The Disneyland Book of Secrets 2014: One Local's Unauthorized, Rapturous and Indispensable Guide to the Happiest Places on Earth (80 page)

Near the cash registers you’ll see small baskets of treats like crispy bars and brownies.  These are sold
à la carte
at most restaurants throughout the park, and range from $2 to $5.  These treats are uniformly delicious, highly caloric, and some are large enough to be split and shared.

Once you have your food, stop at the napkin and utensil station near the exit doors,
and then head out to the patio just south of the
Refreshment Corner
.  If it’s not too crowded, claim a table under one of the pretty red-and-white umbrellas, near the piano where the ragtime pianist plays.

If there aren’t any free tables, check out the many tables on the long porch or patio of the
Plaza Pavillion
(formerly an
Annual Passport Processing Center
, now the
Jolly Holiday Bakery & Café
) to the north.  If it’s mid-afternoon or early evening, you might even catch a parade going by!  Between the excellent prices, decent food, sweet treats, lovely décor, and happy music, families on a budget (and even those who aren’t) can’t miss with the
Refreshment Corner
.
Did You Know?
  The venerable
Refreshment Corner
underwent a major refurbishment Jan 2012 – Spring 2012. The menu is largely the same, but the restaurant is lovelier than ever.
Kid’s Eye View:
I used to love this place.  Delicious hot dogs and kid’s meals with tiny Dasani water bottles and color-changing straws.

Main Street Character Meetings and Performers

In the early days of
Disneyland
, little ones who expected
Mickey Mouse
to greet them in
Town Square
sometime melted down when they discovered
Mickey
and the other
Disney Characters
weren’t there.  Park leadership decided to station some members of
Disney
’s
Fab Five
(
Mickey
,
Minnie
,
Donald
,
Goofy
, and
Pluto
) in
Town Square
during most of the day, particularly in the early morning hours when many Guests arrive, so kids could meet
Disney characters
as soon as their visit began.

In addition to the
Fab Five
pantheon, lesser but still bright
Disney
lights such as
Daisy
or
Chip ‘ n Dale
might appear, as well as villains like the always snarling PETA nemesis
Cruella de Vil
from
Disney
’s
101 Dalmatians
.

Speaking of
101 Dalmatians
, when characters appear in
Town Square
for meet-and-greets, autographs, and photos with Guests, they typically gather near
Celebration Custom Printers
at the northeast corner of
Town Square
, in front of an area that hosted
Dalmatian Celebration
from late 1996 to early 1997 in honor of
Disney
’s live-action version of
101 Dalmatians
.  Prior to 1996 that building housed a succession of restaurants; after
Dalmatian Celebration
ended in 1997, the interior was sealed to Guests and became a
backstage
administrative area.

Characters not only gather in front of the former
Dalmatian Celebration
building, they wait for Guests in front of the adjacent
Mad Hatter Shop
,
Opera House
, and
Main Street Bank
(now the refurbished home of the
Disney Gallery
).  Masked characters and “face” characters alike give arriving Guests their character fix so that there are no disappointments and meltdowns.

Masked characters have other Cast Members with them who act as handlers, ensuring that the characters can see where they’re going, and that Guests treat the characters politely (there have been some unfortunate incidents of punching and kicking in the past; some Guests don’t seem to realize–or
perhaps care–that there are actual Cast Members under those wonderful costumes).

Before or while your children are waiting to meet their favorite characters, remind them that
Mickey
(or
Minnie
, or
Donald
, etc.) has feelings and that the children should be nice to them.  Hugs and pats are OK.  Punches and kicks are not OK and not funny.

Conversely, as an adult you need to realize that the Cast Members behind those masks sometimes have limited vision and limited control over the limbs or tails of their costumes.  The handlers try to help, but it’s possible for masked characters not to see tiny tots out of their line of sight.  To avoid unfortunate accidents, stick close to your small children and be sure they’re in clear view of the character and handlers at all times.

Did you forget your camera or your child’s autograph book?  Never fear.  They’re sold over at the small, unlabeled kiosks (
Guides I
and
II
) just outside the
West
and
East Entrance
Tunnels
and at the
Emporium
.  Also, there are often
Disney Photographers
on duty near character meeting areas; they can photograph your child with the characters, and give you a
Disney PhotoPass
that you can bring to the
Main Street Photo Supply Co.
later for prints of your
Disney
photos.

Don’t have an autograph book and don’t have the funds to buy one?  Any blank piece of paper will do.  Before you travel, you can find an inexpensive little
Disney
-themed notebook at most drug stores, Targets or Wal-Marts, for a couple of dollars, less if it’s on sale.

