TR- 10 yrs later, a trip back "home!" pg. 10. Complete w/ final thoughts. [Archive] - The DIS Discussion Forums

tofubeast

05-26-2008, 12:19 PM

Table of Contents:

1. Cast of Characters (scroll down on this post)
2. Background information (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=25327272&postcount=2)
3. Couture Mouse Ears (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=25424657&postcount=6)
4. Priority Seating and Dining Thoughts (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=25504459&postcount=11)
5. Top Ten Reasons... (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=26309261&postcount=26)
6. Starting to Plan! (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=26500177&postcount=30)
7. What it Looks Like When DIS'rs Pack! (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=26574264&postcount=35)
8. Our Arrival to California and Wedding (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=26975423&postcount=44)
9. More Wedding Pics (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=27021298&postcount=52)
10. Disney Soda Fountain Shop and Hollywood! (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=27116082&postcount=60)
11. Candy Cane Inn Review and Disney Outlet (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=27287257&postcount=74)
12. Downtown Disney (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=27428650&postcount=86)
13. Dinner at Napa Rose Chef's Counter (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=27428716&postcount=87)
14. Parks - Day One (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=27625212&postcount=100)
15. Parks - Day One (Cont'd) (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=27626229&postcount=101)
16. Parks - Day Two (Lily Belle) (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=28667208&postcount=113)
17. Parks - Day Two (Ride Evac. on Indy!) (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=28669108&postcount=114)
18. Finishing out the Trip (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=31301997&postcount=137)

This TR is now complete! YAY!

:wave2: :wave2: :wave2: :wave2: :wave2: :wave2: :wave2: :wave2: :wave2: :wave2: :wave2: :wave2:
Howdy, present and future Dis pals! To help contain the excitement I have for our upcoming trip to Disneyland, I decided to start a pre-trip report! Let's start with the basics!

Cast of Characters:

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/disney2.jpg
Just the two of us. My fave pic taken last year at WDW.

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/200607DisneyWorldw-JamieKelly07.jpg
Elijah, a Viking... I mean my husband. Not a huge Disney freak, but has fun every time we go to WDW. This trip will be his first time going to Disneyland.

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/200607DisneyWorldw-JamieKelly31.jpg
Danielle, that's me. Taken at WDW a couple of years ago. I will be the author of this report for you. Hope you enjoy my silliness and nutty travel planning habits. Just bear with me. :rotfl:

Trip Info:

We are actually heading out to CA for a wedding and a baby shower in early August. Two separate bookend events on each weekend we are there. With friends working during the week, and in hopes of having less crowds, we decided to do Disney in the middle of the week. We will be staying at a Good Neighbor hotel. I just could not justify the price of staying at the disney hotels. As Florida residents, we get some great rates at the WDW hotels. When I compared the price difference vs. what you get, I decided to save the money. Plus, with how expensive this trip is getting due to rising costs all around us, it seemed like we didn't have much of a choice anyway!

We are spending 3 nights in the Anaheim area. First day, will be all about exploring the nearby Anaheim area (Garden walk, Downtown Disney etc) and relaxing by the pool. We are also thinking about a special dinner that first night. Days two and three will be spent parkhopping. Check out day might be spent by the pool again.

Why is the Disney portion of this trip so important to me? I grew up in the Los Angeles area, but moved away ten years ago. (More info to follow in the next section: "Background) Disneyland had always been my home park. It holds so many childhood memories, as it does for the billions of people who have been through the gates since the summer of '55. The last time I was there was June of 1998. Back when this travesty premiered:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/b/bc/DCA05_%2864%29.jpg/794px-DCA05_%2864%29.jpg

Sorry, not a big fan of the "refurb", which I still can't believe is now ten years ago! :headache: I digress! So the last time I was there, I got to experience Indiana Jones, ride the short lived Rocket Rods, and see the construction of California Adventure. It was also just called Disneyland! There was no Disneyland RESORT. While I have been back to CA since, time has not allowed for a Disney trip. Quite frankly, it is time to go home! :woohoo:

I now live in S. Florida with my husband and dog (having moved here from the Boston area a few years ago.) I have gotten used to the humidity and have traded earthquakes for hurricanes. The beaches are nicer here, so I love that. :beach: I also traded home parks, DL for WDW. While I love WDW, don't get me wrong, I think you always hold a special :love: for your home park. I also am an avid nerd about Disney park history (more to come later) and like comparing rides. I can't wait for my DH to see DL for the first time too.

Just for fun, here is our Florida holiday card we sent out this past year. The pics and design of the card was made by us! Look inside the letters.
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/HolidayCard20074x6.jpg

Ok, I am excited to post my first entry. For now, to hold you over and to give you a sense of my trip report style, I invite you to read my report from our October visit to WDW last fall. Here is the link:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1628959%22

Coming up, a picture heavy entry of my Background Disneyland history.

tofubeast

05-26-2008, 12:26 PM

Background:

My parents moved to Cali in the late 60's. I always love hearing stories of their first memories at Disneyland, Knott's and Universal. Recently, my dad dug up old 8mm footage of their first trip to DL back in 1967. While the film is not perfect, due to age etc.., it is still so much fun to see DL back then. Imagine seeing the "new" Tomorrowland, the year of the People Mover and more. So much color and movement. For fun, here is that video for you to view. The blond in the video is my mom. Gotta love the cool 60's fashion!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljRXHtMtFjo

My parents also took my grandma and aunt to DL for the first time back in 1972, before I came into existence. Here are some pics of them by Small World and the old Motor Boats.
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/1972.DisneyCathyGrandmaTeresaMary.jpg
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/1972.DisneyMaryinBoat.jpg

So as I said above, I grew up in the Los Angeles area. I have always been a Disney kid! My dream was to be a Mouseketeer. Forget that Princess stuff!
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/1978.MickeyEars3.jpg
Yes, I am a product of the 70's. That's me in my little Mouseketeer outfit my mom sewed for me. See the Mickey Mouse patch? If only I had my first pair of ears still. Sigh. (More on ears later....)

When growing up in So Cal, Disney can be a big part of your life. Here I am, age 5, at my bday, being rather violent to poor old Mickey!
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/19800611.DaniellewMickeyMousePiata.jpg

Aren't I mean? Anyway, I remember going to Disneyland nearly every year or so. First memories include the old Fantasyland with the pirate ship restaurant. and maybe even the old mine train. Here is an early pic of me at DL with some pals.
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/1981.BestWilshireCtrDanielle2BoysaHorse.jpg

I also devoted time at other nearby attractions as well. Here's I am with a very well known orca:
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/1981.SeaWorldDaniellewShamu.jpg

Ok, back to DL! Here I am with my friend during Mickey's Month in 1983. It was my first time seeing the "new" Fantasyland. I have posted these a few times on the Dis, but this is my trip report, so why not post again!?

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/1983.DisneyDanielleTigerPooh.jpg
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/1983.DisneyDanielleKatyMinnie2.jpg
How I sure miss those old style Mickey balloons!

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/1983.DisneyDanielleKatyIceCreamTruck1.jpg
My friend running me over in the classic Carnation truck!

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/1983.DisneyDanielleKatyTeacups.jpg
I posted this recently on the DL boards. I laughed so hard when someone pointed out that the guy waiting in line looks like Borat, and it appears he is without pants on. :rotfl2:

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/198612thbdayDisneyland.jpg
Here I am celebrating my 12 b'day at DL. Got to love my 'high fashion' 80's era shirt. Back in the 80's, DL used to sell Navy hats that you could have your name embroidered on. As they did not sell ears that were big enough for adults at the time, these hats were seen all over the park. I sure wish I had mine still. (More on hats later.... I promise.)

I probably went to DL many times during my teen years with friends. What a thrill to be able to explore the park without parents around! One of the biggest highlights of going to a high school in the S. California area (and FL too) is being able to take part in Grad Nite! For me, it was extra exciting because we had just graduated that evening. After getting our diplomas, we were off on a bus headed down to Anaheim. From there, we would have the parks to ourselves (with several other graduates of course) till 5am! Here is a pic from that special night.
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/1992DisneylandGradNite.jpg

So I guess I have sufficiently proven to you how Disneyland has created some nice memories in my life.

Coming up next...trip planning and getting through the next 2 months!

:earsboy: :earsgirl:

quest4dl

05-26-2008, 12:37 PM

Thanks for sharing your memories, pics and movies with us! Can't wait for more!

julezdisney

05-29-2008, 10:19 AM

I'm on board! Hi Danielle :wave:!

You are a veteran-I'll be coming along for any tips for my trip in Oct! ::yes::

tofubeast

05-31-2008, 03:34 PM

I'm on board! Hi Danielle :wave:!

You are a veteran-I'll be coming along for any tips for my trip in Oct! ::yes::

A veteran...maybe... but DL had changed quite a bit since I was last there. I feel like I am becoming re-introduced to it!!

Thanks for checking out my report so far!

tofubeast

05-31-2008, 04:07 PM

Hats:

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/20071016DisneyEpcot26.jpg

I have always been a Mickey ears girl. I watched the 70's version of the MMC and still love watching old clips of it on you tube. I also watched my mom's MMC (50's era) back when the Disney Channel had shows I used to care about. :rotfl2: I also love looking at various old Disney hats on ebay and have decided to start a collection. So far I have two old hats, but I will get more one day. Here is a pic of my collection so far:

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/20080512MickeyMouseHats1Small.jpg

Heck, I even liked wearing ears in the virtual world. I was an avid player of Disney's VMK before they shut it down last week. We got to wear some cool hats on there as well. That's me on the right in a room I designed:

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/vmk/sweetdreams.jpg

Sigh, I sure miss VMK. Anyway, while perusing another Disney related msg board site (don't worry I still think :disrocks:) I saw a thread about "blinging" out your Mickey ears. People were inspired by these hats that were on sale awhile back.

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/ears1200.jpg
This one sold online for $1200!

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/MouseEars_1500.jpg
And this sold for $1500!

Since I have some extra time and am super excited about the upcoming trip, I decided to do up my own ears! I purchased some Disneyland ears online and ordered swarovski beads. Here I am putting each flatback crystal on the ears:

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/mickeyears1.jpg

It took quite some time, but in the end I put about 500 swarovski crystals on each ear. Good thing I have patience! And here is the final product, as I just completed the hat:

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/20080524DanielleBejewelingMickeyHat.jpg

The lighting in the picture is not all that great, but those ears sure do sparkle!! I cannot wait to wear my new hat in the parks. :woohoo: I even found a pin that matches my ears, so of course, I just have to have it for my pin lanyard!
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/earspin.jpg

Oh well, just wanted to show you my "couture" ears. :rotfl2: I guess I will be skipping the new "design your own ears" store display they have, as I have already done that!!

Coming up next in the Pre-Trip Report, "Where do we make our PS Dining?" Advice welcome!
:confused: :confused: :confused: :confused: :confused:

julezdisney

05-31-2008, 04:35 PM

Adorable! How many hours did that take? I bet you could make a killing on ebay....

Love it!

tofubeast

05-31-2008, 04:44 PM

Adorable! How many hours did that take? I bet you could make a killing on ebay....

Love it!

Thanks! It took a few days. I also had to stop and order more swarovski's online because I ran out. I never would have thought I would need over 1,000 of those crystals to do it. :confused3 I can't even imagine doing the whole hat up like the ones I have posted up above. At first I kind of chuckled when I saw the $1200 price tag, but those crystals are not all that cheap...and the time to do a whole hat...well wow! So I can kind of see why they charged that much, yet I am sure there is still some mark up involved! :thumbsup2

prettyprincessbelle

05-31-2008, 06:27 PM

Woo! So happy you're coming "home" to Disneyland!

Great pictures! I love looking at old Disneyland pics!

I have the same pic of me with Shamu too!

I have a super old ears hat too. I'm not sure how old it is. But it's fairly old. I know it's not the one my parents bought me when I was a kid because this one doesn't have a name embroidered on the back..

Seriously, you couturing your Mickey ears is an awesome idea. I think I might try it! Seriously, like Julia said, you would make a lot on ebay with that!

Keep it up! I'm in! popcorn::

kaoden39

05-31-2008, 06:39 PM

I love the old pictures from Disneyland too. I remember going during those times and I remember the characters looking like they do in your pictures. When we went in 2003 I was shocked because it had been 10 years since I had been there so DCA and DTD were both totally new to me and the surrounding neighborhood had changed so much. Expect big changes to the area.

Michele
:hippie:

tofubeast

06-04-2008, 04:41 PM

Priority Seating:

It was almost easier choosing places to make our ADR's (WDW speak for PS) at WDW last fall. For all the times I have been to DL years ago, we never made ressies! I don't even think you could, nor would I have ever thought of it. Times have changed. I guess the same was said about WDW not that many years ago, as when I went to EPCOT in the early 90s, we were able to walk right up and eat at Alfredo's (RIP) with a short wait.

So, I recently got Ridemax and have been playing around with the program to help plan out our dining times. While I have not actually test rode the program, so far it seems like it will be a very useful tool. (Yet, another thing I would have never imagine using in the past...had it existed...but now it seems like a must during a summer visit to DLR.)

It look like we finally landed on some dining decisions! We will do a mixture of sit down and counter service meals. I have had fun looking at all the picture of people's meals on this thread:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1253888

Warning! Reviewing that thread will make your stomach grumble, and you just might gain 5 pounds by looking at it! :scared1:

Day One (Downtown Disney Day):
Napa Rose
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/naparose.jpg

DH and I decided to postpone our anniversary dinner and save it for Napa Rose. We have a PS for the Chef's Table! We are super excited to dine here after reading all the great reviews. Plus we love watching Iron Chef, so it will be fun to see the kitchen in action up close.

Day Two (DCA/DL):
Wine Country Trattoria
http://allears.net/reviewpost/data/136/large/trattoria.jpg

Read some good reviews and have decided to give it a try for dinner. After our meal, we will secure a good spot for the Electrical Parade. I have not seen this parade since I was young, so I am eager to experience it with DH. Any good places for us to secure a spot?

Day Three (DL):
Blue Bayou pirate:
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/bluebayou.jpg

I ate here back in '83, so I think I am do! Cannot wait for DH to see this amazing restaurant. There is nothing like it. Though it does remind me a bit of eating inside the Mexico pavilion at EPCOT....but BB wins! DH is excited about having the Monte Cristo for lunch!

Besides these great meals, we also want to try Mimi's for breakfast after reading some raves on the DIS. And of course, a Tigger Tail and Dole Whip will tide us over while in the park. :yay:

Coming up next: Not sure yet! :scratchin More planning thoughts for sure!

chickyann

06-05-2008, 04:24 AM

popcorn::

julezdisney

06-05-2008, 10:44 AM

Great pix! Thanks!

tofubeast

06-12-2008, 11:07 AM

Reason #457685 why my DH rocks!

Yesterday was my b'day. I think I said up above that DH is not a huge Disney freak. I am the one doing most of the planning because "you do that stuff better, honey." So when I opened one of my presents, I discovered that he got me Disney Dollars. (And I didn't even have to hint about this one, ladies!) So now I have some nice spending money already! :cool1: :cool1:

Only problem, those Disney Dollars are so cute, that it almost feels wrong to spend them. I bet Disney hopes people have that attitude! ;)

My DH was definately Prince Charming of the day! :hug: I mean year...um..lifetime! :wizard:

julezdisney

06-12-2008, 03:51 PM

:banana:

Dancin' for Dollars!

Uh... wait...

You know what I mean! :woohoo:

tofubeast

06-12-2008, 04:40 PM

:banana:

Dancin' for Dollars!

Uh... wait...

You know what I mean! :woohoo:

You better be careful, for one never knows when the Tag Fairy might strike!

:rotfl2:

julezdisney

06-12-2008, 07:58 PM

Oh, shist!! No kidding! Oh wait- I WANT the tag fairy! Come and get me you little sucker!

Maybe that's what I should use the little glittery birdhouse my daughter made for- to catch the tag fairy..... :lmao:

Corryn

06-22-2008, 06:31 AM

Hats:

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/20080524DanielleBejewelingMickeyHat.jpg

just wanted to show you my "couture" ears. :rotfl2: I guess I will be skipping the new "design your own ears" store display they have, as I have already done that!!
:
Danielle, those ears are beautiful! and with your allowing me to be a copy cat, I will post a pic when I'm done :goodvibes

kaoden39

06-22-2008, 12:32 PM

toocherie

06-22-2008, 01:14 PM

great report~ can't wait to read the rest!

tofubeast

07-02-2008, 08:09 PM

Danielle, those ears are beautiful! and with your allowing me to be a copy cat, I will post a pic when I'm done

Hey, I have no problem with copying. Heck, I loosely copied another person's ears too...and I guess that Disney pin, even though I didn't know it! :laughing: I cannot wait to see your ears!! Be sure to post back. If you need any advice about how to do them, just let me know! Here, here for custom ears! :earsgirl: :earsboy:

My friends from the Disneyworld side were thrilled by the thought of eating inside of the POTC so they ask that when DH and I do our trip in September we take pictures. I can hardly wait, it hasn't been *** long since we ate there but we have never eaten there alone. You know what I mean? More romantic.

