Part 3: The Grand Re-Opening of DCA on 06-15-2012 posted!
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by Wes » Mon Jun 18, 2012 9:01 am
^ 125 feet tall.
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by x2isawesome » Mon Jun 18, 2012 9:03 am
Great photos cars land at night looks great. Looks like I am going to have to extend my wcb trip this year by an extra day and go up the street and check it out.
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by Hilltopper39 » Mon Jun 18, 2012 9:59 am
^^Thanks Wes, it probably feels much larger and impressive in person but a 125 ft facade is pretty impressive regardless. How visible is the range from other section of the park? Disney usually does a great job of designing their parks so that the major structures are semi hidden from view in other sections to keep the themeing consistent (Everest for Example, can barely be seen anywhere outside of Asia or Discovery Island) but a facade that large located where it is in the park seems like it might be visible from other sections of the park.
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by Erik Johnson » Mon Jun 18, 2012 10:28 am
They did a good job hiding the mountain range from other sections of the park.
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by ILoveRides » Mon Jun 18, 2012 11:37 am
Here is part 2, coverage from the second media day:
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- Welcome to part 2! This part covers everything that happened on Thursday, June 14th. The park was closed to the public this day, but the media was allowed in, and TPR was there! Read on to see Buena Vista Street, more Cars Land, The Mad T Party, an epic special World of Color performance, and everything else that happened on this private day and night at DCA!
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- First up is Buena Vista Street!
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- The construction walls have finally come down, and it looks amazing.
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- Here's a Red Car Trolley parked at the stop by the entrance.
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- The street is themed to look like California did when Disney first arrived here.
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- There are all sorts of old trinkets in all the store windows.
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- Trolley Treats has cool train-related displays in their windows.
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- This display has running model red car trolleys.
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- There are also some vintage model trains.
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- One of the highlights of Buena Vista Street is a statue mirroring the "Partners" statue at Disneyland. This statue depicts Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse when they first arrived to California, setting out to achieve their dreams.
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- There are several new characters who walk around Buena Vista Street. This lady and her dog were the first we met.
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- Her dog does a trick. He jumps on your shoulder.
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- The trash cans remind you to help keep Buena Vista Street clean.
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- We'll be back later to check out more of Buena Vista Street. But for now, lets move on to Cars Land.
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- This sign greets you near the entrance of the land.
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- Radio stations were broadcasting all along the street.
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- There were plenty of media broadcast areas set up as well.
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- We saw in part 1 that Radiator Springs Racers looks great at night. Well, I have good news! It looks great in the day time too.
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- We hopped in line for an early morning ride.
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- In the day time light shines through the glass bottles embedded in one of the queue buildings.
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- This is where they check your seat belts before sending you off on your adventure.
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- During the calm beginning part of the ride there are some beautiful views such as this.
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- The waterfall is also awe inspiring.
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- This is the view right before you enter the show building.
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- Once you enter you narrowly miss running into Mack.
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- Then the Sheriff tells you to follow Mater into town.
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- On the way to town Mater takes you tractor tipping.
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- But watch out for Frank! He's lurking in the shrubs.
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- Once you escape Frank you arrive in town.
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- Fillmore and Sarge greet you.
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- You make your way through town towards Lightning McQueen and Sally.
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- They'll either send you left, towards Luigi's tire shop, or right, towards Ramone's paint shop.
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- In Luigi's tire shop Luigi replaces your standard black tires with white wall tires. Very stylish!
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- If you're lucky enough to get Ramone's paint shop you'll get a new paint job.
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- A paint sprayer sprays your car (and you!) with "paint."
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- It even smells like paint in Ramone's.
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- Whichever path you took, you'll then encounter Doc Hudson, who will have a few helpful words for you.
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- Then you pull up to the starting line. There's a quick countdown, and you're off!
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- You race around the radiator cap rock formation.
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- Then go over a series of airtime hills.
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- Next up is a tightly banked curve.
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- Then one final airtime hill into a mist filled tunnel.
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- Then you charge through the finish line into a crystal cavern.
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- Lightning McQueen and Mater greet you at the end and congratulate you on your race.
