Daily Photo Tour - Walt & His Lilly Belle

This framed picture of Walt & Lillian Disney resides in the Lilly Belle presidential car. Even with all of the interesting things inside, I'm always drawn to this photo the most.

Daily Photo Tour - Catching the Morning Train

Passing over Critter Country is one of the unique highlights of taking a grand circle tour of Walt Disney's original Magic Kingdom aboard the Disneyland Railroad. You leave the pitch darkness of the Splash Mountain tunnel for a bright glowing forest. It's a marvelous transition. Watch out for bears though; I hear they're hungry in these parts.

Daily Photo Tour - Now Boarding for Disney's Halloween Time

It takes no time at all for the atmosphere to change for Mickey's Halloween Party at Disneyland. Regular Park hours end and before you know it, Main Street darkens and eerie music wafts along the brick and pavement. A spell takes over the Main Street Depot. Your new destination, should you choose to board? Doom. It's a frightfully good time for all the boils and ghouls...

Daily Photo Tour - Room at the Station

The New Orleans Square station and the greater area really take on new life at night. The air is thick with mystery and romance. The quiet tapping of Walt's speech carries softly from the station. The trickling flow of a brightly lit fountain muffles excited, nervous banter from the queue of the Haunted Mansion. We spent quite a while here one Saturday evening not long ago, near the Haunted Mansion FastPass area, and it remained predominantly vacant. It was strange to watch the train come and go with the transition of but a few souls.

Daily Photo Tour - Walt Disney's Railroad Story

It's no secret how much we love the Disneyland Railroad. If you don't count the Monorail outside the gates, it's the first ride you see when you enter Disneyland and it will take you all around the Park on a grand circle tour. Many don't realize how much Walt loved trains or how much they inspired the Park that's been a source of joy and inspiration to all the world for over half a century. This piece of track, known as a crossover, is the last known piece of Walt's working model railroad called the Carolwood Pacific, that ran in his backyard in Holmby Hills. Sometime next month, this piece, along with some other amazing DLRR memorabilia, will head back to its home at Walt's Barn. If you've never heard of Walt's Barn, located in Griffith Park, or the Carolwood Pacific Historical Society, you should check them out, especially if you consider yourself a Disney buff. You should also check out the book from which I've borrowed my title tonight, Walt Disney's Railroad Story by Michael Broggie.

Daily Photo Tour - A Rainy Day at the Main Street Station

When it rains in Disneyland, it seems to really change the atmosphere inside the park. Everyone is trying to find cover as the torrential downpours come in off the ocean. But what do we do? We stand in it underneath an umbrella, trying to get the best shots we can! The rain cleared for a short bit, and so did the crowds. It offered me a chance to catch a glimpse of the Main Street Station without any distractions.

In November we set out to create a story about the Disneyland Railroad that was unique and authentic to the history and legacy it has left. What we ended up with was our first ever film, "All Aboard: The Disneyland Railroad." We couldn't have anticipated the amount of amazing castmembers we've met, and the great comments and feedback we've received from all of you. We wanted to take the time to share it with you again.



by Michaela Hansen, Matthew Hansen and Kevin Crone

NOTE: To watch the video in HD, visit our Cinemagic page by clicking here. Video quality selections will appear as a bar at the top once you have clicked the play button (but not in full screen mode). Full screen mode can be achieved by clicking the diagonal arrows in the lower right corner of the video player.

See the video on YouTube

Our first ever film and labor of love is finally finished. Inspired by the grandeur of the Disneyland Railroad, some amazing DLRR Cast Members and Walt's love of trains, we set out to create a film to pay the grand circle tour of Walt Disney's original Magic Kingdom tribute. We set the goal of premiering it this weekend to coincide with the opening of the new Disneyland Railroad art exhibit in the Disney Gallery. We hope that this film will cause you to see the iron horses that transport guests around Disneyland and the Cast Members that operate and maintain them in a new light. Our own appreciation has grown with every passing weekend of gathering and editing footage. We've learned a lot, made some new friends and found ourselves blessed beyond measure in our endeavor. Thank you for joining us. We are now boarding on track number one…




by Michaela Hansen, Matthew Hansen and Kevin Crone

NOTE: To watch the video in HD, visit our Cinemagic page by clicking here. Video quality selections will appear as a bar at the top once you have clicked the play button (but not in full screen mode). Full screen mode can be achieved by clicking the diagonal arrows in the lower right corner of the video player.

