Hello everyone, and welcome to this week’s Tiggerific Tuesday Trivia!  As always, I’m joined by my lovely and talented co-hosts Jenn from Disney Babies Blog, Heidi from Heidi’s Head, and Jodi from Magical Mouse Schoolhouse, and we’re sharing with you some of our favorite trivia!  Today, I’m taking a look at one of the most charming of attractions at Disneyland — the Storybook Land Canal Boats ride!

I’ve got several tidbits of trivia, so I thought I would list them out here for you.  Enjoy!

Did you know about the Storybook Land Canal Boats…

• Did you know that the attraction is an opening day attraction at Disneyland, and has been open ever since?
• The canal contains 465,000 gallons of water, and is pumped to the moat for Sleeping Beauty Castle, the water for the Jungle Cruise, and the Rivers of America before it is pumped back to the canal.  Now that’s a lot of water!
• The houses in Storybook Land are fitted with 6 inch doors, and 1/4 inch hinges that actually allow the doors to open and close so that the Imagineers can change the light bulbs!

When I think of the Storybook Land Canal Boats ride, I think of the relaxing nature of the ride, the great information from the narrator/boat captain, and the incredible use of perspective to make it seem like we are looking down a distance to the houses.  However, take a look at these photos — some of them look like they are big enough for us to enter!

Thank you for stopping by today, now, please go take a look at the rest of the entries by clicking on the images below! Afterwards, go out and make it a Disney Day everyone!

[inlinkz_linkup id=368374 mode=1 pageSize=300]

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Hey guys!!!!! I’ve got some news!!! But first, I’ve got a trivia question for you! Since nobody commented a question, I’ll just give you one from my Disney Book of Trivia! Question: I heard that Walt Disney had an office in Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland. is this true? If so, where in the castle was it? David, Monterey CA. The answer: There was no office in Sleeping Beauty Castle, but Walt did have an apartment over the Main Street Fire Department, where he relaxed and entertained VIP visitors. So, about the news, the title says it all. My family and I are going on a trip to Walt Disney World in February to run in the Disney Princess 5K (although, we’re calling it in the house the Frozen 5K because it’s Frozen themed!) It will be a four-day-three-night trip. We leave on Wednesday afternoon, we come back on Sunday. Please tell me what you think I should wear to run the 5K.

I’ll be checking the poll every now and then. So please vote!  Thanks, and go out and have a great Disney Day!

The post Frozen 5K… DISNEY STYLE!!! appeared first on My Dreams of Disney.

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As we continue our Magic Kingdom Attraction Guide series, today we are taking a look at one of the last, if not the last, part of the Fantasyland Expansion to open.  Today we are sharing the details on the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train with you!

Attraction Name: Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
Attraction Type: Thrill Ride, Small Drops
Height Requirements: 38″ or Taller
Location: Fantasyland
Hours of Operation: All Day
FastPass+: Available
Interactive Queue: No

Without a doubt, the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train is the best part of the Fantasyland Expansion for me.  This coaster is a great attraction, and the Imagineers have gone all out in their attention to detail and theming to be found throughout the attraction.  With FastPass+ service available, this is one of those “must do” attractions that, if you don’t ride, you will probably regret having not done so.

Have you been able to ride the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train attraction yet?  If so, what did you think of it?  Among my favorite parts is singing along with the Dwarfs as they go off to work, and also making the car swing as much as possible through the curves!  Thanks for stopping by, tell me what you think of the attraction in the comments, and have a great day!

The post Magic Kingdom Attraction Guide – Seven Dwarfs Mine Train appeared first on My Dreams of Disney.

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As we continue our Magic Kingdom Attraction Series, we turn our attention to the Fantasyland attraction Under the Sea ~ Journey of the Little Mermaid.  This is another attraction that was developed as part of the Fantasyland Expansion.  The attraction is identical to the attraction of the same name over at Disney’s California Adventure, except for the huge difference in the queue, and that gives the Magic Kingdom version the nod over the California Adventure version in my opinion.  Here are the details for this fun attraction:

Attraction Name: Under the Sea ~ Journey of the Little Mermaid
Attraction Type: Slow Ride
Height Requirements: Any Height
Location: Fantasyland
Hours of Operation: All Day
FastPass+: Available
Interactive Queue: No

For those that like the Finding Nemo pavilion over at Epcot, you’ll see a big similarity between the two types of ride vehicles for the attraction, as you will board a Clamshell for your journey into the world of Ariel, Prince Eric, and all the rest of the classic Disney movie.  After the attraction, you’ll be able to stop by and visit with Ariel herself for pictures and autographs!