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- As we were exiting the ride, Brittney noticed Tory Belleci from MythBusters entering. We're huge MythBusters fans, so we decided to try to get a photo of him riding. Sure enough, after waiting awhile, he zoomed by! He's on the right hand side of the green car. The funny thing is that while we were waiting for him to drive by we were standing beside another photographer named Mark who we started talking to. Coincidentally, it turned out that he was there with Tory, and they were shooting some video for an upcoming Cars Land MythBusters special. When he heard we were MythBusters fans, he offered to introduce us to Tory and take a picture of all of us. How could we refuse!?
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- Here's our picture with Tory! He was really nice in person. Big thanks to Mark for introducing us and snapping this picture. It was a really special moment for us!
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- After Radiator Springs Racers we made our way back to Buena Vista Street to catch the new show Five and Dime. While there, we picked up a copy of The Buena Vista Bugle. The Bugle is a free paper which can be picked up at various locations on Buena Vista Street. It tells about the latest news and happenings around Buena Vista Street.
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- The Five and Dime car started making its way towards us.
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- The show has singing and dancing. Goofy even joins in on the fun!
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- There is lots of live music in the show.
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- They then single out a guy or two in the audience and make them a part of the show.
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- I would be embarrassed if they picked me!
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- But fortunately I was photographing, so I got skipped.
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- I love the new costumes that the characters wear. They fit the Buena Vista Street theme nicely.
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- Spears and I met Mickey Mouse.
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- There's so much detail on Buena Vista Street and in the stores. There are archways, stained glass windows, and unique light fixtures all around.
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- Another train display in one of the windows of Trolley Treats.
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- Inside Trolley Treats there is this lollipop stand.
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- There's lots of beautifully displayed merchandise.
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- And of course, some treats!
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- We found a hidden Mickey while wandering through the stores, but I won't say exactly where it was.
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- I think I may need to buy this Conductor Mickey Ear cap.
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- In the photo room there is a pin board showing their satisfied customers. The little details like this really make everything seem authentic.
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- This ball machine was in one of the store windows. I would love to see it run!
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- Next up is the Red Car Trolley News Boys show.
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- Each performer in the show carries a paper with a different headline.
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- There are crazy antics in the show.
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- Lots of dancing.
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- And even Mickey Mouse makes an appearance.
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- This was my favorite of the new shows.
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- After the show, Mickey waves out the back of the trolley as it drives away.
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- Lets take a look at more stores on Buena Vista Street.
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- There is plenty of new merchandise.
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- The stores are all exquisitely designed. Check out the mannequins on the second floor display.
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- The stores are also all very spacious, with lots of room to browse without bumping into people.
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- Who thinks Spears should buy this hat?
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- Or better yet, who thinks Spears should buy these?
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- I love the ride vehicle toys they made.
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- They even have a Mater's Junkyard Jamboree toy.
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- Back outside, here's the monorail cruising over Buena Vista Street. As out of place as a futuristic monorail is in this setting, I think it looks pretty neat!
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- Another one of the new characters roaming the street.
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- The pushpin boards in the stores make the street feel like it's really lived on.
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- Back over to Cars Land, lets check out some of the stores there! Sarge's Surplus Hut has plenty of Cars toys.
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- This is Radiator Springs Curios.
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- Inside there are plenty on pins, some clothes, and other nick knacks.
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- Ramone's House of Body Art has paint sprayers and paint splatter strewn throughout. This is where we found "The Music of Cars Land" CD, which we totally recommend. The CD has all of the songs from Mater's Junkyard Jamboree, a Radiator Springs Racers full attraction ride through, and many other songs.
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- Now that the sun is out, here are some more photos of Radiator Springs Racers.
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- A picture in the queue.
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- Two cars racing.
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- A car behind the fence.
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- Rounding the radiator cap rock formation.
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- Over the bridge.
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- The ride entrance.
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- A close race!
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- Still close!
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- Just the rockwork. It doesn't get much more impressive than this! Perhaps the best mountain range Disney has ever made.
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- Chocolate fans, here's something for you! Ghirardelli just opened a few weeks ago at DCA, so we took a peek inside.
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- Obviously there's a lot of chocolate.
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- There is some intricate tile work at the entrance.
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- The store is very well done. The billboard in the upper left hand corner of this picture has all sorts of moving parts and special effects.
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- Starbucks just opened as well!
