Thanks, once again, to Deb at Focused on the Magic for hosting this week’s Disney Wordless Wednesday Blog Hop!  This week’s theme is especially close to my heart, as it recalls the very essence of Disney Magic… Walt Disney and his dream for family entertainment and Disneyland.  I snapped both of these shots during my last trip to Disneyland using the Hipstamatic app on my iPhone.  The first is of a diorama of Disneyland that sits in the lobby of Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln.  This display has been around Disneyland for a long time and I have always cherished the little cut-out of Walt from the classic picture of him walking through the castle into Fantasyland.  The second is also in the Opera House lobby and is said to be the bench that Walt was sitting on, as he watched his daughters enjoy an amusement park when he came up with his grand idea from a theme park where families could have fun together.

* Click on the images for a larger view.*

Several years ago, Disneyland started selling rare audio CDs at the 20th Century Music Company on Main Street.  I was lucky enough to pick up quite a few of these CD gems, but one definitely stood out as my favorite… Walt Takes You to Disneyland.

This album features audio of Walt as he takes you on a tour of Disneyland, working his way around the “spokes” of The Hub, and bits of music reminiscent of each land on the Disneyland map.  I love listening to Walt passionately describe each piece of his Park.

In this digital age of music, the CDs are no longer available in Disneyland, but, fortunately, Disney has released several of these albums on iTunes, including Walt Takes You to Disneyland.  You won’t be disappointed with this purchase!

The World of Color Dining Package is a Prix Fixe meal that comes with three courses and admission to a special Dining Package viewing area at that evening’s presentation of World of Color at Disney California Adventure.  While the viewing area is a great perk, the best part of this meal might just be the dessert platter… Tiramisu, macaroons, and chocolate cake… oh my!

Thanks to Deb at Focused on the Magic for hosting another great Disney Wordless Wednesday blog hop!  Stop by Focused on the Magic to see all of the Disney treats along the trail of this week’s hop.

Its finally the day when Grim Grinning Ghosts dress up like little kids and parade themselves through otherwise peaceful neighborhoods, stirring up mischief and mayhem wherever they roam… This is Halloween!

Before the Trick or Treaters are at your doorstep, here are a few fun tips for bringing the Magic of a Disneyland Halloween home for spooky spirits everywhere.

Nothing says Halloween like a few well placed, spooky Vinylmation figures. Break out your Holiday series ghosts and ghouls, some Nightmare Before Christmas pieces, and a few of your favorite villains and sprinkle them among your holiday decor. Youre guaranteed a magical evening of Halloween festivities when these guys join the fun!

Some balloons with an ambient spotlight illuminating them from below is sure to be reminiscent of the bright and colorful balloons floating through the night sky at the Park.

The best Disneyland-ified movie for some spooky Halloween viewing?  The Tower or Terror of course!  Yes, it is terribly corny, and surely not the world’s best movie production, but it is lots of fun, and a great guilty pleasure for Halloween movie watching.  And, don’t forget the very inspiration for Haunted Mansion Holiday, the one and only Nightmare Before Christmas.  While defintely more macbre than it’s theme park ride counterpart, Nightmare is a fun holiday film, and I think it is really cool that both Disney and Tim Burton can reach out of their comfort zone and entertain audiences that they otherwise might not reach.

Finally, if you need some pumpkin carving ideas look no farther than your favorite Disney character. I love finding characters that would normally be lit up like the Cheshire Cats smiling face or Blaze from the Tinker Bell movies. These jack olanterns always remind me of the character pumpkins surrounding the Partners statue in the Hub.

Most importantly have a fun, safe, and Magical Halloween!

Lest any rogue spirits come creeping in the night, The Pumpkin King stands guard, each year, over the festivities at Haunted Mansion Holiday…

Sometimes you just have to bring the Magic home… like when you’re 1,000 miles from the closest Magic!  There’s a wonderful Christmas shop right by my house that has a whole room of villages displayed.  There is, of course, a Mickey Christmas village, but this year there was a little Halloween treat added as well.  Mickey’s Halloween Castle features a “flying” Mickey and lots of ghouls and goblins.  There are even children figures dressed up in their favorite Disney character costumes.  Such a fun little reminder of the fun there is to be had at the Parks during the Halloween season!

Lurking on the hillside above a haunted antebellum mansion are a sea of menacing Jack O’Lanterns, their eerie faces smiling down on the unsuspecting crowds below.  What forgotten Gracey family secrets are they hiding?  And what Nightmarish Halloween stories have they caught floating on a fall breeze from the mansion below?

When the winds of Halloween start blowing through the tumbleweeds of Disneyland’s Frontierland, a rather unsuspecting oak tree becomes The Halloween Tree.  Adorned with loads of twinkling orange lights and piles of pumpkins, the Halloween Tree was the brain child of Ray Bradbury… a plaque under the tree reads:

On the night of Halloween 2007 this stately oak officially became

The Halloween Tree

Realizing famed author Ray Bradbury’s dream of having his symbol for the Holiday become a part of Disneyland.

Day two of the Rays of Disneyland Halloween photo special takes us back to the west coast and right to Disneyland Resort’s World of Disney.  This awesome treehouse sat in the entry to the store from the time it opened until just a year or two ago when the plush room was remodeled.  The centerpiece featured a treehouse belonging to Mickey’s nephews, Morty and Ferdy.  Morty and Ferdy were always dressed for the season and their treehouse was decorately appropriately.  I loved this Halloween incarnation, which featured the two young mice dressed as ghosts, complete with sheets, hanging orange lights in the tree.

Thanks once again to Deb at Focused on the Magic for hosting this week’s Disney Wordless Wednesday blog hop!  Be sure to check out the other great Wordless Wednesday posts and tell them Rays of Disneyland sent you!

Welcome to a Disney Photo Halloween on Rays of Disneyland!  I’m celebrating seven days of my favorite spook-tacular Disney pictures, all leading up to a “not-so-scary,” Rays of Disneyland style Halloween Party next week!

Day One of this Disney Photo Halloween haunt actually takes us about 3,000 miles from Disneyland to its east coast counterpart, Walt Disney World and a single gravestone situated just outside the entrance to a stately manor on a hill.  But a warning is rightly bestoyed on any who would be brave enough to look into wise Leota’s eyes…