Katiebell and Son - Fly Away Home [Archive] - The DIS Discussion Forums

Katiebell

09-28-2009, 01:32 PM

Hello! I've been to Disneyland more times than I can count, but this is my first ever official Disneyland Trip Report. But as many times as I've visited, it's always fresh, always new, always magical. :wizard: Hope you enjoy reliving my trip with me. :goodvibes

Cast of characters:
Katiebell (me) :hippie: -- just turned 46, but when I get to Disney, I'm about...8. :laughing:
Mike (my son) :smickey: -- 23, has only been to DL twice -- when he was 7, and when he was 13. He needs a Dis name, so I'm going to call him... Mikey Mouse -- MM for short. He can be Mickey's long-lost nephew.

Please note: MM is half my age. You will be reminded of this later. :rotfl2:

I seriously needed a magic refill, which absolutely requires a trip to Disney. I'm calling this TR "Fly Away Home" because just like ladybugs fly away home, every once in a while I need to fly home to Disneyland. I was born in the Los Angeles area, and grew up going to DL. I love WDW and look forward to my next visit, but DL really feels like home to me. When I walk under the arch on to Main Street, I feel like I'm back in my hometown.

I had some vacation time scheduled around my birthday, and it seemed like the perfect time to go. My husband was unable to travel this time, so I considered making the trip alone, but decided to ask one of my sons along. My oldest is out of the Air Force, but going to school full time and working part time, so he has no time :sad2: My youngest just graduated high school and is looking for work, so no time and no money either :sad2: But my middle son -- he has been on his job for a while, so he had vacation time AND money -- ding, ding, ding, we have a winner, folks! Perfect traveling companion :laughing:

The hardest thing for me about a trip to DL is the drive -- particularly the drive home. At least on the way there, you have something to look forward to, but that 6-8 hour drive home, knowing you are leaving the magic, is bleak, desolate, and seemingly endless...

This time, we decided to try flying Jet Blue. 2 RT tickets from Sacramento were just under $300 with tax (could have got a better deal but didn't buy at exactly the right time). There and back, about an hour each way -- :woohoo: We got a shuttle to and from the Long Beach airport, so we didn't even need to rent a car. Deal at the Paradise Pier -- buy 3 nights and 3 day hopper passes, get 2 nights and 2 extra days on the passes free. Score!

Time off work -- check.
Plane tickets -- check.
Traveling companion -- check.
Sweet deal on hotel and tickets -- check.

So please...remain seated with your hands, arms, feet and legs inside the vehicle...and enjoy the ride!

Katiebell

09-28-2009, 06:12 PM

MM picked me up at my house about 8 am. His best friend would meet us at his place and drive us to the airport so we didn't have to leave a car in long term parking.

MM was not packed! :eek: He had just got back from a visit with friends in Monterey the night before, but holy cow, we were supposed to be at the airport in about an hour! :scared1: So he sorted through his clothes, trying to figure out what to take, and I followed him around coaching him, "Swimsuit, walking shoes, flip flops, ID, credit cards, cash, PJ's, clean underwear..."

What can I say, I'm a mom through-and-through. :rolleyes:

Finally got out the door and to the airport, with plenty of time to spare. Jet Blue was a great idea :thumbsup2 Efficient, friendly, plenty of leg room (and butt room :laughing:). We were impressed, and will definitely fly with them again. I like that we could fly into the Long Beach Airport, which is small and easy to navigate, rather than LAX. It would have been cheaper to drive, but with gas over $3 a gallon (price has inched down a little since), wear and tear on the car, the loss of 12-16 precious vacation hours driving, the hassle of driving in LA, and the huge "no-more-magic" crash on the lonnnnnnng drive home...yep, overall, it was worth it.

We checked into the Paradise Pier about 1 pm. I almost always stay at the DL Hotel (or the HoJo across the street if we are doing a budget trip). But they were booked for the special so we went with the PP instead. It's the cheapest of the three DL hotels, but we liked it a lot. It's located directly across the street from the Grand Californian and DCA, so it wasn't really any farther to walk to the parks than from the DLH.

The PP is CA beach themed, nice decor and beachy blue and sand color scheme:

http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w83/Katiecat63/DL9-08016.jpg

http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w83/Katiecat63/DL9-08017.jpg

Which one is Goofier?

http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w83/Katiecat63/DL9-08001.jpg

We headed over to Downtown Disney, grabbed a late lunch/early dinner and drinks at the House of Blues -- I had a "Walk the Plank" -- Captain Morgan, Sprite, and cherries, yum :goodvibes

After browsing through some of the shops on the way, we finally made it to the park! As we walked under the plaque that reads, "Here You Leave Today and Enter the World of Yesterday, Tomorrow, and Fantasy", I savored the moment, and made sure that MM paid attention and felt the magic happen (yeah, I'm kinda weird like that :laughing:)

We rode the DLRR, circling the park 1 1/4 times (and saw scary PRIMEVAL WORLD!), and got off at New Orleans Square. Rode Splash first thing, then Winnie the Pooh, Pirates, grabbed FP's for Indy, and settled down for a defining Disney moment -- Dole Whip floats at the Tiki Room. :goodvibes

We went back to Indy, then caught the train to Tomorrowland, the Monorail to DTD, and walked through the Grand Californian back to our hotel -- that turned out to be the fastest way "home" for us from the park.

