HoJo Anaheim

DISNEYLAND NEWS: FANTASMIC 20TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION

Tue, 22 May 2012 11:25:43 -0700

One of Disneyland’s most popular shows celebrates its 20th Anniversary this month, and Disney sent out an invitation to their Annual Passholders to attend a special after-hours event. Being an Annual Passholder myself, I was forced to visit the park yet again ;). The crowds gathered early for the 11:30PM showing:

They had plenty of special food offerings unique to this event, which was a real nice treat. Here are some of pictures of what the French Market was serving that night starting with the French Dip Sandwich with New Orleans Chips. The sandwich came out a little soggy, but we were going to dip it in the au jus sauce anyway so there were no complaints here. (Food photos courtesy of Mark De Leon)

The Popcorn Shrimp Basket was delicious. It came with the remoulade dipping sauce that took it over the top! This is the same sauce they give you when you order Pommes Frites at Cafe Orleans so I’ll give it an automatic thumbs-up.

Here’s a picture of the Apple Yam Salad for those trying to eat a little healthier:

The Fantasmic Cupcake was a nice touch:

It looked pretty busy for an Annual Passholder event, but a lot of the other lands were closed so the majority of people were concentrated in one area:

These lighted Mickey Balloons were scattered all over the Rivers of America Viewing area

Before the show, there was a short montage of old news clips announcing the arrival of Fantasmic 20 years ago:

There weren’t any noticeable differences in the actual show from what I recall.

Murphy The Dragon made an appearance:

After the show, the Fantasmic 20th Anniversary logo was up for photo ops:

I left early to avoid the rush, but I heard several characters ranging from Mickey Mouse to the dancing monkeys from Fantasmic were waving goodnight to the crowds from Main Street Station. You might need to use your imagination for this one =)

Thats it for now! Til next time!

Tommy (dipped in au jus)

*Planning a stay near the Disneyland Resort? Make the Howard Johnson Hotel & Water Playground at Disneyland your home base for RETRO FAMILY FUN! Visit our website for the famous MATTERCAM, videos, and more information on this piece of Anaheim history!

DISNEYLAND NEWS: CARNATION PLAZA GARDENS CLOSES DOWN

Wed, 16 May 2012 10:50:29 -0700

END OF AN ERA:

Several hundred people danced the night away on April 28 2012, as Disneyland gets ready to transform the Carnation Plaza Gardens into the Fantasy Faire. This stage has hosted greats like Buddy Rich, Louis Armstrong, and The Elliot Brothers just to name a few and also holds the title of the longest running Big Band Swing Stage in the world! Stan Freese, head of the Disneyland Band was there that night, and he told me a little bit about how this stage came to be and Disney’s plans for the future.

Here is a picture of me along with the man himself, Stan Freese.

The Big Bands started playing at Carnation Plaza Gardens in 1959, and when the original band leaders started to pass away, the bands got different people to front the band, but Disneyland kept paying the same amount of money. When these big bands played seven nights a week in the summer, the money definitely added up, so Stan was asked to form their own ‘Disneyland Big Band’. Stan also encouraged the dancers to dress up in World War II costumes, and a lot of the non-dancing guests got a kick out of seeing guys and gals in uniform letting loose on the dance floor. The Carnation Plaza Gardens stage played a key role in the resurgence of Swing Dancing in the 90’s. While this stage is closed now, the bands and the dancers will be transplanted to the Downtown Disney District every Saturday night. Also, after the Fantasy Faire is completed, the stage area will again be used to host Big Bands and swing dancers at night, so all is not lost.

There are plenty of attractions that have been replaced over the years, but it’s definitely sad to see one of the last remaining venues go away that has been unchanged since opening day. However, I have to say that the bands and the dancers gave the perfect goodbye to their beloved stage that night. A lot of people were dressed in Hawaiian shirts to wave “Aloha” to the Carnation Plaza Gardens and to the end of an era.

That’s it for now. See you at the Parks!

