Category: Blogs
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Souvenir Guide 1992 – 30 Years Ago at Disneyland
One of the tangible things I miss from 30 years ago at Disneyland is their over-the-top souvenir guide. Starting in 1955, with a modest flyer printed in two colors (black and turquoise), guests were always provided with basic information to make their visit “more enjoyable.” By 1992, that single sheet had grown into a 32-page…
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A Stroll Around the Park – 30 Years Ago at Disneyland
Disneyland in the Summer of 1992 had matured and grown in many ways, but for guests who had been visiting since the 1960s, it was still a pretty familiar place. Thirty years later, on the other hand, it seems like change has come to every corner of Walt’s original Magic Kingdom. But don’t take my…
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So, That’s a Fantasmic! – 30 Years Ago at Disneyland
Last month, I described the events leading up to the May 15 public debut of Fantasmic!, the new nighttime spectacle that had everyone guessing about what, exactly, it would be. This month I will be describing my reaction, the public reaction, and the long-term impact it had on Disneyland. On Friday, May 15, I made…
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Thoughts on Kathleen Kennedy After Star Wars Celebration – The Importance of Culture
“Culture eats strategy for breakfast” Peter Drucker once said. This last weekend, I was able to attend Star Wars Celebration and I believe that I saw this quote in action. Kathleen Kennedy, President of Lucasfilm, seems to have created a culture that has led to this time in history where it is absolutely awesome being…
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Say Yes to Kindness, Say No to Hate
It is 2022 and sometimes it is surprising the things that need to be said that feel like they should be already understood. Today is a day, however, where an appeal must be made for kindness and not hate. This may seem fairly straightforward and common sense, but apparently, it isn’t as it is having…
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What’s a Fantasmic? – 30 Years Ago at Disneyland
1992 turned out to be a banner year for Disney theme park entertainment. As you read in last month’s column, April saw the debut of the Disneyland production of Beauty and the Beast, live on stage, which led directly to the creation of Disney Theatrical Productions. Incredibly enough, while that production was being prepared and…
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A Marvelous Morning at Disney California Adventure
It was a beautiful morning in Disney California Adventure today. I will admit it, I’m more of a night owl than an early bird. While my schedule often dictates otherwise, when I have an unscheduled day it would be more my inclination to go to the parks later and stay later. However, today is different.…
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Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge on Star Wars Nite – The Way it Always Should Be
Throughout the month of may there are three Disneyland After Dark: Star Wars Nite events happening at Disneyland. During these special events, the entire park turns into a big celebration of Star Wars. This is appropriate with Star Wars Celebration arriving at the nearby Anaheim Convention Center later this month. One of the highlights of…
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Looking Back at the Reopening of Disneyland One Year and Thousands of Memories Later
One year ago today Disneyland and Disney California Adventure reopened their gates and guests could once again experience the magic of the parks after an extended closure. This closure lasted 412 days. It was expected to last just a few short weeks. However, things didn’t go as planned. For over a year, fans waited to…
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Beauty and the Beast— Live – 30 Years Ago at Disneyland
It is both hard to express as well as to underestimate the importance of this month’s subject to Disneyland, Disney theme parks, and the Walt Disney Company. The Videopolis/Fantasyland Theater production of Beauty and the Beast— Live is largely forgotten today. But its impact still reverberates. Part of the problem in recalling this delightful production…
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What a Difference Six Feet Makes – Thoughts on the Return of Traditional Disney Character Interactions to the Disneyland Resort
Today the six-foot social distance guidelines between Disney characters and guests was no longer a thing. With the return of traditional Disney character interactions what a difference six feet makes really became apparent. As guests ran into Mickey’s arms, joked with Gaston, posed with Iron Man, and danced with princesses, the entire feel of Disneyland…
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Update on Fantasmic! – 30 Years Ago at Disneyland
As if Daylight Saving’s Time wasn’t bad enough, last month we leaped a year ahead (or 29 years behind) our usual thirty years ago. This month we are back on track but will be starting out on the wrong side of the park. Yes, this is an update on the construction of Fantasmic!, but first…