This is a fun attraction, and I think your whole family will enjoy it, but especially any Princesses in your family that love Ariel!

The post Magic Kingdom Attraction Guide – Under the Sea appeared first on My Dreams of Disney.

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Welcome to this month’s Magical Blogorail Red loop. Today we are discussing the Disneyland Resort Diamond Celebration.

Hello everyone, and welcome to this month’s Magical Blogorail Red post!  This month, we are gearing up for all the excitement, grandeur, and spectacle of the #Disneyland60 anniversary!  My family is fortunate in that we will be able to enjoy Disneyland on July 17, 2015 — the 60th Birthday of this incredible vision of Walt Disney!  In this post, I plan on sharing with you all my hopes and dreams for that day, all the things that we hope to enjoy, and what that day means to me personally.  So hop on and join me and my wonderful Blogorail teammates as we share what it means to us!

On July 17, 1955, the following attractions were open for the general public that are still open to this day:

1. Main Street Vehicles
2. Main Street Cinema
3. Disneyland Railroad
4. Storybook Land Canal Boats
5. Casey Jr. Circus Train
6. Dumbo the Flying Elephant
7. King Arthur Carrousel
8. Mad Tea Party
9. Fantasyland Theater
10. Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride
11. Peter Pan Flight
12. Snow White Scary Adventures
13. Autopia
14. Mark Twain Riverboat
15. Jungle Cruise

All of these attractions are ones that I want to enjoy when we are there.  To me, there is something extremely cool about enjoying the attractions today that were there in the days of yesteryear.  I imagine what it might have been like to ride on them on that day, whether they had any issues, or was everything running to Walt’s standards.  Just imagining it takes me there right now!

When we were fortunate enough to go to the Magic Kingdom to celebrate the 40th birthday of that park on October 1, 2011, the weather was absolutely spectacular — hardly a cloud in the sky, with perfect temperatures, it was like Disney controlled the weather that day!  For this celebration, I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see the same thing happen.  It just feels like it will be that way, and regardless of whether it is or not, it will still be incredible.

Cindy, Sophie and I will not be there by ourselves, of course; we will have our niece Stephanie and her husband Shane with us, and we will have our great friend Sheila and her daughter Jagan with us, so the celebration will be even greater because of their being there.  Sheila grew up at Disneyland, it is her home away from home, and she has a fountain of information about the park that I love to hear about.  That will make the day even more special.

Most of all, though, this day is about Walt Disney.  On July 17, 2015, we will celebrate Walt, his vision, his determination, his compassion, and his desire to see families having fun together, and we will look upon his park and give thanks for his life.  On that day, I will look at Sleeping Beauty Castle like it is below, and imagine myself to be there, with Walt welcoming me to the park that day.

Thank you for joining us today — please check out my friend Julie’s post about the 60th Anniversary Dazzling Decor!

Here is the map of our Magical Blogorail Red | Disneyland Resort Diamond Celebration Loop:

• 1st Stop – My Dream’s of Disney | Celebrating #Disneyland60 at Disneyland!
• 2nd Stop – Saving up for Disney | Disneyland Diamond Celebration – 60th Anniversary Dazzling Decor
• 3rd Stop – Mommy to All Girls | All Because of A Dream
• 4th Stop – I Am a Mommy Nerd | Disneyland 60th Anniversary Merchandise
• 5th Stop – Sparks of Magic | Disneyland Diamond Celebration – Eats, Drinks & Treats

The post Magical Blogorail Red: Celebrating #Disneyland60 appeared first on My Dreams of Disney.

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The Disneyland Resort invites you to enjoy all it has to share!

{Editor’s Note: Sophie joins us today to talk about the things that she is most excited about for our upcoming trip to California!}

Sophie: Hi Guys! Long time no see! Well, today I’ve got a guest with me! World of Disney, meet Mr. Reporter.

Reporter: you can call me “Image” Sophie. (It’s short for “Imaginary”)

Sophie: Ok then, “‘Image’ Reporter” every body! On with the interview!

Image: What are your top five hopes about California?