Tommy

DISNEY FIX: WALT DISNEY STUDIOS BURBANK

Fri, 04 May 2012 15:16:06 -0700

Greetings everyone! I was lucky enough to be invited to visit the Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, about 40 minutes north of the hotel. The studio does not offer public tours like Universal Studios does. A few of the ways to get in is to obtain tickets to a live taping of a sitcom, buy a Disney/Hollywood package that includes a tour, or join D23 and wait for member tour days a few times per year.

As a Disney fan, this has to be one of the coolest places to visit other than the Parks themselves. This place is filled with Disney history, and fans can easily spend several hours here just walking around and exploring the Disney Acrchives. This is also where classics such as Mary Poppins and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea were filmed.

Below are pictures from The Legends Plaza. It’s a courtyard with plaques and handprints of the people that have made a lasting impact in the Disney Universe. People like Tom Hanks, Julie Andrews, and Marc Davis, just to name a few.

Here’s a note for Disney Legend Robert Sherman that someone left for him after his recent passing:

There is a Partners Statue here just like the one in the theme parks, but this one is far more accessible!

There is also a statue of Walt’s brother, Roy

When I hear the term “Walt Disney Archives”, I envision something grand like the Library of Congress with tight security around the perimeter. It was quite the opposite actually. The sign said, “open” so I walked right in. The room was no bigger than our Kids Suites at the HoJo, and we were free to take pictures and look through old comics and magazines. I could have spent all day in this room. It was so neat looking through publications from the 60s and 70s and seeing what the park looked like back then.

Apart from the books, they also have a ton of memorabillia! My jaw dropped when I saw all of these collectiles in one place!

Am I the only one wondering how much these would go for on Ebay?

Here is the costume that Bootstrap Bill Turner wore in the Pirates of the Caribbean movies:

Aztec Gold!

Here is the Wardrobe used for the Chronicles of Narnia movies. I wasn’t able to go inside unfortunately. :)

The helmet that the Rocketeer wore was on display as well:

Here is a picture of the Multi Plane camera that revolutionized animated films during its time

Thats it for this update! Hope you enjoyed the pictures and see you next time!

See you in the parks!

Time Capsule Tommy

INNSIDE SCOOP: CARS LAND MERCHANDISE PREVIEW!

Fri, 04 May 2012 15:10:42 -0700

Just in case you didn’t know, Cars Land will be opening to the general public on June 15. In the mean time, Annual Passholders who can’t wait until then to start spending money on Cars Land Merchandise (this guy) had a chance to do so during the Merchandise Preview event ;).

The event was held in Stage 17 in the Hollywood Pictures Backlot in DCA and you had to show your Annual Pass along with a picture ID to enter.

There is a small display outside that shows the majority of the merchandise available for purchase.

It looked like Disney expected a lot of people by the amount of empty space they had inside. There were also plenty of cashiers to help out guests with their purchases.

Here is a preview of the costumes for Buena Vista Street:

After ElecTRONica powers down, The Mad T Party will take its place. There was a small section that showcased the costumes and merchandise as well, but none were available for purchase.

They did have some samples of the special food and drink items that will be available at the Mad T Party including Dill-Flavored Popcorn (?) and Cotton Candy-flavored and Granny Apple-flavored frozen drinks. I wasn’t a big fan of the popcorn, but the Cotton Candy drink was pretty good.

Heres a picture of the costumes for Cars Land:

Lightning McQueen and Mater were available for a photo op

And now for the Cars Land and California Adventure merchandise!

One last look at the preview area

That will do it for this update. Thanks for stopping by and see you at DCA & CARS LAND!

Cheers,
Tom-Mater

DISNEY FIX: BLUE SKY CELLAR - CARS LAND!

Mon, 19 Mar 2012 12:05:47 -0700

Its been years in the making, but the date for the official opening of Cars Land has been set for June 15, 2012! Ride testing is already taking place to make sure everything is ready for the big day. Over at the Blue Sky Cellar Preview Center, they have changed their displays to focus on Cars Land just in case you’re like me and just can’t wait that long!

Inside the center, they have plenty of concept art and blueprints to look at so you can follow the Imagineers’ creative process from the very beginning. It makes it that more special when you see it completed, which is why I love visiting this place!

