Jungle is "101" - Disneyland's Jungle Cruise And Other Disneyland Stuff

Disneyland - What's It Like?

2012-01-29T17:06:00.000-08:00

What's it like to be a Disneyland Cast Member?
I've run up against this question many times over the years.
An answer today might differ somewhat from a Cast Member's answer in the 1950s, 60s, 70s or 80s, I'm sure.
I'll give an answer a shot in my simple, broken manner.
I'm a simple, broken person, after all, so I've gotten pretty good at this approach.
To begin with, if you work at Disneyland and do not think that the very fact you work there is something pretty cool indeed, I say you are missing a key component of your personhood.
You are like a security guard at the Louvre who wanders empty halls at night without noticing, encountering and taking in the artwork that surrounds him. What a colossal waste! Why not guard a junkyard instead?
If you came to work at Disneyland solely for a "job" or to complain about your hours, your wages, your bunions or whatever else, I am not sure I understand you.
So, for starters I would say that most Disneylanders felt the job itself was something special.
For a number of us, our role involved being On Stage - out in the Park among the guests.
Some are more outgoing than others.
Others are more outgoing than they should be!
All must admit to a feeling certain small thrill while being part of the Disneyland "show."
Where else in the world is there a job with the goal of making people happy and safe?
Happy and safe in DISNEYLAND, that is?
McDonald's.
Sure, the folks working there would love to see their customers safe and happy.
Not the same.
Retail?
Who at Nordstrom, Macy's, Forever 21, Starbucks, American Eagle, Pottery Barn, Crate & Barrel, Williams Sonoma or Target or Walmart wouldn't wish to pursue a similar goal?
Nope. Not the same.
There is just something different about the Park, even when compared to its new next-door neighbor, Disney's California Adventure, or to the mega-Disney parks in Florida, Paris, Tokyo, the Antarctic, etc.
Disneyland is its own means and end.
It was touched by its founder and literally lived-in by him!
It defies easy categorization or explanation.
It is escapism and fantasy.
But it is also quite real.
There is, unfortunately, vomit to be cleaned up.
There are screaming children throwing tantrums.
Angry guests at the ends of their respective ropes, losing it on a poor counter girl at Coke Corner.
High prices.
Crowds.
Noise.
Smells from grease traps and busy restrooms.
But.
Somehow.
These realities fade into the beauty and joy that Disneyland uniquely brings.
They are overcome by the smiles and laughs of children, teens, adults and grandfolk.
They are drowned out by fireworks, flowers, shiny paint, bursts of color, sparkling lights and sheltering trees.
They dwindle to insignificance beside mountains, castles, mansions, Percherons, steam trains, sternwheeled steamboats, treehouses, rivers and pirate ships.
They are obliterated by children's voices singing, steam whistles blowing, cannons discharging, strange and eerie sounds echoing through halls, frontier gunshots, bleating goats, Yeti roars, carousel music, ragtime piano, jungle drums, marching bands, sudden-drop screams and electrosynthemagnetic musical sounds.
They are erased with ice cream, churros, turkey legs, soda, popcorn, fritters, mint juleps, licorice, rock candy, caramel apples, pineapple whips, teriyaki skewers, pizza and fajitas.
They are overrun by waterfalls, spinning teacups, singing birds, clip-clopping horse hooves, dark caverns, icy slopes, flying elephants, dancing natives, pixie dust, flowers, canal boats and miniature houses.
Indeed, the realities have no chance.
The Park's charm and warmth and happiness conquers all.
Being part of all of that was simply a joy.
With Mickey on your name tag, you had a role to play in the grand experience we all know as "Disneyland."
The sheer fun of having fun.
Working with others who were in on the secret.
Reuniting a lost child with a thankful parent.
Making your little corner of the Magic Kingdom, well...
Magic.
Herding crowds or spending moments one-on-one with someone looking for a restroom, a lost camera, a little conversation, whatever.
Being a little silly---and that's okay!
Smiling.
Laughing.
Solving problems---unexpected problems.
With style.
With diplomacy.
With humor.
Taking a moment to watch the parade go by as you called out, "Please keep to the right!"
Getting to see fireworks every night!
Most of the people you encountered were actually enjoying themselves and having fun!
Imagine!
Your superiors actually wanted you to be nice to people.
Every day.
You got paid money to be at Disneyland.
There's a gig I can handle!
This whole blog is a dim reflection of memories, experiences and feelings that were instilled within me simply by working at the Park.
I know a LOT of other folks who worked there, too, and feel the same way!
Call me a nerd.
Immature.
Escapist.
Daydreamer.
Goof off.
Geek.
A grown up with "Peter Pan" syndrome.
Pollyanna.
Mickey Mouse.
Skipper!
Terminally un-hip and un-cool.

I'm okay with all of that.

After all, there is one thing I've got on most folks...

I worked at Disneyland!

Well...that's my answer.

---Mike

Disneyland - Carousel Music and Tom Sawyer's Island, Tomorrowland and the Parking Lot 1988

2012-01-26T09:54:00.000-08:00

When the "new" Fantasyland debuted in 1983, it was---and remains---a wonder.
The Old School Disney crew responsible for the redesign did an expected phenomenal job.
Of course, many mourned the loss of the old pirate ship and "Skull Cove," as well as the Fantasyland Theater.
But overall, the area's re-christening was welcomed.
The Dumbo calliope (or "band organ") music resounded through the main area of Fantasyland and provided the theme music for the background of my many shifts there as a sweeper.
Where else in the world do you get to set your work pace to the bouncy tunes of classic Disney standards?
I swear the old collection of songs from the calliope---in the order they played---still runs in my head.
You would stay in step with the Mickey Mouse Club March, You Can Fly from Peter Pan, An Actor's Life For Me!, Bibidi-Bobidi-Boo, Chim Chim Cher-ee, Jolly Holiday, Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!, Zip-a-dee Doo Dah!, Some Day My Prince Will Come, etc.
Does anyone have the full list of songs in their original order???

I have written earlier on this blog of a day I when got to work on Tom Sawyer's Island. I came across this video (originally posted by IngrahamArchives on YouTube.com) of the Island in 1988, which shows you how it looked back then. It is a slice of nostalgia for you Park lovers, served up hot with a cup of bad coffee---as though we were on a break at the Inn Between! It contains footage from inside the now closed Fort Wilderness---*sigh.* Well, without further ado, here you go:

While we're on the subject, here is another clip from IngrahamArchives that gives us a glimpse of the Tomorrowland I knew and loved and (at the end) a view of the wonderful 100-acre Disneyland parking lot. You can see the Cast Member parking area (at 6:50 - 7:011-ish on the video), as well as the canopies of the General Motors display that was installed in front of the Park as part of its 30th anniversary celebration in 1985 (these appear for a flash at 7:12)---I had many a Main Gate sweeping shift and wound my way through the display with a pan and broom out there. Now you can see what it was like (from a distance!)

And for a closer view of the parking lot and main entrance area of the Park as it looked back in my day, here is a video from 1990---the areas depicted in the video are largely the same as they would have appeared 3-5 years earlier---you'll will note the extreme lack of Disney's California Adventure, for example! This was posted by Mr.Disneyfanman and I thank him for putting it on YouTube:

Hope you enjoyed today's brief trip back in time!

All the best, to each and every one you!
All four (4) of you, to be exact!

---Mike

Disneyland - Town Square Sweep Shift

2012-01-25T09:44:00.000-08:00

In my sweeper days, I was assigned a summer to Main Street.
I had several Town Square shifts, some opening and some closing.
As a sweeper, you literally learn every inch of the area.
With eyes trained to hunt and destroy objects as small as a kernel of popcorn or a smashed cigarette butt, one becomes keenly attuned to the environment.
The best part about Main Street was my ability to circle Town Square and then pop into the shops and attractions there for a blast of air conditioning and to chat up the cast member at the turnstile.
From the vendors at the gift stands at either main entrance tunnel to the conductors of the Disneyland Railroad to the girl in the yellow dress outside Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln to the plaid-adorned tour guides at and around City Hall.
I knew the cashiers in the Emporium and even bumped into my pals who were working Jungle at the time.
Many skippers would cross over to Adventureland from the cast member gate by the Mad Hatter to the backstage door next to the Fire Department.
"Doug! You closing tonight, too?"
"Oh hey, Mike. Yep. Don's the lead tonight, so we should be in for some real fun."
"Say hi to him for me. Guess I'll see you around. I'm on 'til 1:30 a.m. Joy."
"Ooh! Man, you need to transfer into attractions! I'm out by 12:30 at the latest!"
"Thanks for that. At least I'm not chained to a boat doing laps around vegetation!"
"You WISH you were me, so don't give me that! Have fun picking gum out of flower beds!"
"May you derail."
"Oh, I'd like that! We'd be down for at least half an hour!"
"Charley Browns after work?"
"Probably. I'll see what everyone's up for. Might hit Acapulcos. So long, sweeper boy!"
I pushed him through the backstage door, gently...okay not so gently...slamming it into his backside as he beat a retreat to the back area.
I'd then do a lap around the square along the sidewalks, my broom snapping bits into the jaws of my metal pan.
Inscribed in permanent marker along the side of the pan were the words "Jaws II" and some triangular, cartoonish teeth.
Each sweeper had their own Sharpie design on the sides of their pans, except for the "lifer" guys.
Mine was "Jaws II," as "Jaws" had been retired after a season in Fantasyland---it had developed a rusted hole along the bottom and could not be repaired.
Up the many steps to the Main Street train station.
Tim stood at the entrance making notes on the turnstile "count" on an old clipboard.
His name tag born a cherished 10-year pin.
"How we doing?" I asked.
"Slow day. Only about 20,000 in-Park right now. We're barely cycling guests at the moment. The last train was almost a dead head!"
He looked sharp in his vest, white shirt and rail road cap.
I always admired the Railroad costumes.
Similar to the ones we used to wear on the Mark Twain.
He was exaggerating a bit.
Though 20,000 was hardly a crowd in the expanse of the Park, it was certainly enough bodies to fill more than a few train cars---and they were running three trains, since it was summer.
"I'm heading home; had an opening shift." Tim remarked as he glanced at the pocket watch he pulled from his vest.
His salt and pepper gray hair under his cap, the tiny wrinkles developing around his eyes and his naturally calm, "farmer-like" demeanor made him a natural for the role of Disneyland Railroad conductor.
"I'm afraid I'm here 'til after closing," I announced with a sigh. "Still, there's worse jobs!"
"You have no idea. Wouldn't trade this one for all the money in the world. Looks like the Company's going really attack our benefits during this next contract negotiation, though."
The Strike of 1984 was soon to be a reality.
It would mark the end of Disneyland as we knew it and there was literally nothing anyone could do about it.
The new management was not the Disney family of old.
A group of outsiders had come in, with Roy Disney and his attorney Stanley Gold orchestrating the changing of the guard.
The Company itself had been the subject of a hostile takeover bid by a 1980s corporate raider.
Walt's son-in-law, Ron Miller, was forced out and the Company was about to begin building toward the mega-corporation it has become today.
No matter.
On that afternoon there were still tons of "lifers" and long-timers in the ranks of Disneyland cast members.
I am glad to have had the chance to work among them.
It was a grand time.
More to follow, I'm sure...

----Mike

Disneyland - Let's Get Specific

2012-01-16T23:00:00.000-08:00

Heidi Ho, Neighbor! Been awhile, I know.
Today in the Jungle we get specific.
And share photos from today's trek to the Park.

[DISNEY NERD ALERT: The next section is for Disneyland nerds---despite our best efforts to avoid such content, even we in the Jungle occasionally lapse into it---Disney Nerdville; it's a lot like the stuff you occasionally step into while exploring Water Buffalo habitat. Anyhow, here it goes...]

Sure, you all know about Club 33, but upon what street is it located?

A: Royal Street. 33 Royal Street, New Orleans Square, to be exact. Meet you there at 6:30 p.m. for an icy Martini---dirty, of course.

Speaking of addresses, riddle me this, what is the address of the French Market?

A: 30 Orleans Street, but who's counting? See below.

Oh yeah, well where would you find the Mint Julep Bar?

A: Front Street. Located at the "back" of New Orleans Square, "Front" Street actually runs along the train tracks. The Julep Bar is just west (past the stairs) of No. 15 Front Street.

What are the two (2) addresses for the world famous Cafe Orleans?

A: The main entrance is at 20 Royal Street, but it also has the address of 42 Esplanade (the entrance to the restaurant's main patio, along the famed Rivers of America riverfront).

While we're on the subject, the Cristal d'Orleans is at 23 Orleans Street, just across from Mlle. Antoinette's Parfumerie (24 Orleans St.).

Here's a view of the ancient oak that resides in the planter at the northwest corner of the French Market, providing shade for a goodly chunk of western New Orleans Square.

Who "operates" the Jungle Cruise today?

A: The Jungle Navigation Co. Ltd (since 1911) - you'll see their sign between Jungle's main entrance and the Tropical Imports stand.

Who do you see in Adventureland if you're looking to be inked with an Oriental tatoo?

A: Prof. Harper Goff (he gives banjo lessons, too---also designed the Jungle Cruise, among other things).

And as your heading up the stairs to see Prof. Goff, you can hang a right and see the old Jungle break area "porch" (pictured below). Better get back to your rotation before your break window closes, or you may never get out of that boat once you get back in it!!

Pssstt! Wanna see something really Bazaar?

Take a look across the street after exiting the Jungle Cruise.

Excuse me, but where in the Park will you find sconces like the one pictured below?

A: Inside Davy Crockett's Pioneer Mercantile Exchange.

Can you name the hat shop whose sign adorns the building next door to the Golden Horseshoe?

A: Crockett & Russel Hat Co. (Their coonskin cap logos are on either side of their name).

All right, a few more.

What will you find at 101 Main Street?

A: The Emporium.

What store is located next door to the Emporium, at 107 Main Street?

A: The Crystal Arcade.

What is the name and address of the shop directly across the street from the eastern entrance doors of the Emporium?

A: The 20th Century Music Company (106 Main Street).

Enough of that stuff.

I mean, what next? Hidden Mickeys?

Sheesh.

All right, to round out today's "nerdy" theme, how about a report from today's trip to the Park?

The Park is under rehab left and right! From the Matterhorn (scaffolding up the slopes), to Main Street (shut down on the east side from Carnation Cafe to Coke Corner) to the Columbia (in Fowler's Harbor drydock) to the Adventureland main entrance and beyond.

Good to see the company is keeping up the "Crown Jewel" original of its many theme parks.

Today it was cold at the Park.
Sitting under heat lamps on the patio of the Rancho del Zocalo, we watched the Mark Twain, its decks aglow in sparkling yellow lights, ease up to its dock in the dusky twilight at 5:44 p.m. and end its run.

It was also chilly at the "other park" across the way.
We took in The Little Mermaid (well done and worth the 15-minute wait).

Checked out the new food area on the east side (lots of covered seating and you can get Mediterranean fare or pizza and salads---mental note for those hot days when shade and ceiling fans are absolute musts!).

Cars Land construction continues to hum along--we took a look from the porch of the Blue Sky Disney Imagineering exhibit.

The whole main entrance area at DCA is fenced off still and as you enter the park, they have everyone walk to the right, behind the Soarin' building.

They also still have fences up along the World of Color lagoon.

On the way out of Disneyland, we caught the parade on Main Street.
Fabulous.
From "Step in Time" chimney sweeps to Dixieland Jazz, all the princesses, characters, songs and dancing you could hope to pack into a Main Street parade.
Do not miss it---and this is from a grizzled veteran, who's seen just about everything that can straggle down Main Street!!

Thanks for hangin' in there between posts, Jungle fans!!

You are four (4) of the best friends a skipper could ever want!

That reminds me...

You know what the hungry Green Giant said, after he reached into a random bag of mixed veggies in his freezer and pulled out a morsel?

"I gotta pea!"

Yes sir, folks, we offer only the highest quality entertainment in these parts!
Now move along!
Dock side! Please, exit out the front.
Water side, you'll be helped out by the rear.
If you get lost, check in with our helpful "Guest Relations" cast member below.

He'll be more than glad to tell you exactly where to go!

---Mike

Disneyland - Jungle Cruise - The Way We Were

2012-01-05T08:08:00.000-08:00

Scavenging along the shoreline of the Internet, I came across the following footage of the old Jungle Cruise from 1992. It shows the attraction as it was when I first worked it, including the old hornbill at the turn in the river that is now occupied by the queue for Indiana Jones. Even "Old Smiley" is referenced by the skipper (a favorite joke at this part of the old river was "Old Smiley is the oldest and laziest crocodile in these parts, he just sits around my boat waiting for a handout. Just last week I had an English teacher on board. She put her hand out. Now she teaches...shorthand"). I miss the old guy.

Many thanks to Eric aka MrDisneyfanman for originally posting this to YouTube. Since there are relatively few good videos of the mid to late 1980s Jungle Cruise, I found this one to be useful because it really shows the old queue, the dock, Trader Sam, the striped canopied boats, even the old Jungle costume as they appeared around the time I first worked the attraction.

Hope all of you Jungle fans have a great day today, wherever you may be.
I love each and every one of you.
Except you in the back.
Yeah, over there on the left.
I'm keeping an eye on you.
Well, it's 8:04 a.m. and time for a Jungle Julep.
Last night the Tiki Gods had a party.
Some luau!
When tiki drums begin to pound, my head full BIG sound!
Cheers, Jungleteers!
And remember, nothing says good, clean Disney fun like human skulls over Adventureland!

---Mike

Disneyland - Jungle Is "101" - A Christmas Greeting

2011-12-25T23:54:00.000-08:00

Before the end of this blessed Christmas Day, allow me to extend a "Merry Christmas" to all of our Jungle is "101" friends, both inside and outside the Berm.
The holiday season and demands of the workplace have kept this old skipper hopping faster than he could type, so blog entries have been as scarce as an African albino pygmy gorilla.
Fret not, friends.
More stories, lore and blithering incoherency are on their way in the coming year.
Here's to 2012 and hoping the Mayans aren't right!
For now, during this season, a toast to all that is loving, kind, redemptive, patient, reproving, orderly, just, intelligent, good, perfect and perfectible.
A cup of joy to the whole race of our brothers and sisters across this small planet!
Peace be with each of you!

As for me, it's time for a dead head, so the throttle's forward, my cares are aft, the teeming Jungle awaits.
I'll be back around in about 10 minutes!
You just wait there patiently at the dock until my return.
Try not to crowd.
Don't all rush the queue at once.
There's room for everyone!
If not, we'll have the first group lie down and start in on the second layer.
Noel!
Adieu!
Merry Christmas!!

---Mike

Disneyland - The Park This Christmas Season

2011-12-06T08:28:00.000-08:00

Hey! It's been pretty cold in Southern California.
Our last three trips to Disneyland were chilly, making the Christmas atmosphere all the more cozy!
Indeed, we were there this past Saturday.
Arriving at around 5:40 p.m., the wind was blowing and the tram ride from the parking lot was made even colder.
It was the night of the Candlelight Procession on Main Street, so the main entrance and Town Square were a bit of a mess from a traffic standpoint.
Still, it was fabulous to see all the guests bundled in scarves, sweaters, knit caps, gloves and coats.
The line for Small World wrapped round the bullpen set up southeast of the attraction's main entrance.
We waited in it for about 25-30 minutes, but actually had an enjoyable time.
It was great to people watch and the line keeps moving.
Plus, with all the lights and decorations lighting up the area at night there was plenty to see as we waited.
A warm cup of coffee and some Pepperidge Farm gingerbread cookies we brought along with us added to the holiday spirit and atmosphere.
It was crowded, but the crowd was in a cheerful mood.
The littlest ones with their caps, scarves and gloves were fun to watch.
Big eyes looking out from under jacket hoods.
Little booted feet.
Some resembled wayward elves.
Others Christmas fairies.
We enjoyed just walking around the Park and taking it all in.
My youngest daughter joined me for a swing dance over at Plaza Gardens.
The band was great!
We warmed ourselves on the porch of the Rancho del Zocalo over some more coffee (and peppermint bark!).
The heaters they have over there are something.
Heck, we had to shed some scarves and jackets and ultimately moved to a table a bit further away as our chocolate was starting to melt!
Should still be cool at Disneyland this coming weekend, so if you are within range (and aren't blocked out), I would highly recommend stopping by for some true Christmas spirit or pre-Hannukah (Dec. 20 -28th) joy, for that matter.
Hannukah, the eight day festival of light of the Jewish faith tradition, celebrates the triumph of light over darkness, of purity over adulteration and of spirituality over materiality.
Not so sure Disneyland is an exact fit on that last one, but it sure is full of light these days!!
Anyhow, my best wishes to everyone in this wondrous season!
Many happy returns to the Happiest Place on Earth!

---Mike

Disneyland - The Park At Christmas - Part II

2011-11-29T06:54:00.000-08:00

Today we have photographs from Sunday night's trip to Disneyland.
We begin and end on Main Street.
Where would you find these idyllic holiday scenes?

Answer: the south windows of The Emporium, shown below from a distance.

And a view of the tree on Town Square.

Next - the garland over the Fire House and the Christmas tree in Walt's apartment window above.

Finally, City Hall.

Just a few snippets, but you get the flavor!

Have a fabulous Tuesday!

Remember, if you find yourself passing by the Jungle Cruise later on tonight---we understand completely!

Merry Christmas!

---Mike

Disneyland - The Park at Christmas

2011-11-28T12:11:00.000-08:00

We went to Disneyland last night.
All was right in the Magic Kingdom.
Not too busy.
The decorations are splayed everywhere, from flickering candles adorning the Haunted Mansion to lighted garland above the Fire House.
We browsed the shops this visit, picking up an engraved gift at Crystal Arts on Main Street.
Iced coffee at the Blue Ribbon Bakery.
Popcorn from the cart in New Orleans Square - across from the French Market patio.
A walk up the recently refurbished Treehouse, which definitely received a lighting upgrade.
The view from the boughs of the Mansion and Thunder and the Castle were worth the climb.
Splash Mountain was sore for customers, which is not a shock given the cool night air and guests opting to avoid drenched clothes and shoes by remaining comfortably dry off the Mountain.
This night, it appeared the folks voting for "dry" were in the majority.
Found a nice, warm spot to watch the fireworks and the five of us enoyed the display.
Never gets old.
I must say I was surprised they let the show go off, since the winds at elevation were moving.
The fireworks were blowing pretty fiercely from east to west, their incendiary bursts and smoke racing through the sky toward Frontierland.
Most times when the winds were that swift, there would be an early finish or an outright cancellation.
It is still a well done show and it ended with "snow" on Main Street.
My youngest bolted to enjoy the falling flakes, her older brother in pursuit---to make sure she did not disappear forever in the Main Street crowd.
He manned his post well and returned with his sister intact.
Score another for this skipper's clan of Park veterans!
For the many readers (two, I believe, out of our four loyal fans) who reside out of state, I am happy to report the Park is as pretty as ever.
Later, I'll post some phots for you all.
Stay merry, my friends!

---Mike

Disneyland - Belated Happy Thanksgiving - Early Merry Christmas!

2011-11-25T11:23:00.000-08:00

Whew!
I haven't posted for the past week or so because I was in the midst of a wrongful death jury trial in downtown Los Angeles.
As counsel for the defendant, I was a touch too busy to post.
The jury issued a verdict in favor of my client after a week of trial.
I even managed to work the Peoplemover into my jury selection and closing argument!
Ah, the joy of having a Disneyland background.
Helps keep the jurors awake.
Okay - semi-awake.
Anyhow, we have all had our Thanksgiving and today is Black Friday.
Guess we should pack up our pepper spray and hit the Wal-Marts, Targets and Best Buys of the world.
Anyone tries to grab that deeply discounted item you're reaching for?
Spray 'em into next week!
That's the Christmas spirit!
Heaven must weep at our hapless human species.
Often.
Hey, at least the folks that brought you two world wars, a Holocaust and atomic weapons are also responsible for good wine, violin symphonies, poetry, art...and Disneyland!
It really is an unlikely place in this wacked out world of ours, isn't it?
Who would have ever believed that this former Anaheim orange grove could be transformed into the Magic Kingdom?
Frankly, only a group of artists, daydreamers and craftsmen like those Walt Disney assembled could have EVER pulled off a stunt like Disneyland.
Many of those responsible are still scratching their heads.
How'd we manage to do it??
Ours, dear Jungle fans, is not to reason why.
We are merely to soldier forth onto Main Street and through New Orleans Square and beyond---experiencing the magnificent place that so many people's imaginations helped to make a reality.
This Thanksgiving we begin, as always, by thanking God for our very lives, our families, and our many blessings---those we see and those we carelessly overlook.
Allow me to add a prayer of thankfulness for the power of imagination, the gift of joy, the capacity to wonder and the faculty of creativity.
These are gifts of light in a world that might otherwise sink hopelessly into tarry darkness.
May your life be filled with such gifts, fellow travelers!
As we march forward into the Christmas season, please accept this old skipper's sincere wishes for a Merry Christmas!
This is a simple greeting and wish meant to communicate universal concepts of joy, love and peace, regardless of the cultural, racial or religious background of the recipient.
And I extend it to you whether you hail from the banks of the Nile in Egypt, the teeming jungles of the Amazon, the humid forests of the Mekong, the steep canyons of the Yangtze, the Colorado or Columbia, the idyllic hillsides of the Rhine or the Danube, the soaring edifices abutting the Hudson, the Thames or the Seine, the realm of the mystic Ganges, the plains along the Irrawady and the Congo, the green wetlands along the Tigris and Euphrates, the muddy edges of the Mississippi or Missouri or Ohio, Allegheny or Monongahela, on either side of the damp concrete channel known as the Los Angeles River, or "home on the Ana" along the Santa Ana River in Anaheim, or from the dusty deserts of Yemen, Tunisia, northern Mexico, the Australian Outback, the American Southwest, or northern and central Africa, or come from the high mountain areas of the Andes, the Rockies, the Alps, the Urals, the Himalayas, the Hindu Kush, Sierra Madre, the Pyrenees, Sierra Nevada, Smoky Mountains, Blue Ridge, Mt. Kenya, Mt. Kilimanjaro or Akaishi Mountains, or from the great and rolling plains of the Dakotas, Deosai, western Siberia, northeastern China, the Pampas, Nullarbor in Australia, Canterbury Plains of New Zealand, the Steppes of Russia and Mongolia or the Canadian Prairies.

It is, after all...

...a small, small world.

Merry Christmas!

---Mike

Disneyland - Circle Vision and Rod Miller

2011-11-12T09:32:00.000-08:00

As I walked by my 1983 map of the Park, which is matted, framed and hung on a hallway wall, my eye caught the rounded rooftop of the old Circle Vision attraction in Tomorrowland.
Buzz Lightyear resides there now.
In my Custodial days, sweeping through the pre-show and Circle Vision theater provided welcome relief from hot July shifts in Tomorrowland.
The pre-show area was expansive and cool. The air conditioning was wonderful.
I would always say hello to the attraction operators and make a quick sweep and trash check.
Between shows I would sweep through the theater (about once every hour or so).
Sometimes I'd slip in with the guests and take in the show!
Those who got to experience it know that there is nothing like it.
I was fortunate enough to have seen both the original version and the American Journeys version---snippets of which are shown below in this YouTube posting from "Celli0905."

Even saw several showings of The Wonders of China there in that theater-in-the-round.
I miss that attraction.
Think of what they could do today!
HD cameras.
I bet they could build an unbroken 360 degree screen and really blow your mind with shots and scenes from throughout this great land.
C'est la vie.
I close with this.
In my days in the Jungle, whenever I'd head over to the Inn Between for lunch or to Wardrobe at the close of my shift, I would pass through the door over by the Candy Palace and Coke Corner.
Most of the time, I'd get to walk right by this gentleman and his piano.
Get a load of Rod Miller just doin' his thing...

Hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.
Many thanks to HarborHouse55 who posted this originally!!!
'Course, I got to see him "live" five days a week and it didn't cost me anything to get in the gate!

---Mike

Disneyland - I wish real life were more like it..