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For About $5,000… Thoughts on Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser
Since Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser first began taking guests on voyages to the stars earlier this month I have been one of the many fans ingesting as much about this new experience. I will admit to many conflicted thoughts about this, mainly coming from the price. There are also thoughts about the experience and the…
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Mickey’s Toontown Then… and Now! – 29 Years Ago at Disneyland
I hope you did a double-take at the title of this month’s blog. 29 years ago at Disneyland? 30 years was an odd enough choice. But why change it now? This is not really a change, just an acknowledgment of an item that is better presented a year in advance. You see, Toontown, which opened…
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1992: Another Original Year – 30 Years Ago at Disneyland
You remember a year ago that in this blog I kind of complained about the 1991 promotional “theme” for Disneyland? That after the incredible 35th anniversary year of 1990, with the alluring (and admittedly kind of baffling) Party Gras theme, the best they could come up with was “The Original?” Really. That was the theme…
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A Look at the Last Rainy Day of 2021 at Disneyland
December 30, 2021, was the last rainy day of the year at Disneyland. As Disneyland prepared to host its New Year’s Eve festivities, the rain came down and the crowds showed up. There weren’t as heavy crowds as other years during the Christmas week but there were still a lot of people enjoying a rainy…
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Mickey’s Nutcracker – 30 Years Ago at Disneyland
In 1991, the former Videopolis stage in Fantasyland offered a holiday entertainment that could have easily become a long-running seasonal tradition at Disneyland. Mickey’s Nutcracker promised to be a contemporary version of the well-known Christmas entertainment but proved to be a quirky retelling of the beloved ballet with some dancing, some singing, and some other…
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Pictorial: A Rainy Christmas Eve Eve at the Disneyland Resort
Christmas Eve Eve was a very rainy day at the Disneyland Resort. Throughout the day, the skies opened up, and guests donned ponchos, raincoats, and grabbed their umbrellas. Instead of a parade, there was a rainy day cavalcade. As day turned into evening, the streets reflected the water with a magical glow. The fireworks and…
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A Magically Foggy Night at Disney California Adventure
On December 1, 2021, the DAPS MAGIC team stopped by Disney California Adventure for an evening watching Phat Cat Swinger. The performances at 8:00 and 9:15 were absolutely wonderful and so much fun. As the night progressed, fog started to creep in on Disney California Adventure. By the time the second set had ended, fog…
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I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas – The Magic of the Holidays at Disneyland
The holidays at Disneyland is always such a special time to me. Everything seems to have a little more pixie dust. The extra lights are vibrant and beautiful, the entertainment a little merrier, the food a little more delicious, the weather a little cozier, and all the moments a little more magical. As I think…
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Imagining… Fantasmic! – 30 Years Ago at Disneyland
In planning, this blog entry was to be the first of two parts, spanning October to November. In execution, it is one bog entry, appearing at the end of November. In my defense, it is a pretty big subject. While that Afternoon Avenue promotion was dominating the east side of Disneyland, over on the west…
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Phat Cat Swinger Makes Magical Return to Disney Festival of Holidays
On Friday, November 12, 2021, Phat Cat Swinger returned to the Disneyland Resort to open Disney Festival of Holidays. To say it was magical would be an understatement. Ahead of the band’s first set at 8:00 PM, guests were already waiting and anticipating the band’s return. There was a palpable energy that was a beautiful…
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A Christmas Fantasy Parade Adds Extra Magic to Holidays at Disneyland!
After a hiatus last year due to the parks being closed because of the pandemic, parades are back. Specifically, A Christmas Fantasy Parade ushered parades back to day-guests at the Disneyland Resort. The parade returned to the public as a part of Holidays at Disneyland on November 12th after being shown at the Disney Merriest…
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Pictorial: A Rainy Halloween Time Day at the Disneyland Resort
Rain has returned to the Disneyland Resort. On October 25, 2021, the Disneyland Resort had a wet afternoon and early evening as the rain rain rain came down down down. With the arrival of the rain, reservations also became available and a couple of the DAPS MAGIC team made their way into the parks to…