Posts tagged hojoanaheim

INNSIDE SCOOP: CARS LAND MERCHANDISE PREVIEW!

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!

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!

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WORDLESS WEDNESDAY: WALT’S LEPRECHAUN

DISNEYLAND NEWS: OMDD! ONE MORE DISNEY DAY

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’!


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
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


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 ;)

*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!CLICK HERE TO BEGIN THE MAGIC…

GASTRO ADVENTURES: A JOLLY HOLIDAY ALL YEAR ROUND

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)

*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!  CLICK HERE TO BEGIN THE MAGIC…

(Source: )

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DISNEY FIX: BUENA VISTA STREET

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!

*Got MouseWait yet? It’s the most downloaded Disneyland app for iPhone and Android. Support our partner and find out the wait times on all the rides, message boards and more!


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

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

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DISNEY FIX: WHAT’S ARIEL BEEN HIDING?

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

*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!

*Got MouseWait yet? It’s the most downloaded Disneyland app for iPhone and Android. Support our partner and find out the wait times on all the rides, message boards and more!

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