Sophie: I made a bucket list:

1. Seeing one of my two best friends, Jagan, in person again!
2. Seeing World of Color and trying to convince my mom to let us stand in the “Wet Zone.”
3. Going back to DODGER STADIUM!!!!!
4. Two words: Thrift. Shopping.
5. Going to the San Diego Zoo!

Image: Now, I notice that only one of your top five has something to do with Disney. Why is that?

Sophie: Unlike Walt Disney World, Disneyland is small. In my opinion, you could get through every thing the parks have to offer in a day. And you’ll find, that the distance between Disneyland and the California Adventure is a mere 100 yards. So, my family decided that we would see more of California. The most un-Disney that we got during the first trip was a trip to Beverly Hills; to see the address of Walt. This time, we’re going more towards the California side of California. Does that make sense?

Image: a little. But, more LA and less Disney?

Sophie: Yes. There’s not a problem with that. Is there?

Image: No. But, do you think we can zero in on Disney?

Sophie: Yes. I figured you’d ask that of me, so I made another bucket list:

1. World of Color [standing in the ‘wet zone’ (good luck trying to convince Mommy to do that)]
2. Splash mountain [front row (of course)]
3. Mickey’s Fun Wheel [shaky carts (Minnie is preferred)]
4. Soarin’ over California [front row (best view)]
5. Pirates of the Caribbean [front row (that’s the wettest)]

Image: Nice choices.

Sophie: thank you, Image.

Image: Well, that wraps up the interview thank you for your time, Ms. Sophie. Tooddles!

Well! That was nice. OH! I almost forgot! The Trivia! Today’s question is:

Q: Which Famous character made an appearance in Frozen as a stuffed animal?

1. Winnie the Pooh
2. Mickey Mouse
3. Tinker Bell
4. Potato Head

The answer:

1. Mickey Mouse

It’s okay if you got it wrong. That was an Easter egg question. You have to look very closely through out the film. But here is a clue.

How people see that, I have no idea.

But I hope you enjoyed my little interview with myself — I mean Mr. Image Reporter — and bye!!!

The post The top five things I’m excited about for Disneyland! appeared first on My Dreams of Disney.

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Image ©Disneyland

We’re counting down the days here at My Dreams of Disney to #Disneyland60 — the actual day of the 60th Birthday of Disneyland!  There is a lot of excitement in the air, and over the next few days, I’m sharing with you one specific thing that I’m looking forward to on Friday, July 17, 2015!

World of Color – Celebrate new for #Disneyland60!

In honor of the Diamond Anniversary, Disney unveiled a new World of Color, titled Celebrate!  I’ve been deliberately avoiding watching it on YouTube, but if you want to do so, click on the link to head over and watch.  Normally I would embed it in the post, but I don’t want anyone to watch it there by mistake and be disappointed when they were looking forward to seeing it in person.  In order to make sure that we can get a great view of the show, we have made a World of Color dining reservation at the Carthay Circle restaurant.  We’ll be eating there on Thursday evening, and then have a preferred viewing location for the World of Color show later that night.

I’ve been witness to one World of Color show, when we visited two years ago and stayed at the Grand Californian Hotel, but that was an incredible show, capturing all of my imagination and touching me using water, fire, music, and video in ways I never experienced before.  While I know that this is an entirely different show, I bet I will like it very much — despite the reviews I’m hearing that some people didn’t find it that good.

Thanks for stopping by today — we’re going to share another thing that I’m looking forward to tomorrow, so stay tuned!

The post Counting Down to #Disneyland60 – World of Color! appeared first on My Dreams of Disney.

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‘DISNEYLAND FOREVER’ SPARKLES IN THE NIGHT SKY — ‘Disneyland Forever,’ a new fireworks spectacular at the Disneyland Resort, illuminates the sky above Sleeping Beauty Castle. ‘Disneyland Forever’ transports guests into the worlds of beloved Disney and Disney•Pixar films through traditional pyrotechnics, innovative projection mapping technology and surprising special effects. (Paul Hiffmeyer/Disneyland Resort)

Hello my friends, and welcome to our the next post about some of the things that we are looking forward to at Disneyland.  Today, we’re taking a look at Disneyland Forever, the new fireworks show! Some of you may know that I wasn’t always a fan of fireworks — the noises especially would really bother me, and also my daughter Sophie.  However, now that we have incorporated simple ear plugs into our list of things we take to Disney, watching fireworks is really a lot of fun!