I love your mouse ears and they are original, you will have people stopping you to ask you where you got them.::yes:: Have a great trip and I look forward to reading your post trip report. And I hope DIsneyland lives up to your memories.:goodvibes

Yes, the BB is super romantic!! pirate: :love: I can't wait for DH to see it. I hope you have a great time there. Make sure to get that pirate ship dessert everyone talks about! Also, thanks so much for the nice words about my ears. I am looking forward to wearing them. How dorky am I that I purposely bought a bag (baggalini) that could fit my ears when I don't want them to get wet or lost while on a ride? :dance3: :rolleyes1

great report~ can't wait to read the rest!

Thanks so much!! Glad to have you along for the ride. I should have a new update post coming up soon! I can't believe the DLR portion of our trip is just a month or so away!

:woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo:

kaoden39

07-02-2008, 08:18 PM

Yes, the BB is super romantic!! pirate: :love: I can't wait for DH to see it. I hope you have a great time there. Make sure to get that pirate ship dessert everyone talks about! Also, thanks so much for the nice words about my ears. I am looking forward to wearing them. How dorky am I that I purposely bought a bag (baggalini) that could fit my ears when I don't want them to get wet or lost while on a ride? :dance3: :rolleyes1

Makes total sense to me. I am going to design a set of ears at the Gag Shop in Toon town. I never usually buy ears but the thought of designing one and being able to pick the colors and designs that I want. I think I will do a pair for my Mom too to bring home to her.:goodvibes

tofubeast

07-02-2008, 08:26 PM

kaoden39

07-03-2008, 08:51 AM

Trust me, if I hadn't made my ears, I would so be making them at the gag shop. I think it is so neat that you can pick the ears and beanie cap and add to is as you wish! Such a fun and obvious idea...in that I can't believe they did not think of it earlier! Have fun. Can't wait to see what ear design combo you come up with!

Thank you. You must be getting so excited to be coming back. We usually go at least every other year but I still get so excited in anticipation. I keep trying to figure out how to talk my DH into getting AP's so that we can start going more than once a year or every other year.

tofubeast

07-11-2008, 08:37 PM

Thank you. You must be getting so excited to be coming back. We usually go at least every other year but I still get so excited in anticipation. I keep trying to figure out how to talk my DH into getting AP's so that we can start going more than once a year or every other year.

Yeah, AP's sure would be nice. I have considered it for WDW. Perhaps next year if we decide to go more than once in a year. I hope you can convince your DH! :wizard:

tofubeast

07-17-2008, 07:10 PM

Top Ten Reasons Why I am Ready for DLR...NOW!

10. I already have my packing list of what I need to bring and got my travel size toiletries and TSA approved zip block bags ready to go! :moped:

9. I am tired of watching you tube videos of the rides, I am ready for the real deal. :bored:

8. I already have scrapbook pages and stickers all ready for me when I get back so I can put an album together! :artist:

7. I went through my pin lanyard and started to weed out the ones I won't wear when I travel. The lanyard is getting heavy and I need room for more pins! :earboy2:

6. I have read the Unofficial Guide on DLR about three times now. :hyper:

5. I took advantage of the big recent sales on the disneyshopping site and bought some fun disney shirts to wear! :laundy:

4. I worked so hard on those ears, it it time to wear them! :earsgirl:

3. I keep staring at my Disney travel docs! They came in the mail the other day, and I can't help but look at all the stuff they sent. Who knows what I will ever do with that collectible coin, but it is still fun! :coffee:

2. I think I know RideMax by heart. If I don't have THE most perfect touring plan, call me crazy. :surfweb:

1. Ok, call me crazy. :laughing: Lately, I have been counting how many mickey ear antennas I see on passing cars. My DH thinks I am nuts. :crazy: I am up to 18. I think it means I am ready or plain old mad. :lmao: (Edit: As of 7/30, I am up to 34!)

Happy Dance: 18 Days till I feel like a kid again!
:dancer: :dancer: :dancer:

kaoden39

07-17-2008, 07:52 PM

It's kind of like that Mervyn's commercial with the woman standing at the door. Instead of open, open, open. It's time hurry up, hurry up, hurry up!

tofubeast

07-20-2008, 03:28 PM

It's kind of like that Mervyn's commercial with the woman standing at the door. Instead of open, open, open. It's time hurry up, hurry up, hurry up!

I haven't lived in CA in awhile. Mervyn's is still around? I thought they went under years ago! Shows what I know. :laughing:

kaoden39

07-20-2008, 07:28 PM

Oh yeah Mervyn's is still kicking around. They are affiliated with Target.

tofubeast

07-26-2008, 02:08 PM

Gulp, it's getting close!

I can't believe in just a little over a week, we will be at DLR! Woot! :cool1:
Though, I also have that completely ridiculous pre-trip quasi sadness because I know it will over in a blink of an eye. While we are spending over a week in S. Cali, the DLR portion will fly by, but have no fear, we are out to make the most of it!

Here is what we have planned...with a couple questions thrown in for the experts out there!

Day 1

Check in.....

Head to Downtown Disney in the late afternoon. If you have been reading my report, you know I was last there before Downtown Disney was built. I have been to DTD at WDW, but I know this version is a bit different. Is there anything that I should not miss? I am excited about seeing the Dept. 56 store. I collect Xmas villages. Just curious about the store, and if there is a must have I should get!

Dinner at Napa Rose! So looking forward to this. Any special items on the menu that are not to be missed? We will enjoy some wine and crawl, I mean walk, back to our room. :rotfl2: We will need to rest up for the busy days ahead!

Day 2

Time to put those RideMax plans to the test! As this is a magic morning, and we do not have access to the early hour, we will be heading over to Adventureland as soon as the park opens up to everyone. We plan to do up all the big rides in Adventureland, NO Square and Critter Country before making our way to DCA.

While at DCA, we will try to hit all the big rides. This is where I am impressed with RideMax, while hitting all the major attractions, we still will have several hours of down time. We hope to take advantage of some of the single line rides... namely repeat trips on Cali Screamin'! I am so excited about this ride because it appears to be like RnR Roller Coaster at Disney Hollywood Studios. DH & I are big coaster freaks! :woohoo: At the end of our DCA day, we will eat at Wine Country Trattoria. We will then find a nice spot for the Electric Parade. I am SO excited to see this beloved parade from my childhood. I am sure there will be some tears in my eyes.

From here, we will hope back to DL. I am still a bit torn on what to do that night, but I think we will take it easy and just have fun soaking in the fun of DL at night time. We will also have some FP we will have collected earlier, so more trips on Space Mountain abound!

Day 3

This day is solely reserved for DL, although again RideMax is giving us several hours of "free time" in the late afternoon, so we could hop back to DCA if we wish. We will spend the morning bouncing around Tomorrowland and Fantasyland.

I am looking forward to taking the train over to NO Square. Even though I did not exist during the '64 NY World's Fair, I have some bizarre fascination about it. I am looking forward to seeing some of the old exhibits that are seen while on the train, with an adult's appreciation that I didn't have years ago! I can tell I am getting older because, although I plan to hit up all the E ticket rides etc, I am also looking forward to slowing down and appreciating the fine craft work that went in to building this amazing place! Trust me, if Abe Lincoln was back on Main St, I would SO be there! You would have NEVER heard me saying that ten years ago! :rolleyes1

We will have an early lunch at Blue Bayou. I am hoping to score a water front table. By arriving early and being the first seating, I hope that improves our chances. In order to work off the monte cristo and that fabulous looking pirate ship dessert, we will hit up the canoes! When I was last at DLR, the canoes were gone. I am glad they re-appeared especially since they are no longer at WDW. We will then enjoy Billy Hill & the Hillbillies. Yet another sign I am more "mature" this trip! I have never seen a show at the Horseshoe...never. Having read so many adoring reviews of this show, I am very much looking forward to it! It also will be neat to just sit and admire this historical theater.