There is also a scale model of Cars Land at the center of the room, where you can get a bird’s-eye view of how massive this expansion is. The main attraction, Radiator Springs Racers, takes up half of Cars Land!

While you’re there, make sure to take time to watch the video that plays in the theater. Its much longer than any other video I’ve seen them play there, but it’s well worth it. John Lasseter and his team talk about their journey into making Cars Land a reality. At the opposite end of the theater is the shovel that was used for breaking ground, signed by the team.

As of now, there is no word of any early previews for Passholders yet, but if they have one and I get selected, you can bet I will have pictures for you all. Until then, June 15 is circled on my calendar! See you all at the Parks!

Tommy

*Planning a stay near the Disneyland Resort? Make the Howard Johnson Plaza Hotel at Disneyland your home base for RETRO FAMILY FUN! Visit our website for the famous MATTERCAM, videos, and more information on this piece of Anaheim history!

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY: WALT'S LEPRECHAUN

Wed, 14 Mar 2012 11:42:26 -0700

DISNEYLAND NEWS: OMDD! ONE MORE DISNEY DAY

Wed, 14 Mar 2012 11:40:09 -0700

Hey everyone! Tommy here again with a trip report on Disney’s Leap Day celebration. For those of you that couldn’t make it, don’t feel too bad. If I could sum up the festivities, it was like having a Grad-Night crowd without having the Grad-Night security. My brilliant plan was to arrive early in the morning after it opened, get a hand-stamp for re-entry then come back at night after work. It seems like everyone was thinking the same thing because the crowd level was very light in the morning until early afternoon. It got busier and busier as the night went on, finally forcing Disneyland to close the entry gates from 11pm to about 2 am. I just don’t think there was any way Disney could prepare for such a large turnout, but I had fun nonetheless.

My wife and me on Main Street at 6:45 am

I arrived at about 630 in the morning, just after the masses of people that camped out the night before were let in to the parks. They were handing out commemorative buttons when you got in the park and all the guests were greeted by a line of cast members wearing mickey gloves, which i thought was a nice touch. After I bought my Leap Day shirt, I got my handstamp and left for work.

One of the most peaceful times of the day sitting by the train station

I got back to the parks around 5pm and the crowd was still manageable. The hotel held a contest on who could take the most creative photo with one of our Hojo pirate hats on Leap Day, so I handed out hats on Main street for a little while. The contest entries can be found on our FLICKR page here.

I left at 8 for a quick nap then returned at about 11. This was when the majority of people decided to go to the parks. The streets were a parking lot and swarms of people were trying to enter. Lucky for me, I had my handstamp because they were not letting people in around that time without one. The line to get in to the parks took up the entire entry plaza and stretched all the way to California Adventure from what I saw.

After an hour or so, I finally made it back in. The lines for the rides were extremely long, and if it wasn’t for some Fast Passes that some friends gave me, I would not have gone on any attractions that night. The food lines were out of control as well. Disney had some special food items that I was really craving, but I really didn’t feel like waiting for an hour to get food. Most of my time was spent just walking around hanging out with friends and listening to the DJ at Tomorrowland Terrace.

I personally had no problem with that because people watching is pretty fun especially when you see a bunch of zombies walking around at 4 am! In any case, we topped the night off with an excellent photo op of the only characters inside Disneyland that I would wait a long, long time for - get it? =) It’s not very often that you see Darth Vader and the Stormtroopers out together taking pictures, so I just had to do it!

After that, I was feeling pretty tired, so I called it quits at 5 am. I still had fun despite the rowdy crowds, but I hope Disney can learn from this and improve it in the future.

Til next time,

OTT! = One Tired Tommy

DISNEYLAND NEWS: NEW ORLEANS 'BAYOU BASH'!

Wed, 14 Mar 2012 11:37:29 -0700

Hello everyone! Tommy here again with more Disneyland goodness to share. In my humble opinion, New Orleans Square is one of the most beautifully themed lands at Disneyland. From the elaborately decorated stores, to the personality that each and every balcony has overhead, you feel that you’re really walking through the French Quarter. So it comes as no surprise that this corner of the park will be getting jazzed up for Mardi Gras - Disneyland style.

