My head might explode over the news of a Haunted Mansion movie reboot and all the cool Tron news coming out of Comic-Con 2010. At the Tron panel, those lucky enough to attend and get in were treated to 8 minutes from the movie and the first full trailer of the film. I have to say I am pretty excited to see Tron Legacy and I am not a huge fan of the original film so that is saying something. Most exciting is the fact that it was filmed in 3D so there is no post production attempt at turning it into 3D because that never looks good to me. If you are going to have a 3D film then at least shoot it in 3D. Tron Legacy opens on December 17, 2010 which seems really far away. ComingSoon.net has the trailer, press conference news, and pictures about the Tron Legacy Scavenger Hunt at Comic-Con.

I am way more excited about the new Haunted Mansion film reboot. It is one of my favorite rides at both Disney World and Disneyland. I’m simply addicted to the ride. So I hated the first Haunted Mansion film with Eddie Murphy. It was terrible in every way! I was incredibly disappointed so to hear that they are going to reboot it with one of my favorite director’s is amazing news. Guillermo del Toro has signed onto co-write and produce only at this point. So while he will not be directing he is a huge fan of the ride and plans to make it scary like it should be. The story will focus and follow the Hatbox Ghost as the villain of the story.

For more reading on the upcoming Haunted Mansion film The Hollywood Reporter has an exclusive Q&A with Guillermo del Toro, ComingSoon.net has some info, and ShockTilYouDrop.com is where you can see a hi-res picture of the above concept art for the film.

Last but not least. Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides in 3D comes out May 20, 2011. Sounds interesting and if it is anything like the first Pirates film then I will be happy. The second and third ones were not quite as good. I’m still excited to see it because Johnny Depp is just so wonderful as Captain Jack Sparrow. There was a small teaser for Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides with Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow which you can view at ComingSoon.net. It isn’t the best quality but it was interesting and cute to see. Disney has also released a synopsis for the film:

“Produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and directed by Rob Marshall, “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides” captures the fun, adventure and humor that ignited the hit franchise—this time in Disney Digital 3D™. Johnny Depp returns to his iconic role of Captain Jack Sparrow in an action-packed tale of truth, betrayal, youth and demise.  When Jack crosses paths with a woman from his past (Penelope Cruz), he’s not sure if it’s love—or if she’s a ruthless con artist who’s using him to find the fabled Fountain of Youth. When she forces him aboard the Queen Anne’s Revenge, the ship of the formidable pirate Blackbeard (Ian McShane), Jack finds himself on an unexpected adventure in which he doesn’t know who to fear more:  Blackbeard or the woman from his past.

The international cast includes franchise vets Geoffrey Rush as the vengeful Captain Hector Barbossa, and Kevin R. McNally as Captain Jack’s longtime comrade Joshamee Gibbs, plus Sam Claflin as a stalwart missionary and Astrid Berges-Frisbey as a mysterious mermaid.  In theaters Memorial Day weekend, 2011.”

After breakfast we went to see The Twilight Saga: Eclipse. Yes I am a girl and yes I had to see it. Team Edward! Ok moving along…it was a nice rest because our feet were killing us from the previous two days. By the way the theater at Downtown Disney is an AMC and probably the most empty theater you could have watched Eclipse in on Wednesday. There were like 12 people. It must be mostly a tourist theater. Plus it was not the nicest theater. It certainly looked pretty worn and they had trouble getting the sound to work, thankfully this was resolved during the trailers.

After the movie the movie we headed over to California Adventure to have our World of Color picnic meal. Your only way into the show that I am aware of is with a Fast Pass ticket or a ticket that comes with the Picnic Meals or one of the other World of Color dining plans at Ariel’s Grotto or Wine Country Trattoria. Fast Passes are available next to Grizzly River Run.

I ordered them online before we got here and then we picked up the meal next to Wine Country Trattoria. I do believe you can just walk up and buy the meals because we saw some people doing it. The meals cost $14.99 and ours came with a bottled soda. They have lots of different choices. We chose the Mediterranean Vegetarian Meal which we picked because it came with a Lemon Layer Cake. We love dessert and that cake was yummy. The food was good and it is a good option for wanting to see World of Color and getting a good spot. You can pick your meal up starting at around 11 a.m., at least that is what we were told by the cast member who checked us in and we got there at noon and everything was ready. With each meal you get a special World of Color reusable bag made from plastic bottles. Now I don’t have to buy a World of Color souvenir. We were given our tickets for the show when we picked up the meal. We got the yellow section and all the dinner plan tickets are for the 9 p.m. show only.

After lunch we wandered around and took some photos. Then we headed over and watched Aladdin which was probably the best stage show I have ever seen in either Disneyland or in Walt Disney World. I would say it was almost Broadway quality and it is about a 45 minute show. I highly recommend it if you are planning to visit California Adventure. I have read rumors of it being replaced with something else and what a shame because it is such a good show. The Genie was awesome and a real crowd pleaser. Loved his Twilight dig at a sparkly Edward.