That afternoon, we will hit up some more rides and enjoy the scenery. I also hope to put those Photo Pass photographers to good use. Later on, we will find a nice spot for the fireworks (any good suggestions?) and will "Remember dreams really do come true!" I think this night we will stay till closing and get in line for Nemo towards the very end of the night!

~~~~
So does this all sounds like a good plan, or are we nuts? :scared1: Along with RideMax and Hydroguy's tips, we will be collecting Fastpasses along the way. Regardless of anything that happens, I just can't wait to show my man Disneyland!! :love:

Next up.. a crazy woman starts the task of packing and getting her DH to pack early rather than 2am the night before. Wish me luck! :rolleyes:

toocherie

07-26-2008, 02:34 PM

Oh yeah Mervyn's is still kicking around. They are affiliated with Target.

actually, they were sold by Target several years ago and recent news reports are that they are in financial distress (big shock). I haven't shopped there in years because every time I see something in their ads and want it it's never there--even on the first day--always some lame excuse--our delivery didn't come in . . .

travelmel

07-26-2008, 03:00 PM

I am SO glad I found this TR!!! I was watching your video and the first AWE-striking of me was that quick little shot of that "eared" red baloon going up in the air (OMG I wanted those balloons.. my parents were NOT spenders but I think I actually did get one once... probably with my Nanny :rotfl: )

The next part that got me misty eyed was the scene of the Skull Rock! Wow, that was a really stunning video you made! Thank you so much!

My husband just told me something the other day that I still don't understand altogether but something about when you upload on youtube they format it for even worse quality viewing for space reasons. You can upload video onto photobucket. The video on my TR turned out nice. I realize that the movie you have is old, etc but it may look somewhat better on photobucket. :confused3 Just a thought

I am so hooked on your stuff... it's so FUN!!! Unfortunately, my fingers are numb-ish from typing and scrolling so I've got to take a break but I am SO jazzed to come back!

Melissa

travelmel

07-26-2008, 04:04 PM

It's funny cause your itinerary looks so much like mine in a lot of ways :thumbsup2

As I said, I didn't get to do Billy Hill (DH.. I DO love him SO) but I wanted to and YUP, I would have NEVER DREAMED of seeing stuff like that 10 yrs ago! To be honest, somehow the Golden Horseshoe doesn't even ring a bell in my mind from ...Ever. ROFL My family must have been keeping me in a redneck free zone's of DL HA HA just kidding.

One thing I didn't see you mention that I think you would LOVE is to ride on The Lillie Bell caboose on the Train. We were able to ask on site and were granted a ride but apparently you can call ahead and schedule something?? :confused3 It was definitely a highlight for us! I will be putting it my TR soon. But basically, it was the car designed for dignitaries that Walt wanted to show off the park to.

You have to have a special guide to sit back there with you and you can only enter/exit at Main Street (no off and on) but it's SO fun! The guide we had was giving us all kinds of free insider trivia stuff.... he happily rambled on the whole trip. I hope you get the opportunity to try this "secret" experience.

I also saw that you would like to see Abe Lincoln again... I'll mention that the replacement is a pretty cute movie about the First Magical 50 Years w/Donald Duck and Steve Martin.. It was definitely worth a cool, sit down and relax kind of time. I hope you can see that, too.

I am so TOTALLY looking forard to this TR

Melissa

tofubeast

07-29-2008, 08:44 PM

I am SO glad I found this TR!!! I was watching your video and the first AWE-striking of me was that quick little shot of that "eared" red baloon going up in the air (OMG I wanted those balloons.. my parents were NOT spenders but I think I actually did get one once... probably with my Nanny :rotfl: )

The next part that got me misty eyed was the scene of the Skull Rock! Wow, that was a really stunning video you made! Thank you so much!

Hi Melissa, so nice to see you over here reading my pre trip review! I am so enjoying reading your post trip review! You have a great sense of humor! I am also so glad you loved the video. Remember though, that 8mm was taken by my dad, not me. I was not existing on this earth back in 1967...though I sure wish I could have seen that sparkeling new Tomorrowland! I also loved the old style balloons, even it one ear would deflate by the end of the day!

Thanks for letting me know more about how to get on the Lilly Belle. I did a little more research and saw that you can ask if it is running while at the Main Street station. I am going to kindly ask...hopefully it is even running when we are there. What a neat experience!

With that said, glad to have you on board. I am about to post a new "chapter"....:scared1:

tofubeast

07-29-2008, 09:09 PM

A DIS'er starts packing!

So I am in the middle of packing, and I can see my DH checking out the dining room table stacked with things to get put in the suitcase. He starts looking at all the Disney stuff and has himself a good chuckle. I start looking at some of the items I have here and know lots of you can relate!! I am not alone!! :rolleyes1

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/packing.jpg

Who can relate to some of the stuff seen here? The papers to the right are my touring plans and a DL "line wait time" chart I made. Yes, DH again thinks I am nuts. Why it is so easy for me to be such a good planner with things in my life that make me excited and happy? If only I were this way with EVERYTHING in my life. sigh!

So, yes, the dry cleaning has been picked up, things that need ironing are ironed..and I HATE ironing, final wash is over, tomorrow the suitcases get dug out of the closet and this little guy:

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/starskyboy.jpg

..will give me that sad look that seems to say "You aren't leaving are you, Mommy?" Sorry, buddy, but you will see us again soon! :dogdance:

With that said, I won't be adding any new "chapters" to this thread until it becomes a POST trip review!! I will check it though over the next couple of a days before we leave! Ciao! :earboy2:

travelmel

07-30-2008, 01:44 AM

Some Thoughts on packed goods and PTR's:

side note: I was reading your TR of WDW and you said you liked Peter Pan better at MK.. is it because it was refurb'd there? Because it's been refurbed at DL, too. Looking forward to your new comparrisons!

Of course I love, love LOVE the VMK pin! Also love the rainbow-ish DISNEYLAND pin! I am also a sucker for all things that look like the old DISNEYLAND sign from the parkinglot. LOL

I love your itinerary... I don't remember if I said so. I think it's all totally do-able and whatever you miss you can make up (providing your legs hold out!). One thing: I read that if you eat at the WCTrattoria you can sit on the balcony for the Electric parade. Something to check into, maybe? :confused: I'm really looking forward to this part of the trip - for you!

The night-time part... I did enjoy the night version of the jungle cruise.. but I think I liked the daytime better as I don't see that well at night anyway. Matterhorn at night might be fun being up high would be a great view at night... I think I'd really do ASTRO-ORBITORS! That would be a goodtime in the dark. Everything is DL is pretty at night. I'm so happy for you!

We did the canoe's last summer.. it was fun to do something "real"! It was also fun to get a sweet treat from Pooh's corner afterwards. I wish you could canoe to TSI... are you going to check it out?

We watched the fireworks from our spot for Fantasia (the early seating) and though we missed some things... the MUSIC is great... the "remember" part is all the old school stuff that you can't hear anymore... like the ORIGINAL PotC pirate battle scene. t really is moving. LOL I know you understand! Best wishes and....

HAVE FUN :wave:
:tinker: pooh:
:ccat: :simba:
:donald: :stitch:
:dumbo: :sulley:
:eeyore: :tigger:
:figment: :tink:
:goofy: :hmghost:
:earboy2: :smickey:
:stitch2: :mickeyjum

tofubeast

07-31-2008, 09:52 PM

Some Thoughts on packed goods and PTR's:

side note: I was reading your TR of WDW and you said you liked Peter Pan better at MK.. is it because it was refurb'd there? Because it's been refurbed at DL, too. Looking forward to your new comparrisons!

Of course I love, love LOVE the VMK pin! Also love the rainbow-ish DISNEYLAND pin! I am also a sucker for all things that look like the old DISNEYLAND sign from the parkinglot. LOL

I love your itinerary... I don't remember if I said so. I think it's all totally do-able and whatever you miss you can make up (providing your legs hold out!). One thing: I read that if you eat at the WCTrattoria you can sit on the balcony for the Electric parade. Something to check into, maybe?

I wish you could canoe to TSI... are you going to check it out?

I don't know if I have been on Peter Pan at DL since the refurb? When was the refurb? If you mean after FL was re-done in 83, well then yes I have been on. But if done in the 90's, I am not sure. Maybe I just liked it at WDW because it had been many years since I was last on it, and just was having happy flashback! :love: I am not sure if we will make it on Pan at DL. Depends it there is a short line at the end of the day. Otherwise, it isn't factored into our touring plans. But we did put aside time for TSI. I am curious about the whole pirate's lair thing. Not sure how I feel about pirates taking over FRONTIERland...but we shall see. pirate: I do like me some Jack Sparrow though! :rotfl2:

Glad you liked my pins too! I took many off so I am not tipping over with the weight of them on my lanyard! I plan to get a couple when out there. I like collecting pins that reflect the old days like long ago attractions. My recent new fave is my WED pin. As in WED imagineering. I also love my monorail and old ticket books pins. And yes, as you pointed out, the VMK pin. How I miss my ol' VMK.

So the bags are all packed. We head out to Cali tomorrow. While I will enjoy the wedding I am going to etc... I want to be at DLR now! But I don't want to rush things either. :sad2:

See ya when I come back for my TRIP Review!! Looking forward to reading more of yours as well!

:yay: :yay: :yay: :yay: :yay: :yay:
danielle

Sleepless Knight

07-31-2008, 11:00 PM

Sounds like a lot of fun. Hope you have a good trip.

FWIW, my parents got off Peter Pan at MK in 2006 and proclaimed something along the lines of "I like the one at Disneyland much better."

travelmel

08-01-2008, 01:07 AM

It struck me about what you said... I totally agree. I thought this clip tells it all!!!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIrq3RFUQPU

Just keepin' it real.

tofubeast

08-13-2008, 07:15 PM

I'm back!!!

We got back on the red eye on Monday, and I am still tired. Sure isn't fun being back at work staring at my Shag 50th DL prints all around my office and wishing I was still back there. Sigh.

So the trip review will come soon. I am still loading up pictures from our camera and PhotoPass as well as gathering my thoughts. More to come soon!

For now...one preview picture! :thumbsup2

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/DLRCaliAdventuresign3me.jpg

reyasmommy

08-13-2008, 08:04 PM

YAY!!! :banana: I'm SUPER excited! Can't wait to see and hear about your wonderful trip. :surfweb:

travelmel

08-13-2008, 08:23 PM

http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s235/revmyspace2/graphics/greetings/welcome-back/ybeachWelcome.gif

Can't wait to hear about everything! This is gonna be good! popcorn::

Sleepless Knight

08-13-2008, 08:33 PM

I figured you'd be getting back soon. Can't wait to hear about the rest of it.

tofubeast

08-17-2008, 11:17 AM

Official Start of My Trip Report.........

TofuBeast flies back "home!"

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/dumbooldDLcopy.jpg

:cheer2: :cheer2: :cheer2: :cheer2: :cheer2: :cheer2:

That's me flying on my trusty Dumbo 747 over DL circa the late 50's. Thanks friends for your patience, I needed nearly a week to kind of recover, gather my thoughts, as well as get over my sadness that the long awaited trip is now over. I have lots of pictures to share, and I am awaiting my Photo Pass pics. So there will probably be a little delay before the actual park portion of my visit, but have no fear, I have some stuff to chat about before all that!

For those just joining my trip report now, feel free to peruse the first couple pages of this thread. I have pre-trip and planning posts that started off this thread. As a quick refresher, my DH and I flew out to Cali for nearly 10 days to go to a friend's wedding, enjoy DLR, see friends, and throw my SIL a baby shower. All in that order!!

As I kill a little time, I hope you will allow me to indulge in describing and posting pics from the few days BEFORE the DLR portion of our trip. So let's get to it!

We flew out of Ft. Lauderdale on Jet Blue to Long Beach. I am usually a nervous flier, but since I was so excited about this trip, I seemed at ease. For those of you who do not know, Long Beach airport has to be one of the easiest airports out there. You literally walk off the plane, down the steps, and the luggage area is right there. Grabs your bags, cross the street, and there are the car rental agencies. Within 20 mins from landing, we were in our car and driving up towards L.A. As it was a Friday night, there was no traffic on the 405. We checked into the Renaissance Montura Los Angeles which is actually by LAX.
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/RenaissanceMonturaLosAngeles.jpg

The hotel was very nice and in a convenient spot for the first few days of our trip. The room was clean and has some nice amenities. If you find yourself staying near LAX I recommend heading South on Sepulveda Blvd. There are some nice places to eat in El Segundo and Manhattan Beach. For the veggies, I recommend a yummy placed called the Veggie Grill. We ate there our first night and found it just by chance. Walking around, I had forgotten how the fog can roll in at night and chill the air. It was in the 60s. Living in South Florida now, that is considered "cold" and I found myself wrapping up in my black sweater. Did I really live in Boston just 3 years ago? :lmao:

Ok, on to the wedding! Our friends got married at the Four Seasons in Beverly Hills.
http://www.mccoytravel.com/luxury_hotels_worldwide/four-seasons/beverly_hills/FourSeasonsHotelLosAngeles/images/1.jpg

The wedding was one of those events that just makes your jaw drop at every turn. When we walked out of the hotel lobby to the outside grounds, we were greeted with this entry and a place to sign the guest book:
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/weddingentry.jpg

From there, we turned to left to see the ceremony site. It was so magnificent.
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/weddingoutside.jpg

Our friends come from various backgrounds so their wedding included Indian and Jewish traditions. We teased them when they were going to open a lemonade stand due to all the lemons used as decor. Anyway, when the ceremony was over, it was time for the cocktail hour. This path led down to all the delicious food and drinks. They put in their own couches and pillows and flowers. That's my mommy on the right!
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/Weddingcocktailhour.jpg

We surely enjoyed the martini ICE bar. Yes, the whole martini bar was carved out of ice. Here it is later in the evening, after it had done some melting.
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/weddingicebar.jpg

The wedding reception was a ton of fun. The band was incredible, and I got a good chuckle seeing my parents dance to the band's cover of ACDC "You shook me all night long." :rotfl2: The Four Seasons sure knows how to provide some wonderful meals. Before the cutting of the cake, we were all treated to an Indian "bollywood" style dance troupe.
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/Weddingdancers2.jpg

Do you see the flowers in that room? I think my wedding's flower budget was about .0015% of their budget. :rotfl: The guest treat was a big candy bar full of jelly beans, candy apples, cotton candy and the like. It was nice to fill up a bag for us to enjoy the rest of our trip. What a wedding! The next day they had us back at the Four Season's for a Sunday post wedding brunch. It was amazing.

At this point, we had our only celebrity sighting of the trip. Growing up in L.A., I used to see people all the time, usually at the local super market or video shop. Now usually each trip I see someone as well. This time was no different. I instantly recognized his face and thought, "could it be?" When he turned around and I saw that his name was written on his football jersey, I knew for sure it was LL. We were waiting at the lobby elevators because I wanted to sneak a peak at the pool which is on an upper floor. An elevator came which was crowded with people about to get off. He stormed right in before they could. Not very polite, eh? On the whole elevator ride with him, I wanted to say something, but kept my mouth shut. ;)

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/nocoolj.jpg

While in the elevator, I noticed there was a press junket going on for "Tropic Thunder." It would have been much cooler to see Ben Stiller, Robert Downey or Jack Black. Oh well!

Coming up next: We take a visit to my ol' neck of the woods... Hollywood & the Disney Soda Fountain Shop! :woohoo:

mommaU4

08-17-2008, 05:08 PM

Welcome back!

Love the wedding pics. Wow, they really went all out. I also love the idea of a candy bar/buffet. I hadn't heard of those until recently and I think they are a great idea for weddings and other parties.

I was cracking up over your parents dancing to that song! I love that song but cannot imagine my parents ever dancing to that. :lmao:

Anyway, looking forward to reading more! :yay:

travelmel

08-17-2008, 06:24 PM

julezdisney

08-17-2008, 07:11 PM

Wow! I've never been to a wedding like that- how beautiful! V. excited for your TR!!

sydangel68

08-17-2008, 10:56 PM

Just discovered you TR and am I am hooked. Awesome leadup to the trip itself. Can't wait to here about all things Disneyland.

That wedding looks like it was amazing. WOW!

I will check out the Renaissance too, do they have a shuttle to/from LAX? We have 2 nights at LAX before our trip back to Australia at the end of our trip and really want somewhere to just layback, relax and regroup. We currently have a booking at the Hilton by LAX, but I am not convinced. Would like to see some pics or thoughts on the Renaissance.

Cheers
Angela

MA pigletfan

08-18-2008, 09:49 AM

tofubeast

08-19-2008, 01:00 PM

I will check out the Renaissance too, do they have a shuttle to/from LAX? We have 2 nights at LAX before our trip back to Australia at the end of our trip and really want somewhere to just layback, relax and regroup. We currently have a booking at the Hilton by LAX, but I am not convinced. Would like to see some pics or thoughts on the Renaissance.

Cheers
Angela

Hi Angela,

The hotel has a very high rating on trip advisor. The rooms were quite nice and we could not hear the planes at all. We got a good rate actually via their website. They have a shuttle to the airport, but we didn't use it as we flew in and our of Long Beach. However, we stayed at another "lax area" hotel at the latter part of our trip which is in El Segundo. It is the Hilton Garden Inn. It is just South of the airport, but very close. They also have a great reputation on tripadvisor and have a dedicated shuttle. Click the link for more info:
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g32341-d224346-Reviews-Hilton_Garden_Inn_LAX_El_Segundo-El_Segundo_California.html

The rate there was even cheaper than the other place and parking is free. Honestly, if I had to choose between the two, I would go again with the Hilton because the rooms were very nice and cheaper. But both places were lovely. Just giving you another option to think about!

tofubeast

08-19-2008, 01:01 PM

Those wedding pictures are AMAZING! I, for one, LOVE weddings and wedding pictures (I know it's hard to tell after reading my TR :rolleyes: ) so thank you SO much for adding those! I am super excited to hear more.
Good job!
Melissa

Hi Melissa, it was because of your TR that I decided to go off topic and post some of the wedding pics. I love weddings, so it is fun to take a peak at them.

tofubeast

08-19-2008, 01:12 PM

subscription made! :thumbsup2
Love the start of this TR!!! Those wedding pics are great! I am getting married next year so i am currently obsessed with all things wedding !
My fiance' and i are going to the west coast for the first time in October..spending 5 nights in L.A. with my friend and her boyfriend then DL for 4 nights..this report is going to come in handy i think! :goodvibes

Yay congrats on your engagement! Your wedding will be here before you blink. Hope you do a TR for your upcoming trip.

Wow! I've never been to a wedding like that- how beautiful! V. excited for your TR!!

Thanks. I have been to a few big weddings, but this one topped the cake so to speak! :rotfl2:

Welcome back!

Love the wedding pics. Wow, they really went all out. I also love the idea of a candy bar/buffet. I hadn't heard of those until recently and I think they are a great idea for weddings and other parties.

I was cracking up over your parents dancing to that song! I love that song but cannot imagine my parents ever dancing to that. :lmao:

Yes, my parents are more "old school" so to see them dancing to ACDC was quite a shock! I guess you only live once! :rotfl:

I loved the candy buffet too. My type 1 diabetic husband wasn't as big a fan as me though. I guess I can understand. I was most excited about the cotton candy. That has to be one of my favorite treats to indulge in...that I only have once in a blue moon. Here is a VERY blurry pic of the candy bar.

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/Weddingcandybar.jpg

Yum. popcorn:: And since we are talking about sweets, and we have some wedding fans out there, a nice shot of the cake. That was quite good too.
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/weddingcake.jpg

travelmel

08-19-2008, 08:04 PM

Yay!... more wedding pics! What a phenomenol party that was (and I know it's not cooth but OUCH for the pocket book! :scared1: ) I'm glad my TR helped inspire you to post. If you get anymore pics and want to share that would be great... also if you don't want to add them to your TR but have a kodak or shutterfly account open to the public you can PM me with a link :love:

That candy bar was amazing.... it's funny how I never heard of one and then bing-bang two in a row!

Melissa

MAH4546

08-20-2008, 01:23 AM

Awesome trip report so far, really enjoying it!

heatherleigh

08-20-2008, 10:11 AM

Thanks for the wedding cake pic. It looks beautiful and tasty! I haven't ever been to that large of a wedding. Actually, I haven't ever been to a wedding in the lower 48.

I am invited to one in Seattle in September, but it's a little to close to the date of our DL and my LV trip w/ the girls. If I had extra $, I'd do it, but not this time.:sad2:

MA pigletfan

08-20-2008, 01:24 PM

mommaU4

08-20-2008, 01:53 PM

droooooool i love the candy buffet and cake !!! i have a major sweet tooth..i am afraid if i had that at my wedding i would ignore my guests and be in total sugar shock!!! lol!
I do believe i will be doing a TR for my trip..wheeee :)If you do a TR I want the link!! :yay:

I love the cake pic and the candy buffet. I read about those on the DIS of all places but when I Googled it, lots of pics came up of different ones. http://images.google.com/images?q=candy%20buffet&rls=com.microsoft:en-us:IE-SearchBox&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&sourceid=ie7&rlz=1I7ADBS&um=1&sa=N&tab=wi

A friend of mine did one for her DD's 8th grade graduation and the kids loved it.

tofubeast

08-22-2008, 07:04 PM

Awesome trip report so far, really enjoying it!

Why thank you! Nice to have you on board!

Yay!... more wedding pics! What a phenomenol party that was (and I know it's not cooth but OUCH for the pocket book! :scared1: ) I'm glad my TR helped inspire you to post. If you get anymore pics and want to share that would be great... also if you don't want to add them to your TR but have a kodak or shutterfly account open to the public you can PM me with a link :love:
Melissa

Hi Melissa, I don't really have any more wedding pics from this wedding. But in honor of your TR and our other bride to be reading this TR, I give you two pics of DH and I from our wedding 3 yrs ago! We got married in Cape Cod.

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/weddingdance.jpg
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/J057-Meyer-0275.jpg

Ok from here on out I vow future pics will be disney'ish! :rotfl:

droooooool i love the candy buffet and cake !!! i have a major sweet tooth..i am afraid if i had that at my wedding i would ignore my guests and be in total sugar shock!!! lol!
I do believe i will be doing a TR for my trip..wheeee :)

Yay, share that link with us when you do one!! And I agree about the candy bar. I know if I didn't have that visit to DLR (with all the sweets and yummy food there), I would have been tempted to hit up that candy bar more! lol

New DISNEY RELATED update coming this weekend! :hippie:

travelmel

08-22-2008, 11:34 PM

[QUOTE=tofubeast;27094506]
Ok from here on out I vow future pics will be disney'ish! :rotfl:

QUOTE]

:scared: Come on! In a tribute to Walt it is our duty to honor things non-Disney whilest showing our affection for Disney by being here on the Disboards

That sounded more preachy than I meant it to, but ... you know what I mean!? Walt loved lots of stuff w/o Mickey.

Thanks SO much for sharing your wedding pics for me! :cloud9:

You are beautiful and happy and all a flutter with blushing innocence :goodvibes Very sweet!

tofubeast

08-23-2008, 10:15 PM

Only a Nobody Walks in L.A.!

Alright, time to move on with this trip report! So the day after the wedding (Sunday), the wedding parents of the couple treated out of town guests to a lovely brunch at the Four Seasons. Now I have never been to the brunch there, and was I "wow'd." If you ever want to treat yourself to something real special, and there is a Four Seasons where you live, go there for Sunday brunch. Yum...yum...oh and yum again!

After we bid farewell to my parents, the bride and groom, and friends... it was time to move on! As we were in Beverly Hills, we thought we would head on over to the 'Wood... Hollywood that is! For me, it is bittersweet to go back to this area, as I grew up in the hills above it. I used to drive down Hollywood Blvd. every day to get to high school. I never used to walk around the street back when I lived there unless some out of town relative was visiting us on vacation. Not too long ago, Hollywood Blvd. was kinda sketchy. In the last 10-15 years, it has been slowly changing and in the last few years, that change has sped up. So as a former resident, it was fun to come back and play the role of tourist.

DH and I parked the car and walked over to the Chinese Theater area.
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/hollywoodepmchinesetheater.jpg

It was quite crowded, but still fun to peak at the footprints in the concrete. I was especially happy to come across this concrete block:
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/hollywoodfranksinatra.jpg
I just love ol' Blue Eyes! I am still in awe of just how small people's feet and hands were back in the day...as seen in the concrete prints from the 30's and 40's. Have we just evolved into some huge giants or what? Some of those female stars back then looked like they had size 4 shoes. What will we be like in another 50 years? Moving on..

We walked around the Kodak Theater area. Seems like the bad economy is hitting the mall there kinda bad because there were many empty store fronts. I didn't remember it being like that when I was last in the area a few years ago. We then walked around checking out some of the stars and found two that seemed quite appropriate for an L.A. DIS TR!
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/hollywoodmickeymousecrop.jpg
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/hollywooddonaldduck.jpg
:donald: :mickeyjum :donald: :mickeyjum :mickeyjum :donald: :mickeyjum

Just WHO is the leader of the Club? I digress. So when walking around in the hot California sun, what does one become hungry for? :confused: What I ask? ICE CREAM. And when at the Chinese Theater where does one go for such a treat? Well the Disney Soda Fountain Shop, of course! :woohoo:
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/hollywooddisneyfountain.jpg

We were promptly seated and provided with the menu. There are so many ice cream concoctions to choose from that it took me forever to decide. Finally, I just went with the classic sundae. I mean you can't go wrong with that! DH had a Diet Coke float. My sundae came with mint chip ice cream, and I was surprised when I saw the color of the ice cream was pink, as I am used to the standard green. It was yummy! My DH laughed at me as I took a picture of our treats. I said, "Get used to it, I need it to make the people on the DIS happy!" :thumbsup2 He rolled his eyes, in a playful way of course. So here is the first of the foodie pics to come...
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/hollywooddisneyfountainicecream.jpg

Based on descriptions I had read of the restaurant, I thought it would be a lot bigger, so I can now see why some people face some decent waits for a table. Back when I used to go to the El Capitan, the soda fountain was not there. It sure is a nice addition. The servers were really nice and helped me get a preview of the Disney spirit we would experience down in Anaheim.

There is also a small shop that is a part of the overall soda fountain. The offerings are rather meager, but the space is small. As a pin collector, I had to get something to mark my visit so this is what I ended up with:
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/SodaFountainpin.jpg

Here are my thoughts about the Disney Soda Fountain Shop. It is a nice experience if you are already going to be touring Hollywood and/or catching a film at the El Capitan. However, if you are just going there for the sake of the Soda Fountain (i.e. driving up from DLR just for it), than I would not bother. It sure was fun though and helped us beat the heat.

See, the main reason we were in the Hollywood area was to make my DH happy. Like me, he is an avid enthusiast of music. However, he has a much larger obsession with collecting records and such. So every time we make it out to L.A., the trip has to involve a stop at Amoeba records.
http://www.mymac.com/img/archives/nemo/7.30.03_8.jpg

I found that picture online for you to see the outside of the store on Sunset Blvd. For those of you who do not know, Amoeba is a very very VERY large record store that actually started in San Fran. A few years ago, they opened another location in Hollywood. In an era where record stores (especially independent ones) are quickly becoming a thing of the past, it is nice to know that there are still some out there that are thriving. Here is just a small glimpse of how big the store is, but it is way bigger than this picture alone. DH took this pic from the 2nd floor.
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/amoeba3.jpg

We spent an hour or two in here perusing all the genres of music and checking out the dvds and such. My husband was in heaven. There aren't many good records stores in South Florida, so he had to get his fill. In fact, a week later we spent some more time at Amoeba. :rolleyes:

After contributing to the local economy, we headed over to Santa Monica to meet friends. There are some real nice restaurants and bars on Main Street (bridging Venice and Santa Monica). I recommend checking out this area when visiting L.A. After we enjoyed a few beers and a good meal with friends, we headed towards our hotel. Just as we were about to turn on the street of our hotel, I decided to surprise my hubbie and take home to Manhattan Beach. It was a nice, crisp night with a full moon. A perfect setting for walking down the M.B. Pier and listening to the Pacific waves. This was to be the last real quiet moment of our whole vacation...even though it had still only just begun. At least it was romantic! :love:

Stay tuned...

Next installment will include my review of the Candy Cane Inn, Downtown Disney, and a lovely meal at Napa Rose!

tofubeast

08-23-2008, 10:22 PM

:scared: Come on! In a tribute to Walt it is our duty to honor things non-Disney whilest showing our affection for Disney by being here on the Disboards. That sounded more preachy than I meant it to, but ... you know what I mean!? Walt loved lots of stuff w/o Mickey.

Thanks SO much for sharing your wedding pics for me! :cloud9: You are beautiful and happy and all a flutter with blushing innocence :goodvibes Very sweet!

Aww..thanks so much. You are just too sweet! :hug:

julezdisney

08-23-2008, 10:26 PM

loves it!

mommaU4

08-23-2008, 10:57 PM

Love the wedding pics. So pretty and you look so happy!

And I loved the latest update. Not sure if you saw it but I went to the Soda Fountain in June and loved it. We got the Mickey's Masterpiece though. It was huge!! LOL
Here's a pic if you want to see: http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=25881228&postcount=203

Can't wait to hear your thoughts on Candy Cane Inn. I've never stayed there but it looks nice.

MA pigletfan

08-24-2008, 10:23 AM

Why thank you! Nice to have you on board!

Hi Melissa, I don't really have any more wedding pics from this wedding. But in honor of your TR and our other bride to be reading this TR, I give you two pics of DH and I from our wedding 3 yrs ago! We got married in Cape Cod.

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/weddingdance.jpg
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/J057-Meyer-0275.jpg

Ok from here on out I vow future pics will be disney'ish! :rotfl:

Yay, share that link with us when you do one!! And I agree about the candy bar. I know if I didn't have that visit to DLR (with all the sweets and yummy food there), I would have been tempted to hit up that candy bar more! lol

New DISNEY RELATED update coming this weekend! :hippie:

so cute! what a pretty bride..i love that black and white pic. Just out of curiousity...do you have family up here in Cape Cod? You are from Cali originally right? Cape Cod weddings are notoriously beautiful :)

I certainly will share the link ( prob in my siggie too) when i start my TR..i might start it a little before we leave and it will certainly be a so cal/DL tr! getting excited!
The soda fountain looks super cute..we might have to check that out!

tofubeast

08-25-2008, 05:16 PM

Love the wedding pics. So pretty and you look so happy!
And I loved the latest update. Not sure if you saw it but I went to the Soda Fountain in June and loved it. We got the Mickey's Masterpiece though. It was huge!! LOL
.

Thanks so much. You got the Mickey's Masterpiece?!?!?! I saw another group ordering that huge super yummy looking thing. Did you guys finish it? As I was with my diabetic husband, and there was just the two of us, I don't think that was going to be an option for us. :rolleyes:

I am just realizing that this trip review is so far mostly about candy, wedding cake, and ice cream. Perhaps that is all you need for the perfect vacation! :wizard:

tofubeast

08-25-2008, 05:20 PM

so cute! what a pretty bride..i love that black and white pic. Just out of curiousity...do you have family up here in Cape Cod? You are from Cali originally right? Cape Cod weddings are notoriously beautiful :)

The soda fountain looks super cute..we might have to check that out!

I am originally from LA but had moved to Boston for grad school. When finishing my master's, I got a great job and met a great man. So life kept me in Boston for 7 years! In the meantime, my parents retired from CA to S. Florida, so that is part of what brought us down here. When we got married, we were still living up in New England, and I loved the idea of getting married at a quaint little inn and having a fun weekend with our guests. I sure miss the Cape...especially the lobster rolls and fried clam stands. (There I go with more food talk!) :rotfl:

And yes, as I said the soda fountain is a lovely little stop, just make sure it is part of a larger visit of the area.

mommaU4

08-25-2008, 08:37 PM

Thanks so much. You got the Mickey's Masterpiece?!?!?! I saw another group ordering that huge super yummy looking thing. Did you guys finish it? As I was with my diabetic husband, and there was just the two of us, I don't think that was going to be an option for us. :rolleyes:

I am just realizing that this trip review is so far mostly about candy, wedding cake, and ice cream. Perhaps that is all you need for the perfect vacation! :wizard:

Yes we did order it! There were six of us, so we figured it would be about the same price wise as ordering individual sundaes. It was huge, and no even with all of us, we did not finish it. We sure gave it a good try though. ;)

And I'm pretty sure candy, wedding cake and ice cream IS all you need for the perfect vacation. Well, maybe throw in a churro or two and then it's perfect.

Sleepless Knight

08-25-2008, 11:28 PM

I'm going down Thursday to see Sleeping Beauty at the El Capitan so I'm going to make sure that I find Mickey's star, Donald's star, and the star belonging to R2-D2 and C-3PO. I'm excited to spend a little bit of time there. Last time I just had a few minutes so I couldn't really explore that area.

lovegrumpy

08-25-2008, 11:37 PM

Loving it so far. Can't wait to get back to DL.

Disneygrl36

08-26-2008, 12:38 PM

Lovin' your trippie.
I love it when people include their Disney history as it makes the whole Disney obsession make so much more sense right?
WOW that's a huge music store..........do they actually have records? I sold all my old albums in a yard sale & immediately regretted getting rid of my musical history.
Can't wait for more.

MA pigletfan

08-26-2008, 01:10 PM

I am originally from LA but had moved to Boston for grad school. When finishing my master's, I got a great job and met a great man. So life kept me in Boston for 7 years! In the meantime, my parents retired from CA to S. Florida, so that is part of what brought us down here. When we got married, we were still living up in New England, and I loved the idea of getting married at a quaint little inn and having a fun weekend with our guests. I sure miss the Cape...especially the lobster rolls and fried clam stands. (There I go with more food talk!) :rotfl:

And yes, as I said the soda fountain is a lovely little stop, just make sure it is part of a larger visit of the area.

Ah-HA. thats great you got to experience living in different parts of the country. I have always been a New England gal...the furthest west i have ever been is colorado!

We will be staying in the Hollywood/LA area for about 5 days with our friends that live in the hills..so we will be staking out that area enough to take a trip to the soda fountain i hope!

tofubeast

09-01-2008, 09:35 AM

tofubeast

09-01-2008, 09:37 AM

Welcome lovegrumpy! Glad to have you on board for the ride! :woohoo:

Lovin' your trippie.
I love it when people include their Disney history as it makes the whole Disney obsession make so much more sense right?
WOW that's a huge music store..........do they actually have records? I sold all my old albums in a yard sale & immediately regretted getting rid of my musical history.
Can't wait for more.

Yes, I also love the Dis because you know you aren't alone in your Disney obsession either!! Regarding Amoeba records, yes they have lps and cds, as well as dvds. It is a music and movie lovers little piece of heaven. :yay:

tofubeast

09-01-2008, 09:58 AM

Are we there, yet?

Alright, let's get this trip report to ANAHEIM!!
:yay: :yay: :yay: :yay: :yay: :yay: :yay: :yay:

Monday morning, my husband awoke early and saw me packing and running around our hotel room. I was just too excited to stay asleep! I checked the Dis on my cell phone, just to make sure I hadn't missed some major news that could affect our park visits, and more importantly, our touring plans!

After a just ok breakfast at the Rocky Cola Cafe in Manhattan Beach and a pit stop at Trader Joes to get snacks, we were finally on the road. (Oh how I miss my T-Joes! When oh when will you ever open in Florida?!) I am sure I annoyed my husband with my giddy-ness as we took 105 East...then over to the traffic on the 5...and it almost turned ugly till I finally promised him his first In-N-Out Burger off the 91.

My real reason for the 91 detour was to hit the Disney Character Warehouse outlet, and as my husband hates shopping, I had already done my research and found said burger place was just the next block north on Katella. Aren't I smart? :idea: It was also good that there was a Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf just a few shops down from the outlet, so he killed time there, while I perused the cheap(er) Disney goodies.

Now I know from reading on here, the outlet can be hit or miss. As this was my first time there, I am not sure if it was a good, lousy, or mediocre day. So what did I see that day? Photo albums, some art and jewlery, retired mickey ears and Pirates of the Caribbean hats, and of course LOTS of t-shirts and sweatshirts. I was sad to see the lack of pins for sale, but I am not sure if that is normal or not. None of the pins interested me. So what did I score? I got a nice blue embroidered Disneyland t-shirt that was $36 down to $16... and a double cd of Disneyland music for $6. That was the best deal because although there is a newer version being sold now in the parks for $25 or so...the songs are pretty much the same. While I did not walk out of the store with a bag stuffed with items, I thought I got some good stuff. Plus, I didn't feel guilty for going berzerk in there! For those of you who have not been to the outlet, know that it is only about a 8 min drive North of Disneyland on Katella. There appears to be a bus that also goes straight up and down from the parks. I think it is definitely worth the visit if you have time and want cheaper souvenirs or gifts for kids etc.. :thumbsup2

From here, we headed over to In-N-Out. As a pseudo veggie (I eat fish), I sat and watched my husband happily eat his burger. I was kinda surprised that he did not order off the “secret” menu, and he just went with the traditional cheeseburger.
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/innout.jpg

As we were leaving, I got a good chuckle at the intersection on Katella in this area. I counted 26 video cameras! :rotfl: Now I know some intersections have cameras to catch people who breeze through red lights or to monitor the area, but I think 26 cameras is a bit bunch! Anyway, from here we were finally heading South to that oh so Happiest Place on Earth! :wizard:

I kept telling my hubbie, soon you are going to see a snowy mountain on our right, and then finally the beautiful Matterhorn (est. 1959) was in view! I did as much of a happy dance one can do while driving a car. There were definitely some tears as well I was in awe as we drove down past the park, for so much had changed in the area in the last 10 years....and even more so when comparing to earlier memories. As we passed the Tower of Terror, I knew our own hotel was soon going to be on the right! And then I saw the sign... the Candy Cane Inn (CCI)!

Alright, I guess this would be the appropriate place to give my little review of the CCI. Based on reviews I had read on Trip Advisor back when we were booking (it was #1 at that time in ratings) and the nice words here on the Dis, we went with the CCI. While staying on property would have been fun, we just could not justify the $$$ difference. When we go to WDW, and use discount codes for FL residents, we get to stay on site at places such as the Disney Coronado Springs Resort for less or about the same prices as the Good Neighbor hotels:
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/20071017DisneyCoronadoSpringsRes-1.jpg
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/20071017DisneyCoronadoSpringsRes-3.jpg

Those pics were from our WDW trip last fall. So a Good Neighbor hotel it was! To be honest with you, since the CCI was SO close to Disney, it really did feel like we were staying at a natural extension of the resort. Plus, we were only there to sleep and wash up. But I am jumping ahead... Upon check in, staff were super friendly. Our room was already available, and we were given a second floor room near the entrance. I know some people complain that the basic rooms are small, but as we are just a couple, we did not find it all that small at all. I am sure if we had two kids in tow, we would have opted for the larger rooms offered at the Inn, but for our needs, this was perfect. The room was always kept very clean by the staff and the beds were comfortable. The room was quiet as well, and the a/c was strong. Did you notice I wrote beds? Even though we requested a king size bed, we got two bed in our room. While we could have complained and such, we were happy with the location of our rooms. Plus at WDW, we have booked rooms in the moderate resorts, which by default gives you two beds. As we were ok sleeping in our own beds after the long days in the parks back there, we figured it would be ok during our DLR stay as well. So yeah, we were like Lucy and Ricky with our own double beds! I am sure you can understand that while it is nice to cuddle with the love of your life, after walking miles at the parks, it is nice to stretch out and have your own bed! Here is a pic of our room at the CCI:
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/DLRCandyCaneInn.jpg

As far as getting to and from the parks, we walked in the morning because we wanted to get to the parks way before opening, but took the shuttle back at night. CCI has an exclusive shuttle for their guests. The shuttle drivers were very friendly, and they were frequent in going to and fro. When walking to the parks in the morning, we found the walk to be quite easy to the main gates, about an 8-10 minute walk at most. It was so easy that I found myself wondering why people complain about the walk...?? :confused: Because we wanted to be at the parks bright and early, we did not partake in the free breakfast. We would have been fine if we stopped in to pick up food to go at 7am (when breakfast started), but I was too excited and happy with just munching on a granola bar. Not to mention, I have a coffee snob husband, so that meant he would rather have a bottled Starbucks then whatever hot coffee they were serving. (For all we know, it could have been Starbucks or something similar!)

The CCI is a family owned hotel, that opened not too long after DL opened. The man at the check-in desk said that the people who opened the Inn went on a vacation to see DL. After seeing the park, the husband told his wife that he wanted to build a hotel next to the park. His wife thought he was crazy, but they ended up building it. 50 years later... it is still there and run by their child(ren).

Ok, more to come shortly....

Next up Downtown Disney and a nice meal at Napa Rose!

travelmel

09-01-2008, 01:51 PM

I was reading my nusband (yes, nusband... long story) the part about you getting your DH to go to In-n-Out with alterior motives and he was cracking up! :rotfl2: He is SO happy when he finds out he is not alone in the world of sweet, controllish, but totally GORGEOUS, dis-freaks! :thumbsup2

I was also laughing about your giddy-ness at seeing the Matterhorn. Even my kids furrow their brow a little bit and roll their eyes (in their heads, not out loud! LOL) when mom is going berserk talking non-stop about "Ok, then you're going to see the matterhorn ... it was the tallest structure in Orange county... I used to always see the matterhorn and get so excited cause that meant DISNEYLAND .. and , and, and.... and... AND.... " !!!!!! :lmao:

Some people NEVER grow up. :rolleyes1

Were you a big Knott's Berry Farm fan?? I was a HUGE KBF fan. We would always be coming to Knott's from Downey and on the freeway we would pass a ... something like an outdoor pottery kind of store.... lots of BIG pots and garden statues... OMG that was get me so excited!!!!!

Goodtimes :cloud9:

I was so happy to see an update by you... keep up the good work!

tofubeast

09-01-2008, 02:27 PM

I was reading my nusband (yes, nusband... long story) the part about you getting your DH to go to In-n-Out with alterior motives and he was cracking up! :rotfl2:

Were you a big Knott's Berry Farm fan?? I was a HUGE KBF fan. We would always be coming to Knott's from Downey and on the freeway we would pass a ... something like an outdoor pottery kind of store.... lots of BIG pots and garden statues... OMG that was get me so excited!!!!!