We found out from the front desk that there is a small market, Wonderland Market, that delivers free to the Paradise Pier (free only to the PP, not the other hotels). Very handy! They have everything from cereal to shampoo to milk, bread, peanut butter, candy, chips, water, soda, even "grown up" beverages. The prices weren't really much higher than any other convenience store, and they were quick and accurate with our order. Oh...but their beautiful full color glossy advertising card had some serious...and unfortunate...misspellings. Like if you ordered cereal and milk, they could also include spoons and -- I kid you not -- "bowels".

:eek:

:rotfl2:

After laughing our heads off over the interesting typos, we called and got some stuff delivered. A swim, a dip in the jacuzzi, and we called it a night. :cloud9:
http://www5.snapfish.com/slideshow/AlbumID=2396342014/PictureID=96012867014/a=98322433_98322433/

becpee

09-28-2009, 08:51 PM

Loving your TR already popcorn::

Katiebell

09-28-2009, 10:02 PM

Loving your TR already popcorn::

Welcome aboard becpee :wave2: Here I am complaining about the 6-8 hour drive from Northern CA (depending on traffic), but you have a LOT farther to go! Will this be your first Disney trip, or have you been there before?

becpee

09-29-2009, 09:25 AM

Hi again Katiebell :yay:
This will be my second trip to DL but my DH's and DS3 first time, we're basically tacking it on the end to our smallish road trip taking in San Diego, Vegas and parts of LA then 7 nights at PPH :cool1:
We did originally book a direct flight but the airline changed it so we have to stopover in Sydney then an overnight flight to LAX, 14 hours with a 3 year old on a plane, i'm sure it will be wonderful :rotfl2:

Katiebell

09-29-2009, 09:49 AM

Sounds like it will be a great vacation, though! Hopefully, since you have an overnight flight, your little guy will sleep through most of it :faint: Do you have any character meals planned for your trip? We went to the Lilo and Stitch breakfast on our last day and it was a blast...

JoBird

09-29-2009, 11:14 AM

Yay for a new trip report!!!!!!!!!!! I'm so excited to be reading along- to see how I "Should" have done DL. :rotfl:
Next time, I'll know better. :goodvibes

Great so far-- and hey- I'm all for trying new and exciting things, but I think I'd draw the line at the "Bowels", even if they were free. I prefer to eat my cereal from a mug, Thank you very much.:goodvibes

Oh- and I know where PP is! We parked there one morning and went into DCH to have breakfast before we headed to Hollywood.:)

More please-- I know you have a little thing called work to attend to-- but really- don't leave us hanging.:cloud9:

Jo

seacrestpromo

09-29-2009, 12:55 PM

Hey KB!!!

Good job on the trip report today! LOL on the Wonderland "bowels" typo. How is the pool at PPH? I have never see it before. I will have to explore the hotel the next time I am down there.

Sea

trixiequilts

09-29-2009, 03:41 PM

Hey KB! I can't wait to hear about all of your adventures! :woohoo:

How could MM not be packed??? :scared1: I would have lost it!

Katiebell

09-29-2009, 04:38 PM

Hey, great to see some of my Mayer friends have popped in!

Yay for a new trip report!!!!!!!!!!! I'm so excited to be reading along- to see how I "Should" have done DL. :rotfl:
Next time, I'll know better. :goodvibes

Great so far-- and hey- I'm all for trying new and exciting things, but I think I'd draw the line at the "Bowels", even if they were free. I prefer to eat my cereal from a mug, Thank you very much.:goodvibes

Oh- and I know where PP is! We parked there one morning and went into DCH to have breakfast before we headed to Hollywood.:)

More please-- I know you have a little thing called work to attend to-- but really- don't leave us hanging.:cloud9:

Jo

I won't leave you hanging too long, Jo...but my notes and pics are at home, so I'll try to post a new installment tonight or tomorrow morning. Yeah, there were tons of typos in that ad -- you could order "balogny" for sandwiches, or "banans", but that one was the most unfortunate...and the most hilarious :laughing:

Hey KB!!!

Good job on the trip report today! LOL on the Wonderland "bowels" typo. How is the pool at PPH? I have never see it before. I will have to explore the hotel the next time I am down there.

Sea

The PP actually started out as a different company's hotel, but then Disney bought them and gave it a Disney "makeover". We really did like it, and for the difference in the price, I'd stay there again for sure. The pool was nice, kind of small, but clean and well-kept. But the Neverland Pool at the DLH really can't be beat =) Never stayed at the GC, but someday...

Hey KB! I can't wait to hear about all of your adventures! :woohoo:

How could MM not be packed??? :scared1: I would have lost it!

Normally, I would have lost it, but you know...I was so thrilled to be going to Disney that I just sort of sailed through the whole thing on pixiedust... :laughing:

Just wanted to add...some people (NON-Disneyfreaks) have asked me, "What on earth are you going to do for 5 days at DL without a car? Won't you get sick of it? How much can you possibly find to do?"

We found that 5 days was just about perfect. The schedule was a slower pace than *I* normally do :banana: but it was a bit much for poor MM :faint: But we did different things every day, and still had plenty of time to go back to things we wanted to experience again.

OK, will try to get more posted tonight...

