Hey gang! Here are some photos, and a trip report to Disney's California Adventure for the debut of Lucky the dinosaur.

When i first got to DCA i went directly to the Hollywood Pictures Backlot area, where, i had been told, the dinosaur was supposed to be hanging out. Unfortunately, i found no dinosaur anywhere in the area. There were, however, some sheets covering the entrance to the old Hollywood, and Dine restaurant. I also noticed some scaffolding, and some film equipment cases behind the curtains, so i figured the dinosaur was probably hiding in there.

I went to the coffee cart by the bay, and got myself an iced mocha and a cinamon twist. Delicious. I walked all over looking to see if maybe the dinosaur was somewhere else in the park. After thoroughly checking Paradise Pier, and Condor Flats, i went back to see if the dinosaur might have shown up from behind the curtains at Hollywood, and Dine.

Instead i found a fellow by the name of Jake, from Mouseinfo.com, who was sitting sort of forelornly outside the Hollywood, and dine area, next to the car with the open trunk which is filled with the fake ice, and fake cold cokes.

Jake had a nice electronic camera so i asked him if he was waiting for the dinosaur. Yep, that's what he was doing. He wasn't sure, however if they were going to bring out the dinosaur, or not. He had been waiting 45 minutes, or so. I guess the dinosaur had been shown off to cast members that morning, but it hadn't been out since.. I looked through the opening between some boards, and saw two security guards standing around a blue plastic tarp. I assumed instantly that the dinosaur was under the blue tarp. Later i found out i was right, that was indeed the dinosaur under that blue tarp.

A few Cast Member's, and security people came around the corner. I think they were as curious about us, as we we about them. I figured it couldn't hurt to ask, so, as politely as i could, i asked the CM, "Excuse me, are they bringing out the dinosaur today?"

The CM looked at me, smiled politely, and said, "I'll go check for you."

There is something wonderful about how nice the cast members treat you at the disneyland resort. The fact that she was going to go to all that trouble for me, made me feel kind a special. It was either that or she was going to go get some burly security guards to escort me out of the area as quickly as possible.

The CM came back, and said the dinosaur would make it's appearance in just a moment, about 10 minutes. I thanked her profusely, and looked at Jake, who seemed a little stunned. He jumped up and started getting ready with his camera.

I went over to the animation building and sat in the nice, and cool airconditioned lobby, and listened to, "Hi diddle-e-dee an actor's life for me," while Pinocchio danced through the cobblestone streets. Isn't that lobby with the sychronized screens wonderful?

Anyway, I went back to Hollywood, and Dine, and looked through the viewing space between the panels just in time to see the blue tarp rolled back to expose Lucky the dinosaur to the world. I picked up my camera, and this is the first shot, and view of the dinosaur i got.

Here is another shot. I didn't realize it at the time but the Disney imagineers might have been listening to us. Look at that expensive microphone they have hooked up. I believe that mike is like $5,000!

Jake started getting all nervous and was pacing slightly looking at the ground and mumbled something. "What, i can't hear you?" I told jake loudly. "Shhhh," he quietly said, "That's Cyn... mumble." I couldn't hear him. "Excuse me?" I asked

"That's Cynthia Harris, the president of Disneyland," Jake said loudly enough this time for me to hear. "Where?" i asked him. Jake not wanting to be too noticable covered his mouth with his hand, and pointed with his other hand, "to our right, right over there. The lady with the blonde hair." I looked, and sure enough there was Cynthia Harris amid a group of Disney imagineers, and other assorted cast members.

To my left there were a lot of other disney imagineers, and disney people who had been in the Hollywood, and Dine area and came out to see the dinosaur, and the crowd's reaction. Maybe you can recognize some of them.

During the time the dinosaur was getting ready to make it's entrance, i started thinking this would be the perfect opportunity to say hi, to Cynthia, and maybe get my picture with her. I mean after all, she is president of Disneyland. I wanted to say hi, and see what she is like.

So, i went up to her, when she wasn't busy talking to anyone, and said hi, and how good it was to see her here today. She asked me my name, and i told her, "Ed, Your Pal Ed."

Cynthia just smiled, shook my hand, and said, "Uh huh" then she asked me something about the dinosaur, or something, but i was pretty dazed, and i effused something like, how wonderful it was to have a new animatron at DCA, and that i loved animatrons, and that she was doing a wonderful job, or something like that. Cynthia said something like, "Uh huh." And i asked if i could have my picture takin with her, which she was more than happy to do.

Jake, the guy with the expensive camera from mouseinfo said he would take the picture for me. But i insisted on doing it myself, like i always do, with my arm stretched out so that i would appear in the corner of the frame.

Unfortunately, i had been using the zoom to get better shots of Lucky the dinosaur from behind the curtains, and i forgot to set the lens back to it's wide setting. As you can see i was slightly cut out of the frame. Oh well.

There was some movement from behind the curtain, and we all got excited. It was time for Lucky to make his appearance!