2011-11-10T16:23:00.000-08:00

I wish real life were more like Disneyland.
First of all, things would be cleaner.
There'd be theme music in the background.
You could always find a trash can.
Or a bathroom.
Or an interesting attraction.
Most folks would be smiling.
Several would have name tags, so you'd know whom to ask for help.
There would also be a map.
Of course, the food would be subpar.
But you could could walk to everything.
Sure, there would be lines, but we'd have FastPasses, too.
The surroundings would be safe.
No weapons, except the harmless rifles in the Frontierland Shootin' Arcade, plastic Swords in the Pirate shop and an occasional Buzz Lightyear ray gun.
The whole family would have fun together, or go off on their own if they needed a break.
"We'll meet back at the Castle in an hour, or text where and when you want to meet!"
Things would be accessible to everybody, even if you have a disability or a condition that might otherwise limit your ability to participate.
Monorails.
We'd have those, too.
And a Skyway (while we're at it).
The tour guides would wear plaid.
No Congress.
Abe Lincoln would be our president.
Fireworks.
Every night in the summer.
Dole whips for the whole bar!
You can bump the car ahead of you and no one gets hurt or sues.
Disney dollars and no mortgage or global economic collapse.
There's a Hub where we can all meet and no one is disputing land boundaries.
Tomorrowlanders do not suicide bomb Fantasylanders.
West Siders would still have a justifiable superiority complex, though. Some things are just a given.
No hospital.
We have Central First Aid on Main Street.
The weather's nice most of the year.
Everything is decorated for the holidays.
You should see the place on Christmas!
We would all be either Cast Members or guests.
We could even trade off.
Flowers.
Lots of flowers.
In well-kept beds.
No TV.
No Internet.
Dixieland Jazz and our very own marching band.
Kids. Plenty of kids.
Age doesn't matter.
Shade and benches aplenty.
Crowds. I could do without crowds.
Still it is better when we share.
But.
And I'm just wondering out loud here.

Where would everyone sleep?

As we say in Disneyland,
"Ride's over. Get out."

---Mike

Disneyland - Happy New Year...er...um...November 5th!

2011-11-08T07:41:00.000-08:00

Friends of ours were at Disneyland this past Saturday and were treated to a film crew doing "live" shots from the Park for "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest."
Ryan Seacrest was there, along with some of the young actors from "A.N.T. Farm," a Disney Channel television show.
More importantly, Main Street U.S.A. was shut down for extended periods while the crew did take after take.
Several guests caught in the chaos were literally held hostage as the director wanted a crowd to film.
At one point, you could barely move and the main entrance was jammed with people as the parade sat in place on Town Square.
Imagine a parade at Disneyland that is not moving.
Now imagine thousands of people trying to weave their way up and down the narrow passages of the Main Street Shops because the street and sidewalks are blocked off and/or crammed with guests.
Near riot.
Happiest place on earth ranking in jeopardy.
Moms close to tears are stuck against a rope pleading with the director to let them pass through.
"I've been standing here for 40 minutes!!" she shouts over her crying toddler, who lost interest about 39 minutes earlier.
"I need everyone to show enthusiasm for this next take!" the director bellows into his megaphone.
Steely stares and angry murmurs bounce back at him from the guests and extras lining Main Street.
The cast---whose faces reflect boredom and irritation between takes---instantly turns their respective visages to smiling, saccharine, pseudo-happy configurations for the rolling video cameras.
"Okay. Let's try that again. I really need excitement from the crowd. Come on."
More steely stares.
Less excitement.
Another take.
Meanwhile, up on the Hub, the crowd gathered in front of the stage at the Castle forecourt is actually doing a fine job of acting enthusiastically.
You can hear the roar when the director urges everyone to "Get excited! Let's hear you!"
The "Rockin' New Year's Eve - "Live"" stage lights up and Mr. Seacrest excitedly prepares the crowd to greet 2012.
Hmm.
Only 1,398 hours before midnight!
Talk about building excitement.
It must be weird to be at a New Year's Eve party with Ryan Seacrest and turn on the TV.
As you sip from your drink and much on shrimp and puff pastry appetizers, your buddy Ryan (who's standing next to you in the buffet line) appears on the screen '"Live" (recorded earlier)' from Disneyland.
Neat trick, Ryan.
How'd you manage that one?
Only in Hollywood.
Hope we didn't ruin the New Year's moment for you.
That "(Recorded earlier)" on the bottom of your television screen does NOT mean, an hour earlier because, say, you are in a different time zone.
More like two months earlier.
Five!
Four!
Three!
Two!
One!
HAPPY NOVEMBER 5TH EVERYONE!!!
Cue the confetti and balloon drop.
"Should auld acquaintance be forgot and never brought to m-i-i-i-i-i-nd...."
Wait, wait.
"Okay. Let's try that again. I really need excitement from the crowd. Come on."

As for me, allow me to be the first to wish you a Happy November 8th!!!
Let this post be a lesson: Disneyland during a film shoot is chaotic and definitely not its normal self.
May you avoid one on your next trip inside the berm.

---Mike

Disneyland - Live Trip Report - November 4, 2011

2011-11-04T21:35:00.000-07:00

8:50 p.m. - East Center Street - Market House. I am standing at the north doors, just below the "Detective Agency - We Never Sleep - W. Dennis Cottrell - Private Investigator" window.
My daughter is earnestly listening in on an 1890 party line conversation.
Ah, the many times I've step beyond the door here to and the back area.
It's a nice, slow night. Main Street is wide open---even the shops. There's only three people ahead of me as I step into Market House for some coffee.
Can you smell that? Hmmmm.
Vanessa is at the counter, her 1-year pin on her name tag. Quite Disney. A pleasant testament to Cast Memberdom!
The crisp night air and the warm cup join with the half moon almost straight overhead as I sit with my daughter at the tables that front the southern wall of Disney Clothiers Ltd.
Carnation Cafe's red and white umbrellas are just there across Main Street and the sparkling lights ant-trail across the "Fortuosity Shop."
We've visited the Haunted Mansion and said hello to Mr. Skellington. The kid liked it.
Me...you know ME.
Purist.
Still, it was entertaining and we had a good time.
We then took in Winne the Pooh.
Happy to report that Max, Buff and Melvin (at least one set of them) remain hung on the wall behind you as you get near the end of the attraction. Keep looking back and up.
You'll see them.
From Pooh, we walked through New Orleans Square, with its holiday decorations sneaking into view.
Back through Adventureland and on to Main Street. Popcorn at the Hub and then a stroll toward Town Square.
And here I am.
The little one is off to the Penny Arcade...with $1.60.
She could be there for hours.
As for YOU...
Wish you were here.

Disneyland - Live (kinda sorta)

2011-11-04T19:34:00.000-07:00

At 6:45 p.m. we arrived at the Rancho del Zocalo, after squirming through the remains of the parade over on Main Street.
Fish tacos for me, kid's bean and cheese burrito for my 8 year old.

Modern Disneyland Touring Tip ("MDTT") #313: on a cold night, grab dinner or a snack at the Rancho del Zocalo and sit under the covered veranda. They have heaters! Cozy, eh?

Thunder's down, it appears from here.
Love the many star-shaped lanterns hanging above. They scatter interesting shadows on the ceiling.
The little one gets to pick where we go (her big sister is here with several friends from high school and this old skipper won the privilege of driving and chaperoning the crew!).

Oh. Thunder's back up. Guess what she chose?

THANKS JUNGLETEERS! See you at the Park tonight!

2011-11-04T16:49:00.000-07:00

Wow! You guys are fabulous!
After yesterday's post your efforts to get the word out have increased our readership by 50 percent!
We have gone from four (4) to almost six (6) readers!
See the power we possess when we work together!

Tonight this blog will travel with me to Disneyland!
I will try a first-ever "live" post from the Park (if I can get this darn antenna to connect to my typewriter).
It should be cold and maybe a little damp.
Just the way we like it!
Can I pick up anything for you while I'm there?
Pretzel?
Antenna ball?
Rock candy from the Candy Palace?
I am betting there'll be cocoa or coffee in my future!
Let me know. I'll check back in with you in a couple hours once we're inside the Berm!

---Mike

Disneyland - Jungle Is "101" - A Maniacal Plan To Quadruple or Quintuple Our Readership!! Who's With Me?!

2011-11-03T10:08:00.000-07:00

It's never too early for a "Greatest Hits" album.
For newbies to Jungle is "101" we provide this once in a lifetime opportunity to get all of this blog's "one hit wonders" in a single post.
Call it our Top Ten.
More importantly, this is our chance to expand the blog's readership from our four (4) devotees (Hi, Mom!), to possibly 16 or 20!
Think of it.
Together we could quadruple or quintuple the number of people who have been exposed to (or follow) this, ahem, "unique" collection of stories from an old Disneyland Jungle Cruise skipper and Custodial sweeper.

Here's the plan, gang.

We'll put on a show and save the orphanage!
Whoops. That's the plot to a Judy Garland/Mickey Rooney film.

No, the real plan is this: all YOU have to do, my four (4) amazing readers is e-mail four to five friends, loved ones, relatives or people who annoy you and send them a link to this blog's address: "http://jungleis101.blogspot.com."
If each of them takes you up on your e-mail offer to check out this blog, our readership---for one glorious day, will go up precipitously.
It's like a Ponzi scheme or Amway! (is there a difference?)
Give it a whirl.
Copy the link above and e-mail it to some friends who might find this stuff of moderate interest.
Disney fans, for example.
There's no obligation, of course.
It's not like I haven't been here for you, toiling in the moist Adventureland heat, digging up old photos and memories, clacking away at my Underwood..
Really.
Don't mind me.
If you want to pass along this site, that's entirely up to you.
Of course, the other three (3) readers are doing it.
No pressure.
You don't have to do it, but if you don't you can't hang out with us anymore!
Come on!
Try it. Everyone's doing it!
It'll expand your consciousness!
What?
Don't tell us you're chicken!

Once I again, as I do so often around here, I have completely digressed.

As promised, here are links to some of this blog's Top Ten greatest hits to be shared with whomever you decide to inflict them upon:

This list is not scientific, nor is it exhaustive. You may have your own favorites. No problem.
Cut and paste these links into your e-mails and maybe someone else will join our ragtag group!

Today ---- four (4) devoted readers.

Tomorrow---THE WORLD!!

I love each of you.

You know what to do.

Adieu, for now, mon ami!

---Mike

Disneyland - Random Jungle Stuff - Load and Intro

2011-11-02T10:13:00.000-07:00

Greetings and welcome aboard the Jungle Cruise!
I am SO glad to see each and every one of you.
Watch your step as you come on board.
Hey, as you're boarding, I'm standing here thinking, whattayou call a guy who stands on the river's edge next to the boat?
"Doc."
How 'bout the guy who makes announcements over the intercom?
"Mike."
The one who oils our boat's engine?
"Rusty."
The girl who catches all the butterflies for us while we're on this expedition?
Why, that's "Annette."
A net!
Oh that's rich.
See that gentleman loading our last few victims into the back of the boat?
He's also in charge of fueling us up.
We call him "Phil."
You'll want to steer clear of his brother, the guy who collects spears from the local natives, I say spears from the local natives.
His name is "Chuck."
And, our personal favorite here in the Jungle, the gal who cleans up after the elephants in the meadow...
Patty.
Believe me, she's a pile of fun!
Speaking of names, mine is "Mike" and I have the honor of being your humble skipper, guide, bartender and lounge act for the entire duration of our trip along the murky rivers of the jungle.
Sit well back in your seats, take hold of small children, loved ones and cameras.
Now that we are completely loaded, it only seems fitting that we'll plunge ahead into the teeming jungle.
In fact, that's the only way I know how to enter the Jungle...fully and completely loaded.
Turn around, wave goodbye to those poor folks we're leaving behind on the dock.
I say "poor" because they missed being on OUR boat---simply the greatest, most excitement-filled, most luxurious, best appointed, most-well stocked and most unpredictable boat in all the Jungle---everyone shout "YEAAAAAA!"
Go ahead, make it look like you're having the time of your lives! Come on, really sell it!
Fabulous. You folks are like family. It's like I've known you my whole life. You feel the bond? Powerful stuff.
As we enter the Jungle, a safety reminder, remain seated, keep your hands, arms, legs and nostrils inside the boat at all times and watch your children.
Speaking of children, you know what we call an unwatched child in the Jungle?
"Lunch."
Sometimes "Tiger Nip," or "Kibbles and Bits" or "Hyena Chow."
Most of the carnivores in the Jungle LOVE children.
But enough of that...this young lady up front is starting to look a little nervous...
Don't worry sweetie, I'll protect you.
Hmmm. She does not look too convinced.
OH MY GOODNESS!! LOOK AT THOSE!
Three toucans.
Three toucans, otherwise known as...
a six pack.
Which brings to the ruins of an ancient Cambodian shrine, destroyed centuries ago by an earthquake, it has almost been completely overtaken by the Jungle.
There on our left is a truly magnificent specimen---a full-grown, male Bengal Tiger. Isn't he something? Weighing over 800 pounds, with razor sharp fangs and claws, he can easily leap over 20 feet and....he eats small children...one of my FAVORITE animals of the jungle.
(Turning again to the six year old girl to my left) It's okay, sweetie, like I said, I'll protect you.
Look there!
Cobras!
Snakes? Why does it always have to be SNAKES?
That stone sculpture is Ganesha the Elephant God and he marks the beginning of the world famous Elephant Bathing Pool.
Look at all the elephants!
Big shots.
Little squirts.
See that one with the private shower? He's special. Weighing over 800 pounds, with razor sharp fangs and claws, he can easily leap over 20 feet and....he eats small children...one of my FAVORITE animals of the jungle.
Whoa! This guy has gotten away from the rest of the herd and LOVES to squirt my boats.
Stopped just in time. That was close!
LOOK OUT!
LOOK OUT!
HE'LL SQUIRT YOU, I'M NOT KIDDING! I'M NOT KIDDING! I'M NOT KIDDING!
(The elephant fails to squirt...surprise).
I am totally and completely kidding.
That's just a little DRY humor.
Sir, in the back, with the serious face...I said DRY humor!
Hey, I don't write these, I just say 'em folks.
Uh oh.
Uh. Ohhhhh.
I have a BAD feeling about this.
Everyone. Keep very still.
If you are wearing yellow, do not make any noise like a banana---
It drives these guys APE.
Heck, they might even find you...
Appealing.
(Long pause for effect...I stare back at my crew with a "What??" kinda look on my face, then a slightly guilty smile over the microphone).
I'd like to thank the gentleman in the back for laughing at the banana joke.
Thanks a BUNCH.
(I turn and look expectantly at my boatload of guests with the same "What?" kinda look and the smile over the mic once more).
You know what, you're right.
I shouldn't've let that "bunch" joke SLIP.
Enough with the banana stuff, I think we better SPLIT!
(Groans. I turn and look with an excessive mock injured look on my face).
But seriously, those gorillas are amazing creatures.
See that one with the rifle? Weighing over 800 pounds, with razor sharp fangs and claws, he can easily leap over 20 feet and....he eats small children...one of my FAVORITE animals of the jungle.

I mean, let's face it what good are groaners in the Jungle if you don't milk them?!

Oh, there's more, but I have a feeling you may have heard it all somewhere before...

TTFN.

---Mike

Disneyland - Cast Activities Center, Versateller, Herbie Hill

2011-11-01T08:22:00.000-07:00

Snooping around the internet, I once again came across an '80's era video clip posted by Jeff Hawkins of parts of the Main Street back area, including the Cast Activities Center, the BofA Versateller (to think I was once a Bank of America customer!), Herbie Hill, Harbor House and the old Cast Member Parking Lot.
The video captures these areas and the kinds of goofy stuff cast members did when left to their own devices.

I find myself looking over people's shoulders into the background of the shots, my eye seeking out the details.
You see people in orange Parking Lot costumes, I see the Cast Activities Center and the glass doors I entered so many, many times.
I hit that Versateller ATM at the end of lots of shifts---before heading out to whatever our destination may have been for some post-work fun.
I emptied those "bullet can" trash cans way back when I worked in Day Custodial.
To us in the back area, a good chunk of Space Mountain was BLUE. You can see its blue lower, rear wall flash by there behind the ATM in the video.
As the Parking Lot crew is on their way out of the back area, they drive by the old Wardrobe building. You can see a Security cast member heading to or from the Security office.
Just before they make a right turn down Herbie Hill, you can ahead see Outdoor Vending on the left (along the back side of Space Mountain and Tomorrowland) and the old locker building on the right.
they then drive past Harbor House, which you can barely see on the right as they bounce down the hill under the covered trestle of the Disneyland Railroad.
Then they head out to to Parking Lot (another bygone thing of beauty) to head toward the Disneyland marquee, which they indicate is about to come down. Oh the humanity.
Eisner. Ack.
Here is Part II of the video.

I'd ask you to take a close look at the Disney Cast Members. See those nice, crisp costumes? No frumpy, take-it-home-and-wash-it-yourself stuff back then!
And look at the people!
It's 6:00 a.m., but they are smiling, happy, enjoying themselves and each other's company. They are a family.
They are also a pretty fit, clean cut group.

My thanks for Jeff for posting these. Perhaps you Jungle followers may recognize an old friend or fellow CM in the videos.
Even if you don't, the video gives you yet another slice of what life was like in the Park.

Happy All Saints Day!

---Mike

Disneyland - My 8 Year Old and the Disneyland Game

2011-10-30T20:44:00.000-07:00

After one too many sessions of "I Spy With My Little Eye," I begged my youngest for a moment or two so that I could try to come up with something of my own to keep us entertained during the occasional down time (a long drive, a boring line, nothing on TV, etc., etc.).
Given our family's connection to the Park, the Disneyland Game was born.
It is really nothing all that original, but my daughter likes it and that's enough for me.
The game is a variation of an old time-passer a third grade teacher of mine shared with us.
The youngest person goes first, naturally.
They call out a word associated with Disneyland.
Then it is the next person's turn (there's no limit to the number of participants).
They must call out another Disneyland word, but the word they use has to being with the LAST last letter of the word that the youngest had first called out.
Play moves from person to person until you can't think of a word. First person who can't think of a word is out.
It is a good idea to set a time limit for responding, say one or two minutes.
So, my daughter says: "Castle."
Now it's my turn.
"Emporium!" (I have to use the "e" at the end of "Castle" to start my word).
"Mickey!" she counters.
"Yeti." (Ooh. I'm good.)
"Ice cream. You've got an M."
"Matterhorn."
"Nemo."
"Orinoco!" (Ah, Jungle boat names sometimes come in handy).
"Octopus." A smile.
"Slue Foot Sue!"
"Who?"
"Never mind, she's before your time, but trust me...it's a legit answer, kid!" (Dad always has the final say on this particular subject).
"E...hmmm...oh, I know...Eeyore!"
"Elgin clock - on Main Street."
A look of consternation. "All right. N. Oh, Nana, from Peter Pan!"
"Adventureland. This is too easy!"
"Donald Duck!"
"K. Hmmm. Duh. King Arthur's Carousel."
"Lion King!"
"Geppetto."
"Omnibus!"
"Omnibus!? How'd you know that one? Good job, Miss Muffet. So what do I have, an "S"? How about, Star Tours?"
"Sleeping Beauty."
"Yangtze Lotus."
"Small World."
"Dinosaur Gap."
"Peter Pan."

I am sure you get the picture.
The game can be varied.
For example, you can use the 3rd or 4th letter of the word and make the other person have to start their answer with that letter.
You can limit the responses to certain Lands within the park or even certain attractions (which can be very challenging).
You can make a rule that you can't use the same letter twice in a row (so I can't offer "Orinoco" as an "O" word because it ends with an "O" and then the other person would have to use "O" again).
It goes on.
Hey.
It sure beats the living heck out of "I Spy" for the thirteenth time in a row!
For adults, it can be a drinking game (especially for adults who've been forced into "I Spy" with an eight year old on one too many occasions!).
Can't come up with an answer in 30 seconds? Drink!
If your word ends with a "D," drink!
Use a character name for your answer, drink!
Repeat an answer that has already been used---drink twice.
Use an answer that is NOT associated with something inside the berm --- you buy everyone a round! ("Tower of Terror???" Really?!!)

"Jungle is 101" has now ended it's normal operating day. Main Street will remain open for an additional hour for your shopping convenience. For those not choosing to shop, as we say on the Jungle Cruise: "Ride's over. Get out."

---Mike

Disneyland - Some Recent Photos and Sample Guest Interaction Test (for Professionals only)...

2011-10-28T17:06:00.000-07:00

It's a Friday here in the Jungle and, digging through some pictures, I thought I'd share some with you fine folks. . .

We'll start with the one above from our recent trip.
It shows the cottage where we stayed with a sweet, little Italian family. We had a fine time.
Close to the water, but not far from the main village, the place was clean and the merchant and his wife who lived there treated us as family. The quarters were cramped, but that made it all the more enjoyable.
We walked the cobbled streets of the tiny town nearby.
We stared in the shop windows, ate way too much pasta and savored the Chianti---perhaps a bit too much. We tried to hitch a ride home with the local coachman, but he was already full and we had to stumble along on foot.
Too bad, because that group of kids in the coach looked like they were ready to hit the town and have the time of their lives!
Wish we could've joined them.
Maybe next time.

Above is a little known break area in Frontierland.
It is not well lit, but at least it's cool and out of the elements.
The wooden vending machine takes for...ev...ver to dispense snacks, as this guy from New Orleans/Bear Country Attractions found out the hard way.
Hey buddy, next time try the Pit.
It is not as difficult to get to (you don't need a raft, for example), and the grill cook gets you out of there in 10 minutes or less. Bon appetit!

Above we see a rare view of walkway pavement --- seldom seen in modern Disneyland.
I can only count about 14 guests or so in sight.
Can you tell where this was taken?
I had to do a double take, but immediately got my bearings when I realized that this area was the site of my very first sweeping assignment in Day Custodial.
I thought of a quick "Guest Interaction Test" to pass along to you cast members, would-be cast members or curious guest-types.
Here it is. Hope you pass.

Question: If the lady on the cell phone to the right of the picture were to walk up and ask, "Where is the Matterhorn?" would you:

A) Point toward the left side of the photo, along the row of benches?

B) Use a two-fingered Disney pointing gesture to the right side of the photo, around the corner of the tree planter that is seen just behind the lady on the cell phone?

C) Shrug helplessly and act like you speak only in clicks and pops, then wave your arms in grandiose and mysterious patterns like a deranged Shaman?

D) Ask her if she'd rather try Disney's California Adventure---it's a wonderful, family-style theme park for people of all ages!

E) Smile politely, remain in place, but rotate 180 degrees and grandly hold out your arms and make a displaying gesture like Vanna White, while saying, "This grand geologic formation directly behind me is Matterhorn Mountain and a thrilling bobsled ride awaits those who dare challenge its icy, and, some say---haunted---peaks!"

If you answered E---and were very careful to not at all be a smart aleck when responding to the guest---you would be absolutely correct, and could qualify as a helpful, cheerful Cast Member. (Remember: don't be a smart aleck---the mountain is almost directly behind you and towers 40 stories overhead---it's hard to miss, but that's okay, guests sometimes still need a little help finding their way).

Well, that's about all the posting I've got in me today, as there's a place near and dear to this old prospector's heart that is calling to me from up yonder hill just past ol' Dinosaur Gap...

Have a great weekend, Adventurers and Adventurettes, Junglers and Jungleteers, Skippers and guests, CMs, former CMs and CMs-to-be!! I'll drink to that!

---Mike

Disneyland - Where's My Flashlight?

2011-10-27T09:35:00.000-07:00

Perhaps one of the hardest habits I've had to break when visiting Disneyland in my present post-Cast Member state is the overwhelming urge to step in and take control when the crowd gets backed up, lost or just a bit clueless.
This occurs most often before or after a parade. I look ahead at a jammed walkway and spot a "rookie" Cast Member who has yet to learn the power of an authoritative voice coupled with clear hand gestures and body language.
My heart drops. Come on, come on! Sing it out! Get 'em moving!! Don't let the herd have its way!
I bite my lip.
My left hand instinctively grabs for a non-existent flashlight hanging from a phantom holster on my left hip.
The voice inside me shouts - "Get these guests wrangled and move 'em out!" and I must consciously restrain the innate need to step ahead of the throng, climb atop a bench or planter, locate the guests who are plugging up this arterial walkway and GET THEM MOVING!
"Folks! This is a walkway and I need you to keep to the right and walk forward! That's it! Excellent! We can do this! There you go! Laughing, happy, glad to be at Disneyland!
Stay to your right and don't stop! This is a one-way walkway, keep following the people ahead of you and do NOT turn around unless you want to channel your inner salmon and fight the mighty current! Listen to me and we'll all make it out of here! Come on! You want to be the first one on the parking lot tram, don't you?! Keep moving this way and I'll bet there won't even be a line for the tram!
You! Love the Goofy hat! Thanks for continuing to move toward Main Street and for staying to your right! Everyone! Follow this young man in the Goofy hat! He knows where he's going! Perfect! Follow my waving flashlight and I'll have you out of here before you know it! OH! You are all doing so well! It looks like the 57 freeway! We are moving now! Last one to Main Street buys popcorn for the rest of us! Repeat after me: it's the Happiest Place on Earth, it's the Happiest Place on Earth! Good! Look at this walkway! It's like a mighty river, flowing to the sea---or at least to Main Street! Stay to your right, hold hands and keep together! Don't stop for stragglers! I understand he's your husband, ma'am, but you'll always have your memories of him----ooh, look, he's caught up---well, better luck next time! Right this way, folks, right this way!"

"Dad!"
My daughter's voice calls me out of my manic Guest Control mode.
"Dad! People are looking at you funny, stop!"
Oops.

I thought that seemed a bit too real.

Well...

Despite my sudden outburst,
Despite my lack of a name tag,
Despite having no coned flashlight,
Despite the puzzled and befuddled stare of the "rookie" Cast Member in the red vest standing before me,
Despite the size of the crowd that moments before had oozed to a lumbering stop there on the Hub,

...the walkway was now clear and moving, the guests obediently complying with the verbal commands of this former CM.
Heck, even the "rookie" seemed to enjoy it, as he was now at my side, waving his fashlight and raising his voice with polite but firm authority:

"Stay to the right, folks and keep moving, please!"

Kid, I think you're gonna do just fine from here on out.

My work here is through.
Guess I'll just mosey along.

"Hey, mister!" called the rookie, "I never got your name!"

"Mike. Tell 'em it was Mike."

Roll the credits as a slow, whistling western theme is played.
The camera pans slowly up and away from the Hub and follows the crowd marching down Main Street for the exit.

---Mike

Disneyland - Back Areas

2011-10-26T13:20:00.000-07:00

Ah, the back area.
Tucked away, a bit on the dirty side.
Offstage. Backstage.
Realm of the Cast Member.
The place people disappear into through gates, doors and passageways.
Where else can you catch Snow White on a lunch break?
Disneylanders know many of these back area locations all too well.
Perhaps the largest (if we ignore TDA and the Parade Building, train and Monorail storage to the north) can be found behind the facades on the east side of Main Street.
Here one finds the old Admin/Wardrobe building, the Inn Between, the real Disneyland Fire Department, the world famous Disneyland Security Deapartment, the Cast Member training center, Custodial area lockers, the Zoo Crew's HQ and a large holding area for parade floats, visiting bands, the Disneyland Band, etc.
There are many ways to get back here from "on stage."
By the Space Mountain Restrooms.
Behind the Corn Dog Wagon.
Through Harbor House.
The alley between the Berm and the south wall of the old Bank of America.
Way over by the Pizza Port and Innoventions.
Through a tunnel that runs beneath Tommorowland from the old Coke Terrace.
By way of a gate at the end of East Center Street on Main Street.
And various other doors and adits.
Back here you would see blue uniformed maintenance crew members, custodial whites, dwarves and mice, Jungle Skippers,
Candy-striped Emporium clerks, yellow Outdoor Vending types, red and black guest control folks, orange-clad Tomorrowlanders and a rainbow of other costumed characters.
It was a place of comraderie. You would wave at friends coming on shift or heading home.
"Hey, what's the "In Park" right now?"
"35,000, things are hopping in there."
Or "Thunder's down. Last I heard they were almost done cycling trains, but the one on A-lift is still stuck."
Or "Guess who's here today? The Gloved One is over by Small World and is getting mobbed again." (Michael Jackson was a frequent visitor in the 1980s).
There was usually activity in the back area---always people going to or coming from some on stage location. It was easy to find a friend or workmate to sit down with for a break or for lunch.
It felt good to be part of the show.
So today's Jungle salute goes out to the back areas of the Park.
May they ever be peopled with characters!