Katiebell

10-01-2009, 09:50 AM

Friday morning, I was awake at 6:00, ready to start the day! :yay:

MM...was not. :confused3

So I got up, got my shower, got dressed, read the paper, twiddled my thumbs, and finally woke His Highness up. "C'mon, we are at DISNEYLAND -- LET'S GET GOING!"

The Plan: healthy breakfast of smoothies at Jamba Juice, then head into the park.

The Reality: MM had a craving for biscuits and gravy.

The Idea: maybe Carnation Cafe on Main St. serves them? But maybe not.

The Recollection: Rain Forest Cafe had biscuits and gravy on the menu last time I had breakfast there.

So we trudge away from Jamba Juice's rainbow-multicolored-healthy-fruity wonderland :cutie: :banana: away from the entrance to magic :tink: and toward the jungle known as Rain Forest Cafe.

The Horror: they no longer have biscuits on the menu. :eek:

MM is disappointed, but likes the breakfast menu anyway and ENOUGH OF THE MORNING IS GONE NOW, so we decide to eat there. Breakfast is tasty, coffee is strong, waitress sat us by the waterfall, and MM has never been there so the whole rainstorm effect with thunder and lightning and the animated animals is a surprise and he enjoys it. The manager (we think) came by to apologize that there were no biscuits on the menu. She brought MM a complimentary HUGE plate of toast with gravy (?) which he thanked her for, and kind of felt obligated to eat even though he'd just finished a sizeable breakfast, since she went to all the trouble. Oh to be 23 and 6' 5" and able to eat like that :rotfl2:

So....STUFFED, we finally head toward the park. And got sidetracked at the pin shop.

When you buy a Disney package it often comes with a lanyard and a commemorative pin. We have some cool pins from those past vacation packages, like one from the 50th anniversary. And a lanyard is a handy way to carry your pass...but...

The lanyards are always made of a heavy scratchy material that tends to chafe your neck. The pin shops sell lanyards that are MUCH nicer, softer material, nifty designs, and you end up buying a better lanyard. And then...that one little pin looks all alone, and wow, there is an awesome pin with the Cheshire Cat balancing teacups on his head and paws, or Mulan with a parasol, or Mickey as Steamboat Willie, or....

Well, by then, you are hooked. :rolleyes:

MM wanted a "theme" for his lanyard, and couldn't decide on "Villains" pirate: or "Disney Babes" :lovestruc. Now, something about MM: he can take forever to make up his mind if he is given a choice. When he was little, if we went to Baskin Robbins, we would shove him to the front of the group to contemplate the flavor combinations while all of the rest of us ordered, and when it was finally his turn, he STILL didn't know what he wanted! :laughing:

He finally went with a split decision -- the Cheshire Cat was too cool to pass up :ccat: and he got all four slinky Jessica Rabbit pin designs they had.

Finally...full of adventurous jungle breakfast and decked out in appropriately Disney-geeky bling, we made our way to the park...

JoBird

10-01-2009, 10:06 AM

Oh my. No Biscuits and gravy! What's a kid to do??

I can't believe you got a slow start.:) Oh well- Rainforest was fun, I know.

MM sounds SO MUCH like my Drew. Takes two hours to make his mind up. I will usually say "Okay- you have ten minutes. Choose or leave." Most of the time, he will walk out of a store without buying something b/c the decision is too great a task and it drives him bonkers.
:goodvibes

Can't wait to get inside the park.:goodvibes

Jo

Katiebell

10-01-2009, 10:18 AM

I love to get to DL for opening, or even better, for early entry. There are three rides with no FP's that are so hard to get on later in the day, so if you don't ride them first thing, you have to forget it or prepare for a long wait: Matterhorn, Peter Pan, and the Nemo Subs. It was after 10, so I mentally scratched those off the list for the day. We grabbed a locker on Main St, and I put in 2 $5 (it was $7 and was supposed to give change), but the machine didn't register the second $5. I put in 2 more dollars, got the locker open, and went to City Hall to get my lost $5 refunded -- which they did cheerfully and without hassle.

It was just about time for Jedi Academy to start, so we hurried over to Tommorowland to catch the show. Well, I hurried, and MM just walked his normal lonnnng stride, which comes in very handy at DL. We sat and arranged our new pins on our lanyards while we cheered the young Padawans who saved the world from Darth Maul and Darth Vader :darth: :scared1: :woohoo:

http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w83/Katiecat63/DL9-08003.jpg

Next we grabbed FP's for Buzz Lightyear, then walked on the ride. MM was new to the whole FP concept and didn't understand why we got them when the ride was a walk on. "Ah, young Padawan, do not question the Disney Master...all will become clear in time..." :yoda: We then walked on to Star Tours, and when we got off there was at least a 20 minute queue for Buzz, but we walked right back on with our FP's. "Now you are beginning to understand the ways of the FP..."

Space Mountain was closed for the Halloween overlay :sad1: (next time, I want to go AFTER my birthday, around the beginning of October, so HM and SM are both done with the Halloween makeovers and I get to enjoy them).

We headed over to Fantasyland:

http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w83/Katiecat63/DL9-08005.jpg

When there are only two of you on the trip, most of your photos will not be of the two of you together. Not everyone knows this (I know most seasoned Dis fans know, but maybe some newbies will read this TR) so here's a good tip -- any CM with camera around their neck will take pics with your camera if you ask them. So you can get pics of your whole family or group on your own camera taken by a professional Disney photographer who knows how to take decent pics! :thumbsup2 We sometimes do the PhotoPass pics too, because they can do cool effects like the pics with Tink in your hand...