Good to see you as well. Regarding In-N-Out, I knew there had to be some other wife...partner...etc who could relate to my motives there!! Not that he would have refused, but then I would have gotten "the face" if I was in there any longer than I probably was! ;)

And you asked about Knott's.... I loved Knott's. Last time I was there, about 3 days before 9/11. Kinda eerie to think we flew out the next day back to MA. I took my DH (who was my bf) at the time. Funny actually that here I talk about being a Disney freak, and yet, I took him to KNOTT's first!!! I am a total hypocrite! :lmao: Oh well...

I was a little disappointed with Knott's during the last visit. It appeared to be becoming more of a Six Flags. Don't get me wrong, I love thrill rides, but I love the old west theme-ing at Knott's. Sad to think the Haunted Shack is now gone...and who knows what else! I used to love walking through Old Town back in its glory and the Wacky Soap Box racers.
http://extinct-attractions-club.com/alsoapbox.jpg

Funny you mentioned the pottery place... I remember that too. The big sign you were getting closer to Knott's was the old parachute ride. I sure loved those...like an early version of the Tower of Terror. :rolleyes: But what do I love most at Knott's? Anything and everything boysenberry. Oh the jam, the juice, the topping on the funnel cakes. Behold the might boysenberry! I would do almost anything for a piece of Knott's boysenberry pie right now!
http://www.anaheimoc.org/client_upload/images/boysenberrypie.JPG

Check out this great Knott's blog!
http://knottsberryfarm.blogspot.com/

mommaU4

09-01-2008, 11:53 PM

I haven't been to Knott's in a long time. I used to like it but I wonder how I would now. My DS wants to go because he loves coasters, so maybe one day we will.

The Candy Cane Inn looks really nice. Thanks for sharing your pic and review of the place. :)

travelmel

09-02-2008, 12:48 AM

My nanny was the cake decorator at the bakery next door to the Fried Chicken Restaraunt so we went to Knott's A LOT!!! I love Chambord Liquer because it smells like the inside of the old Knott's Bear-y Tales ride! (I have the book!!!!) I have said it before and I'll say it again .. that was my favorite Dark Ride EVER. (Flying on Peter Pan a VERY close second followed by travelling out on a leaf on Alice) I know.. I know.. I may be a disfreak but really I'm a nostalgia nerd and I LOVE KNOTTS BERRY FARM! IT's changed too much... Disney has done a better job of not messin with my memories (BRING BACK BEAR COUNTRY JAMBOREE AND I'LL FORGIVE YOU FOR YOUR CORPORATE %*^$). Ahem.... nuff said.

Anyway, because I am a total nostalgia nerd I had already checked out that site and I thought you might like this one:

http://bear-ytales.net/Bear-ytales/Bear-ytales.htm

Great shots of the vintage days at the park.

Looking forwad to your next installment!!

JaneJetson

09-03-2008, 01:50 PM

Hi! I'm joining your report. Loving it so far. The photos are great! Especially the ones from your childhood. Classic.

Disneygrl36

09-05-2008, 06:08 PM

In N Out burgers or Pink's hotdogs????????? Which one would be the best CA food experience?

Ready for more anytime now......popcorn::

mommaU4

09-05-2008, 06:23 PM

In N Out burgers or Pink's hotdogs????????? Which one would be the best CA food experience?

Ready for more anytime now......popcorn::My vote would be In-n-Out. I've had both and wasn't that impressed with Pinks, but then I'm not that much of a hot dog eater. The shakes at In-n-Out are really good too. :thumbsup2

travelmel

09-05-2008, 07:17 PM

In N Out burgers or Pink's hotdogs????????? Which one would be the best CA food experience?

Ready for more anytime now......popcorn::

I say Pinks... Probably cause I've never been there. I lived in California my whole life and really never saw any movie stars.. but I hear (probably over-rated) that you cand find some their SOMETIMES!

In-N-Out... tasty but tough parking and limited choices.

Now FATBURGER!!! That's a hamburger!!!!!

tofubeast

09-07-2008, 06:26 PM

Hi! I'm joining your report. Loving it so far. The photos are great! Especially the ones from your childhood. Classic.

Thanks! I am loving your report as well! Happy to have you on board!

tofubeast

09-07-2008, 06:29 PM

http://bear-ytales.net/Bear-ytales/Bear-ytales.htm

I have totally seen that site before, and it is a great one! I just didn't have the link, so thanks! I hear you about the Beary Tales ride.. that used to be a fave of mine as well. I loved how it smelled like boysenberries!! I was so sad when it became that lame dinosaur ride. Whoever made that decision deserves....well something not so nice! :thumbsup2

And that is so cool about your grandma working there as a cake decorator! Back in my pre-veggie days (i eat fish), I used to LOVE that chicken restaurant. So many memories there!

tofubeast

09-07-2008, 06:30 PM

In N Out burgers or Pink's hotdogs????????? Which one would be the best CA food experience?

Ready for more anytime now......popcorn::

Hmm as a pseudo veggie, I don't know what to say about this. I remember both, and I would probably guess Pinks. But, travelmel might be on to something with Fatburger.

I would also recommend Tito's tacos in Culver City.

tofubeast

09-07-2008, 07:45 PM

Downtown Disney, here we come!

I am so sorry it has taken me so long to move forward with this trip review. Life happens, and it sure chose to happen this week. :sad2: Things are alright, but the next few weeks are going to be quite busy. Needless to say, it might be nice to have this TR to escape to for me! It will be nice to remember our vacation and still live through it. :scared:

So, after we checked in and got a little rest, we decided to go out and explore! We jumped onto the CCI shuttle and were greeted by a super friendly shuttle driver. Within a few short minutes, we were already leaving the bus and on Disney property. It was weird to be standing in the old parking lot area! We walked into the main area separating the two parks. My mouth went wide open. I also loved hearing the Disney music piped in. Talk about a way to get you excited! While I was a little jealous of the people going in and out of the parks, I knew my time would be soon enough! :cool1:
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/DLRCaliAdventuresign1.jpg
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/DLRTrainstation.jpg

This late afternoon and evening was going to be all about Downtown Disney. Before we headed over in that direction, we had to take a few of the obligatory letter pictures.
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/DLRCaliAdventuresign3me.jpg
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/DLRCaliAdventuresign2.jpg

So past the DTD Disney sign we went, and soon we were among the shops and stuff. Of course, we had to take a lookie loo at the World of Disney. It definitely seemed a bit smaller than the one at WDW, but had all the usual stuff. Back at WDW, I had bought a little charm bracelet where you can add $3 charms to it. It is not an expensive charm bracelet. I was happy to see they had some DLR specific charms there so I could add them on. Now I have both resorts on there.... next up DisneySea in Toyko? Yeah I wish. :rotfl: I then dragged my hubby around the store, and somehow got him interested in the old attraction prints that are pre-matted. We got 3 nice prints of the PeopleMover, Monorail and Rocket to the Moon attraction posters.

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/peoplemover.jpg http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/monorail.jpg
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/rockets.jpg

There is only so much shopping my hubby can take, so I know I have to bribe him from time to time! :rolleyes1 So we decided to stop for drinks at the Jazz Kitchen. :drinking1 We were there before the dinner rush, and the bar area was empty. It looked like a fun place to hang when it is hopping. The bartender was super friendly and made some nice drinks for us...at a nice price...but you kind of expect that! :eek: He is planning to go to WDW with some other CMs this January, so I was giving him all the ol' Dis tips. He proceeded to tell me how dead it has been there this summer, and that the crowds have been very light especially at DTD. He was wondering if some of it had to do with the opening of the Anaheim Garden Walk, saying perhaps it was taking some of the locals away.

After some time we stumbled, err I mean walked on, :lmao: checking out the bookstore and such. They have some nice Disney related books near the entrance that I recommend taking a look at. We also had fun at the Lego store. Somehow Darth Vader does not look as intimidating in Legos! :darth:
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/DLRLegoDarthVader.jpg

Soon we were at the famous sign...
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/DLRHotel.jpg

The famous sign for me is more so the old Disneyland hotel logo on the side of the building, but the hat will do. It was weird looking at the hotel now, as it just seems so much smaller with DTD in front of it. I used to love to take the monorail over to the hotel, and my parents and I would have dinner at the old coffee shop. So many memories. It was also sad to see the large sign gone at the top of the building. Things change! Every time we would drive away from DL, after a long day at the parks, I would stare out the back window of the car keeping an eye on the DL Hotel sign until it was no longer in sight. :upsidedow

The last time I was over in that area, there was still a marina in the middle of the towers. Most of that is gone now, though the hotel seems to have a real cool swimming pool! I think this might be a remnant of the past, but not sure:
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/DLRHotel2.jpg

We ducked into the lobby, and a ping of jealousy hit me. As a child, it was my dream to stay at this place! It just seemed like the ULTIMATE hotel. Sigh. :sad: (That is why I was so excited to stay on property at WDW the first time a few years ago!) We wondered around and came across a lovely little historical photo gallery!
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/DLRHotellobby.jpg

If you are ever wandering around the resort, I definitely recommend checking out this area. There are many wonderful pictures of Walt and DL back when it was under construction. Plus, there are lots of pics of the various dignitaries and celebrities that have toured the park. If you go a little deeper into the lobby (near the conference/ballrooms), there are also window exhibits of memorabilia of the parks. I was eating all this stuff up, and also thinking how much that stuff would go for on ebay! :scratchin

Cont'd...

tofubeast

09-07-2008, 07:48 PM

Cont'd...

We strolled around the grounds, and I got a peak at Goofy working the tables at a character dinner. We also found the wedding gazebo area. How fun it must be to get married here! Near the walkway, there are some beautiful bushes carved into some famous Disney characters:
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/DLRHotel3.jpg

We headed back to DTD, and I took a peak at the Department 56 store. I love the villages and it was VERY hard to keep myself from buying something to add to my collection. I was especially enthused with the Halloween village, but for now, I will stick to Christmas until I have a bigger mansion.
:tinker:
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/DLRDept56village.jpg

Time was moving on, and it was getting close to our dinner. We traveled on over to the Grand California Hotel, and even though I have seen many photos of the lobby, it is something that you just have to experience with your own eyes. GORGEOUS! This hotel is like the amazing ones at WDW. Wow wow wow! On a cold winter day (well 50's for Cali), I would love to just curl up with a book and relax in that lobby. In fact, we did sit for a while and just people watched. Soon, it was time for our belated anniversary dinner at Napa Rose.

We got there early for our ressie (which was at 8:30), but they seated us promptly at the Chef's counter. We had a great spot in between the main course cooks and the pastry chef. The menu looked tantalizing as did the wine list!
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/DLRNapaRose4.jpg

How is that for an arty shot? I got the wine, a napa rose, and the cooks just for you! ;) As we were deciding our dining adventure for the evening, we were given a delightful bread basked and one of the chefs brought over some mini appetizers. I think this is a perk when sitting at the counter.
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/DLRNapaRose3.jpg

So for our starter course, we went with a nice grilled caesar salad wedge. We had ordered one to share, and they were nice to separate it for us on two plates. We then ordered a vegetable and our main courses. Hubby went with the pork chop, and I went with the halibut....just for the Hall of It! Oh c'mon, I had to! :laughing: Here is the all important food picture that is a must in these trip reports on the Dis:
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/DLRNapaRose5food.jpg

Hubby loved his dish, as did I! Mine came with a little crab meat stuff pepper, oh yum! But, get this, the vegetable was INSANE! Now we ordered brussel sprouts, and before you put on a sour face, hear me out! They grilled them and cut them up fine, mixed them with some spices, garlic, butter and fresh parmesan cheese. They were HEAVENLY! Yes, I normally do like brussel sprouts.... and these were just over the top. We have since recreated them in our own kitchen.

Dinner was a big thumbs up. :thumbsup2 I thought it was worth the hype. The service was excellent. It was so much fun to sit in front of all the action. I felt like I was watching Ratatouille, minus the rats of course! :rotfl: The cooks were telling us about their creations. The pastry chef was nice, and I was admiring her work. We felt a bit guilty not ordering dessert after watching her at work, but there was just no room. It was definitely worth holding off to our trip to have our wedding anniversary dinner at Napa Rose. Before we left, they gave us some nice chocolates to take back with us.
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/DLRNapaRose6us.jpg

Full and tired, we decided to call it a night. We got back on the shuttle to our hotel. There was this super grumpy looking family sitting across from us. The kids were complaining how they barely went on any rides. Dad was silent. Mom complained to us how busy the parks were and how they went on 5 rides all day. I got a little nervous thinking the parks must have suddenly and finally picked up to their normal summer crowds. That is when I heard they got there at 10:30 and had no touring plan at all. It was classic... all the stuff you hear NOT to do on the Dis, they did! I tried to suggest that they go early the next days, with some other Dis tips as well thrown in, and she rudely snapped back that she could never get up that early! So I sealed my lips and thought to myself “Good luck, lady!” :bitelip:

Within minutes, we were in our comfie beds...him in his...and mine in mine! Just like it should be for loving couples! :lovestruc So nice to have my own bed. I let sleep over take me as I excitedly thought about what was to come tomorrow..................

Coming up Next: Alarm sounds, off to the parks!

mommaU4

09-07-2008, 08:34 PM

[ I was especially enthused with the Halloween village, but for now, I will stick to Christmas until I have a bigger mansion.
:tinker:
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/DLRDept56village.jpg

I LOVE THAT!!! I so want a Halloween village. One day....

Great update. :thumbsup2 Sorry things have been hectic with you. I hope they settle down soon. :)

travelmel

09-07-2008, 09:57 PM

I loved your artsy wine glass shot!

Sound like you had a relaxing day of taking in some of the peripheral DLR activities! It's so nice to have that kind of time :goodvibes

I could spend some time in that hallway of old photo's for sure! I stayed at the DL hotel once around 1990-ish. We had fake id's and had drinks at the bar! Tsk tsk :ssst:

Ahh.. if only that were the least worse thing I have ever done at DL

:smokin:

::yes::

::cop:

:sad2:

Nuff said.

:angel:

JaneJetson

09-07-2008, 11:51 PM

Great photos! Can't wait to see the ones from in the parks!

Lizzybear

09-08-2008, 09:02 AM

Great TR! Me and my bf will be visiting DL for the first time soon, having visited WDW and DLP previously so i'm currently reading all the DL reports I can find and yours has been one of my favourites :goodvibes Btw, I totally agree about the separate beds thing.. We had 2 in POFQ and tried sharing one night but it's way smaller than we're used to at home (kingsize) so we just ended up in separate beds, much more comfortable!
I'm subbing for the rest :)

MA pigletfan

09-08-2008, 03:31 PM

LOVE the update!! I can't wait to stay at the GCH and eat at napa rose..i am so happy you thought it was A+! :)

tofubeast

09-09-2008, 07:34 PM

Ahh.. if only that were the least worse thing I have ever done at DL

:smokin:

::yes::

::cop:

:sad2:

Nuff said.
:angel:

Sorry, no 'nuff said. I want details!!!!!!!!!!!!! Just what have you done at the Happiest Place on Earth?!!! :rotfl:

tofubeast

09-09-2008, 07:39 PM

tofubeast

09-09-2008, 07:40 PM

LOVE the update!! I can't wait to stay at the GCH and eat at napa rose..i am so happy you thought it was A+! :)

You are so lucky to stay at the GCH. It is so beautiful as are the grounds. And how cool you get to step out either right in the middle of DTD or DCA?!! You will have to tell me what you think of Napa Rose!

travelmel

09-09-2008, 09:01 PM

Sorry, no 'nuff said. I want details!!!!!!!!!!!!! Just what have you done at the Happiest Place on Earth?!!! :rotfl:

I can't afford to have my disboard card revoked!! :scared:

Let's just say, there are a LOT of hidden camera's around the land. Even WAY back then! :eek:

:rolleyes1

Sleepless Knight

09-10-2008, 01:24 AM

I agree with you completely about knowing what you're doing in the parks. The first hour or so that the park is open is an amazing time to tour. You can complete entire lands and collect fastpasses in that short time.

Lizzybear

09-10-2008, 03:43 AM

Yeah another two bed couple! haha!! When are you going to DL? I hope you do a TR yourself. DL is so special. You will have an amazing time! :thumbsup2

We're leaving for San Francisco in a week but the DL portion of the trip is from 28th Sept-2nd Oct :goodvibes

tofubeast

09-10-2008, 10:25 AM

I can't afford to have my disboard card revoked!! :scared:

Let's just say, there are a LOT of hidden camera's around the land. Even WAY back then! :eek:
:rolleyes1

haha I guess I just might have to PRIVATE message you! :lmao:

tofubeast

09-16-2008, 08:02 PM

Finally, the Happiest Place on Earth!

Ok, let's get to our first real park day, after all, there are only two park days to discuss! We woke up at 6:30am….oh so nice and early when you are on vacation! We decided to not wait around for the CCI to open their breakfast and instead dined on Trader Joe's granola bars and Starbuck's espresso in a can. Classy! I was so excited to get into my Disney gear….my ears and pin lanyard.

Food in hand, we decided to walk the short distance to the Disney gates. It really is a short walk from the CCI. I just do not get how people could possibly think this is a long walk. I digress. As this was a Tuesday, the parks had there MM day. We did not qualify for it as we only purchased two day passes. Instead we went to a gate that was for us "regulars," and we were first in line. :cool1:
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/DLRfrontofline.jpg

This was the first time I had ever been to DL at opening. When I was a local, we got to the park at 10am or so because we had to fight through rush hour traffic. It was wonderful to be there when it was so empty.
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/DLRCaliAdventuresign5full.jpg

Also, it was nice to know I was not the only Disney planner out there because the guys in line behind us had their touring plan out and were memorizing it. We compared notes and they were impressed my plan was down to the minutes…courtesy of Ridemax. Before we knew it, 8am was upon us and the mighty gates were being opened. CHARGE!!!!!

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/DLRTrainstation2crop.jpg

We had our tickets scanned and we were in. Before running through the tunnel, I had to get THE famous picture.
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/DLRsignfantasy.jpg

I really love these simple words. It truly sets the tone for the day ahead, and the purpose why Walt envisioned and built this beautiful park. That sweet moment lasted about a second as we breezed through the tunnels and onto Main Street. I got to walk by all my old favorites… The Firehouse...
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/DLRfirestation.jpg

City Hall, Emporium, the Native American statue, Main Street Cinema, oh and the Penny Arcade. Ahead was the glorious castle!
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/DLRMainStreet.jpg

I know people who grew up with WDW think the castle is small etc..etc.. It may be small, but it sure is quaint and beautiful in its own way. Plus, if you grew up with DL, you know the Matterhorn is the place you look for to know where you are in the park!

We took a sharp left and headed into Adventureland. Since we missed early morning, we ran to the other areas of the park that were just starting to open. We did so many rides in such a short period of time with no wait all thanks to Ridemax. We went on Jungle, Pirates, Haunted Mansion, Big Thunder, Indy, and Splash with a little time to enjoy the area all by 9:30am! NICE! I noticed some new things while on Jungle since my last ride over 10 years ago…the piranhas. Cute.
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/DLRjunglecruise.jpg

It was nice to see the new changes to HM, but they were pretty much the same things that were later added to MK's version last year. It was still nice to see it all spruced up though. I was most happy being back on Pirates. If you have been on the MK version, you know it is much much much shorter. I think DH realized why I get so disappointed when riding it at WDW because it just is not the same. I had a smile on my face during the whole ride. Splash was fun too, but here is one of the rare instances where I like the MK version better.

We also had a bad experience on Splash that morning………remember this… …do NOT simply put your digital camera in your pocket and get on the ride. DH did that and let's just say that the camera is pretty much broken ever since. Sigh. The screen was no longer working, so I could not tell if the camera was actually taking pictures or not. I was so sad to think we may have lost our pictures and any picture we were taking from then on out may not come out. So from that point on, I didn't use my camera as much as I intended to. I just did not want to be disappointed if I found the camera was 100% broken. In the end, as evident by the photos I have here, the camera WAS taking pictures. While I am thankful for that, I was planning to take MUCH more. Oh well, live and learn. As Homer Simpson says, "Doh!" :headache:

After our speedy morning in Adventureland/Frontierland, we walked back out to visit Walt and Mickey's statue. This statue was added since my last visit to DL, but of course I have seen the same thing at WDW. I think it is such a lovely addition to the park. A chance to recognize the person who started it all. Even though Walt was long gone when I was a child, I grew up with the Disney specials they used to show on the Disney Channel. I sure miss the pre-Hanna Montana days when the Disney Channel showed all the great old programs. Many kids today do not have those shows to watch on TV, so they may not know about him. Therefore, I think it is wonderful there is a statue of him where perhaps parents pause during their time at a Disney park and talk about the man who started it all.

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/DLRPartnersstatuecrop.jpg

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/image004.jpg
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/image021.jpg

I even used to hang by the "virtual" Partner statue on VMK:
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/vmk/walt.jpg

