(This is from Carol:)
Yoo Hoo, Joe!
On April 25th '97 you wrote to All:
 JR> Well I can't believe I'm about to ask for the following help and
 JR> information.
That's why the Echo is here!
 JR> Most of you haven't heard from me in MANY years, but i've been lurking
 JR> and reading when I have time.  My family and I are frequent visitors to
 JR> WDW and really have had many good times there.  We just found out that
 JR> we will be going to California and Disneyland in June of this year.
 JR>
 JR> I have not been to Disneyland since 1959 - I bet things have changed a
 JR> bit!!  (-;
Oh, not TOO much! ;-)  NOT!! ;-)
 JR> What I'm looking for is some of the information I have read over the
 JR> years about helpful information such as - the best place to view
 JR> Fantasmic - from the balcony of some restaurant, or was it standing by
 JR> the light pole that telescoped up and "un-blocked" the view.  Just some
 JR> of the insider tips there, that we've learned so well at WDW.  Places to
 JR> eat, hidden Mickey's, times to see things, etc.
I join Rich in pointing you to Al Lutz's really excellent Disneyland
Information Guide which replaces the former Disneyland Frequently Asked
Questions file that was initiated and maintained, and apparently abandoned,
by someone else a long time ago.   Al's guide is very comprehensive.  He
also updates it frequently as Al is a weekly visitor to the park (has an
Annual Pass).  alt.disney.disneyland is also a very comprehensive Usenet
newsgroup to read for specific Disneyland visiting and touring information,
also where to stay/eat/visit outside Disneyland.
The only thing I might mention is that Disneyland is held in almost a
reverence on the alt.disney.disneyland newsgroup since it was the first
of the Disney theme parks and so many people grew up with it and have
witnessed the changes to it over the decades.  A management change at
Disneyland a couple of years ago resulted in what some on that newsgroup
feel are adverse changes to the park, its merchandise, the quality of
maintanance and ride experience on attractions and shows, the quality of
the food, some social problems with a few teen groups who visit.  Not
being out there to know what they are talking about, it's hard to know if
they are being overly picky and critical or if things really are as "bad"
as some on the newsgroup portray.  I've talked in E-mail with some on
both sides and get polarity of opinion.  My suggestion here is to "lurk"
and derive what information you can that sounds positive and fun, make
a note of what sounds like a problem.  Since you haven't visited Disneyland
in decades recent changes there probably are not going to matter much to
you as the overall experience might.  Keep in mind the primary rule of
the 'Net:  "Your mileage may vary."  You can try discussing Disneyland
topics on rec.arts.disney.parks or rec.parks.theme, but r.a.d.parks seems
mostly to have evolved to Walt Disney World topics and rec.parks.theme
talks about all theme parks, Disney and others.  Your clearest bet will
be with alt.disney.disneyland.
By the time of your June trip you might be aware of the new nighttime
show "Light Magic" which premieres in May and pretty much replaces the
now-gone Main Street Electrical Parade.  Fantasmic is still going on:
An expensive but luscious and comfortable way of viewing it is from the
balcony of the Disney Gallery at the dessert buffet.  To do this you will
have to *fly* to the location within Disneyland to make separate
arrangements and pre-payment for this as soon as the gates open... Just the
first few people in line can sell the entire evening's availability of
limited seating out, so if you have the money for this and want to do it
*fly* to whereever it is inside DL to make arrangements.  I have done
this, it's quite memorable and the pastries are to die for, but it costs
a lot of money vs. sitting on the concrete and braving the crowds to do
it "for free" (with the cost of regular all day admission).
You will learn on the newsgroup alt.disney.disneyland about the current
refurbishment and updating of Tomorrowland, there is a lot of construction
going on there.  In the parking lot of Disneyland will be a new theme
park opening in a few years, California Adventure, but I don't know at
the moment at what state construction has commenced there.
There is a show based on Hunchback of Notre Dame's Festival of Fools which
serves food in part of the area and has regular shows in another part of
the area.  I've heard nothing but highly favorable reviews of the food
and the show.  You might want to be heads up on which show times are
best for certain good actors in it.  Perhaps by June the new Hercules
daytime parade will be going on for you to see.  If the Lion King Parade
is going on at the time of your visit, do see it, it's very artful and
filled with dancing and music, pure Disney.  Video tapes exist of this
parade if you cannot see it live in person.  On Saturday nights there is
some sort of big band swing dancing with an orchestra that goes on near
the Central Hub.
Main Street has recently undergone some renovation with changes in the
service style and menus of some of the eateries.  Some on the
alt.disney.disneyland newsgroup are highly critical of these recent
changes, but as a relative newcomer these criticisms of "now vs. 6
months ago" will probably not matter much to you.  It apparently has
been customary for people to eat their breakfasts inside the park and
then start their touring day, the menu changes alter that game plan
for some and it's unsettling/unsatisfying to some of them.