The Disneyland Forever fireworks show isn’t just fireworks, though.  It’s special effects, it’s projections onto the screen, it’s all of that and more!  I can’t wait until we get to see it!  On Friday, July 17th and Saturday, July 18th, the show will be performed at 9:30PM, so we’ll be sure to watch it one of those nights.  Since we are going to be Periscoping some of the events on the 17th, look for us to do this as well, and enjoy!  Are you going to be at Disneyland this year?  Let us know in the comments, and thanks for stopping by!

The post #Disneyland60 – Disneyland Forever! appeared first on My Dreams of Disney.

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Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress is one of my favorite shows!

My Favorites: Carousel of Progress

By Mike Ellis.

The other day it dawned on me that we haven’t been to Walt Disney World since June 2014!  This past summer was when we went to Disneyland for the 60th Birthday, so it has now been roughly 18 months since our last trip to Walt Disney World.  That’s crazy to think about, so as a result, these next series of posts are going to be looks at some of my favorite attractions, rides, shows, whatever you want to call them, at Walt Disney World.  Today we kick it all off with a look back at the past and the “future” with the Carousel of Progress!

To me, CoP (as the Cast Members know it as) is as much about history as it is about entertainment.  In each of the scenes, you experience what life was like in a certain segment of time in American history.  While the actual year is not displayed, you can figure some things out.  For example, in the opening scene, John talks about those Wright Brothers, so dates things at around 1902, 1903, somewhere in that timeframe.  Then, in the next scene, if you look closely, you can see on the back of the Niagara Falls fan that he is using the year. That year, my friends, is 1926.

Of course, the biggest debate among Carousel of Progress fans is whether or not the ride should be updated, especially regarding the last scene, with the futuristic programmable ovens, virtual reality, and all of that.  There are reasons for and against on both sides of the aisle for this one, but as for me, I’m of the opinion that it should not be updated.  This attraction is one of the last that Walt Disney personally worked on, and to me, despite the words of Walt himself that the parks would never be completed, puts me in the camp of not changing this attraction any more than it has been in the past.  But enough of what I think.  What do you think?  Should the Carousel of Progress be updated?  Or should it stay just as it is?  To be (updated) or not to be (updated), that my friends is the question!  Please let me know by leaving us a comment, and thanks for stopping by today!  To close us off, have a look at the attraction in it’s entirety, courtesy of bigfatpanda.com!

The post Mike’s Favorites: Carousel of Progress appeared first on My Dreams of Disney.

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These are my Top 5 #Disneyland60 moments!

My Top 5 Disneyland60 Moments from 2015

By Mike Ellis.

Hello everyone, and welcome to our Top 5 Disneyland60 Moments from 2015!  I hope that 2015 has been a great year for you, and that 2016 is an even better year than this one!  This has been a hard year for my family, as I wrote about in my post “When Life Invades Disney“, but I am going to be optimistic and tell you that I expect 2016 to be a much better year than this one!  So today, I’m going to pull for you my top 5 moments from our trip to Disneyland for Disneyland60 this past July!

Moment #1: The Disneyland60 Photo

Stephanie, Shane, Lindsay (not seen), Sophie and I getting our picture taken on July 17, 2015!

On the actual birthday of Disneyland, July 17th, we were able to be at the park!  It was a big thrill for myself and Sophie; having Stephanie and Shane and their baby to be there also made it special.  The only thing that I missed was not having Cindy there with us.  That’s okay, though, the 50th birthday of the Magic Kingdom is in just a few years, I’ll make sure we are there for that one to celebrate in style!

Moment #2: Riding all the Attractions we did!

That morning, we arrived early enough that the park was just getting going, and were able to get in to Disneyland with not much fuss.  I was, to be honest, a little surprised, because I remember how crazy packed the Magic Kingdom had been for the 40th Birthday just a few years earlier.  So we arrived, and looked in the gift shops briefly on Main Street, but then we started riding attractions.  We must have ridden 10 or 15 attractions — rides like the Jungle Cruise, Splash Mountain, and others — within the first couple of hours of being there — well before the 10AM presentation that they had to celebrate the park and the occasion.  It was incredible how many rides we just walked right onto.

Moment #3: World of Color

We saw the World of Color the night before the anniversary — so, on July 16th.  This was a special World of Color, hosted by Neil Patrick Harris, Mickey Mouse, and even an appearance by Walt Disney.  I had a Periscope session for this, as well as for Moment #4 and Moment #5.