---Mike

Disneyland - More Nooks and Crannies

2011-10-19T07:54:00.000-07:00

Park-going regulars have their spots within Disneyland.
Places to head for when the crowd closes in.
The porch of the Plaza Pavilion.
A table along the railing in the French Market shade.
Perhaps a bench in a corner of Fantasyland.
Or along the wooden bridge in the midst of Thunder Trail.
Places within the Happiest Place where they can catch their breath.
Where they can recall a memory from childhood, young adulthood, or maybe last week.
Sometimes it's simply wandering the twisting streets of New Orleans Square, or sitting near Dumbo, watching the people fly as the carousel music floods the background.
There along the railing of the Rivers of America, you can lean and watch the Mark Twain steam by, her decks full of people, hear bell clanging, paddlewheel churning.
A curb on Main Street, with no parade in sight or even close to starting, can be a people-watching perch like no other.
The fine wooden seats of the cars of the Disneyland Railroad welcome guests to sit back, take it all in, as the edges of the Park click by before you.
The smooth lava rock benches of the Tiki Room lanai are perfect seating for the Tiki gods garden show.
Browsing knick-knacks in a corner of the Bazaar.
Watching Jungle boats float by along the walkway just past the exit to Indy.
A table inside the Plaza Inn, surrounded by leaded glass and turn-of-the-century decor.
Stopping along the bridge leading to Plaza Gardens and watching the stream flow beneath.
Clomping over the wooden walkway in front of the Golden Horsehoe.
Inhaling heady aromas near a popcorn cart cooking up a fresh batch.
Sunshine sparkling off the crystal waters of the Submarine Lagoon, while you stand at the rail.
Waiting for a skewer at the Bengal Barbeque.
Peering down through the leaves of the Treehouse at the throng marching through Adventureland below.
Wandering a dusty foot path along the reedy shores of Tom Sawyer's Island.
Taking in a few log drops at the foot of Splash Mountain - vicariously enjoying the laughter and dampness of the guests as they splashdown.
Looking up Main Street from the top of the Disneyland Railroad station's main entrance.
Saluting the flag during its ceremonial lowering from the pole in Town Square.
The beauty of the place is rooted in its immersive environments, its fine details.
Perhaps a nook or cranny of the Park is among your favorites.
Where do you go to experience Disneyland when you're "inside the berm?"

Have a fine Wednesday, my friends!

---Mike

Disneyland - Mickey's In The Well --- Where's Lassie When You Need Her?

2011-10-18T08:00:00.000-07:00

"I'm wishing.."

"I'm wishing..."

"For the one I love. To find me..."

"To find me..."

"Today."

"Today. Today. Todayyyyyy......"

Assigned to the castle forecourt area of Fantasyland, I swept my rounds.
Hello to the pretty young clerk at the Tinker Bell Toy Shop.
A brush across the cobblestone toward the Tomorrowland side of Sleeping Beauty Castle.
I nod to the balloon vendor in her yellows.
She stoops to pull down a pink balloon for a brown-haired little girl with eyes like half-dollars.
"Excuse me, where's the Small World?" a guest asks me.
"Well, you're in the right Land, so your battle's halfway done. Turn around and head back toward the carousel and veer to your right, past Mr. Toad, past Monstro the whale, past the Mad Tea Party (you know, the one with the big teacups) and make a left at the Storybookland Canal Boats. The Small World has a large, white entrance structure...you can't miss it."
"Thanks! Carousel, Toad, Tea Party, Storybook. Got it."
"Have fun!"
My eyes scan the ground and spot some scatters of popcorn in the passage beneath the archway bearing the sign "This Way To Tomorrowland." I move my pan and broom to it and it is swept up in an instant.
While standing in the passageway, I hear a child crying ahead of me. Continuing on, I step out from under the castle and into the walkway area known as Snow White's Grotto.
There by Ms. White's wishing well is a mother holding her small son (about 4 years old). He is in tears and seems inconsolable. They look together into the well and then the mom frantically looks about for help.
I approach them.
"Is everything okay? Was your son hurt?"
"He isn't hurt, but we've lost his Mickey. It's the one he sleeps with every night. He takes it EVERYWHERE."
"Where were you when you last saw Mickey?"
"He isn't lost really, we just can't reach him. My son was holding him when we made a wish at the wishing well. He went to toss in his penny and dropped his Mickey and.....
...it fell into the well!!!"
Approaching the side of the well and peering over its edge to the sunlit area below, I see Mickey, half-floating in the shallow water rippling above the grate which covers the bottom of the well.
He is about five or six feet away.
Turning to the mom and her son, I tell them, "Mickey will be back with us in a moment. Stay right here and I'll be back!"
I bolt south toward Main Street, cut a hard left up Matterhorn Way and another left into the area locker located at the Fantasyland restrooms along the west side of the Matterhorn, hoping.
Hoping a grabber tool is in there.
From my keyring, I locate the locker key and open the door.
Scanning the locker area, I see squirt bottles, a mop and bucket, stacks of paper towels, toilet paper, supplies and....the green-handled grabber!
In an instant I have locked the door behind me and am flying back to Snow White's Grotto.
By now, a small group has gathered about the mom and her small son---his eyes still wet with tears, but curious.
I run up in my sweeper whites, carrying pan, broom and grabber tool.
"Excuse me folks! I'll need you to step away from the edge of the well for a moment, this is going to require a little balancing!"
Hoisting myself up to the edge and bending over it at the waist, I hang headfirst down into the well, holding the long-handled grabber tool in my right hand ahead of me.
Squeezing the trigger, the pinching "grabber" end squeezes around one of Mickey's ears. Holding tight, I back myself up over the edge, keeping my right arm below me in the well.
As my feet hit the ground, I stand and slowly raise my arm from the interior of the well...like Bullwinkle Moose pulling a rabbit out of his hat.
The grabber tool clears the side of the well to reveal Mickey Mouse, his feet and bottom dripping, dangling by an ear from the claws of the tool.
The small crowd erupts in spontaneous applause!!
The mother smiles broadly, her eyes flashing a thank you.
Taking the white towel from my belt and quickly swaddling and squeezing Mickey with it, I am able to soak up a good amount of the water.
Now comes the part I've been waiting for.
I kneel like a grand knight appearing before his lord and look across at the 4-year old boy with shining blue eyes that are still a little red around the edges.
With both arms extended, I hold out Mickey before him in an offering gesture.
He bolts forward and grab-hugs the plush mouse from my hands, in a flash of reunion and joy.
He and Mickey twirl together in a small, circular, foot-hopping dance of excitement, and the small group claps and cheers.
All the while, Snow White's sweet voice floats to us from inside the well...

"To find me."

"To find me."

"Today."

"Today."

Funny. There are some people who think a sweeper's job isn't glamorous or rewarding.

---Mike

Disneyland - "Hang On To Those Hats And Glasses...!"

2011-10-17T08:16:00.000-07:00

Thunder, 1987.
BTMRR opening shift.
Track walk.
In the quiet moments before the Park opens, a small crew of mine train operators walks the track on a safety inspection.
The charcoal pants, rose shirts, blue bandanas, full boots, vests and wide brimmed hats make up their outfits.
This team of dedicated miners are looking for lost items and signs of trouble.
What kind of trouble?
Cracked welds, broken wires, leaking hydraulic fluids, failed animation, any other obvious indications of mechanical problems.
This post focuses on the lost items.
The myriad of objects that bounced off of guests during their harrowing runaway train rides.
The obvious ones are here: sunglasses, an occasional hat, Disneyland merchandise bags (often with merchandise and receipt still inside), random children's shoes (never in a pair), pens, gum, false teeth.
False teeth?
Oh yes. Found the uppers from a set of dentures just past the spinning opossums.
What's this?
A camera bag.
A baby bottle.
A t-shirt - used. (Hmmm. I don't remember any guests coming back into the station topless...)
A diaper, also used. (Really? We have trash cans just past the exit.)
A cup. (Hey, no food or drink, please).
A belt.
A belt? (I'm not going to posit how this managed to fly off the ride).
A plush toy. (What are the chances?)
$20.00 bill. (Better hang on to that...)
Coins. (Plenty of 'em tossed by the dynamite goat).
An umbrella stroller - kidless. (Thank goodness---they're usually out of sorts and not too cooperative on the trip to Lost and Found).
Souvenir Guides. (They're everywhere!).
Large, swirling, circular, multi-colored sucker. (Looks like it came from the Candy Palace over on Main Street - wow, still in one piece).
Grad Nite button. (From 1985? - how'd we miss that for so long?)
Purses and handbags. (Lost and Found again - hopefully someone's ID is inside so they can be contacted).
A women's size 5 flip-flop (left foot).
Sippy cups.
Binky.
Wristwatch.
Earring (never a pair).
Hair piece.
Yes.
A complete hair piece. (How'd you like to have been the person sitting behind THAT guy!).
Sock.
A shoe, I can understand.
A sock?
What ARE these people doing while on this ride?
At the back side of the mountain, by Thunder Trail, the outside edge of the circular turn has a stream of strewn bits and pieces.
Videotape cartridge.
Handkerchief. (These are just gross. Who blows their nose into a small cloth and THEN sticks it right back in their pocket for RE-USE later????).
Coonskin cap. (Hey! We still sell these?).

It was always interesting to see the things that flew off our guests or from their grasp.

Truly, the wildest ride in the wilderness!

---Mike

Disneyland - Jungle Cruise - Unload

2011-10-13T12:04:00.000-07:00

If you work Jungle, you will work "Unload."
Sounds like a bad psychology textbook or potty euphemism.
Actually, it is more about hanging out on the end of the dock between boats, waiting for the next one to chug around Trader Sam.
You and a partner have either the front or rear unload position.
I preferred working unload at the rear position, because you could stand along the easternmost edge of the dock on one leg, balancing precariously over the murky Jungle river water.
Just for the heck of it.
You get to tease the incoming skipper and vice versa.
Face it, the skipper has a live microphone, a P.A. system and a captive audience who has just been forced to spend 9-12 minutes with him, puttering through the wild.
You are slightly outgunned.
Still, the banter is usually worth every moment --- with the proper Skipper/Unloader combination.
Both, for instance, must have a sense of humor.
Both must have impeccable timing.
At least one must have incredibly thick skin and/or little sense of personal dignity or outrage (usually, this is the Unloader's role).
Ah. To be the butt of the joke.
The straight man.
The fall guy.
The one who stands ready to help each guest out...
by the rear...
Of the BOAT that is!
(One of the oldest Jungle lines in the spiel).
We had many routines of skipper-unload interplay:

"You'll be helped out of the boat today by the Lee brothers...Ug Lee and Home Lee! (Ug is on the left)."

"And ahead there along the dock are two prime examples of why some animals in the jungle eat their young at birth. Don't stare, folks! They might become aggressive and start touching your elbows as you exit!"

"Assisting you from the boat today are two of the largest hairless African Albino pygmy gorillas in captivity --- they are on loan to us here from the Zambezi Zoo. Aren't they adorable?"

"Ooh, LOOK! Boat unloaders! Two of the most feared animals in the jungle! You know folks, each of them weighs over 800 pounds! They can leap over 20 feet! And..they...eat...small....children. (some of my favorite animals).

And ahead, on the dock to our right---two living and extreme examples of why it is SO important for you young folks to stay in school!

You get the picture. I could go for some "dock abuse" right about now, actually.

Happy Thursday, 101-ers!

---Mike

Disneyland - Whoa. Is It October Already? Shuttle Bus Blues and Aromas...

2011-10-11T14:29:00.000-07:00

Gang, things have been a bit busy in the realm outside the Jungle is "101" administrative offices lately.
I posted on September 11 and then next time I looked up, it was a month later!!!
I hate it when the real interferes with the virtual world and keeps me from posting my deeply insightful prose.
C'est la vie.
So.
Where to start?
How about a story of a modern Disneyland cast member's experience?
Namely: the shuttle bus.
In my day, we parked in the employee lot, walked through Harbor House, and went off into the Magic Kingdom to start our shifts.
Today, the employee--ahem---Cast Member--parking lot is, for most folks, located some distance away from the Park.
Indeed, one of the main CM lots is located off Katella, across from McCormick & Schmick's Grille and the Cheesecake Factory. It is known as, oddly enough, the Katella Cast Member Lot ("KCML" or "K-Lot").
It is quite large.
I favored parking along the fence on Katella, east of the main entrance to the K-lot during my recent Cast Member sojourn.
I would then amble over - in full Jungle Costume - to the...Bus Stop.
Yes, the Cast Member Shuttle.
Imagine a locker room on wheels.
Perhaps that is a bit harsh, but I will say that the shuttle had a certain "air" about it that was unmistakable.
Sweaty folks returning from their shifts or bringing soiled costumes to exchange over at Wardrobe, combined with the the endlessly recirculating air conditioning system of the shuttle, to form a heady atmosphere aboard.
At the end of the night, after a Parade guest control shift let's say, a crowd of Cast Members would fill the shuttle to capacity over at the Harbor House gate. We'd ride shoulder to shoulder, pit to pit, arm to arm---back to K-Lot. I think that's where the stronger aromas were cultivated initially.
Then they would infiltrate the ventilation system of the shuttle where, like spirits in the Haunted Mansion, they were doomed to haunt the shuttle inhabitants forever.
The ride in from KCML to begin a shift was much the same, though typically quieter. Folks were plugged in to I-pods, I-phones, cell phones, I-pads, you name it.
Some stared off through the windows as we made our way from KCML to the eastern entrance of Disneyland, along Harbor Boulevard.
The shuttle buses looked like they were shipped from a Holiday Inn in North Carolina, hastily outfitted with Disney logos, and gassed up for delivery of groups of Cast Members to the Park's doorstep.
It was about a 15-25 minute process to get from the Park onto the shuttle and back to KCML.
The union made sure everyone got paid for this extra commute time.
Believe me, that $0.84 made all the difference!
I don't know.
I mean I understood the logistical reason for locating the Cast Member lot so far from the Park. Where the heck else were they gonna put Disney's California Adventure?
I just know that starting and ending each day with a bouncy bus ride was a bit less magical than the old days when we literally parked our cars outside the Park's gates.
In many ways, we shared the guests' experience. We parked in the same 100-acre lot (though our section was cordoned off over on the northeastern edge, near the Monorail track along Harbor).
We left its wide grayness and entered the Park to a world that was quite colorful (once we were onstage).
From outside the berm to inside in a few minutes.
No waiting in line for a bus.
No huddling in a crowded shuttle, hanging from straps.
No thick, musty smells.
I am sure in my younger days, the shuttle would not have seemed quite so unpleasant.
At the end of our shift, my friends and I would have enjoyed the ride back to the parking lot to joke with and tease each other; to plan post-shift activities; to lambast leads and managers, etc.
Perhaps that is how the 20-something Cast Members of today experience the shuttle ride.
I saw some indication of it during my recent stint on Jungle.
As for me, I'll take the 100-acre parking lot of old.
For readers of these lonely bits of data in cyberspace, I expect that last sentence is hardly a shock!

Stay happy and savor the promise of the future my friends!

---Mike (your wayward Captain, guide and dance instructor)

Disneyland - September 11, 1984

2011-09-11T21:05:00.000-07:00

The 1980s era had many things going for it.
Big hair.
High-top Reeboks.
Indiana Jones.
Oingo Boingo.
Alex Keaton.
Back to the Future.
Ghostbusters.
The Los Angeles Olympics.
Asteroids.
Pac-Man.
Mall rats.
Valley Girls.
MTV.
Ray Ban Wayfarers.
Yaz.
One thing it DID NOT have, which I miss terribly in this present age, was a date in September (other than Labor Day, perhaps) that really stood out in the national consciousness.
Tuesday, September 11, 1984, for example, was like many September 11ths before it.
The Angles lost to the Indians 4-2. Rod Carew was 1 for 4 off winning pitcher Don Schulze.
Bucky Dent played his final major league game as a Kansas City Royal.
Pope John Paul II was in the midst of a visit to Canada and held a Mass for the beatification of Sister Marie-Léonie Paradis.
Three's Company ran a repeat on ABC at 8:30 p.m. and was up against a repeat episode of The A-Team over on NBC.
Woman's Day asked on its cover "Who Makes the Best Second Husband?"
President Ronald Reagan met with NATO Secretary General Lord Carrington at the White House.
Reagan also declared in 1984 that, "There is renewed energy and optimism throughout the land. America is back, standing tall, looking to the 80s with courage, confidence and hope."
He was right.
In November of 1984, Reagan would rout Walter Mondale--who only won his home state of Minnesota---in the Presidential Election.
Born in the USA got plenty of air time on the radio for Bruce Springsteen.

The UCLA Bruins were preparing to take on Long Beach State at the Rose Bowl on Saturday, September 15th.
The Go-Go's put on a live show at Western University in Macomb, Illinois.
There was a war in Afghanistan, but it involved Soviet troops, not Americans.
Tina Turner's What's Love Got To Do With It? moved to the top of the charts.
The September 11, 1984 New York Times reported that Apple Computer
had just introduced a version of its Macintosh personal computer that, with a suggested retail price of $3,195, will feature 512 kilobytes of internal memory - four times the 128-kilobyte memory on the existing Macintosh.
Apple also said it was cutting the price on the existing machine to $2,195, from $2,495, and would begin selling a $995 kit to enable current Macintosh owners to upgrade their machines to 512 kilobytes of memory.

Not quite an I-Pad, but the Apple company showed promise.

Sure, terror existed then, too.

A year earlier, in 1983, a Korean Air Lines civilian airliner was shot down by Soviet interceptors over the Sea of Japan.
On September 20, 1984, the U.S. Embassy annex would be car-bombed in Beirut, killing 23.
We lived in a chaotic world.
The Middle East was, as always, in a state of near boiling.
Another great superpower threatened us with Mutually Assured Destruction by way of its atomic arsenal.

But life somehow still went on.
It had hope, promise.
We did regular things.
We lived without an ever-present shadow of vague uneasiness.

The September 11th that followed 17 years after that Tuesday in 1984 ripped up the old world, almost to its roots.
I realize now, ten years later, that the whole world has become weird.
Stuff I thought would last forever is gone.
A world economy - gone.
The United States I knew then is vastly different.
Disneyland, of course, has changed.
But enough remains the same to provide some comfort to bewildered travelers, who have awakened in what seems to be another dimension - today - September 11, 2011.
My heart is with everyone this day.
All of us lost someone or something 10 years ago.
No one has come out of it unscathed.
What I would not give to return to a world when September 11th was just another day.

Pax vobiscum.

---Mike

Disneyland - CHOC Walk

2011-09-09T06:52:00.000-07:00

Jungleteers:

October 16, 2011 is CHOC Walk at Disneyland.

An event no true Disneyland fan will want to miss, CHOC Walk supports a great cause while allowing you novel access to the Park in the earl morning hours, including great "behind the scenes" views.

Here is the website, sign up today!

We now return you to your regularly scheduled internet...

---Mike

Disneyland - I could really go for...

2011-09-08T09:17:00.000-07:00

Right about now, I could really go for:

a mid-theater seat on the comfy benches of the Country Bear Jamboree, waiting for the show to start;
a stroll through Harbor House to grab my time card on my way under the trestle to Wardrobe;
a hot Monte Cristo sandwich at Carnation on Main Street;
an elephant ride (make it an African Bull, and be sure to wave at the Jungle boats as they drift by);
my old (metal) pan and broom at my side and a Main Street opening shift;
a leisurely wander through the old One-of-a-Kind shop in New Orleans Square (just looking!);
some Plaza Inn pot roast;
a tram ride through the 100-acre parking lot to the Main Entrance drop off area, with a tram-ful of eager guests;
craning my neck and scanning the area for whoever just sounded a "Sweeper's Whistle" in my direction;
a view of Cascade Peak and Big Thunder Falls from the top deck of the Mark Twain;
fifty cents and a Shootin' Arcade rifle;
a stick to wake up Jose (the bird, not the busser who used to work nights at the Cafe Orleans);
an early morning canoe race (cast members only, sorry);
a squeaky Donald Duck hat (not for me, for the kids)...okay, I'll try it, but just one or two squeaks...;
a pre-opening walk-through of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad;
checking the schedule in the old Custodial offices behind Plaza Gardens (ahh, good ol' Dept. 336!);
a refreshing dip in the Submarine Lagoon (it always looks so inviting);
a walk past the lightning-filled windows and spooky paintings in corridor of the Haunted Mansion just past the elevator doors;
a bench on the Hub; and
a whole day ahead of me at the Park.

How about you?

Stay thirsty my friends!!

---Mike

Disneyland - A Break

2011-09-06T07:33:00.000-07:00

Greetings, Jungle lovers!
Pecking out a post on this old Underwood.
The keys are sticking in this moist heat, greatly diminishing my words per minute and sapping my energy.
Perhaps I should take a hot tea.
Our British companions swear by it.
I suppose the goal is to get one's insides close in temperature to the outside.
This creates an illusion of "cooling off," when, in fact, you have merely "heated up."
Boiling a kettle over a camp fire in an Indian jungle is a treat.
Dry heat and smoke mingle with the sopping dankness to create a miniature hell.
The fire keeps the mosquitoes at bay---somewhat.
Wish I could catch a break.
A break.
That reminds me of many moments spent in tucked away break areas of the Park.

Adventure/Frontier Attractions cast members had several options, but perhaps the most convenient was the break area just outside the Adventure/Frontier offices located above the River Belle Terrace.
I remember pushing through the door to the back area, the wooden "gate" tucked between the Bengal Barbecue and the Riverbelle Terrace, and strolling through the narrow alley past kitchen carts and racks to the base of the stairs. They were a bit rickety, with a wood railing, and they led up to the area office.
At the top of the stairs was a covered porch, with vending machines along the wall to the right, picnic tables to the left and the door to the offices straight ahead.
Beyond that door was the world of "Operations" and area managers. Scheduling was done in there. The schedulers never had to buy drinks when our crew went out after work. Keep your scheduler happy, was my motto. The person who had a role in assigning shifts was indeed a good friend to have.
Sure, there were seniority and union contract issues, but after those variables, the schedulers and the managers with whom they worked laid out the weekly calendar in every detail.
Want a closing shift?
Need a day off?
Last minute trade of a shift so you can make your final exam?
The scheduler could help---or hurt---you.
That is why I would walk past the vending machines, step through the door and say a cheery "Hello" to our friendly scheduler before turning around, heading back out onto the porch, and grabbing a Cherry Coke from the vending machine.
I would then sit down at an open picnic table or grab a seat with any of my friends who might have the same break schedule.
After hours on one's feet at the helm of a Jungle boat or loading passengers, those 15 minutes of break time were sublime.
I best recall the cold, damp nights in winter, bundled in my jacket and scarf, sitting in the break area over a cup of bad coffee or hot chocolate.
Sometimes I would be the only one up there.
It was cool. I was in this little hidden world "backstage."
I could hear the Mark Twain's whistle and the Jungle's drums and animal sounds.
Down below, I could see the backstage area of the Golden Horsehoe and the dacning girls would click by in their heels and fishnets. Ah. It's good to be here!
Those cups of coffee in the cold nights still warm my memory.
My feet would get cold around mid-shift and that was it.
They would not warm up until I got a hot shower or bath on my return home.
No problem.
The worst day working at Disneyland beat just about anything else I had ever experienced.
So I would sit in the break area and let the steam from my cup warm my face.
I might get involved in some trite conversation, lighthearted joking or involved planning as to post-work activities with my comrades in nametags.
The time would fly.
A glance down at my watch would reveal that 14 minutes had passed!
Uh oh.
I would leap to my feet, bolt down the stairs, burst through the gate and hightail it through the heart of Adventureland back to the Jungle dock and my rotation.
Heaven help you if you took a long break!
The justice that would be meted out by the other skippers in your rotation was swift and severe.
It usually involved keeping you in your boat.
When the time would come for your dockmate to step in and take over the helm, he would not be there!
Or he would smile, along with another member of your rotation---and your lead!---as the two of them bumped each other to break after break while you were stuck in the boat for another trip (or six) through the Jungle!
Breathless, I would tap my fellow cast member on the shoulder as I made it back to the dock.
"You're bumped! Enjoy your break!"
I am pretty sure he did.

---Mike

Disneyland - Trader Sam's - World Of Color and General Trifles

2011-08-25T11:33:00.000-07:00

I finally made it to Trader Sam's tiki bar over at the Disneyland Hotel. Several times, actually.
The bar looks like the Jungle Cruise crashed into the Tiki Room --- what's not to love?
Tiki drinks, Disney style.
Order a Shipwreck or an Uh-oa.
The bar lights up with special effects.
One of them made possible from fellow blogger Kevin Kidney - who designed the "ship in a bottle" above the bar. It is a replica of a certain ship floating down in the caverns of the Pirates of the Caribbean.
Here's Kevin's post about his (and Jody Daily's) involvement. Once again, Kevin and Jody are amazing!
The Shipwreck drink itself?
So-so.
I heartily endorse the Uh-oa.
After a couple of these, you soon echo the sentiments of our dear friend Koro, the midnight dancer:
"Today my magic feet no move. My head sore. But last night all tiki gods had BIG time. SOME luau! When drums begin to pound, (your) head full BIIIIG SOUND!"
Some views of the interior of Trader Sam's are set forth below for your edification and enjoyment.
The bar is cozy. There is a porch outside the bar, but it is pretty warm during the day. I would probably wait until dusk or evening before taking a seat out there.

The "ship in a bottle" is on the shelf above the liquor bottles near the center of the photograph.

From our table just inside the entrance doors, here is the view looking toward the west wall of Trader Sam's. Lamps, tiki totems, Jungle Cruise photos and bamboo are a banquet for the eyes of an old skipper and West-sider. It's a good thing this place wasn't around back in the 1980s. 2/3rds or more of our opening crew would have never made it into work!

Along the walls are plenty of framed prints and pseudo-mementos, such as the example below.

Overall, Trader Sam's is worth a visit (or five)---especially if you are staying on site and don't need to drive home! Be sure and stop by. Give Sam my best!
Great bartender.
Bit of a head case.
A real "people person" though.
Not a vegan.
He really wants to serve you.
So, don't get too close to the large kettle in the back.

As I mentioned in my last post, we stopped by the "other" park and actually sat down to take in World of Color. Staying at the Grand Californian, we were able to be the first into the park to get FastPasses for the event. We got the "Blue" section and, thanks to a hot tip, we were told the best spot to take in the show was along the bridge that leads across the water towards Ariel's Grotto.
I snapped the shots below from our vantage point on the bridge as evening fell upon us.
We were treated to a gorgeous sunset.

Once evening set in, Mickey shone brilliantly from the - ahem - Ferris Wheel ("Don't worry, Lilly, my Park isn't going to be dirty like a carnival.").

And here is a shot of the World of Color show in progress---as you can see, we had some of the best seats in the house---short of grabbing a table at Ariel's Grotto.

World of Color hints No. 1, 2, 3 and 4:

1. Stay at one of the resort hotels---preferably Grand Californian---you get into the Park early (if you are there on the right day) so you can be among the first to get WOC FastPasses.

2. Get in line EARLY at the hotel entrance gate for California Adventure (just past the Napa Rose in the Grand Californian). The line presently forms before DCA opens.
GET.
THERE (in line for the hotel entrance to DCA).
EARLY.

3. As for the show itself - GET TO THE SHOW AREA EARLY. Get to the rope at the bridge leading to Ariel's Grotto (between the Little Mermaid attraction and Ariel's Grotto) well, well, well BEFORE the scheduled showing of World of Color that you are attending. Be among the first along the rope so you can pick out your spot when it drops. Hold hands. Cling to each other. The massive horde behind you WILL stampede you and tear at your party like charging bull elephants.

4. Bring a blanket or two to lay out on the ground and mark your spot (anything that can help you stake out territory from all the "last minute Larrys" who WILL inevitably show up just before showtime and try to hone in on your personal space).

That is all for now, dear readers.
You guys are fabulous!
Keep up the good work!

---Mike

Disneyland - Club 33 and I meet Anne

2011-08-22T08:56:00.000-07:00

My family and I went to stay at the Grand Californian during the last week of July. A Grand time was had by all. We made the most of our week, dropping by Trader Sam's over at the Disneyland Hotel, giving Steakhouse 55 a try, finally braving the crowds for a---believe it or not---FIRST time ever viewing of "World of Color," stepping aboard the new Star Tours and taking in lunch at Club 33.