The lines for Nemo, Peter Pan, Alice, and Matterhorn were all too long -- and no FP's for them. We took a spin on the Tea Cups, and headed toward Small World and Toon Town. And it was starting to get really hot...

seacrestpromo

10-01-2009, 12:33 PM

I am so glad that Mike has learned the ways of the Disney Master...:lmao:

Enjoying your report!

Sea

Katiebell

10-02-2009, 12:09 AM

I was actually aware of and excited to see the changes that had been made to the Small World. For those of you not familiar with the controversy, here's the condensed version:

http://travel.latimes.com/daily-deal-blog/index.php/save-small-world-rid-1530/

IASW had been in need of an overhaul for quite some time -- fiberglass repairs to the outsides of the boat hulls made it hard for the boats to fit through the narrow waterways (especially if there were heavier guests on the boats). While they were at it, the Imagineers decided to add some Disney characters in key spots on the ride, and do an expanded America scene. There was a huge outcry from Disney purists and the family of Mary Blair -- the original artist whose work the ride is based on. I understood their point -- it's a classic, and a piece of Disney history...sort of one big kinetic sculpture, so why mess with it???

There was particular concern about a rumor that the rain forest scene would be ripped out and replaced with a "rah rah yay for America" scene...which, if you think about the symbolism -- gutting the rain forest to show how great the US is -- yeah...not such a great idea. :rolleyes1

However, after seeing the changes, they are actually really cool. The rain forest hasn't disappeared, and the America scene is tasteful, not vulgarly nationalistic, and includes Native Americans from several Southwest tribes, which is a nice touch. The Disney characters added are in their appropriate lands (Alice and the White Rabbit in UK, Lilo and Stitch in Hawaii, Nemo in Australia, Pinocchio in Italy, etc.) and they are all in the original Mary Blair style and blend in with the rest of the ride beautifully. I understand they used Mary's original artwork for Alice:

http://www.amazon.com/Walt-Disneys-Alice-Wonderland-Scieszka/dp/1423107284

I didn't get pics of ALL of the characters, but here are a few:

Cinderella in France:
http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w83/Katiecat63/DL9-08065.jpg

Alice and the White Rabbit:
http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w83/Katiecat63/DL9-08240.jpg

The Three Caballeros, Mexico:
http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w83/Katiecat63/DL9-08265.jpg

Lilo and Stitch:
http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w83/Katiecat63/DL9-08270.jpg

America farm scene:
http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w83/Katiecat63/DL9-08272.jpg

Ariel in the mermaid scene (my favorite scene!)
http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w83/Katiecat63/DL9-08322.jpg

So...all in all...I liked the changes. And get this...

When we get through with the ride, MM says, "Wow...you know...when you ride that as an adult, you really get a feel for the detail and the artwork in there...didn't really appreciate it as a kid, but that was very cool!"

:woohoo: :banana: :wizard: YESSSSSS! By George, he's got it!

Katiebell

10-02-2009, 12:35 AM

So, out of the lovely air conditioned waterways of IASW...and now it's hot. And humid. :headache: What the heck??? :confused3 This is California, not Florida! But it was starting to feel like Orlando...

We went to Toontown, but sort of dragged around, panting and fanning ourselves with park maps. We escaped into the gift shop for a while, then broke down and bought $3 bottles of water (even though we had a whole case of water back in our hotel room, it wasn't any help to us right then :rolleyes:). Minnie's house was packed with people :crowded: because Minnie was "in da house!" So we slipped into Mickey's living room and collapsed on his couch. We sat there, cooling off and guzzling our water for about 15 minutes, just watching the folks come in and play with all the neat stuff. The houses are very different than the ones in WDW's Toontown, I really like them both at WDW and DL.

We finally trudged back out in the heat and gave up...had to get back to the hotel for a swim and a rest. We caught the train to Tomorrowland and the Monorail to DTD. On the way back we stopped at Ralph Brennan's Jazz Kitchen. MM liked the menu (I'd eaten there a few times before and knew the food was awesome), so we made reservations for 6:45 in the jazz club area, since the band was supposed to start at 7:00. Then we finally made it back to the hotel, greedily gulped more water, and went out to cool off in the pool.

rusafee1183

10-02-2009, 08:57 AM

seacrestpromo

10-02-2009, 01:41 PM

Cool report KB.

Just want to add a few things about the IASW changes that we learned about at D23. We went to a seminar that talked about all the changes they did and the painstaking details and research they did when decided to add the characters into the ride. Kim Irvine and Tony Baxter went through Mary Blair's portfolio of artwork and studied extensively her work to make sure they were following her style. Tony told us that at Comic Con last year he purchased a piece of MB artwork that she did portraying the midwest and mountain range scene you now see in the ride. Up to that point, they didn't know about this artwork existence.

Kim Irvine worked side by side with MB at WED, now WDI and told us how delicate the dolls and sets were on IASW at DL. They are mostly all made out of paper mache' yet they withstood the test of time because of the care of the original construction.

Oh yea, the who flume story is definitely a rumor. LOL Tony said that up to now, the flume was the original one built for the NY Worlds Fair, then taken apart and rebuilt in DL. It has be repaired for leaks and over the years (40+) the fiberglass had deteriorated over time. They felt since they were going to do this big fix on the ride, it was time to replace the flume completely and that is what they did. It was not because people are so large and heavy now that boats were scrapping the bottom of the flume - untrue!

