The Disneyland Book of Secrets 2014: One Local's Unauthorized, Rapturous and Indispensable Guide to the Happiest Places on Earth (206 page)

Red Car Trolleys
, half-sized replicas of L.A.’s famous
Big Red Cars
, now ply the streets of this district, finally bringing mass transportation to the park, if only for
Buena Vista Street
and
Hollywood Land
.

Instead of an impressive but thematically irrelevant sun sculpture, the hub of
Buena Vista Street
is graced by a recreation of Hollywood’s famed
Carthay Circle Theatre
, where
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
premiered in 1937.

Walt
always demanded true artistry, heart, excellence, and class in all
Disney
creations, and that’s what
Buena Vista Street
has brought to
DCA
.  The transformation was imperative, and Guests, as well as Cast Members, absolutely love it.

At the same time, part of me miss
es
Sunshine Plaza
.  And I’m not alone.  In a non-
Disney
park, its whimsical vibrancy would’ve been a kick, the way it captured Southern California’s energy, its fun, its endearing–and enduring–blindness and tone-deafness when it comes to taste.

L
ike millions of Guests, I love
Buena Vista Street
.  But I’ll never forget
Sunshine Plaza
, its vivid colors and oversized images and the California tunes looping over the hidden speakers, songs like “California, Here I Come,” “Avalon,” “San Fernando Valley,” “I Left My Heart in San Francisco,” “California Dreamin’,” “Little Old Lady from Pasadena,” and, of course, “I Love L.A.”

Goodbye,
Sunshine Plaza
… Long live
Buena Vista Street
!

Sunshine Plaza A
menities

Guest Services

[
FastView:
 
Defunct.
 
Now the
Chamber of Commerce
.  Presented for historical interest.
]

Sunshine Plaza
was the land people hurried through, where arriving Guests met, grabbed a coffee, and made their plans for the day, and where they shopped for last-minute souvenirs at the end of the night.  Aside from the now-defunct metal sun sculpture and the wave pool below it, and the
Monorail
occasionally zipping over the
faux
Golden State Bridge,
Sunshine Plaza
didn’t offer much to see.

Just as
Disneyland Park
’s
Town Square
area offers basic amenities like
ATMs
,
Lockers
,
Pay Phones
, and
Rest Rooms
–amenities Guests might want available immediately upon entering, or prior to leaving, the park–
DCA
had its own complex of
ATMs
,
Lockers
,
Pay Phones
, and
Rest Rooms
on the west side of
Sunshine Plaza
, between the entrance turnstiles and
Engine Ears Toys
.

Disneyland
’s
Town Square
has a
City Hall
that visibly and proudly serves as the
Guest Services
center for the park.  A tall, handsome brick building hung with patriotic red-white-and-blue bunting, it’s a beacon for Guests that have questions or special issues, want to make a complaint or praise particularly good service, or want to obtain
Disney Dollars
, the resort’s colorful,
pixie-dusted
official currency.

It makes sense, since
DCA
is technically a separate
Disney Theme Park
, that
DCA
would have its own
Guest Services
center conveniently located in
Sunshine Plaza
near its entrance turnstiles.  And it did.  But in complete contrast to
Disneyland
’s highly visible and welcoming
City Hall
,
DCA
’s
Guest Services
in
Sunshine Plaza
was tucked away off the beaten path on the east side of the entrance corridor.  And
Guest Services
in
Sunshine Plaza
were never as friendly as they were on
Main Street
.

The author is
happy to report that since
Sunshine Plaza
has been recreateded as
Buena Vista Street
, the new
Guest Services
center in the
Chamber of Commerce
is more visible to Guests, and offers warmth, engagement, and service with a smile.

Sunshine Plaza Attractions

Glow Fest/ElecTRONica

[
FastView:
 
Defunct.
 
Now the
Mad T Party
.  Presented for historical interest.
]

Although parades began and ended in
Sunshine Plaza
, the district had never hosted any attractions or shows of its own until
Glow Fest
was unveiled as part of
Summer Nightastic!
on June 11, 2010.  On summer evenings at 6:15 pm, Guests gathered around a large, colorfully decorated stage below the district’s
Sun Sculpture
and watched a variety of performers that included percussionists and Bollywood dancers.  Lights glowed and emcees kept the crowd enthusiastic.

At 8:15
pm, when it was growing dark,
Glow Fest
transitioned from
Sunshine Plaza
to the adjacent
Hollywood Pictures Backlot
, for more lights, DJ-mixed music, and a rave-like (but still family-friendly) street party where dancers performed and alcoholic beverages were served.

Glow Fest
was delightful fun in both locations, but if you had small children, you might have opted for the first half of the show in
Sunshine Plaza
rather than the more teen-and-young-adult-focused
Hollywood Pictures Backlot
segment.  There was plenty of security, and Guests were reasonably well-behaved in
Hollywood Pictures Backlot
, but even so it was a more grown-up environment than the
Sunshine Plaza
show.