Oh! While walking through the Park during our visit, I spotted a young woman wearing a "Jungle Is 101" t-shirt as I entered the Plaza from Adventureland. "Hey! Nice shirt!" I called out. The young woman was with two of her friends and she looked at me. "I'm MIKE, the Jungle is 101 blogger."

"I'm Anne."

"ANNE!! Nice to meet you! Are you guys having fun?! I'm here with my family."

Anne has been one of this blog's 4 (four) readers for quite some time now.

She was very nice and said she wears her Jungle is 101 shirt to the Park often.

It was an absolute treat to meet a reader in person.

Quite a rare event, since I figure I've got about a 4-in-8 billion chance (3-in-8-billion if you exclude my mom!) of actually meeting someone who reads this stuff.

Anne seemed remarkably cogent and normal for a "Jungle is 101" devotee!

Anne, it was very nice to meet you!

Now, where was I?

Ah, lunch at Club 33.

For you Disneyland-o-philes, Club 33 is something you have heard about many times. I imagine a few of you have made it up there for lunch or dinner.

As for the few who have no idea what Club 33 is---here's a link.

We took in the Club for an 11:30 a.m. lunch.

Here is a photo-essay of the visit.

The number of the club, the mysterious "33" is said to relate to Walt Disney having been a member of the Freemasons. The 33rd degree of Freemasonry is the highest. Here is a video tour of the Club.

We arrive at the red main entry and board the elevator shown below (those are my daughters inside) for a lift to the second floor dining area.

My wife and I took the stairs.

At the top of the stairs, you can see into the Trophy Room.

To your left (but not shown) is an ornate leaded glass telephone booth that was a prop or set element from "The Happiest Millionaire."
The entire Club interior was designed by Emile Kuri---the famous Hollywood set designer who also has his own window on Main Street.
Here is the main dining room.

And here, the main corridor, with bar (right) and buffet. The marble-topped table on the left was featured in Mary Poppins. Cher-ooo!

The main upstairs entrance corridor. Ahead and to your left is the ladies' restroom.

As you round the corner at the top of the stairs, the men's room is to your left. In the photo below, you can see (at the left side) the side of the telephone booth mentioned above.

Here is the main entrance hall, looking back at it from the bar and buffet area.

Our table was in the southwestern corner of the main dining room. We could step out onto the balcony there above New Orleans Square. Here are a few views from the balcony. Ahhhh.

Below, we look down toward the main entrance of the French Market.

Next time you are there, turn around and look back and up. You will see our balcony there next to the magnolia tree and above the Cafe Orleans.

Here is the balcony as seen from street level.

Here is a view from the eastern end of the balcony, looking down at the riverfront of New Orleans Square.

Fabulous artwork and a close up of some of the interior wallpaper. Fresh flowers, but of course.

The delightful Club 33 Bloody Mary atop our table in the main dining room.

Now, some views from inside the Club and out onto New Orleans Square. First, a peek down from the main corridor:

Next, the view out of the window at the top of the main entrance stairway (the phone booth is to the right, not shown).

Here is the view from the corridor where the buffet and bar are located. We are looking out upon the entrance to the Blue Bayou.

Here is another view.

And this is a shot, taken from street level, of the window out of which the above photographs were taken (the white-trimmed window at the upper right side of the photograph).

Another view of the main dining room.

Looking south toward the Court of the Angels (through that lanterned archway in the the distance) from our balcony along Orleans Street.

And here is the opposite view, looking from the intersection of Orleans and Royal Street back up toward our balcony (the one in the center-left of the photograph, next to the tall magnolia tree).

A view of the riverfront side of the main dining room balcony (this is above the Cafe Orleans - note the blue and white umbrellas).

Looking out from the Court of Angels and up Orleans Street.

Finally, a shot of this blog's skipper luxuriating on the curb in front of City Hall, while waiting for the afternoon parade. See? I'm alive and well despite the severe lack of posts recently.

Until next time, I hope you've enjoyed this little photographic tour of Club 33, from inside and out.
My best to all of you---and thanks for checking in!

---Mike

Disneyland - The Lost Safari Leader Returns

2011-08-08T09:54:00.000-07:00

My best to you, Adventurers and Adventurettes!

Mike here.

I would have posted more in the past two months had it not been for a wrong turn in the Guatemalan rainforest. You can get pretty disoriented in jungle overgrowth, especially with a blowdart in your neck! After I came to in a dark hut, I managed to free (most) of the other members of our group and we made our way down river and back to our rickety dock. Talk about a sight for sore eyes! The guys on the dock greeted us warmly, but had somehow managed to be completely unaware of the fact that we had been missing for over eight weeks. Ah. Skippers.

I have much to tell you as, after our ordeal, I made a sojourn to the Grand Californian for four days in order to recuperate. Poolside mojitos can powerfully combat the most virulent of jungle maladies. I also managed an invite into an exclusive club in New Orleans Square---it had been a while since my last visit. I have pictures, but no time to upload them this morning. Stay tuned.

The Park, as always, revitalized my weary spirits, rekindled my devotion and rewarded my many years of Disneyland experience. Oddly enough, we had a supremely happy time at this particular place on earth. Hmm. Maybe there's something to that old slogan after all...

As to you, my devoted four (4) readers (Hi, Mom!), what can I say? I feel like a deadbeat dad, an AWOL soldier, a bolting groom, a Ponzi scheme con-man, a pirate rowing away from you on a lonely island beach, a DMV clerk, a Congressman, a neighbor who borrowed your rake four years ago (and still has it), a garage mechanic in a small desert town---350 miles from anywhere---who has your broken-down car up on a rack, a distant cousin who is still promising to make good on that loan---someday, a...well...like someone who has left you high-and-dry. I am sorry.

I will try to make amends by getting back to posting daily---or at least a couple times a week! Thank you all for continuing to check in with me and for your good thoughts and best wishes on my behalf. These are truly cherished and appreciated.

---Mike

Disneyland - Thoughts on Thunder Trail

2011-06-13T11:09:00.000-07:00

When the crowd finally gets to you and the magic has dissipated, take a stroll to the far northwestern border of Fantasyland or wander past the Frontier Landing and main entrance of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.

There you will find the oft overlooked area known as Thunder Trail. It is shaded, for the most part, and is usually spacious, uncrowded and serene. Sure, there are coyote wails and runaway mine trains---not to mention an earthquake that occurs with uncanny regularity---but beyond those minor distractions you will find a bit of open space, peace and relative calm.

These can be rare commodities during a busy summer day at Disneyland.

I used to sweep Thunder Trail during my sweeper days.
Ah. I can still trace my route from "popcorn alley" past the entrance to Big Thunder, up the hill, over the wooden bridge and around the bend to Thunder Ranch.
I would pause here and there along the way, to catch a glimpse of fish jumping or feel the spray of the waterfall at the back side of Thunder Mountain.
As a guest, there are wooden benches to enjoy and glorious shade. Lean over the railing and watch the mine trains rush by. Have a drink of water and people watch.
People watching is one of Disneyland's greatest outdoor sports.
You will see every variety and types our species has to offer.
Large. Small. Tan. Sunburned. Newborns to centenarians.
All manner of fine folk.
Even a few that are perhaps unrefined (ex Jungle skippers, for example).
You might even try to talk with one or two passers-by.
But, if nothing else, you will enjoy the respite from the packed pathways and queues you'll find elsewhere. It's a good "mental break."

Modern Disneyland Touring Tip ("MDLTT") No. 56: take a shortcut through the Plaza Inn when trying to get to Tomorrowland from the northeast corner of Main Street. Just go through the "exit" gate located behind the Corn Dog wagon and walk through the seating area until you come out the small exit gate over by the restrooms.

MDLTT No. 45: ride Splash Mountain before noon but avoid it in the late afternoon or early evening (unless you've brought a change of clothes and socks). Nothing like trying to enjoy the Magic Kingdom as the cool evening breezes waft against your soaked t-shirt and your sopping socks squish inside your damp shoes. No thanks. Ride early and give yourself plenty of warm daylight to dry off before nightfall.

MDLTT No. 18: hit the ice cream stand near the lockers on East Center Street - Main Street - during the day parade. The line is usually mcuh shorter then and their waffle cone sundaes are superb.

MDLTT No. 66: NEVER attempt the Dumbo line at mid-day with children under 6 (or any other living organism for that matter). Mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the noon-day sun. The rest of us should hit Dumbo earlier in the cool morning or later in the afternoon/early evening. Face it, screaming, hot and partially-cooked children are for witches, not astute Disneyland guests!

MDLTT No. 37: DON'T stand against the rope line to watch a parade or the fireworks if you can avoid it. Why? Attempting to secure such a position once the event commences is something akin to Custer's efforts to repel Sioux warriors at the Little Big Horn or the ship's carpenter's stab at fixing the ruptured hull below the waterline of the Titanic. You will spend most of your time being pushed and shoved by last-minute Larry's who will not be deterred from obtaining a viewing location, regardless of how many people have already beat them to it or the fact that most of them have waited there for over an hour. These folk claw and wrangle under the ropes like Vandals at the gates of Rome or Caribbean pirates boarding a Spanish galleon laden with gold. Nothing short of armed resistance and cauldrons of hot oil (ala the Hunchback of Notre Dame) will subdue or repel the onslaught.

MDLTT No. 29: it's 10:00 a.m., try Tom Sawyers Island if you have kids say 11 and under-ish. Let 'em run free for an hour or so. Join them or luxuriate on a shaded bench during the mayhem. By the time lunch comes around, you've helped them burn off some energy!

Savor the challenge and promise of tomorrow, my friends!!

---Mike

Disneyland - Sunday, June 5, 2011

2011-06-08T09:33:00.000-07:00

Back in the Park today.
But first, met up with some friends over at California Adventure and took in Tower of Terror and the new Little Mermaid attractions.
The Little Mermaid is well done, but I doubt anything is worth a wait of over an hour and a half. Fortunately, we had a little "pixie dust" with us and were able to bypass the line. Sorry, but some Disney secrets will go with me to my grave!
The theme is well executed and the scenes are very close to the animated feature's iconic moments. The audio-animatronics are top notch as well. Overall, two thumbs up for Ariel and her crew. Oh, and way to go all you folks at Disney.
We left DCA (I hate the acronym, but, what the heck, it saves space and extra keystrokes) and over to Disneyland. Quite a crowd awaited us inside.
We took in Indiana Jones and stared at Big Thunder (still down for rehab). Dinner at Rancho del Zocalo and then over to the new Star Tours. A posted 165-minute wait. Um. No. We'll try that one later, thanks. Besides, I was fresh out of "pixie dust," and had no angle for a bypass of this monstrous queue. Rats.
I did not have the opportunity to quiz any fellow guests as to their opinions of the new Star Tours.
Rode the old Matterhorn, however, down the Subs side, and had a great time.

Modern Disneyland Touring Note No. 73: the Blue Ribbon Bakery is a pretty good call if you need a coffee fix and simply cannot tolerate the 20-minute wait across the street at Market House.

Modern Disneyland Touring Note No. 29: they've changed the Village Haus menu to one that is a lot more limited. Still a very nice atmosphere and one of the shortest food location wait times.

Modern Disneyland Touring Note No. 23: the French Market is still a great place for lunch or dinner! The crowd is usually quite light, so you are in and out of the buffet line without much delay.

Modern Disneyland Touring Note ("MDLTN") No. 15: the new parade is actually well done. Take the time to see it and get there early to scope out seats along the curb on Main Street (we prefer the west side, between Penny Arcade and Coke Corner).

Last "MDLTN" of the day, No. 38: if you have a family member with any type of learning or behavioral condition, you qualify to obtain a special assistance pass that may be presented at the entrance of most attractions to permit a more direct access and bypass the Stand-By queue. Check in with Guest Services at either Disneyland (City Hall) or California Adventure (follow the signs---the new construction over there has made getting about a bit confusing).

Thanks to all who have checked in with me during my on-again, off-again hiatus from the blog. I am fine, and my father-in-law is progressing. He is still in rehab and is getting stronger slowly but surely. We hum a merry tune and cheerfully, together, we whistle while we work.
I tried the Snow White approach and he looked at me in a manner reminiscent of the wicked queen, Ursula and Cinderella's Stepmother all wrapped up into one.
Okay.
No whistling during physical therapy.
Got it.
How about "Step in Time?"
Kick your knees up!!

Okay.
Okay.
Putting down the chimney broom.
Sorry, governor...

---Mike

Disneyland - Sunday, May 22, 2011

2011-05-24T08:25:00.000-07:00

I returned to the Park this day, after what was (for me) too long a hiatus.
The fresh paint job on Main Street (and continuing elsewhere, including over at the Golden Horseshoe in Frontierland) literally shone from off the storefronts.
A healthy crowd surged through Disneyland as the 2011 summer season started.
Our middle and youngest daughter took off on a tour of Fantasyland attractions while my wife, son and I wandered to my beloved West Side.
Snaking our way through the throng of guests, we made it to the Mint Julep Bar for a cold and time-honored light green, magic libation.
We found a table along the railing of the French Market, with the Disneyland Railroad chugging into the station immediately behind us.
The hum of conversation, clank of plates and bustle of diners soon faded as the sound of gentle and distinctly American jazz rose to the fore.
The Royal Street Bachelors (2011 version) had taken the small stage and begun to play.
I sat there and was simply at peace.
At home.
At Disneyland.
Good to be back.
My wife looked across the table and could see it in my face. She smiled.
My son, now a sophomore in high school, told us about how he and his best friend now spend more time at the Park sitting, talking and watching than they do riding the attractions.
He is amazed how they now enjoy the Park's atmosphere and, say, a quiet table on the porch of the Plaza Pavilion as much as, if not more than, a trek with Indiana Jones or a rollicking ride on Big Thunder.
One other moment caught me during our visit that I suppose is worth sharing.
I was seated at a table in the Village Haus, alone and facing one of its windows.
Through the leaded glass of the window, I could see Fantasyland, Casey Junior, Village Haus umbrella tables, tall pine trees and vibrant flower beds, and a stream of guests moving in the foreground.
Deja vu?
Not quite.
But I was taken by how vividly then I was transported back to the Village Haus in 1984, looking out that same window.
I felt myself blink back and forth between then and now, while seated in my chair.
I half expected to look down and see my old sweeper whites and Red Wing shoes.
It was eerily real, but only for a flash, like the vague shadow of something that passes through one's peripheral vision.
This wasn't simple nostalgia either. It was not so emotional or touchy-feely.
I breathed in and looked up. The window caught my eye.
I breathed out and could feel my pan and broom leaning against the chair.
And the towel dangling from my belt.
And the cool, starchy crispness of my white day custodial shirt.
The flashlight in its leather holster off my right hip.
My Mickey watch, too. The one with the old Velcro band that kept it securely on my wrist.
I knew my break or my lunch was nearing an end.
When I got up, I would step back out to resume my rounds, with the Skyway drifting overhead.
The Skyway?
Straining to see through the glass, I searched for it.
I tried to make out the tower near Casey Junior.
Vainly my eyes tracked the air where the cable used to run.
No soft pastel gondolas floated past.
What happened?
My mind was actually puzzling over the sudden disappearance of the attraction.
This realization shattered the moment like a dropped sugar sculpture.
I was back again.
A dad.
A lawyer.
A guest.
From the 1980s hopeful promise of the future, to 2011's oh-so-pleasant Now.
My soul cringed.
Just a tad.
But nevertheless I said a heartfelt Thank You for what had just occurred.
It is funny how the Park can lift you now or take you back to then or promise great, big beautiful Tomorrows.
I have a feeling I'll be back for more.

---Mike

Disneyland - Lost Safari

2011-05-07T13:31:00.000-07:00

As I sit in my father-in-law's hospital room in the Medical Telemetry Unit, I can gaze out the window toward Anaheim Stadium.
Beyond it, I can see the outline of the Matterhorn.
The Park is so near, yet seems far away.
Funny how a loved one spending two months (and counting) in a hospital can keep your heart's attention.
I'll never lose the spot in my heart for the Park, of course.
Looking at my blog's Sitemeter numbers drop from a cliff, and finally having the forethought to bring my laptop with me, I make a small vow to try clicking out an entry today.
I feel I've been gone so long.
Returning to the blog for a few moments after almost a month away is at once alien and familiar.
I'm a member of the Lost Safari, finally stumbling back into camp years after having left it. Groggy eyes find my Jeep overturned, my provisions ravaged and my tent mildewed and discolored from years of exposure to the Jungle. No sign of the others.
My arms and legs ache from endlessly clinging to the pole above that damned rhino. The pith helmet smells of sweat. The monocle has rusted in its metal frame. The khakis are threadbare in places. I have lost so much weight, my knees are knobbed and skin hangs from sallow cheeks.
It is a burden to breathe in this oppressive humidity.
What happened here?
Ammo boxes are torn open. Rounds are scattered everywhere.
Rusted pots. A cracked bottle of ether.
Specimen boxes and brittle butterflies.
The green and muddy river gurgles past the bank below.
The sounds of jungle fauna and distant drums form a white noise about me. It echoes in my ears.
I know those sounds so well.
Yet they are dreamlike in this moment. Different.
Eyes struggle to focus as my head throbs.
Sleep comes - fitful and then deep.
I know that I shall wake and then I shall continue my journey back.
Back to the dock.
To the Bazaar.
To the Treehouse.
To Adventureland and beyond.
Until then, my loyal four (4) friends and readers, hang in there with me.
Know that I am making my way home.
Soon enough, I'm sure, I'll be rounding the bend toward Trader Sam, casting him a happy smile as he raises a handful of heads toward my boat.

---Mike

Disneyland - The "Main Street-ness" Of It All

2011-04-15T08:36:00.000-07:00

Walt really loved his home town of Marceline, Missouri.
Main Street, U.S.A., was based upon his fond memories of that place.
Why it's the first thing you come upon when you exit the tunnel.
You know, they could've built Sleeping Beauty Castle at the Park entrance instead of a railway station.
Our first glimpse of Disneyland could have been Fantasyland, or Frontierland, or Tomorrowland.
Instead, thankfully, quaint little Main Street serves as the front porch, the red carpet, the opening scene leading us into the Park.
Ever felt at home there?
Just walking along the center of the street or stepping into its shops?
Its dimensions are actually quite cozy. Lean against the wall outside of the Market House and glance across the street to the West Side. That really isn't far, is it? You could easily underhand a baseball to a friend on the other side. Watch the windows!!
Having briskly crossed that way many, many thousands and thousands of times, I can attest to its friendly confines. Of course, the use of forced perspective in the construction of its storefronts makes tiny Main Street seem a bit larger than itself.
The details of the buildings, with their intricate carpentry and "ginger breading," belie the studied eye of their designers and call us back to a different time.
It is a surprisingly short walk from the Emporium in Town Square to Coke Corner and the Plaza.
Some guests blow through this area of the Park in a frantic rush to get to the "biggies" like Space Mountain, Indiana Jones or the Matterhorn.
Too bad.
Main Street is meant for lingering. Soaking in.
It is an architectural "hug," for the guests. Colorful paints, varied textures, bright awnings and curtained windows surround the folks who stroll down its center---with Sleeping Beauty Castle a focal point in the distance, drawing them up the street.
The smells of coffee, popcorn and whatever sweets are being cooked up over at the Candy Palace float there.
The ding of a horse-drawn trolley bell gently requests that guests make way as the large draft horse pulling the car clops along ahead of it. Even the vehicles are a bright array of reds, dark greens and yellows. The fine Omnibus, with its canopied roof, green paint and yellow trim, chugs up one side of the Plaza, as the bright red fire truck, with its shiny wooden ladders and brass headlamp, heads down the other.
I love the painted wood surfaces of Main Street.
Run you hand across them. Ever feel any painted thing so smooth? All the layers that must have been laid down over the years! The window sills and doorways attest to the patient hand of many a Disneyland painter.
And light bulbs.
The good kind. Round (not spiraled). With filaments. Warm, yellow light. The kind that turn on the instant you flick the switch.
They're everywhere. Step out of the north end of the Candy Palace and look up. Rows of bulbs outline the base of the overhang there. They fill the space with sparkling light on summer evenings or rainy, winter nights.
The gas lamps burn brightly, too. Neat trees in their planters line the walkways.
Music lolls to your ears, up and down the little blocks of buildings. Familiar old songs with buoyant tempos provide a tonal backdrop to the experience.
Meticulously planned and laid out, Main Street nevertheless feels spontaneous and playful. It feels at once new and long, lived-in. Each time I step out onto it, I feel like I'm "home."
That's the way it is supposed to be.
Until next time, close your eyes and take a stroll past the Penny Arcade fellow Disneylanders!

My sincere best wishes to each of you four (4) devoted readers. Hi, Mom!

---Mike

Disneyland - Walt Stamps - Mickey Mouse Club - 1985-ish Mike

2011-04-14T08:22:00.000-07:00

From the Jungle is "101" archival box under the bed, we have located the following gems.

The stamps on the envelopes above provide a happier memory of September 11th than we are stuck with today. The official USPS Walt Disney stamp's first day of issue was on September 11, 1968. Somehow, I ended up with three pristine examples of the stamp on the envelopes seen here (click on the image for a closer view). I found this great article by Wade Sampson over at MousePlanet, which provides you with the historical background of the stamp shown here. Note that the envelopes also bear the Marceline, Missouri post office mark. If you do not immediately perceive the significance of this, know that Marceline was Walt's "home town" growing up---though he was not born there.

I also came across a photo print that was given to me by a family friend who had long ago been married to one of the original Mouseketeers, Don Agrati. That's Don next to Linda. Don went on to do other things, including a stint on the classic TV show My Three Sons. Anyway, the photo is in excellent condition and shows Walt and the Mickey Mouse Club cast on one of Walt Disney Productions sound stages in the mid-1950s. Go ahead and click on the photo and get a close up view. If you look closely, you'll see that Walt is sporting his "Smoke Tree Ranch" tie. Here's a link to Smoke Tree Ranch for more information on Walt's association with this place.

Last, but not least, let's beam back to 1985-ish for a picture of this blog's author (in response to the many requests received for an '80s view of my mug). As can be seen, "Preppy" clothing was "In." I'm still digging the green Izod with its famous alligator logo. The Mickey Mouse watch was a mandatory accessory for this cast member (still is, in fact). This photo was taken in Palm Springs on a Spring Break get-away with a group of about 15 Day Custodial cast members. Oddly, the US Postal Service has yet to grace a stamp with my likeness. That's okay by me, since the new protocol apparently requires me to have been dead for 10 years before they issue a stamp of me. I'll pass.

That's all I have for you today, kids! Have a wondrous day wherever you are and whenever you read this!

---Mike

Disneyland - An Ode

2011-04-07T09:52:00.000-07:00

Oh, for a day at Disneyland!

Sunshine blinking off flower petals, with smooth green railings circling the beds.
Stepping from tunnel to Town Square, the Park wraps around you.

Music lilts from somewhere in the background of the blue-skied day.
A day that spreads out before you like a banquet.
Or a Christmas morning.
Promise-filled, wondrous, anticipated.
To feel a bounce in my step and the curve of a smile.
To run my hand down the side of a proud Percheron!
Give me a morning moment on the Hub.
Until clanging bell and piping steam whistle beckon from the distance.
Feet turn and eyes follow.
Through the frontier, over wood-planked porches.
Under trees, beside rivers, beneath mountains.
Breathe in popcorn and butter, jungle water, diesel, musty pavement, Lafitte's Landing's and the Blue Bayou's damp air, locomotive steam and metal brakes, magnolia blossoms, a chlorinated Submarine lagoon, pineapple, rubber snakes in a barrel, fresh peanut brittle, coffee, new and neatly folded t-shirts stacked in the Emporium or conditioned air and upholstery in the Lincoln Theater.
Novel and new, yet deeply familiar.
Give me talking birds, singing flowers, drunken pirates, grinning ghosts, squirting elephants and runaway trains.

Sit me on a wooden bench in the shade.
March a band by me in full sound.
Tire my legs from walking.
Surround me with a crowd.
We'll have fireworks to round things out.
It'll be grand.
So take me.
Take me.
Take me to Disneyland!!

Have a great day, all!

---Mike

Disneyland - Jungle Is "101" Back Online - A Mother And Child Reunion

2011-03-23T22:09:00.000-07:00

Hello, everyone.
I am so sorry, but a family emergency had taken Jungle Is "101" into a "holding pattern" for the last few weeks. It is amazing how a father-in-law's trip into the ICU can cut into your time for posting about Disneyland.
Jungle Fans, please pray for my father-in-law's recovery or send a favorable thought his way. Thank you!
In any event, I thought I'd take a moment to post a quick hello and update.
Hello.
I sure missed you guys.
How've you been?
What's new?
Hope you are well.
My thoughts have been with those affected by the devastation of the earthquakes, tsunami and nuclear reactor failures in Japan. Our prayers go out to our many Japanese friends and followers---and all of our cast member pals and guests at Tokyo Disneyland---during this very difficult time.
I must admit it has been difficult, between international and personal disasters, to come up with much to write about here. I thought I'd just take a moment and sit down at the old Royal typewriter and start banging out something, anything, just to show you this blog isn't a permanently frozen screen.
So. Here it is.
A little disjointed.
Stream of consciousness---or semi-consciousness, in my case.
Rather than focusing on the negative, as in the first half of this post, I have chosen to leave you with a positive Disneyland memory that I have scraped from the recesses of my feeble mind.
It is simple.
And, mercifully, not terribly long.

I was on my way across the Hub toward a Thunder Mountain shift. Boots, hat, bandana, name tag.
My thoughts were ahead of me, thinking about clocking in, mentally checking the "in-Park" number of guests as I crossed Main Street, wondering if I'd be in the Tower or start off at Load or Main Entrance.
I almost tripped over a small girl as I started to cross the wooden bridge at the Frontierland entrance.
She was four, no more than five, years old.
Her large blue eyes were wide with terror.
And filled with tears.
She was frantic, and called, "Mommy! Mommy!" over and over.
Her tiny Minnie Mouse shirt was accompanied by jean shorts and little sandals.
Chocolate smudges from a recently eaten ice cream bar surrounded her mouth and speckled her Minnie shirt.
She just about crashed into my knee as she ran in a panicky circle, eyes darting about, breathlessly seeking out her lost mother amid her hot tears.
I stopped short and so did she.
Her chin raised and her eyes followed.
I felt very tall and imposing in my boots and hat as she looked up at me.
I saw the fear and panic wash over her face.
Quickly, I knelt down before her and looked into her eyes.
I smiled and said, "It's all right, we'll find your mommy. See---I work for Mickey."
I lifted my vest and held out my name tag.
She squinted through tears to make out the tiny mouse above my name.
Then she looked at me.
She sized me up and apparently felt that I was a better alternative than wandering, lost and alone, through the vast Magic Kingdom---without her mom!
"This says 'Mike," --- that's my name, what's yours?"
The puffy tear stained eyes stared back.
She wasn't talking.
"I'm going to help you find you mommy, all right?"
A pouting and quivering lower lip made it clear that I'd better find mom fast.
Still kneeling, I looked right at her and told her that moms sometimes get lost in Disneyland, but we always, always find them.
"I'm going to stand up and see if I can find her, okay? Will you stand right here by me?"
She nodded and stood by my leg, my boot dwarfing her lilliputian sandals.
I scanned Frontierland ahead of me. No sign of any frantic mom, dad or sibling.
"Stay right here," I told the little girl.
I slowly pivoted and started to scan the guests moving about the Hub, from the Adventureland entrance, toward the Plaza Pavilion, to the Plaza, to the popcorn cart at the base of the Hub. Nothing obvious.
I looked at the Hub and across it to the Tomorrowland entrance. Where's mom?
Continuing to pan to my left, I saw a group of folks in front of the Castle, along with a balloon vendor and a security guard---near Matterhorn Way. Darn, he's a bit far away. Don't think I can get his attention.
I waved.
The balloon vendor waved back.
But not the security guard, who continued up Matterhorn Way and out of sight.
Great. Security guards had radios. I did not.
I could sense panic building in my little charge, who began to cry for mommy and have second thoughts about the man in the boots and big hat---even if he DID have Mickey on his name tag.
One thing I learned was to be patient with a lost child and to stay put for several minutes (unless I could flag down Security). I knew that a Big Thunder cast member standing with a crying child at the Hub was likely to get someone's attention the longer I stayed put. I also knew the hazard of moving --- because the mom (and dad, brother, sister or other family members) mostly likely was running around searching for the little girl.
I looked back toward Frontierland and saw a security guard, in his U.S. Cavalry costume, walking outside the Shootin' Arcade. How appropriate, I thought. Call in the Cavalry!
Before I could get his attention, though, to my far left I saw a mom-like figure scurrying out of Adventureland and past the entrance to the Tiki Room. Her rapidly swiveling head and nervous stutter steps as she half-ran, made her stand out from the loping folks in the crowd around her. She had her sunglasses pushed up in her hair and a wild-eyed look that I could pick out from over 150 feet away.
"Sarah!! Sarah!!!"
I could hear her crying as she neared the Plaza Pavilion.
She started to head south toward Main Street, but stopped and glanced back my way.
I raised my hat and held it high above my head, waving it like a flagman on the Disneyland Railroad.
She saw me.
She looked down.
She saw Sarah.
Sarah's mom immediately began to run toward us.
"Look who I found," I knelt down and said to Sarah, pointing toward the running woman.
The fear instantly evaporated from Sarah's face.
"MOMMY!"
I stood and watched the reunion between them play out before me on the Frontierland entrance bridge.
"Where did you go??!! Oh where did you go??? Mommy's got you!"
Mom scooped up Sarah and held her tight.
"Thank you!!! She's been lost for almost half an hour! Where did you find her??"
"Right here. She was coming out of Frontierland and was pretty upset."
"Thank Goodness you found her!"
"She wasn't hard to miss, believe me!"
The little eyes looked across to me from her mom's shoulder.
"See, I told you we always, ALWAYS find lost moms here at Disneyland!" A cute little blink, a twinkle of a smile and her face quickly buried back into the shoulder.
The security guard I had seen earlier had now joined us on the bridge.
"All clear. We have mom and daughter at Frontierland entrance," he spoke into his radio.
"We've been looking for her over on the West Side. Glad to see you found her."
"She kinda found me. I was heading to Thunder to start my shift."
"Thank you, thank you!" Sarah's mom repeated. "We were right by the Treehouse and she wandered off. We looked everywhere!! I grabbed a security guard and he got on the radio. You people are GOOD!"
I smiled.
Good?
Dumb luck and a knack for kids and dogs.
Still, I was happy to accept the compliment and to see mom and daughter together again.
I headed to Thunder.
Five minutes late for my shift.
The area manager was kind enough to correct my time card --- since she had gotten the radio call about the lost child, too!
All in a day's work, ma'am.
All in a day's work.

