Churro

Ah yes, the famous Disneyland churro. Churros are a traditional Mexican favorite - a stick of fried dough rolled in sugar and cinnamon. Next to the enormous lollipops, they're the most iconic treat at Disneyland. When you make your way through the park, you won't be able to resist the enticing aroma of the fried dough and sweet, spicy cinnamon. They measure over a foot across and come wrapped in a thin sleeve of paper. The churros are crispy on the outside, and soft on the inside. They're light and convenient to carry, and easy to break if you want to share it with someone else. The Disneyland churros are quite close to perfection, but a little pricey at almost 4 bucks each. If it's your first visit to Disney, it's a must-have treat. With each successive visit to the park, the scent and taste of these nostalgic sweets will be sure to bring you back to your first one.

Price: $3.75
Location: Anywhere

Jalapeño Cheese Pretzel

Due to the popularity of this item, I decided I'd give my own two cents on it. It's the famous jalapeño cheese pretzel, available wherever pretzels are sold. Imagine a pretzel filled with cheese and sliced jalapeño peppers. That's really all the description I need to give. This pretzel is truly awesome, and for its price I highly recommend it. Personally I enjoy these, like all pretzels, with a packet of

Heinz mustard, which are complementary at the many pretzel vendors throughout Disneyland. Of course, the pretzel is just as good on its own. Just take a bite of one of these hot baked pretzels with oozing cheese and spicy jalapeño and you'll see what I mean. Of course, if you don't like Disneyland pretzels (preposterous), you can always go to Wetzels Pretzels, located in Downtown Disney.

Price: $3.75

Location: Anywhere

THROWBACK THURSDAY: Astro Blasters Gift Shop

Climb out of your space cruiser, and record your scores. Congratulations, you've just defeated the evil Emperor Zurg! Take a look at the candid photo of you abusing your trigger figure on alien invaders and walk past the gift shop, back into the busy streets of Tomorrowland. That's the drill when riding Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters.

But have you ever stopped to take a closer look inside the gift shop? It hasn't got much; an assortment of Toy Story memorabilia and pins... but if you're old enough to remember the once popular Astro Jets ride, then you'll surely recognize this little guy:

It's not a replica either; it's one of the actual rockets that people used to ride in. If you look inside, you'll find the lever that would launch the rocket into orbit or bring it back down to earth. Many of the features have been updated - obviously it received a Buzz Lightyear-themed paint job, and the seating area has been bolted over. But look at the underside and you'll see that it hasn't exactly been altered from its original state. The mechanics and supports are all still in there.

The whereabouts of the many Rocket Jets have varied. After the ride was replaced by Astro Orbitor in 1998, they were auctioned off, and only a couple remained within Disney property. One of them was put on display in the line for the Rocket Rods attraction, a short-lived thrill ride whose waiting queue included many nods to the past, such as an actual Rocket Jet, a Skyway Gondola, and a PeopleMover car. Speaking of the PeopleMover...

That's right, the cashier counter itself is modeled after the PeopleMover. Obviously, this isn't a real vehicle that was used to carry guests, like our rocket friend up there. It's just a cool tribute to that beloved ride. Disappointed that you'll never see the PeopleMover again? Well, if you can manage to get into the Imagineering headquarters in California, you'll see lots of them scattered about. In fact, if you visit Walt Disney World in Florida, you can still ride their PeopleMover, it's called The Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover. But at least here in Disneyland you can come to this store and revisit memories of this forgotten ride.

Fantasy Faire Review

It's finally arrived, Fantasyland's Fantasy Faire. As I mentioned in a previous article, I have been planning on reviewing this attraction since before it opened, so let's get straight to it.

Aside from the fancy new buildings, Fantasy Faire doesn't really offer anything new, in terms of things to do. It's targeted toward younger audiences, unlike the Carnation Plaza Gardens that preceded it. In fact, the only remnant of those gardens is the awning and dance stage, which have had a complete makeover to appear as the "Royal Theatre".

So, what is it? It's a storybook village centered around Disney princesses; ranging from classics such as Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty, to more recent favorites like The Little Mermaid and Tangled. There's a meet-and-greet area, a new shop, and a ballroom. Obviously I don't fit the target demographic Disneyland was going for, but I'm going to leave my feedback anyway. The buildings look nice - in fact, they almost put Sleeping Beauty Castle to shame. The Imagineers really did a fantastic job creating a storybook village square, from the colorful tiled roofs down to the little maypole in the center of town.

Note the crane in the background

But WHY did they have to get rid of Carnation Plaza Gardens? I'll admit, I've only visited the gardens a couple of times. But as a regular guest, I know how much that dancing ground meant to many guests, and even to Walt Disney. I love the idea of having a designated area where guests could dance to music without disrupting crowds or feeling foolish. It was a stage where memories were shared, and remembered. I like the idea of Fantasy Faire, but couldn't it have been built somewhere less... in the middle of the park? It's not even technically in Fantasyland, although apparently Fantasyland has stretched its borders to accomodate the land outside of the Castle. Anyway, that's what I think. If you have small children, I suggest you check out this new attraction because I'm sure little kids would adore it. Me, personally? I think I'll head over to Frontierland instead.

