Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway - spoiler pictures of Disneyland queue and surrounding Toontown area

We had been able to ride Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway at Disney Hollywood Studios in early October of 2021, and we loved the ride. I was so excited when I heard that it was coming to Disneyland, so I've been eagerly awaiting its opening. Luckily, we were able to get a preview ride with a limited crowd before the ride opened. The major difference between the ride at Disneyland and the ride at Walt Disney World is the queue. The queue in Toontown at Disneyland is all new, and it's really amazing. The queue is pretty much half the experience of the entire attraction, even moreso than on rides like Star Tours and the Indiana Jones Adventure. There are even more fun things to look at than in the queue for Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin.

You can see some elements in the queue if you use the Lightning Lane entrance, but you have to go through the regular stand-by queue if you want to see everything.

Following are pictures from the things in the queue that most caught my attention, as well as pictures of the outside of the attraction and the surrounding Toontown area. I hope you get to experience it all for yourself in person.

 

A slightly different look for the entrance to Toontown. This picture was taken the day before the official opening of Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway, during the time when cast members were given an opportunity to preview the ride, with the press event that evening.

 

 

The former area with the Roger Rabbit fountain has been turned into a little park / play area with artificial grass and some benches. Very pretty. In subsequent days when Runaway Railway no longer required a virtual queue and entrance into Toontown was not restricted, families with children definitely took advantage of the area to let their little ones run around and have fun, as well as burning off energy.

 

 

 

For our preview, it was exciting on our walk towards Runaway Railway. Construction walls were up as the rest of Toontown is not yet open.

 

 

I love the attraction logo for the ride. This was on signs just at the entrance of Toontown.

 

 

Walking up to Runaway Railway, and there is the El Capitoon in all her beauty!

 

 

 

 

 

I'd bought an El Capitoon spirit jersey at the D23 Expo last year, so I made sure to wear it to the preview.

 

 

Before you even enter the inside queue, the outside box office has so many things to look at!

This is the ticket window for the El Capitoon. I love that they made the facade a theatre a la The El Capitan in Hollywood. Really an ingenious idea.

 

 

You could be eligible for a Mickey Mouse Club discount. Remember your sweater!

 

 

There are so many things to see just on the desktop alone. I turned one of the pictures upside down to make some of the items easier to read. Looks like the Beagle family has a history of writing bad checks. And it looks like someone was in such a hurry that they forgot to put their lipstick away.

 

 

 

 

 

Some post-its on the wall. I use post-its to remind myself of things too. Or just to write random notes for other people.

 

 

The front post-it is one of my favorite non-ride things about this attraction. Love the shout-out to Tilly, who is the ticket taker at the Main Street Cinema on Main Street U.S.A. in Disneyland.

 

 

Here's Tilly. She has different seasonal outfits during the year. She is currently sporting her Disney 100 attire, complete with name tag.

 

 

 

Being the sign and credits nerd that I am, this is my absolute favorite non-ride thing about this attraction. That first paragraph is required and can be found on all attractions. That second paragraph is decidedly NOT! It's like the legal disclaimer at the end of the movie "Airplane" that ends with "So there." I love it because it's the kind of thing that most people don't read at all, so for those of us that do, you get a bonus laugh.

 

 

No weird additional language in this sign. It's just to let you know what kind of ride it is and what you might be mindful of.

 

 

A plaque for the El Capitoon Theatre. Read all the way to the end!

 

 

Carpet with the El Capitoon logo as you step into the foyer of the theatre.

 

 

One of the many brilliant posters showing a Toon adaptation of a live-action film. Who wouldn't love to buy this poster or have this art on a t-shirt or magnet?

 

 

Just inside the foyer, you can oftentimes choose to participate in or skip the photo op for the Perfect Picnic animated short you're about to see. So cute!

 

 

The El Capitoon emblem at the top of the columns in the foyer. See the Hidden Mickey in the popcorn around the middle just above the bucket line? There's a circle that's above and in the middle of, from the left, the fourth and fifth dots at the top of the bucket. That's the Mickey head. There are then two mis-shapen ears on top of the circle. And the bucket in the logo looks like a film strip. (Raise your hand if you know what a film strip is...)

 

 

As you make your way through the queue, you encounter this display of El Capitoon history.