There are special events happening on select dates until March 11, so make sure to come by and experience the fun! Mickey and Minnie will be dressed up in their Mardi Gras costumes and Princess Tianna and Prince Naveen will be available for picture opportunities. The thing I’m most excited about, however, is the food!

The French Market, Blue Bayou, and Cafe Orleans all will have unique food offerings so you have plenty of places to pick from, but I cant guarantee that the choice will be easy. Would you like a Creole Mustard French Style Sausage Sandwich from the French Market? How about a
Bouillabaisse (seafood broth with lobster and red snapper) from the Blue Bayou? My personal choice would be the Fat City Snapper and the Royal Street Banana Foster Crepe from Cafe Orleans, but that’s just me! If the restaurants aren’t your thing, why not try some Bacon Cheddar Popcorn from one of the food carts? Nothing says Fat Tuesday better than that, right?

Photo By Mark De Leon

Here are the remaining dates of the 2012 Bayou Bash taken from the Disneyland Blog:

February 17, 18, 19, 20, 21
February 24, 25, 26
March 2, 3, 4
March 9, 10, 11

That’s all for now hope to see you soon!

Tommy the HoJo Cajun King

DISNEY FIX: DISNEYLAND OPERA HOUSE

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 12:37:00 -0800

Its the most wonderful time of the year! No, it’s not the holidays, but it is off-season! :) Lines are really short and crowds are really minimal, especially on weekdays. I recently paid a visit to a very neglected attraction in the park, The Disneyland Opera House (opened in 1973). It’s no surprise why it rarely gets visited because it is right at the start of Main Street as you enter the park. Most of the time people are rushing to get to Star Tours or Space Mountain, and walk right past this hidden gem.

In the lobby of the Opera House is a small display of Disneyland history. History was not my favorite subject in school, but if it’s Disney, I’m all for it! They have a scale model of Sleeping Beauty’s Castle and Splash Mountain on display, as well as idea boards that show how some lands in the park came about.

They also have a display of the original ticket books that were used before the current ticket system took place. What I love about this display in particular is that moment when kids ask the adults what those books were used for. All of a sudden, stories start pouring out from the adults, and the kids realize that the adults are just kids at heart too (cue the awwww sound).

There are several other things that I didn’t take a picture of so you can enjoy it for yourself the next time you enter the parks, including a model of the entire park when it opened, and an actual park bench that Walt Disney sat on when he was inspired to make Disneyland.

Hope to see you at the parks soon!

Tommy “Honest Abe” Lincoln ;)

GASTRO ADVENTURES: A JOLLY HOLIDAY ALL YEAR ROUND

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 16:02:33 -0800

Hello again! Now that the Holiday season has officially ended, Disneyland is now in its off season. The park closes much earlier and plenty of attractions are receiving some much needed TLC, but the crowds are not as heavy, which is why I love visiting this time of year. Amidst all the refurbishments going on all over the park, there is one place that just opened its doors recently at the end of Main Street. The Jolly Holiday Bakery is a quick-service restaurant that is inspired by none other than Mary Poppins.

The signage and the decorations look great inside and outside. The imagineers really took their time in paying attention to little details. They have miniatures in glass cases and paintings on the wall to look at while you’re in line waiting to order.

Before you step outside, you can see cutout silhouettes of Jane Banks, Michael Banks and Mary Poppins. Seating is outside right along Main Street so you get a good view if you’re a people watcher like me =)

The menu primarily consists of sandwiches, but they have soup and salad as well. Apart from the menu items, they also had deserts and pastries available. Most of these, however, can be found at other places in the park so I exercised control and didn’t go on a sugar binge.

I tried the Hot Angus Roast Beef on a Toasted Onion Roll for 9.69. I’m sad to say that the sandwich was very dry. It wasn’t bad but it definitely could be better. There are some other things on the menu that intrigue me so I will be back, but I’m sure there are other places to review until then. Hope to see you in the parks soon!

