The Buena Vista Bugle

The Buena Vista Bugle

 Disney California Adventure’s Buena Vista Street is a living breathing community! Every community must have a way of sharing news and have a place to share information and advertisements for businesses. Buena Vista Street has the Buena Vista Bugle Newspaper to fill the need.     

Starting June 15^th 2012 Disney California Adventure started putting out the Buena Vista Street Bugle.     This newspaper comes out every 4-7 weeks and at this time they are handing out Vol. 1, Issue 5. It is a 1920’s style newspaper in look and feel. In the newspaper you will find articles and letters to the editor from the Citizens you meet on BVS. Donna the Dog Lady, Calvin the Cop, Molly the Messenger often send letters to the editor. Phiphi Francis the Photographer does a series for the paper called Light My Way. You will also find other articles written by other BVS Citizens you never get to see. Inglebert Irving is the BVS resident food critic. Who Knew? The Buzz with Gayle & Gail is written by well Gayle & Gail.

            You may ask why I find the BVB so entertaining. The first reason I enjoy them is the fact it adds to the small town feel of BVS. The second is it is not only a fun read it is a great way to find information. Listed as ads throughout the paper are quips and tips about shows, bands, restaurants, and the newest souvenirs to take home. It is a great addition to the schedule. In the schedule you see the name of the show and the times. In the BVB you see a review or some other fun bit of information to let you know what the shows are about.

            The first 3 BVB Issues had an extra little bit of fun that I greatly miss in issues 4 & 5, they had Walt Disney Cartoon Strips drawn back in the 1920’s. Every month I make sure to get to the park and pick up my issue of the BVB so I can peruse the pages, enjoying each of the articles and look at the ads.

            When you are in the park and wish to pick up an issue. You can find them in stands placed around BVS. There is one next to the Chamber of Commerce, next to the BVS Red Car Trolley stop, the Information Center at Carthay Circle and in various shops around BVS. If you can’t find a paper stand just ask a Cast Member where one is located or stop in at the Chamber of  Commerce to pick one up.

Christmastime on Buena Vista Street!

Christmastime on Buena Vista Street!

When Disney California Adventure opened it was all a California theme with very little else. There was not even much in the way of ‘Disney’. The main entrance area was a semi modern era street with shops and not much else. When Christmas rolled around not much was done to decorate. Yes Santa was there but it often felt strange. Sunshine Plaza put garland and a giant wreath on what was then the Golden Gate Bridge.

Santa was in DCA. Some years Santa was dressed in mountain man gear and sitting on a wood chair over by Grizzly Falls. He had on green mountain pants and Pendleton plaid shirt. Later Santa went to a beach theme with board shorts and a Hawaiian shirt. They had Sandcastles and other beach type things to add to the atmosphere. Somehow this never seemed just right.

Over the last five years many changes were made and Santa made his last appearance at the “beach”. The Sunshine Plaza is gone and is now Buena Vista Street is where you enter. BVS is a 1920s era street. It is alive with activity, unlike the old Sunshine Plaza.

BVS is beautifully decorated for the holidays. The decorations match the theme of the area and era. There is a general theme but each shop has its own sub theme.

Santa has moved. He is now inside of the Elias & Company ‘department’ store. He is the classic Santa sitting on his classic Santa throne as he would have in any 1920s department store.

Outside of the Elias & Company is a huge Christmas Tree. Before this there was no central DCA Christmas Tree. The DCA tree was moved from location to location and never had a spot near the entrance or in a central area. Today’s Christmas Tree welcomes and draws you into the park. Under the tree there is a stack of toys and packages. There is also a train under the tree. Sadly it does not roll around the tree. The train sits still puffing smoke. Next to the engine is a ‘barn’. This barn is special for the true Disney fan. It is a copy of Walt’s backyard train barn where he worked on his small scale trains, the Carolwood Railroad.

I hope they continue this trend of decorating the park for holidays. I can see more being done for all holidays.

Disney California Adventure Full of Hopes and Dreams

Disney California Adventure Full of Hopes and Dreams

The new DCA is full of hopes and dreams. For the Disney Company the hopes and dreams are that the potential of the park if finally realized. This park has been almost empty since it opened and now finally it is finding its fans.

From the moment you enter the park there is an energy and excitement. From the clang of the Red Car Trollies bell and the flashing of the Wig Wag to the music of the various music groups around the park the place is jumping!