See the video on YouTube

The Disneyland Railroad Project

We are so close to finishing our Disneyland Railroad Project. We've spent a good couple months of pre-production, planning, and shooting, to bring you something very special. It's coming down to a few minor adjustments and post production tweaks so that every bit of magic can be squeezed into it. We hope that you can join us tomorrow as we release for the first time, The Disneyland Railroad in a new light. We'll be working hard over the next 24 hours on fine adjustments, and you can stay up to date with the progress on our Twitter Page.

Daily Photo Tour - Waving to the Trains of Disneyland

I am a Disneyland waver. Yes. It's true. While this may not be a profession, and there is no pay involved, there is somewhat of a small compensation in the form a chuckle or a brief smile. I really get a kick out of counting the number of patrons who decided to participate in this quick moment of human interaction that leaves some people astonished with laughter, and others happy to connect. I'll even wave to the people on trams leaving the park at the end of a long day to see how many still have enough energy to lift there hand to say hello. My highest wave count at the end of the day is 4. What is really special is when that wave comes back to you. Watching a train go by with several waving passengers is something you don't see too often, but it happens all the time at Disneyland. I was happy to catch a glimpse of a grandfather and his grandson waving from the C.K. Holliday in Critter Country. Catching small moments like this in Disneyland are always very heart warming.

Daily Photo Tour - New Orleans Square Train Station

Chalk it up to our excitement for our new Disneyland Railroad project, but we thought we'd use this opportunity to post a few train photos to give you a sneak peak at what is to come and hopefully get you as excited as we are. It doesn't take long to develop a deep appreciation for the Disneyland Railroad. All it took for me was riding in the tender, watching the engineer and fireman drive the steam horse and feeling her move beneath my feet. Like most things, you never truly appreciate them until you understand where they came from and how they work. I will never see the Disneyland Railroad the same after our experience and I hope that our project will leave you with a similar appreciation.

The Disneyland Railroad Project

We haven't spent much time hyping up our upcoming Disneyland Railroad film project but after hours and hours of editing and over a month of shooting we feel we have something very special to share. It's going to be different than anything we've done before and we hope it will be the start of many creative endeavors showcasing Walt Disney's original Magic Kingdom. The goal in all our work is to pay tribute and respect to the inspiration and joy of Walt's legacy. Our hope, in turn, is to be an avenue for joy and inspiration to your lives. We hope you are as excited as we are. We can't wait to share on Saturday.

Google Plus

We are excited to announce our new Google+ page. Some of you may be connected with our first account, which was put on hold because we are a web site and not an individual profile. Now that Google has rolled out business pages for its social network we have established our official Tours Departing Daily page which can be found by clicking here. We'd love to mingle with you there, so if you have a Google account be sure and add us to your circles!

Daily Photo Tour - Waiting for the Disneyland Limited

I thought this was a wonderful moment at Disneyland as an engineer waited for the Disneyland Limited to pull into the station at New Orleans Square. It also seemed fitting to me to use this picture to help build anticipation for our Disneyland Railroad project. If you're as impressionable as I'm hoping you are, you now have a deep desire and a need to watch our film on Saturday and share it with all your family and friends. If you don't have that feeling yet, that's okay. We still have a couple of days to work on you and clever plans are in the works.

Daily Photo Tour - Fill'er Up

There's something really exciting about the Disneyland Railroad. It's hard to put a finger on just one thing, however, because there are so many things that make it what it is. You have the friendly wave from the engineers as they drive the train from station to station. The shout of "All aboard!" from the conductors. The grand circle tour of Walt's original Magic Kingdom. The feeling of adventure as you pass through trees and tunnels. The nostalgia and wonder of being transported by locomotives around a century old. It's amazing to think that these quiet, steady steel horses were once the cutting edge of getting places. We are working on a special Disneyland Railroad project and have really fallen in love and gained a new appreciation for this attraction and the people who maintain it. Seen in this picture is an engineer filling up the water tank at the New Orleans Square Station.