Thunder Mountain Construction Update

I was able to drop by the park today and observe the progress on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. They've boarded up any trace of the ride from the entrance of Frontierland all the way to Fantasyland. Apparently, they're laying down new track to make the ride go more smoothly. I'd say it's about time. This ride is one of my favorites, and I'd imagine that the high speeds and frequent train cycles aren't too kind on those steel tracks. According to Erin Glover of the official Disney Parks Blog, some parts of the Rainbow Ridge Mining Town are being replaced, the originals sent to the Disney Archives. As long as they leave Rainbow Ridge right where it is, I'm happy.

So it appears that this construction won't be complete until autumn this year. It's a shame that we won't get to ride Big Thunder this summer, but I'm excited to see the changes that will be revealed this coming fall.

Hidden Gems: Walt's Ghost

Right next door to the Main Street Town Hall at Disneyland is the Disneyland Fire Department. Guests can wander around the old-fashioned firehouse and marvel at vintage fire engines the likes of which had preceded the invention of motor cars. It may not be a functioning fire department that rushes to the scene if there's a fire on the park premises, but it's a nice addition to the old-timey feel of the Main Street facade. But in the upstairs room of the DFD lies a secret to many.

Walt Disney, the visionary behind Disneyland, liked to oversee construction and make personal changes to his beloved park. It was only fitting that he should have his own living space right on park property. And so he made his temporary home right above Main Street, in the Fire Department building. If you're a common guest, chances are you haven't been inside Walt Disney's apartment, though tours are held every morning. But next time you're walking by the Disneyland Fire Department, pay close attention to the window. See the lamp?

Guests would rely on that lamp to know when Walt was visiting the park. In a Revere-esque fashion, Walt would light the lamp when staying in his apartment, as a way of signaling to guests that the man himself was on park grounds. Ever since Walt passed away in 1966, the lamp has been lit permanently, symbolizing that Walt Disney will forever remain in Disneyland, in spirit. Hopefully in spirit. Maybe it means that his body has been cryogenically frozen in the bowels of Sleeping Beauty Castle.

All kidding aside, this is a cute little homage to Uncle Walt, who's spent 58 years watching over Disneyland. Here's to 58 more.

Top 5: Fastest FastPasses

There are some rides at Disneyland that are worth a long wait, but sometimes you just aren't in the mood to wait 50 to 100 minutes for a ride you've been on before. Maybe it's 80 degrees on a summer day and you don't feel like waiting for more than 25 minutes in the sun for Indiana Jones. Luckily for us, Disneyland created the FastPass.

First introduced in 1999, Disney's FastPass lets you skip a portion of the wait time for most rides with a long line. This ticket, usually activated 45 to 65 minutes after receiving it, allows you to spend time that would've been wasted in line on enjoying other attractions in the park. While it's nice to have a FastPass for any ride, there are some that are more worthwhile than others.

5. Grizzly River Run

It's scorching and you've come up with the brilliant idea of making your way to the only water ride in California Adventure. Unfortunately, it seems like half the people in the park had the same idea, making the line over an hour long. Even though they board quickly, you'll be waiting here for a while. The FastPass line, however, never stops moving.

4. California Screamin'

One of Disneyland's few traditional roller coasters that always has a full queue, California Screamin'. Although this magnet-powered ride moves bullet-fast, the wait seems pretty long. A FastPass in this line will have you on the ride in no time.

3. Space Mountain

When you're in Tomorrowland, there is one attraction that you're most likely here for. But if you've waited for a ride on Space Mountain on a usual day, you know that it moves anything but quickly. Half the wait is spent winding around an elevated courtyard with nothing to look at but your watch, and when you finally think you're getting somewhere, inside the building is the other half of the line. The reason this FastPass is higher on the list is mainly because of how unpleasant the outdoor wait is. The FastPass lets you go right inside where the queue is actually decorated to fit the ride's outer space theme.

2. Indiana Jones

Similar to the last ride mentioned, the main reason this FastPass is so great is because you're skipping a long wait in the sun. The outside wait is long and sweltering while you spend the entire time wishing you could just get inside. With a FastPass, you're missing the only unpleasant part of the line. Once in the building, the queue is fun and elaborately decorated, so the wait from there is not bad at all.

1. Splash Mountain

The line for this ride is 45 minutes or more year round, not just in the summer. The fact that this ride is number one on the list is a no brainer. This is one of the best rides in the park and I would stand in any line for it, but comparing the full wait to the FastPass line is impossible. While the main line is a long, slow-moving wait outdoors, a FastPass will take you past more than two thirds of the line. Really, there is nothing more satisfying than running through this line with your ticket.