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- This is the inside of the Starbucks. The service was very quick when Spears ordered a coffee.
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- The Pixar Play Parade has returned after a long hiatus due to all the construction.
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- Manly pose!
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- The parade is essentially the same as before.
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- Which is good, because it was always a great parade.
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- I would get so sick spinning around those bars as much as they do!
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- It's a great day to visit Paradise Pier.
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- The billboards have all been changed, and look much nicer.
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- No wait for Screamin'!
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- One of my favorite views. You know you're about to have fun when you're sitting here.
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- Wow! No line for Midway Mania either!
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- Woody says, "Thanks for checking out Paradise Pier!"
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- Next up, Goofy's Sky School
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- We learned to fly the Goofy way, which in retrospect may not have been the best way to learn. But we survived!
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- Now it's time to dive under the sea on The Little Mermaid.
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- Ariel's hair was recently changed. I never had a problem with the old hair, but the new hair looks good nonetheless.
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- We have just enough time to make one more Cars Land stop before tonight's festivities.
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- First up this time, Luigi's Flying Tires. Of course there are lots of Ferrari posters in his shop.
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- And lots of tires.
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- Step 1: Get in a flying tire.
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- Step 2: Lean.
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- Step 3: Throw balls at people.
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- Everybody likes throwing balls at people.
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- Over at Radiator Springs Racers, am I seeing what I think I'm seeing?
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- Yep, sure enough, there is NO LINE!
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- I guess everyone already headed to Carthay Circle Theater and The Mad T Party for tonight's party.
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- But we have enough time for a few rides.
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- We were allowed to stay on the cars and re-ride, so we marathon-ed the ride for a bit.
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- It was a total blast!
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- Finally, after several rides, a cast member said we had to get off. As we were exiting the vehicle another group was coming in through the exit to board our car. As they walked by us Brittney suddenly exclaimed, "Oh my God, It's Chip Foose!"
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- Chip Foose heard her, turned around, reached out his hand to shake our hands, and said, "and what are your names?" He seemed genuinely interested in meeting us, and was happy to take a photo with each of us before getting on the ride. We're big Chip Foose fans, so this was such a cool surprise! (and Brittney's dad is a HUGE Chip Foose fan, so he's going to die when he sees this picture!) There's no better way to end a session marathoning a new ride than by having to give up your seat to someone you look up to!
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- Over at Buena Vista Street the grand opening party for the Carthay Circle Theater, Buena Vista Street, and the Mad T Party was just getting started. Of course, more incredible food was being served.
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- They really outdid themselves!
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- Tacos anyone?
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- Food stations lined the Hollywood Backlot.
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- The Red Trolley News Boys were taking photos with everyone. Thanks to William from TPR for taking this photo! (Serious face!)
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- There was a band and a dance floor set up in front of Carthay Circle Theater. The band played music from the era while dancers danced along.
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- I kid you not, Pluto photobombed me!
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- Goofy came and asked Spears to dance!
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- They had a great time dancing!
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- Take a bow Spears! What an awesome, unforgettable moment.
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- Check out the fancy food!
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- Freshly made ravioli.
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- And of course, multiple open bars throughout the backlot.
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- This drink says, "Drink me!"
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- Over at The Mad T Party, there were Alice in Wonderland themed desserts.
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- They had "Eat Me" to eat. I wonder what happens when you eat it?
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- Card cookies.
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- Spears decided to get her face painted.
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- Very nice!
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- The Hottest Deck in Town performed on the House of Cards Stage.
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- They're an upbeat dance act.
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- Then the flamingos came out.
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- They're very neat.
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- Over in The Mad Arcade they were handing out free tokens to play the games.
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- The Mad Arcade has all sorts of Alice in Wonderland themed games to play.
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- First up we tried Cheshire Cat's Smile Smash.
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- The goal is to knock down all of the cat's teeth as shown.
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- Spears then tried her hand at Bandersnatch Ball.
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- The games are pretty fun, although I do wish there were prizes you could win.
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- Queen's Croquet Skee Ball.
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- Spears put on a serious face with Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum.
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- They rotate between acts at The Mad T Party. This is The White Rabbit DJ.
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- The centerpieces on the tables.