Tommy (practically perfect in every way)

INNSIDE SCOOP: THE FORCE HAS ARRIVED

Fri, 23 Dec 2011 13:17:06 -0800

Hello everyone! Tommy here again with another trip report for you. If any of you are Star Wars fans like me, it would be well worth it to make a half-day trip to the Discovery Science Center in neighboring Santa Ana. “Star Wars: Where Science Meets Imagination” has something every Star Wars fan can appreciate.

The exhibit features some interactive stations where you can build your own droid, levitate a small cart using magnets, and float on air. However, my favorite part of it all was the props and costumes from the actual movies. They have scale models of the X-Wing, Y-Wing, the Millennium Falcon, and many others.

Its amazing to think that these are the exact models flying across the screen from the earlier movies, long before computer graphics were popular. They had to make the ships with an incredible amount of detail because they put the camera real close to give the illusion of size. I could stare at these for hours!

In addition to the small scale models, there was also the Landspeeder that Luke Skywalker rode in. Unfortunately, I wasn’t allowed to hop in and take a picture inside it.

Apart from the parking fee and the general admission price, the Star Wars exhibit requires an additional ticket, but it’s still worth seeing. I would suggest arriving earlier in the day so that you can experience the rest of what the Science Center has to offer then take your journey into a galaxy far, far away! :)

Until next time…and may the Force be with you! ( Sorry I couldn’t resist )

Tommy Wan Kanobi

The Discovery Science Center is just five miles south of the HoJo! A quick cab ride or these directions will get you there within about 5 minutes. Exhibit runs now through April 15, 2012.

*Planning a trip to The Disneyland Resort? The Howard Johnson Plaza Hotel @ Disneyland would love to be your homebase for adventure! Check out our HoJo Innsider Forums for videos, special discount rates and expert trip planning advise.

HOTEL UPDATES: OPERATION "QUIETUDE"

Mon, 28 Nov 2011 14:36:38 -0800

We’re thrilled to announce the completion of our sound-proofing project of the freeway-side rooms (floors 1-6) in Building #1! We have added an additional sliding glass door on the balcony of these rooms to provide a remarkable level of “peace and quiet”! This special window treatment was added to all Kids Suites, Standard King and Freeway-side Standard Queen rooms on floors 1-6 (the 7th floor will be updated soon). Additionally we will be adding microwave ovens to all Standard Queen rooms!

Here is a comment from a recent guest:

“Just finished our 6 night stay in the kids suite. This was our 5th stay in the suite in one year. Just wanted to say what an improvement the extra double sliding doors are on the balconies with the freeway noise! Thank You! See you next year.”

Check out our rooms!

DISNEY FIX: BUENA VISTA STREET

Fri, 18 Nov 2011 11:49:43 -0800

Contrary to popular belief, I don’t just visit the bars when i go to the parks. I also enjoy visiting those places that don’t get as much traffic as other parts. The Blue Sky Cellar in Disney California Adventure showcases the plans and ideas for future projects in the parks. Their focus this time is on Buena Vista Street, which is the future name of the main entry walkway into DCA. Just as Main Street USA represents a town Walt Disney grew up in, Buena Vista Street represents Los Angeles during the time he arrived in California to start making films.

The California Adventure entrance, modeled after the Pan Pacific Auditorium, will be your first stop into your journey back in time. At the center of the main entry courtyard will be a new statue of Walt and Mickey called “Storytellers”. This statue shows a younger Walt Disney as he would have looked right when he arrived, complete with the clothes trunk.

One thing that California Adventure lacked, among many things in its early days, was a form of in-park transportation. One of the reasons why Main Street felt like Main Street was the presence of cars, buses, and horses going from one end to the other. The Imagineers took note and added Red Car Trolleys that will take guests from Buena Vista Street, to Hollywood Tower.

At the end of Buena Vista Street will be the Carthay Circle Theater. This is a nod to the original theater that premiered Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs back in December 1937.

