Weekend Update: Tokyo Disneyland; Polynesian Resort; Signs of Disneyland Paris; more!

Summer is winding down. The kids are getting ready to go back to school – if they're not back already. The Kohl's ad has winter jackets in it. I hope everyone has a photo or two from your summer vacation to paste into your scrapbooks.

Our Weekend Update crew continues to let us peek into their summer scrapbooks. This week TDLFAN gives us a look back at the wet summer of 2009 at Tokyo Disneyland. SummerInFL spent a recent late summer weekend at the Polynesian Resort in Walt Disney World and created a photo essay for you. (The Poly is on my personal to-do list, so it was fun to see Summer's detailed trip report.) Ian Parkinson is back with a new series of photos on The Signs of Disneyland Paris, which is followed by Disney1978's trip to the Orange County Fair.

Have a great weekend, everybody!



Tokyo Disneyland
Tokyo, Japan

TDLFAN bids adieu (or is that sayonara?) to the summer festivities featured this year at Tokyo Disneyland.


Tokyo Disneyland has been in "summer mode" since the 2nd week in July and the summer program ends on August 31st. TDLFAN goes to TDL to check out this year's "Summer Splash 2009" events... and there is only one way to describe it... MEGASPLASH!!!! Get your towels and ponchos out as you may get wet... or soaked, as was TDLFAN's case.

Mickey is pretty in pink as we arrive at Tokyo Disneyland.


The fabulous Tokyo Disneyland Hotel and Disney Resort Line (monorail) Station.


Can you find the hidden Mickey at the Hotel's courtyard?


Space Mountain in Tomorrowland.


Cinderella Castle. During the summer months, the castle gets washed 6 times a day, for the sake of entertainment.


A summer favorite at TDL.. The Country Bear Vacation Jamboree show.


Someone has crashed his spaceship in front of the Tiki Room... and it may be Rixter's favorite Disney alien...


The Blue Family poses at TDL's expansive, beautifully bricked hub plaza.


Tomorrowland (as it should be in Florida.)


Four times a day, the super popular "Cool the Heat" show plays for guests at the castle stage. 4 different version of the show can be seen daily.. one features Mickey, one features Minnie, another one features Donald, and the last one features Stitch. The show is designed to get guests totally wet in excitement... and trust me... enough water in dumped on guests to supply a small town's water needs! This show is totally WET!!! Here, Cinderella Castle gets into the act as it shoots columns of water into the sky... and that is just the driest part of the show...


After "Cool the Heat", the Hub plaza.. loveliest hub of any DL park in the World, is busy with happy guests.


Later in the afternoon... the crowd awaits for the last performance of "Cool the Heat" today.


Drier conditions can be found in the Fantasyland side of the castle.


Over in Toontown.. guests wait for over an hour to meet the big Cheese himself.


At 4pm sharp.. Disney's most imaginative and colorful parade ever, "Jubilation!" steps off throughout TDL park.


Guests get totally soaked during the last perfomance of "Cool the Heat" today.. as the sun sets over TDL.


The featured special summer event this year at TDL is the evening castle show "Club M, It's laughter we're after" show.. a high NRG presentation, featuring the characters from Monsters Inc and some alien friends... with special party guests Mickey, Minnie, Pluto, Goofy and Donald... The show blends techno dance music, with some nifty lighting effects and projections, smoke and mist, lasers, water fountains, and fireworks... all packed into a 20 minutes nightime extravaganza like only Tokyo Disneyland Park can stage.


Mickey and performers of "Club M" give it all they've got, dancing and getting drenched in the process... (In the USA parks.. Performer Unions would not allow this type of presentation.. TDLFAN has been told.) Cool dress on that Alien gal below...


"Club M" show finale is a mega tidal wave splash of major proportions.. with fireworks shooting upwards and lasers and fire flames dancing all around.. plus dozens of energetic performers who get wet to the bone for the guests. Trust me, the audience does not leave the show area dry either...