So there you have it!

Can't wait for the next installment KB!!

JoBird

10-02-2009, 02:02 PM

So glad you posted pics of IASW, KB.

I'm completely embarrassed to say that i never even walked close to this ride much less rode on it on my trip.

*hangs head*

It looks so pretty-- I think I like the changes.

And yay for MM getting it. :goodvibes

I was so happy to be able to go to DL for the first time as an adult. I think I appreciated it more.:goodvibes The quaintness of the park was not lost on me.:cloud9:

ready for more when you have the time!:goodvibes
JO

Katiebell

10-02-2009, 04:35 PM

Hey!!!! I am loving your report KB!!! :yay:

*ahem*

I must say that MM is pretty cute.... :rolleyes1

You know if things don't work out with Bob...... :rotfl2:

I really like the changes made to IASW. I guess I can see how people would be upset by it, but really? The whole point of Disney parks was to market Walt's films and TV shows. IDK. I like it, but like I said - I can see where they're coming from. But that guy in the article you posted....YIKES! He was irate.

More please!!!!! popcorn::

I have a long weekend with nothing to do but miss Disney until NEXT October.... :guilty:

Hi RF, welcome aboard... :hug: Yeah, I think MM is pretty cute, too, but what do I know? I'm his mom. Maybe he has a face only a mother could love! :laughing: Naw, he's pretty great...most of the time. ;)

Cool report KB.

Just want to add a few things about the IASW changes that we learned about at D23. We went to a seminar that talked about all the changes they did and the painstaking details and research they did when decided to add the characters into the ride. Kim Irvine and Tony Baxter went through Mary Blair's portfolio of artwork and studied extensively her work to make sure they were following her style. Tony told us that at Comic Con last year he purchased a piece of MB artwork that she did portraying the midwest and mountain range scene you now see in the ride. Up to that point, they didn't know about this artwork existence.

Kim Irvine worked side by side with MB at WED, now WDI and told us how delicate the dolls and sets were on IASW at DL. They are mostly all made out of paper mache' yet they withstood the test of time because of the care of the original construction.

Oh yea, the who flume story is definitely a rumor. LOL Tony said that up to now, the flume was the original one built for the NY Worlds Fair, then taken apart and rebuilt in DL. It has be repaired for leaks and over the years (40+) the fiberglass had deteriorated over time. They felt since they were going to do this big fix on the ride, it was time to replace the flume completely and that is what they did. It was not because people are so large and heavy now that boats were scrapping the bottom of the flume - untrue!

So there you have it!

Can't wait for the next installment KB!!

Great info Sea! As you know, I grew up going to DL and the ride is near and dear to my heart. The changes had me concerned, especially the early rumors and some of the concept art that leaked out looked pretty iffy. I had read about the boats getting stuck -- both that it was the case, and that it was not true. I think it was a CM on this trip who told me the problem was more that the fiberglass repairs on the outsides of the hulls were causing the problem. I really do think they did a wonderful job making the Disney characters blend in with Mary Blair's original style. I've found some cool websites showing some of her artwork, and it's so charming and whimsical. I miss the old murals she did -- weren't they in Tomorrowland? You know, those Alice in Wonderland paper cutouts we saw in Blue Sky Cellar remind me a lot of her work, too. Wonder if they used pics from her Alice illustrations? I need to get that book...

I really do understand why people were worried about the changes. I know Disney is trying to "Disney-fy" more of the property, like adding the Silly Symphony characters to DCA. I was more worried about the addition of the America scene -- there are plenty of nods to the US in the parks already -- Frontierland, Main St., Critter Country, New Orleans Square, all of DCA. IASW is supposed to be a tribute to all of the other kids in the world. But I think they really did a nice job of incorporating America without making it the main focus of the ride.

So glad you posted pics of IASW, KB.

I'm completely embarrassed to say that i never even walked close to this ride much less rode on it on my trip.

*hangs head*

It looks so pretty-- I think I like the changes.

And yay for MM getting it. :goodvibes

I was so happy to be able to go to DL for the first time as an adult. I think I appreciated it more.:goodvibes The quaintness of the park was not lost on me.:cloud9:

ready for more when you have the time!:goodvibes
JO

You didn't ride IASW??? :eek: Jo...are you sure you were at Disneyland??? :rotfl2: Girl, you need to come back and do it RIGHT. If you give me enough notice, I'll try to make it down there, but even if I can't, Sea and his crew live close by and have AP's...and I know first hand they are excellent tourguides! They would make sure you have a blast!

I'm sure I'll get more posted this weekend, at least I plan to...

disneynerd420

10-02-2009, 05:00 PM

I'm loving the TR! I can't wait to see more. I enjoyed the time I spent with my mother on my last trip but Mike is very lucky to have a Disney loving mother like you.

kokotg

10-02-2009, 10:09 PM

Enjoying your TR! It was definitely hot that week...and it sounds like you even left before the worst of it (I think Wednesday was the day it was 101).

Katiebell

10-04-2009, 11:21 PM

Welcome aboard, Disneynerd and kokotg! :goodvibes The more the merrier...