---Mike

Disneyland - Cast Activities Center - Disneyland Employees Federal Credit Union

2011-03-08T08:16:00.000-08:00

A small, squat building was situated near the center of the backstage area behind Main Street in the 1980s. It is still there today, but it is now a computer training location.
It was the Cast Activities Center.
As you approached its main entrance (located directly across from the old Wardrobe/Administration building), there was a Bank of America Versateller machine/kiosk at the right side of the building.
There was not much architecture to the structure and its wooden support pillars were painted a dark brown.
Inside was a lounge area and there were TVs that constantly showed the then fairly new "Disney Channel."
"Dumbo's Circus" seemed to always be on.
The classic "Disney Channel" logo would flash across the screen between shows.

TVs over in the "Inn-Between" show the Disney Channel as well. It was being heavily promoted and it looks like it caught on.
The Cast Activities Center was where you could get information about everything from the latest Red Cross Blood Drive to the Canoe Races to the Disneyland Employees Federal Credit Union. Indeed, the structure that housed Cast Activities was originally where the Credit Union was located. It move outside the berm and, in the 1980s, was located just inside the tall chain link fence that enclosed the Park property along Harbor Boulevard at the Employee Parking lot entrance.
Like many other cast members, I had an account there. I, however, still have checks left! My old account from the 1980s has long since closed, but let me tell you it was always cool to write a check with a background picture of Sleeping Beauty's Castle and Mickey and Minnie.

Whenever I would pay for something with one of these checks, it always, always sparked a conversation with the cashier.
"Oooh! Where did you get this? Do you work for Disneyland?!"
"What? This old thing? Why it's just a regular old check."
"How did you get the Disneyland picture on it??"
"Well, I do actually work at the Park..."
"What do you do?"
"Ever been on the Jungle Cruise?"
"NO WAY!! I LOVE that ride."
To this day, I must say, that having been a Jungle Skipper gets me more attention than anything I've done in my professional or educational career. For some odd reason there's an instant connection---a bond---between guests and Jungle Skippers.
"Do you remember the spiel?"
"In my sleep! I've been 'round the jungle river a time or two."
"Can I see your driver's license please. Is your address and telephone information correct?"
(Hmph. "Jungle Skipper" only gets you so far in life).
I am sure today I could find a bank that would put a Disneyland photo in the background of my checks.
Except no one really uses checks anymore.
Can you imagine what my 1980s dollars would be worth today??
Shoulda bought Disney stock in bunches back then.

Have a magnificent Tuesday---or whatever day it is when you happen upon this post!!

---Mike

Disneyland - Marooned In The Jungle (Part II)

2011-03-03T08:20:00.000-08:00

If you did not catch "Part I," here's a link to it. And now, without further fanfare, Jungle Theater presents the conclusion of Marooned In The Jungle.

So. I am stranded on an island just as the Jungle Cruise is about to open its daily operations.
My brain is racing with thoughts of, "you'll be walked out; you'll be given a permanent 'No Rehire.'"
Despair sets in --- just a tad.
Peering through the foliage back towards the dock, I see our area supervisor approaching the lead.
I duck down like a Green Beret under direct enemy fire.
Great.
Doomed.
Over at the far end of the dock, I hear the Skipper chatting up the first boat of guests for the morning.
"Greetings and welcome aboard! Show of hands, anyone coming on board visiting from outside of California??
Yes. You, sir, where're you from?"
"Cleveland."
"I'm sorry?"
"Cleveland."
"Oh, I heard you fine, I'm just...sorry. Seriously, welcome aboard. Since you're from Cleveland, I'll try and speak a little slower, okay? Anyone here born on their birthday or some other day during the year?? Raise those hands? Anyone else from out of town? Out of patience? Out of control? Out of money? Oh, yes in the back! You're out of money? Well, welcome to Disneyland!"
By now, my inner "Jungle Load" clock is telling me the boat is almost full and will be steaming off into the jungle---with me now an unwilling participant in the Show along its river banks.
"All right! Let's get those last victims---er, visitors---into the back and we're off! Turn around and wave good-bye to the beautiful people back on the dock!"
From my crouched position near the hut, I can see the area manager turn from the lead and head out the exit toward the Bazaar. Whew. Close one.
The next boat is now loading and I can hear the tell-tale rumble of the first boat's throttled engine as it makes its way past the Ancient Cambodian Shrine and into the Elephant Pool. I know that I can keep out of view, but at some point, I've got to get off this island and back to my duties!
"HEY, SKIP!" My lead's voice pierces the vegetation.
"BETTER SAY HI TO THE WATER BUFFALO!"
Is this some kind of code?
I inch back toward the water buffalo side of the island, along the narrow trail.
As I near the bank, I hear the sound of a boat engine---but it's not a Jungle boat.
It's the skiff!
Coming from under Schweitzer falls and buzzing, bow-first towards me is one of our senior Jungle Skippers---laughing and gesturing for me to get ready to jump in.
I shoot him a half-smile/half-glare and grab for the bow of the skiff, which wobbles under my grip. In a single move, I jump from the island bank into the small vessel and, before I am quite seated, my fellow skipper throttles the outboard and we shoot forward past Sam. I find myself on the floorboards, the momentum of the boat throwing me back.
There is muted laughter from behind me as we race to our right through the open gate that leads to Boat Storage. We zip by so fast that I doubt a single guest down at the far end of the dock at Load ever became aware of our presence.
Pulling alongside the edge of the boat storage area, the skiff's captain activates the control to shut the doors to Boat Storage. He kills the engine and we drift ahead toward the storage bays. He is now laughing loudly and I can feel the aluminum hull shaking under me.
"Did you see the area manager, Robinson Crusoe!?? I thought we were dead!!" He stammers between giggles.
"Yeah. Um, where did you come from??"
"Don sent me around to hang out by the Lost Safari while you were stranded. He told me to pick you up after the first boat was dispatched. Guess he didn't expect the manager to show up so early!"
This was a day shift, so the crew was mostly veterans. After we exited the skiff, we walked from the back area, past the Tahitian Terrace, and stepped across the rocks that formed a walkway to the Unload dock.
Arriving at the dock, I was cheered and razzed by the Skippers.
I feigned indignation---for by now, the joke was completely on me so I figured I might as well go along with it!
"Home is the hunter! Home from the hill!" called out one of the few, more literate cast members.
"Hey, Mike! How's Sam?? Heard you were hut hunting! Did you open an escrow?"
"You shoulda seen the look on your face! I'm still laughing!"
"It's times like these when you find out who your real friends are!"
"You had that coming ever since that episode last week at Charley Brown's"
Etc.
There was applause.
A shift-long ridicule ensued.
It persisted over the course of the summer.
I became known as "Island Mike" among the opening crew who were present.
Then among newer cast members who were nowhere near the attraction when this little stunt was pulled.
I wore the mantle with honor.
I learned a valuable lesson of the Jungle.
Never leave the skiff---unless you're at the dock.

Adieu, mon ami!

---Mike

Disneyland - Deep Thoughts on a Wednesday - Jungle Readers Analyzed

2011-02-23T10:08:00.000-08:00

Greetings, salutations and welcome, oh wayward fans of this humble slice of cyberspace.
You know who you are.
"Jungle is 101" followers are a fine crew, marked by undeniably distinct characteristics and personality flaws:

You are literate, but favor picture books with high monosyllabic word content.
You are inquisitive, yet willingly believe anything in writing, so long as it is on the Internet.
Aloof, you wear ascots and smoking jackets, despite summer humidity and a fondness for sandals.
You find Superstring Theory plausible because it posits additional dimensions beyond the four space-time dimensions generally observed, but mostly because it can be shot from a can during birthday celebrations.
You are secure in your individuality, yet bemused by people who gape at you during one of your regular, spontaneous and utterly inappropriate outbursts while using public transit systems.
Dental hygiene is more of a broad, long-term goal than a daily objective.
You are disturbed that one of the voices in your head seems to be hearing things---worse yet, it is starting to act them out and is annoying the other voices, who are agitating for a solution---along with benefits, a pension plan and discretionary bonuses.
You fill in crossword puzzle answers with numbers and strange symbols that you've made up all by yourself.
People like you. As long as you remain in strict compliance with the restraining order.
What's wrong with mustard? You got a problem with MUSTARD??!!!!
You know exactly what I'm talking about as far as the whole "mustard" thing.
You were voted Class Clown at your remedial school---eight years in a row.
"There's always room for Jello" is not just an advertising slogan, it is a guiding principle and quantum vacuum, forming the fundamental energy and information-carrying field, or "Akashic field," that informs not just the current universe, but all universes past and present---collectively, the "Metaverse."
You put your pants on, one leg at a time, four pairs at a time, just like the next guy.
Drinking isn't a problem. Stopping. Stopping's a problem.
You weigh over 500 pounds, with enormous, razor sharp teeth and claws, can leap over twenty feet, and your roar can be heard more than 3 kilometers away. Wait. Never mind. That's a Bengal Tiger.
NASCAR is a sport! And a dang good 'un, mind you!
You can't shake the feeling you left something in Adventureland, like a wallet or a family member.
You pay your mortgage with a credit card and your credit card with your home equity line of credit.
You don't have a home equity line of credit.
Other people fascinate you. You stare unblinkingly at them and edge closer to them on park benches and in supermarket check-out lines.
You still duck when Jungle natives attack just before the "Backside of Water," though you've never actually seen them toss a single spear in any prior attack. Ever.
Thinking back on dissecting that frog in high school still makes you hungry.
There's nothing wrong with living alone. In a park. Under scrub brush. On an embankment.
You favorite holiday is one that is celebrated by no one else. Anywhere. But you still wear the costume to work.
A nowhere job for minimum wage is not a sign of failure---it's something to apply for.
I swear that guy is staring at me.
Is this the way to the restroom? Why are you all wearing epaulets?
I could read stuff on the Internet all day long...
You've read each of the bullet points above, amazed at their uncanny accuracy in describing your inner self --- it's like he really GETS me!
You don't know just when to quit.
But I do.

There. I'm done.

Happy Windsday, Piglet!

---Mike

Disneyland - Mint Julep Bar - Cast Member Susy

2011-02-22T07:55:00.000-08:00

This past Friday evening, we piled into the car for a trip to Disneyland in the rain.
The Park was not crowded, and the wind and rain blew as if Hina and Tongaroa-Ru were Annual Pass holders.
Of course, the "Bubble" (as Cast Members know) was in full effect at times, too, as the rain let up for most of the evening. The "Bubble" is a reference to the Park's unique ability to remain a lone dry spot in Southern California, even when the entire region is in the midst of a storm. The term arose because some guests actually wondered aloud if it was true that Disneyland has a glass dome or bubble that is turned on to keep out the elements. To Cast Members hoping to avoid a closing shift due to inclement weather, the "Bubble" was a term of frustration. You would call in to see if you were still scheduled only to be told---Yes. Really? It's pouring where I live and hasn't let up all day! Um. Not at the Park. There's a break in the clouds above us and we can see sky. See you at 5:00 p.m., don't be late for your shift.
Okay. Where was I?
Oh yeah. Rain, Disneyland, Cold.
My youngest and I spent some rare time inside "Innoventions." The attraction is pretty much only good for keeping you dry in a rainstorm. Being 7, she actually enjoyed walking around and looking at the "house of the future." You mean someday people will have flat panel big screen TVs in their homes? No way!
While we wandered in "The Future," my dear wife and older daughter braved the elements and even made their way onto Casey Junior. A cell phone call advised me to meet them at Tiki Room and that they were cold and wanted hot chocolate---Stat!
We met at the Tiki lanai, took in the show and headed to New Orleans Square after we left the theater.
Mint Julep Bar.
They have hot cocoa, beignets and funnel cakes.
We rounded the corner and found a small line of guests at the service counter.
When it was my turn, I approached and placed our order. The cast member working there was Susy. She was on until 11:45 p.m., I learned by pestering her. She was very nice and a testament to what a cast member can and should be. I teased her, as I am wont to do, and she smilingly went along with it.
"Name?" she asked as she took my order.
"Mike."
"We already have a 'Mike' ahead of you."
"I'm the better 'Mike,'" I said, "Put that down."
She looked up and laughed. And started writing.
"Hey!" said the "other" 'Mike' standing to our left and waiting for his order. "I'm the BEST 'Mike!'"
My wife, all too familiar with her husband goofing around with guests and cast members for no apparent reason, cringed slightly and rolled her eyes.
"He better give you a five dollar tip!" announced the "other" Mike as I stood at the counter before Susy.
Ouch.
I smiled and walked over to "Mike."
"Hi, I'm Mike Kelly," I said shaking his hand firmly and smiling that mischievous smile that comes from years in the Jungle.
"Mike Valero, pleased to meet you."
"Where are you from? Cold and wet enough for you?"
"Connecticut. This is a dream compared to the weather back home. I was in Hawaii on business and we stopped here on the way back home."
Mike introduced us to his wife and we told them we envied their recent trip to Hawaii.
In the end, we both agreed we were pretty darn good "Mikes" and would consider it a draw. They left, sipping their hot coffees and heading off toward the Rivers of America.
"'Better Mike,' your order is ready!" announced Susy's fellow cast member from behind the "Pick Up" window.
"Why, thank you, my dear," I said taking our cups of warm libations and poking my head low to call into the Julep Bar window. "Good work, Susy!! As you can see, I eliminated all confusion at the pick up window by drawing the distinction of being the "Better Mike." Susy flashed a Disney smile and wished us a fond "Good Evening!" as we left with our order.
I should have snapped her picture with the cell phone camera, but I'll have to immortalize her here with this brief---ok, not-so-brief---mention.
She brightened our cold, damp evening with a cheerful smile, a good attitude, hot coffee and cocoa and funnel cake, too.
In our best nod to the classic TV show Hee-Haw, Jungle is "101" salutes Susy, French Market Mint Julep Bar closing shift cast member from Friday, February 18, 2011.
SAL-LUTE!

We now return you to your regularly scheduled daily activities.
Oh, and if you should see Susy at the French Market during your next trip to Disneyland---tell her the "Better Mike" says hello!

---Mike

The Shirt Lives!!

Disneyland - Ephemera - Main Street Electrical Parade - View-Master - 1979 Informational Guide - Pirates Postcard - Family Circus

2011-02-17T09:04:00.000-08:00

Let's open the old box of Disneyland stuff and see what's in it.

Hey! Here's my old Main Street Electrical Parade souvenir album. Still works! If only I had a record player. The artwork is fanciful and fun. The music plays in my head without any effort on my part at all. I can see each float as it rolls by on a Main Street summer night. I'll bet most of you can, too.

I like to look at the listing of the songs on the back of the album. There are a few offerings from Pete's Dragon, which isn't surprising, as it was released right around the time the parade made its Main Street debut. Speaking of Pete's Dragon, I saw a local news snippet just yesterday that Mickey Rooney---elderly and ailing---has won a recent court battle to keep his stepson away from him. Seems the stepson was trying to hone in on Rooney's estate, was mistreating him and making him "a prisoner in his own home." Poor Mickey. Hard to imagine elder abuse involving a person who is perenially young in my imagination. My thoughts and prayers are with him. Heck, he was the voice of Santa Claus, Judy Garland's pal, the star of a fabulous Twilight Zone episode, a singer, a dancer, a Hollywood sensation---just to scratch the surface. Mickey Rooney and Buddy Hackett will forever live on in my memory for their sensationally funny turns in It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, the 1963 comedy starring Spencer Tracy, Jimmy Durante, Milton Berle, Sid Ceasar, Ethel Merman, Jonathan Winters, Jim Backus, Phil Silvers, Dick Shawn, Terry Thomas, Edie Adams, and even Eddie "Rochester" Anderson---to name but a few (even the Three Stooges show up in this film in a cameo role).

Whoa! Here are some of my old View-Master reels! I could go to Disneyland in three dimensions any time I wanted. I would flick through these images at home between those summer trips to the Park when I was a kid. Looking through these today literally transported me back. The Park was really something! Of course, it still is.

Ooh. An old Pirates postcard! Does that date on the back say 1966? Love the artwork. Talk about an all-time classic attraction---though I have to say, it was better before Captain Jack and "Davy Jones" moved in. The Davy Jones fog effect is fine, but actually the tunnel was better when it was pitch black and a disembodied voice intoned: "No fear hath ye of evil curses, says you. Arrrr. Properly warned, ye be, says I. Who knows when that evil curse will strike the greedy beholders of this bewitched treasure."

An here's a couple of old clippings from The Family Circus in the late 1970s when they took a trip to Disneyland.
Speaking of the late 1970's, here's a Disneyland fold out brochure from late 1978 or early 1979 that promises Big Thunder Mountain Railroad will be opening in the Fall of 1979. Looks pretty cool in the drawings. Wonder if it will be worth it? Little did I know then that I'd be clomping around the load area in miner's boots, sporting a Disneyland name tag, eight years later.

Well, better close the box and get off to work.
"Heigh Ho!" as they say.
Keep imagination alive in the world, my friends.

---Mike

Disneyland - Country Bear Theater - Hot Day

2011-02-15T10:00:00.000-08:00

Dateline: Bear Country. Summer 1985. Day Custodial Shift. Sweeper.
Always enjoyed Bear County, but on hot days it was, well...a bear.
Despite pine trees, most of the area was open and exposed to the sun.
Where Splash Mountain sits today was a row of buildings with a covered porch and restrooms. The porch provided welcome shade.

So did the Hungry Bear Restaurant, but this was a Bussing location, so we sweepers did not have to venture there---onto Busser turf.
The most inviting option for a cool down during a hot summer Bear Country shift was to sweep the queue and the lobby of the Country Bear Theater. The covered bridge leading across a little stream and to the shady entrance was inviting. Entering the barn-like structure that contained the Country Bear lobby, I felt a draft of cool, conditioned air. Aaah.
I would, of course, exchange hellos with the hostess at the turnstile.
Then I would step into the long, wood-floored lobby and slowly make my way up and down its length, looking for wayward bits of paper, crumpled Souvenir Guides and maps, popcorn and the various and sundry detritus that guests would drop on the ground.
I would glance at the posters and pictures along the wall and watch the flickering lights inside the hurricane lamps. Between shows, we sweepers would jump in ahead of the guests and quickly run through the long rows of theater seats, looking for trash and other items left behind. I would work quickly, usually focusing on the center rows, as they were the most filled with guests, typically.
The theater was always cool and comfortable. As a guest, the Country Bear Jamboree was on the "MUST DO" list during mid-day and early afternoon periods in the summer. A great show taken in while seated on comfortable benches with air conditioning wafting over your flushed cheeks? Who wouldn't take advantage of this?
Today you can ride Pooh.
Hey, that didn't come out quite right.
You can enjoy the Winnie the Pooh attraction.
(That's better.)
I remember looking up at Max, Buff and Melvin as I swept through the rows and headed to the exit doors.

They're still hanging around "Critter Country" to this day---permanently affixed to the wall in the Pooh attraction. Sigh.

The exit of the Country Bear Jamboree looked like an old mine or a covered bridge. It lead you back into Bear Country, past my all-time favorite water feature---a small waterfall tucked in the far western corner of the park. It trickled over round, granite stones and was surrounded by trees, ferns, moss and flowers. There was a little wooden bridge that crossed the stream at the exit. You could stand on that bridge and listen to the waterfall and the trickling brook. It was peaceful and pretty. An unexpected little pleasure. The Park has always been famous for these -- the rounded staircase in the middle of New Orleans Square, the Snow White Wishing Well, the benches along Matterhorn Way, tree-shaded Thunder Trail, the tables on the porch of the Plaza Pavillion, etc., etc.
Just across the little bridge was the Mile Long Bar. I can still smell the warm pretzels.
Today?
Today we have "Critter Country."
I'll leave it at that.

To fond memories of the past and savoring the challenge and promise of the future!

---Mike

Disneyland - Going to the Top - Videopolis!

2011-02-14T07:46:00.000-08:00

It was the next big thing.
An all new venue north of Storybook and west of Small World.
Videopolis.
It was mid-80s on steroids. A huge stage, videos shining from TVs all over the place, and swirling, flashing lights that blinked to the beat of whatever was playing.
Videopolis opened in 1985. I remember, for some reason, a particular Danny Elfman video when I think of this location during its heyday. The song was Gratitude and here's the video.

The music was loud, the lights bright---think "Tween Nightclub." I remember thinking it a bit odd to hear such Oingo-Boing-esque sounds at Disneyland---not to mention seeing images of Satan (popping up during a friendly game of poker) splayed on a large screen and 70 smaller ones. And all of this within a stone's throw of the entrance to It's A Small World.
Nonetheless, Videopolis did capture the vibe of the 1980s. I'll give it that.
Was it really something that Disneyland needed? I'll leave that one to Michael Eisner.
It ceased its run as Videopolis in 1995 and has since become the Fantasyland Stage - where various shows have been presented. I hear you can catch a glimpse of a Disney princess or two over there these days.
During a Fantasyland shift, when assigned Small World, I would be sure to sweep over by Videopolis on summer evenings and watch the lights, the videos, the dancing.
The pink and funky green color scheme was lifted from Miami Vice, and the whole place shamelessly pandered to the youth market. Disney Dollars anyone?
In so many ways, it was a classic Eisnerization of the Park.
Now...
...is THAT gratitude?

Happy Monday, my friends!

---Mike

Disneyland - Main Street Surprise

2011-02-12T15:41:00.000-08:00

"Wanna see something cool?"
Whenever a fellow sweeper would ask this question, my heart leaped---especially when it was a lead doing the asking.
"Let's go!" I replied instantly.
Olympic Summer 1984 was remarkably slow. We were near midday and handfuls of guests straggled about Main Street. Supervisors were probably at lunch---certainly nowhere to be seen. Our area looked spic and span and could go on "autopilot" for some time if we decided to do a little exploring.
My lead yanked open the East Center Street gate and headed out, with me a few steps behind.
We crossed Main Street and headed into the Emporium mall and out through the front doors of the Emporium.
He stepped through the little door in the fence right next to the brick Disneyland Fire Department building.
I followed.
We were back stage on the West Side of Main Street. The horse drawn trolley tracks led back here. We could see the back side of the Jungle Cruise berm (just behind the hippo pool to be exact).
To our left was a set of stairs that led up the side of the Fire Department building to a small porch and a door.
He marched up the stairs and produced a key to the door.
"Come on!"
I was up the steps in an instant.
He opened the door as I made it to the top and we both stepped quickly through it.
The door closed behind us and we stood in a small foyer. I remember the carpet was a bright red, with a busy pattern. The walls were shiny white and the room was filled with sunlight.
Stepping around the corner we stopped.
We stood there and he gave me a knowing nod and smile.
I looked around at the red drapes and brass curtain rods, the neat little furniture, the built-in bookcases, the white columns framing the sitting room.
We were in the Disney family's quarters above the Fire Department.
There ahead of me, on a fine round table below the center window of the east wall, was a hurricane lamp with an electric bulb, standing at the edge of the table, closest to the lace half-curtain that graced the window.
This was the lamp I always saw from the street below---ever burning in Walt's honor (unless, of course, it's Christmas---then you'll see a small tree in its place).
I breathed in through my nose. I wanted to inhale the aroma, the atmosphere, of the apartment.
I had been many places where Walt had been---heck, anyone who's been to Disneyland can say that!
He had stood on the bow of the Mark Twain, on the stage at Plaza Gardens, before the flagpole in Town Square, on the steps of City Hall, on the platform of the Monorail station in Tomorrowland, at the base of the Matterhorn. I had been those places.
But never had I been in his personal quarters above Main Street.
It felt a little like church and a little like home.
I felt a wave of respectful self-awareness. I had invaded a private place. Someone's home.
Walt's apartment.
I walked around the corner and peeked out the door of the Apartment onto the little porch located between the Fire Department and City Hall on the second floor. It had lattice overhead and patio furniture and a great view of both Town Square to the east and the Jungle to the west.
"We better get back to the area locker," my lead urged.
"Okay," I answered slowly.
I stepped into the middle of the room and walked over to take a peek out of the window nearest the foyer. I could see through the lace the guests walking on Town Square below. The Emporium was to the left. I could hear the trolley bell ring and the clop of hooves below.
The lead opened the door and the sunlight came in, flashing me a clear sign it was time to dart back to our post.
I turned and gazed at the place---the white walls, the fine chairs, the red curtains and carpet, the lamp on the table. "Wow," I said half to myself and half out loud, I suppose.
"Come on!"
I followed him out the door and back down the stairs. In an instant, it seemed, we were pushing through the door leading from back stage onto Main Street. We walked along the north side of the Fire Department and out into Town Square.
I turned around and looked up at the high arched window centered above the words "Disneyland Fire Department." I saw the lamp glowing there behind the lace curtains. As a kid coming here I had never noticed it up there. I was too interested in running inside to clamber up the old fire wagon.
Now I saw the place very differently.
Perhaps you will, too.

---Mike

Disneyland - Bits of Adventureland, Autopia ala Jungle, Ned and the Old Dock

2011-02-11T08:17:00.000-08:00

The haunting figure above lurks within the tropical confines of Adventureland. Any idea where? Here's a pretty darn obvious hint.