Disney owns the Disneyland Hotel and also what had been the Pan Pacific
Hotel, now the Disneyland Pacific Hotel.  There are amusements at the
Disneyland Hotel, including some Dancing Waters at night.  Ask which
restaurants at both hotels offer the best food.  Goofy's Kitchen is
the character meal headquarters at the DL Hotel but I understand some
renovation plans are in the works there, so ask about this.  There is a
character teatime at the Disneyland Pacific Hotel.  You may also want
to arrange a meal in the Blue Bayou restaurant which is in the New Orleans
part of Disneyland, it overlooks the first portion of Pirates of the
Caribbean.
For shopping for Disney collectibles, try the Disney Gallery above
Pirates.
You might also ask at which shops and eateries your Magic Kingdom Club
card may be used at.  As is with the trend at Walt Disney World, MKC
discounts are becoming more limited, but it's better to get some
Disney discount than none at all.
Be aware that high profile changes were recently opened to the public
at Pirates of the Caribbean regarding making the ride more "politically
correct" and less "sexist".   Overall Pirates at Disneyland is vastly
superior to the Walt Disney World counterpart because the theming is
so great and more extensive.  As for the recent changes I gauge they
have met mixed public reaction leaning to the positive.
There are two "do not miss" Cast Members at Disneyland:  Rod, the
ragtime piano player at the corner of Main Street and the Central
Hub, and Maynard the Ghost Host at Haunted Mansion who is so
deliciously in character it's worth it to inquire if he is working
on a particular day or not.  Rod has a CD of his musical work and
has been at Disneyland for decades and has his own fan club.
Some guidebooks you may want to invest in:  1997 editions of Birnbaum's
Official Guide to Disneyland and Bob Sehlinger's Unofficial Guide to
Disneyland.  You might want to be "heads up" to the monthly episodes
(reruns, sadly) of "Disney Inside Out" on the Disney Channel which
deal with Disneyland.  Combine all this with Al Lutz's online guide
and specific questions/answers and trip reports on alt.disney.disneyland
and I think you'll be set, Joe.  Al's site has some aspects that are
criticial of current Disneyland management, but the guide he wrote
is quite meritorious in the quality of its advice and information from
the point of view of a frequent park goer/lover.  Al's site also has
some links you might enjoy following, such as Werner Weiss' "Yesterland"
about now closed Disney theme park attractions.
While Disneyland and Walt Disney World may share some of the same
attractions you'll see nuances of differences between how they are at
each theme park, and you'll see rides at Disneyland which are not at
Walt Disney World, such as Indiana Jones (the technology here is bound
for WDW's Animal Kingdom, so check it out) and Roger Rabbit's Cartoon
Spin, the new generation of "dark ride".  Go with an open mind.  Some
rides are frankly better at one park or the other, some are about the
same, some the differences are just quibbles.  It's fun to discuss it
all. :-)
There is a separate WWW site for Hidden Mickeys at all the theme parks
and feature films.  Set your web browser to find those keywords.
Life is moving to the Internet, World Wide Web and Usenet newsgroups.
I'd love for some topics about Disneyland to get revived here on the
Fidonet Disney Echo, so folks, help out Joe!  I remember him and have
met him personally, he's a great guy!
 JR> Rich and Carol, any archive date or trip reports I could locate??  Does
 JR> the ! (Surge) still work out there??  How about Roberta??  The more
 JR> prepared we can be, the better.  Thanks in advance.
Steve Soria aka The Surge! still works at Disneyland but has stopped
posting actively about it anywhere, he is also I think still a fulltime
university student.  Roberta Brubaker is still working in middle
management at Disneyland and has also stopped posting actively anywhere
about it.  For those of you reading these names for the first time, Steve
and Roberta were regulars on this newsgroup a few years ago, as was
Joe.  Joe has organized a Walt Disney World Fidonet meet of people from
the Disney Echo (what you're reading now).
 JR> Is anyone on this Echo in  or around Disneyland, or have recently
 JR> visited there.  Any contacts or E-mail names would be appreciated.
Another thought:  Since Fantasmic is now officially WDW-bound you might
want to see the original DL version of it to judge how the WDW version
will be the same or different.  There is a soundtrack CD of Fantasmic
and the Main Street Electrical Parade, I think it's sold at the Disney
Gallery and the Disneyland Hotel, but ask about this.  The CD is worth
owning.
Another thought:  There is a magazine about the history of Disneyland
called E Ticket.  Check it out at www.the-e-ticket.com.  Past issues of
the revamped Disney Magazine also have features about Disneyland.
Hope this helps, Joe!  Welcome back!
--Carol Koster                  ()~()    FidoNet Disney Echo Moderator
  CKoster@neosoft.com            (_)     Portal e-mail to: CarolKoster
  FidoNet: Address replies to Rich Koster at 1:3828/1.3
 * "Disneyland is going to be a place where you can't get lost
 * "or tired unless you want to." -Walt Disney, 1953
--- April V1.0+
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