The Gullywhumper Keelboat and Fink's Place

There she is, the best-named watercraft in the history of humankind, Mike Fink's notorious Gullywhumper from Davy Crockett and the River Pirates. The days of braving Disneyland's Rivers of America aboard spunky keelboats are long past, but it's great to see this tribute to the disreputable vessel that inspired the old ride.

She's moored, of course, at the "estate" of Mike Fink himself. Fink's your one-stop frontier markeplace for furs, gunpowder and antlers. And he won't try to cheat you, no sirree!

This was once the famous "burning settler's cabin" that startled many a youngster riding the Mark Twain Riverboat beyond the protection of Fort Wilderness. There are good and bad ways to remove a controversial and costly show element, and I can't think of a better solution than the one seen here: Replace it with a classic Disney scalawag and his trusty boat!

Omnibus and Company

The World's Best Bus cruises by the Cinema as a Horse-Drawn Street Car clops past...in a shot taken aboard the Fire Engine. It's rush hour, Disneyland style, which is about as laid back and charming as any rush hour could possibly be.

Disneyland just wouldn't be Disneyland without this leisurely, ongoing transportation ballet (using beeps, honks and horse hoof clops in place of Tchaikovsky). It's every bit as important to the park's character as Sleeping Beauty Castle, the Matterhorn, and the Steam Trains pulling into the station.

I love all of the park's "lands," but I think Main Street makes me smile the most. It may not contain a spectacular blockbuster ride, but the whole area itself forms one big E Ticket experience.

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.

Red Welcomes Visitors to Radiator Springs

At 7:03 A.M., it's a typically overcast Southern California summer morning. Although blue skies won't show up for a couple of hours, the scene's instantly brightened by Red the Fire Engine as he welcomes the first guests of the day to Radiator Springs.

You can tell from the "awww"s and cries of "Red!!!" that everyone wants to stop, but we're all caught in the quick-walk rush to ride Radiator Springs Racers. Our own meet-and-greet with the town's heroic truck of few words will have to wait a bit.

But, man, Red looks great. I can't think of a more cheerful sight to wake up several thousand groggy, coffee-craving parents staggering toward the ride entry. And he looks so perfectly at home.

There's something truly "magical" about Cars Land. Everything works. The town's completely convincing, and the characters couldn't look more natural in the setting. It feels as if you've literally been dropped into the movie, and the view stretches as far as your eyes can see. It's amazing.

A look at Red From Radiator Springs Racers

It's a calm, relaxing Sunday evening here at Mouse Troop, so we're taking this moment to pay tribute to brave, gentle old Red the fire engine. Amongst the wild, careening craziness, tractor-tipping and fleeing from rampaging harvesters inside the dark ride portion of Radiator Springs Racers, Red provides a moment of serenity as he waters the tail light flowers. The special effect of the water spraying out is terrific.