lounge.
With the completion of a multiyear expansion project in 2012, Disney California Adventure grew from its original three themed lands – Golden State, Paradise Pier and Hollywood Pictures Backlot – to a total of eight lands including the new 12-acre Cars Land and Buena Vista Street, “a bug’s land” (which opened in 2002), a renamed Hollywood Land, Condor Flats, Grizzly Peak and Pacific Wharf (all formerly parts of the Golden State area) and Paradise Pier.
The expansion of Disney California Adventure (announced in 2007) launched with the 2008 opening of Toy Story Midway Mania!, an interactive, ride-through attraction where guests enter into a 4-D carnival midway hosted by the “Toy Story” characters. In 2010, the expansion continued with the debut of World of Color, an award-winning, nighttime water spectacular featuring nearly 1,200 fountains that bring Disney animation to life. In 2011, Disney opened The Little Mermaid ~ Ariel’s Undersea Adventure, a “dark ride” that transports guests “under the sea” to experience scenes and beloved songs from the Little Mermaid film.
In addition, several attractions in Disney California Adventure received new Disney themes during the park’s expansion. The Paradise Pier district now features Mickey’s Fun Wheel, Silly Symphony Swings, Goofy’s Sky School and Disney-themed Games of the Boardwalk.
With the addition of Cars Land and Buena Vista Street, the park features more than 35 adventures and attractions plus distinctive entertainment and dining. Cars Land offers three attractions: Radiator Springs Racers, Luigi’s Flying Tires and Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree.
Downtown Disney District -This lively, colorful, admission-free esplanade of exciting restaurants, shops and nightclubs is centrally located between the Disneyland Resort theme parks and hotels. The 20-acre, 300,000 square-foot avenue features approximately 50 distinct venues including AMC® Theatres, Catal Restaurant, ESPN® Zone, House of Blues®, La Brea Bakery Café, Rainforest Café®, Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen, Tortilla Jo’s, Build-a-Bear Workshop, Naples Ristorante e Pizzeria, WonderGround Gallery and, of course, the World of Disney store. Earl of Sandwich is now open in the Downtown Disney District.
Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa -1600 S. Disneyland Drive, (714) 635-2300
Featuring 948 rooms and 50 Disney Vacation Club villas, Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel is the flagship hotel of the Disneyland Resort. The design of this AAA Four-Diamond, award-winning luxury property is inspired by the turn-of-the-century California Craftsman movement. In 2009 the hotel became home to the first Disney Vacation Club units on the West Coast. It’s also the first hotel in the United States to be built inside a Disney park (Disney California Adventure).
Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel offers suites, a large convention facility, swimming pools, Mandara Spa and two restaurants: Storytellers Café and the award-winning Napa Rose. With approximately 35 sommeliers, including several advanced sommeliers, Napa Rose boasts the most certified wine experts under one roof anywhere in the U.S.
Disneyland Hotel -1150 West Magic Way, (714) 778-6600
Significant new enhancements at the iconic Disneyland Hotel include re-imagined guest rooms, Disney-themed suites, a new restaurant and bar – Tangaroa Terrace and Trader Sam’s Enchanted Tiki Bar – and a water play area with Monorail-inspired water slides. Other distinctive restaurants at the hotel include Goofy’s Kitchen and the award-winning Steakhouse 55. This AAA Four-Diamond hotel features 969 rooms, including some specially themed Disney character suites, and one of the largest contiguous convention spaces in the Western United States with 136,000 square feet.
Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel -1717 S. Disneyland Drive, (714) 999-0990
A casually elegant 481-room hotel themed to the colorful “day at the beach” California seaside culture of fun, Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel features the whimsical Disney’s PCH Grill restaurant, a pool deck with cabanas and water slide, and 30,000 square feet of convention and meeting space.
Disneyland Resort Facts & Firsts
- Opening Date: July 17, 1955
- 25,000 cast members, making Disneyland Resort the largest single-site employer in Orange County
- The Matterhorn Bobsleds was the first tubular steel roller coaster in the world when it opened in 1959, and it set the standard for modern-day roller-coaster design.
- Disneyland created the first daily operating monorail in the western hemisphere.
- The nighttime water spectacular “World of Color” uses a submersible platform that’s bigger than a football field, with more than 18,000 points of control and revolutionary lighting that infuses nearly 1,200 fountains with color — making it one of the largest show systems ever built.
