Thanks to Focused on the Magic for hosting today’s Disney Wordless Wednesday Blog Hop!  Today’s theme is Hats and what better hats to show off than the ones the Disneyland Band wears?  I love getting to Disneyland just as they are opening the gates and having the band welcome me into the park.

Thanks again to Deb at Focused on the Magic for hosting another great Disney Wordless Wednesday Blog Hop!  This week’s theme is Disney Icons, so be sure to stop by the hop and check out all of the great iconic images!

The volume of amazing, fun, and fabulous things to be found on Pinterest continues to astound me… maybe that’s why I spend just a little more time on the site than I should. 😉  With all of those “pins” to be discovered, it’s no wonder that there is no shortage of wonderful Disney moments to fill multiple “pin boards.”

Clockwise from top left… This week, I remembered how much I loved Kitchen Kabaret at Epcot, which couldn’t have happened at a better time, as I just used my long saved Christmas giftcard to buy the Vinylmation six-figure set that depicts characters from that beloved show.  Speaking of Epcot, I also found a phenomenal shot of Spaceship Earth at night.  I also found a fabulous children’s book illustration depicting It’s a Small World at Disneyland.  Plus, a beautiful shot of the new fountain on Buena Vista Street in California Adventure, helped me get excited for the renovations to be done on this Park this summer!  That does it for the best of the best of Disney on Pinterest last week, but happy pinning in the week to come! 🙂

*Please be sure to click on the links in the above text to visit the original sources for the images that appear below.*

"Veggie, fruit, fruit... veggie, veggie, fruit, fruit!"

Spaceship Earth at Night

It's a Small World IllustrationÂ

Buena Vista Street

Long before Tarzan ruled the jungles of Adventureland, another family called this exotic locale home.  From 1962-1999 the Swiss Family Robinson opened their treehouse home for the Disneyland masses to experience.  In 1999, however, the treehouse received a complete makeover to align with the release of Disney’s newest animated film, Tarzan.  Thankfully, the Robinson’s live on in Walt Disney World’s Adventureland, but it’s simplistic charm is lost forever in Walt’s original park.

I loved the Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse.  I have loved the film since I was very young, and being able to walk through their “real” home fascinated me.  There was something much more lush and beautiful about the Treehouse before Tarzan took over.  I still like to meander up the wandering stairs of Tarzan’s home – particuarly to take pictures of the Park from that height and perspective – but it’s definitely not the same.

I remember, as a kid, being amazed by the clever “appliances” in the Swiss Family Treehouse… like the running water system that carried bucketfuls of water up to the rooms from a stream running below.  I also remember lush greenery and vibrant flowers that seemed a natural fit in places like Mother and Father’s room and the always intriguing library.  A few random shots from early visits to Disneyland are my forever memories of this mesmerizing attraction.

Thanks to Deb at Focused on the Magic for hosting today’s

Thanks to Deb at Focused on the Magic for hosting today’s Disney Wordless Wednesday Blog Hop! Today’s theme is Frontierland, and this is one of my favorite images of this western land.  Rancho del Zocalo is always overflowing with bougainvillea and is a welcome burst of life amid the arid desert.  Be sure to stop by Focused on the Magic and check out all of the rootin’ tootin’ pictures today!

Thanks to Focused on the Magic for hosting today’s Disney Wordless Wednesday, with the awesome theme of Disney flowers and gardens!  I had a really hard time picking just one picture to feature today because I love the flowers at Disneyland so much!  But, this photo from Pixie Hollow showcases my favorite Disney “garden” ever…

*Thanks to Focused on the Magic for hosting the Flashback Friday Blog Hop! Be sure to stop by and see all of the great posts!*

If you were walking through the winding streets of New Orleans Square anytime in the past 45 years or so, you probably heard the sweet strains of a Jazz guitar floating through the Disneyland air.  If your travels took you back to the Court des Anges or the Ornament Magique, you likely would have seen Ernie McLean, quietly sitting on a stool, playing that guitar.

When I read the news last night on Twitter that Ernie had passed away, I cried.  Ernie was the last cast member hired by Walt himself.  But, more importantly, Ernie was the spirit of Disneyland.

He was nostalgia, he was simplicity in the details, he was taking the time to take a break from the crowds and sit on a park bench listening to Jazz.  No matter how limited my amount of time in the parks was, I always took a few minutes to just be still and listen to Ernie.

I’m going to miss seeing him in Disneyland so much.  I will miss his beautiful music, and his sweet smile, and his willingness to oblige any guest with a photo or special song.

A couple of years ago, when I was celebrating my birthday in the Park, I was listening to Ernie in my birthday Mickey Mouse ears.  Ernie saw me and motioned for me to come closer.  He wished me Happy Birthday, then played the birthday song for me on his guitar.  It is probably the sweetest birthday memory I have from that trip.

So, it is with a heavy heart today that I say farewell to Ernie… thanks for making those moments in New Orleans Square some of the best memories I have of Disneyland.

Thanks to Deb at Focused on the Magic for hosting today’s Disney Wordless Wednesday Blog Hop!  Today’s theme is Disney Details, so be sure to stop by the hop and see all those little things that enhance the Magic.  One of my favorite Disney Details is the Enchanted Tiki Room pre-show.  I love that it has remained basically unchanged since the show opened in 1963.  It’s one of those fully immersive experiences that sometimes get glossed over in a modern world.  So, sit back with your Dole Whip and let the island Magic drift you away to a land of “Tiki Gods and Goddesses” with flaming heads and raining hats.

From football, to crafts, to history, and art, Pinterest continues to overflow with amazing Disney imagery and memories.  There aren’t too many things that were more exciting for me than seeing Tim Tebow and Minnie Mouse together in a parade, call it “A fangirl’s worlds collide! ” 😀  I also loved discovering amazing Disney miniatures made by MUFFA Miniatures.

Tim Tebow rides with Minnie Mouse in a Hollywood Studios Parade at Walt Disney World

A fully jointed, miniature Eeyore, measuring just 9 mm from head to tail!

From Pinterest - "walt disney turned his hat into bronze after shaping it's top into a heart for his wife..now the hat is in the Walt Disney Family Museum San Francisco"

An artist's rendering of Neverland

Thanks to Focused on the Magic for hosting this week’s Disney Wordless Wednesday Blog Hop! Be sure to stop by Focused on the Magic and check out all of the great photos.  My picture this week is from the 2009 D23 Expo.  This amazing wall surrounded the Disney Parks Pavilion and featured just about every attraction poster you could imagine.  The posters spanned the entire history of the Parks, as well as Parks from around the world.  I loved how the colors popped right off the wall and the collage had a great dimension to it.