Weekend Update: Tokyo Disneyland; Murano, Italy; Las Vegas; Vintage SoCal
Well, I'm back from Orlando and trying to readjust to my real life. Why does the time seem to go so fast when we're in Orlando? Could the fact that we visited six parks in four days have something to do with it? On Monday, we used our SeaWorld Platinum Annual Passes to get free admission into SeaWorld Orlando and Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. Yeah, you read that right - we visited both of these parks on the same day. I really wanted to visit Busch Gardens again with my roller coaster buddies, but I also wanted to try the brand new Manta at SeaWorld Orlando. SO WE DID BOTH. That's the advantage of traveling with my crazy, fanatical, wonderfully flexible MiceChat friends! We couldn't have done it without the services of the DOOM BGI Express! Thanks, Jonathan. If you want to read more about the Disney portion of our trip, check out Fishbulb's trip report: Move It! Sway It! And Sashay It! Look for a report on the SeaWorld/Busch Gardens day here at the Weekend Update in the near future.
This week's update is fun and funky. Ian Parkinson and Richard Williams take us on a trip to Murano, Italy, Rebecca Naber gives us a Las Vegas update, and MickeyMaxx is back with a vintage postcard folder featuring "Sunny Southern California".
First up, we have more shots of Tokyo Disneyland courtesy of TDLFAN. I never get tired of seeing this park. Someday...
Tokyo Disneyland Resort
Tokyo, Japan
TDLFAN takes us on another relaxed visit to Tokyo Disney Resort.
A rare moment of peace and solitude at TDL's main entrance.
Tokyo Disneyland Hotel. Yes, the floors are that clean in the hotel's vicinity.
Cast Members from all over the park are needed to re-direct the massive stampede down World Bazaar and towards the Monsters Inc Ride and Go Seek stand by and fastpass lines...
After all the running, guests find the beginning of the queue to get a fastpass is found in front of the Crystal Palace by the Hub. You can barely see the Monsters Inc ride building behind the Sweatheart Cafe in the distance.
Those choosing to ride Monsters using the stand by line? Well, that line began at Space Mountain's entrance. Note TWO CMs are doing duty here. At some other Disney parks, 2 CMs is all you have managing one single ride! You know what magic kingdom you are... tsk tsk.
There is a certain delicate beauty at Tokyo Disneyland...even in the areas that many consider..."dated".
A Hidden Mickey inside the new Monsters Inc store.
We bid adieu to TDL for now and head over to Tokyo DisneySea.
Arriving at DisneySea.. we encounter the Valentina's Sweets store.
Nautilus Gifts inside Mysterious Island.
The rocky tunnel with waterfall leads from Mysterious Island towards Arabian Coast and Mermaid Lagoon.
Mermaid Lagoon's main entrance.
Hard to see but the tiles used in the Mermaid Lagoon area are carved in the shapes of the Little Mermaid characters and other sea life. Bring your magnifying glass next time.
Lovely flowers of TDS.
Sleepy town of Cape Cod.
Preparations have begun at SS Columbia sailing ship for the upcoming "Talk with Crush" attraction opening soon.
Father's day gifts selections on sale at TDS.
The gift shops at Mediterranean Harbor do tell a classic story of love. Here, we see Romeo declaring his love for....
...Juliet, who can be seen up in the balcony at the next shop in this area of lovely boutiques.
One last walk around stunning Tokyo DisneySea as we say "bye bye".
This week our Venice Vacation continues as Ian Parkinson and Richard Williams take us on a sidetrip to Murano.
Murano, Italy
Quote:
Murano is usually described as an island in the Venetian Lagoon, although like Venice itself it is actually an archipelago of islands linked by bridges. It lies about a mile north of Venice and is famous for its glass making, particularly lampworking.
In 1291, all the glassmakers in Venice were forced to move to Murano due to the risk of fires. In the following century, exports began, and the island became famous, initially for glass beads and mirrors. Aventurine glass was invented on the island, and for a while Murano was the main producer of glass in Europe. The island later became known for chandeliers. Although decline set in during the eighteenth century, glassmaking is still the island's main industry.
In the fifteenth century, the island became popular as a resort for Venetians, and palaces were built, but this later declined. The countryside of the island was known for its orchards and vegetable gardens until the nineteenth century, when more housing was built.
Murano’s glassmakers held a monopoly on quality glassmaking for centuries, developing or refining many technologies including crystalline glass, enameled glass (smalto), glass with threads of gold (aventurine), multicolored glass (millefiori), milk glass (lattimo), and imitation gemstones made of glass. Today, the artisans of Murano are still employing these century-old techniques, crafting everything from contemporary art glass and glass jewelry to Murano glass chandeliers and wine stoppers.
In 1291, all the glassmakers in Venice were forced to move to Murano due to the risk of fires. In the following century, exports began, and the island became famous, initially for glass beads and mirrors. Aventurine glass was invented on the island, and for a while Murano was the main producer of glass in Europe. The island later became known for chandeliers. Although decline set in during the eighteenth century, glassmaking is still the island's main industry.
