Blue Lagoon

Every time I visit Disneyland Paris, I can't miss one of the most beautiful restaurants of the park and one of the most delicious too. I'm talking about the Blue Lagoon Restaurant. While other restaurants at the park have slowly become all-you-can eat buffet with five dishes or so to choose from (Auberge de Cendrillon, why you? why?... Walt's, why?), Blue Lagoon has managed to keep its standards high. Here are a few pictures I took with my camera. It's an old camera, five years old at least, but I recently learnt how to take pictures in very dark places and stormed the park to take some shots of interiors I always talked about but never managed to take pictures of (I don't like pictures sunken in a blinding sea of flash lights...). These pics are from the waiting area of the restaurant. Bon appétit!

Big Thunder Mountain Queueing Area

I don't know if you're one the ones who like using fastpasses. When I first heard of this new feature being added to the most famous, thus crowded, attractions I couldn't help but feel something a little sad was happening. Queueing in a disney theme park is not an empty void before the real attractions but it's supposed to be an useful chance to get acquainted with the theme and the story that will be told and lived when riding the attraction. But what happens if there's another queue cutting right to the load/unload area? The anticipation build while waiting is lost and the experience the attraction as a whole is strongly diminished. I think Fastfass is useful but misguiding guests and spoiling them in not letting them teach that waiting to ride can sometimes be as fun as riding itself. Here a detailed tour of the queueing area of Disneyland Paris' Big Thunder Mountain.

Guests usually run as fast as they can when riding, nervously watching the watch and and the map... Hey! Stop and start exploring what's around you!

We're not in Paris anymore, we're exploring a cave where gold has just been found! We're a dangerous area, full of strange machines, sounds and sights!

Ok, you're right: that lousy family started queueing behind you and is now at least five happy families forward, but who cares? We will ride the train too but unlike running-fast guests I now am enjoying incredible sights.

A blue sky, some green trees, and the warmth of old wood...

...gears, signs, barrels. This placing must have been burstling with life! I look forward to rid the train.

Trust me: next time, let others get driven by the hurry to get there and take some time to enjoy getting there too.

Supercalifragilistichespiralidoso!

Wich better way to say goodbye to New York City than enjoying one evening at the the New Amsterdam Theatre watching Mary Poppins the musical? Here are my three final pictures of this wonderful trip to New York. Let's begin with the giant billboard outside the theatre...... here we are, firmly sitted at our seats and ready to watch the show. Pictures were not allowed so I had to take them very quickly but I hope you can get a glimpse of this wonderful theatre. No matter what you're planning to to, next time you visit New York, be sure to stop by this wonderful place.

Cruella De Vil, your host

Unfortunately I didn't take so many pictures of the third floor of World of Disney, the one devoted to collectibles and disney memorabilia, even my partner and I spent a lot of time (and money by the way) up there. We were lucky enough though to snap a pic of cruellissima Cruella De Vil doing some shopping on the 5th Ave. How fabulousa!

Sunday Sweet Sunday

Yo may have a nightmarish week at work but, if you treat yourself with such a delicious sunday brunch with home-made biscuits and pancakes and butter, nutella, peanut butter, and maple syrup... well, who can asks for more? Happy Sunday Brunch!

What's that big mask up there?

Time to move to the firs floor! Let's take the automatic escalator and...

Here we are to beautiful first floor, wich received I don't know when exactly a special Pirates makeover. Again, lots of disney merchandise you don't usually get at Disney Stores.

The main feature here is this giant I-don't-know what... My friends ad I actually talked a lot about it, trying to understand what imagineers wanted to do here. Here are our conclusion, but if somebody knows more, please let us know!

• The eyes and nose remind the wicked wich of Snow White;
• The iron arms may suggest the Statue of Liberty Crown, or maybe a Mardi Gras Decoration (in NYC though? But... if the Statue of Libery interpretation is right, why the decadent look?
• Finally, it could be a fool's hat, but why in iron?

Your thoughts?

... by the way, you may agree or disagree on ur final interpretation, but the freakiest feature of all is tha the eyes follow you... everywhere! Don't believe me? Let the wicked wich show it to you!

Exploring NYC World of Disney's first floor

A quick update today, but full of pictures, just so you will excuse me... Here are a few pictures of the firs floor. As I said before , the store is very nice, even if the theming is a little bit inconsistent and different areas feature quite different props. Take for example the princess girlie area, full of nice and colorful chandeliers.
Now, compare that to area surrounding the entrance and the pin trading area. By the way, look at the yellow arty giant statue of Mickey Mouse: another slice of disney theme parks outside the parks right in the middle of New York City.


And finally, a closer look at the area just after the entrance door, with a very nice "Year of a Million Dreams" banner!

Columns at World of Disney NYC

As promised, this post (and the following) will be featuring different aspects of the interior of the World of Disney at 5th Ave. This time, I'll show you two pictures of the pillars under wich the cast members at the counters work. Some might say an overall consistency is missing as one colum features some organ pipes from Snow White and the other a style reminiscent of Hercules (that's my very own interpretation). Still the eye is very pleased and the excitement is assured.

Adding to the overall sense of diverse props put together (which is not a bad thing, at least in this particular case) is this chandelier, wich is a weir criss-cross between a Venetian Carnival mask and some Silly Symphony flowers... weird chandelier, weirder definition!

World of Disney New York City

I expected the exterior decorations of World of Disney in New York City to be much more colorful and rich, as it would be in places such as both Downtown Disney's in Florida and in California. Here in New York City instead the overall style of the is very elegant and subtle: just Mickey, Minnie and Pluto welcoming guests on the 5th Ave. and some brushes at the beginning of a film reel framing the entrance. The inside though is much more disneyesque, but you'll see that in the following posts.

World of Disney New York

As promised, I'll focus in my future posts on New York's World of Disney ont the 5th Avenue. The place is a huge disney store with all kinds of merchandise... well, not really, as items such as jewelry and watches and home apparels were not available (I remembered them at Orlando's). Stille there's a huge area entirely devoted to Walt Disney Art Classics and other collectibles. But having a selection of Walt Disney World merchandising available outside the resort was the real surprise, that special little touches that really add to an experience. Here's a picture taken on the automatic escalator of two wondefully detailed columns.

Just back from New York!

Hi there! Just wanted to tell you all I survived the flight home and am finally back from my wonderful wonderful trip in New York City. As soon as I upload my pictures and recover from the jet-lag, I'll start posting again. Thanks for the patience!