Saturday, January 12, 2008

Westfest - videos from 2007

Here are a few videos from last year's Westfest (that I could not attend)

Slide show of Westfest 2007



Disneyland Hotel History Walk - Part 1



Disneyland Hotel History Walk - Part 2



YehaaBob Bob Jackson - Piano player from Walt Disney World who will be playing at the Westfest banquet.

Thursday, January 10, 2008

I'm going to Disneyland!!!

The image
http://www.dpnwestfest.com/

Being the Crazed Disney Parks fan that I am, Marie agreed to my cashing in some of our United miles (from the China trips) to go to Westfest in Disneyland in May.

Money is tight, so I am making the trip solo. I actually have paid vacation for the first time in 3 years and I can definitely keep within budget of my vacation pay as a solo traveler.

The girls know of my Disney hobby and haven't really complained about their not being included in the trip. As this is my second solo trip to a Disney Park, they have seen me do this before. I hope we get a chance to take them down to Walt Disney World sometime in the next couple of years to make up for my solo Disneyland trips.

My trip is partially sponsored by my favorite Disney podcast - Paul Barrie's Window to the Magic Podcast. WTTM has been my weekly escape to the sound experience of being in the parks for several years now. Thanks, Paul.

Westfest started as an informal gathering of podcasters and their listeners that were part of the Disney Podcast Network http://www.thedpn.com that got together in the fall of 2006 as kind of a West Coast version of the huge gathering of the Disney Online Community that happens in December at Walt Disney World - Mousefest. Westfest was formalized in 2007 with official meets and a banquet.

I've been researching the trip for several days now. Digging out old park guide books and maps. I've put together a list of what I know of that has been added or changed since my trip in Nov 2002. I hope to see most of them.

Disneyland
Disneyland: The First 50 Magical Years
Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters
Space Mountain - completely rebuilt
Matterhorn Bobsleds (was in refurb in 2002)
Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage
The Pile of Pooh
Jungle Cruise - has been Refurbed by adding piranha and other effects
King Arthur Carrousel - completely rebuilt
Pirate's Lair on Tom Sawyer Island
Innoventions - Asimo robot was added
"Remember... Dreams Come True" - fireworks
Walt Disney's Parade of Dreams

Disney's California Adventure
Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue!
Turtle Talk with Crush in Animation (was "One Man's Dream" when I was there)
The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror (was being built in 2002)
Redwood Creek Challenge Trail - "The Magic of Brother Bear" additions
Aladdin - the Musical
Block Party Bash (which will be gone during Westfest, as it is moving to Walt Disney World)
High School Musical 2 show (I can skip this )
Playhouse Disney (I can skip this. This was the closed Soap Opera Bistro when I was there )

Be prepared for a lot of Disney on this blog for the next few months.

---

TVKirby

Visit My Disney Theme Parks Related TV Web Page at
http://www.bartlett-sloan.net/tv
(A LaughingPlace Community Member
http://www.laughingplace.com/SiteDir-S-WDW-199.asp
< http://www.laughingplace.com/SiteDir-S-WDW-199.asp> )

Web page about our October 2000 Walt Disney World trip at
http://www.bartlett-sloan.net/ccaidisneyy2ka.html

My November 2002 Disneyland Trip page --
http://www.bartlett-sloan.net/dlnov2002pg1.html

Check out my 1960 Disneyland Map at
http://home.pacbell.net/jonvn/Souvenirs/souvenir1960/p01.html

Disney DVD, TV & Video Message Forum
http://snipurl.com/4uh5

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