How Casey Jr. Sums Up the Disney Difference

An afternoon in Fantasyland wouldn't be complete without the sight of Casey Jr. chugging by on his way to the chain lift that'll help him up the "I Think I Can" hill.

This miniature railroad, one of the park's oldest rides, beautifully represents a key design philosophy that sets Disneyland apart from other theme parks: It's so much better than "good enough."

Back when Disneyland was first being constructed, it would have been far less draining to the park's tight budget to create Casey Jr. as a basic little railroad ride with a simple oval course. Fortunately, Walt had a grander vision for his little train.

Casey follows a winding, ingeniously laid out multi-level course that includes rocky passes, bridges you travel across and under, and a long, thrillingly dark climactic tunnel. You can almost picture Walt scribbling a checklist of every element he wanted included in the layout. The above-mentioned chain lift pulls the train to the track's highest point as Casey (of course) chugs "I think I can, I think I can," and the entire adventure gives you an elevated view of Storybook Land that complements the water-level vantage point of the Canal Boats.

What a fantastic little masterpiece. If, by chance, you've never taken a ride on Casey Jr., please don't miss it on your next trip to the park. It's not just a great old ride. It's a great ride, period.

Classic Mickey in Both Parks

Mickey's been drawn, sculpted and digitized in many different styles over the decades, but my favorite versions of Walt's superstar graced the studio's early years. Here's a shot of the terrific old-fashioned promo art beckoning guests into the Main Street Cinema at Disneyland.

Meanwhile, across the Esplanade...

This cheerful poster enlivens the base of  DCA's Silly Symphony Swings. This may be my favorite bit of Mouse art ever. I know Mickey's not the tallest character on Earth, but--man, those are big seals.

Netflix Adds Five Disney Children's Series

I wish I had more exciting Netflix news for animation fans this month, but the streaming service has added no classic Disney films in the last several weeks. For younger viewers, however, four popular Disney pre-school shows and an action series for older children are arriving this month.

The two most recent shows on that short list are the fist to arrive--In fact, they're available now. Jake and the Never Land Pirates, the At-Least-It's-Not-As-Bad-As-Little-Einsteins preschool show and Tron Uprising, an action series for older children, are ready for viewing.

Later this month, the service will add the cheerful Handy Manny, the Someone-Please-Tell-Disney-That-Adult-James-Bond-References-Do-Not-Make-Appropriate-Preschool-Show-Episode-Titles awfulness of Special Agent Oso and the classic claymation Jo Jo's Circus.

Again, I wish I had more exciting news to report for older Disney fans, but I'm willing to cut Netflix some slack, for their current Disney selection has a decent number of great classics.

I wonder, though: Does anyone at Netflix realize how many subscribers they'd instantly gain if they added shows like Ducktales and Talespin to the roster?

Sunday in the Park With Casey

One Casey Jr. circus train takes on passengers at the station while, in the distance, its twin has just crested the "I think I can" chain-lift hill.

That's another Disneyland first; I can't think of any other non-coaster miniature railroads that include a chain-lift hill. Naturally, Casey chants, "I think I can" as he climbs.

I love the patchwork quilt made of succulent plants back there. Trivia time: What Disney cartoon does that patchwork garden represent?

The Greatest Little Train on Earth

Here he comes, pulling into the station, the original Casey Jr. Circus Train, surely the most overlooked ride at Disneyland. Casey was my childhood favorite, and it warms my heart to see the old fellow still whisking guests off on his grand scenic tour of Storybook Land.

Note the great little effect achieved simply by setting Casey's eyeballs inside of metal cones: he seems to be staring straight at you no matter where you're standing on the platform!

The Storybook Land canal winds along by the opposite side of the tracks. Surely, no guest would be such a colossal knucklehead that they'd cross the tracks, jump a hedge and fall in, right?

If those life preservers have ever actually been used, I don't want to know about it. I just don't want...to...know...