In the fifteenth century, the island became popular as a resort for Venetians, and palaces were built, but this later declined. The countryside of the island was known for its orchards and vegetable gardens until the nineteenth century, when more housing was built.
Murano’s glassmakers held a monopoly on quality glassmaking for centuries, developing or refining many technologies including crystalline glass, enameled glass (smalto), glass with threads of gold (aventurine), multicolored glass (millefiori), milk glass (lattimo), and imitation gemstones made of glass. Today, the artisans of Murano are still employing these century-old techniques, crafting everything from contemporary art glass and glass jewelry to Murano glass chandeliers and wine stoppers.
If you enjoyed these photos, Ian and Richard have several travel books available on Amazon:
MiceChatter Rebecca Naber celebrated her recent graduation with a trip to Las Vegas and shares these beautiful photos with us.
Sunny Southern California
1940 and what could be a more exciting destination than Southern California for a visitor from the far reaches of America? Before transcontinental jetliners, before the Interstate highway system, before tubeless tires, and gulp, before Disneyland. Still, though the travel might not have been as fast or as comfortable as it is today, this colorful folder is full of things for the visitor to see and do which they were not likely to find in their home towns.
Quote:
From inside the post card folder:
Sunny Southern California
Truly the land of perpetual sunshine, fruit and flowers. Here the tourist can travel endlessly through groves of orange, lemon, grapefruit and avocado trees on broad, smooth highways, themselves lined with a wide variety of eucalyptus, pepper, sycamore, oleander, and other threes.
Or, again, the traveler may follow the trail of the historic and valiant padres and visit the vast chain of Spanish Missions which dot the California landscape.
Perhaps the visitor may be lured by the never ending seascape of the Southern California coast, along whose broad front lie many interesting cities, resorts, homes, and beautiful beaches; or on whose horizon appears enchanting Santa Catalina Island.
In the distance, ever beckoning, are the snow-capped peaks of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Here are numerous resorts, trails and streams to afford the pleasure seeking adventurer constant new thrills of beauty and scenic grandeur.
The deep mystic beauty of the California desert is a panorama of unending phenomena. Giant sentinel cactus in the brilliance of the sunset give way to a wide variety of cacti and desert flowers. On its broad bosom are found many flourishing communities and resorts; among which is Palm Springs, the chief fashion resort of the Pacific Coast. A visit to Death Valley,. rich in the lore of the early West, enables the visitor to stand on the lowest point of the Western Hemisphere and look at the peak of Mt. Whitney, highest point in the United States.
The heartbeat of this vast paradise is the beautiful city of the Angels, Los Angeles, leading metropolis of the West. On its outer fringes lie the Motion picture industry and Hollywood, most glamourous city in the country. Truly this is a land of grace, beauty, and scenery unexelled elsewhere in the world.
Sunny Southern California
Truly the land of perpetual sunshine, fruit and flowers. Here the tourist can travel endlessly through groves of orange, lemon, grapefruit and avocado trees on broad, smooth highways, themselves lined with a wide variety of eucalyptus, pepper, sycamore, oleander, and other threes.
Or, again, the traveler may follow the trail of the historic and valiant padres and visit the vast chain of Spanish Missions which dot the California landscape.
Perhaps the visitor may be lured by the never ending seascape of the Southern California coast, along whose broad front lie many interesting cities, resorts, homes, and beautiful beaches; or on whose horizon appears enchanting Santa Catalina Island.
In the distance, ever beckoning, are the snow-capped peaks of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Here are numerous resorts, trails and streams to afford the pleasure seeking adventurer constant new thrills of beauty and scenic grandeur.
The deep mystic beauty of the California desert is a panorama of unending phenomena. Giant sentinel cactus in the brilliance of the sunset give way to a wide variety of cacti and desert flowers. On its broad bosom are found many flourishing communities and resorts; among which is Palm Springs, the chief fashion resort of the Pacific Coast. A visit to Death Valley,. rich in the lore of the early West, enables the visitor to stand on the lowest point of the Western Hemisphere and look at the peak of Mt. Whitney, highest point in the United States.
The heartbeat of this vast paradise is the beautiful city of the Angels, Los Angeles, leading metropolis of the West. On its outer fringes lie the Motion picture industry and Hollywood, most glamourous city in the country. Truly this is a land of grace, beauty, and scenery unexelled elsewhere in the world.
This post card folder was published in 1940 by Western Publishing. The company sponsored, (along with partners Dell and Simon & Schuster), the Story Book Shop on Main Street, U.S.A. in Disneyland which opened on July 17, 1955. It closed in April 1995.
Looking for up-to-date reports from Disneyland
including photos, gossip, park schedules and more?
including photos, gossip, park schedules and more?