We had dinner at Taste Pilots’ Grill. It was quick place but the food was good. I had the chicken sandwich and Bobby had a burger. I have found the quick eateries to have slightly better tasting food than those that are Disney World but Disney World wins when it comes to table service dining. I was disappointed with The Blue Bayou so maybe I am being unfair since it has been the only table service restaurant we have eaten at.

We came back to the room and rested a bit. Then we walked a little around Downtown Disney but it was getting crowded so we headed back to California Adventure to get ready for World of Color.

World of Color. A really beautiful show. We both really enjoyed it but the two hours of standing was killer. On our ticket it says to show up at 7:30 p.m. but we decided to go on over earlier and boy are we glad we did because when we arrived there was a wall of people just standing in front of the area waiting to be let in. They really should have organized it better. No lines or anything just a huge group waiting to run through at the first opportunity. People were confused and a couple of ladies almost got into an argument. It was really crazy.

So of course when they finally moved the gates away and let people through, they ran and pushed. People were desperate for the perfect spot. I mean good grief people, there is no reason to push others and run while nearly knocking someone down in the process just to see a show. I was worried for this elderly couple and they told me they were worried as well. I hope they were ok and not stampeded. So after they let everyone through people ran to their color sections. We survived and made it to our yellow section. We were lucky and found the very last spot at the railing next to a light post. There was a guy there saving space for three other people who were not yet there but he let us have the one small part on the end. It was nice of him.

So there are no benches other than some in the small handicap section and then there are not that many even for the handicap. It really is standing room only. Of course everyone plopped down on the ground as soon as they had claimed their spot. I was going to sit but people were lounging and sitting so close there was no room left to sit and they don’t let you sit for long. They want to fit as many people as they can in the section so they will eventually tell you to get up and move forward to make way for others. At least they told us that in the yellow section. The center section which I think was blue sat the whole time until showtime. Weird. They could have paid for the more expensive dinners. Who knows. So yea we stood for 2 hours. Our feet were killing us. So keep that in mind when planning to see this show, take it easy earlier on in the day if you don’t want sore feet.

At 830 they put on a very weak attempt to entertain people before the actual show got started at 9. They brought a couple of performers out to pump the crowd up and had some large lighted Disney character puppets to represent each section. Not much to it really. Finally the actual show started. I really liked the show. Was it super duper awesome? No, but it was good and I enjoyed that is was different. It is a nice celebration of some classic Disney films. You will get wet if you are right on the water and we were a little ways back and we still got a good bit of water blown our way which can impede video and picture taking.

Would we do it again? Sure but maybe wait awhile and hope they can learn to organize the crowds better. I am glad that we did it. I recommend it. We did hear a cast member telling someone who was a local that the 11 p.m. show was not as crowded as the earlier ones. I can not confirm this though but he might be right. Our show still had some room and was not completely packed and we got in a timely manner but we didn’t have far to go to the resort. After all that it was time for bed and to ask our feet to forgive us for the pain we inflicted on them. Note: all World of Color photos were taken with my iPhone 4. It is awesome.

Then it was on to Space Mountain which I think was great. Love the side by side seating instead of the rocket cars at Space Mountain in Disney World which can be hard to get in. It starts out slow and then it feels like it gets faster and faster as the ride progresses. It was a nice smooth ride and the retro music they play is at a nice level and is not loud or annoying. I like it better in Disneyland than in Disney World.

Next up was Matterhorn Bobsleds over in Fantasyland. This is a classic ride and it feels like a classic in that it is old, bumpy, and jerky. I wanted to like this one but I just found it too rough. We each rode alone because it looked really uncomfortable when sitting two in the same seat. Seeing as it is so jerky and bumpy, there would lots of head bumping when riding two adults in one seat. It was worth doing once but if I want to see a yeti I will head to Animal Kingdom and ride my favorite ride, Expedition Everest.

Next up was It’s a Small World and I thought it was done much better than in Disney World but our boat leaned over to the right pretty bad. All the adults were sitting on that side leaving mostly kids in the left. Kind of weird but I bet it happens a lot. A liked how Disney characters were worked into their respective countries. I know some don’t like that but I thought it was fun and I loved seeing some of my favorite characters in a ride I don’t like to do that often. Makes me want to ride it more than before.

We then checked out Toontown because it opens at 9 a.m. and we timed it just right at opening so we were able to hope right on Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin. Not much to say about this ride. It was cool seeing a character that is not really represented in Disney World and I loved the movie but the ride was just ok. You ride in a yellow taxi like the one from the movie and it has a wheel that you can spin as you weave through the scenes. Our car didn’t really spin much so maybe it was broken. Toontown is pretty cute and themed much better than the version in Disney World that will soon be going bye bye for the Fantasyland expansion.