Moment #4: Fantasmic

On July 18, we had reservations at the River Belle Terrace to enjoy dinner and get preferred seating for Fantasmic. The meal was incredible, but alas, the show was cancelled that night due to rain. However, on the 20th, Stephanie, Shane and myself went over to see the show on our own, and the video below is my Periscope video of the showing, which is why it isn’t 16×9. I hope you enjoy!

Moment #5: Disneyland Fireworks

Within minutes of the Fantasmic show ending, the Disneyland fireworks were being presented.  Rather than try to get over by the Castle and possibly miss getting a good spot for the fireworks, we decided to stay where we were and watch them from that location.  I think it was a good decision, and I have this video as well to share with you!  Once again, it was recorded as my Periscope session, so that’s why it isn’t 16×9. Enjoy!

What special Disney moments will 2016 bring to our world?  And what special Disney moments do you have from 2015 that you want to share with us?  Hit us up, leave us a comment, shoot us an email, write on our Facebook Page, shoot us a tweet, or even give me a call!  I’d love to hear about your favorite Disney moments from 2015!  I hope that you all have a very happy and safe new year celebration and that you have a wonderful year ahead!

The post My Top 5 Disneyland60 Moments from 2015 appeared first on My Dreams of Disney.

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W E E K     F O U R

LOOKING BACK AT DISNEY

Our friends over at Love Our Crazy Life have asked some of their blogging friends (like me) to participate in a Blogging Challenge. So for four weeks in April, on every Monday morning, I will be covering a different Disney-related topic. You can click the link above to find all of the other participants and their entries. Enjoy!

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The Back Side

I struggled with this topic, so it was fortunate for me that it came last in the series! I thought of doing a comparison of Disney then and now, but that would take too much time. I thought of doing a pictorial of me in 1972 at Walt Disney World versus me in modern times. But I have too few images for such a post. So what to do?

Why not do the unexpected, or inexplicable? So welcome to my post that looks at the back side of Disney!

Back Side of Sleeping Beauty Castle (Disneyland model)

Disney Legend and Imagineer Herb Ryman designed Disneyland’s iconic Sleeping Beauty Castle. Now, the infamous story of how this castle got turned around may be apocryphal, or it may be true, but it certainly is entertaining. Herb says:

“One thing that he (Walt) insisted upon was that there be a very, very conspicuous castle, because the castle is going to be the symbol of this whole place. Fred Joerger had done a beautiful model of this castle. When I saw it I said, ‘I don’t like it.’ So I took a look at the castle model, grabbed a hold of the upper portion of the model, and turned it around so that the back of the upper portion now faced the front. ‘Dick said, ‘Now, Herbie, quit playing with it. Put it back. He said ‘Walt’s going to be here any minute, and Walt won’t like it. Turn it around. Put it back.’”

But time ran out and Walt saw the altered version. And loved it! So the whole thing was built around the wrong way. So when you visit Disneyland and take a picture of the front of the castle, your picture will turn out backwards!

Back Side of Water (Jungle Cruise)

I’m constantly amazed at how many times Disney is able to get us excited about simple and common things. Millions of us take pictures of trash cans just because they are color-coded to the Land they are in. Many of us enjoy a bus ride, even though we have to wait too long to get on one and they take forever to get anywhere!

And then there is the back side of water.

A simple gag line from a corny attraction has caused more cameras to click and more people to groan than any other naturally occurring substance in the World!

Back Side of Disney Cruise Ships (Disney Wonder)

Each of the ships in the Disney Cruise Line have a distinctive character tableau attached to the back. Historically, most sailing ships would stick a figure on the front, such as Pirate ships. But Disney just had to be different!

They are almost impossible to see from the ship themselves, so take your pictures before you board. I guess Disney just wants to give those ocean-going tailgaters something to look at!

Back Side of Disney Clothing (Mickey T-shirt)

OK, that’s just rude! But I’m sure Mickey is just being playful as he takes a backwards peek at us. There are many different designs in this theme, showing us the back of characters instead of just another view of the more familiar fronts.

But be careful: You may not know if you’re coming or going when wearing one of these!

And there you have my look back at the back side of Disney. I wonder who else would have thought of this angle for Looking Back at Disney?!

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The post Monday Topics: Looking Back at Disney – The Back Side appeared first on My Dreams of Disney.

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