Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Disneyland - December 4, 2010 - A Photo Splash From Our Recent Trip - Seldom Seen Walkway

Well, that was a great Thanksgiving break!!  Sorry for the lack of posts, adventurers!  A little too much turkey and I was out like Rip Van Winkle.  But I'm back today and ready to share some shots from our latest venture into the Park.  We begin above with a friend of mine who hangs out at the south side of the main entrance to Adventureland.  He hooked up with Trader Sam for one of Sam's famous deals.  Looks like he came out on top.
Meanwhile, over at the Mansion, Jack Skellington and crew have moved in.  Wait time: 40 minutes without a FastPass.  Scary.



Wreaths and skulls.  Jack and Trader Sam have similar decorating taste when it comes to the holidays.  You should see Sam's hut---looks like Clark Griswold's house.

But now let me take you to a little seen walkway the runs from Fowler's Harbor over the bottom of the Splash Mountain drop and reconnects with the main walkway in "Critter Country."  I have to admit, I actually had not been in this area for many years.  In the photo below you can see part of the walkway.  Keep your eye on Santa's helper in the middle as a reference point for the next photo.






If you continue walking past the girl in the Santa hat, you will find the rest of the walkway, pictured below.


This walkway is never crowded and is quite easy to miss, unless you decide to grab a snack at the food service location at Fowler's Harbor.  Even then, you might not think to continue around the back and find the seating area and walkway pictured here.

The man in the blue shirt in the photograph below is standing at about the spot where I took the first photograph of the walkway shown above.  This shot is taken from a porch along Fowler's Harbor, where the Columbia is often seen docked near the railing to the right side of the picture.


Next, is the view from the eating area at Fowler's Harbor, looking eastward.  This was taken near sunset.  Looks like a pretty good crowd is on hand along the banks of the Rivers of America.  No doubt many were there for the famous Candlelight Procession that was to take place over on Main Street a little while later that evening.  This is an event that dates back to the late 50's and is a holiday tradition that is not to be missed.  The choirs that file down Main Street to the train station literally fill the avenue with song, robes and...candle light.  If you missed the Procession this past weekend...there's always next year.



Let us return to Adventureland for a few views of this area, which is so dear to our hearts here at Jungle Is "101." 

We will begin with Tropical Imports, as viewed from the steps located across from it near the Bazaar.


At Tropical Imports you will come across this fine fellow and may find yourself asking: Why the long face?





If you step around the corner, you will be heading into the unload area of the Jungle Cruise and might find yourself being stampeded by "escaping" guests exiting the attraction.



Where might we find these fabulous and ornate war shields show in the photograph below?



Why, at the back side of the Tiki Room, of course---just above the porch that serves as the attraction's exit.

In closing, allow me to share a couple of main entrance shots that capture the crystal clear skies we were fortunate to encounter during our visit.


Even that "other" park across the way looked amazing on such a clear day.  You can see that the Imagineers are busy with their billion dollar makeover at California Adventure.  Note the scaffolding and sheeting covering the building on the east side of the main entrance.


I certainly missed you all during my brief respite away from blogville and thank you for the kind e-mails making sure that I had not succumbed to malaria, piranhas or the vagaries of middle age.  Like a meatball sandwich during a bout of stomach flu, you just can't keep a good skipper down!

Merry Christmas!  Happy Hanukkah (only one day left!) and Happy New Year!

---Mike

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

Welcome back. Hopefully you are now in "diet mode" getting ready for the next round of debauchery. Oh the humanity on display. That walkway at Fowler's is probably helpful to move the masses if need be. Available space to carry the load looks to be getting smaller and smaller. #4

Anne said...

Glad to ave you back Mike! Thought the turkey might have eaten you.I'm going to Disneyland this weekend and I will be sure to pay more attention! Oh and you never got back to me about the T-Shirt. Glad to Have you back!
PS! I'm applying for an art school, doubt I will get in but I have gotten much better with my art :)

Connie Moreno said...

Oh, that little walkway was my secret refuge! WAS...lol. Great post and good photos of some things that even I have never noticed before!

Unknown said...

So glad you're back! I've missed your posts! My friend and I hung out on that walkway for a while during out last trip to watch as the logs came out of the Briar Patch. It was fun to see people's reactions as they came out laughing and soaking wet! It's also a very peaceful part of the ride... right next to the ROA. We stayed on the walkway for a while... until we noticed the GIANT spiders hanging in webs over our heads... haha!

Anonymous said...

"We will begin with Tropical Imports, as viewed from the steps located across from it near the Bazaar."

Mike...is the area above the Bazaar still used as a break area for skippers? Was a nice quiet place where one could relax, get a tan and watch for their boat to come in. Looks like you can't see the boats today from that location.

JG said...

Great pics. I too love that little walkway. I always wanted to walk in to Fowlers Harbor, and now we can.

The rest of the shots are fun. Nice to see the present state of the park in these areas, except for the crowd.

Good to have you back.

JG

Anne said...

good to know.

Okie said...

Fabulous pictures. A great tour as always. I vaguely remember that walkway. I don't think we went over there on our last trip.

I really hope to get to the park during the holidays one of these years.

Thanks for a fabulous blog. Happy holidays. :)

Erica said...

I think I saw you in the park when you were doing this...? Were you wearing a blue shirt with the Jungle is "101" writing on it?

Mike said...

Everyone, thanks for the kind words! I missed you.

Erica: Yes, I was the one in the "Jungle is 101" T-shirt. Sporty, isn't it?

---Mike

Darryl said...

Thanks!...thanks a lot for broadcasting MY secret hideaway near Fowlers Harbor! (just kidding) Also, ever thought of making t-shirts with the skulls and "wave goodbye" you have on the right hand side?

Nice Post
- Darryl