A skipper and his crew approach the "first sign of Danger" in the Jungle. They've just turned past the rain forest and are chugging toward the Monkey God and the Ancient Cambodian Shrine. The Skipper is probably reminding guests to keep their hands and arms inside the boat and watch their small children. A large part of any trip through the Jungle consists of the Skipper facing aft---completely unaware of what is ahead of him. During a breakdown once, a Skipper, who was in mid-spiel and deeply enthralled with his own performance, did not hear the 6-shot signaling a derailed boat up ahead. My boat was stopped just abreast of the African Veldt when the boat behind me rounded the bend. The other Skipper, who shall remain nameless (way to go, Doug!), was pointing out the "Mother-In-Law" elephant and not looking ahead of him. He realized, all too late, that my boat was stopped in front of his. He tried to slam his throttle into reverse. Nope. Too much forward momentum. He rear-ended us like an Autopia car. Everyone in my boat lurched back and then forward in their seats with the impact. I somehow kept my footing. With hands on hips and much overacting, I proceeded to chastise him over the P.A. We parried back and forth and the guests on our boats seemed to enjoy the exchange.
"Why don't you watch where you're going!?"
"What's the idea of stopping in the middle of the River?! River hog!"
"I hope you have insurance!" etc. It was actually one of my better breakdown experiences, because we had two skippers and two boatloads of guests to pass the time until the attraction was up and running again.

I worked with Ned, above, in 1987. He was our closing lead for most of the summer until one day when we completely lost track of him. He was last seen aboard the skiff, puttering around the bend on his way to help with a rumored native disturbance and uprising. Ned started as a skipper in '55 and was one of the few cast members who could sport facial hair---having "grandfathered in" along with one of the original sweepers and a security guard or two that were permitted to keep their plumed mustaches. Nice guy, Ned. Good head on his shoulders. Quick witted. Sporting fellow, actually. Favored hot tea on muggy days. He always kept our boats loaded and cycling without a hiccup. Sure miss him.

Drifting back to the Jungle dock in 1968 (with thanks from Gary Bowden who originally posted this one), we get a clear view of the loading area and one of the old striped-canopied launches. Seat cushion, anyone? You can see the quaint old queue, with its thatched roof of palm fronds.

A happy Friday to the four (4) of you (Hi, Mom)!

---Mike

Disneyland - Bamboo-zled and Elephant-ized

2011-02-10T10:25:00.000-08:00

A dead spot in the Jungle lies just after the scene where the gorillas trash the safari camp.
I mention thinking the battery was dead on my Jeep, but am happy to see that the apes tried and tried - and were finally able to get it to turn over.
Downbeat, two, three.
And over on our left you can see an amazing array of jungle bamboo.
Our botanist says it can grow SIX stories tall! SIX stories!
(Leaning out the boat and gazing upward)
I dunno, to me it looks like SEVEN stories, but you know something, folks?
Downbeat, two, three.

That's another story altogether...I really don't want to go into it right now.
Hey, speaking of bamboo, did you know it is one of the most dangerous and sneaky plants of the Jungle?
While our Jungle trees may have roots and bark. And Jungle flowers, poisonous blossoms.
As for BAMBOO, it stalks, shoots and leaves.
Three, four.
You folks are lucky! That one went over right your heads!
Missed you by THAT much.
Just ahead is Schweitzer Falls. Not to worry if you forget its name...
...as we'll be going over it again later.
We've entered the Nile River of Africa, and I'm sure you're still wildly interested in bamboo trivia.
Did you know bamboo...
...is the one of the world's tallest grasses?
...can be made into homes, furniture, shoes, food, clothing and paper?
...comes in green, red, black, brown, yellow and blue?
...has a higher tensile strength than many alloys of steel?
...is the fastest growing plant on earth?
...has been around for over 200 million years?
LOOK!! (pointing wildly) GOOD HEAVENS-- An African Bull ELEPHANT!!
Second most feared animal in the Jungle.
Of course the MOST FEARED ANIMAL IN THE JUNGLE is over on there on the bank to our right...
...that's his Mother-In-Law.
(variations)
...that's his attorney.
...that's his cousin Harold.
...that's his accountant.
...that's his principal.
...that's his orthodontist.
...that's his evil twin - Skippy.
...that's his dental hygienist.
...that's his brother-in-law, Eddie.
...that's his guidance counselor.
...that's his pilates instructor.
...that's his congressman.
...that's his seventh grade algebra teacher!

Okay. Okay.
Enough!

---Mike

Disneyland - Deep Thoughts on a Wednesday

2011-02-09T09:11:00.000-08:00

Around these parts, when the humidity is up, the mosquitoes are buzzing, and mid-week has arrived, our thoughts turn to deeper things.
Why is it, for example, that Fantasyland is real, Tomorrowland is here today and Mickey is missing fingers?
So many turkey legs...where does the rest of the turkey go?
If it's a small world after all, why is it so expensive to fly to Australia?
What are Main Street trolley horses thinking?
Is "innovention" really a word? If so, why is it plural?
Can it be erased or deleted?
Where is Henry, the emcee of the Country Bear Jamboree, spending his retirement?
What do you have to do to get a door on Main Street?
Why did they change the FastPass side of the Big Thunder queue? What's gonna happen when the Park gets crowded? Will the main line overtake the Rancho de Zocalo Restaurante?
They took out the Skyway because....??????
They took out the Peoplemover because....?????
Why isn't it Club 31?
If a skipper falls in the Jungle river and no one is there to see it, does he still make a splash?
More importantly, do the piranhas feel full or are they hungry two hours later?
How many kernels of Orville Redenbacher's ® Gourmet Popping Corn have hit the ground since the Park started selling it?
Uh, Mr. Eisner, how'd that California Adventure park work out for you? (Don't look now, but I think they've almost COMPLETELY re-done the place!)
What is Disneyland's carbon footprint and has it in any way contributed to the blizzards that have racked the Midwest and the East?
Are we so stupid as a people that we really need DOORS on our parking lot trams?
Toontown.
Really?
Does anyone else miss "Disneyland" cups, napkins and bags from food service and merchandise locations in the Park? The "Disney Parks" logo is a touch too generic for me, thanks. I know, I know. It's cheaper.
Not the point.
How many light bulbs are on the exteriors of the buildings along Main Street?
Good day, Mr. Dinglinger! Wherever you are!

Adieu, mon ami.

---Mike

Disneyland - Easy There, Mickey!

2011-02-08T07:58:00.000-08:00

The massive Walt Disney Company is a different animal from the company I first encountered in my youth.

And now it's likely to be the first company anyone encounters in their youth!

I saw an article today on Yahoo! about modern Disney's kinda creepy new scheme to get new customers before they can even ingest solid foods or articulate the simplest of words.

The Company is literally trying to stick newborn babies in "Disney Cuddly Bodysuits," while coddling new moms who are still suffering the after effects of oxytocin and epidural anesthesia.
Whoa, Mickey! Hold your horses!! (No offense, Clarabelle).
Methinks there be plenty o' time to cull wee lads and lassies into the warm grip of Disneydom.
Let's at least allow mom and child a little time to get acquainted post-partum before blowing into the maternity ward like an overzealous mother-in-law or great aunt that knows EVERYTHING about caring for a newborn.
"Careful, dear, be sure to support the head! SHHH! No sudden noises! I ALWAYS went right to formula---no child of mine was going to starve trying to breast feed! Who swaddled this child?? That blanket is so loose the baby will suffocate in it! Why aren't you using CLOTH diapers?? Those plastic things are so alien. Desitin?? Why Vaseline was all we had and it was all we needed! When is the last time you changed the baby? Oh! Those socks are ridiculous! They're much too big! Look, the baby's already kicked one off. They're prone to catch pneumonia that way! Here, let ME hold him/her---THIS is how you do it. Who's Aunty's little buttercup?? Who's Aunty's little buttercup?? See? He/she just LOVES me! Oh dear, does someone have a spit rag---the little angel just spit up all over Aunty's favorite blouse! Oh, breast milk!! See? It upsets their stomach! That's why I ALWAYS went right to formula..."
And so on.
It doesn't take a Baby Einstein to see that this scheme is a touch over the top, even in today's wildly invasive and prolific marketplace.
We have three children of our own, and we certainly did not need Disney's help in developing them into raging fans by the time they could take their first, uncertain little steps.
I mean, from their first bedding, to their clothing, to the mobile above their tiny heads, to their bottles and bibs, their strollers, car seats and room decor, it is not like we as a society have deprived our children of a healthy initial dose of Disney.
Disney's most recent move looks like something that is going to backfire.
There are already articles blossoming across the web that are negatively panning this marketing scheme.
I couldn't resist joining in the fracas from the moment I saw the article this morning.
Enough.
Enough already!!!

Stay dry and comfortable, my friends. Try powdering with every diaper change.

---Mike

Disneyland - Cast Member Giveaways

2011-02-07T22:53:00.000-08:00

You might be a current or former Disneyland cast member...

...if you can instantly spot a cast member parking lot hang tag dangling from the rear view mirror of the car behind you on the freeway.

...if you find yourself giving a total stranger directions---and pointing with two fingers.

...if guests come up and ask you for directions while you're visiting the Park---even though you are not in costume and aren't wearing a nametag!! (How do they know??)

...if mention of the letters "E.R." triggers happy thoughts, as opposed to visions of hospital crises.

...if you ALWAYS step into the shortest of two lines ("Both sides are open folks!").

...if you smell popcorn and think of the Hub or the Frontier Landing rather than a movie theater.

...if you find yourself irresistibly compelled to "Put a Smile in Your Voice," when answering a phone at work.

...if, when visiting the Park as a guest prior to a parade, you find yourself subconsciously looking around for poles and a plug-puller.

...if you find yourself hanging a hard right at the north end of Main Street to grab lunch at the Inn Between, even though you're off duty or haven't been "on duty" officially for many years!

...if you spot a lost child in the Park and find yourself grabbing the nearest costumed cast member or security officer to help.

...if you still feel strange parking in the "regular" guest parking structure.

...if you can make your way through a teeming crowd without missing a beat.

...if you encounter a crowd of confused people anywhere (inside or outside the Park) and instinctively reach for a coned flashlight (even though you don't carry one anymore) and have to stifle yourself from intoning: "This is a walkway, please stay to the right!"

...if people consistently describe you as "approachable" and easy to talk with.

...if friends still ask if you can sign them into the Park.

...if you exchange a knowing glance with "on duty" cast members when you're in the Park as a "guest" (we know who WE are!).

...if you start to head toward the Plaza or Center Street or the Town Square gates when it's time to leave---rather than toward the exits at the Main Entrance.

...if you have to fight the urge to step back stage when you pass your old haunts during a Park visit (break areas, area lockers, CDS terminal locations, etc.)

...if, when encountering a group of people, your first urge is to ask, "How many in your group?" and to advise, "Two on Row 1, two on Row 2, and two on Row 3."

...if, during Fireworks, you find yourself watching the crowd around you as much as the show in the sky.

...if you see a less than diligent or discourteous Disneyland cast member interacting poorly with a guest and it irks you to the core (a rare occurrence, fortunately).

...if you ALWAYS know where the closest restroom, food service location, FastPass distribution location or outdoor vending stand is, no matter where in the Park you may find yourself.

...if you find yourself poking around the internet for odd little blogs like this!

---Mike

Disneyland - Nice Tribute to Walt - Marooned In The Jungle

2011-02-04T10:01:00.000-08:00

Walt Disney's daughter Diane Disney Miller, his son-in-law, Ron Miller, and his grandson, Walter Elias Disney Miller, put together a very nice program entitled Walt - The Man Behind The Myth that I happened to catch on TV last night.
It has been out for some time, but this was my first viewing.
I was happy to hear Dick Van Dyke narrate the film and to see some great home movies of Walt's life.
Talk about a life that is difficult to sum up in a couple of hours.
If you don't know the story of Walt Disney, I'd say you're at the wrong blog.
In any event, it was heartening to see the iconic images of the early days of Disneyland and into the 1960's.
Several key players were interviewed, from Marc Davis to Rolly Crump, X. Atencio to Ward Kimball, Ollie Johnston, Ron Miller and even Dick Nunis (who was kind enough to write me a letter of recommendation after I met him in 1985 in his office in the old Administration Building).
The enormity of Walt's personality, his influence on his company, his ability to develop a story and to inspire literally hundreds, if not thousands, of highly creative people, shone through.
If you get a chance to record this on your DVR, or want to grab the DVD off of Amazon.com or other sites, I think you will be pleasantly surprised.

On a completely unrelated note, I once learned a valuable lesson about trust and Jungle cast members.

During an opening shift our lead noticed that a large branch had fallen down and was laying across the roof of the native hut opposite the loading dock (pictured above with Minnie and Pluto on the porch).
It was decided that my lead and I would board the skiff and putt across to the island to remove the branch.
The lead manned the outboard motor and I sat in the bow. We put out from over by the old "load" position.
Pulling along one of the island's banks where I could get a foothold, my lead announced, "O.K. Jump out here."
I gladly did as told. This was my first time on one of the Jungle islands.
I felt like a mixture of Stanley Livingston and Christopher Columbus, setting foot on wild soil, yet unclaimed by the Western world.
"Are you going to get out?"
My daydreaming had obviously delayed my exit from the skiff.
"Oh, yeah. Sorry."
I planted my black Red Wing half-boot (with steel toe and non-slip sole) on the shore and swung my other leg out of the boat, catching my balance with care.
"Grab the branch and toss it behind the hut for now until we can get gardening over here tonight to get rid of it. I'll pick you up on the other side by the water buffalo."
He pulled away.
There seemed to be an oddly devious buzz to the outboard motor as my hunched forward and sped from my "drop zone" on the island.
Focused on my task at hand and still waking up in the early pre-opening morning, I stumbled through the vegetation ahead of me until I came upon a dirt path, mid-island, that led to the back side of the hut.
Tree branches, palm fronds and bamboo shoots flicked against the brim of my hat as I made my way along the narrow path, blinking my eyes open and shut to avoid getting them scratched out by the teeming flora.
I reached the hut.
It looked like...like something in a jungle.
Leaves, webs, vines, dirt, dust, grime and shafts of sunlight pouring through the tree canopy above decorated the dank backside of the hut.
Stepping gingerly to the highest point I could reach behind the structure, I leaned against it and stretched my hand to the heavy branch that dangled across the roof.
It was about as big around as the barrel of a baseball bat and was surprisingly dense. It tugged and at first the branch would not budge.
Wiggling it back and forth, I was able to get it to move and use gravity to assist me.
I did not want to damage the hut's palm-fronded roof in the process.
Through the hut, I could hear the muffled sounds of the attraction's opening activities.
Boat engines whined and came to life.
I heard the voices of fellow skippers in conversation on the dock. I couldn't make out the words, just the hum of everyday chatter.
Over the Public Address system came the morning call, "Attention in the Jungle, Animation is about to be switched on and cycled in one minute. Attention in the Jungle, Animation is about to be switched on and cycled in one minute."
Nothing near me was animatronic or electronic, as far as I could see, so I kept up my battle with the stubborn branch.
Finally I wrestled it to a point where it fell heavily from the back of the roof into the brush around my feet.
I stepped back onto the path and tried to get my bearings. The Jungle river is laid out like a squiggly maze or the intestines of a zebra after a lion kill. It can be a little disorienting.
Follow the path, I thought to myself.
The animation kicked in and the sounds of the jungle came alive around me.
I heard the family snorting and snuffling of the water buffalo and headed down the trail toward the sound.
I arrived at the water's edge. Down the shore to my left was Trader Sam.
To my right was the water buffalo and the python scene.
Ahead of me, a silent and empty jungle river.
I glanced at my watch. We would be open for business in about fifteen minutes.
I searched down river for any sign of the skiff over by Schweitzer Falls.
Checking up river, past Sam, I scanned for the vessel---expecting its bow to nose into view any second.
The water buffalo snorted and snuffed.
The python weaved toward it repetitively.
A growing wave of suspicion crashed over my consciousness.
"Attention Skippers, we have a report of a missing Skipper---last seen manning the Mekong. Be on the lookout!" came my lead's voice over the P.A.
Through the thick foliage I heard giggling coming from the dock.
Like so many of the guests on my Jungle boats, I had been taken.
There is no way off that island without a boat or a swim.
I trudged back through the brush and peeked out to where I could see the unload dock and the catwalk.
I could see my lead. I could see the dockhands. I could see the skippers leaning out of their boats toward me as they floated along the loading dock.
I smiled and nodded and raised my hands above my shoulders in a shrug of surrender.
No one, of course, was making any move to render assistance to me.
I put my hands on my hips and did my best pantomime of a person impatiently for their dog to come to them when called.
The boats bobbed.
The engines hummed.
The Jungle drums pounded in the distance.
The water buffalo snorted.
And everyone ahead of me suddenly returned to their daily business.
Time passed.
I tried to find another spot where I could make eye contact and plead for rescue.
Stumbling back through the brush I walked along the trail, suddenly very cognizant of the fact that real critters lived here amongst all the animatronic ones. We had seen rats as big a raccoons during many a night cruise.
There were spiders, too. Not as big as the ones guarding the ancient Cambodian shrine---but close.
Through the trees to my left I could see the gorillas ransacking the Lost Safari's camp.
I knew I was heading nowhere.
I turned back and came to the rear of the hut.
We were minutes from opening.
I did NOT want to become part of the attraction. If a supervisor appeared now, I was dead.
Walked out.
Done.
86-ed.
Torpedoed.
Harpooned.
Gone-ski.
In short, fear now crept into the forefront of my mind, along with anxiety, anger, annoyance, perplexity and histrionic befuddlement.
I was alone in the Jungle and at the mercy of a mischievous lead and a callous crew of skippers.
Marooned.

(To be continued...)

---Mike

P.S. There is still time to get your own custom Jungle t-shirt Jungleteers!

Disneyland - Jungle Load and Spiel Intro

2011-02-03T09:49:00.000-08:00

Climb on in, please, there's plenty of room.
That's right, take a seat.
Scooch in, it's a bit of a squeeze.
That's because Doug and Tim, our boat loaders, used to work in a sardine factory.
Until they got canned.
So they joined the circus; took a job on the flying trapeze.
They held on for as long as they could.But they were let go.
Next they tried their luck as human cannoballs.
They were fired on the spot.

Fortunately, they landed here.
In the Jungle.
And they are doing such a fine job, that it looks like we are are fully loaded.
(Which is the only way to go into the jungle, if you ask me).
Let me remind you that the Jungle Cruise is a high speed, turbulent, roller-coaster type ride through space. Expectant mothers, persons with heart conditions, motion sickness or back problems should not attempt to ride this attraction.
Our boat has been pressurized for your safety and comfort, in the event of a devastating loss of cabin pressure, oxygen masks will drop down from above your head. At that time, take the mask and place it over your nose and mouth and begin breathing normally. Even though the bag does inflate, oxygen will be flowing. Be sure to secure your own mask before assisting any child accompanying you.
Sit well back in your seats, make sure your seat backs are fully upright, your tray tables closed and all carry-on items stored beneath your seat or in the overhead bins...and we are off.
Off.
Like a dirty t-shirt.
Like old fish in the fridge.
Gone.
Like the dinosaurs.
Out.
Like zipper boots and polyester leisure suits.
Now turn around, if you will, and wave a fond farewell to the folks back on the dock.
You'll...
never...
see...
them...
...again.
Where are my manners?
My name is Mike and I'll be your skipper and guide for the next seven adventurous days and 12 romantic evenings.
Keep your ruddy hands on board and watch your small children---(in best pirate voice), "That be the best way to repel boarders."
We are entering the tropical rain forest where it rains over three hundred and sixty seven days a year, largely due to the sprinklers in the trees above you.
Before we go any further, raise your right hands and repeat after me the Jungle Cruise Oath:

I hope...
(crew on boat: "I hope")
that I...
("that I")
return...
("return")

...ALIVE!

Speaking of alive, if the boat should take on water, capsize or sink along the way, remember small children and people with Mickey Mouse T-shirts may be used as personal flotation devices.

The foregoing, and several variations thereof, launched many of my poor boats on journeys into the deepest parts of the Jungle. Ah, the purity, the directness, the joy of the spiel.
Wouldn't mind jumping on a boat right now, grabbing the throttle and working my poor, captive audience.

TTFN.

---Mike

Disneyland - The Main Street Area Locker

2011-02-02T10:04:00.000-08:00

After depositing my time card at Custodial Control's tight quarters tucked behind Carnation Plaza Gardens, I would set out for my summer shift on Main Street.
It was a closing shift on "Center," smack down the middle of Main Street.
I came on at 4:00 p.m. and would be there until my shift ended just about 12:30 a.m.
As I left the bustling little custodial offices, I would bump against fellow sweepers coming on for the closing shifts.
Most were tan and had come from a day spent lounging on Huntington Beach or Seal Beach or Corona Del Mar. The joy of a closing shift was you were up late, slept in, and usually arranged to meet with your co-cast members to hang out during the day---often at a beach during those summer months.
It was the mid-80's, so just about everyone sported Ray Bans---classic Wayfarer sunglasses.
Jack Nicholson.
Risky Business.
Madonna.
"Where're you at tonight?"
"Fantasyland."
"Who's the lead over there?"
"Aronson. He's pretty cool. You?"
"I'm over on Main Street with Fraser."
"Can't beat that."
"Heck no."
"Say Hi to Arthur. Saw him over at the Plaza on my way in."
"Yeah, me, too. I'll tell him you're in Fantasyland tonight. You know he'll ask."
"Going out tonight after work?"
"I don't know yet. I'm still tired from the Over-The-Line tournament. It's hard to run in sand."
"See you around. Lunch at In-Between?"
"Yes. Same time. Save us one of the bigger tables if you get there first."

Turning to my right, pan and broom in hand, I would step out the door, walk through Plaza Gardens (pictured above circa 1987) and head across the Hub (shown below circa 1985) toward the middle of Main Street.

At the far end of East Center Street there was (and still is) a large gate leading "backstage." Here is an old view of East Center Street from the late 1970s. The gate of which I speak is around the corner of the building on the right side of the picture---the building where the famous Market House is located. Of course, since the photograph was taken a locker facility opened at this location, along with an ice cream service stand.
I would open the gate and make a left turn past a large pine tree (which I believe is still there---in the picture below you can see its branches and shadow falling over the face of the building in the background). Tucked near the huge trunk of this tree was a white area locker filled with custodial supplies.

Immediately east of this locker was a large metal trash compactor. It looked like the back of a trash truck.
Parked alongside the compactor were two large wheeled trash carts that were used for dumping the cans along Main Street.
To the north of this location was Central First Aid ("CFA"), with several ambulance vehicles parked behind it.
I once took out the side of a CFA ambulance van with a Main Street trash cart, but that is another story for another day.
The area locker was the "nerve center" of the custodial department's operations on Main Street. Here is where the lead would meet with his crew, hand out sweeping schedules, post lunch and break times, conduct training exercises and other such business.
There always seemed to be at least one or two sweepers lingering in this area---on their way to, or coming back from, a break, a lunch, or the beginning or end of a shift.
The locker was stocked with everything a sweeper's heart could desire: white five gallon buckets, scrub brushes, extra pan brooms, push brooms, cleaning solutions of every kind and color, stacks of towels, paper towels, green-handled "grabber" tools, squirt bottles, Disneyland Souvenir Guides and maps, flashlights, gum scrapers, trash bags, hoses, nozzles---you name it.
We met here before and after parades and fireworks displays---standing in a huddle around our lead and his trusty aerial view map of Main Street.
He would assign us positions and plot out our attack on post-parade cleanup duties like a World War II squad leader.
"Kelly, East Side. You'll push-broom the sidewalks into the street for the street vacs. Helmuth, you've got one of the vacs. Toth, West Side broom duty. Grubb, you'll take Plaza. Ingram, man the other vac starting at the Hub. Stacy, you've got Town Square..."
And so on.
"Remember everyone, hands on handles and watch for feet!"
This line still rings in my memory.
Pushing a wide broom in a crowd of guests presented a hazard.
We were trained to keep one hand over the very top of the push broom handle as we wielded it.
This was meant to protect against jabbing the eye, stomach or head of someone passing by with the top of the wooden broom handle as we swept, since it was easy to lose sight of what was behind you as you went into the backstroke of a sweeping motion.
The "watch for feet" caution was obvious, but necessary.
Guests walking along Main Street were not anticipating a sweeper with a large push broom stepping into their path. They could easily trip over the brush end of the broom, or even its handle, as you earnestly moved the head of the broom along the ground in front of you.
I learned quickly to make my presence known to guests and to sweep between the meandering throngs without taking anyone to the pavement (hopefully).
I especially liked the comraderie of the area locker.
It was the scene of many practical jokes, squirt bottle fights, party planning, water cooler talk, story sharing and team meetings. It often doubled as a break area, too.
Our leads seemed cool to me.
They had walkie-talkies and were always radio-ing in to "Custodial Control."
We were like the Secret Service or the FBI of trash and clean up duty for Disneyland.
"Custodial 3, Ops. 1. 10-87 me at City Hall."
"Ops. 1, Custodial 3. 10-4."
Ooh...Ops. 1.
The big Kahuna.
The Head Honcho.
The BOSS.
Disneyland's operational CEO.
"Ops. 1" controlled the whole Park.
Attractions, custodial, you name it.
The person assigned to Ops. 1 duty was responsible for meticulously maintaining Disneyland's "show" for all of its guests.
They made sure everything ran smoothly.
When "Ops. 1" called on the radio, you better hope that you heard the call.
And you'd better answer quickly.
Our interaction with Ops. 1 usually involved an emergency clean up in a high profile location like an attraction, or the train station, or City Hall.
Believe me, our lead would snap into action when responding to such a call.
Usually with two or three of us scurrying right behind him.
We'd arrive, assess the situation, go into triage mode, cordone off the area (if necessary) and attack the problem.
If the restroom on West Center Street flooded (again), they we were in an instant, with plumbers not far behind.
An overflowing trash can just outside City Hall? Our trash guy was bolting over there to dump it.
Someone threw up between the trolley tracks in front of the Candy Palace?
To the rescue!
Vomitus splayed out on the street, just in front of the window where a cast member was busily preparing a large batch of peanut brittle made for "Bad Show" indeed.
At the end of our shift, we would finish our closing routine and meet back at the locker before grabbing our time cards and heading to our wardrobe lockers to change for the ride home.
"Good night, guys! Thanks!"
"See you tomorrow."
"What's everyone doing right now?"
"Man, it's almost 12:30 a.m., I'm going home to sleep."
"Some of us are heading to HoJo's."
"Not me. I'll catch you next time."
"Come on! They've got coffee!"
"Are they even open still??"
And the voices would fade behind me as I trudged homeward.
It never grew old.
Still hasn't, actually.

---Mike

Disneyland - Custodial Sweeps

2011-02-01T08:46:00.000-08:00

It may seem odd but perhaps one of the best cast member positions to hold in the Park is that of a sweeper.
At least it was in 1984.
Day Custodial back then assigned sweepers to an area within the park---say Main Street, Main Gate.
You were essentially given your own little slice of Disneyland to walk and maintain during your shift.
If you worked long enough in custodial, your assignments would take you practically everywhere in the Park.
Want to get to know Disneyland?
Be a sweeper.
Spend a full shift cycling through Thunder Trail, Matterhorn Alley, Tomorrowland Entrance, Main Street, The Hub, The Plaza, Adventureland, New Orleans, etc.
Sweepers got to roam within their areas.
We interacted with ride operators, Outdoor Vending, Merchandise, Foods, you name it.
Back areas? No problem.
Our custodial whites gave us an instant excuse to be just about anywhere.
"What are you doing here?"
"Um, Control sent me, seems we have a leaky restroom to clean."
"Oh. Good luck with that."
"No problem, gotta go."
You get the picture.
Parades on Main Street? Got to see every one of them while steadily sweeping the walkways.
Also got to clean up after them.
Confetti is fun while it's in the air. After that, not so much.
Cigarette butts? Popcorn bits? Wrappers? Napkins? Money?
A sweeper's eye could pick up these objects along the ground from hundreds of feet away.
Over you would stroll and, with a snap of a tiny broom and the clank of your metal pan, the object would disappear.
What about Guest interaction?
Disney was smart. Its surveys showed that no other cast member position had as much guest interaction as a sweeper.
At one point, Disney really was selective in the types of people they would put into this role.
Outgoing, friendly, humble, amazing, humorous, dynamic, enthusiastic, generous, courteous and helpful.
And that was just me!
But, not surprisingly, I digress.
The point I'm making, if I actually have a point, is that a sweeper got to know the layout of the Park deeply, intimately, literally from the ground up.
Every trash can, every restroom, every vending cart location, every balloon girl, every drinking fountain, every attraction line, every cash register, every shop, every security post, every backstage entrance/exit, every flower bed, every nook, corner and cranny.
What exactly is a "cranny," by the way? For the record, it is "(1) a small, narrow opening in a wall, rock, etc.; chink; crevice; fissure, or (2) a small out-of-the-way place or obscure corner," according to Dictionary.com, which is never wrong.
We even got to enter the attractions after closing and sweep out the line---or sometimes venture inside on a "walk through" with the closing ride operator.
I've walked the Mansion, Pirates, Matterhorn (all the way to the top), every Fantasyland ride (from Alice to Pinocchio), Space Mountain, America Sings, Big Thunder, Country Bear Jamboree, Tiki, CircleVision and Tom Sawyer's Island.
All because I was once a sweeper.
And, as I am sure I've mentioned before, if nothing else, being a sweeper as a young lad taught one humility.
Those horses pulling trolleys on Main Street? Yeah, they aren't trained to "hold it," if you know what I mean.
The size and scope of a mess that a Percheron can leave behind in the middle of the street can be truly breathtaking. In more ways than one.
Sweepers would measure horse droppings by how many pans it took to clean up. A 3-4 pan mess was not unusual.
And you got to perform this task in the middle of Disneyland, before hundreds of ---usually clapping--- guests.
An ostentatious and meretricious bow upon completion of this task was usually the best way to handle things.
Darn.
Another digression.
What I am getting to here, ever so sluggishly and deliberately, is that sweepers really got to know the people and places within the Park.
Face it, if you worked in attractions you got to know your attractions and the people who worked them with you, but that was it. A cast member in a Pirate costume could not wander freely through Tomorrowland without garnering the attention of an Operations Manager (or two). Storybook Land Canal girls could not stroll through Adventureland or New Orleans Square (at least not in costume).
True, Attractions had the glamour.
Most everyone wanted to be in Attractions.
Heck. I did.
But, looking back, I am most grateful that my first role as a cast member was a sweeper.
Scanning through many of my older posts, I see how my viewpoint was framed by those experiences in a very positive way.
Besides, when I'm in the Park...
...I always know where the closest restroom or drinking fountain is.
Without hesitation.

