Gary Cruise

Gary hails from Canada and he’s a lifelong Disney fan. In the 1950s he watched the original Mickey Mouse Club and The Wonderful World of Disney on a snowy old black-and-white television. Gary was mesmerized by the Disneyland that Walt introduced to the world during those Sunday night shows! In 1977 he took his young family to Walt Disney World for the first time and suddenly that Disney magic he experienced as a child was rekindled. Since then Gary and his wife Carol have enjoyed about 70 trips to Walt Disney World, 11 trips to Disneyland and 11 Disney Cruises.

2014 AllEars Group Cruise – Day 3

Posted on by Gary Cruise
Carol woke me as she got out of bed . . . at 6:00 a.m. We set our clocks back last night and gained an hour, but we didn’t reset our minds, so we awoke at our normal time. Carol dashed up to Deck 11 and brought back coffee which we sipped on our veranda … Continue reading "2014 AllEars Group Cruise – Day 3"
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2014 AllEars Group Cruise – Day 1

Posted on by Gary Cruise
I was too excited to sleep this morning. I tossed and turned for a while, trying to fall back asleep, but finally surrendered at 6:15. I tried to be quiet so Carol could sleep – that meant that the banging and clattering was subdued, but of course there was still too much banging and clattering. … Continue reading "2014 AllEars Group Cruise – Day 1"
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The Tickle Trunk — Memories of Disney

Posted on by Gary Cruise
Carol has a Tickle Trunk. It’s filled with wonderful Disney memories! Most Canadian readers will remember Mr. Dressup, Casey, Finnigan and the Tickle Trunk . . . but for others, I will explain. Mr. Dressup was the star of a children’s show which ran on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation network from 1967 to 1996. His … Continue reading "The Tickle Trunk — Memories of Disney"
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The Evolution of Disney Tickets

Posted on by Gary Cruise
Walt Disney World tickets have certainly changed over the years! No, I’m not going to rant about the price of tickets; other folks have that very well covered! I think that Disney tickets have always represented great value, so I’m going to talk about the tickets themselves. Let’s look at the form of the tickets; … Continue reading "The Evolution of Disney Tickets"
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The Imagineers – Doing It Right!

Posted on by Gary Cruise
I am a big fan of the Imagineers! I am constantly awed and impressed by the way they design and build all of those components that make up the Disney Parks and Disney Cruise Line ships. Of course, Walt Disney was the first Imagineer . . . even before he invented that job title. Walt … Continue reading "The Imagineers – Doing It Right!"
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Our Disney Christmas Village

Posted on by Gary Cruise
Many years ago my sister began creating a monster. She took a liking to Department 56 "Dickens Village" pieces and each year she gave us a new one as a Christmas gift. The collection grew year by year and soon we had a complete intersection . . . then two . . . so they became part of our Christmas tradition. Each year we put up our Dickens Village for the holidays.
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The Billies — I’m Sure Going To Miss Them

Posted on by Gary Cruise
I was shocked and very disappointed when I read recently on the Disney Parks Blog that Disneyland was “retiring” Billy Hill & the Hillbillies after a very successful 21 year run. The show – and the players in the show – are all being retired after their last performance on Monday, January 6, 2014. Carol … Continue reading "The Billies — I’m Sure Going To Miss Them"
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Disneyland’s Christmas Overlays

Posted on by Gary Cruise
I was pleased when I recently read on the Disney Parks Blog that there will be a special “Christmas Overlay” at The Jungle Cruise. They explained it as follows: Beginning in early November, Jungle Cruise at both Disneyland Park and Magic Kingdom Park will temporarily transform into “Jingle Cruise” for the holiday season! In this … Continue reading "Disneyland’s Christmas Overlays"
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People You Meet In Line

Posted on by Gary Cruise
One thing you can count on at Walt Disney World or at Disneyland . . . you will spend plenty of time in lines. The Imagineers do a terrific job designing the queues; they build in plenty of things to grab your attention and keep you occupied while you wait. Think of your time in … Continue reading "People You Meet In Line"
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