Adventureland Bazaar

5 Comments Posted by on July 26, 2011

So right next to the Indy Outpost (connected even) is the Adventureland Bazaar. Now the Adventureland Bazaar is closest to the now closed Aladdin’s Oasis Dinner Show. First, I never attended the Aladdin’s Oasis Dinner Show which, according to Yesterland, only ran for a couple of years. Those years I happened to be living in the Midwest and completely missed it.

On another note, I completely missed the Rocket Rods too–a ride using the Peoplemover track. But I heard it wasn’t that great.

Anyway, now Aladdin’s Oasis seems to be just a meet and greet for Aladdin characters. Which I very rarely see open, so I think getting in there is going to be a challenge. It’s really too bad because apparently the Oasis shares a kitchen with the Plaza Pavilion, another waste of space in the park–formerly a restaurant, currently useless. Anyway, it did inspire the Adventureland Bazaar, and that’s what I’m going to talk about today.

How bizarre

The Bazaar, representing the Middle East, is rightly located and connected to the Outpost, representing Africa. Because Disney is all into truncated geography like that.

The Bazaar is actually on the corner part of the store area.

You know, the corner part. Cause that makes so much sense to someone who hasn't been there.

There’s lots of different details around there, in true Disney fashion.

Adventureland "Traders"--quotes used correctly since they don't actually trade there, unless you consider money to be a trade

Like Indy, there are “apartments” above the Bazaar. I particularly love this window:

Because when I think about the Middle East or Africa or anywhere, really, I always think "Tattoo parlor and banjo lessons in the same building? Genius."

I guess it does say “Oriental tattoo” which makes it better? Or not. Check out Hanzi Smatter. But I can’t help but wonder what an actual Disneyland tattoo parlor would look like. I mean, getting permanent, real tattoos at Disneyland. I bet there’d be a big market for that, really, given how popular tattoos are these days, and I do see a lot of Disney-related tattoos on people at the park. It would be all guaranteed to be hygienic and stuff and then people could brag that they got their Disney tattoo at the Mouse and not some friend-of-a-friend-of-a-friend guy working out of his “apartment” on top of the garage of his parent’s house while they were totally inebriated. I’m thinking it’s a solid idea!

Too bad Walt would personally and forcefully rise up from the grave and kill whomever allowed a tattoo parlor in his park. Making that even more complicated is the fact that Walt was cremated. But I’m sure he would be so offended by such a thing that he would go all Mummy or whatever and swirl his ashes back into a corporeal form to express his outrage.

And no, he was not cryogenically frozen.

But I digress.

You can also buy a magic carpet at the Bazaar, or so the door claims, though I wasn’t able to find any actual magic carpets for sale.

Did I really need two pictures of this doorway? What was I thinking?

The Bazaar is pretty intricately themed. Here’s an elephant on top of a squished penny machine.

Elephants are nice.

I used to love the squished penny thing. Actually, I can remember being a little kid at Knotts and you could clandestinely put a coin on the railroad track and after the train went by you had your very own squished coin, but I believe those days are long gone.

Some of the things for sale are more Adventureland-ish than Bazaar-ish, like these drinking vessels.

What's with the zebra print? Do people really buy these?

I love the totally authentic Panda bears. They’re Disneyland’s version of a Pillow Pet.

"Mommy, I want a panda to symbolize my visit to the Middle East/Africa section of Disneyland!"

Theo got a pillow pet for Christmas this past year. Great-Grandma saw a commercial for it and went out to find one. He has the doggie one–it’s really cute! And very soft.

Anyway, the Bazaar has some great theming around the ceiling and over the doors.

I have no idea what any of these things are. Xylophone? Maraca? Whatever--I'm sure they're authentic

Even the register area is exciting.

Exciting!

And then in the back of the store, I came to one of those things I never knew existed–Aladdin’s lamp!

OMG it's a genie lamp!!!

It was actually pretty cool, tucked away in the back there. The banner reads:

"Whosoever rubs the lamp (and places coins in the slot below) shall receive the wisdom of the GENIE and have their future revealed"

I mean wow, how cool is that? I was all ready to place my coins in the slow below and receive the wisdom of the GENIE, until I saw this.