---Mike

P.S. Our Jungle shirts continue to make a stir - order yours on E-bay before they're all gone! Take a look at the listing.

Jungle Is 101 - "The Shirt" Is Now On E-Bay

2011-01-29T13:23:00.000-08:00

Salutations, Jungle-teers!
We are pleased to announce that we have overcome enormous odds, technical difficulties, thick bogs and an angry herd of water buffalo in order to list the official Jungle Is "101" t-shirt on E-Bay at long last.
This is in response to the surprisingly large demand we had for the shirts---even here in this remote hut in the shadow of Schweitzer falls.
Over a quarter of our devoted readers ordered shirts!!
If you are still interested, you can head over to E-Bay and place your bid or your order. Here is a link to the listing, or you can type "Jungle Cruise T-shirt" in the E-Bay item search box and you should find it.
These rare t-shirts make excellent gifts, conversation pieces or awkward paperweights and are suitable for framing.
Show your pride as a Jungle Is "101" reader---you know who you are!
Amaze your friends!
Stun your enemies!
Reduce your risk of malaria!
You'll love the looks, the grins and comments you'll get sporting this beautiful t-shirt on your next excursion to the Park.
Face it, if you read this blog you are already a Disneyland "insider," whether or not you've ever been a cast member. The skippers and dockhands on Jungle will look at you quzzically and then knowingly when they spy the front of your shirt and the "Jungle is 101" announcement on the back!

This design even works for our friends who work the Jungle in that other Disney park in Florida!
Skippers of the world unite!!

Please note that Trader Sam is willing to give three (3) of his shirts in exchange for that part of your anatomy located just above the neck.
So get to Trader Sam's Wholesale Clothing Hut today!
It's an economical place to be headed!

Thus endeth today's blatantly commercial post.

Have a fabulous day, my friends, no matter what shirt you choose to wear!

---Mike

Disneyland - Main Gate Trash Run

2011-01-26T09:59:00.000-08:00

My 1984 summer was spent on Main Street, for the most part.
When assigned trash duty on the Street, one of our responsibilities was emptying the cans outside the Main Gate.
For this job we were given access to a Disney vehicle.
It was a small Chevy S-10 pickup as I recall, with "Disneyland Custodial" imprinted on the sides of the doors.
Two of us sweeper-types were always put on "Main Street Trash," which made me think we were in a bad punk band when I saw it listed on the schedule. As a team, we would work together to dump all the trash cans along Main Street. Each metal can had a "secret" door that you popped open to reveal a plastic liner inside. We would swap out the full liner for an empty one or dump the contents into one of the liners on our large trash cart.
The trash cart itself looked like something from Outdoor Vending. It was closed on three sides and painted to fit the Main Street theme. The one open side allowed us to slide in up to eight liners (four rows of two, as my feeble mind recollects).
In any event, most of the liners at the Main Gate and the picnic area were "bagged"---meaning we would tie a plastic Hefty garbage bag into them and replace the bags when the cans got full.
To do this, we would take two large wheeled carts in the back of the pickup truck, bungee-cord them in place, and head from the back area near the Inn-Between (behind Main Street), down "Herbie Hill," under the Disneyland R.R. trestle, past Harbor House and around the Kennel to the Main Entrance. We would park the truck under the Monorail track and grab our large wheeled carts and boxes of trash bags.
We would split up, each taking a geographic area and a number of trash cans (starting first with the picnic area, as it was always the busiest and its cans the fullest), and begin our rounds.
I got pretty good at it.
Approach the can, slide my left hand through the trash flap and push on the door from inside to release the magnetic latch. As the door swung outward, with my right hand I'd grab the plastic liner inside and pull it out of the can. When it hit the ground I would already be undoing the bag from inside the liner and start removing the bag with my left hand. By the time the bag hit the ground I would quickly tie the bag off in a knot and toss it into the large wheeled cart. I'd yank a new bag off the roll, pop it open and tie it into the liner, kick the liner forward back into the can, slam the can's "secret" door and move on to the next one.
As you can imagine, there were quite a few trash cans out in front of the Park.
Our wheeled cars would soon fill with trash bags. In the end, we would wheel the carts over to our pickup truck and toss all the garbage bags into the bed, followed by the wheeled carts which we threw on top of the pile and secured again with bungee straps. This helped to hold the load down as we jumped into the truck and raced back past Harbor House to the dumping area located back behind Small World.
I remember many a trip at Mr. Toad-like speeds along the Monorail pylons as we drove to the back area. We had to be careful or Security would call us in, or worse, pull us over.
There's nothing like the scene of a Security golf cart pulled alongside the Custodial truck with a Security cast member giving a lecture to a sweeper behind the wheel.
Think Thelma & Louise meet Disneyland.
One last recollection along these lines: Fireworks.
When working a closing shift, we would often plan our Main Gate trash run to coincide with the start of the evening fireworks show. We would get to the back area in time to dump our trash bags and then pull to a safe spot where we could watch the fireworks mortars shoot off their rounds into the night sky.
It was two shows in one!
Watching the mortars light off on the ground was its own spectacle of light and noise.
We'd bend back our heads as the rockets shot overhead and exploded into sparkling firework eruptions in the sky high above us. The fireworks would illuminate the rows of mortars and pyrotechnic personnel responsible for the nightly onslaught. Then the mortars would launch another round and the process would be repeated.
I've never seen or heard a louder "Grand Finale" than the ends of the shows we watched in the backstage area on those summer nights.
It was one of many "perks" of being a Cast Member. We were not paid well from a money standpoint, but I earned more in fond memories during my stints at the original Magic Kingdom than I could ever hope to count.

So, I've got THAT going for me.
Which is nice.
(with apologies to Carl, the groundskeeper of "Caddyshack" fame).

Enjoy your day, my friends, wherever you may be!

---Mike

Disneyland - The Diaper That Attacked Pinocchio's Village

2011-01-24T09:23:00.000-08:00

Summer 1984.
Fantasyland.
Disneyland Day Custodial shift.
About 4:00 p.m.
The call came over my lead's radio.
"Custodial 3, 10-49 Storybook. Code...um, Code-D."
"Code-D?" The lead looked quizzically at his radio.
Storybook? What sort of custodial incident could happen at the Storybook Land Canal Boats?
"10-4, I've got a sweeper en route."
He looked at me.
"Wait a second," I said, "I still have to hit the Dumbo and Toad bullpens (queues)."
He kept looking at me.
"O.K., O.K. I'm on my way. I hope they didn't mean "Code-V."
Code-V was the dreaded radio term for a vomit "spill."
We sweepers were armed with "Pixie Dust" to deal with Code-Vs. It was an absorbent compound that came in small bags and would be sprinkled over the mess, which would be absorbed and them swept up into our metal pan. A final squirt down with some bottled cleanser and a sweep with a thick paper towel would finish the process.
Not sure what I'd be facing, I took a couple bags of Pixie Dust and a long-handled "grabber" from the Fantasyland area locker and set out apace to the Storybook Land dock.
Normally, a trip to this location was looked upon with anticipation bordering on delight by males of the sweeper species. Storybook was a "girls only" attraction in 1984 and tended to be staffed with attractive young ladies in cute blue skirts and knee-high white stockings.
Most of the time, we would stop at Storybook to sweep through its bullpen at routine intervals.
This "Code D" run was a novelty.
As I arrived at the attraction, I made my way through the exit and over to the lead at the dock.
I do not recall her name, but let's use "Colleen," since she had strawberry blonde hair and freckles like an Irish lass. The dock was lined with empty canal boats and the guests in the queue were looking impatient.
The attraction was "101."
"Glad you're here. Go ahead and get on the Faline with Patty, she'll take you to the problem."
Without thinking, I stepped onto the boat, and Patty, with her shortly cropped brown bob and utterly Disney smile, told me to grab a seat and hang on.
We chugged forward at full speed, which is not all that fast in a canal boat.
As we entered Monstro's mouth I turned to Patty.
"Exactly what am I in for here?"
"Diaper."
"A diaper?"
"Somebody tossed one out of Casey Junior, I guess. It's kinda making for 'bad show.'"
"Nice. Where is it?"
The boat slowed to a creep as we drifted through Monstro's missing tail.
Patty nodded to her right.
Nestled there along the bank was a tiny and quaint Tyrolian village. Behind it loomed miniaturized Alpine mountains, eternally snow-capped. Just beyond those mountains ran the tracks of the Casey Junior Circus Train---about a diaper's toss away from the heart of the little village.
"Pinocchio's Village," Patty announced.
I couldn't see anything from this vantage point.
"We have to go around to the front." And she throttled the boat forward, past the Village, past Peter Pan Park, Alice's rabbit hole and the Casey Junior station. Indeed, we made our way through most of the attraction's canal until we were back at Pinocchio's Village.
Patty stopped the boat and tried to steady it.
"You're going to have to get up slowly and step across. Be careful!"
Taking hold of my pistol-gripped "grabber" tool, I stood in the middle of the small boat and tried to figure a way to step from it without rocking it to the point of falling into the canal. I gingerly planted my foot on a medium sized rock along the shoreline and then glanced about for another safe foothold.
I felt like Gulliver entering Lilliput and stood with both arms outstretched for balance like a tightrope walker.
Laid out before me was the curved and cobbled main street of the Village.
It was lined with charming structures fitted with shingled roofs and tiny windows and doors. I gazed up the little avenue and saw it---The Diaper.
I pictured the little villagers in their homes, inns and taverns, huddled in mute horror, pinching their noses and gasping for air. I was sure they had been through many trying times in the past: sparrow attacks, giant duck landings, and the occasional invasion of giants bringing new light bulbs to replace the old ones that lit the interiors of the small buildings.
But this, this was different.
There, in the middle of the street, and less than half a block from the woodcarver's toy shoppe along the canal's edge, lay a diaper almost half the size of a building. It appeared to be a Pampers make and had been bundled in on itself, with one of its sticky tabs holding fast while the other splayed outward, unattached, leaving the diaper's contents treacherously close to spilling out.
It looked a bit like the boulder that Indiana Jones encountered in an ancient South American temple. I imagined it rolling down the street---a massive, smelly ball of doom.
My thoughts raced.
Poor Gepetto!! Cleo! Figaro!!!
I could see them inside their little cottage, slumped and overcome by methane fumes from the enormous diaper, while a myriad of cuckoo clocks chimed about their motionless and diminutive bodies.
Oh the humanity.
I placed my right foot onto the cobbled street and prayed I would not lose my balance. I leaned forward and, with my right hand, used the long "grabber" tool to pinch the diaper between its claws.
As I gently lifted it from the street, I twisted my upper body and deposited the diaper along the bow of the Faline, as Patty squirmed in disgust and made faces from her perch at the aft end of the boat.
Spinning on my left foot, I stepped with my right back to the edge of the boat and boarded.
Turning to Patty, in my best Gary Cooper voice, I announced:
"Ma'am, my work here is through. The people of Pinocchio's Village have been ridden of their burden."
Rolling her eyes and not seeming very impressed by my heroism, she started to take us home to the dock.
As we pulled away, I could almost swear that I heard the sound of tiny voices raised in cheer coming from within the Village. The jaunty music in Gepetto's Toy Shop seemed---jauntier. From the corner of my eye I thought I spied tiny hands waving handkerchiefs from windows in salute to the man who saved the town from Pamper-geddon.
As Patty and I pulled alongside the dock on our return, the lead, Colleen, stepped onto the edge of the boat to steady it. I then disembarked with a grabber-claw full of nasty diaper. I deposited in one of the nearby trash cans---feeling a slight pang of pity for the sweeper on trash duty that day who would have to empty it later.
Meh.
Goes with the territory.
If I may quote Super Chicken: "You knew this job was dangerous when you took it, Fred."
Anyway, as a child and as a guest for years at the Park, I often pictured myself being able to step off the canal boat and tiptoe through the miniature scenes, peering in windows and marveling at the tiny architectural details.
Never did I imagine my one opportunity would involve a diaper and Pinocchio's Village.
Talk about magic and imagination.

Have a great day all! And to those parents who must deal with a diaper while on an attraction---there are trash cans at the exit, please deposit the diaper there!

---Mike

Disneyland - A Cold Winter's Trip - Back in the Wheelhouse

2011-01-12T08:46:00.000-08:00

We made it to the Park on January 8, 2011, which was a cold, gray day---perfect for taking in Disneyland.

It turned out to be a pretty nice trip.
We took along some friends of ours who recently got annual passes.
For the first time in a very long while, we sat down by the Rivers of America and took in the Fantasmic show, complete with its new dragon.
We stayed in place afterward and watched the new "Wishes" fireworks show, which combined the old "Wishes" show with some of the best parts of the 50th Anniversary display.
All in all, we were pretty impressed by the view of both shows from the edge of the Rivers of America.

What was best of all, we were able to take a nighttime cruise on the Mark Twain before it shut down for the night and the Fantasmic shows.

As we were preparing to board, I signaled from the dock up to the Captain in the wheelhouse and called to see if we could get my daughters and one of our friends to get a ride up there.

He waved back and called down to say that we couldn't and would have to check with the cast member at the entrance turnstile the next time if we wanted a ride up there.

As he said this, the cast member from the turnstile was walking up the stairs behind me on his way to take over for the Captain.
This cast member's name was Ryan, and he said, "How many of you would like to come up to the Wheelhouse?"
"Four," I answered without missing a beat.
"Four it is," said our tall Captain.
Ryan, for the record is 6 feet, 7 inches tall by his own telling.
(His capped head nearly banged against the low roof of the wheelhouse when we finally got up there!)

Pictured above is Ryan at the helm---many thanks to you, good man!
In any event, our friend, Maria, had never been in the Wheelhouse of the Mark Twain.
She was in for a treat.
Ryan led the way through the little door marked "Private."
We entered the "Captain's Quarters," which is a small room that has a bed, a night stand and a ladder that leads up to the vessel's helm---the Wheelhouse.

The ladder is narrow and as steep as you can imagine.
I remember in younger days, sliding down the railings with both hands on my way below.
My days as a steamboat captain on the Mark Twain have previously been mentioned here in my essay, Disneyland Musings - Volume 3 - Nights in the Wheelhouse.

When you get to the top of the ladder, you step through a gate (that has since been installed since my days on the Twain) and out toward the Mark Twain's massive wooden steering wheel---the helm.

You step to your right and there is a small writing desk with the Mark Twain's official guest book on it.
As is the custom, each visitor signs their name in the guest book.

Maria and the girls signed their name and I took the plumed pen (which is flimsy and very difficult to write with) and signed on the next page.

Okay, it's no "John Hancock," but it sufficed.
Captain Ryan grabbed the P.A. microphone and announced our departure.
He then directed the girls to do the whistles and bells as the Mark Twain pulled from the dock.
They froze.

They were not ringing or blowing.
Ryan looked nervous for a moment.
With the years fading in an instant, I was suddenly back in 1987, and I leaned past my youngest daughter and grabbed the wooden handle of the bell rope---the shortest of the two ropes pictured just above the little girl wearing pink in this photograph.
I pulled down on the handle briskly and then lifted my hand to get the ship's bell to rock back and forth.
Five bells!
Clang-clang!
Clang-clang!
Clang-Clang!
Clang-Clang!
Clang-Clang!
Then - two whistles!
I grabbed the steam whistle's handle at the end of its rope and gave a strong downward pull.
The whistle bellowed long and loud.
Another, longer pull on the whistle announced our departure, followed quickly by five more bells.
Clang-clang!
Clang-clang!
Clang-Clang!
Clang-Clang!
Clang-Clang!
We were off.
We rounded the bend at New Orleans Square.
We sounded two more whistles (as is customary) when we were passing Fowler's Harbor.
This time, my older daughter helped. She pulled down on the handle of the steam whistle and gave the two blasts.
Nice work.
Runs in the family.
As she stood at the helm (on a two-step box to assist in getting her tall enough to see), I cautioned our youngest to be careful not to crash the boat.
Her small hands clutched the massive wheel as she stood on a stool and tried to see which way to turn next.
Her older sister helped.
"Dad! Which way?!!" said the little one.
"Right! Turn right!! Watch the ducks! Don't hit the canoe dock!"
'Dad!!"
She steered with concentration and determination.
All.
The.
Way.
Around.
The.
River.
Ryan was a gracious host.
Our friend Maria was enthralled.
The view was splendid.
The river calm.
It was dark outside and Ryan grabbed the handle of the vessel's spotlight and shone it on Indians and wildlife as we floated past.
"Here's our two moose---Mickey and Minnie," he noted as he lit up the large quadrupeds.
Groans filled the wheelhouse.
This ain't Jungle, Ryan!
He laughed.
The girls loved it.
Especially the one in the pink scarf and "Jungle is 101" t-shirt.

"Ryan," I announced, "I'm putting you on the blog."
He read the back of my shirt with the web address.
"Uh. Thanks," he said.
Okay, so, it isn't NBC News or Yahoo, but, come on, it isn't THAT bad!
We thanked him as we floated over the river.
As we began the final turn towards home and the landing, Ryan told the girls to ring the bells and sound the whistle once more.
They did.
Like professionals.
We pulled to the dock and the vessel came to a stop.
"Thanks, again! We really enjoyed the trip, Ryan."
"No problem, you're welcome any time."
We climbed back down the ladder and out the Captain's door onto the deck.
Next it was down the stairs and off the boat.
We were the last ones off.
I turned and looked back at the Mark Twain, sparkling there in the cold evening darkness and felt quite satisfied.
The old girl and I have never lost our connection.
It felt great to take the helm again---if only for a little while.

Have a great day, all!

---Mike

Disneyland - Boat Storage Breaks and Breakdowns

2011-01-06T21:28:00.000-08:00

Many a time and oft, while a Jungle Skipper, would I take a boat off line and throttle gently, wakelessly, past the Tahitian Terrace and back through the bamboo gates into boat storage.

It never got old, driving a Jungle boat backwards. Waving at the skipper who was waiting with his boatload of guests at Trader Sam while the track switch was engaged to allow my boat access from the main line to the "Spur Side" and into the back area. The guests looked puzzled. They seldom saw a Jungle boat move in reverse, much less "off stage."

"This one's no good!" I'd shout to them. "The Skipper's broken!"

As the boat clunked along the rail, I would ease her into boat storage, taking care to close the gates behind me once far enough past them. I would kill the engine and then make like a Venetian gondolier, pushing and pulling my vessel into position up against the back of boat storage---or the front of the boat (or boats) that were already in there. There's a switch at boat storage that allows you to pull onto one of two tracks. I always preferred the track nearest to the Jungle. Usually there were boats on the track nearest Main Street, so if you were on the "inside" track, you were kind of sheltered from view.

Jungle boat cushions made excellent beds.

At night, a trip to boat storage usually meant your day was done. After shutting off the engine, you would switch off the electrical power and break down your boat.
You would radio Jungle Control - "Jungle Control, this is the Hondo, shutting down, 10-7."
"O.K. Hondo, Good night!"
Your Public Address ("P.A.") microphone would then be unplugged and placed in your wooden "break down" box.
Your radio microphone (or in some cases the actual walkie talkie radio) would be unplugged and put in the box.
Your .38 pistol was next. Undo the leather strap that tied it to the front cleat, break open the cylinder, empty out any spent or unspent blank rounds and put the gun into the break down box.
When we had cushions on the boats you would next lift them up and place them in their holders along the sides of the boat railings (so the night crew could come in and clean out the boat more easily).
A final flashlight check was made around the interior of the boat to make sure there were no leftover cameras, purses or small children.
You would then tie off the boat (so it did not float back toward the Jungle and derail!), grab your breakdown box and head back to the Jungle office on the dock to turn in your equipment.
Check your gun back in (each one had its own serial number) and dump your unused ammo into the ammo box.
"How much longer are you here?" you would taunt the skeleton crew of remaining skippers.
"Mike, didn't we get rid of you an hour ago?"
"Try not to bore your boats to death, guys. Adios! Hey, anyone going to Charley Brown's later? I'll be deep into a Long Island Iced Tea (or two) before you even have your boats broken down."
Wily smile.
"Get outta here."
"You're gonna miss me!"
"Go."
"I think Sam's coming."
"Go."
"Oh, no. He's going to stay and hang out with you fine gentlemen. Bye, Sam!"
I wave in Trader Sam's general direction.
"Someone's looking for a Jungle dip."
Dockhands step menacingly closer.
"Well...I must be going. I'll raise a drink in your absence."
"Get. Out."

And off I'd go. Back to the locker room, back into civilian clothes, turn in my costume at Wardrobe/Costuming for a new one, lock it away, grab my wallet and keys and head down the stairs toward Harbor House.
Punch the old time card, wave happily to the rather expressionless security guard at the gate and bolt toward one's car in the Cast Member lot (now a Cast Member bus stop).
Then it was off into the night toward Charley Browns, to meet up with those fellow Cast Members who had your same shift or were already off the clock.
Ah.
I could go for one of those nights right about now.

Until next time, stay thirsty my friends!

---Mike

Disneyland - Turning 'Em Away

2011-01-03T19:21:00.000-08:00

Things got so busy at the Park this week that they stopped selling tickets at 10:00 a.m. Must've been everyone responding to my recent post about Christmas at Disneyland. Sheesh!

Buy Disney stock everyone.

Even in the worst economy anyone can remember, Disneyland and California Adventure were clogged with guests to the point of overflowing.
If you were stuck in the throng, my sincere condolences. Hopefully you were able to enjoy your time in the Park elbow to elbow with your fellow guests.
What to do when the Park is at capacity?? This blog has offered several tips through the years about navigating through a busy day.
In a nutshell:

Get there early!
Get Fastpasses for two or three big rides before 11:00 a.m.
Adjust your expectations---you are in for a wait for pretty much everything from popcorn to Pirate of the Caribbean, from potties to Pinocchio's Adventures.
Eat at off times --- have lunch at 10:30 a.m. (or 10:00 a.m.), plan on a 3:00 p.m. dinner.
A busy day is a great day to take in things like Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln, the Main Street Cinema, Tom Sawyer's Island, Jungle Cruise (in the evening, after dark), the King Arthur Carousel and It's A Small World; also, don't be afraid to lollygag in the Emporium or in the shops in New Orleans Square.
Avoid: the Disneyland Railroad (the wait between trains at key times can be long), the Monorail (same problem), Finding Nemo, Splash Mountain, Autopia, Dumbo, Indiana Jones, Space Mountain (to name a few).

In any event, the Christmas/New Year's crush is quickly coming to an end. Happy New Year to everyone. Many happy returns to the Park!

---Mike

Disneyland - Merry Christmas!

2010-12-24T12:34:00.000-08:00

A very Merry Christmas to all our devoted readers. The four (4) of you have made 2010 a fabulous year here in the Jungle.

To all my friends working in the Park this Christmas Eve, spread joy and hang in there! I know it is crowded there today, but it is generally a happy crowd, filled with folks who have given themselves the gift of a special day at Disneyland. Do your best to help them enjoy their visit!

My last Christmas Eve at the Park was in 2008. It sure doesn't seem like two years.
Of course, for followers of this blog, it must seem like two years since I last posted. I'm tellin' ya, this Holiday Season of Thanksgiving and Christmas has kept me busy---but I've neglected my friends here. For this, I beg of you patience and forgiveness.

I remember I worked a parade shift on Christmas Eve, bundled up in a warm Disney-issue pea coat, with flashlight and cone in hand. "Merry Christmas! And stay to your right! This is a walkway only!"

Raise a cup of cheer wherever you may be this blessed evening! May the warmth and joy of this Holy season touch you, no matter the path you are traveling.

Pax vobiscum!

---Mike

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

2010-12-08T10:01:00.000-08:00

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

Disneyland - Is It Just Me Or...? (Vol. III)

2010-11-22T08:17:00.000-08:00

Is it just me or...

should the Plaza Pavilion be a place to eat rather than a spot to renew an annual pass?
are Disneyland ducks still among the luckiest on the planet?
can Toontown use a paint job?
should Davey Jones get out of the Pirates and go back to his locker? (Does anyone else miss the disembodied voice in the darkness: "Perhaps ye knows too much. Ye've seen the cursed treasure. Ye knows where it be 'id.")
is New Orleans Square simply gorgeous all decked out for the holidays?
has anyone else been jolted with surprise by a blast from the Monorail's horn as the elevated train rounds the bend into Fantasyland, headed for the Matterhorn?
was that the Wicked Queen peeking out of her window above Snow White's Adventures?
has the Dole Whip line gotten out of hand?
would anyone else just love to hop off the Storybookland Canal Boats and get an up close look at the miniatures? (I got to do it once---I was a sweeper; the incident involved a diaper tossed onto the streets of Pinocchio's Village; not pretty).
are the current Fantasyland costumes a little "poochy" in the pants? (and what's with the hats they give those poor cast members to wear?)
is this the window above the entrance to Club 33?
is a Plaza Inn pot roast dinner on a cool evening pretty darn good comfort food?
is an "edgier" Mickey Mouse about as good an idea as a gangsta rap album by Bambi and Flower? ("Yo! Ma homies an' me are gettin' wicked in tha thicket!")
does the fact that Disney had to put doors on its trams tell us the world has become far too risk averse and litigation conscious? Hundreds of millions of guests were able to safely and successfully board Disneyland parking lot trams for five decades without a need for doors.
do you bump the car ahead of you on the Autopia---even though it is forbidden?
does anyone else think the model of the Capitol in the Lincoln foyer is just too cool.
would you be worried if this guy tried to lead you deep into an untamed jungle?
is anyone else hungry for turkey, stuffing and all the fixin's?

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

---Mike!

Disneyland - It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas!

2010-11-15T07:54:00.000-08:00

We decided to hit the Park this past Friday, November 12, 2010 in an effort to kick start our Christmas Holiday season. I clicked a few cellphone camera shots, so you will have to excuse the quality. Nevertheless, they do give you a sense of the great decorations that have been carefully hung throughout the place.

We start, of all places, on Main Street, with the icy blue Sleeping Beauty Castle shining above the heads of the crowd. It was quite crowded, even though Southern California AP holders were blocked out. No matter, we were there to see the Park, not ride many attractions. There was a crowd around the Christmas tree on Main Street, near where this photograph was taken. The holiday music and sparkling lights had their desired and expected effect. To quote Paul McCartney: "Simply. Having. A wonderful Christmas time!"
Our dear friend Sleeping Beauty once again outdid herself with the Christmas lights over at the Castle. She could give Clark Griswold a run for his money. I took this shot at the west entrance to Fantasyland, along the little path from Plaza Gardens.
And in the courtyard of the Castle in Fantasyland, we have this cool blue view.It's A Small World was completely adorned in Christmas light finery once again. We made sure to jump on this attraction immediately after the fireworks and the "snowfall." It was great.
We weren't initially planning on watching the fireworks, but we ended up over by Small World at around 8:15 p.m. and the show was set to start at 8:40-ish, so we figured we would plant ourselves. We found a great spot along Small World way and were soon surrounded by a crowd of folks. My wife and I were there with our two daughters and two very dear friends, all of us ridiculously seasoned Disneyland veterans.

