Month: May 2019

Running Wild in the Redwoods

Exploring all areas of the parks to locate unseen magic is our jam. That means checking out kid’s play areas, bathrooms, restaurants, shows, queues, attractions, shops and more. We have felt like we have seen all areas of the parks in our years of visiting and we are always amazed at how much we have yet to discover. As we were walking past the Redwood Creek Challenge Trail we looked at each other and said, “I’ve never been in there.” So, in we went. The first stop was the map just at the entrance. We knew there were a few hidden Mickeys on the map. Our first adventure was discovering where they were hidden.

Redwood Creek Challenge Trail Map

The first one is in the lower left hand corner by the Ahwanee Camp Circle. There are three logs that form a Mickey head.

Another one can be found in the top left corner in the stream between Hibernation Hollow and Squirrel Scramble. Look for three rocks in the stream posing as our favorite mouse.

The third one is left of the middle of the map, by the Hoot-N-Holler Logs. At the bottom of the slide on the left there is a Mickey waiting to be found.

As we continued inside the area we felt like we had stepped into an actual forest of Redwoods. If you, or your kids, are feeling a bit of sensory overload, this is a great place to escape and unwind for a bit. We had a great time just strolling through enjoying the scenery. Even though there were crowds of people and kids running through the play areas we still felt a sense of peace and quiet.

If your kids are feeling constrained in their strollers and they just need to run and release some energy, head to the Redwood Creek Challenge Trail. It is a big area so you will need to stick with your kiddos to keep them in your sight. We enjoyed climbing up the towers, jumping on the net bridges and going down the slides. Obviously, this is a kids play area, but parents and adults can explore as well. Just keep in mind that there are little kids everywhere and to keep your movements and speed under control.

One of our favorite secrets we found was in the Spirit Cave towards the back of the park. There is a glowing rock where you place your hand and after it “reads” your energy your spirit animal is revealed. There is a sign just outside the cave to explain the attributes of your spirit animal. It was a fun activity that kids and adults can do together. The spirit animal characteristics definitely sparked some conversation in our group. Are you industrious as the beaver? Strong-willed as the salmon? Loving as the bear?

The area is quite shady and there are many benches available to sit and relax. You could pull out your PB&J that you packed into the park and enjoy your lunch. You can watch the kids, and adults, attempt to cross the net bridges, or try to sneak in a little nap if you can find a quiet spot.

The unseen magic of the Redwood Creek Challenge Trail area is in just the area itself. It is a part of the park that is less likely explored because it doesn’t have a ride or a show or traditional Disney characters. It is worth a few minutes or several minutes of your day to soak in all the details and to experience a complete change of scenery.

For The First Time In Forever…

The magic of experiencing something for the first time is a desirable moment that we don’t encounter very often. With all the changes coming to the Disney parks, those visiting for the first or 100th time will have an opportunity to see things for the first time. Soaking in the details of a new attraction or show is part of the experience. The signage, the music and audio, the colors and intricate details everywhere tell the story of the attraction. We has a glimpse of a couple new attractions the last couple of years with Guardians of the Galaxy-Mission Breakout! and the Incredicoaster. Both of these rides were revamps of existing attractions, so the base bones of the rides remained the same, but, with new decor, music, smells, and colors Disney transformed these two into new experiences. Sometimes it is hard to say goodbye to the old and accept the new. People are upset that Tower of Terror is gone and that California Screamin’ was overtaken by the Incredibles. Change is hard. I, personally, love the changes. Guardians, for me, is a much more exciting experience and I love that with the 6 different songs, it can be a different experience nearly every time. I love that the Incredicoaster feels like Disney/Pixar now. It feels like it belongs there and it isn’t just a fun roller coaster. With new movies constantly coming out we can continue to expect change and updates throughout the parks.

Another new attraction opened in April: Jessie’s Critter Carousel. This replaced King Triton’s Carousel of the Sea. It takes you on a journey to rescue The Prospector who is stranded on a rock and Jessie needs all the help she can get. She rounds up all her critters and invites you to join in for a rootin’ tootin’ good time to save The Prospector.

While waiting in line, Karen and I were seeking out hidden magic, things we’ve never seen before. One of the fist things we noticed was Jessie’s brand burned into the log benches on the ride. It is made up of her hat and her braid. It can also be found on the bottom of the red lanterns throughout the queue. We also noticed that the booth where the cast members operate the ride from is an outhouse from the wild wild west!


Jessie has rounded up turtles, raccoons, bunnies, vultures, armadillos, snakes, skunks (that ride backwards), and deer in vibrant pinks, purples, oranges, greens, yellows and blues. All the critters have giant happy eyes and cheesy grins that will make you smile. You cannot wait in this line and not feel joyful looking at these critters.

Karen and I also discovered quite a few hidden Mickeys on the ride and in the queue. The wall displaying Jessie and all her critters has a purple lizard in the bottom right hand corner and he has two very distinct Mickeys and a few other spots that could be Mickeys also. There are two critters on the carousel with Mickeys in their spots. A blue armadillo on the outside ring and a pink armadillo in the middle row.

We absolutely adored exploring this ride and the queue. Weam positive that Disney will never disappoint us with their attention to detail! We have so many opportunities to discover new magic in the parks with Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, the Inside Out Emotional Whirlwind and Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway opening over the next few years. It will allow us to feel like a kid (or an adult) that gets to experience Disney for the fist time. Sometimes we wish we could go back in time and get our 1st Visit Buttons all over again. Luckily for us, Disney keeps growing and changing so there will continuously be unseen magic, new attractions and shows to see. There is no end to the possibilities that the Imagineers can come up with. We will be patiently waiting for more and more unseen magic to appear.