After taking some pics with the PhotoPass photographers, we headed out of the park and hopped to DCA. This would be the park we would spend most of our day! As I have said, this was our first time visiting DCA and I was eager to get in. We took some obligatory PhotoPass pics as we entered:

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/2.jpg

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/4.jpg

Afterwards, we busted out our Ridemax itinerary and we were off! The lines were pretty manageable throughout the day, and with the help of our plans and FP, we pretty much went on every ride before dinner and still had time to relax AND even hop back to DL for an hour! Not too shabby!

We headed through these "gates"...
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/DLRCaliAdvHollywoodsign.jpg

and ran over to the 4 diamond AAA rated hotel, Hollywood Tower.
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/DLRCaliAdvTowerofTerror.jpg

This is one of our favorite rides at DHS, so I was excited to see the differences at DCA. While there are some queue differences (minor), the main difference is that the elevator does not move forward and I believe the ride sequence of falls is the same each time. As such, I like the DHS better…BUT…the fact that I still got to free fall was awesome and I was a happy camper! After Tower, we enjoyed Monster's Inc., visiting Animation, and stopping for a few silly PhotoPass pics.
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/image040.jpg

We decided to go the single rider line for Cali Screamin'. For any of the single rider lines at WDW, there are actual designated lines you can get in. I was surprised that when I asked a CM about the single rider line, they gave us little blue cards and we had to enter via the exit. We actually did not have a quick experience with the single ride line on this ride because there was only one coaster running that morning. There were several times the coaster went by and the CM forgot to fill the single seats. The line took quite some time, and we were much better off just getting a FP like we did later in the afternoon for our second ride. Still, we loved Cali. The music, dips, and loop were AWESOME. The start of the ride is very much like Rock'n Roller coaster, but I like Cali more!
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/DLRCaliAdvCaliScreamin.jpg

Soon after, the stomachs started to churn. The Trader Joe's granola bars would only last so long. We decided to cruise through the tortilla and bread factory. After admiring all the work that goes into making sourdough, we decided it was crucial to have the clam chowder bread bowl. While not as good as the chowder I have enjoyed while living in Boston, the bread was delicious. We shared the soup and also got the shrimp Louis salad in a bread bowl. We actually though that was more outstanding, and would recommend that over the soup bowl.
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/DLRCaliAdvPacificWharffood.jpg

Reached photo max...new thread just below!

tofubeast

09-16-2008, 08:42 PM

Cont'd!

After lunch, we took this lovely little picture on our way toward the entrance of DCA.
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/image036.jpg

We hit up Soarin's single rider line as well. I love this ride, but am ready for a new video to soar too! The single rider line was awesome though as the wait was pretty much non-existent.
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/image047.jpg

With the nature of our Ridemax plans, we had several free hours in the middle of our day. We decided to hop back over to Tomorrowland to get FP's we could use in the evening for Space Mountain. On our way out, we ran into this famous Mouse!
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/5.jpg
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/image055.jpg

After securing our FP for Space, I thought it might be neat to go to Innovations and see the new Dream House. The line seemed to be short, but looks can be deceiving because you have to wait for the building to go round and round. (I miss America Sings!) I had been really looking forward to seeing this House because it was like my generation's version of the Home of the Future. Granted it was not a house built of plastic, I was curious what it would be like. Sorry to say, we were disappointed. If you envision your home of the future to be only about gadgets and video picture frames, then you might love it. I was hoping to see more environmentally friendly options in my future home. :confused: It just seemed like IKEA meets HP and Best Buy. Boring. :sad2: In fact, walking through IKEA is way more exciting. We quickly went up to the top level to explore the rest of Innovations. DH got to enjoy his first trip on a Segway.
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/DLRsegway.jpg

After enjoying some time in this dark a/c space, we were headed back to DCA. But before we started to head down Main Street, a little stand near the Tiki Room was just calling my name. It was saying..."dole whip...dole whip, Danielle!"

And with a few dollars down, and after a few years of reading about it on the Dis and completely forgetting to get one twice at WDW, a beautiful little Dole Whip float was in my hands!
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/DLRDoleWhip1.jpg

I think I was trying to make the Tiki god jealous with it. I know for a fact I made my DH jealous. Like any good wife, I refused to share my little piece of heaven with him because he had teased me about my obsession over finally trying a Dole Whip. I did relent and let him have one SMALL sip. He was sold after that and got his own! Yum!

As we headed out of DL, I found this ol' broad! She took one look at my sparkly ears and said, "Good girl, darling, scalping Mickey are we?!"
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/DLRCruella.jpg

Once in DCA, we decided to use our other set of FP to Tower, so we free fell again for a bit. On our way over to the other side of the park, we got blocked by the Pixar parade. Although my DH is not a big parade person, especially since there were no kids in tow, I got a few sad looks that seemed to say, "Do we really have to watch this?" But I think he was pleasantly surprised and got into it as did I.
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/DLRCaliAdvPixarParade1.jpg
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/DLRCaliAdvPixarParade2.jpg

It was fun getting hit in the face with the water guns the character have, as it sure was hot out! The acrobat moves were super cool too. If you love Pixar (and who doesn't?!), then this parade will probably make your happy!

After the Parade, we enjoyed a fun ride on Grizzly….which is so much better than Kali Rapids at AK. The only thing that I did not like about the raft, in comparison to Kali, is the little storage space in the middle does not have a cover to protect your items. Fortunately, we had a poncho with us, and to the delight of the other guests on our raft, we wrapped up all our stuff to keep it safe from the H2O. It was great because we all got soaked, which was fine with me because it was quite hot out!

After Grizzly, we squished over to Mulhulland Madness. The ride is similar to Primeval Whirl at AK minus the spinning. Although a completely plain ride, it was still fun. We then buzzed like bees on the Orange Stinger. I did another free fall, but this time on Maliboomer. We both hit up Cali Screamin' again. At this point, it was now approaching 5:15. The line to Toy Story was a bit heavy still. Ridemax has predicted 35 mins for us, but in reality it was about 45 mins. This was the first true long line we had all day. My hubbie started to complain a bit, and I told him he had been spoiled by Ridemax. Although he had previously teased me about my Ridemax plans and all the time I had spent in front of my laptop perfecting my plans till I was blue in the face, I think he started to get how it really was benefiting us!

The queue to Toy Story is so much fun. I was so excited to finally get to experience this ride, and it was WELL worth it. This is one of the best new attractions I have been on in years. It makes Buzz look like a poor ol' carnival ride! :rotfl: The 3D was amazing, and I loved all the special effects. We were smiling the whole time, and I especially grinned when I saw I nearly had double the final score of my hubby. Haha! I was sad the single rider line was not open because I would have loved to have gone again. Oh well, I will just have to experience it at DHS in the near future.

Toy Story was our last ride at DCA. It was now time to DINE! We had PS at Wine Country Trattoria and were seated right along the wall outside. This place is a nice surprise because the food is good, and the prices are reasonable for Disney standards. The only that suffered was the service. The wait staff was slow, but also did not time things well. We had been brought our salad, and then a minute later, out came our meals. Although slow, I decided not to get to upset by it all because now it was looking like we could just stay at our nice table and watch the Electric Parade from our excellent spot. We decided to get some yummy chocolate dessert and waited for the parade.

Because we had been so busy with our touring plans and hopping between parks, I did not have a real "emotional moment" while at the parks just yet. However, the happy tears hit as soon as I heard the Electric Parade theme song. Suddenly, I was a kid again sitting next to Daddy watching the parade go by on Main Street. It was just like I had remembered….though the sponsor had long since changed, and it no longer had Main Street in its title! Even my parade hating hubby loved it! It is so beautiful and kitschy all at once. Sigh.

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/DLRCaliAdvElecParade3.jpg
Lousy shot..but I am throwing it in anyway!
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/DLRCaliAdvElecParade1.jpg

Before exiting DCA, I wanted to see the Midway area from across the lake all lit up at night. Not knowing if my camera was working, I still tried to get a pic.
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/DLRCaliAdvPacPiernight2.jpg
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/DLRCaliAdvPacPiernight.jpg

DCA is just a gorgeous park at night. If only it were open later. We walked out and as approaching DL, we saw the fireworks. Lots of people hang out in the esplanade area between the parks to catch the fireworks. I sure cannot blame them! We entered DL and promptly took the train out of Main Street. We got to use our extra set of FP to Indy and then headed over to Tomorrowland. Finally, it was time to ride the ride of rides… SPACE MOUNTAIN!

I had not experienced the refurb…rebuild….re-everything of this ride. This was my first time. Even still, I always thought the DL version was better than the one at MK. Soon, I would be able to say it was light years better. Using our FP, we promptly boarded our "rocket." I can say from the time we boarded to the time we disembarked, our faces were frozen in odd "oh my gawd" smiles. It was so smooth! It was so dark! It was… well, WOW. There are no words! Hubby and I were gloating as we exited the ride. This was beyond our imagination! I told the CM, tell them to immediately TEAR down the WDW version and re-build it NOW! (rumor is 2009...yeah!)

On a Space Mtn high, we floated over to FL. This area was pretty empty at this point. We decided to hit up some of the rides we had not planned to do, so we enjoyed a whirl on Dumbo and Casey Jr. More memories coming back of mom and I locked in the animal cage on Casey. Sigh.
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/DLRDumbo4.jpg
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/DLRDumboEPM.jpg

At this point, it was time to head back. After all, we had another long day of DL ahead of us. I like this night time shot we got by the castle:
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/image058.jpg

We headed down Main Street, all lit up at night. Once I saw this place,
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/DLRPennyArcade.jpg

I knew I had to go stop by and see an old friend. She even told me a nice fortune!
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/DLREsmereldacrop.jpg

Before we got to exit the park, DH gave me a nice good night kiss!
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/image066.jpg

The CCI shuttle almost appeared to be waiting for us as we boarded the bus. Soon we were home, in our pjs, and enjoying our separate beds once again! It sure was nice to stretch out the ol' legs and rest those tired feet. Too bad the Dream Team does not offer spa visits for foot massages.

Coming up Next…… More DL, a magical moment, and some extra time with Indy! :woohoo:

travelmel

09-16-2008, 11:22 PM

What a great update!

I totally got teary eyed listening to your MAIN STREET Electrical Parade moment! :hug:

I'm glad you had the chance to use your Trattoria seats to your advantage! :thumbsup2

I love that you had ridemax and especially that your DH made fun of you for studying it then loved it! My aunt (last year) was NOT a believer (native Californian, no less) until about 45 minutes into our morning we had done like 7 rides.. she kept saying, wow, this was worth $5 ... then another short line.. wow, this was worth another $5 ... then another short line, wow this was WAY worth $5 and by the fourth ride she had to say, "you should have paid them more!" :lmao:

Ridemax ROCKS for DL (not so much for WDW... too many shows)

I love your comparrisons to WDW and also your old friends (Esmerelda makes an appearance in my TR, too) :goodvibes

Looking fondly forward to more. popcorn::

JaneJetson

09-17-2008, 09:37 AM

We always stay at the Anaheim Plaza which is slightly closer than CCI. And people think the Anaheim Plaza is a long walk too! I just don't get it. The walk wasn't bad at all.

I've only been to Disneyland ONCE for park opening. When we lived in Orange, we rarely got there before noon. And most times we went when my DH got off work so we were only there a couple hours.

That stinks about your camera but at least the photos turned out.

I miss the old Disney channel shows from my childhood. Kids Incorporated was one of my favorites.

Is that "train" on Screamin' purple or blue?

I love the Electrical Parade. I saw it at WDW as a child. We rarely watch parades but that is one we like. I might try to convince my DH to watch the Parade at Disneyland while we're there next time though.

I never rode Space Mountain at WDW when I was little. (We were there in 1987, 1991, and 1995.) I was too afraid. So I finally went on it with my DH this past January. I knew it wouldn't be like the one at Disneyland. But it was just awful. So painful! Once was enough for me.

Can't wait to hear more!

tofubeast

09-17-2008, 05:55 PM

Is that "train" on Screamin' purple or blue?

I never rode Space Mountain at WDW when I was little. (We were there in 1987, 1991, and 1995.) I was too afraid. So I finally went on it with my DH this past January. I knew it wouldn't be like the one at Disneyland. But it was just awful. So painful! Once was enough for me.

The coaster you see there is purple. I also remember seeing one in green and red.

I hear you about Space Mtn. We are thinking of a WDW trip next spring and I have no interest to go on SM there now. ;)

Disneygrl36

09-17-2008, 06:09 PM

Such a great update.
You guys had a great day at DL.
I love, love, love the black & white photo of you guys at the entrance. So cute.

Ready for more..........

JaneJetson

09-18-2008, 12:12 AM

The coaster you see there is purple. I also remember seeing one in green and red.

I hear you about Space Mtn. We are thinking of a WDW trip next spring and I have no interest to go on SM there now. ;)

Hmm...the purple one must be new. I've never seen it. I've seen red, blue, green, orange, and yellow. I know they have a multiple ones of some colors. So maybe they changed one of those to purple or something. Very cool.

We're thinking WDW again in January 2010. I want to stay at Port Orleans Riverside again.

travelmel

10-01-2008, 07:54 PM

I'll tell you why I was blacklisted at DL in the 80's if you UPDATE!!!! :rolleyes1 popcorn:: :flower3:

tofubeast

10-04-2008, 12:59 PM

I'll tell you why I was blacklisted at DL in the 80's if you UPDATE!!!! :rolleyes1 popcorn:: :flower3:

I will update this weekend I promise. Remember I said life was a little nutty? Well, I will fill in. We were renting and our landlord thought it was be cool to NEVER pay his condo maintenance fees. Long story short, they were moving towards foreclosures. So we decided to call our own shots and not be caught in the middle of all this and so we moved. This past month has been nutty between coming up with this decision, finding a new place we love, and then of course packing and moving. We are finally moved..but in between unpacking, I will write up a new report.

So sorry!! I miss the DIS!! Will update ASAP!!!! :thumbsup2

travelmel

10-05-2008, 02:19 AM

I will update this weekend I promise. Remember I said life was a little nutty? Well, I will fill in. We were renting and our landlord thought it was be cool to NEVER pay his condo maintenance fees. Long story short, they were moving towards foreclosures. So we decided to call our own shots and not be caught in the middle of all this and so we moved. This past month has been nutty between coming up with this decision, finding a new place we love, and then of course packing and moving. We are finally moved..but in between unpacking, I will write up a new report.

So sorry!! I miss the DIS!! Will update ASAP!!!! :thumbsup2

Blech! I HATE MOVING!!! Blech, spit, double blech! Good for you guys though to get out from under that.

I have patience and I can wait. popcorn::

tofubeast

11-10-2008, 07:57 AM

travelmel

11-10-2008, 10:39 AM

Scouts honor.. I shall update this soon. I feel so bad...especially for travelmel!! Life has just been insane, but I need to reflect on my second days in the parks. I need to be back in the happy place!! Update in the next two days or I shall never visit the Dis again!! ;)

You're cute! I'm ok <sniff> (really, I did sniff). :rotfl2:

Please take your time! Enjoy your TR reporting and your own pace (lord knows I did!) LOL

If you don't come back to the dis I'll have to PM you to DEATH! :rotfl:

I've been posting seasonal pics and OT stuff to keep myself entertained. Sad. lol

travelmel

11-10-2008, 10:45 AM

P.S. I was totally thinking about you today so it must have travelled some karma all the way to your place! Were your ears burning???

Also, the lateness of your update nullifys my offer to discuss my temporary black-listing. :snooty:

:angel:

tofubeast

11-11-2008, 05:05 PM

Disneyland Day Two!!

Alright let's finally finish this TR up before I feel worse about waiting so darn long. :sad2: My deepest apologies if there is still anyone who is even reading it at this point (hi travelmel!)

Like the day before, we woke up bright and early. We got to the entrance and this time we were part of the crew opening the park, as it was not an early morning day. We busted through the doors as the clock struck 8am and through the tunnel we ran! The weather was gorgeous with not a cloud in the sky, but I barely looked as I was on a mission. We ran over to TL to get our fastpasses, and from there the Ridemax planning was in motion. Our Ridemax plan was supposed to take us to about 11am.

Let's just say, the Ridemax plans that I created were sooooo good (patting self on back) that we actually did all the rides we wanted to do by about 10am. I can not tell you how much of a value Ridemax was to us. I probably did more rides that morning alone, than versus other entire summer days I remember spending at DL years ago. Getting there at opening plus Ridemax= DLR busy day success story! :thumbsup2

Here's is my boy looking cool as can be on those spinning tea cups:
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/DLRTeaCupEPM1.jpg

Of the various rides we hit that morning in TL, TT and FL, Matterhorn was the favorite. My husband loved the kitchy feel of the ride as it is a true classic. He also thought it was fun we went to hell on Mr. Toad. After hitting up our rides we headed near the Partners Statue and my husband encountered Darth Vader. :darth: As a true Jedi should, he used his force and won!
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/image089.jpg

Here he is with me smiling and relishing his victory of having defeated the Dark side!

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/image085.jpg

We had PS for Blue Bayou at 11:30, so as to be a part of the first seating. Since we now had so much time to kill, we headed down Main Street to soak in the atmosphere. It was fun seeing so many people rushing to enter the park, while we had already done so much. I thought to myself, "Hey that so used to be me!" :wave2: It sure was nice already having two sets of FP for Space Mtn to enjoy later in the day, plus we already had one ride under our belts that morning. We headed up the Main Street train station.

At this point, I started to get a little nervous. Should I ask? What are my chances? :scratchin I decided to be brave, and I casually asked an older CM about the Lilly Belle. "Is it running today?" The man responded, "Why, yes it is. Do you know about that little historic train car?" Here was my chance! I started talking about how I had recently read a biography on Walt, and all about Walt and his love of trains etc... I then went for it, "Is there any chance we might be able to PLEASE ride her today?" The CM smiled and called another CM over. He asked us to sit down on the bench inside the station why he phoned another CM to see if he could sit with us in the train car. I was so excited, but I tried to not count my chickens before they were hatched. I kept muttering under my breath to my husband, "Honey, do you understand how special this is..if it happens?" :hyper2:

We waited a bit and this other older CM came over to us. "Somebody told me you are an admirer of the history of Walt and the Lilly Belle" I nodded eagerly and before I knew he was taking us to her! :cool1:
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/DLRLillyBelle5.jpg

Now, I might have been sad that I never was greeted by the Dream Team while at WDW or DLR, but this beat any of that!!! Keep your dream fastpass, this was something super duper special! We walked in and he told us he would sit with us and talk a little Disney history while we circled the park.
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/DLRLillyBelle3.jpg

The CM was super friendly and told me his first trip to DL was in 1956. We talked about the park, and I even think I impressed him (just a little) with my knowledge as well. The whole experience was just surreal. That pretty much made the whole DLR trip right there and is something I will never ever forget. :wizard:
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/DLRLillyBelle4.jpg

Beaming as we walked down the Main Street station stairs, we headed over the famous opening day plaque.
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/DLRSignWaltopeningday.jpg

Visions of the opening day dvd I have with Walt uttering these words flashed in my head. What an amazing place Disneyland has been for so many generations.

A PhotoPass photographer was standing near by, so we decided to take this nice shot:
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/image094.jpg

We headed on back to New Orleans square so that we could check in at the Blue Bayou. As we waited for them to call our names, I stood at the entrance of THE door.
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/DLRClub33door2.jpg
I got to do the Lilly Belle today, perhaps 33 will be in my future.... I shall not be selfish! :charac2:

Here is my hubby not knowing of the glorious artery fest we were about to enjoy... pirate:
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/DLRBlueBayouEPM.jpg

We booked the first seating with the hopes of getting a table by the water. As you can tell, we had great success!
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/DLRBlueBayou.jpg
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/DLRBlueBayou2.jpg

Having already studied the menu months before, we were pretty much set with what to order. He had the regular monte cristo, while I had the veggie version. Oh heavenly cheese fest! The potatoes were amazing too.
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/DLRBlueBayouEPMlunch.jpg
I still think about this yummy meal, though I have lost about 20 pounds since our DLR visit, and that would probably get me right back to where I started.