 

 

The hot dog is my favorite part of the entire El Capitoon history board. It looks pretty fresh for being so old!

 

 

The wheel from Steamboat Willie and the accompanying sign. You can actually turn the wheel, though it doesn't move easily.

 

 

 

A prop from the animated short "Plane Crazy".

 

 

A prop drum from the animated short "Band Concert".

 

 

The Sorcerer's book, with water damage from the flood caused by apprentice Mickey. I attended an event with a few of the Imagineers who worked on this project, and one of them said they were having a hard time getting the absolutely perfect look while using PhotoShop and other programs. So they used ink to write on paper and then dunked the papers in the sink and bathtub in their own homes, and then they dried out the papers and scanned them in to figure out how to get the proper look. They even held up some of the said papers. It was fantastic.

 

 

The sign for the Sorcerer's book.

 

 

For personal reasons, the inclusion of Sorcerer Mickey in almost anything brings me joy and tears of sadness at the same time. This one has a special effect in that periodically, the hat levitates.

 

 

Pile of books on the Sorcerer's throne.

 

 

Props from the animated short "Brave Little Tailor". Yep, puns galore everywhere!

 

 

Prop cake from the animated short "Mickey's Birthday Party". They tested out the cake so you don't have to.

 

 

On a speaker in the Mousercise section, I noticed that it's the Sorcerer's choice.

 

 

"The Wrong Door" is the name of one of the other movies supposedly being shown at the El Capitoon. It's also an inside joke for Imagineer Allie Wong. There are lots of personal references throughout the queue for various Imagineers, per custom / practice. For instance, in the scene from the Christmas party, the cards on the fireplace mantle are the names of the children of some of the Imagineers. There is also a reference to another of the Imagineer's children in the candy at the snack bar. Oftentimes, when you see a mix of two letters and numbers, that's a reference to someone's birth date. There are lots of those in the queue for Star Tours, including references to George Lucas and John Williams.

 

 

Since I have a personal affinity for Potatoland, I really enjoyed seeing the props.

 

 

 

 

The snack bar of the El Capitoon is chock full of treats and other surprises.

 

 

You can buy a tub of cotton candy or a tub of cotton! The cotton could come in handy if you're seeing a movie that will make you cry since cotton is so absorbent.

 

 

Witch Hazel nut candy. That could be tasty. Or deadly. Or both!

 

 

Chocolate chip (and dale!) cookies. I feel like they should have acorns in them too.

 

 

I don't know why there was a container of chocolate candies with a cat shaped one in it, but I'm here for that.

 

 

Hmmm, can't make a purchase here.

 

 

The amounts on the cash registers show the release date of the iconic animated short "Steamboat Willie". Pet peeve of mine - no, he's not named Steamboat Mickey.

 

 

Oh, here are the acorns to go with the chocolate chip (and dale) cookies!

 

 

Poppy on the popcorn container looks really cute and reminds me of the snowgies from "Frozen 2".

 

 

There are Hidden Mickeys and hidden other things in this bin of popcorn.

 

 

Just like in Disneyland proper, the popcorn machines have themed workers.

 

 

Free candy offer, but it's not good in February because it has fewer days.

 

 

I was too excited to see the Potatoland poster.

 

 

Having one of each spelling on containers made me laugh because yeah, I've wondered. Love the reference to Figaro! On a different note, did you know that catsup / ketchup hasn't always been made of tomatoes? That's why, though tomato ketchup seems redundant, it's not.

 

 

The play on words here made me laugh too.

 

 

At first glance, it looks like your normal array of condiments. (I do hate when people make a mess on the snack counter at the movies. Clean up after yourselves, folks!)

 

 

BBQ? Not really sure what you'd put that on. I'm not sure I'd enjoy that on a hot dog. I defnitely wouldn't enjoy that on popcorn, at least not BBQ flavor in liquid form. Maybe a topping you shake on would be ok. Love the shout-out to Smoke Tree Ranch.

 

 

Shhhh, don't tell them that "secret sauce" just includes mayonnaise! Ignore the expiration date - they do!

 

 

Relish is always good on a hot dog. Some might not prefer the dill version, though.

 

 

Ummm, is this for the hot dog, or the popcorn, or the nachos?