Daily Photo Tour - Morning at Main Street Station

I felt like a little kid as we entered the park bright and early one morning for the first time since Disneyland began its Halloween Time. My excitement only grew as we made our way through the tunnel and were greeted by this beautiful golden light glistening off the railings and tops of buildings. It didn't take long for us to set our eyes on something to capture. I quickly made my way over to the Disneyland dedication plaque to take my first shot of the day. I soon realized I had completely forgotten to clear my memory cards which caused me to stand there awkwardly fiddling with my camera for a good few minutes. This is actually not all that unusual for me in the morning and let's just say, I am quite the 'suave' photographer sometimes. After I finished fiddling and finally got the shot I made my way over to Matthew at the Main Street Station who was finishing up. As we turned to leave, I was halted by these amazing shadows and warm glow gleaming across the bricks. There was something very tranquil about this vacant bench basking in the morning sun and the tree perfectly framing it, as if to keep it company while awaiting an afternoon visit from a most grateful guest.

Daily Photo Tour - Now Loading

I took this shot as we waited to board the Lilly Belle. It was probably the first time I actually took a moment to look at all of the detail in the station. The rich tones from the wood create a very welcoming and intimate space and I love the vintage charm. There is so much to look at and take in that the wait becomes just as valuable as what you're waiting for. It's a wonderful reminder to slow down because the journey is every bit as important as the destination.

Daily Photo Tour - Inside the Lilly Belle

I was recently a passenger in the Lilly Belle for the very first time. It's the beautiful red car you sometimes see at the end of a train with "Disneyland Railroad" on it in gold across the top. If you go to the Main Street Station early, you can ask to ride in it too! It's one of the most magical experiences I've had at Disneyland. It's named, of course, after Lillian Disney, Walt's wife and is rich with history.

Couponing to Disney

Big thanks to Kristin at Couponing to Disney! She wrote a little article about us today and we sure appreciate the exposure. We had the privilege of contributing one of the pictures to her web site's header. If you're finding us from that article, welcome! It's great to have you and we hope you'll join us on our daily tours.

Daily Photo Tour - Here You Leave the World of Yesterday, Tomorrow and Fantasy

A day at Disneyland can be so dynamic. You can laugh, cry and make memories to last a lifetime. One of my least favorite parts though is leaving. Leaving the world of yesterday, tomorrow and fantasy to enter once more into the world full of endings that don't quite match up to fairy tale. That's where I remind myself to take as much of it with me as I can when I leave, to keep the inspiration, imagination and ideals. I'm convinced that if I do, I can help make the world a better place. That's what Walt wanted or at least what I take from him saying he hoped Disneyland would be a source of joy and inspiration to the world. That's a big dream. But if Disneyland has taught me anything, it's that dreams really can come true.

Daily Photo Tour - Independence at The Main Street Station

I can't imagine spending the 4th of July alone. I remember as far back as I can that every Independence Day I was with my family, or friends. Celebrating our Country's freedom is something we do together, and something we do loud. I mean, c'mon, we're Americans. Whether you are spending The Fourth of July at Disneyland, in the backyard with the family, on the sunny sands of Huntington Beach, or skiing your heart out up at Mammoth Mountain (yes they still have available snow to ski on), I hope that you stop and remember how our Country came to be. I hope you stop and remember the many sacrifices those have taken to keep this country safe, and those sacrifices that were made in the name of Freedom. Happy Independence Day! Now go enjoy those fireworks!

Twitter and Tweeting

Our series of impassioned pleas of "Click me! Click me!" would not be complete without Twitter. If you are on Twitter, you can follow us @ToursDeprtDaily. Or you could click this button - Follow @ToursDeprtDaily
We post all sorts of interesting tweets, especially of our adventures at Disneyland. We promise not to spam!

Daily Photo Tour - Dark Hours at the Main Street Depot

Closing out Disneyland is a magical experience we encourage everyone to try at some point. If you haven't had this amazing opportunity, the calm and the quiet contrast to the day will astound you. This particular night, something really drew my attention to the Main Street Depot sitting vacant. It's kind of strange to see it so empty and know that there won't be another train along.

Daily Photo Tour - Steam Engine No. 5

From a child, I have loved tunnels. There was just something extraordinary about them. Traveling into the mysterious unknown gives you such a sense of freedom and I think that really fed the wonder and curiosity of childhood for me. This shot is one I have wanted to get for a long time, a train in the New Orleans Station at night, lighting the tunnel behind the Haunted Mansion. I sat at the station for a while on the night that I took this just enjoying the trains come and go, listening to the voice come through the speaker, "The Disneyland Limited now approaching..." The Disneyland Railroad is still one of my favorite parts of Disneyland. I love seeing it when I approach the entrance, walking under it through that magical tunnel to Main Street U.S.A., and riding it for a grand circle tour of Walt Disney's Original Magic Kingdom.