Out of order??? What, is the GENIE on vacation or something???

Bad show, Disney. Bad show! There was the one free coin slot but I was a little nervous to place my coins in it lest that one be out of order too and just not marked. I didn’t want to waste 50 cents if the GENIE wasn’t going to pony up my future. So I’ll have to go back and check it again.

Anyone gotten a fortune from this machine GENIE? What did it say?

Adventureland, Things I Never Knew Existed , , , , , , ,

Indiana Jones Adventure Outpost

7 Comments Posted by on July 24, 2011

I don’t do a whole lot of shopping inside the park since I’m generally not buying souvenirs much and the things I do tend to buy (like ears) I find either at the Mad Hatter or general merchandise stores like the Emporium. So needless to say, I’m not sure I’ve ever actually been inside the Indiana Jones Adventure Outpost before now.

Well, “now” as in when I took these pictures a  few weeks ago, but you know what I mean.

Anyway, the Indiana Jones Adventure Outpost store is located (shockingly) across the way from the Indiana Jones Adventure ride. It’s right in the bottleneck area of Adventureland, which is another reason I’ve never gone in–I’m just trying to get through the bottleneck in Adventureland.

It’s a vicious cycle.

Although there is one advantage of being on such a slow-moving pathway, which is that it’s extremely easy to catch shoplifters. It’s not like they’re going anywhere fast.

The Outpost is easily identified by its stylish straight-out-of-the-80s Indiana Jones logo accompanied by two fake miniature skulls.

I think there are supposed to be fake apartments up there

Except the fake apartments don’t really look very Indiana Jones Adventure-y. They’re kind of more like–yeah, I don’t know. Forget it.

The big theme in the Outpost is Indy’s trademark hat.

"Excuse me, do you know where I can find an Indy hat?"

Indy’s fedora is positively iconic. I didn’t check to see how much they were, but I’m pretty sure they’re less than the $99.99 that ThinkGeek is charging for theirs.

Although ThinkGeek attempts to lay out a pretty compelling argument for their $99.99 hat by saying that there were 3 (or more) hats used by Indy, but the fur felt one was the stylish one used for closeups and non-action scenes, and while other Indy hats are wool felt, the $99.99 hat is fur felt. I’m not sure exactly what fur felt is, but it must be costly. Anyway, I love ThinkGeek so I will forgive them for this. I mean, they have an entire category for Zombies and Bacon. What’s there not to love about that?

ThinkGeek is definitely right about different hats being used because one you step into the Outpost, on the back wall there are different hats than the one on the hat tree at the entrance.

These are, like, a darker green maybe?

If you have a child who wants an Indy hat, don’t despair! The Outpost has an entire Indy set for your young archeologist.

Including toy machete!

Another cool thing about Disneyland is that even the stores are themed pretty extensively. I thought I got a bunch of pictures of the Outpost theming but as it turns out, there’s just this one:

More hats on the back wall--brown this time

Although I found this to be very cute:

Return Address: 1313 S. Harbor Blvd., Anaheim, CA 92802

Did you know that the American Film Institute rated Indiana Jones #2 in the Greatest Screen Characters (hero category)? I was a little taken aback by that. I mean, I love Indy and all, but number 2? And lucky Harrison Ford shows up again at #14 for Han Solo. The list is kind of wacky, actually, including Lassie (#39), Marge Gunderson from Fargo (#33), and “Juror #8” from 12 Angry Men (#28, played by Henry Fonda in case you’re not up on your 12 Angry Jurors).

#1 is Atticus Finch. That one I have to agree with. Of course, Digory’s middle name is Atticus, and our dearly beloved late Scout Dog was of course named after Scout Finch herself.

How far off the track have I gotten from Disneyland? Very far.

So go see the Indiana Jones Adventure Outpost. If you want a fedora.