 

 

How do you keep this on a dish or in a container if it burns through the countertop?

 

 

It's time for us to see our movie! Read the little bit under "theater 3".

 

 

Such a lovely poster for "Perfect Picnic". I love the colorful hues and cheery nature - how could anything go wrong? Nothing can stop us now!

 

 

I like the *other* orange bird too, but I *REALLY* like this orange birdie. It's so cute!

 

 

Orange birdie on the ride. Depending on what part of the cycle you see, you might see little birdies hatch and then fly away.

 

 

"See ya 'reel' soon." Do people know what film reels are?

 

 

Not-so-hidden Mickey in the reels at the exit.

 

 

Lots of people might miss this - after you exit the ride and head back through the blown-up screen, turn around to see "The End"."

 

 

In EngineEar Souvenirs, Professor Ludwig Von Drake can teach you some train talk.

 

 

When you enter EngineEar Souvenirs, turn around and look up to see the Toontown railway schedule. After what you just went through, do you want to get on another train? Maybe check to make sure the engineer isn't Goofy first.

Maybe I can catch a train to Endor. I tried to take a starspeeder, but it never made it there, and I'm so late for a meeting.

 

 

After our preview ride, I expected to be deposited into the corresponding store, but I was shocked to see that it wasn't open yet. It didn't open with the opening of the attraction, and it has recently opened with limited merchandise, with more promised for the grand re-opening of Toontown on March 19.

 

 

The puzzle pieces on the floor of the store were interesting.

 

 

EngineEar Souvenirs sign on the floor. Oh, that's where we are.

 

 

What can you expect to see inside EngineEar Souvenirs? Miniature railroads and full-scale fun! When it opens completely.

 

 

The view of the EngineEar Souvenirs store facade next to the ticket booth for the El Capitoon Theatre.

 

 

A closer look at the EngineEar Souvenirs store sign.

 

 

Look at the train on top, with Mickey in the cab. How cute! Love the "Toonliner"!

 

 

Cinema staff only inside the El Capitoon ticket booth.

 

 

Love the labels on the trash cans.

 

 

The nearby buildings are going through their own changes, with some new businesses moving in.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The El Capitoon and the Toontown hills at night.

 

 

 

Look carefully at the hills, and you'll see Walt's Barn and a tribute to the windmill from the animated short "The Old Mill".

 

 

Even the construction walls have not-so-hidden Mickeys.

 

 

I was really disappointed to see that they'd changed the restroom signs in Toontown. Even if they wanted to change it from Jessica and Roger Rabbit, they could have found something else to theme it to. Instead, they decided to echo the muted colors of the new hills. I have the unreasonable hope that this was a temporary change, just so they could have the restrooms open for guests going on Runaway Railway, and that brighter and more fun signs will debut with the actual re-opening of Toontown, but I don't want to set myself up for further disappointment. So many things done right, but this was definitely a giant miss.

 

 

 

 

 

The outside of the El Capitoon is even more gorgeous when it's nighttime, and the lights come on.

 

 

 

 

Should it be "Mickey's and Minnie's Runaway Railway" instead of "Mickey and Minnie's"? I'm never sure about that when there's a compound noun. Maybe it depends on what you want it to mean. If it's "Mickey's and Minnie's", it's individual ownership as separate entities, so it's 50/50 ownership. If it's "Mickey and Minnie's", then it's treating Mickey and Minnie as one entity, so it's joint ownership. (See now why I love that little extra bit on the ticket booth?)

 

 

Here's some video of the gorgeous facade of the El Capitoon with the changing lights.

 

 

I loved the El Capitoon facade all lit up, but I was even more fixated on the lighting changes on the sign itself.

 

 

 

 

Some video of the changing lights on the El Capitoon sign.

 

 

Walked around a bit after our rides, and it was nice to see Bennie the Cab and the Roger Rabbit sign again - freshly painted and so pretty and sparkly.

 

 

 

The dalmatian puppy is still keeping watch at the fire house. Ever notice that the fire house number is 101?

 

 

 

Here's that park area at night. So peaceful. Well, it was at that time. Not so much nowadays, I expect.

 

 

 

The poster for Runaway Railway. Love all the included elements from the ride.

