I got to experience a few other things this weekend so I decided to update this post and link up with another Magical Mickey with John at run.geek.rundisney and Katie from Adventures by Katie
see below!
Hi all! Linkup Friday!! Thanks to our amazing hostesses: the DC Trifecta Bloggers (Courtney from Eat Pray Run DC, Mar from Mar on the Run, and Cynthia from You Signed Up For What?!).
This weeks topic is Free Friday so I'm going to write about the greatness of new things at Disneyland. It is less than 100 days away until the next rundisney race: the 10th anniversary of the Disneyland half marathon weekend! That race weekend will also by my 5th runiversary. As people are preparing, here are some of the great things they can expect.
I went to Disneyland for the 24 hour party on Friday as well as going back on Sunday and Monday! Let me just preface this as saying, I'm not surprised that the parks hit capacity and turned into a complete mess on Friday. I am surprised that there was a complete breakdown of communication. The fact that people paid for parking and then we're stuck and couldn't get into either park is not cool. I think parking, ticket sales and a system for disseminating information was the key to Friday and Disney blew it. As people were leaving, they should have been told they would not be let back in and just consistent information about if dining reservations would be allowed back in.
I also think it was silly to offer all of the 60th anniversary offerings on the same day as the 24 hour party. I think they should have opened it earlier in early May to allow for some practice with crowd control. Just my two cents but I had a great time but would have had an even better time if I had been able to actually get into Disneyland!
Now onto the offerings!
see below!
Hi all! Linkup Friday!! Thanks to our amazing hostesses: the DC Trifecta Bloggers (Courtney from Eat Pray Run DC, Mar from Mar on the Run, and Cynthia from You Signed Up For What?!).
This weeks topic is Free Friday so I'm going to write about the greatness of new things at Disneyland. It is less than 100 days away until the next rundisney race: the 10th anniversary of the Disneyland half marathon weekend! That race weekend will also by my 5th runiversary. As people are preparing, here are some of the great things they can expect.
I went to Disneyland for the 24 hour party on Friday as well as going back on Sunday and Monday! Let me just preface this as saying, I'm not surprised that the parks hit capacity and turned into a complete mess on Friday. I am surprised that there was a complete breakdown of communication. The fact that people paid for parking and then we're stuck and couldn't get into either park is not cool. I think parking, ticket sales and a system for disseminating information was the key to Friday and Disney blew it. As people were leaving, they should have been told they would not be let back in and just consistent information about if dining reservations would be allowed back in.
I also think it was silly to offer all of the 60th anniversary offerings on the same day as the 24 hour party. I think they should have opened it earlier in early May to allow for some practice with crowd control. Just my two cents but I had a great time but would have had an even better time if I had been able to actually get into Disneyland!
Now onto the offerings!
Stayed until 130AM
1. Merchandise
It's all so cute!!! Here and here are some Disney Parks Blog posts about some of it. I ended up getting: an ornament, new shirt, a sweatshirt, a new pair of shoes, new blanket and two mugs. Overall, the merchandise is adorable and I will most likely be buying more soon.
It's all so cute!!! Here and here are some Disney Parks Blog posts about some of it. I ended up getting: an ornament, new shirt, a sweatshirt, a new pair of shoes, new blanket and two mugs. Overall, the merchandise is adorable and I will most likely be buying more soon.
my massive mug I am obsessed with: 32 oz! I try to drink at least 2 of them at work every day
2. World of Color: Celebrate
This is a brand new show celebrating the life of Walt Disney. This show is actually hosted by Mickey Mouse in Neil Patrick Harris. It starts at the beginning with Mickey and goes through Snow White, classic movies, Disneyland and its most famous rides before coming together in a great finale. It is really well done and the technology has definitely been upgraded. I'm just not sure it needs a host.
This is a brand new show celebrating the life of Walt Disney. This show is actually hosted by Mickey Mouse in Neil Patrick Harris. It starts at the beginning with Mickey and goes through Snow White, classic movies, Disneyland and its most famous rides before coming together in a great finale. It is really well done and the technology has definitely been upgraded. I'm just not sure it needs a host.
this show is awesome!
3. Paint the Night
I tried to see the parade on Friday and that did not happen with Disneyland being closed, but I did decide to head down on Sunday as I needed to get some reading done for class so I decided why not just read on main street will wait for the parade route instead of reading in my boring apartment?
There truly are not words for this parade. It is truly a technological wonder and just so beautiful. The opening float is Tinkerbell and a big drum to pay homage to the Main Street Electrical Parade including adding in the music! It goes through other classic Disney movies like Toy Story, Cars, Frozen, Princess float (Rapunzels hair!!) and ends with Goofy, Donald, Minnie and Mickey on a float paying homage to the Spectromagic. This is hands-down my new favorite nighttime spectacular any of the Disney parks and I cannot wait to do this again.