ElecTRONica
, which temporarily replaced
Glow Fest
in winter 2010-2011, added a hip, high-tech overlay that was themed to
Disney
’s 2010 live-action sci-fi film
TRON:  Legacy
.

And when
Sunshine Plaza
finally gave way to
Buena Vista Street
in summer 2012, wonderful new shows were introduced to
DCA’
s entrance land:
Five & Dime
, and the
Red Car News Boys
, polished, family-friendly shows.  The outstanding new nighttime rave, the
Mad T Party
, is confined to
Hollywood Land
.  
Did You Know?
 
Sunshine Plaza
often hosted limited-engagement events, for example, holiday-themed character meetings. 
Buena Vista Street
continues this tradition with holiday entertainment like the
Buena Vista Street Community Bell Ringers
. 
FastPass:
  No. 
Glow Fest/ElecTRONica
was open to all Guests between 6:15 pm and park closing, and there was plenty of capacity in both
Sunshine Plaza
and the
Hollywood Pictures Backlot
to accommodate all Guests who wished to attend.

Sunshine Plaza Gear and Grub

Gear:

Engine Ears Toys

[
FastView:
 
Defunct.  Now the site of
Trolley Treats
, among other shops.  Presented for historical information.
]

Some of the best things about
Sunshine Plaza
were its eateries and stores.  There were only a couple of each, but they were winners. They were all radically transformed when the district was completely rebuilt as
Buena Vista Street
, a glorious Art Deco dream of 1920’s & ‘30’s Los Angeles.

I had
hoped that the quality merchandise and delicious food and beverages of the
Sunshine Plaza
shops and eateries would be matched by the new
Buena Vista Street
shops and eateries.  As it transpired,
Buena Vista Street
’s stores and restaurants surpass and outclass those of
Sunshine Plaza
in every way.

Engine Ears Toys
was a big, colorful
Disney
toy store just south of the
ATM
-
Locker
-
Rest Room
complex.  Few mourn the destruction of its cartoonish eastern exterior, but its interior was a blast, and worth recalling.

Kids of all ages, from one to 100+, spent happy times in this spacious store, with its shelves of
Disney
storybooks, art sets, plush dolls, action figures, CDs, DVDs, and toys.  Many parents bought baby’s first
Disney
T-shirt here–it was one of the places in the park that sold infant-sized clothing. 
Star Wars
fans could peruse an outstanding selection of high-quality light sabers and
Star Wars
toys. 
Cars
fans were on cloud nine with all of the
Cars
toys and knick-knacks available.  (Of course, now
Cars
fans are
beyond
cloud nine with an entire land (
Cars Land
) at their disposal.)

If you w
anted to build your own
Mr. Potato Head
, you could do so at
Engine Ears Toys
.  There was a
Build-Your-Own-Mr.-Potato-Head
station at the western end of the shop, the area that was housed in the gleaming
California Zephyr
train car called the
Silver Crescent
.  You could stuff the potato body with as many plastic arms, legs, ears, and accessories as you could fit into the same box, and took it home for $19.95.

Like board games?  You
found fun and clever
Disney
novelty games here, everything from
Villains Monopoly
to
Disney Theme Park Candyland
to
Haunted Mansion Life
.

Engine Ears Toys
was a
DCA
store where you could check your purchases.  Didn’t want to carry bags of board games, light sabers, and
Mr. Potato Heads
around the park?  You just checked them here and picked them up before you left the park for the day.

Cast Members
at
Engine Ears Toys
were typically attentive and fun, often demonstrating the latest amusing toy or gadget.  If you had kids–or were a kid–and you were visiting
DCA
, you always made sure to stop at
Engine Ear Toys
. 
Did You Know?
  The name
Engine Ears Toys
was obviously a reference to mouse ears (as in
Mickey Mouse
) and trains. 
Walt
was a life-long train buff.  When he was a teenager he sold newspapers and candy on trains.  As an adult, he built a miniature railroad line, the
Carolwood Pacific
, in his backyard. 
Disneyland Park
gave him a forum for a serious narrow-gauge line, the
Disneyland Railroad
, and other, smaller trains within the park, including the
Casey Jr. Circus Train
in
Fantasyland
and the tiny toy train that circles part of the
Emporium
on
Main Street
. 
Sunshine Plaza
’s northwest edge featured three linked
California Zephyr
train cars.  Those sleek silver conveyances were elements of
Sunshine Plaza
that
Walt
probably would’ve liked.  Part of
Engine Ears Toys
was housed in the
Silver Crescent
; when you looked up you saw domed observation windows that, back in the day, allowed travelers to view the landscapes they passed through as the train raced along at speeds sometimes exceeding one-hundred miles per hour.
Did You Know?
 
Engine Ears Toys
was replaced by the charming
Trolley Treats
and
Clarabelle’s Hand-Scooped Ice Cream
.  Looking for toys on
Buena Vista Street
?  Head across the street to
Big Top Toys
next to
Elias & Co.
Kid’s Eye View:
  I love their toys, but they’re so expensive [
Engine Ears Toys
].