Classic MYWTM: Looking Up

Leave a comment Posted by on November 2, 2011

This classic post was originally posted in April. Enjoy!

I started this blog with an idea of things I’d never done before, like riding the Main Street vehicles, or being at the rope-drop–stuff like that. But now that I’m into this, I realized there was one more really major thing I’ve never done:

Look up.

Particularly on Main Street, but elsewhere as well. Disneyland has all kinds of cool details that I really never paid attention to since I was trying to get on a ride or go see something in particular. So, here’s a post about looking up.

Main Street, U.S.A. is supposed to be a typical main street in 1908, except it would have been a very crowded main street because there’s all kinds of stuff on there. And also, Main Street is not very tall. I knew that it had been scaled down, but I couldn’t quite figure it all out because the upper windows seemed to be somehow even more scaled down than the rest of the street.

I mean, I get the idea of forced perspective and all. Like, that’s how you can take an averaged-height Elijah Wood and turn him into a hobbit by making him stand way in front of Gandalf, or maybe way in back or whatever. But then again, how tall is Elijah Wood anyway? I used my SRM (Standard Research Methodology = 3 minutes on Google), expecting to find a quick answer as to how tall Elijah Wood is. Alas, that does not appear to be definitive public information. BUT, Google did have this crazy statement at the top that said:

Best guess for Elijah Wood Height is 5′ 6″

– FeedbackIs this accurate? Yes NoThank you for your feedback.Mentioned on at least 4 websites includingcelebheights.com, trueknowledge.com and yahoo.com–

Which, REALLY??? I mean, when even GOOGLE has to guess, you know that’s some top secret information. And also, there’s an entire website devoted to celebrity’s heights?

Okay, I’m getting way off topic here, so let me just throw you a picture real quick.

This is a fake building with a door that doesn’t open named after Walt’s hometown of Marceline, MO. That’s also our stroller.

So anyway, back to Disneyland and forced perspective and all, after applying my SRM to the question of Disneyland’s Main Street, U.S.A. height, Wikipedia told me this:

Buildings along Main Street are built at 3/4 scale on the first level, then 5/8 on the second story, and 1/2 scale on the third—reducing the scale by 1/8 each level up.

And even though I know that Wikipedia is totally the best source for reliable information of any kind, it pretty much makes sense to me.

Although neither Wikipedia nor Google has any information about Main Street’s height in relation to Elijah Wood. Somebody should write a blog entry about that. Or make a whole website. Or just take a picture of Elijah Wood standing on Main Street in Disneyland. Next to Gandalf. Because that would be awesome.

Anyway, there’s a particularly large number of looking-up things in the alley behind the fruit cart by the lockers.

Canned Fruits, Beekeeper Supplies, and Guns. Now that’s what I call “one-stop shopping.”

Apparently Walt used the upper windows to commemorate his friends or Disney employees or Disney employees who were also his friends, or some other people he would probably be Facebook friends with if he were still alive today, and using the internet at 110 years old. I mean, I think that might even be more awesome than a picture of Elijah Wood and Gandalf on Main Street.

Tangent: I remember a couple of years ago the news did an interview with the oldest woman in the world and when they asked her the secret to her longevity, she said, “Bacon.” Dudes, I’m totally not kidding. And thank God for that, because given the amount of bacon I eat, I’m going to live forever.

But anyway…

More friends of Walt’s, I assume. I wonder if the “Stone Mason” carved Walt’s head stone, or just the ones in the Haunted Mansion queue.

I think my favorite is the Painless Dentist.

Laughing gas in 1908 from dentists in training? Sign me up!

I like the “S. E. Bitz” name. Is that really someone’s name, or a play on “Yes, he bites”? Seriously, if you know the answer, leave me a comment.

You can also buy a bicycle.

This window is one of the few with an actual colored picture.

At first I thought “Wow, renting a bicycle at Disneyland would be kind of cool,” and then I immediately thought, “Wow, renting a bicycle at Disneyland would be a freakin’ nightmare!”

Still cute, though

And here’s another interesting one. That’s all I can think of to say about this.

This is a private investigator and a “I really should take notes because I can’t read it from my picture and I don’t remember what it says a week later”

I think I’ll make looking up one of my new hobbies. When I’m not riding my bicycle down Main Street.

*Edited to add–a reader let me know that according to imdb.com, Elijah Wood is indeed 5’6″. But I still want to see him standing on Main Street with Gandalf.

Everything Else

Halloween

3 Comments Posted by on November 1, 2011

It’s Halloween night and I’m still on my sugar high. Mr. Crash has now gone to bed so we’ll see how he is tomorrow. Or how I am tomorrow. Or Kevin. One thing’s for sure–we did get a lot of great loot.

Tuxedo Mickey was a hit for people who recognized it. We got an alarming number of “and what are you?” I mean seriously–HAVE YOU NEVER SEEN TUXEDO MICKEY WHAT DO YOU THINK THESE MOUSE EARS ARE FOR?????

Photography was difficult, as is usual with a toddler and by the fact that he refused to let go of his pumpkin bucket. And I mean refused. The tears! The drama! Oh cruel, cruel world who would take a pumpkin bucket from a small child!

First step of the night was to Theo’s Great-Grandparents house.

Great-Grandma Lola

Great-Grandpa Lee

We are so incredibly lucky that Theo has 3 great-grandparents!

Then practiced his mad trick or treating skillz with Great-Grandma.

Trick or Treat!

And then did a close inspection of his haul.

One piece of candy? It's like you people survived the Depression or something!