 

 

I always like the graphics that are developed to accompany a ride that has a virtual queue. For the first few weeks, when you were able to get into the queue and your group progressed through the wait, here was some of what you'd see. I love that the train pulls in front of the El Capitoon when you're good to go. And then you pulled up the bar code to be scanned to enter the El Capitoon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hope you've enjoyed the tour!

 

 

"Star Wars: The Phantom Menace" - January 2023 review

As I begin a journey on a path I have not yet taken, the first step starts here.

It's been far too long since I've seen this film.  There were actually quite a few details I didn't remember.

Awww, the Fox logo and accompanying fanfare.  It's really not the same without them.

I really liked the battle droids the first time I saw them.  Simple, clean, and "roger roger".  I still hold a fondness for them.

So this started a question I've had ever since, as far as the rules for using the Force.  I believe this was the first instance we saw of a Force push.  Cool, right?  But there seems to be no rhyme or reason as to when they choose to use the Force in this way and in when they *can* use the Force in this way.  For the brief amount of time that I was playing computer adventure games, I got used to the idea that when you used magic, it took away points, and you only had so much to use, so if you cast a spell, you had to build back enough energy to cast another spell.  That doesn't seem to be the case with the Force.  There doesn't seem to be a time (at least that I recall) when a Force-user runs out of energy by using the Force too much, other than when they're being drained of energy because they're under attack and sustaining injuries.  If that's the case, why don't they just use the Force all the time for everything?  Obi-Wan and Qui-Gonn fight the battle droids with their lightsabres for a bit, and then Obi-Wan just uses a Force push on a trio (?) of them.  That happens in a later fight as well.  Well, if the Force push works, why go through the time and trouble of using lightsabres (though I do like the bounce-your-blaster-bolt-back-into-you trick) where you're basically dispatching them one at a time?  A Force push can take out three or four or probably more at once and is much faster.

I love Qui-Gonn using his lightsabre to carve a C into the blast door.  I have a toy that depicts that scene with the indentation in the door.

Destroyer droids!  Or as they call them, Droideka.  The first time I saw those things, I absolutely loved them.  So cool-looking.  I can't remember which exhibit it was, but I saw a life-size one at one of the Star Wars props exhibits.  Amazing.

Ahhh, the much maligned Jar Jar Binks.  I'm less concerned with him now than when I first watched the movie.  Part of my frustration with him was that I had trouble understanding what he was saying.  His syntax and speech pattern was more difficult to figure out than Yoda's jumbled words, and his "accent" was hard to make out for me.  I still had that problem this time but for the most part, he doesn't have a lot of vital stuff to say, so I just hear him, understand him or don't, and move on.  In discussions, I always find it amusing when people say there's been no one more hated in Star Wars history, and when I reference the ewoks, so many people either have no memory of when "Return of the Jedi" came out, or they weren't born yet or at least not old enough yet.  The vitriol that was directed at the ewoks was pretty epic.  I felt that same energy when people talked about Jar Jar.  As I've thought about it more, and as I've seen the various movies more, I've started to see a lot of C-3PO in Jar Jar, and not in a good way.  On many occasions, 3PO is actually pretty annoying.  He complains a lot, and he's often yelling at R2-D2 about something, even things that R2 isn't responsible for.  I've found myself often being less and less interested in seeing / hearing 3PO.  Jar Jar evokes the same feeling in me in that he complains a lot, especially in times of fear and battle, so I ignore those too.

It's really nice to see Liam Neeson in this role, something he hadn't really been doing at the time.  He was doing mostly "serious" roles, so it was great to see him bring that kind of ability to a Star Wars film.

And boy, look how young Ewan McGregor was back then.  (Yeah, we've all gotten older.  I can't believe it's been more than 20 years since this film came out.)  I love seeing the little padawan braid on him, and watching as Obi-Wan maneuvers through walking the line between being respectful of his Jedi master and mentor, and expressing his opinions based on his own understanding and teachings of the Force and the Jedi ways, when Qui-Gonn goes against them.

Boss Nass, head of Gungan City, is an interesting character but another one I have difficulty understanding.  I would be interested in learning more about how that whole city works, how he came to be in charge, and what his backstory is.

I didn't remember that Jar Jar was indebted to Qui-Gonn because Qui-Gonn saved his life.  Gungans have a life debt obligation like wookies do?