Adventureland , ,

Dapper Dans

4 Comments Posted by on July 20, 2011

Walt loved music, so he planned a lot of it inside the park. Much like the Pearly Band, Bootstrappers, Hook and Ladder Company, and the Straw Hatters, the Dapper Dans is a barbershop quartet who appear to perform for a short while and then disappear. They sing a capella  on Main Street, usually near the fruit cart. You can spot them by their natty outfits.

The Dapper Dans are brought to you by stripes

They usually tap dance a little, but I didn’t quite catch that.

I can’t emphasize enough that these roving entertainers really are a lot of fun and I recommend slowing down and seeing them when you’re at the park.

The Dapper Dans have been around since 1959 and even have their own website. Apparently they’re supposed to have a custom 4-seater Schwinn bike, but I’ve never seen it.

Sans bike

Even though they don’t have the Disney characters or flash like the Straw Hatters and the Hook and Ladder Company, they still excel in entertainment.

Everyone look at the ground

That person on the left is clapping.

The Dapper Dans are really one of the most recognized of the roving entertainment. I didn’t know anything about the others, but I had definitely heard of the Dapper Dans. And when I asked the internet what the name of the Straw Hatters was, most people said it was the Dapper Dans.

It’s an easy mistake to make.

Straw Hatters

Dapper Dans

Except that a barbershop quartet only has four people.

The Dapper Dans also has that little bit of flair so emblematic of Disneyland.

Farewell!

Definitely try to catch some of the roving entertainment at Disneyland. It’s a lot of fun.

Main Street , , ,

Storybook Land Canal Boats

6 Comments Posted by on July 18, 2011

I’m not really sure why this is, but for years, and I mean YEARS, I totally avoided the Storybook Land Canal Boats. When I was really little I was afraid of the whale, but when I was in older (high school) I just thought it was lame. In fact, I thought it was the lamest ride in Disneyland. I’m really not clear where all that vitriol came from, because now that I’ve ridden it again I find it quite charming.

The Storybook Land Canal Boats is a guided tour through various Disney story locations created in miniature. You get to ride on a boat and be disproportionately huge compared to the recreations.

Maybe I’ve just developed a greater appreciation for miniature things after several visits to the most amazing model railroad layout in the universe, Miniatur Wunderland in Hamburg, Germany. It’s beyond remarkable. I’m serious–you have to watch this video. I could spend a week there. And it’s funny as hell too.

Anyway, Storybook Canals. So the attraction is denoted by the floral signage on a small hill.

Park your stroller by the giant lighthouse

At this point on this particular visit, Theo was getting very wiped out. He did get to ride his preferred method of transportation

"Daddy head! Daddy head!"

But his energy was seriously flagging.

"Daddy forehead!"

You all climb aboard a boat, and this is one of the few rides where not only can you sit however you like with no restraints, you can actually sit ON the vehicle rather than in it, if you choose. Theo thought that was a great idea for about 0.2 seconds and then he flipped out.

We hadn't even started moving yet

Your cruise director also sits rather haphazardly on the boat as well.

Our cruise director, Julie!

You then go through the mouth of a whale, which doesn’t look in the least bit realistic, but when I was little looked very menacing and scary.

Open wide!

Not as menacing as Monstro from Pinocchio, but close.

Once you get through the whale, you start to see little scenes from various stories, like this one.

I totally can't remember what this one is

It’s also a ride that’s difficult to photograph.

I do remember this one is Aladdin’s lamp.

Hey, Genie!

The Storybook Canals are actually really connected to Casey Jr.’s railroad, mainly because on Casey Jr. you travel right past most of the Storybook Land.

Casey Jr. comin' round the track

The princesses are very highly represented here.

I definitely recognize this one--Sleeping Beauty!

Can't remember what this one is though

Ariel’s post-ocean life is also displayed. I don’t recall ever seeing a good view of Prince Eric’s castle, but honestly  I haven’t seen the movie in a LONG time, even though we own it.

Out of the sea

You even get to see King Triton under the sea!

It's like a castle but it's under water

And those are pretty much all of the pictures that turned out even remotely good. Did I mention this one’s a tough one to photograph? Also, I think it looks like an entirely different ride in the daylight. The little lights and stuff were very cool, but I’ll have to go back during the day and shoot it again.

Fantasyland

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