The West Coast Sorcerer Hat

Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World are both "blessed" by giant sorcerer hats, each paying a tribute to the most famous sequence from Walt Disney's Fantasia.

The stylized West Coast version isn't nearly as controversial as its larger Florida cousin, mainly because it doesn't block the view of a beloved landmark. In Anaheim, the hat merely serves as a whimsical entry marker for the Disneyland Hotel. It essentially lets guests know they're leaving Downtown Disney and entering the hotel grounds.

It's a cute piece of pop art, and it sparkles effectively at night. It doesn't, however, quite fit the 60's retro theming of the DL Hotel's recent remodeling. If and when it's replaced with a different sort of entry symbol, I doubt many guests will miss it much, as it's always felt like a temporary place holder. Then again, who'd have guessed the Florida hat would have stuck around as long as it has!

Villainous Handouts at World of Disney

In Downtown Disney, the villain-themed room at the massive World of Disney store gets the most attention from true-blue Disney fans; Not only does it contain the best art collectibles, but it features some wildly inspired fixtures, including these creepy, wonderful...er...sconce-like things.

Each villain's personality is brilliantly summed up with a single hand holding a signature film prop.

These just might be the coolest retail wall fixtures on the planet.

Lego Genie in Downtown Disney

Today we're back at Downtown Disney's amazing Lego Store. The place is loaded with great brick sculptures, but even among such masterpieces as Maleficent and Beast, this model of Genie is jaw-droppingly amazing. At first, you'd swear the model-builders must have cheated and used something besides Lego to create this character's curving, smoke-like shape...

 But, no, it really is all Lego bricks. I'd love to know how much this thing weighs.

In the first shot, you can see Lego's mascot, Brickley the sea serpent, peaking out and looking as though he knows he's being upstaged. For more about Brickley, including a great shot of his perfect location at Walt Disney World's Lego Store, check out this March post from Ryan P. Wilson's Main Street Gazette!

Crocodile Smiles at World of Disney

The Crocodile from Peter Pan gazes down upon shoppers at the World of Disney Store, and I don't think he's got customer service on his mind. What a fantastic character design; Who could blame Hook for being afraid of this critter's single-minded quest for Captain a la Carte?

Most artists drawing a cartoon crocodile would probably focus on the sharp teeth, but Disney's animators zeroed in on what's truly scary about this guy: his gaping bottomless pit of a gullet. The croc (unofficially known as Tick Tock) gave me nightmares when I was a small child, and--though he's one of my favorite characters--his mouth still creeps me out big-time!

A Victim of Remodeling: World of Disney's White Rabbit

The White Rabbit is one of my favorite Disney characters, so I was delighted to find him freaking out from inside his residence above the mountain of plush toys in the original version of the "Alice" room of Disneyland Resort's World of Disney Store. Once upon a time, his entire house formed the focal point of that section of the shop.

Unfortunately, W. Rabbit and his house vanished during a major remodeling of the sales floor, and in their place the store got...well....um...nothing memorable.

The Queen of Hearts' exhausted, stressed-out herald can still be found in several spots in Disneyland, but the World of Disney Store is now, regrettably, de-bunnyfied.

From Paradise Pier Hotel to the Park Gates

Yesterday, we covered the pros and cons of staying at the Paradise Pier Hotel. Today, we've got a photo-tour of one important factor most first-time guests ask about: Just how long is the trek from Paradise Pier Hotel to the Parks? Your best bet is to take the shortcut through the Grand Californian. The journey goes like this:

As you exit the Paradise Pier Hotel and turn left, this is what you'll see. That's Disneyland Drive, a public street, on the right. We proceed along the sidewalk to the corner...

Lego Maleficent at Night

Evening at Disneyland Resort's Downtown Disney means live music, great food and a life-or-death struggle atop the Lego Store. I've posted about Lego Maleficent before, but the amazing sculpture is even better after dark. I can't get over how perfect the color and lighting is on that creature.

Lego remains one of the most perfect products on Earth, and Maleficent is one of Disney's most perfect creations. The powerful combination of the two can make passerby stop, stare and forget about the passage of time as they're overcome with a perfect storm of awe and delight.

Note to Disney: Sleeping Beauty dark ride. Please.

Downtown Disney: Getting Better All the Time

In the "old days" before Downtown Disney, most family's Disneyland visits began with the tantalizing view of the main entry across the vast expanse of the parking lot (now the site of DCA).

I still miss the fun of approaching the park from the front, but I must admit that the new entry route through Downtown Disney is growing on me. It really is a beautiful and lively creation, and it actually provides a smooth transition from the real world to the fantasy realms of Disneyland and Disney California Adventure.

And it definitely provides a more enjoyable walk at night than the old parking lot ever did.

VALENTINE SEASON FUN -- Be sure to check out This Happy Place Blog, a truly terrific site where Estelle Hallick is presenting the Disney Love Meter -- a series in which different writers present their thoughts on some classic Disney couples. I feel very honored to have been invited to contribute, and my look at Johnnie Fedora and Alice Bluebonnet can be found there right now. I can't wait to see the rest of the entries!

