Hidden Mickey Adventures in Disney California Adventure - Games, Quest & Challenges

Hidden Mickey Adventures in Disney California Adventure Games Quests Challenges

By Nancy Temple Rodrigue

Do you go to the Disneyland Resort often? Do you enjoy the rides but wish to have something more to do at the parks? How about a Challenge!! Nancy Temple Rodrigue, author of the Hidden Mickey’s Adventures Novels has got some extra Disney fun!!

Hidden Mickey Adventures Games Quests and Challenges has two versions. There is the Disneyland version (that I do not have yet) and a Disney California Adventure version.  These are fun to do as a group or in teams competing against each other. There are 3 types of things to do in the book.

There are questions things like, “What is the 2^nd tip at Luigi’s Flying Tiers. For some of them you need to know a little park history. An example of this is “Wolfgang Puck use to own this.” There are also close up pictures of single letters on signs and you try to find as many of them as possible. You get points for each correct answer in a quest/contest. There are also word searches and crossword puzzles, good for doing while taking a break or standing in line! There are some junior level challenges for kids if they need some easier challenges.

These books make you look at the parks a little differently. Because they ask such specific questions you may be looking more closely at things you just glanced at before. If you don’t know the answer or can’t find something you can always ask a Cast Member. This is a great way to add some fun in a day at the park(s) when you have already gone many times. It is also a good way to learn about the park(s) history and fun details if you have never gone.

All the challenges in the books are designed to be handicapped accessible. There are some places that people with mobility issues can’t go and those are noted in the book. Each quest is marked with notations on handicapped accessibility and level of difficulty.

No matter if you are a first time visitor or an old hand that goes to the park(s) often there is lots of fun to be had in this book and the companion book, “Hidden Mickey Adventures in Disneyland”. Young or old there is some challenge that you can do and something new you may learn.

I’ve done some of the challenges and look forward to completing all of them in time. Looking forward to many fun adventures at Disney California Adventure with this book.

My Christmas book, “An Angel Remembers 25 Voices of Christmas” is available!!

This is a collection of 26 short Christmas stories that together bring the amazing events of Christ’s birth alive. It is my hope that this will help encourage families to spend 10-15 minutes a day together during the busy holiday season remembering the true reason for the season.

You can find it for ALL eReader formats and PDF at:

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/94784

For your Nook the link is:

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/an-angel-remembers-25-voices-of-christmas-carolyn-hoagland/1106912931?ean=2940032802624

It is also available at the iTunes book store and many other ebook seller sites.

The only big site not carrying my book is Amazon.

You can download a Kindle version from Smashwords.com

Once Again I Was Asked, "Why Do You Go to Disneyland So Often?"

Once Again I Was Asked,

“Why Do You Go to Disneyland So Often?”

A couple of weekends ago my husband and I had the pleasure of spending 4 amazing days at the Disneyland Resort. 2 nights we drove home and one we stayed at the Grand Californian Hotel with friends. We had just been to the park less than two weeks before for a day. We do an average of 3 days per month at the parks. Sometimes we do as many as 5 days.

So why do we go so often? It is simple we need to recharge, renew and relax. As the sign above the entrance to Main Street says, “Here you leave the world of Today and enter the worlds of Yesterday, Tomorrow and Fantasy.”

When we step into either Disneyland or Disney California Adventure we leave outside the gates the problems and worries of today and enjoy a few hours of laughter, imagination, hope and whimsy. We are reminded that all things are possible if we believe.

For a few precious hours we give into the childlike part of our hearts and accept that Mickey Mouse, Jose the Bird and even Jack Sparrow are real. We laugh and squeal with delight when Captain Hook shakes his hook in our face after we yell out, “Hook is a Cod Fish” as he goes by in the parade.

All of the ‘play’ reminds us that things in the real world are not that bad. With faith, trust and just a little bit of Pixie Dust (prayer in our case) along with hard work and effort on our part things can be made right.

So when times get hard or our hearts get heavy you will find us at the park. It is a place we have found love, laughter and renewed our strength.

Imagine That!

Imagine That!

While at Disney California Adventure I happened upon a ‘Play Testing' of a new show, Imagine That! We saw the sign and asked what it was about and decided to hang out and check it out.

Play Testing is when they bring a new show out to test it in on live audiences to see how the public like it and see if it will work in real life.

Imagine That is an improve show with 3 actors and 3 Disney animators. When we were there they had 3 animators from Wreck-It Ralph there to help out with the show. When we first entered the preshow room the animators were playing on computers drawing pictures that showed up on screens behind them.

While the animators were drawing and playing a couple of the actors walked around telling us what the show as all about and asking questions. They told us we had to have imagination and be ready to add our thoughts to help write a new story/show. We were asked what was something we really wanted. One lady answered diamond earrings. Then we were asked what was special about the diamonds, what color were they. We answered blue! These were later used in the show.

After the animators drew a few characters then out came our actor/host. He split the group in two. They asked one ½ to design the hero and the other ½ to design the villain. I was in the Villain group! There were no holds barred! We gave the evil villain bat wings, a tutu, army boots, the hobby of ballet and a pet marshmallow with flaming head that spits earwax. As I said there were no limits placed on the imagination! We designed a world called SoccerVill were all the houses were shaped like balls.

After the design we were taken into another room with large screens and a raised stage in front. Our ideas came to life. Our hero that was ½ penguin and ½ monkey and our bat winged bad guy came out to cause trouble! They were acted out without costume.

The adlib was fun the animation was raw but gives a good idea of how the process of making a cartoon works. I’m hoping that Imagine That becomes a staple of the park. It was fun to be part of the creative process and the Play Testing that may one day bring this show to the park.