So what does one do after such a meal, well work out of course!! For that, I call on the canoes!
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/DLRcanoes.jpg

I hadn't been on the canoes in a long time. In fact, I do not believe they were operating the last time I was there. This was not to be a pleasure trip around the Rivers of America for our fearless CM declared a race with the other canoes. Off we went at record pace, or something like that, as we whisked around Tom Sawyer island. The lovely person in front of me did not know how to pace along with others so I stepped off the canoes looking like I had just been on Splash Mtn!

Cont'd....

tofubeast

11-11-2008, 06:58 PM

Wrapping up Day Two!

One of the beauties of Ridemax, planning, and having two days in the parks, you get to do things that in the past you might have rushed right by. As I said earlier in this TR, I also think that as you get older, your interests change as well. While I did end up riding Space Mtn 3 or 4 times that day (which would have been a big deal as a teen or early 20 something), I also was interested in just admiring the park that Walt created oh so many years ago. Ridemax allowed for us to have the whole afternoon "off!" I know that sounds silly, but I am sure some of you get what I am saying.

One major "must do" thing on my list was to see the Billy Hill and the Hillbillies show at the Horseshoe. I had read so many rave reviews on the Dis, and this show certainly did not disappoint.
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/DLRHorseshoestagecrop.jpg
We had a nice little view from the second level.

When we walked outside the Horseshoe, my husband left me for a potty break. A little impromptu show with some Wild West looking characters started. Before I knew it, they dragged me into their little act. I got to play a bank teller. Hubby came back from his potty break to find me being part of a show. Go figure!

After my starring role, we headed over to the Columbia. I do not think I had been on her since I was very little. Seems like the Mark Twain always ran more often than her. We got a nice spot out on the deck and I took some pics.
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/DLRGoldenHorseshoe.jpg
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/DLRPirates.jpg
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/DLRFowlerHarbor.jpg

Oh and by the miracle of some great fire fighters, the log cabin has FINALLY stopped burning. Looks like someone remodeled this little "fixer upper!"
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/DLRLogCabin.jpg

It sure was sad to see the old keel boat! Oh poor Gullywhumper!
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/DLRoldGullyboat.jpg

Here is the geek in me. As a avid lover of all things gone Yesterland, I was happy to spot the old mine train. I even found an old tunnel of the ride. How I sure wish I could have experienced this ride through the West!
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/DLRMineTrain2.jpg
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/DLRMineTrain1.jpg

Continuing on with my mission to cherish the non E-ticket portions of the park, we headed back out in front of the castle. Here I encountered a woman I have never seen walking around the park, my Fairy Godmother.
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/bluefairyme.jpg
I told her a wish or two, and then it was off to the glorious Snow White fountain.
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/DLRSnowWhiteFountain.jpg
Such a precious part of the park. I can only imagine how many couples have become engaged near that spot! :bride:

From here, we were back on Main Street. We stopped to listen to the College Marching Band. They were a real treat.
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/DLRCollegeBand.jpg

We visited the hat shop, where my boy was transformed to a bilge rat! Arrrrrr!!!
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/epiratecopy.jpg
The ladies behind the counter commented on my couture ears hat. That made me smile.

Onward, we were off to the theater where dear ol' Abe is still covered up by a table cloth. But I will say, it was very nice to see the Disneyland 50th exhibit and watch the Steve Martin movie. There is a gorgeous miniature of the park and tons and tons of stuff that would sell for who knows what on Ebay! This is not to be missed! We took a picture of a little description about Tomorrowland.
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/DLRTomorrowplaque.jpg
Hubby and I talked about how these words kind of heightened our disappointment with the Dream Home we had visited the day earlier. Again, we hoped to see more than just nifty gadgets in our future.

Speaking of the dream home, we went to visit the spot where the old plastic house used to sit. Now it was inhabited by a lovely red-headed girl in a clam shell. We decided to pose with this sweet mermaid.
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/image114.jpg
Last I heard, she got evicted from her clam shell and now some Tinkerbell chic has taken up a home in this spot!

A PhotoPass guy spotted us nearby and we decided to do our best Yeti impersonation!
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/image109.jpg

After looking like fools, we headed back over to the land of Adventure. Fastpass in hand, we went on Indy. My husband was completely in awe of this ride from the night before, so we just had to do it again. Our little truck whipped through lots of scary things, including a giant snake and darts shooting at us. We finally hit the spot where Indy is about to escape the big rolling ball... "Oh my, will he make it?!?!" The ball is coming at us, it is spinning and spinning.. Indy is hanging on for dear life on that rope and then.... then.... the ride stops and the house lights come on.

What? Wow. We sat for a little bit in our ride car. We even got to take some fun pics and a little video on our cell phone.
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/DLRIndyEvac1.jpg
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/DLRIndyEvac2.jpg

Ten minutes go by featuring a few announcements reminding us to stay seated. A few minutes later a CM comes by to also tell us to stay where we are. Could this be? Could I be experiencing my first ride EVAC!?!? I know some of you out there know how some of us Disney msg board peeps love experiencing an evac (where you know you are safe that is...) :woohoo:

The CM came back over and said he would be back to get us soon. I started screaming with dorky happieness... "We are getting an evac!!" My husband looked at me like I was insane. A nice woman sitting behind me understood and thought it was neat too. At least it happened at the end of the ride so we got to experience most of it. Nearly 20 mins from when the ride stopped, the CM came over with a step ladder to help us depart our car. They made us walk in a single file as we went under the still rolling ball. It sure doesn't look all that threatening with the lights on! We rounded the bend towards the final scene and back to the boarding room. The CM would not let me take pics once we were walking, and I felt he had his eye on me. On our way out, we got special "to the head of the line" passes for any ride except Nemo. And there goes the story of my first true ride evac!

We enjoyed another ride with the 99 haunts. One day I hope to see the Holiday overlay. I wish they were able to do that at WDW.
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/DLRHauntedMansion.jpg

We headed over to Rancho del Zocalo, site of one Casa Mexicana and before that, Casa de Fritos. They sure have improved the look of this spot with enhanced theming. The enchiladas were surprisingly good. Yeah, I ate more cheese. I had to ensure I had reached the maximum FDA recommendation for cheese that day! haha. I do like how this restaurant allows you to refill your soda, a luxury at a CS restaurant on any Disney property!

Following dinner, we enjoyed some of the classics we had been on the day before. I had to see my Pirates again, and wanted us to enjoy Big Thunder in the dark. I am glad the enchiladas did not make a re-visit! Confident that the tummy was ok, hubby and I FINALLY shared a wonderful, warm churro. Oh sweet happiness! :hug:

We then headed over to secure a nice spot for "Remember Dreams...", the fireworks show. I had received some recommendations from fellow Dis'ers to go stand in the middle of Main Street near the Kodak shop. While we weren't up front so to speak, it did make us feel in the middle of the show. The CM put the rope drop right in front of us, so we had no one standing right in front of us. There was some space that afforded a great view of the castle.
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/DLRfireworksspot.jpg

While I love "Wishes" at WDW, this show was a notch way up! I love how it pays tribute to the park's history and all our beloved rides. It was just something else and like many others, it brought tears to my eyes. I can still remember sitting on my dad's shoulders way back when, as we finished our exciting day at the park with the fireworks.

After the fireworks, it was now time to enjoy some final last rides. We enjoyed Space Mtn. a few times.. our last ride we scored front row.
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/DLRSpaceMtn.jpg
Please WDW, tear down that ride and re-build Space Mtn so it can even hold a candle to the DLR version. Sigh. :worship:

We went on Buzz (which now seems lame vs. Toy Story) and saw Honey I Shrunk the Kids. (Disney..it is time to update this!! Otherwise, go retro and bring back Captain. Eo). We used our Indy Ride Evac pass to enjoy a nighttime ride on the Matterhorn. Funny, how the WDW Space Mtn is more like this ride. But the Matterhorn is way cooler. By now, it was about 11:15 and Nemo was calling.

It took us about half an hour, so the wait was not too bad. It was pretty much the only line we had to wait in all day due to our touring plan and Fastpass, so I guess we really CANNOT complain! It was a blast to board the old subs for all the nostalgic reasons most of you can understand. While I did enjoy the ride, I will say that I think the Nemo ride at EPCOT is cooler in that it is set within a real aquarium. However, the ride was still enjoyable at DLR. I just don't know how I would feel about it had I waited 2 hours though.

Now was the dreaded time.... closing time! Sigh. While my mind was ready to keep going, my legs were telling me a different story. I had to admit there were some tears in my eyes, which intensified when I saw his old apartment over the firehouse.

My husband probably heard me say, "Good night Walt, and thanks yet again."
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/DLRWaltsLights.jpg

Fortunately, the lovely CCI shuttle was still waiting at its devoted spot, and the nice driver took us back to our own double beds. While I went to sleep fast, I can bet I had a smile on my face.

Coming up next: Closing thoughts and some pics from the end of our CA trip that was...yeah a few months ago now!

kaoden39

11-11-2008, 07:35 PM

Thank you for taking me along with you.:goodvibes

tofubeast

11-11-2008, 07:39 PM

Thank you for taking me along with you.:goodvibes

I should be totally thanking you! Thanks for your patience and joining me! :)

kaoden39

11-11-2008, 07:40 PM

Oh I understand that real life invades all the time. Darned old real life.:goodvibes

prettyprincessbelle

11-11-2008, 07:49 PM

Wowie! You got to ride the Lily Belle AND have waterside seating at the Blue Bayou in ONE DAY!!!! You are one lucky ducky!!!

You go girl!!! :banana: :dance3:

I am totally enjoying your TR!!!!!

:wizard:

travelmel

11-11-2008, 08:29 PM

:flower3:

Awww... there's a flower for your last day blues.

Wow, so many things to comment on! First of all, thanks for my shout-out :wave: lol

Ridemax! Yes, I am a fan. It rocks. Your morning was really similar to ours including the great ride times and the Blue Bayou (I'm going back someday...:rolleyes1 ) The creesto's looked mah-velous!

Darth Vader! You guys are so lucky! I was a BIG Star Wars geek (member of the Official Fan Club for a year or two and visited the big convention.. oh yes, I did that. :scared: - big Chewie fan, myself) The closest we have been is:

LegoDarth!
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc55/TravelMiss/2007-12Legoland068.jpg

Yep, that's me up there.. can you imagine me at Jedi Training?? :cool2:

Lilly Belle! Loved it! Loved, loved, loved it. Wasn't that great to get your own private tour (free) tourguide!!! Thanks for the pics, it was great to relive it. :) The smiley of you and your DH nervously chatting while waiting almost made me pee I was laughing so hard. :lmao:

Canoe's.. FUN and Healthy!! I may be able to find a pic of myself on the ole Mine Train back in the day.... I'll have to check. It was so long ago I get it confused with the train at Knott's and I'm not sure if I know the words from the ride because I was on it or because I heard it on Walt Disney World TV Sunday nights. LOL

HillBillies! I am SO disappointed that I didn't even KNOW about these guys when we went. I'm so glad you experienced it. What a great morning you guys had!

The Columbia!! Another thing I missed that looks so wonderful! I'm so glad you rode. You and I are so similar in our nostalgic mind-set. :goodvibes

The College Marchers! I saw them the time before last and I was so enthralled with them but we were on a one-day mission to visit 2 parks that time and couldn't stick around and listen. How great that you were able to!

Disappointment with the "Dreamhouse" Do you remember the ole cartoon: The House of the Future? That was a fun! There was also Car of the Future, I think.... Not Disney... maybe Looney Tunes or some spin off of theirs? Very cute stuff.

Poor Ariel, evicted from her earthly Clam lair. :sad1: (lol)

Ha! You were EVAC'd!! I'll give you a hint.. that's close to what happened to us during the great black-listing of '85.

So sorry you haven't seen the holiday HM! OMG it's cute.

Remember (the fireworks show).... I had not seen Wishes but heard great things about it. Remember, however, was so incredibley REMEMBER-Y... wow... SO good to hear all of that old stuff. :cloud9:

My DH agreed with you on the Nemo, not that he's ever been to WDW but just that it woudl be cute with real animals. You know how I felt about it. I thought it was the best ride at the park. :teeth: I love going back in time like that. It's so powerful.

What a great, great, update. Worth the wait, of COURSE!

I look forward to your final thoughts and to following you around WDW someday (via the dis, of course :rolleyes: ).

Great job!!! :thumbsup2 :thumbsup2

tofubeast

11-14-2008, 11:20 AM

Wowie! You got to ride the Lily Belle AND have waterside seating at the Blue Bayou in ONE DAY!!!! You are one lucky ducky!!!
I am totally enjoying your TR!!!!!

:wizard:

Thanks so much prettyprincessbelle!! So happy to have you on board! Yes, we were so fortunate that day, that's why I couldn't complain about Club 33!! But we do have friends on a waiting list, so maybe one day.. in say the next 10, 20, 30 years, I will be able to dine there! :thumbsup2

tofubeast

11-14-2008, 11:28 AM

:flower3:

Awww... there's a flower for your last day blues.
Awww, thanks!!

Ridemax! Yes, I am a fan. It rocks. Your morning was really similar to ours including the great ride times and the Blue Bayou (I'm going back someday...:rolleyes1 ) The creesto's looked mah-velous!

Yes, those evil cheese artery stuffing sandwiches are just a must. Not an every day affair, but since I am not a frequent visitor ro DLR, I think I could indulge, right?! :rotfl2:

Darth Vader! You guys are so lucky! I was a BIG Star Wars geek (member of the Official Fan Club for a year or two and visited the big convention.. oh yes, I did that. :scared: - big Chewie fan, myself) The closest we have been is:

Yep, that's me up there.. can you imagine me at Jedi Training?? :cool2:

Yes, too bad they don't pick adults for all that fun!! I am a star wars geek too. I need to dig out some photos of me when I waited in line at the Mann's Chinese for Episode one. I had a darth maul saber and was having fun fighting the force. :scared1:

Lilly Belle! Loved it! Loved, loved, loved it. Wasn't that great to get your own private tour (free) tourguide!!! Thanks for the pics, it was great to relive it. :) The smiley of you and your DH nervously chatting while waiting almost made me pee I was laughing so hard. :lmao:

Yeah, that smiley kinda says it all. I was so nervous and excited all at once. That Lilly Belle sure is a beauty. Wasn't it an experience you will never forget? Too cool!! :woohoo:

Canoe's.. FUN and Healthy!! I may be able to find a pic of myself on the ole Mine Train back in the day.... I'll have to check. It was so long ago I get it confused with the train at Knott's and I'm not sure if I know the words from the ride because I was on it or because I heard it on Walt Disney World TV Sunday nights. LOL

Yeah, the mine train at Knott's is quite similar. I was glad to see that ride was still there back during my last visit there in '01.

HillBillies! I am SO disappointed that I didn't even KNOW about these guys when we went. I'm so glad you experienced it. What a great morning you guys had!

YOU MUST SEE THEM. "nuff said!

The Columbia!! Another thing I missed that looks so wonderful! I'm so glad you rode. You and I are so similar in our nostalgic mind-set. :goodvibes

I can tell if you and I did a DLR trip we would nostalgia geek the whole time. BECAUSE THAT IS THE WAY WE ROLL! :lmao:

Ha! You were EVAC'd!! I'll give you a hint.. that's close to what happened to us during the great black-listing of '85.

Still waiting for a PM with THAT story!!

I look forward to your final thoughts and to following you around WDW someday (via the dis, of course :rolleyes: ).

Take your family to WDW the last week of April so we can bump into each other!

Great job!!! :thumbsup2 :thumbsup2

Thank you! I only modeled my TR after the best...your's that is! :hug:

travelmel

11-14-2008, 07:18 PM

Thank you! I only modeled my TR after the best...your's that is! :hug:

Awww! Too kind! You're going to lose all respect for me after that dreaded PM! :lmao:

http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc55/TravelMiss/da8b8d0a6be940d40458f1497d00c03a.png

tofubeast

11-17-2008, 03:19 PM

Awww! Too kind! You're going to lose all respect for me after that dreaded PM! :lmao:

http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc55/TravelMiss/da8b8d0a6be940d40458f1497d00c03a.png

Still waiting for the infamous PM!! :lmao:

travelmel

11-17-2008, 08:20 PM

Still waiting for the infamous PM!! :lmao:

Oh, that. Drat. Didn't it make it to you?? I sent it... darn computer! ::badcomputer::

Disneygrl36

11-18-2008, 07:15 AM

tofubeast

11-18-2008, 07:37 AM

So glad you came back to finish this and with such a magical day.
I booked the 11:30 seating at Blue Bayou for us in Dec & hope we get the same luck you got & get a waterside table.:wizard:
My ride evac story happened on the Peoplemover (or the TTA if we want to talk present day). We got trapped inside Space Mtn on the darn thing. It was cool!!!!
Congrats on loosing 20lbs...........great job. It is sooooo hard.:thumbsup2

Thanks for the Congrats (said while I eat an exciting cottage cheese breakfast).

I am so happy you got waterside seating too. That restaurant just has to be one of the neatest out there!! I bet WDW wished they had room for it, but POTC was not intended to be put where it is until people complained.

So what happened on the Peoplemover. How did you get off the ride, or did it eventually start moving again. I so miss the peoplemover and being picky about which color car I wanted (yellow was always my fave). :thumbsup2

Disneygrl36

11-19-2008, 09:25 AM

Thanks for the Congrats (said while I eat an exciting cottage cheese breakfast).

I am so happy you got waterside seating too. That restaurant just has to be one of the neatest out there!! I bet WDW wished they had room for it, but POTC was not intended to be put where it is until people complained.

So what happened on the Peoplemover. How did you get off the ride, or did it eventually start moving again. I so miss the peoplemover and being picky about which color car I wanted (yellow was always my fave). :thumbsup2

We haven't actually been yet, so I am hoping for a waterside table. Pixiedust: I think you are right about WDW wishing they had room for a Blue Bayou type restaurant at MK. I guess the closest they come is in the Mexican pavillion at EPCOT.

We had to be evaced out. They came & opened up the little sliding door things & we walked out on a sidewalk like area to the right of the cars. Then we came out of the mountain & went down a flight of stairs & it put us out about at the path to Toontown. It was really cool. I wanted to take pictures too, but didn't.

tofubeast

12-01-2008, 12:45 PM

I will finish this TR up very soon. You can all blame travelmel for getting me into the Twilight book series, which takes me away from the Dis! :lmao:

travelmel

12-01-2008, 01:55 PM

My ride evac story happened on the Peoplemover (or the TTA if we want to talk present day).

People Mov-ER, People Move-ER, People Move-ER! :chanting:

I will finish this TR up very soon. You can all blame travelmel for getting me into the Twilight book series, which takes me away from the Dis! :lmao:

:rolleyes1

You're preaching to the converted, Danielle! Melanie is one of us now...http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc55/TravelMiss/smileycrazy.gifhttp://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc55/TravelMiss/read-1.gif

trodrigue

12-19-2008, 08:17 PM

I just found your report and read the entire thing. What a great legacy of going to DL and a fabulous return trip. Thanks for sharing your experience!

Disneygrl36

12-23-2008, 09:21 AM

Hello........is this thing on?????????:lmao:

travelmel

12-23-2008, 10:56 PM

Check.. check... 1, 2, 3... check

notes4theheart

03-25-2009, 05:47 PM

hmmm...just found this...ever gonna complete?popcorn::

tofubeast

03-25-2009, 09:19 PM

I feel so bad. You know I will complete!! How can I even think of starting a pre trip review for an upcoming trip when this one sits here all lonely.

I will!! I will. Just think of it as me really thinking about the trip and my final thoughts on it!! :rotfl:

And you can blame travelmel for taking my attention away from this TR and turning it to Twilight instead. All her fault!! :rotfl:

travelmel

03-26-2009, 06:38 PM

And you can blame travelmel for taking my attention away from this TR and turning it to Twilight instead. All her fault!! :rotfl:

What are you playing this on a loop????? BEEP... it's all travelmel's fault BEEP... blame travelmel ...BEEP.....thank you for calling, please blame travelmel... BEEP

http://i338.photobucket.com/albums/n404/travelmel/smileybluebanana.gif

tofubeast

03-26-2009, 08:15 PM

What are you playing this on a loop????? BEEP... it's all travelmel's fault BEEP... blame travelmel ...BEEP.....thank you for calling, please blame travelmel... BEEP

http://i338.photobucket.com/albums/n404/travelmel/smileybluebanana.gif

Yes, it is ALL your fault. I was fine updating my blog and doing my thing until YOU told me to check out the Twilight part of your TR. I asked you about the books and movie and YOU sold me on it. It is all your fault.

tofubeast

04-12-2009, 01:40 PM

Finishing out the Trip:

I know I probably do not have ANYONE following this TR anymore because I was such a slacker, but I need to finish it. Now let's see what I still remember of it?

RideMax
(http://www.ridemax.com/)
I know I have mentioned it through this TR, but I am going to say it again. I cannot rave about RideMax more.

Day One, we hit over 20 rides, plus had 1 CS and 1 TS meal and watched the Electric Parade. Oh, and we also had several breaks.

Day Two, we hit nearly 28 rides, went on the Lilly Belle (thanks pixie dust), sat through a ride evacuation, ate at the Blue Bayou, saw the Hillbillies, rode the Columbia and saw a parade on Main Street. Did I mention we rode Space Mtn 3 times too?

All of this on two busy summer days. Amazing!! I just re-subscribed to RideMax for our WDW trip, and it looks like it will be just as helpful.

I think back to that conversation that I spoke about with the tired, cranky mom in the hotel shuttle who complained about seeing very little. Having a plan, whether it be RideMax, UG etc.... is crucial during the busy times of the year.