Visit these MiceChat columns each week:
Andy Castro's Dateline Disneyland
David DarkBeer Michael's In the Parks
And that brings us to the end of another week. Our photographers have just enough time to reload their cameras before we see you all again next weekend. Thank you to all of our wonderful readers, and as always, a huge thank you to our amazing team of global photographers, spies, and gossips:
TDLFAN
Denise nbodyhome Preskitt (mousesteps.com)
SummerInFl (wdwfanpics.com)
sir clinksalot
MickeyMaxx
BigPigletFan
Abominable Snowman
"Postcard Junkie" darkfairycthulu (postcardjunkie.blogspot.com)
Fishbulb
PhotoMatt
Jack Hollywood 1939 Wixom
A very special thank you to to our wonderful guest photographers Rebecca Naber, Richard Williams and Ian Parkinson for sharing their vision with us.
Your Editor - Rixter
Where have YOU been recently? We invite you to share your photos of theme parks or any other destination that may be of interest to our readers. Please feel free to contact me via MiceChat Private Message (screen name Rixter)
or send me an email: oceansiderick@gmail.com.
or send me an email: oceansiderick@gmail.com.
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Total Comments 14
Comments
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Great Update, Mickey.Posted 06-13-2009 at 08:07 AM by Emmanuel_4
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Wow, those postcards are great! And the morning rush to Monsters, Inc is the most horrifying I've ever seen. Hopefully no one was hurt!
Posted 06-13-2009 at 08:51 AM by The Disneylander -
WOW!!!!! tokyo disneyland is beautiful!!!! and nice pics on vegas im going next month im excited =DPosted 06-13-2009 at 09:43 AM by D.E.1955 -
NICE REPORT PICTURES ARE NICEPosted 06-13-2009 at 11:07 AM by DISNEYLOVER2009 -
I had never seen a picture of the Mermaid Lagoon entrance - it looks great, like the rest of the park.
Love all the pictures of the glass.
Vintage postcards are always fun to see.
Thanx for posting it all!Posted 06-13-2009 at 12:48 PM by WOKcreative - I love this comment: "Yes, the floors are that clean in the hotel's vicinity."
That pretty much is true all around Tokyo Disney Resort. It is truly astonishing how well-maintained it is. There are few "barriers" between guests and the show, because guests simply are that respectful. No graffiti, almost no trash, and cast members actually act their roles.
It is an absolute joy to visit Tokyo Disney, with the only downside that it makes U.S. parks look poorly kept up by comparison. If only every Disney park were like the two parks in Tokyo. They USED to be, which is where Tokyo got the inspiration.
Great pics that make me long for a return visit. Thanks!Posted 06-13-2009 at 01:26 PM by EC82 -
Great Update!
Glad you had a nice time in Florida.
I love the vintage postcards. Old movies and photos of the L.A. area fascinate me. I especially like this one:
This view still looks almost exactly the same; this building is still there (although no longer a hotel). In fact, my Dad goes to work there everyday! It is now a U.S. Courthouse and my Dad has an office there.
The bridge looks similar, although slightly modified since a restoration/reinforcement a few years ago (higher fencing was put up too). This bridge has the local nickname "Suicide Bridge".
It is still a popular spot for filming movies and TV shows. In fact, I just saw it in a new Lexus commercial (the one with the new convertible where he is chasing the girl running).
You can see almost the exact same view as this postcard from the 134 Fwy going East into Pasadena.Posted 06-14-2009 at 03:32 PM by DOOM BGI - great postcards if only the group of executives had those in the 1990'2 when they were designing DCAPosted 06-14-2009 at 04:03 PM by Baloo
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Just love the Old ,old ,Postcard also agreed with Baloo
The old post card most for themeing DCA !
I am so Amaz of the ART WORK they used for the TDR,
And I would like to see Calif. Disneyland get brand NEW
DISNEYLAND HOTEL that is clean and nice as one they have TDR !Posted 06-14-2009 at 07:02 PM by Eagleman - One note on the Bellagio gardens (known as the Conservatory)...
They change out the display every month. It is a lot of fun to see each month's new foliage! Unfortunately, as a local, it's not enough of a motivation to get down to the Strip. It is one of the free things in Vegas, though.Posted 06-14-2009 at 11:18 PM by NathanScott86 -
Mickeymaxx, those postcards are great!!! Thanks for posting them!
Best comment on this week's update:
So.. Vegas finally gets a SuperWalMart?Quote:It's huge! The place will be like a city within a city. Basically it will be a place where you can get everything you need and want without ever leaving.
LOL!!!Posted 06-15-2009 at 11:06 PM by TDLFAN -
great stuff including the vegas pics.Posted 06-16-2009 at 11:57 AM by wdwnut4life - Actually the Conservatory at the Bellagio only changes about 4 times per year. Basically it follows the change of seasons: Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter.
And for us locals who have been there enough to see multiple years of seasons, they have some large props that are typically seen year after year. Such as the water sphere you can see one of the pictures.Posted 06-16-2009 at 03:49 PM by rmarino74 -
Another great weekend update!Posted 06-16-2009 at 04:28 PM by Barbossa
