Mickey Mouse plays bandleader
at a delightful fountain in Disneyland's Toontown in Anaheim as
shown in the picture above.
You probably wouldn't care to
pay the price of admission to Disneyland in Anaheim, Calif., just to
take a peak at the centerpiece water fountain in Toontown, but once
you are there, this structure offers delightful fun for all ages. In
the middle of a town square (circle), Mickey Mouse Bandleader
fountain sits. Mickey, himself, stands atop three
cascading tiers of stands, his baton lifted in the air as if
directing a band. On separate small islands below, cartoon
characters with musical instruments shoot out water into the huge
circular pool surrounded by a bench seat guests can sit on to enjoy
the watery scene.
Sometimes the bench seating
that surrounds this fountain is so popular, the views of the
structure are obscured by the mass of people. Kids love water
and you'll often find they can't resist sticking their hands out to
catch the droplets that spray like a mist in the air. Or
sometimes you'll see a child quickly plunge a hand into the watery
world while a parent watches on, making sure that toddler or youth
doesn't go any further.
Disneyland and California
Adventure theme parks at Disneyland Resorts make ample use of water
both in landscaping and in rides. The water works well to
break up the boring look and feel of concrete that carries tons of
traffic, millions of strollers, wheelchairs and walking, shuffling
feet throughout the park.
In addition to the use of
water in the fountain above, and in rides such as Pirates of the
Caribbean, and It's a Small World, Disneyland employs landscapers to
pristinely prune the roses, cut back the flowers for maximum color
and bloom and keep the live plants looking beautiful. For
instance, Toontown would not be so much fun without the water
treatments and live plants that accentuate huge sums of concrete in
most every nook and cranny. While designed to mimic the cartoon
movie that interjects live people into artist-created surroundings,
the living things allow kids and adults to maintain interest
without being overwhelmed by the sense of isolation in a lifeless,
make-believe world.
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