The Toontown Fireworks Factory

Good help seems hard to find at the disaster-prone Fireworks Factory in Toontown. A TNT plunger on the sidewalk outside its front door beckons human guests to set off another round (with appropriate smoke and sound effects).

Toontown is cleverly designed with the calmness of Mickey's Neighborhood on one end and the chaos of Downtown on the other, with the City Hall area smoothing the transition. The closer you get to the Roger Rabbit dark ride, the more unhinged and rambunctious the surroundings become, with the indoor queue for the ride taking you all the way into the seediest and most villain-infested alleys of the cartoon world.

The Grand Californian Lobby: The Resort's Hidden Oasis

When it comes to picking a favorite "quiet spot" at Disneyland Resort, the huge, spectacular lobby of the Grand Californian easily wins top honors. Whether or not you're staying at the beautiful-but-pricey hotel, you can easily drop by for a visit without ever leaving the parks area (this is where the resort's compact nature truly becomes an advantage).

Tucked right between Disney California Adventure and Downtown Disney, this calming, quiet paradise defines the term "Hidden in Plain Sight." Although it's easily accessed from both DCA and Downtown Disney, the entry points don't call attention to themselves. As a result, most resort guests never think to drop in for a mid-day break (which is a good thing for the lobby's peaceful atmosphere).

The Poppy Fountain in Downtown Disney

I have a confession: I walked past this crazy, wonderful fountain dozens of times over the past several years before I realized it was a California Poppy. In my defense, the petals do look more abstract up close. Ah, well.

Situated in Downtown Disney near the Parking Lot Tram station (we can see a tram in the background), this large fountain launches its water column skyward in varied bursts, creating a playful atmosphere as the stream rises and falls back on itself, up and down, loudly splashing all over the giant State Flower.

As park Early Birds know, this fountain sometimes makes the weirdest noises when it starts up in the morning. It sounds like a giant cartoon whale with indigestion. People tend to back away a few steps. Then the water starts flowing and Downtown Disney moves one step closer to fully opening for the day.

The Lovably Anachronistic Monorail

It's a busy morning at Disney California Adventure, and we're enjoying a stroll through the little backwater airstrip of Condor Flats. There's a faint rumbling. In a flash, Monorail Blue (Mandy) zips in and out of sight -- gone in a blink. You can almost hear the futuristic train saying, "'Scuse me -- pretend I'm not here -- Sorry!"

The clash of themes isn't a bad thing; it's just part of Disneyland Resort's unique character as the world's most amazing concentration of creativity in a small space.

Mandy heads from Downtown Disney to Tomorrowland.

Sometimes you have completely coherent zones like Cars Land and New Orleans Square...and sometimes you have a monorail zipping past Alice in Wonderland, a steam train, real-world Harbor Blvd., 1930's Hollywood and Condor Flats -- right before it burrows through the Grand Californian and stops in Downtown Disney near the pyramid entry to Rainforest Cafe.

Walt Disney World's Monorail passes through Epcot's Future World because it was designed that way from the beginning. Disneyland's Monorail crosses Condor Flats because it has to. Completely different atmospheres and experiences spring from that acreage-based distinction between the resorts. I love both results.

Toontown Skyline

Happy Labor Day Weekend, everyone! In downtown Toontown, there seems to be no holiday rest for the workers at the Toontown Post Office, Fire Station, Fireworks Factory (seen in side view here), or Gag Warehouse. Things just keep right on clanging, barking, honking and booming along!

Of all the lands in Disneyland, Toontown seems to be the one designed specifically to cut a great silhouette against the blue Southern California sky.

They See You

The folks in charge of designing the World of Disney store at Disneyland Resort could have picked anything to go over the shop's park-side entrance -- and they went with this. I love it.

It would be so cool if this turned out to be an actual working security camera.

If you're over forty and reading this, I'll bet you're thinking of Adventure Through Inner Space right now. Yeah, I miss it, too.

Everything's Better With Dragons

The humongous new Maleficent dragon atop the remodeled Lego store is the best thing that's ever landed in Downtown Disney...besides chocolate-covered marshmallows on a stick. The fact that it's made out of Lego just makes the creature more wonderful. Downtown Disney's a great place, but a few more jaw-dropping sights like this would add extra fun to the mix.

It's hard to believe the shop originally opened with nothing up there. I'd like to shake the hand of the person in charge of the remodel -- the visionary who gazed up at the plain rooftop and said, "Something's missing...Aha!"

Disney and Lego -- what a perfect pairing! It's nice to know that, even though the building-brick company operates a competing theme park a bit farther south, the two giants can cooperate to create something as cool as this.

Welcome!

Welcome to Mouse Troop, a family-friendly site centered around the Disneyland Resort. You'll find travel tips for first-timers and repeat visitors alike, plus reviews, trivia, commentary and some occasional silliness. We'll try to answer any questions you pose as quickly as possible, and we'd love your input on features, articles, or reviews you'd like to see!