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- The live band is pretty good. It consists of Alice and the Mad Hatter on vocals, the March Hare on bass, the Dormouse on guitar, the Caterpillar on keyboard, and the Cheshire Cat on drums.
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- The Mad Hatter singing for the crowd.
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- Which are better, the pants or the shoes?
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- This act over on the House of Cards Stage is really unique.
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- I'm not entirely sure how it's done, but it looks amazing!
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- This creature morphs into tons of mind-boggling shapes.
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- Make a point to see this if you attend the Mad T Party.
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- There were lots of fun characters running around.
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- Flamingo! Lets play croquet!
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- The House of Cards with the Mad Arcade building behind.
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- Spears loved the Mad T Party.
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- Bye bye Mad T Party!
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- Back at the Carthay Circle Theater the party was still continuing.
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- The Mad T Party was modern and trendy, whereas The Carthay Circle Theater party was upscale and classy. Both were fun!
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- It was getting close to time for World of Color, so we began walking towards Paradise Pier. When we got close, we stumbled upon bins filled with color changing Mickey ears. We thought they were cool, but not something particularly amazing, so we grabbed them and found a place to stand for the show.
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- Just before the show began, a stranger came up to me and said, "Excuse me, I just wanted to let you know that your ears aren't working. When he said this, I looked over at Spears and noticed that hers turned off too. I thought that was strange, so I looked around and all around everyone's ears were shutting off. Then in unison everyone's ears flickered, and everyone came to the realization that these were VERY special ears. They were actually all wirelessly synced! The show began right after everyone realized this, and everyone's ears began changing colors in sync with the show.
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- It's hard to explain how incredible this was, and I don't think pictures or video do it justice. Everyone in the audience was now part of the show, and rather than watching the show in front of you, it was happening all around you and with you. It completely blew my mind, and was one of the most surprising things that has ever happened to me. "Disney Magic" sums it up perfectly.
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- Apparently these ears are called "Glow With The Show" ears, and are for sale in the parks now for about $25. They also supposedly work at The Mad T Party, and will possibly work in other venues in the future, although I have yet to try them outside of World of Color. I hope lots of people buy them, because we got to see how cool it is on a grand scale, and let me assure you, when lots of people have them it's amazing to see.
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- Disney totally did this right. They didn't say, "Check out our new ears with this amazing technology!" They just gave them out, acted like they were nothing special, and blew everyone away when they started doing things that no one had ever seen before.
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- It was really a once in a lifetime moment. Thanks for that special moment Disney!
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- I can't wait to go back to World of Color and the Mad T Party and wear the ears again!
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- Thanks for checking out part 2 of this trip report. Stay tuned for part 3, the grand re-opening of DCA, coming soon!
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Last edited by
ILoveRides on Tue Jun 19, 2012 6:35 pm.
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by Hilltopper39 » Mon Jun 18, 2012 11:57 am
I can't tell if the Mad T Party looks like a cool family night time party or a scare zone from HHN? Whatever it is it looks fun!
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by Double0Kevin » Mon Jun 18, 2012 11:58 am
That rock work is seriously amazing. I just can't wrap my mind about how much there is. It doesn't seem possible that they could make THAT much and still have it look good... I'm done gushing now.
I'm major envious of you guys getting to meet Tory. Mythbusters filmed at SFDK twice while I worked there and I didn't get to meet them either time. Would have been cool to meet Chip Foose as well, though I'm not as big of a fan.
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by ILoveRides » Mon Jun 18, 2012 12:02 pm
By the way, for those interested, the MythBusters special they were filming is scheduled to air July 3rd.
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by BeemerBoy » Mon Jun 18, 2012 12:09 pm
Great report, guys!
Chip Foose has always seemed like one of the most genuine, nicest guys in the industry. That was really cool and refreshing to see a celebrity react that way in public.
I really dig the look and feel of The Carthay Circle Theater party. The Disney "rave"? Eh, not so much.
Either way, awesome shots of everything!
Displaying "Online Enthusiast Morality" since 2006, with 99.9% more sarcasm.
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by SFOGdude25 » Mon Jun 18, 2012 1:29 pm
Big Mythbusters fan here. That's awesome that you got to meet Tory!
The new and improved DCA looks incredible. If only I had the time and money to get to California. Someday!
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