Katiebell

10-05-2009, 12:19 AM

We headed over to Ralph Brennan's Jazz Kitchen for dinner -- if you go there for dinner, try to go on a night when they have live music and ask to sit in the room with the band. It's really too loud for conversation, but the show is wonderful! We were greatly entertained by Mr. Kenny Sara and the Sounds of New Orleans:

http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w83/Katiecat63/DL9-08022.jpg

They played several jazz standards, including one of my personal favorites, Take Five. The drummer (Mr. Kenny Sara!) got the names of everyone in the restaurant who was celebrating a birthday, and then he sang a very jazzy version of Happy Birthday, "Happy Birthday, to...Bobby...and Carlie...and Sara...and Phil...and....somebody else..." Everyone was laughing :laughing: Finally, at the end of the song, he remembered "somebody else's" name, and they got wished a Happy Birthday, too. :thumbsup2

We had amazing soups, and an appetizer platter, and shared Chocolate Souffle Bread Pudding for dessert, which was to DIE for.

Headed back to the park....augh...crush of people everywhere! :crowded: The line for BTRR was too long, so we grabbed FP's. Fantasmic viewing was totally full, so we were herded along through Adventureland with everyone else. Indy, of course, had a long line, but the Jungle Cruise was a short wait, so we hopped on that. We had a hilarious skipper -- the Jungle Cruise at night is a totally different experience, and if you have a good skipper, it can be a lot more fun :goodvibes

As we made it to Main St. they were announcing that the fireworks might be canceled due to high winds :guilty: So we wound our way through the crowd to the train station, thinking well, if the fireworks are canceled, then we can catch the train back to New Orleans, walk to Frontierland, and finally ride Big Thunder. But when we got to the train station, they decided the fireworks were a go, after all! A CM told us we wouldn't see much on the ground because of the trees, and directed us to stand up on the station platform, just outside the roped off area for reserved "premium seating". So, we didn't get to sit in folding chairs, and no dessert buffet (but the bread pudding at the Jazz Kitchen was way better than anything they were serving on that buffet!). Other than that, we had the same view. Show was wonderful. Tink flew, and then later, Dumbo flew. Some of the songs made me cry. I sang along with "A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes", and Mike put his arm around my shoulder and said, "Aw, I love you Mom." And that made me cry too.

So, we hopped on the train, through the crush of people again :crowded: and used our FP's for Big Thunder. Then we crossed over to Fantasyland, but all the lines were long so we decided to call it a night. Mike has a lonnnnnng stride and can easily make it through crowds, so he volunteered to go get our stuff out of the locker and then just meet me back at the hotel. I wandered through Fantasyland and Tomorrowland, taking in the nighttime sights:

http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w83/Katiecat63/DL9-08035.jpg

http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w83/Katiecat63/DL9-08038.jpg

My camera doesn't take such great pics at night, but I really liked this shot of Mickey and Walt facing away from the castle, looking up Main St. toward the train station. Almost looks like they are discussing what they want to do next:

http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w83/Katiecat63/DL9-08226.jpg

So...finally made it to the Monorail, then DTD, then back to the hotel to crash for the night. We were meeting Sea and his family in the morning at California Adventure!

seacrestpromo

10-05-2009, 12:59 AM

We have to eat at RBJK sometime...it is crazy, but we have never been there! Well, that is going to be our goal in the next few months. LOL!

Great report! Can't wait to read more - I think the best stuff is coming up :snooty: LOL! :cool1:

We headed over to Ralph Brennan's Jazz Kitchen for dinner -- if you go there for dinner, try to go on a night when they have live music and ask to sit in the room with the band. It's really too loud for conversation, but the show is wonderful! We were greatly entertained by Mr. Kenny Sara and the Sounds of New Orleans:

http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w83/Katiecat63/DL9-08022.jpg

They played several jazz standards, including one of my personal favorites, Take Five. They drummer got the names of everyone in the restaurant who was celebrating a birthday, and then they sang a very jazzy version of Happy Birthday, "Happy Birthday, to...Bobby...and Carlie...and Sara...and Phil...and....somebody else..." Everyone was laughing :laughing: Finally, at the end of the song, he remembered "somebody else's" name, and they got wished a Happy Birthday, too. :thumbsup2

We had amazing soups, and an appetizer platter, and shared Chocolate Souffle Bread Pudding for dessert, which was to DIE for.

Headed back to the park....augh...crush of people everywhere! :crowded: The line for BTRR was too long, so we grabbed FP's. Fantasmic viewing was totally full, so we were herded along with everyone else. Indy, of course, had a long line, but the Jungle Cruise was a short wait, so we hopped on that. We had a hilarious skipper -- the Jungle Cruise at night is a totally different experience, and if you have a good skipper, it can be a lot more fun :goodvibes

As we made it to Main St. they were announcing that the fireworks might be canceled due to high winds :guilty: So we wound our way through the crowd to the train station, thinking well, if the fireworks are canceled, then we can hop on the train back to New Orleans, walk to Frontierland, and finally ride Big Thunder. But when we got to the train station, they decided the fireworks were a go, after all! A CM told us we wouldn't see much on the ground because of the trees, and directed us to stand up on the station platform, just outside the roped off area for reserved "premium seating". So, we didn't get to sit in folding chairs, and no dessert buffet (but the bread pudding at the Jazz Kitchen was way better than anything they were serving on that buffet!). Other than that, we had the same view. Show was wonderful. Tink flew, and then later, Dumbo flew. Some of the songs made me cry. I sang along with "A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes", and Mike put his arm around my shoulder and said, "Aw, I love you Mom." And that made me cry too.

