When this exhibit first opened, there was a line to get in! I can’t remember the last time I had to wait to get in this building

Here is the entire exhibit. It takes up a corner of the building but Innoventions has a lot of room to spare:

And here are the suits up close:

A lot of these pieces are actual props from the movies:

If you look behind the display, each suit will have its code name behind it:

They have some smaller pieces on display also:

Time to Suit up!

On screen, Iron Man responds to your every move so guests let their imagination take over. It was definitely entertaining!

On your way out of the exhibit are some promo posters:

Thanks for reading. See you in the parks!

Tommy Stark

Visiting Disneyland and want the perfect hotel for your family? Look no further than TripAdvisor’s #1 Anaheim Hotel for Families, the Howard Johnson Hotel and Water Playground! Four time award winner in the category “Best Large Hotels & Resorts for Families in the United States“

Hello everybody!  We just wanted to let you know about a Facebook contest we have on our page happening now through May 15, 2013.  You can follow the link below and make sure to like our Facebook page if you haven’t already!

Question: What do you love about visiting Disneyland?

Enter your story for a chance to win a FREE 3-night Disneyland package at Howard Johnson Anaheim Hotel and Water Playground. Be creative – in 75 words or fewer – and share your dreams OR your memories with us!

http://bit.ly/HoJoGiveaway

Good luck!

Our “Strive for 5” commitment is shared by the entire HoJo Anaheim staff. We are also working hard to improve our product to create a delightful experience. Here are a few recent changes we’re working on or have recently completed:

Improvements Completed:

• All 303 rooms have received new new flat panel televisions and tons of family-friendly programming.
• All Buildings 3-6 (Standard double rooms) have been refreshed with new carpet, paint, Disneyland Mary Blair artwork, new lighting and new bathrooms.
• Complete refresh of Buildings 3-6 corridors with new wall coverings, carpet, and lighting.
• Buildings 3-6 Exterior painting.

Improvements Under Way:

• We are over 2/3 complete refreshing our Building 2 rooms with new paint and bathroom fixtures.
• Building 2 Exterior painting and balcony painting.
• Re-landscaping of Building 2 planters.
• Building 1 air conditioning/Heat system replacement of guestroom units for more energy efficiency and noise reduction.

Thank you for making us your home-away-from-home when visiting Disneyland and a top pick on TripAdvisor.com! If you haven’t stayed with us yet, we look very forward to welcoming you to the award winning hospitality of Howard Johnson and the magic of Disney.

See you in the parks!

Visiting Disneyland and want the perfect hotel for your family? Look no further than TripAdvisor’s #1 Anaheim Hotel for Families, the Howard Johnson Hotel & Water Playground! Four time award winner in the category “Best Large Hotels & Resorts for Families in the United States“

With the Happiest Place on Earth right across the street from our hotel, it’s easy to forget that there are other things Anaheim has to offer. I recently had the chance to visit 300 Anaheim with our good friends from MouseWait, and was very impressed with the place. It’s located within the Anaheim GardenWalk entertainment area just a 10-minute walk from the HoJo. Sure, it’s a bowling alley, but they also have pool tables, casual dining, and a full bar!  Not to mention the decor reminds me more of an upscale night-club than a bowling alley.

If bowling isn’t your thing, you can reserve your own pool table

They also have a private room that can be rented out for parties that includes lanes and a dedicated bar

Try not to get distracted by the loud music and the video screens!

Thanks again to our friends at MouseWait for inviting us over and make sure to check out www.300anaheim.com for specials!  See you next time!

Tommy, King of the 7-10 Split!

Visiting Disneyland and want the perfect hotel for your family? Look no further than TripAdvisor’s #1 Anaheim Hotel for Families, the Howard Johnson Hotel & Water Playground! 2012 award winner in the category “Best Large Hotels & Resorts for Families in the United States -2012“

Hello again!  The always-changing Blue Sky Cellar has something new for you all.  I still remember the day I was writing about the closing of Carnation Plaza Gardens, and now we are weeks away from revealing what will take its place.  The Fantasy Faire is set to open it’s doors March 12, and I got the chance to take some photos of the preview center at the Blue Sky Cellar.  Enjoy!

The imagineering process is broken down, and the guests are taken through the creative process.  Step 1 is Research.  They have some great vintage photos on this board from when the park opened in 1955.  It’s amazing to see how much the park has changed since then!

Step 2 is the Blue Sky process, where the imagineers share all the ideas they have without limitations to see what the possibilities for their new project might be:

Next comes the Concept.  The ideas are narrowed down, and the vision becomes a little bit clearer.

Then there is Feasibility.  It’s almost like a reality check of sorts.  Ideas get even more refined and polished as they are nearing the final stages.  There is so much attention to detail that goes on throughout the whole process, it’s really fascinating to see how it all comes together when it’s finished.

Finally, Step 5 is Implementation.  Since Disneyland is always changing, attractions are always replaced.  One nice thing that the Imagineers do is they pay homage to what was there before, like the Eeyore parking lot sign in the queue of the Indiana Jones attraction.  From what this board suggests, there will be a medallion on a tower that will pay tribute to the Carnation Plaza Gardens.

Here is a Sample wall that was used to determine the look and finish of the facades

There is also a scale model of what the Fantasy Faire will look like once completed

Finally here’s a picture of the actual Fantasy Faire under construction:

That’s it for today folks!  Thanks for stopping by!

Tommy