One of my favorite parts of riding the Mark Twain is standing on the top deck and watching the steam. It floats off into the sky and lingers as though it weren't ready to leave. Those steady sounding puffs thrust the vessel along the river and before you know it, it's time for you to leave and make way to your next adventure.
Daily Photo Tour - Exploring the Rivers of the Far West
As we were so kindly recently reminded, much of the beauty to be found in Disneyland (and in life) is neatly tucked away in the details. Sometimes those details are big and other times very small. They work together to create an atmosphere that saturates you with appreciation and immerses you in a place that pluses reality. The rivers of the Far West, or as we like to call them, the Rivers of America, are rife with such details from the texture of the riverbanks and the trees that line them to the sun's sparkle over rippling water and the safe and reliable sternwheeler that steams its way through in exploration. In a way, exploration is an endeavor to find the details. The most exciting part, of course, is that you never know what you might find when you set out to explore and expose yourself to the details of the world.
It's starting to finally get a little chilly here in Southern California. I've noticed that guests in Disneyland have replaced sandals and shorts with pants and parkas. We've seemed to really skip the whole in between phase of shorts and a hoodie. Yes, it's common to see local residents sporting shorts and sweatshirts. What can I say, it's a California thing. This year, the cold winter weather is falling on us quick. The Rivers of America is so beautiful, and I love it even more during the Holidays. It just feels right. There is a very unique atmosphere that is caused by the surrounding area of Frontierland and New Orleans Square that brings a cheerful spirit to the river during Christmas.
Matt and I attended Mickey's Halloween Party for the first time this year. Although we felt its worth to be questionable at the time, our experience proved otherwise. The lighting alone was enough to put a smile on our faces as it opened up a whole new world just waiting to be captured. You know it's a good night when you see something and already have a vision for the completed image; this was no exception. We were on our way to the Golden Horseshoe when we heard this beautifully eerie harmony that stopped us in our tracks; the Cadaver Dans. They slowly floated by, shrouded in fog, materializing just long enough to serenade a few lost souls before drifting off into the dark night.
I'm really starting to get in that autumn spirit. Is there one? I think so. For me, it involves completely changing my wardrobe. Shorts to pants, shirts to long sleeves. Finally pulling that year old jacket out of the closet, or a reason to buy a new one. Leaving the window open at night to closing it and adding a few more blankets to the sleep machine. The iced caramel macchiato has turned into a hot caramel macchiato which means minus one espresso from my morning routine. That's definitely not good. But it also means seeing amazing scenes of the Mark Twain steaming away through a tree of changing leaves. The changing atmosphere of fall has always given me a sense of something to look forward to. Autumn has always been that season of change for everyone. I can't wait to see what this winter season has in store.
The Rivers of America really start to glow during the fall. As the sun makes its way to the west and drops late in the year, a golden glow reflects off of the waters in a real magical way. The leaves begin to turn just enough to remind local Californian's there is such a thing as autumn. I was able to barely catch the Mark Twain a few weeks ago as it passed quickly by the Sailing Ship Columbia. It is truly remarkable to see the size of these boats next to each other, and then to realize the enormity of the tree in the center of the frame. It dwarfs the masts and doesn't even fit within the composition. For me, it's the authenticity of theses rivers that pull me in every time. Walt sure knew what he was doing when he saved those trees.
I love it when the Rivers of America is busy. The traffic between the Mark Twain, the Columbia, and the canoes reminds of those classic hot summer days at Disneyland. There is just something about jumping aboard one of those moving vessels and rollin' on the river.
The Tranquility of Rivers of America during sun down is one of the most peaceful places in Disneyland. The Sailing Ship Columbia just really gives it the wow factor for me. This ship is so grand. If I could, I'd build a replica, and sail to Glacier Bay National Park... By the end of summer... Okay at some point (in an epic sailing ship or not)I'm getting to a national park before the end of summer. Maybe it will just be a 3 day rental car to Yosemite! Either way, I'm looking forward to more majestic and peaceful scenes like this.