So, we hopped on the train, through the crush of people again :crowded: and used our FP's for Big Thunder. Then we crossed over to Fantasyland, but all the lines were long so we decided to call it a night. Mike has a lonnnnnng stride and can easily make it through crowds, so he volunteered to go get our stuff out of the locker and then just meet me back at the hotel. I wandered through Fantasyland and Tomorrowland, taking in the nighttime sights:

http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w83/Katiecat63/DL9-08035.jpg

http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w83/Katiecat63/DL9-08038.jpg

My camera doesn't take such great pics at night, but I really liked this shot of Mickey and Walt facing away from the castle, looking up Main St. toward the train station. Almost looks like they are discussing what they want to do next:

http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w83/Katiecat63/DL9-08226.jpg

So...finally made it to the Monorail, then DTD, then back to the hotel to crash for the night. We were meeting Sea and his family in the morning at California Adventure!

JoBird

10-05-2009, 10:08 AM

KB- we passed by the Jazz kitchen place a thousand times- even stopped and looked at the menu- but didn't know if it was any good-- and- I had gotten REALLY sick from our dinner at Blue Bayou- so we passed on it. It looks fun and I would try it next time I'm there.:goodvibes

That is just so sweet- MM saying "I love you Mom". You'll cherish that memory forever in your heart.:lovestruc

WE never got to see the fireworks there. The one night they were showing them-- there were high winds-- we had sat out in front of the castle for an hour and 20 minutes waiting ( i was sick from our dinner at BB) and then at the last minute- they cancelled them. I was sooooooo upset. The night after that, we had been in Hollywood, but made it back to the hotel in time to see them from the end of a hallway. ANd then the night after that, they had started the switch over to Nighttastic-and so no fireworks were shown.

I got gipped.:scared1:

So glad you had a special moment with your son.:cloud9:

Jo

seacrestpromo

10-05-2009, 12:25 PM

Ack!! You never told us that Jo! How awful! What did you order at BB? You really need to finish up your DL and Hawaii TRs. You can't take any more trips until that is done first!

KB- we passed by the Jazz kitchen place a thousand times- even stopped and looked at the menu- but didn't know if it was any good-- and- I had gotten REALLY sick from our dinner at Blue Bayou- so we passed on it. It looks fun and I would try it next time I'm there.:goodvibes

That is just so sweet- MM saying "I love you Mom". You'll cherish that memory forever in your heart.:lovestruc

WE never got to see the fireworks there. The one night they were showing them-- there were high winds-- we had sat out in front of the castle for an hour and 20 minutes waiting ( i was sick from our dinner at BB) and then at the last minute- they cancelled them. I was sooooooo upset. The night after that, we had been in Hollywood, but made it back to the hotel in time to see them from the end of a hallway. ANd then the night after that, they had started the switch over to Nighttastic-and so no fireworks were shown.

I got gipped.:scared1:

So glad you had a special moment with your son.:cloud9:

Jo

Katiebell

10-05-2009, 02:21 PM

Jo...good heavens...

You didn't ride IASW. :guilty:

You got sick at the BB :crazy2: -- I've ALWAYS had fabulous meals there, the only thing that made me queasy was the prices! :laughing:

You didn't get to see the fireworks. :eek:

You had no fun in California Adventure. :sad1:

Girl...as far as I'm concerned...you have never been to Disneyland. Period. :sad2:

Next time, we'll show you how to do it right! Even if I can't get the time off to come meet you, you'd be in great hands with Sea and his family :goodvibes :thumbsup2

DisneySuiteFreak

10-05-2009, 02:42 PM

Show was wonderful. Tink flew, and then later, Dumbo flew. Some of the songs made me cry. I sang along with "A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes", and Mike put his arm around my shoulder and said, "Aw, I love you Mom." And that made me cry too.

That is such a sweet story! I always cry the first time I see Disney fireworks shows on every trip. No one does fireworks like Disney does! How sweet of your son to tell you he loves you! I'm enjoying your TR, thanks for posting it.

Katiebell

10-06-2009, 04:20 PM

That is such a sweet story! I always cry the first time I see Disney fireworks shows on every trip. No one does fireworks like Disney does! How sweet of your son to tell you he loves you! I'm enjoying your TR, thanks for posting it.

Welcome, DisneySuiteFreak :wave: Yeah, I'm really lucky to have such great sons. They are all adults now, and I always say even if they weren't my kids, I would still want to be friends with all of them.

I have to say...I looked at your TR and WOW. I LOVE your pics, those nighttime shots are gorgeous. :goodvibes You have inspired me...I want to buy a much better camera!

Katiebell

10-08-2009, 10:35 AM

Saturday morning, I let MM sleep in a bit...:cloud9:

I tried very hard to keep in mind....here in the real world MM works 9 am - 6 pm, so getting up at 7 am while on vacation wasn't really on his list of favorite things to do. :rolleyes: I get up anywhere between 5 am and 6:45 am, so 7 am was sleeping in for me.