The lights went down and the show began. It was really well done, as you would expect.
But something else happened. As we stood there watching the glittering fireworks sprinkle against the black night sky and bounced to the holiday music of the show, we felt it.
I held my youngest daughter up so she could see, her small body nestling in my arms. My older daughter and her mom were beside us, along with our friends. The crowd was full of parents and children, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, couples and acquaintances.

As the music died and the last flickers of glowing fireworks drifted down out of the sky, we felt the electric tingle of, what's the word I'm looking for?---magic. The kind that starts at your feet and rises up like a flood of water in a basement. The goosebumpy kind. The can't-quite-put-your-finger-on-it, but you know it's there, variety. It takes you by surprise, like an unexpected kiss from a first love. Especially when you are a veteran. Someone who feels they've "been there, done that." Not the type to buy into sappiness. Nope. You think you're immune. Over it. Cool, calm, collected. A smooth operator.

But it swells around you nonetheless. It starts in the silence as the cheers die off. The lights are out and the "snow" machines start to make their hissing noises above you. The eyes of everyone around you---even your own---look skyward. A hum of anticipation resounds in the crowd like an echo or the proverbial rings in pond.
The blue lights come up and there against the clear black sky are tiny clumps of soapy bubbles, your logical brain informs you. But the people there will have no such logic get in their way. As the familiar strains of White Christmas gently caress you, and as the "snow" machines kick into high gear, you eyes begin to truly see.
The children reach up and lift their faces skyward. The parents, too. Against the black sky and sparkling under the show lights, what at first were just dumb old soap bubble clumps have now morphed into flakes of drifting snow.
Time slows.
The moment overtakes us. A silence, a joy, folds over everyone like a blanket.
Standing together in the crowd, it seems as if each person is alive to the "first snowfall" of the season. The music lulls and the flakes drift and the faces glow. Kids become gleeful and adults seem to bask in it---reentering their own youthful selves in the moment, without even trying.
Dropping my youngest to the ground so she can stretch her arms and dance in the snow, I see my wife. Her eyes are rimmed with tears as she takes in the scene. So are the eyes of her best friend, standing near her. This is real joy, heart bursting love. It is togetherness, family, peace, anticipation, excitement and tingly "magic," all happening at once.
We never saw it coming.
I felt the emotion welling in me, as though it were riding the cresting wave that had begun rising somewhere around my feet but had now fully engulfed my chest. I saw my wife, my daughters, my friends, my fellow guests---all of us---caught up in this instant, happily playing in the "snow."
As the music died and the machines clicked off, the last flakes floated out of the air. The electric moment passed like a supremely satisfied sigh. We adults looked at each other. Shocked and a bit taken aback by what had just occurred. Hadn't we done this a hundred times before? What in heaven was THAT?! And we smiled with satisfaction. My wife and her friend dabbed at the corners of their eyes. A bunch of old salty Disney professionals had been hit by wonder. Smack dab in the middle of Small World Way!
Go figure.

It may be a bit early, but here's wishing you all a very, merry Christmas!

---Mike

Tower of Terror - Main Entrance Photos

2010-11-09T20:05:00.000-08:00

Hello fellow adventurers and adventurettes. I have been a bit indisposed of late and apologize for the drop in daily posts. Hope to have the situation under control soon, but bear with me.

A great way to post quickly without having to engage in deep thought is to fire up some random park photographs.

Today we "drop in" on the Tower of Terror over at that other park across the way.

If you do not find the theming of this attraction to be on point and top notch, perhaps you have consumed a bit too much of Trader Sam's world famous Juju Juice (oh, my head!).

The fan window over the main entrance doors seems to imply some sort of "elevator" theme. I don't get it.

Next we find one of the tables in the lobby where a couple of guests left---apparently in mid-game and mid-drink. At least one was a smoker if the ash tray to the right is any indication.

The main lobby's ceiling is neatly detailed in the diamond square motif, betraying a Moorish influence and hearkening back to California in the 1920s.

We move to the main lobby fireplace and find comfortable club chairs. A doctor appears to have left his satchel behind, where it has been gathering dust and cobwebs like the rest of the place. The owl in the foreground is ominous, especially when set against the dead flowers around its base. It reminds me of one of Norman Bates' taxidermy specimens from the Bates Motel in Psycho. Someone left their trench coat draped over the check-in counter. These guests must have left in a hurry.

Next, a closer view of our owl friend, with the fireplace in the back ground. Looks like the grate of the fireplace is mirroring the elevator motif of the main entrance window. Love the Hollywood Tower Hotel monogram on the tapestry over the fireplace.

Finally, the front counter, with the hat, umbrella, trench coat and guest registry book left by someone in the middle of check-in. Love the fedora.

My youngest daughter loves this attraction. She has been riding it from the moment she met the height requirement. It is pretty funny to watch a tiny blonde girl boldly striding to her seat in the elevator while certain grown adults around her are looking more than slightly terrified.

When the TV set in the library bursts to life after the lightning strike and the lights have gone out, you are really pulled in to the "Twilight Zone." I sure do miss old Rod Serling. What a writer! It amazes me the acting talent that graced the Twilight Zone series, from a young Robert Redford, to Telly Zavalas, to Burgess Meredith, to Sebastian Cabot ("Jungle Book" fans will recognize his voice), to Sterling Holloway (the voice of "Winnie the Pooh"), to Andy Devine, to Carol Burnette (yes, THAT Carol Burnette), to Burt Reynolds.

Tower of Terror is one of the newer attractions at California Adventure that I can endorse without, pardon the pun, "reservation."

Have a great day, wherever you may be!

---Mike

Disneyland - Quick Tips

2010-11-06T10:22:00.000-07:00

Arrive early, no matter what time of year you come to the Park---if you want to get a lot of attractions in.
When there are two lines into an attraction, always hop into the shorter one---especially if there is a large, empty gap where people think the other side is closed. Believe me, if a line is closed at Disneyland, you will know it. There will be ropes, chains, trash cans or other objects clearly blocking it off. If it's open and way shorter than the other side, take it!
With FastPass, like the Temple of the Forbidden Eye, choose wisely. Pick the two or three FastPass attractions you do not want to miss and get your FastPasses in the morning and around noon. Don't wait until the afternoon, as they may well be "sold out" by then for the more popular attractions.
If something should go wrong during your visit, be sure to bring it the attention of a cast member---they are there to help and make things right, especially if the issue is something that Disneyland caused or contributed to, even accidentally. Case in point: our son at age five went with us on the Storybookland Canal Boats and sat in duck poop. The attraction hostess sent us over to her lead, who promptly provided us with a special card that allowed us to go to a merchandise location and get him a new outfit---no charge. We never forgot that.
Eat when no one else does. Have an early lunch at 10:30 or 11:00 a.m., why wait until the noon hour when most everyone else in the place decides they are hungry, too? Just means longer lines. Try a 3:30 or 4:00 p.m. dinner---or 7:30 or 8:00 p.m. if you can hold out until later. You will be able to get better service and seating, with much less wait time.
Know the Park's flow. If you do arrive early, most folks march immediately toward Space Mountain, Indiana Jones and Fantasyland. Make your decision which direction you intend to go and head there immediately. If you do not get to Fantasyland within the first 30 to 40 minutes after rope drop, you will already be "too late" for rides like Dumbo and Peter Pan. The lines for these popular attractions fill up immediately and pretty much remain full for most of the rest of the day. Late, post-fireworks tip for folks with kids who can stay up late without turning into maniacal urchins: if you line up at the rope that is put up between the Carousel and Mr. Toad as the fireworks are starting, you will be among the first in line for Peter Pan and Mr. Toad when the rope is finally dropped after the fireworks show ends and the Disneyland Fire Department gives the "all clear" for entering back into this section of Fantasyland.
Ask for the back row on Big Thunder when you reach the cast member at the top of the stairs. It is the best seat in the house.
If you are a regular visitor, make friends with some cast members on attractions you like. Ask for them when you go back. It often pays to know someone! I had a few Jungle groupies who would get front row seats when I saw them waiting to board. Now, no one is going to give you a free pass to the front of the line, but they will give some insider tips and it never hurts to have a friend on the "inside."
Grab a seat at Village Haus on fireworks nights. There are plenty of open chairs and you get an up close view of the show. Sure, you will miss out on the portions of the display that occur at the front of the Castle, but you also avoid the maddening crowd on Main Street---and the show is still great (with a little added ooomph! to the booms as the fireworks ignite)!
The River Belle Terrace is usually not too crowded at the dinner hour (most folks either don't notice it or think it is an exclusively "breakfast" location).
Catch Billy Hill and the Hill Billies over at the Golden Horseshoe.
Ride Jungle Cruise at night!
If you are going to the park with a group---from school or from work or some other gathering or family reunion, then definitely ride the Jungle Cruise all together! The boat will hold 40 or so of your friends and family and, with the right skipper, a boat full of people who know each other can make things interesting!
Spend a night or two at the Grand Californian if you get the chance. Nice. And when you wake up, you're already at Disneyland!
Check with the Guest Relations cast member at the information post on the west side of the Hub near the entrance to the old Plaza Pavilion for questions about attraction breakdowns, wait times and upcoming shows or parades.
Talk to a Disneyland Railroad cast member about taking a ride on the Lilly Belle.

You Jungle readers a hip to the scene, but occasionally we get a few folks in here who can use some simple, helpful tips.

Many happy returns to the Park is my wish for each and every one of you!

---Mike

Disneyland - Coyotes in the Break Area - Santa's Helpers

2010-11-05T21:34:00.000-07:00

You Disneylanders know the large wooden gates that are on either side of the walkway where Thunder Trail connects to Fantasyland. The northern gates lead to an access tunnel under the berm and into the back area.

The southern set of gates lead to the back area behind Village Haus, Pinocchio, Snow White, Carnation Plaza Gardens, Rancho de Zocalo and Big Thunder. There is a makeshift break area back there, with a picnic table. Also, if you head into the Village Haus building, you can grab a snack at the employee window and then head downstairs to a break area deep under the building.

The open air break area is unique because your 15 minutes is spent with the howling coyotes of Big Thunder just to the other side of the fence, who set off in chorus each time a train rolls past. You can also hear them clearly as you walk along Thunder Trail near the Thunder Ranch Barbeque, but they are particularly noisy for the cast members on their break.

I remember an early morning Fantasyland opening shift in November when the night crew were still in full swing at the end of their shift. As I was coming on before Park opening, both sets of gates near the break area were open, and along came a chain of vehicles and lift trucks, parading through on their way from the backstage area north of the Park and off toward Fanstasyland and Main Street and regions beyond.

It is particularly awesome this time of year, as the Disney crews get ready to spruce up the place for the Holidays. You can imagine the small army of folks who scurry around after normal operating hours in order to hang miles of garland, strings of lights, thousands of wreaths and, of course, Main Street's massive Christmas tree on Town Square. We are about a week away from Disneyland's debut of its Christmas season decorations---which go up about 10 days before Thanksgiving and remain for the duration of the season.

I must say, modern Disneyland does an amazing job of decorating the Park, both for "Halloween Time" and for Christmas. If you have not made it here during either of these seasons, you must make it a priority to do so; you will not be disappointed. Annual Passholders and locals are well aware of this---which is why there are so many block out days during the Christmas season (as they'd pack the Park 'til the ground could no longer be seen). Christmas is actually as busy as, if not slightly busier than, the summer season. Well worth it.

Bundle up, grab some cocoa and hie thee hence to Disneyland for the decorations. Believe me, hundreds, if not thousands, of cast members are scurrying around as we speak to get the Park ready. You should see Disneyland's attic! Boxes and boxes of bulbs, ornaments, strings of lights, wreaths, etc., etc. It must be fun to have to drag that stuff down and begin the long process of decorating...

Allow me to be among the first to wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving and a Merry Christmas. Darn, looks like the malls already beat me to it!

---Mike

Disneyland - Dead Head on a Slow Night

2010-11-04T07:24:00.000-07:00

Despite the title, this is not an entry about Jerry Garcia or "Truckin'" through the Jungle.

Jungle develops its own cool vibe as night falls. The crowd thins and the queue empties to a trickle. The lights of the dock flicker gently while the sounds of the Jungle intensify. Drums, bird calls, flowing waters.

As the attraction slows into the end of its normal operating day, boat after boat is taken off line and sent back to storage or, more likely, to either the spur side or catwalk side of the unload dock. You will see empty boats along the catwalk in the middle of the river.

The few remaining skippers are able to take more leisurely cruises through the rivers of the world---without boats immediately ahead of or behind them. Between trips, empty boats form a mini traffic jam along the dock, with one sitting at "load" and two or three in line behind it.

This was a time I enjoyed. Nights on Jungle. Especially in the summer. The air was warm and alive, even if the guest count was down to near nil. When things got this slow the chances increased that you would hear two words that rang in your ears as sweetly as "Mark Twain!" sounded to Samuel Langhorne Clemens. To a steamboat captain, "Mark Twain!" was music because it meant your vessel was in navigable deep water. To a Jungle skipper, the two words would be called out to you from the lead in the Jungle office: "Dead Head!"

Dead Head.

Okay. These two words rhyme, Mike, but I'm not getting why they are so special.

Allow me to explain. A "dead head" is an empty Jungle boat that is dispatched from the load position, sending its skipper on a solo trip through the jungle. When more than a few minutes pass while a group of boats are lined up at the dock waiting for guests, the lead will occasionally send the lead boat out with no guests aboard.

If you are the skipper of that boat, you put down your P.A. mike, tilt back your hat, lean back against the bow railing and push the throttle handle forward ever so smoothly. The engine raises its voice a bit and soon you are watching the empty dock recede behind you as you and your boat embark on a tour of the Jungle alone, at night, mano-y-junglo.

The first thing you do is turn off the exterior lights along the boat's canopy. The inky, green darkness settles around you and the accent lighting glows dimly along the river's edge. The "ancient Cambodian shrine" glows silently before you, while the Bengal tiger's roar sounds as loud as you've ever heard it. With the engine throttled just above "idle," you chug up river like Humphrey Bogart and Katharine Hepburn. The archway leading to the Sacred Bathing Pool of the Indian Elephants glides overhead and there you are, alone with your thoughts and a trumpeting elephant with its own "private shower." There are lights, but it is pretty dark for you and your boat. The trees along the shoreline form a dark canopy. You feel far from everything---smack dab in the heart of Orange County.

Pulling back on the throttle, you bring your boat to a crawl as the squirting elephant rises up and sprays your bow. Don't forget that guy! Many a rookie skipper (and even a veteran or two) has cruised along past the elephant in the waterfall---which magically triggers the squirter to start his routine---and forgotten to stop or slow their boat. The result is that your boat slips along beside the squirting elephant, which proceeds to douse you and the entire right side of your boat, with almost pinpoint precision. If you ever see a Jungle skipper come back to the dock with his or her shirt dripping wet---they forgot to stop after the bathing pool. Oops.

But not you. You're an old skipper. Been through this jungle thousands of times. As the elephant rises a second time, you push the throttle and chug ahead---quite dry, thank you---to the now extremely noisy gaggle of baboons off to your right. An explosion erupts in the waters ahead of you and there are our gorilla friends ransacking the safari camp. This scene looks really cool at night with all your boat lights off.

Derailing is a concern with an empty boat---or even a full one.

There are several spots along the river where it is important to throttle forward and avoid at all costs any slowing or dilly dallying. One of these spots is the stretch just after you turn past Schweitzer Falls. You remember to give the boat gas through this particularly dark section until you are just abreast or slightly past the first African Bull Elephant over to the left of your boat. His bellow is very loud when you are out there alone. And his mother-in-law's answer off to the right is even louder and longer.

Back in here, I would often open the door where my radio was located and bend down to take a listen. Sometimes you would catch some radio traffic, but usually not. Tonight? Nope. Nothing. Oh well, Hi Zebras! Hello Lions!! And there's that lost safari still caught in their embarrassing predicament, lo these almost 40 years. You wave to the poor guy on the bottom, have a snicker with the hyenas and prepare to throttle through the turn leading into the hippo pool (another spot ripe for a derail if you are not careful!).

Hippos surround you. It's too much to resist. You lift your .38 caliber Smith & Wesson revolver and hold it straight out, pointing just over their heads. You quickly cap off two rounds---which is very loud when there is no one on the boat---and when you are not holding the gun high above your head over the canopy, as you would normally do, but are pointing it straight out just below ear level. Ah. That felt good. Another vessel saved from sure hippo destruction.

Making the turn into headhunter country, you lean on the throttle again until you get to the skull canoe---which looks pretty realistic in the night. If you go too slow through this turn in the river, your boat's rear guide will slip off the rail and you will be stranded until help arrives to get you back on track. Sure, in the old days, most skippers had a pretty good sense of how their boat worked. They would stride back to the box where the guide sits and do their best to try and lift it back onto the rail by themselves. Sometimes it worked. Crisis avoided. You would never do this with guests on board though. For one thing, the boat is just too heavy to handle. For another, you never leave the controls!!!

Natives dance in the dark ahead of you like a Bruce Springsteen song. Soon you are attacked by an angry tribe to your left. They rise from the darkness and create quite a noisy scene. Unfazed, you stare them down until they crouch back into the bushes.

The backside of water. There's something you don't see every day. Here is another potential derail zone, so keep your boat moving until you get to the piranhas. After they attack, you round the bend to old Trader Sam. Your eyes glance up at the two green lights in the shield near Sam. All clear. If you saw red lights flashing there, you had better stop. That means the rail switch ahead of you has been thrown to allow a boat to be taken off or brought onto the main line. Should you fail to stop your boat and keep plugging around the bend toward the dock, your front guide would slip off the track and you would derail---in the pool right before the unload dock, as your lead looks on in horror and disgust from the track switch station at the end of the unload area. The radio would erupt: "Ops 1, this is Jungle Control: Jungle is 101." More sweet words to an old Jungle skipper's ears, "Jungle is 101." It would take at least 15 minutes to half an hour to get a repair team dispatched to address the derail and get the attraction back up and running. One or two of you would be sent to man the queue and advise guests that the attraction was down. The rest might earn a quick break.

Because you are not a rookie, you cruise past Sam and round the final bend leading to the unload dock. You wave at the skips standing at unload and bring the boat to a stop. While waiting there, you pop open your revolver, discharge the two spent rounds and reload for the next trip. Believe me, you will carry this rare dead head trip with you for a good long while.

---Mike

Disneyland - Death in the Magic Kingdom - Happy Halloween

2010-10-31T07:58:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween Jungleteers!

For some reason, the holiday got me thinking about death - death as portrayed at the Happiest Place on Earth.

Sounds like a strange juxtaposition, but as I considered the subject I realized death lurks in almost every attraction in some direct or indirect manner.

The Haunted Mansion: the whole attraction devoted to death and the spirits of the afterlife. This is a no-brainer.

The Pirates of the Caribbean: guess who tells no tales? There's a skeleton around almost every corner and pirates are literally shooting guns and cannons at you trying to kill you.

The Jungle Cruise: my last crew did not laugh at my jokes---you can see them over there in the canoe to our right. From the way they're smiling, it looks like they finally got the joke.

Indiana Jones: skeletons, why did there have to be skeletons? The dead are omnipresent in the Temple of Mara.

Tarzan's Treehouse: what happened to Tarzan's parents??? Is that a skeleton by the old phonograph?

Splash Mountain: those vultures seem to be anticipating Brer Rabbit's demise---"If this is your laughing place, how come you're not laughing?"

Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln: an entire attraction devoted to our most famous martyred President, who presided over America's bloodiest domestic conflict.

Snow White's Scary Adventures: remind me not to let the Wicked Queen make me a prisoner in her dungeon---great for weight loss, bad for longevity. Oh yeah, don't forget the whole "Sleeping Death" spell. Steer clear of apples.

Peter Pan: Skull Rock stands as a dark symbol of what awaits those who leave "Neverland."

Mr. Toad's Wild Ride: ouch! Hit by a train and we're off to...hell. Nice. Wait, not so nice!

Innoventions: somebody killed America Sings! Seriously, though, a cast member actually died on this attraction back when it was America Sings.

Sleeping Beauty Castle: more Sleeping Death---being a Disney princess can be such a drag. The hair, the make up, the shoes, the small rodents everywhere, the step-mom.

Pinocchio: we get swallowed by Monstro! Oh yeah, and getting turned into a donkey after a night on Pleasure Island can be considered the ultimate buzz-kill. Thank goodness for Blue Fairies.

Storybookland Canal Boats: Uh oh, eaten by Monstro again. Good thing he sneezed his tail off.

It's A Small World: believe it or not, you'll find the "Day of the Dead" and a skull or two---even in this realm of singing children.

Disneyland Railroad: millions of dinosaurs---extinct.

Thunder Mountain: another dead dinosaur.

The Shootin' Arcade: Boot Hill, skeletons, ghost riders in the sky.

Winnie the Pooh: heffalumps and woozles---not to mention the heads of Max, Buff and Melvin.

The Matterhorn: the remains of the Wells expedition---and a none-too-friendly Yeti.

Space Mountain: not so much---though at Halloween Time it has its ghosts.

The Columbia, the Peoplemover, Big Thunder, America Sings, the Matterhorn, the Rivers of America and the Monorail have each claimed real lives, unfortunately, over the course of time.

Like any good fairy tale, there is a dark and dangerous side to the fantasy.

Now, as they say, look alive.

Hope your Halloween was fabulous.

As for Jungle is "101," all I can say is...

...hurry baaa-aack!

...hurry ba---aaaaack!

---Mike

Disneyland - CHOC Walk In The Park

2010-10-28T08:04:00.000-07:00

This year, my wife and eldest daughter participated in the annual Children's Hospital of Orange County ("CHOC") "Walk In The Park," which is a fund raising event that takes participants on a walking tour through Disneyland, some of its back areas, and into California Adventure.

It must have been something, because they both came home very happy.
Perhaps they were happiest about the fact that: "We got to do something at Disneyland that YOU'VE NEVER DONE!"
Hmmm.
They had a point.
Though they forgot to bring their camera (argh), I was able to debrief them and discover a little bit about the walking route they took during this event, which happens in the early morning hours before the Park opens.
They started out on Main Street, marched up Matterhorn Way toward Small World and Toontown. Then they went into the backstage area north of the Park by the TDA building and the steam train building. (Thanks to DRSEANG who posted the above photo and these over at MiceChat.com).

They came back out by the Small World gate, passed between the Matterhorn and Sub Lagoon and ended up in the backstage area behind East Main Street before funneling back out the Main Entrance and over to California Adventure.

Literally thousands of people and Disneyland Cast Members participate in this annual event. It raises money for sick children and the excellent CHOC facilities on top of giving folks yet another good reason to visit the Disneyland Resort.

From my own family's firsthand accounts, let me tell you, you are going to want to attend next year's "Walk In The Park." It happens in October. Check the CHOC website as to the details.

You KNOW I'll be there.
"We got to do something at Disneyland that you didn't," indeed.
Not for long, dear family. Not for long...

---Mike

Disneyland - Backstage Peeks from the Parking Structure

2010-10-27T21:40:00.001-07:00

Another busy week, another photo filled post. Hope you are all doing well. As we hit the blog today, to your right you will see some shots I snapped the last time we were parked at the top of the parking structure. Too bad my mini-cam has a pretty pathetic telephoto zoom.

First, we see the back of the berm and one of the access tunnels through it (center right of the photo). On the other side of the berm from here, roughly, you will find the back turn of the Rivers of America---the stretch between Mike Fink's cabin and the Indian Village. If you look closely backstage, you'll see a Storybookland Canal boat ready for a rehab. To the left, I spy one of Main Street's horse-drawn trolley cars.

The next shot gives you another view of this area backstage---right under the noses of thousands of Disneyland guests who are ambling through the parking lot on their way to the trams!

Picture number 3 shows many things to the trained observer. Do you see the Disneyland Railroad train clicking by in the upper right, just below the curvy streetlamp? There's an Autopia car to the left of the photo and what appear to be cars from Big Thunder (look just above the trolley). Hey, next time you're on the train, grab a seat in the back and look over your shoulder. You'll get some neat back stage views (like this one) that most folks don't see because they are facing forward.

Finally, in Photo 4 we can see the Team Disney Anaheim (TDA) building (in its gaudy Eisner yellow) in the background.

You can also get a good glimpse of the back of Toon Town.

Smack dab in the center of the photo---where all that dirt is---you can see the stables where Disneyland's famous horses are kept (Circle D).

The gray buildings to the left house a variety of workshops and the parade floats.

Enough with that.
I gotta go.
Trader Sam's pot is boiling over and he left me here to watch it for him while he went shopping!
Man, is he gonna be steamed!

As a sage village shaman of the jungle once told me and my fellow skippers:

"Stay cool, monkey fools!"

---Mike

Disneyland - A Cup of Coffee at the Station

2010-10-25T07:02:00.000-07:00

Greetings, Jungleteers!
As I write this, it is a rainy morning here in Southern California and perfect for a hot cup of coffee.
This has me thinking about spots along the way where I've enjoyed a cup, including, of course, Disneyland.
One early morning trip to the Park, necessity pulled me into the Market House like a tractor beam.
"One large coffee, please."
"Room for cream?" asked Tom, the cast member at the counter.
"Yes, thank you."
"Save your receipt and bring it back for a free refill."
"I believe I will. Thanks for the hot tip. How's your morning so far?"
"It has been nice. I like the cool weather. It keeps us busy. It's not too crowded yet, though."
"I'll take it. I've had my share of crowds. Did you work last New Year's? I had guest control on the Hub, right at the Carnation bridge."
"Oh, wow. You had your hands full!"
"Well, have a good one!"
"You, too. Don't forget your refill!"
Taking the warm foam cup full of fog-lifting liquid from Tom, I headed over to the condiment bar and added the appropriate amount of cream, turning the black coffee a caramel color before replacing the lid and assessing where in the Park I would go to enjoy it.
Coke Corner?
Always a winner, but not the venue of choice for me this morning.
Plaza Inn?
No, it's not raining or hideously hot, and I'd rather be outside.
Stepping out onto Main Street and looking to my left, I had my answer.
Train Station.
Across Town Square, past the dedication plaque and flagpole, and up the steps.
One of those fabulous Main Street wooden benches sat there, empty and inviting.
Taking the lid off my cup so as to maximize the smell of the coffee, I tossed the lid in a nearby trash can and took a seat on the bench---on the right hand side of the elevated station platform as you face Town Square.
The area music lilted in the background as I look out over Main Street and up to Sleeping Beauty Castle. Holding my cup in front of me, the steam warmed my nose and face in the cool morning air. The coffee smelled exactly as it should. You coffee lovers are with me on this.
I watched the people coming into the Park and beginning their march up the Street.
The expectant energy of guests in the morning is contagious.
You can still see the bounce in the step of parents pushing strollers.
There is also the wide eyed look on the faces of the kids (the non-teenager types, mostly---though there are exceptions to every rule of nature).
Everything is forward-looking and positive. The day awaits.
The Park opens its arms.
I sip my coffee above this scene, slightly removed but very much a part of it.
Walt wanted a place where parents could have fun, too. Sitting here on the bench, a parent myself, I nodded in silent appreciation at Walt's sentiment.
Here is a place where I can find a bit of contentment, even doing nothing really, just sitting on a bench with some coffee.
Raising my cup in a solemn salute toward the flagpole, then toward the lamp in the window above the Fire Station, I toast Mr. Disney and the folks he gathered to help make Disneyland a reality.
His words from opening day---seared in my memory and emblazoned on the plaque at the foot of the flagpole---come to me on the bench:

"To all who come to this happy place: Welcome. Disneyland is your land..."

As I finish my coffee, I gather myself and stand up to leave.
Where to?
I realize it does not matter much.

It's all good.

Think I'll take the train...

---Mike