With the Mark Twain and Sailing Ship Columbia preparing for Fantasmic!, the loading area at Rivers of America is left vacant. It provides a welcome, stark contrast to the building crowds. I really love the lanterns' radiant glow and the structure's lines.
We're back from a hiatus with a new "Behind the Shot". This time, join Michaela as she takes on a beautiful Disneyland sunset over the Rivers of America. We hope you enjoy another trip behind the scenes with us!
As our One More Disney Day drew to a close with the rising sun, we took the opportunity to spend time at the Rivers of America. We had missed the opportunity the prior morning with ABC's Modern Family filming right where I took this picture from. There's something really special about early morning at a river, even one that's not "real". It's so serene as light floods the dawn sky. The water is placid. Even the ducks seem to know how peaceful it all is.
For me, it is the area in front of the river of New Orleans Square, Frontierland, and Critter Country that bring back the most memories of Disneyland when I was a kid. And, it's moments like these that let me know I am at The Happiest Place on Earth. Disneyland is one of the only places where in the snap of a finger you can go from busyness to complete serenity. Or visa versa for that matter. I grabbed this shot right before the sun set for Fantasmic! It was the only peace and quiet left until Mickey showed up!
There are few places I've found in Disneyland that make me forget I am in a theme park. This is one of them. Simple, but so peaceful, this spot near the Hungry Bear Restaurant leaves me at rest after a long day of hustling about. The canoes on The Rivers of America is one of my favorite rides at Disneyland. Where else can you hop in a vessel with a dozen strangers and get berated by a Disney Cast Member?..... Oh yeah, The World Famous Jungle Cruise. Well, I still like the canoes anyways.
A couple days ago we mentioned that we were throwing around some new ideas for our blog. One of those ideas was to post pictures of ourselves. We had the epiphany that we have kind of been the wizard from The Wizard of Oz, mysteriously hiding behind the curtain of our pictures. We like mystery but we like being ourselves even more. In light of that, we will be adding some pictures of ourselves and revamping our "About Us" page. So look for that very soon!
Daily Photo Tour - A Disneyland Duck
Oh to be a duck. But... to be a duck at Disneyland, now that is the life. Relaxing on the Rivers of America, waiting for tourists and AP locals to throw some food your way. Yes my friends, that is the life of a Disneyland Duck. I can't imagine what this duck was thinking as I took his picture. I'm sure he's used to it. He was probably thinking about flying over and bothering the crows that hang out on the Matterhorn. I know that's what I would do If I was a duck. Oh, to be a Disneyland Duck.
We try to make it to Disneyland as often as we can, which ends up being almost every weekend. This weekend we decided to stay home to try and get a few things accomplished. We've gotten a few pictures done, thrown around a bunch of new ideas, worked on our website, and our Flickr photostream has gone public. We're excited to see how that goes. Even with having a productive weekend, it was a little sad not to be at the Park. But we kept our spirits up with looking through our pictures, listening to Disneyland music, and ice cream sandwiches.
Daily Photo Tour - Evening River
Sometimes I think the Rivers of America are the most peaceful place at the Disneyland Resort. We've been spending a lot of time during our recent trips at the Hungry Bear Restaurant, overlooking this view. It's easy to let the hours pass and enjoy the tranquil beauty of the river, and the circling of the Mark Twain and Sailing Ship Columbia. If you hang around long enough on a Fantasmic! night, you can see the crew going back and forth on rafts and give them a friendly wave. They like that.
Okay, let's not lie. If you're a guy, you know you've always wanted to be one of the guys to work the canoes at Disneyland. No seriously, don't lie to yourself. Disneyland is a place where you can get away from the everyday rhythm of life, and immerse yourself in a story or adventure. The Canoes on Rivers of America is just one of these places. I have never been anywhere in Disneyland, and actually felt like I was getting away from Disneyland, until I was on these canoes. Or even being on the Rivers of America for that matter. Cruising back through those trees is a real release, even from a hot day at the park.
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