- More than 800 species of plants, native to 40 different countries, grow at Disneyland Resort.
- The landscape surrounding the Jungle Cruise has evolved into its own ecosystem since the attraction opened in 1955. The trees have created a canopy that allows species of ground plants to grow that otherwise wouldn’t in Southern California.
- Through the years, a virtual “Who’s Who” of the 20th and early 21st centuries has visited the Disneyland Resort, including U.S. presidents (dating to Harry S. Truman), numerous heads of state and countless athletes, artists, authors and celebrities.
- The Disneyland Hotel and Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa are the only AAA Four Diamond Hotels in Anaheim.
- Disney California Adventure park opened in 2001. It celebrated the completion of a five-year expansion in June 2012, with eight themed lands, including the new Cars Land.
- Buena Vista Street, the new road into Disney California Adventure, invites guests to step into Los Angeles of the 1920s and ’30s, experiencing the sights and sounds Walt Disney may have discovered when he stepped off the train in California in 1923.
- At 280,000 square feet and 125 feet tall at its peak, The Ornament Valley Mountain Range in Cars Land is the largest rock structure in any domestic Disney theme park.
- More than 30 different languages are spoken among Disneyland Resort cast members.
- Disneyland Resort costuming cast members maintain more than a thousand different costumes for use in the parks and hotels.
- Approximately 50 certified scuba divers work on the Disneyland Resort Facilities team, which maintains such attractions as “World of Color,” “Fantasmic!” and Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage.
Vacation Planning Tips for the Disneyland Resort
With the expansion of Disney California Adventure Park, there’s no better time for guests to enjoy special moments with their friends and families at the Disneyland Resort, making the most of their vacation and making memories that last a lifetime. There are plenty of tips for guests as they plan to stay and play at Disneyland and Disney California Adventure parks, the three on-site hotels and Downtown Disney.
PLAN
- Disney Vacation Planning DVD – Guests are invited to preview the magical experiences that await their next Disneyland Resort Vacation with a library of informative videos. To order a Disney Vacation Planning DVD, go to www.disneyland.com.
- My Disneyland Membership – Guests may join “My Disneyland” for free to gain access to unique Disneyland Resort content, including vacation planning and reservation tools, behind the scenes videos, Disney games and polls.
- Disneyland Express – Just 30 miles from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and just 15 miles from John Wayne Airport (SNA), Disneyland Resort offers the Disneyland Express for easy bus transfer to the resort. Disneyland Resort Express also provides convenient transportation to Anaheim area hotels.
- Dining reservations – To make the most of vacation time, guests often make dining reservations in advance at the resort’s award-winning restaurants. To make a reservation, call 714-781-DINE or send an email with date, time and contact information to dine@disneyland.com
STAY
- Stay in the Magic – Guests discover many special benefits when they stay at one of three Disneyland Resort hotels: the recently renovated Disneyland Hotel and luxurious Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa – both AAA Four Diamond properties – and the sunny California beachfront-themed Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel.
- Extra Magic Hour – Early Admission to the Parks – Beginning June 18, 2012, guests staying at any Disneyland Resort hotel may enjoy Extra Magic Hour entry into Disneyland or Disney California Adventure one hour before the parks open to the public. This opportunity is good for the length of a guest’s stay, with designated days for each park. To check availability, daily times and additional information, visit www.disneyland.com and click on “Park Hours.” (Valid theme park admission and active hotel room key required.)
- Grand Location – Guest who stay at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa enjoy an exclusive guest-only entrance to Disney California Adventure through the hotel. Nearby, guests also enjoy the Downtown Disney District, with its eclectic mix of entertainment, dining and shopping opportunities.
- Storybook Vacation – At Disneyland Resort hotels, guests have the opportunity to share a meal and laughs with favorite Disney characters, relax by sparkling pools and enjoy a night on the town complete with dinner at one of several award-winning restaurants.
- Convenience and Legendary Service – Guests who stay at Disneyland Resort Hotels are treated to exclusive conveniences throughout their stay, including a Keys to the Magic card for charging meals and merchandise to the guest room. The Package Express service delivers resort merchandise purchases right to a guest’s hotel. Hotel guests are treated to the legendary Disney guest service throughout their vacation.