..And after all the wet and wild excitement, another fabulous summer day comes to an end at Tokyo Disneyland.

Looking for up-to-date reports from Disneyland
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

Disney's Polynesian Resort
Walt Disney World






The Volcano pool has a water slide that takes you deep within the depths of the towering mountain and drops you into the cool waters as you exit.


The dock has multiple aquatic vehicles to rent at your disposal. From mini water crafts to full pontoons!


And you got to have some where to sleep so let's check out the rooms!

A Garden View Room


Spot the hidden mickey in the painting?


The bathroom with the toilet tucked away in an unusual place.


In it's own little corner.


Complete with safe, refrigerator, iron and ironing board.


A full-size futon for those extra guests that visit.


And your own private patio to watch the monorail go by.





Let's talk about food, everybody has to eat right?! The Polynesian has multiple locations to serve you during your stay but one in particular caught my interest. Captain Cook's!


For this little baby right here...It has it's own Dole Whip Dispenser! No line, no waiting! One please!


The grounds are filled with interesting flora and statues to really get you in the South Seas island feel.





This is a great place for parents to get away for a couple hours and kids get to have the time of their life! They have a full arcade with FREE unlimited plays, a full theater area with a huge screen so the kids can watch their favorite (what else) Disney films, a princess area with all the dresses you can try on, a game system area where the older kids can play video games AND they have plenty of staff on hand to make sure your kids are not only safe but they play games and make crafts!
Whew! I'm getting tired just thinking about it!


But that's not even the best part! When you walk into the building you are literally IN the Darling nursery and the only way to get into the play area is (where else) through the window!!!


As if all these things weren't enough to keep you busy they also have an arcade, a Wii Tiki by the pool, a luau and crafts for the kids in the lobby.

However, I'm an old school girl, I recommend grabbing your favorite fruity drink, plopping down on your favorite hammock on the beach and watching the Electrical Water Pageant show.



We had so much fun with TDLFAN's series on the signs of Tokyo Disneyland, Ian Parkinson has scoured his archives to bring you The Signs of Disneyland Paris. This week we visit Frontierland.




Orange County Fair
Costa Mesa, California

Here's another little trip to the Orange County Fair, this time brought to us by Disney1978.


So many things to see or do at a county fair, it's hard to choose where to go first.

The Midway.


Prize winning Disney pin collection.


Black Cat Collection


A Señor Macho Tiki?


Giant orange orange and tall, but not giant, orange Mike.


Weird Al has a brain?


And an exhibit with a sand sculpture tribute to him?


Apparently, and the exhibit is educational. Did you know the brain has Loebs? Oh, wait. Lobes?


There be rare and exotic foods.


Fair Special - $12.95. Chicken strips, onion straws, zucchini curls. Oh, plus breading and a smidgen of oil.


Deep fried White Castle, $5.95 with fries.


And, cut open for your viewing pleasure.


Totally fried (and aren't we all glad) Frog Legs.


Try your hand at killing growing plants.


Or for the more adventurous, are you brave enough for the Evolution?


Or better yet, Starship 2000. Remember when 2000 seemed so far away? Still does, but the other direction.


Pretty fun looking mad mouse.


Sore tootsies from all the walking at the fair is quickly attended to by these scientifically designed machines.


Oh, the memories. Cost of memories? 7 tickets, and the knowledge that in two weeks this will be on a flatbed truck headed for the next scheduled county fair. Arriving at the other side alive? Priceless!


Haunted Mansion? Not likely!


And then there is this guy. We are beginning to think it is more than coincidence that he showed up in photos from Disneyland Paris, the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, and now the Orange County Fair . . .





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
CaptPhoebus
Ian Parkinson
BigPigletFan
Abominable Snowman
Fishbulb
PhotoMatt
Jack Hollywood 1939 Wixom

A very special thank you to to our wonderful guest photographer Disney1978 for sharing her 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.