"There's always a bigger fish."  I've always loved Qui-Gonn's line.  So true.

I remember having such a hard time trying to figure out when it was Queen Amidala's double and when it wasn't, but I didn't know who Natalie Portman was then.  I think it took me until the third or fourth time seeing the film to figure it out.  Now, of course, it's very obvious to me when it's her and when it's not.  But even knowing that her double is played by Keira Knightley (Since her credit is as "Kiera", I'm wondering if they spelled her name wrong or if she changed the spelling for some reason.), I'm not seeing her as clearly.  I don't think we get a good look at her when she's simply a handmaiden, unlike with Natalie Portman, so it may be that the makeup masks her more.

I always laugh at the battle droid who has been cut in half but the legs are still wobbling around.

It's always hard to watch the scene where the droids are on the surface of the Naboo ship trying to fix the shield generator, and they're just getting picked off by the ships attacking them.

Yay, R2!  One of the unsung heroes of the rebellion.  (Yeah, he didn't get a medal for any of his contributions either.)

I've always thought Watto was an interesting character.  That's the first time we've seen where the Jedi mind trick influence doesn't work on some people.  Obi-Wan told us that the Force can have a strong effect on the weak-minded, but we haven't seen anyone strong-minded enough to withstand that.  We see in "Return of the Jedi" that it doesn't work on Jabba the Hut either.

Awww, tiny little Anakin.  Some of his mannerisms actually remind me of Luke from the first Star Wars movie.

Pit droids!  I love them, especially the "bonk the nose" part.  I love how they're used in the video in the queue of Star Tours, as they're trying to attend to the Starspeeder.  And that they also show up in "The Mandalorian".  A good all-purpose droid is always a good thing to have around.

Speaking of tiny little Anakin, seeing the age difference between him and Padme is why it's creepy knowing about the coming romance.  They wanted him to be young enough to be impressive with the podracing and skills and such, but she had to be old enough to be queen.  And it still might not have been so bad if they'd met later, when their age differences wouldn't have mattered.  But it's hard to watch her see him as a little boy that she almost feels the need to take care of, when we know they're eventually going to be a couple and have children together.

Shmi is a very accommodating mom.  Her kid comes home with some random strangers, and she welcomes them, not knowing anything about them.  Was this something Anakin did all the time?  Or maybe she knew that since everyone knew that she/they belonged to Watto, no one would start any trouble with them.

I've always said that even given all the murder and destruction that Vader was responsible for, the worst thing Anakin did to the galaxy was building C-3PO.

It's interesting that the concept of slavery is so easily slid into the Star Wars universe, and involving a character that we've known from the very beginning.  Who knew that the commanding, dominating, terrifying Darth Vader was once a child slave himself.  Is that what propelled some of his actions in the future, wanting to be in control?  But he then didn't seem to think twice about subjugating others.  And the Jedi don't blink at finding out that slavery still exists.  That should have told us something about the Jedi order in and of itself.

The pod racing segment was fantastic and always a lot of fun.  My favorite bit, of course, were the Tuscan raiders taking potshots at passing competitors.  But Sebulba cheats, and everyone *knows* he cheats, but he continues to race and win?  I guess since Jabba is in charge, if Jabba doesn't care, then everyone can do whatever they want.  And he's not cheating Jabba, just the other racers, so I guess Jabba wouldn't much care.

I forgot that Qui Gonn bought Anakin's freedom by betting on Anakin in the race.

Anakin's goodbye with Shmi was just heartbreaking.  I would love to know more about her story.

That Senate chamber was pretty cool, and at some point when I was at the Dolby Theatre, it reminded me of that chamber.

Padme is still young and mostly trusting, and she is manipulated by Senator Palpatine to vote out the current Chancellor.  I can't remember if we ever get her reaction when she finds out that Palpatine is the Emperor, because that has got to be fairly devastating.  But I guess not as devastating as your husband turning into a Sith lord.

So in my previous viewings, I'd missed these lines from Obi-Wan to Qui Gonn:  "If you would just follow the code, you would be on the Council." and "Do not defy the Council, Master, not again."  Oh, so we know that Qui Gonn has gone rogue before.  Seems like being that defiant would go against the Jedi teachings, wouldn't it?  Surprised they continued to allow him to have padawan, to pass along his errant outlook.  But they appear to continue to allow the behaviour, because even though they initially deny his request to have Anakin as a padawan, they eventually give in.  I would be curious to know if there's an official story on what Qui Gonn's prior deeds and defiance to the Council were.

"Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering." - Yoda's well-known line describes the path that leads Anakin to the dark side.

One of the candidates for being the new Chancellor is Bail Antilles from Alderaan.  Was that supposed to have been Bail Organa?  Did they just decide to throw in a random reference to an Antilles there?  I can't remember where Wedge is supposed to have been from.

The Trade Federation people keep saying that they need to capture Queen Amidala so that they can force her to sign the treaty.  And how exactly are they going to force her to do that?  Are they going to tie her down and just manipulate her arm?  Are they going to threaten people?  They're already threatening and imprisoning her people, and that's not working.

I appreciated Padme's approach to appealing to the Gungans for help.  Never mind that she's Queen, but she humbles herself to them.

Those racks of battle droids were pretty impressive looking as they unfolded.  Did they ever release a toy like that?  Because they should have.

How amazing was the reveal of Maul with his double-bladed lightsabre?

Duel of the Fates - The song and the entire segment were amazing.  One of my favorite Star Wars bits.  On a side note, I remember being at a John Williams concert at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, the first time they performed the song live, with a full choir behind them.  Incredible.

We saw the small fight between Maul and Qui Gonn earlier, but it's full scale *on* when Maul is fighting both Qui Gonn and Obi-Wan.  First time we see a major fight between fully trained users of the Force in their prime.

So, that hallway that Maul and Qui Gonn run through and that Obi-Wan is trapped in - what is that for?  Is it some kind of weird security measure?  Why does it need to be structured so that you can't make it all the way through and have to hang out in those little partitioned sections?  It's like that scene in "Galaxy Quest":  "Why does this room exist?"

The absolute anquish of Obi-Wan having to helplessly watch as Maul kills his master.

Maul flings Obi-Wan's lightsabre into the abyss.  Where did it end up?  Does someone have it?

Anakin climbs into a Naboo fighter, and the helmet happens to fit his tiny head?  All the other pilots are adults, so presumably, the pilot whose ship Anakin climbs into is also an adult.  Just one with a tiny kid head?  Of course, it's funny that Anakin stays in the cockpit because that's what Qui Gonn told him to do.  I believe that's called "malicious compliance"?

Anakin is the one who takes out the Trade Federation ship which then disables all the droids.  I guess that's the risk you run when there's one off switch.  On a different note, was anyone complaining then about how he was a "Mary Jane"?  Probably not.

Poetic justice that Obi-Wan kills Maul with Qui Gonn's own lightsabre.

I don't think we focus enough on the fact that Obi-Wan's responsibility for Anakin was forced on him by Qui Gonn.  This was not a decision that Obi-Wan chose, and it wasn't a path that he even approved of for Qui Gonn.  But when it's your Master's dying wish, how do you say no?  At the end of it all, Obi-Wan feels that he failed Anakin, but it's actually Qui Gonn who failed them both.  There's no indication that Qui Gonn would have done any better had he been alive to train Anakin.  But the biggest trauma of Obi-Wan's life is inflicted on him by the burden that Qui Gonn forces on him.

So is Anakin the Chosen One, the one who was to bring balance to the Force?  If not, who is?  If so, is that saying that his turning to the dark side was necessary because there needed to be balance to the Jedi, which is an interesting concept.

"Wondrous Journeys" fireworks and "World of Color: One" reviews (spoilers at the end with plenty of warning) - Disneyland Resort, February 2023

 

For the celebration of the 100th anniversary of The Walt Disney Company (which is actually on October 16, 2023), two new nighttime entertainment offerings recently debuted at the Disneyland Resort.  One of the things I really liked about both shows is that characters and films that aren't generally included in park entertainment are either referenced or featured in the shows.  And even in cases where a more familiar character is shown, it's not necessarily the most famous song that's used.  For the 100th celebration, it's nice of the company to recognize that it's not the same handful of characters that has gotten the company to where they are now.

(Note that my initial comments do not contain any spoilers about either show.  At the end, I do post spoilers about each of the shows, but you'll get plenty of notice so that you can avoid them if you choose.)