A Wizard came out, and introduced us to the shy dinosaur. Here he comes!!!

Wheee! It's a real, animatronic dinosaur. What a great toy!!!!!

Lucky the dinosaur was synchronized to the sound system in the area. Ever time his foot came down on the pavement there was a loud muffled thud matching his footsteps, as he walked. It made him seem several tons heavier than he really was.

The Wizard fellow, i was told, is actually Lucky's controller. Inside the Wizard's brown leather sack is the remote control that controls Lucky's movements. Lucky's neck has a natural fluid movement to it, as did it's tail. It was as natural as a real dinosaur, that is..if... i mean, you know, i've never seen a real dinosaur, because they are extinct, but if there were real dinosaurs, Lucky would, maybe, seem like one.

The Wizard walked out, and said, "Wow, Lucky, so this is Hollywood. Did you ever think you would make it to Hollywood?" Lucky grunted a no. Of course, i was thinking, "This isn't Hollywood, this is Hollywood Pictures Backlot in Anaheim. Don't you know where you are Mr. Wizard?"

The batteries for Lucky the dinosaur are in the cart. Notice the wheels are toward the back of the cart. This places more of the weight onto the dinosaur, which in turn increases the traction of the dinosaur's feet, so they don't slip, and the dinosaur can pull the cart. I got closer to the cart later to see if the thuds of the footsteps were coming from speakers built into the cart, but i found the sound was coming from the speakers in the area, and not from the cart.

Part of the demo was for the dinosaur to interact with guests. I had heard from my friend that the dinosaur can grab your hat off your head, and can sneeze on you, and other things. Here the Wizard picked a kid from the audience to try to get the dinosaur to sneeze on him. But the kid he picked was pretty dull, and unresponsive. He just stood there, didn't want to pet the dinosaur, didn't want to say his name, didn't have any questions, he didn't want to do anything. The kid only touched the dinosaur after being coaxed several times. So eventually the dinosaur just sneezed into the air. The Wizard brought out a hanky and let Lucky blow his nose into it.

Hey! Mr. Wizard! I'm over here. I'll play along. Let Lucky sneeze on me!

I'm not sure if that is the controller in the Wizard's hand. At one point the Wizard dropped a pink camera on the ground, and hurriedly picked it up all embarassed. How odd i thought that this fellow would carry a disposable camera with him into the demonstration. Maybe i'm wrong but i started thinking that the remote control unit might be disguised as the camera. I don't know, probably not. Probably this actor/imagineer/Wizard just wanted to take pictures of the Disneyland resort like everyone else in the world.

I was quite curious about the foot movements, so i moved closer and around to the other side of the dinosaur to shoot this picture. What i noticed was that the toes, and surrounding skin is a thin rubber layer very much like a halloween mask. The toes were hollow and when Lucky stepped down there seemed to be a round metal plate inside the foot. I actually think it is slightly rounded on the bottom. You see that left toe isn't touching the pavement? Well, when the dinosaur steps forward, the ankle pivots, and you can see the shape of the round plate in the foot. I wish i had another picture so you could see that when the left toe came down on to the pavement it bent slightly, and was obviously hollow.

The crowd of spectators was getting thick as Lucky approached the front of the hyperion theatre. I moved over to get another camera angle, and wait for the dinosaur to approach. I was hoping the Wizard guy would let Lucky eat my sunglasses, or something. Then suddenly the dinosaur stopped, and it's head, and neck started to lower.

The Wizard, who was prepared for this possibility, said that the dinosaur had fallen asleep, even though it was broad daylight. Lucky needed to go beddie bye, or something. That kid to the wizard's left seemed quite skeptical about the falling asleep part. I don't think he was buying it.

They covered Lucky with the blue tarp, and 4 or 5 cast members lifted up Lucky from the front. Using the cart wheels, the four cast members rolled Lucky back into the Hollywood, and Dine preparation area. While this was going on i checked my camera, and saw i had messed up my picture with Cynthia. I went back and asked if i could get another picture with her. She immediately said yes, and even checked out the playback screen to make sure the picture came out this time. Thank you Cynthia!

After having met Cynthia i must admit i like her. She seems quite open, and honest, while still being a responsible corporate representative. Very rare nowdays i must say. I promise i will never blame Cynthia for things i dislike at the Disneyland Resort, ever again....or at least i will try not to.

Kudos for the Disney imagineers. Lucky the dinosaur is wonderful. I've always loved the audio-animatronics at Disneyland, especially Pirates of the Carribean, and Spaceship Earth in Epcot. Lucky the dinosaur is truly a wonderful new development in this field of entertainment and a wonderful attraction for any of the resorts.

I'd say the test was quite successful. You may say it only made it 40 feet or so, but remember the monorail moved just 1 foot on it's test run.

You know, I think i'll go back Saturday to the Disneyland Resort.. Hopefully they will have Lucky the dinosaur up, and running again. See you there! Bye!