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!

Cars Land at Night

Welcome back to Disney California Adventure! The sun's down, the neon's lit and the music's playing as we take a nine photo stroll through nighttime Cars Land.

Fillmore's Place, home of black light, folk art, bootleg fuel and fresh fruit.

Outside Mater's Junkyard, looking down Route 66.

Lizzie's Curio Shop in Radiator Springs

It's the only shop owned by a Model T Ford, and at night it glows with a perfect blend of tackiness and beauty. Radiator Springs Curios, one of the three gift shops in Cars Land, offers an eclectic mix of merchandise, much as its exterior might suggest.

Fans of the movie can just stand in the street a moment and stare at the amazingly accurate details all over the front. My favorite element -- and it's a feature found all over Cars Land -- is the car-sized front entry.

Waitin' at the Buzz Stop: More Fun With Ride Shutdowns

Ride shut-downs caused by technical issues don't happen frequently at Disneyland Resort, but when such a thing occurs (as it did during our recent ride on Buzz Lightyear's Astro Blasters), fans don't waste the opportunity; this is when the cameras come out.

The downside of a ride shut-down, of course, is that the story-telling and immersion are pretty much shattered. The fun, however, doesn't necessarily stop...

Because a situation like this provides a rare chance to look around at the ride system's workings, the prop construction and the many elements you're not normally supposed to see. For a theme park fan, this is actually a moment to be savored!

The Only Things Missing are Bees (Car Bees)

I've seen Cars (the movie) more times than I can count, yet somehow never noticed the flowers in Radiator Springs look like tail lights. Cars Land opened my eyes to that detail with its whimsical light-up flowerbeds, which look spectacular at night.

Watching the film after visiting Cars Land, I had to smile; the perfect match between the animated plantlife and the real-life counterparts at DCA is just one more example of the care that went into this amazing fantasy world.