I personally can’t wait until Buena Vista Street is finished along with Cars Land in 2012. It’s going to make my decision of what park to visit much harder. Tough problem right?

Til next time!

Tommy

*Planning a family trip to the Disneyland area? The Howard Johnson Plaza Hotel @ Disneyland would love to be your homebase for adventure! Join us on our HoJo Innsider Forums for video tours, special discount rates and expert trip planning advice!

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DISNEY FIX: TRADER SAM'S - ENCHANTED TIKI BAR

Sat, 12 Nov 2011 11:48:30 -0800

Another day, another Disney bar to review! Tommy here with another place for you to visit while at the Disneyland Resort . Trader Sam’s - Enchanted Tiki Bar is located in the Disneyland Hotel Complex near their pool area. It’s about a 15 to 20-minute walk from the HoJo. The walk back to the hotel will certainly be “enchanted” if you have had one too many. ;)

: Trader Sam’s Entrance

It’s a relatively small place with a cozy bar and some tables scattered around the room, but it’s the little details that make this place a lot of fun. If you ever wondered what it would be like to have a drink in the Enchanted Tiki Room at Disneyland, this would be the closest you would get. When you enter Trader Sam’s you are transported to a tropical hut overlooking a volcano. Sitting at the bar is quite an experience for the uninitiated because the bartenders love playing tricks on unsuspecting guests. They have the ability to control the height of your barstool, so they can go up or down while your in the middle of a conversation! It’s pretty funny to see the reaction on peoples faces when their seat starts rising. Their first instinct is to look at their drink and wonder whats in it. :)

Since this is a bar, the food selection is limited to appetizers, but it is still worth a try. Some of the menu items included Tamarind-Glazed Island Pork Wings, Fish Tacos, and Panko-Crusted Chinese Long Beans. The Kalua Pork Flatbread with pulled pork, red onion, cilantro, barbecue sauce, and mozzarella was just what I needed. The serving could have been bigger, but if I wanted a feast I would have gone somewhere else, right?

Now for the drinks! The two I would definitely recommend is the Krakatoa Punch and the Uh Oa. The Krakatoa Punch has spiced rums, tropical juices, almond syrup, and Hibiscus Grenadine. The Uh Oa is large enough for 2 or more and has light and dark rums, orange, passion fruit, guava and grapefruit juices, cinnamon and lime. Each one of these drinks not only taste great but also trigger certain events around the entire room! Remember that volcano I told you about when you entered the bar? Order a Krakatoa Punch and the volcano starts erupting as your drink is served! Pay a little extra and you can keep the cup as a souvenir.

: Krakatoa Punch!

All in all, Trader Sam’s is a fun little bar worth a visit the next time you’re around. Now I know I’ve said that before, and I might be overloading you with too many places to go, but you weren’t planning on visiting us just once, were you?

Cheers,

Tiki Tommy

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It’s beginning to look a lot like… (photo by Tommy...

Mon, 07 Nov 2011 21:16:49 -0800

It’s beginning to look a lot like… (photo by Tommy at HoJoAnaheim)

DISNEY FIX: WHAT'S ARIEL BEEN HIDING?

Sat, 05 Nov 2011 14:35:59 -0700

Hidden Gems: The Cove Bar

After a long day at the parks, there’s nothing quite like a refreshing adult beverage. If you can’t wait that long and want your drink while you’re there, Disney California Adventure has plenty of options. A hidden gem that is popular among the locals is The Cove Bar, located by the Ariel’s Grottoentrance. Not to be confused with Castaway Cove at our hotel, The Cove Bar caters to more grown-up tastes. There is minimal signage pointing to its location, so the bar is not as crowded as other places in the park. Add the fact that you are overlooking Paradise Bay with unobstructed views of Mickey’s Fun Wheel, California Screamin, and the Boardwalk; its easy to see why this place would be worth a visit.