~~~
So we woke up the next morning, and I was so sad that the Disney portion of our trip was over. We checked out of the CCI, and we decided to go eat at Mimi's Cafe. (http://www.mimiscafe.com/) Since we over-slept for the free breakfast at CCI, we thought we would check out this place after all the awesome reviews on the Dis. Mimi's is definitely worth the accolades, the food was delicious. Plus it was nice seeing the monorail go by from outside our window.

Which leads me to my one and only disappointment regarding the Disney portion of our trip. I was sad I never got to see the red or blue new Mark VII's when at Disneyland. Aside from the fact I did not get to ride them, I didn't even see them. I LOVE the monorail, I even have the little monorail train toy. (Yes, I am that silly.) So to not see the shiny new monorails was sad. BUT, that gives me something to look forward to NEXT time, right? Yes!

So we pulled out of the restaurant parking lot, and headed north on Harbor. Just like I did as a kid, I kept an eye on my rear view mirror as I saw the last visuals of the park come out of view. Of course, I also kept my eyes ahead of me too because this time I was the one doing the driving!

So as to the rest of the trip, we headed to go visit friends in "The Valley," and we also celebrated the baby shower of my sister in law. We also did another run at Amoeba records in Hollywood.

We also did one more thing out of my childhood memories of Los Angeles. I went somewhere I had not been since I was maybe 12 years old. We went to El Tepeyac (http://losangeles.citysearch.com/profile/59599) Mexican restaurant. Now, if you are looking for REAL authentic Mexican food, and we are not talking El Torrito here, then you must go to El Tepeyac. This place has been in Central Los Angeles for years and years and years, and the burritos are the biggest you will ever see.

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/KarenRobElTepeyacsign.jpg
Check out this "small" burrito:
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/KarenRobElTepeyacfood.jpg

It was so nice to see that the place has not changed at all. It is nothing fancy, but it is just a very special place. You won't see a lot of tourists here, and it is just good, ol' fashioned Los Angeles.

So after a little over a week in L.A., we boarded the Jet Blue plan out of Long Beach back to Ft. Lauderdale. It is always bittersweet for me to leave my old state, as I miss it so much as well as my friends. But I know L.A. will always be my "home," and I can visit her again and again. I went home with many special memories: I got to see friends, experience an amazing wedding, help my sister in law prepare for a beautiful baby girl (who I hope to see this summer), and show DH "my" Disneyland. Good ol' Disneyland was just as I remembered it, with many new elements that make the park exciting to see each time. I think my next stop there will be when DCA is all complete, so I can see that park in all its glory!

For now, I will experience and learn more about my new home park, WDW, especially because we are getting AP during our upcoming trip. Yay! We will be spending a week there soon, and I hope to post a TR with lots of pics. So stay tuned.

"Well folks" (said in Mickey voice) that brings me to the official end of this TR. Thanks to those of you have joined me along for the ride. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to post or PM. I am now hopping back on the Dumbo 747 and taking it to WDW. :wizard:

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb97/dtmeyer/dumbooldDLcopy.jpg