A few tips:
If you want to watch the parade with curb viewing, you will need to get there early! Like right after the Soundsational Parade. Another tip is to see the 8:50 show, they make everyone sitting down stand up at 8PM, so stake out where you want to view it and go and wait for the 8 PM stand up.
Also, the 2nd parade is much less crowded so if you can view the second one, then do it!
Another great viewing area is from the balcony on Jolly Holiday. We grabbed a snack and then watched it.
I tried to see the parade on Friday and that did not happen with Disneyland being closed, but I did decide to head down on Sunday as I needed to get some reading done for class so I decided why not just read on main street will wait for the parade route instead of reading in my boring apartment?
There truly are not words for this parade. It is truly a technological wonder and just so beautiful. The opening float is Tinkerbell and a big drum to pay homage to the Main Street Electrical Parade including adding in the music! It goes through other classic Disney movies like Toy Story, Cars, Frozen, Princess float (Rapunzels hair!!) and ends with Goofy, Donald, Minnie and Mickey on a float paying homage to the Spectromagic. This is hands-down my new favorite nighttime spectacular any of the Disney parks and I cannot wait to do this again.
A few tips:
If you want to watch the parade with curb viewing, you will need to get there early! Like right after the Soundsational Parade. Another tip is to see the 8:50 show, they make everyone sitting down stand up at 8PM, so stake out where you want to view it and go and wait for the 8 PM stand up.
Also, the 2nd parade is much less crowded so if you can view the second one, then do it!
Another great viewing area is from the balcony on Jolly Holiday. We grabbed a snack and then watched it.
4. Disneyland Forever
This show is just beyond. There is so much going on-pictures honestly can't capture it all. There are projections on the castle as well as on Matterhorn and Main St (there are other projection centers by the Rivers of America and Small World) and the fireworks are bigger and better than ever. It starts off with Peter Pan and Tinkerbell(yes, she flies) and then moves to Mary Poppins, Winnie the Pooh, Little Mermaid, Finding Nemo (watch the Matterhorn and also look for a special flying fish!), Frozen (it snows!) and more. This is the most ambitious fireworks show that has ever been put on at a Disney park and it shows. It is just amazing!
I personally prefer to watch it from Main Street: the projections surround you and it was awesome. I watched so I could see the castle and the projections on Matterhorn and it was great for the Nemo scene but it didn't snow and there were a lot of projections we missed.
This show is just beyond. There is so much going on-pictures honestly can't capture it all. There are projections on the castle as well as on Matterhorn and Main St (there are other projection centers by the Rivers of America and Small World) and the fireworks are bigger and better than ever. It starts off with Peter Pan and Tinkerbell(yes, she flies) and then moves to Mary Poppins, Winnie the Pooh, Little Mermaid, Finding Nemo (watch the Matterhorn and also look for a special flying fish!), Frozen (it snows!) and more. This is the most ambitious fireworks show that has ever been put on at a Disney park and it shows. It is just amazing!
I personally prefer to watch it from Main Street: the projections surround you and it was awesome. I watched so I could see the castle and the projections on Matterhorn and it was great for the Nemo scene but it didn't snow and there were a lot of projections we missed.
Fireworks and castles and main at projections of diamonds
Matterhorn as a volcano!
5. Ride upgrades-Matterhorn, Haunted Mansion, Indiana Jones, Soarin Over California, and coming soon: Peter Pan!
- Matterhorn got new effects (Harold, the Abominable Snowman is actually pretty scary) but the seats still hurt so bad.
- Haunted Mansion got the hitch hiking ghosts which I wrote about here.
- Indiana Jones got new upgrades in the first room.
- Soaring over California is now in 4K projection and it looks like you're really there (same video though!).
- Peter Pan will open July 1st and I can't wait!!
6.(it is too good not to include) MAD T PARTY IS BACK!
You can journey down the Rabbit Hole and see the Mad T party band! To have them back, makes me so happy. Also, they have new drinks including a diamond edition of the Zombie drink with a diamon light up ice cube. Another new drink is the Queen Rose Red which is fruit punch and 151 (shout out to bartender Adam that Finally said they mix their drinks with Bacardi 151 and that's why they are so strong! Who knew pre mixed drinks could have a kick).
Also, they added an adorable tag to the end of the set with the songs "Best Day of my Life" and "Classic" with awesome pics from the past 60 years with sound bytes from Walt Disney. yes it made me cry-it was so touching!
Mad T party is back!
New mad t party tag
So that pretty much sums up my Memorial Day weekend out of the four days of my four day weekend three of them are spent a Disneyland in some capacity the rest was spent relaxing trying to catch up on sleep, seeing three different movies and writing a paper!
Anyone else head to Disneyland for the 60th Anniversary offerings or have plans to? Anyone running the Disneyland half or Avenger races?
Anyone else head to Disneyland for the 60th Anniversary offerings or have plans to? Anyone running the Disneyland half or Avenger races?
There are never enough pics of Paint the Night!
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