"Wondrous Journeys" is the fireworks show at Disneyland, which is a celebration of Walt Disney Animation Studios and includes a new song called "Wondrous".

Disneyland is known for their amazing fireworks shows, and this one fits right in.  As with recent Disney fireworks show, this show is heavy on projections that go along with the music and the fireworks themselves.  This one is especially heavy on the projections since it includes something from each of the Walt Disney Animation Studios films.  I've seen the show with a view of Sleeping Beauty Castle, and I'm looking forward to seeing the show from Main Street, it's a small world mall and the Rivers of America to see how the projections and fireworks look from those areas.

At Disney California Adventure, the celebration continues with a new version of World of Color, called "One".  I've always been less enthused about World of Color than some of the other nighttime entertainment at the resort, but I've come to appreciate different aspects of World of Color.  The theme of this show isn't as obvious as Wondrous Journeys, pretty much because before the fireworks, they tell you exactly what you're going to see and what they're celebrating.

With "One", it's a little more subtle, as the show is a celebration of inspiration.  For the various featured characters and vignettes, we see either what they were inspired by, what provided inspiration to them, or what they inspired others to do, what they became the inspiration for, and in many cases, we see both.  That's why the show is called "One", because it only takes one to be the inspiration, starting with Walt Disney himself, and it only takes one to be inspired to create something magical, like all of the people who have contributed to the legacy of The Walt Disney Company for the past (almost) 100 years.  (And yes, "One Little Spark" definitely came to mind as I was watching this show.)

In addition to the beauty of the show, there are some really cool new effects, in the play of the lasers in the water screens / fountains, as well as the effects on the roller coaster, which is used to great effect to enhance the show.

I don't think they've announced how long the celebration is going to run, but I expect it will last at least 18 months, which has traditionally been the case for big celebrations.  In this case, since they started the celebration so early, it might actually run two years or even longer.

I hope folks get a chance to visit to see these wonderful shows.

Following are spoilers regarding both Wondrous Journeys and World of Color: One, so if you don't want to read spoilers, stop reading here.  Thanks.

SPOILERS for "Wondrous Journeys" fireworks at Disneyland.

During the segment with "When You Wish Upon a Star", it was incredible for the Blue Fairy to come out over the castle at that point.  Traditionally, Tinkerbell flies during the Disneyland fireworks, but this was a nice substitution instead.  I also appreciated that the customary hidden Mickey fireworks went off on the "true" of "your dreams come true".

My favorite segment of the show is the combination of the "want song" from each of Hercules, Belle, Moana and Quasimodo.  The inclusion of Quasi and "Out There" has personal significance for me, so it especially hits.

Another segment I really like includes the song "Immortals" from "Big Hero Six", and Baymax flies over the castle!  I'd known that Baymax was in the show, but I had no idea he had rockets on his feet.  It's incredible to watch.

Most of the time, the fireworks show only includes the happy moments, so I really appreciated the inclusion of Judy Hopps and Moana, who are both at moments where they are questioning themselves.  Disney animated films aren't just about happy times, but almost always include some kind of obstacle to overcome, so I was glad that they included those moments in the show.  We all struggle sometimes.

I'm not necessarily a fan of Winnie the Pooh, but the inclusion of his segment about wanting to do it all over again from the beginning is absolutely perfect, because that's exactly what you want to do after you've seen the show - you just want to see it again!

The only thing I wish they had included in the show is a villains segment, with some of the villains that we don't see all the time.  The villains are just as much a part of Disney animated history as the princesses and other heroes.

SPOILERS for "World of Color:  One" at Disney California Adventure.

I loved the light and water effects during the Ratatouille segment - creating the Eiffel Tower with water and light was amazing!

Being a big Star Wars fan, I might be a little biased, but I loved the light speed segment.

The effects to enhance the avalanche segment in Mulan were incredible.  That was truly an amazing sight to see.

My favorite part of the show was the Moana segment, in her fight with Te Kā / Te Fiti.  That's where the giant fireball is unleashed, and it's a perfect accent to the segment.  Unfortunately, for various reasons, the fireball isn't always a guarantee, either the one during this segment, or the reprise of the fireball at the end of the show.