- Great Value – Guests can find great value in multiple-day tickets and vacation packages at the Resort hotels, or at nearby Good Neighbor hotels, by purchasing online. The latest special offers are available at www.disneyland.com/offers, with information about tickets, hotels and special packages.
PLAY
- Disney FASTPASS Service – FASTPASS allows guests to reserve a specific time window to enjoy their favorite attractions. When guests come back during that specified window they enjoy the shorter line reserved for FASTPASS holders.
- Mickey’s Toontown Morning Madness – Guests who book their Disneyland Resort vacation with the Walt Disney Travel Company enjoy a full hour of fun and games with Mickey and some of his pals before Toontown opens to the public on select days.
- Disney Mobile Magic – Guests get the most out of their vacation with the official Disney application for their smart devices. Disney Mobile Magic showcases GPS-enabled park maps, allows guests to view official wait times for attractions, character locations, and provides dining guides, reservation tools and interactive games all for free.
- “A Walk in Walt’s Footsteps” Tour – Guests may follow in the footsteps of the man whose vision and creativity brought Disneyland park to life, Walt Disney. This 3 ½-hour guided tour covers the life of Walt Disney and stories behind the magic of Disneyland. To book this, or other tours offered by Disneyland Resort, call (714) 781-TOUR (8687).
- Charging Lockers – Guests re-charge their batteries and get back to the fun in no time when using a series of new lockers on Main Street U.S.A. that include options for traditional AC outlet or specialized chargers for electronic devices.
- Parent “Rider Switch” – A theme-park “rider switch” policy gives both parents a chance to enjoy their favorite attractions without double the wait. A parent who waits with a young child while the other parent rides the attraction may board the ride with minimal wait time once the first parent exits. Guests may ask a cast member about this option.
Top Food Values at Disneyland Resort
Economy-minded vacationers will find plenty of choices for delicious dining that won’t break the budget. Think beyond hot dogs and hamburgers. Here are some interesting picks for inexpensive dining ($11 or less) at the Disneyland Resort:
At Disneyland Park
- Village Haus Restaurant in Fantasyland (chicken sausage with sauerkraut on a pretzel roll or apple and cheddar salad with red and green apples, cheddar cheese, fresh greens, Craisins Dried Cranberries, golden raisins, candied walnuts and honey-yogurt dressing)
- The Bengal Barbecue in Adventureland (bacon-wrapped asparagus, vegetable, chicken or beef skewers)
- Rancho del Zocalo Restaurante in Frontierland (three-cheese enchiladas with red chile sauce)
- Carnation Café on Main Street, U.S.A. (a bowl of loaded baked potato soup)
- The Golden Horseshoe in Frontierland (fish and chips)
- Hungry Bear in Critter Country (fried green tomato sandwich, turkey and provolone sandwich, chicken salad sandwich)
- Redd Rockett’s Pizza Port in Tomorrowland (slice of veggie pizza, tomato-basil pasta)
- Royal Street Veranda in New Orleans Square (gumbo or creamy chowder in a sourdough bowl)
- Tomorrowland Terrace (veggie sandwich, grilled chicken chop salad)
At Disney California AdventurePark
- Wine Country Trattoria on Pacific Wharf (Caprese salad, chef’s soup of the day)
- Lucky Fortune Cookery on Pacific Wharf (Asian rice bowl with beef, chicken, tofu or veggie)
- Pacific Wharf Café (Vallejo vegetarian chili, clam chowder served in sourdough bread bowls)
- Cocina Cucamonga Mexican Grill on Pacific Wharf (tamales and tacos)
- Taste Pilots’ Grill in Condor Flats (grilled chicken salad or sandwich)
At Disneyland Hotel
- Tangaroa Terrace (island fish and chips, kalua pork flatbread)
At Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel
- Disney’s PCH Grill (brick-oven pizza, seasonal soups)
At Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa
- White Water Snacks (chicken or shredded beef nachos, personal pizzas)
- Storytellers Cafe (corn chowder, chicken quesadilla, sticky ribs with soba noodles)
At Downtown Disney District
- Crossroads at House of Blues (pulled pork sliders, Angus beef sliders, blackened chicken tacos)
- Napolini (paninis, baked macaroni and cheese, pizza by the slice)
- Rainforest Cafe (chicken tenders, chili con queso)
- Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen Express (jambalaya, gumbo, po’boy sandwiches)
- Tortilla Jo’s Taqueria (tacos, burritos, nachos)