: View from The Cove Bar (photo by Tommy)

I had the chance to finally visit The Cove Bar this past week and all the reviews I heard from friends were true. It was easy enough to find a table, and the ambience was casual yet quiet. The food menu highlights include Buffalo Wings, Barbecue Chicken Pizza, and the very popular Lobster Nachos. They also had a decent beer and wine selection along with specialty drinks like the Godiva Chocolate Martini and the Antioxidant Cocktail. I didn’t have the time or the liver to sample the entire drink catalog, so on good authority, I ordered the Black Pearl. It’s not on the menu, but the bartenders will be more than happy to make it for you. My server described the drink as a Long Island Iced Tea with 3 more alcoholic ingredients I can’t recall, along with some raspberry. It was so good, I didn’t even get a chance to take a picture with it :). I’m really not sure why they would remove this drink from the menu, but it’s nice that they still make it upon request.

The next time you make your way to Disney California Adventure and are looking for a place to sit and relax, give The Cove Bar a try. Even if you aren’t thirsty or hungry, the view from the patio allows you to get away from the theme park for a little bit while you recharge your batteries.

Til next time!

Tommy a.k.a. Mr. Black Pearl

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HAPPIEST HAUNTS ON EARTH

Sat, 29 Oct 2011 10:45:00 -0700

Whoa, did anyone else just see that??? #disneyland #halloween #hojoanaheim #ghost

Hey everyone! Time for another blog entry with your resident Disney fanatic and HoJo family member.

: Timmy in Alice-land?

Since it’s Halloween Time at the parks, it seemed fitting for this entry to be dedicated to something a little more spooky. Let me first say up front that I have not personally experienced these events and that the views expressed in this article are a matter of opinion and in no way reflect the views ofHoward Johnson Plaza Hotel. :)

Now that we got that out of the way, there are plenty of Disneyland ghost stories and videos out there, but we will focus on one in particular. One you may not have heard about before. This ghost, supposedly a 10 year-old boy named Timmy, haunts the Alice in Wonderland ride in Fantasyland. Searching through the thousands of posts on the Mousewait Lounge, I came across two people who seemed to have the closest encounter with this ghost to my knowledge. Their names have been changed to protect their identity (Cue the Law & Order sound effect).

Mark has had a fascination with paranormal activity since childhood, and knows about several of the ghost stories regarding Disneyland. As far as Timmy is concerned, Mark had mentioned to me that he has tried to make contact numerous times while on the Alice in Wonderland ride. “While I have never personally seen Timmy, I have attempted to make contact numerous times on Alice in Wonderland during late night rides. I have taken hundreds, if not thousands of pictures, and had many of the Tulgey Woods parts of my picture never appear or show up pitch black. I have also felt extreme sadness (while in that area)“.

: Tulgey Wood

Jamie, a Disney cast member, has also had an encounter with Timmy earlier this month: “The first time we rode it (my friend) was gonna tell me what room he was in, but I didn’t want her to tell me until after the ride to see if I felt anything. I did! As soon as we entered Tulgey Wood I felt really worried and kind of sad.” She took some pictures but, after several failed attempts of uploading them online, deleted them. “I guess it was a sign that something, or someone did not want those pictures uploaded, so I just deleted them out of respect - not to mention I was genuinely freaked out!”

Well, I had to go see for myself what this was all about so I decided to ride Alice in Wonderland…at night. I must say if Timmy does exist, he might have been shy that night because I didn’t feel or see anything unusual. But I was told if you yell out his name, he may show up. Good luck and happy hunting!

BOO,

Tommy

During this week of creepy fare, villains abound to create...

Fri, 28 Oct 2011 10:23:50 -0700

During this week of creepy fare, villains abound to create despair. There are many to name in Walt’s collection, who is the SPOOKIEST to your recollection??

The Real Haunted Mansion

Thu, 27 Oct 2011 11:17:21 -0700

This is a spookerific and fitting story for this week. The Anaheim White House Restaurant is haunted. It’s been on several “Most Haunted Sites” type of television shows. We love to eat there on a quite night and keep our eyes and ears peeled…Eeeeeeek!

http://www.anaheimwhitehouse.com/about/article.php?id=8

Thanks Diana…this rocks!!! :)

Thu, 27 Oct 2011 11:11:47 -0700

Thanks Diana…this rocks!!! :)