A good example of the new energy and expression of the hope and dream is the Red Car Trolley News Boys show. It is all about showing up and trying. Coming into town with nothing but a suitcase and a dream is Mickey Mouse in his classic 1920’s attire.

Mickey is Walt in this wonderful playful show that expresses the hopefulness and enthusiasm that Walt had when he arrived in Hollywood, Ca in the 1920s with nothing more than a suitcase full of dreams.

While some may think the music is from the 1920’s or 30’s it is not. The music is loosely based on the style of music of that time. Some of the songs are from that era but have been updated. It is more upbeat and also has a modern feel while keeping the flavor of the era it is representing. Watch your schedule for this fantastic show.

Even the “police” on Buena Vista Street are positive! Officer Blue is on patrol watching for people doing good! He is looking for people holding doors for others, “operating” a stroller with politeness and even eating neatly. If he catches you in the act he will write you a ticket! Make sure you take it to the Chamber of Commerce to “pay” your fine!

The positivity does not stop at the end of Buena Vista Street. Follow the White Rabbit down the rabbit hole and over to Hollywood Land and the Mad Hatter’s Tea party! This is a Rave style dance street party with live music and bright flashing lights. Paradise Gardens has a band stand with live music throughout the day. It might be the Ellis Island Boys or Sligo Rag playing. You can’t find out who is playing there until you get there but all the bands are fun. Pacific Warf has live music as well with the Mariachi Deva’s and other groups.

Cars Land has its own excitement! DJ the car comes out with dancers and puts on a show throughout the day. Red waters the flowers and gets guests wet while they get their pictures taken with them. All of Cars Land is revved up and ready to roll!

No matter where you are in DCA you can feel the excitement and energy.

Disney California Adventure 2.0

Disney California Adventure 2.0

DCA has undergone amazing changes over the last five years. From retheming of existing rides and the entrance area to the removal of two rides and the addition of a new one. The Maliboomer and The Golden Dream are gone and Ariel’s Undersea Adventure has taken over the Golden Dream location. World of Color added a nighttime spectacle to keep you into the evening. ElecTronica and now the new Mad Hatter’s Tea Party also added to the nighttime fun. More new daytime shows/entertainment were added to the schedule with Minnie’s Fly School, The Five and Dime show, The Red Car News Boys, Goofy’s Instant Concert Just Add Water along with the bands at the Paradise Gardens Band Stand. Add to the changes the total and retheming of the entrance area to Buena Vista Street from Sunshine Plaza and the addition of Cars Land and it is an amazing transformation. Was it worth the money and the time it took to do it? Did the changes significantly add to the quality of entertainment and add a draw to pull guests in? I say YES!!!

DCA was a part time park. It was a place to go when Disneyland was full, you wanted something a little different for a short time or there was a specific show/ride you wanted to see. Over all the majority of people did not spend more than a few hours in a day there. You could easily see all the highlights and a few of the low spots in one day with a couple of hours to spare to go over to Disneyland.

So is it worth the money to spend a day at DCA? I say YES!! Now DCA has plenty for you to do. The entire park has an overall unifying theme. You are pulled back to the 1920s and into the 1940s depending on where in the park you go. Some areas drift into the 1950s-1960s but still with a touch of the older eras. The Disney Characters that we all know and love are all over the park and in keeping with the theme of the area they are in.

There are more shows and events to see from street jazz shows that just “pop up” on Buena Vista Street to Goofy next to the water directing a concert and water show. The bands of Paradise Gardens are amazing and if you get a chance stop in to listen to the Ellis Island Boys or Sligo Rags! They are just two of the bands that play there. Minnie has her show in Condor Flats across from Soarin’ Over California. There is also some country music near the entrance to Grizzly River Run.

The all new land of DCA, Cars Land is a place out of time. To walk into Cars Land is to walk into Radiator Springs of the movie Cars. The theming if the area is fantastic and the details will take your breath away. The rids are just as good and too much fun to miss. Come on and take a trip down Rout 66.

All of this has been done in the last five years. Over the last five years during construction of all of this I would mostly skip DCA. Now that it is finished I enjoy going there. In fact I spend more time exploring all the new things at DCA right now than I do going DL.

I give DCA 2.0 a huge thumbs up, honk of the horn and I’ll be. It is a place to enjoy all day and late into the night riding rides and seeing shows that will captivate your heart and keep you smiling for days after you go.