And then, in his best Oliver Twist impression, Theo ramped up the pathos.

Please Sir, may I have some more?

His Dickensian affect must have worked because he did leave with more than one Tootsie Roll.

We then headed over to Kristin’s, who has a bunch of kids in her neighborhood, hence a bunch of trick or treating.

We ran into several groups of kids.

Theo is in this group--I swear.

He did an excellent job with his Thank Yous

And waiting his turn!

Phineas and Ferb fans will love these:

Hey...where's Perry?

I saw those stencils online and fully intended to make some myself, but we ran out of time and ended up carving no pumpkin at all this Halloween. I cannot believe we deprived our son of this most joyous of Halloween traditions (besides the candy grab, that is). Let’s just add it to the therapy bill.

The little tails of his tux were adorable

Awww

The sugar rush started to catch on before we even stopped trick or treating.

I swear I've had nothing to drink, officer!

But post-trick or treating, the sugar high became too much.

Audrey, Annika, Theo

I love Annika's ponytails

And that was our Halloween. How was yours?

Everything Else

Entrance to Adventureland

1 Comment Posted by on October 30, 2011

Why the entrance? Well, Disneyland doesn’t spare any detail, no matter how lowly the passageway might be.

Of course, the entrance to Adventureland  is anything but lowly. It has an impressive arch across the bridge.

Impressive!

The arch even has an A

A fun architectural detail

The right-hand side is filled with exotic looking tribal looking masks. I do not believe these are supposed to represent any particular culture.

I will scare you!

Over on the left-hand side is the Enchanted Tiki Room. Now this is an attraction that doesn’t get as much love as it should. It was one of Walt’s favorite attractions (he was really big on the audio animatronics) yet it’s just not popular these days.

In the tiki tiki tiki...well you know

What IS popular, however, is the Dole Whip window attached to the Tiki Room. Here you can get pineapple juice and the infamous Dole Whip. Well, infamous if you happen to have heard of it before. The Dole Whip is not ice cream, nor is it frozen yogurt. It is a frozen dairy product all of its own making. And the people who love Dole Whips REALLY REALLY love Dole Whips. As for me, I’m only mildly excited by the Dole Whip and only get them on very rare occasions.

The Dole Whip counter

Now this is a VERY important point, so I hope you’re paying attention. The Dole Whip counter usually has quite a line.

Nothing will stand between me and my Dole Whip, except the people in line in front of me

Here’s the important part: some people will accidentally mistake the line for a Dole Whip to be a line for the Tiki Room. This is not the case! Only on very rare circumstances does the Tiki Room have a line. If you are interested in seeing the Tiki Room and you find yourself in line, it would behoove you to check and make sure you’re not standing in line for a Dole Whip.

And incidentally, if you want both a Dole Whip AND to see the Tiki Room, there is a Dole Whip window inside the Tiki Room waiting area.

And finally–one more very important feature of the Adventureland Entrance is the bathrooms.

They're roughly in there

I honestly believe that these restrooms are the most crowded restrooms in the entire park. Seriously. I am not a fan. I really think you should either hit the one behind the Carnation Cafe (my personal favorite) or the one in New Orleans Square by the French Market. And of course, if you have a baby, use the Baby Care Center.

And speaking of restrooms, the Happiest Potties On Earth is a great rating system for all Disneyland restrooms.

 

Adventureland ,

Disney Showcase

4 Comments Posted by on October 28, 2011

Over on Main Street there’s the Emporium on the left if you’re standing in Town Square and looking at the castle. Over on the right, across the street, is a store called the Disney Showcase.

It's All American or something

However, The Disney Showcase is not marked with BIG GIANT LETTERS if you’re actually ON Main Street:

It's sort of unassuming and big at the same time

The part on Town Square is where you’ll find the Straw Hatters when they’re doing their whole show with Donald, Pluto, Mickey, and Minnie.

And also a great place to look for characters

The Disney Showcase contains clothes and some Disney knick knacks

Shirts, knick knacks

If you look up, you’ll see some very cute above-shelf decorations

Like these

There are also a couple of hat writing machines.

Oh yeah, and hats

Now let me take a moment to bid a fond farewell to the old hat writing machines. The old machines were sewing machines that only sewed in two directions–I believe down and to the left. The hat writer was a cast member who had to flip the hat inside out, fit it into the machine backwards, and then write the name on the hat by moving the hat around by hand. And also do it in the correct handwriting-look font. I mean seriously, that was a SKILL. Now hat writing is done by automatic machine. The advantage is that you have more options–the traditional font or a couple of others if you want to pay more, different thread colors, and more room for two lines with one font. The downside of all of these choices is that hat writing now takes for.ev.er. Especially if you get a backup of several people. Oh my gosh, for realz, you could go get a churro and come back for your hat. And I do recommend the churros you know.

Anyway, the Disney Showcase also includes one of Kevin’s least favorite merchandise items: Duffy the Disney Bear.

And his various outfits

As the story goes, Minnie Mouse gave Duffy to Mickey as Mickey traveled the globe so…he wouldn’t forget her? Something like that. Duffy actually has a Mickey Mouse shape on his face–a fact I just now noticed. Anyway, you’re supposed to take Duffy on all of your travels and take pictures of him in various places like a gnome. Duffy also show up at the Mouse-Next-Door for a meet and greet. It does seem weird that out of all of the characters Disney has in their cartoons and movies, they had to invent a new one for this purpose, but there ya go.

And that’s the Disney Showcase! My final piece of advice is don’t wait until the end of the night to get your name on your hat.

 

 

Main Street , , ,

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