Disney
characters will sign any piece of paper presented to them; there’s no necessity for a high-end official
Disney
autograph book.  It’s about making a child smile and building a memory.  For some children, meeting their favorite
Disney
character is the highlight of their trip.

In addition to the characters that gather at the northeast side of
Town Square
for meet-and-greets, you’ll sometimes catch members of the
Fab Five
or other characters dancing and clowning around with the
Disneyland Band
or the
Firehouse Gate Band
at the foot of the
Disneyland Railroad Station
or in front of the
Fire Station
.  In one day alone I witnessed
Goofy
dancing with the
Firehouse Gate Band
, and
Mickey
performing with the full
Disneyland Band
.  And that was off-season!

The
Disneyland Band,
the smaller musical bands of
Main Street
, and the famed barbershop quartet known as the
Dapper Dans
perform at appointed times in appointed places, as noted in that day’s
Entertainment Times Guide
, often in front of the
Disneyland Railroad
or
Fire Stations
, but sometimes entertainers roam about and deliver brief
ad hoc
performances along
Main Street
.  You never know quite what to expect, but entertainment’s always in the air, literally, at
Disneyland
.

For a sure-fire opportunity to meet characters and obtain autographs and photo ops, consider the
prix fixe
option of
Minnie and Friends Breakfast in the Park
at the
Plaza Inn
at the north end of
Main Street
.  There’s a wide range of characters to meet, from those as famous as
Mickey
and
Minnie
to lesser luminaries like
Daisy
and villains like
Captain Hook
.

It can get crowded, so call (714) 781-DINE in advance to book your
Priority Seating
. 
Priority Seating
places you on a list of Guests that planned ahead, and gives you priority seating as tables open up during the time period you selected.  You can also email
[email protected]
.

Guests of all ages who like swing, jazz, jive, and boogie music will be interested in
Disneyland
’s Saturday night
Royal Swing Big Band Ball
.  It’s live entertainment at its lively best at
Fantasy Faire
in the former
Plaza Gardens
on the northwest corner of the
Central Plaza
(or
Hub
).  Under a large medieval canopy roof swing musicians take the stage while couples on the dance floor and boogie the night away.

And if you like
ragtime
, a quintessentially American, syncopated style of music that flourished before and presaged swing and jive music, drop by the
Refreshment Corner
at the southwest corner of the
Central Plaza
.  Throughout the day, a talented ragtime musician plays sets, tickling the ivories of an old upright piano.

Mary Poppins
and chimney sweep
Bert
, in their sparkling summer whites, often perform at the north edge of the
Central Plaza
(or
Hub
) in front of
Sleeping Beauty Castle
.  This spot is also a popular site for entertainment like concerts filmed for
Disney
television specials.

On a more serious note,
many Guests appreciate the daily
Flag Retreat Ceremony
at the
Town Square Flag Pole
.  Patriotic songs like “You’re A Grand Old Flag” and “America The Beautiful” are performed by the
Dapper Dans
and
Disneyland
’s
All-American College Band
followed by a medley of US armed forces anthems.  The United States flag is lowered while the United States national anthem plays, and then the flag is escorted
backstage
by the
Disneyland Security
Color Guard
.  I’ve enjoyed the
Flag Retreat Ceremony
many times over the years; it reminds me of the small town where I grew up.  When my mother and her best friend visited
Disneyland
in October 2012, we caught the
Flag Retreat Ceremony
together and they greatly enjoyed it.  In fact, it might have been one of their favorite experiences at the park.  The ceremony is expanded for special national holidays like Patriot’s Day.  A
Disneyland
FaceBook poll in February 2013 was revealing; asked which
Disneyland
performance they never miss, many Guests mentioned headliners like
Fantasmic!
and the fireworks, but for a small daily ceremony that doesn’t get any hype, the
Flag Retreat
got a lot of votes.  It’s a quiet but meaningful event that touches Guests’ hearts.  See if you can catch it–especially if you’re from a military family.

Mickey’s Toontown

Mickey’s Toontown At-a-Glance

Attractions:
 
Chip ‘n Dale Treehouse
,
Donald’s Boat
,
Gadget’s Go Coaster
,
Goofy’s Playhouse
,
Mickey’s House
&
Meet Mickey
,
Minnie’s House
,
Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin
(FP)

Gear: 
Gag Factory / Toontown Five & Dime

Grub: 
Clarabelle’s
(L, D, S),
Daisy’s Diner
(L, D, S),
Pluto’s Dog House
(L, D, S),
Toon Up Treats
(S)

Mickey’s Toontown Introduction