Onto Frontierland where we rode Big Thunder Mountain Railroad which is one of my favorite rides in Disney World. It is now one of my favorite rides in Disneyland as well and I loved it! There a few differences but nothing major and I just love them both equally. I will say I love the boulder scene better in Disneyland and the wolves and turtles you pass as you zip through the mountain. It’s just a great ride.

Another favorite of mine was Pirates of the Caribbean which is so much better in Disneyland. I loved it! The first time we rode it the people in front must have taken hundreds of flash pictures. Why must people do that? I left the ride with a headache from the several flashes. But thankfully we rode it a second time tonight and no flash picture taking and it was perfect. Dark rides are always better at night cause you can make out all the details and Pirates has lots of great details.

We had lunch at The Blue Bayou. The food was just ok. Not worth the price but I am sure most of what you are paying for is eating inside next to the Pirates of the Caribbean ride. It is very dark and you really can not make out what you are eating. I am glad we did it at least once. I don’t think we will be going back.

After lunch we went back to the room to rest. Then we wandered over to California Adventure to take some pictures before dinner. We did ride Mickey’s Fun Wheel. We rode in the non-swinging side. It was fun and some great views. That was about all we did. We had to run over to Disneyland for our reservations at Big Thunder Ranch Barbecue. This is an all you care to eat meal served on picnic tables with some country music entertainment. They served barbecue chicken, ribs, sausages, corn on the cob, beans, coleslaw, and cornbread. Drinks and dessert are nit included which was disappointing for the price. It was good. Nothing too special really.

After dinner we were going to watch the fireworks but our feet were and still are killing us so we decided to head on back to the room. Tomorrow we have our picnic dinner that gets us reserved seating at the World of Color. We are pretty excited about seeing the show and we are going to try and get video of it. We were told earlier today by a cast member that we would probably get a little wet so hopefully that will nit hinder video taking. Ok long blog but it was a long day. Hope you all are enjoying the reports. Oh, pictures will be in a separate post later. More technical difficulties.

Then it was onto get lunch. This is my first time here and I have to say it is very different from what I am used to in Walt Disney World. What is nice about staying at The Grand Californian Resort is it’s location to to California Adventure, which has it’s on entrance into the park and a quick walk through Downtown Disney will take you to Disneyland. We love it.

We ate at Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen Express. I had the chicken fingers and cajun french fries. I was not impressed at all and didn’t finish mine. There was not much Cajun about it. I hope the table service restaurant is better than the quick service.

Next is was onto Disneyland. No finger scanners here. We took our temporary annual passes to get in and they just scanned it with a barcode gun. The best part is the chiming which sounds like Tinkerbell is scanning your ticket. Really cute and much more fun than a finger scan and quicker too. Here they put your picture on your annual pass so we had to go to the Plaza Pavilion to get our picture done and get our real pass. Later when we went back in we saw our picture blown up on their screen when they scan your ticket. Different but kind of cool. No one else can use it but you.

It was overcast most of today but did clear out later in the day. It was pretty crowded and felt congested in a lot of areas. We rode Winnie the Pooh, Haunted Mansion, Indiana Jones, Disneyland Railroad, and Tarzan Treehouse. My take: Winnie the Pooh was better here, torn in my decision about Haunted Mansion…I did love the Madam Leota effect better here than in WDW, Indiana Jones ride is not in WDW but is like Dinosaur at Animal Kingdom but I thought it was much smoother than Dinosaur and I loved it, Disneyland Railroad was very cool with additional scenes of the Grand Canyon and Dinosaurs that is no in WDW – I liked it, and we both thought Tarzan’s Treehouse was better than the Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse in WDW and is interactive.

We had dinner at Rancho del Zocalo which we really liked. The enchiladas were good but the burritos not so much. After dinner we headed out through California Adventure to head back to our room and just to check it out. We didn’t ride anything. And now I am exhausted and going to sleep. Early start tomorrow at Disneyland. Sorry for any errors. I will fix them tomorrow. Goodnight from Disneyland.

Tron monorail running on the Epcot monorail line.

Disney’s new “Tron Legacy” film doesn’t come out until December but there is already lots of Tron news. First up the Disney Parks Blog released the first picture of the new Tron themed monorails that are now running on the Epcot monorail line in Walt Disney World. Thanks as well to distantcreations.com for their photos and video of the monorails. Collider.com visited the set of “Tron Legacy” and are giving us part 1 of their trip (Note: their is some bad language in the video, so take care if you don’t want your kids to hear them). Slashfilm.com also has a set visit and interview with Tron creator Steven Lisberger. And last but not least if you are looking for some Tron merchandise, look no further than DisneyStore.com. It’s about time there was some merchandise out there and I bet we will start seeing much more closer to the film’s release.  All this and the film doesn’t come out until December. I am sure we will be seeing much more in the coming months.