We had agreed to meet our Dis-friends -- Sea (Tom), his wife Lena, and their son Chris -- at DCA at 9:30. We stopped at Jamba Juice in DTD for breakfast. If you don't have a Jamba Juice where you live, it's a smoothie place, but probably one of the first chains that started the whole smoothie craze. We got some kind of tropical frozen juicy concoctions, MM got a breakfast pretzel thingy, and I got a cup of apple cinnamon oatmeal...yum :thumbsup2 The receipt seemed kind of high to me...and when we picked up our stuff, sure enough, they had added on a third smoothie. The girl at the counter apologized and refunded the extra money, but told us to take it anyway.

We met Sea at the "C" in "California" -- right where he said he'd be ;) They had also brought a dear family friend, Cornelia, a very nice lady who used to take care of Lena's mother. Lena and Chris were with her getting an AP. Finally, everyone was ready to go in -- we gave our extra smoothie to Chris and he was happy...

I'm not sure exactly what order we did everything in, I don't have notes, only the order of pics in my camera :laughing: But it went something like this:

Chris ran ahead to grab FP's for Grizzly River Run for all of us
Soarin' Over California (my FAVORITE RIDE ANYWHERE)
ToT (everyone rode but me, I've done it twice but now I always take the exit at the end of the queue because I don't do drop rides :scared1:)
Monsters Inc.
Mike had to run back to the hotel because he forgot to take his morning medicine and couldn't do without it
We poked around the Animation exhibits, got a pic with the hag from Snow White, then Mike showed up again and we saw Aladdin:

http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w83/Katiecat63/DL9-08027.jpg

http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w83/Katiecat63/DL9-08028.jpg

http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w83/Katiecat63/DL9-08047.jpg

http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w83/Katiecat63/DL9-08058.jpg

Great show! Even though the cobra/Jafar special effect at the end of the show didn't work, so that was a little disappointing...but I love that show anyway...

Headed back toward Grizzly to use our FP's, stopped at Whitewater Snacks inside the Grand Californian for lunch -- very good, not too expensive. MM and I split a generous order of nachos and a grilled chicken sandwich.

Then we all rode GRR and got soaked! :laughing: Good tip I didn't know that Sea and his group shared with us: there are free lockers outside of GRR you can put your stuff in to keep it from getting wet while you are on the ride...

Then we went to the pier. Lena and Cornelia went back to GRR to ride again, and the rest of us rode California Screamin' :goodvibes Sea recorded the ride, and we did a shout out video...more like a "scream out" video, for our Dis friends :rotfl2:

We met back up with Lena and Cornelia, and got a pic with Jesse (in order, it's me, Cornelia, Jesse, and Lena):
http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w83/Katiecat63/DL9-08069.jpg

And headed over to Toy Story Midway Mania...

seacrestpromo

10-08-2009, 03:07 PM

Hi KB! Great TR!!! Hey remember "Cucamonga Cornelia"? LOLOL!!! Hugs!!!

Katiebell

10-08-2009, 04:11 PM

Oh yeah...how could I forget! :rotfl2: Told you I was going by memory only, and the order of pics in my camera...

When we were in Animation, we went to Turtle Talk with Crush. As Crush answered questions from people in the audience, he gave them silly "Surfer-Style" names. Cornelia asked him about sea turtles in Belize (her native country), and he dubbed her "Cucamonga Cornelia" so we called her that the rest of the day... :lmao:

(((hugs))) back to you and the whole Sea crew! :grouphug:

Katiebell

10-08-2009, 11:22 PM

Lena and Cornelia came back with two FP's for GRR (it just occurred to me how funny it is that the abbreviation for "Grizzly River Run" is GRR :laughing:) Chris and MM grabbed those and headed back for another water ride. Didn't take too long (hooray for FP's!) and we met up again at Toy Story Midway Mania.

TSMM is one of Sea's family's favorite rides -- it's a ride, it's a game, it's 3D, it's nostalgia...what's not to love? :lovestruc I do miss the ride queue from WDW -- it made me feel like I was shrunk down to toy-size on my bedroom floor when I was 8 years old. Even the giant ViewMaster reel is authentic -- I'm almost positive I had that same reel when I was a kid!

Here are Sea, Chris, and MM getting ready to play:

http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w83/Katiecat63/DL9-08066.jpg

We had to explain to Sea that you don't actually need 3 pairs of glasses to get the full 3D effect :3dglasses Sea, Chris, and Lena are all experts at the game and get outrageously high scores, so they paired off with us newbies to ride with us and give us pointers for better scores -- Chris with MM, Sea with me, and Lena with Cornelia.

After TSMM (we might have done it twice...or I might have that mixed up with another day..) we made our way back toward the entrance, stopping to check out Blue Sky Cellar, to see what changes are coming up for DCA. There are some great things -- a Little Mermaid dark ride, an entire Cars land, a gorgeous Fantasmic-calibre show over the lagoon called "World of Color":

http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w83/Katiecat63/DL9-08075.jpg

http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w83/Katiecat63/DL9-08077.jpg

http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w83/Katiecat63/DL9-08071.jpg

One thing I'll really miss is that they are changing the entry plaza area to look like Hollywood when Walt first arrived in the 20's --which is cool -- but they are taking out my beloved sun sculpture and the beautiful blue tile wave fountain:

http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w83/Katiecat63/DL9-08033.jpg

I hope that's not the last time I will see that landmark in DCA. I think we did one more ride on Soarin', then decided to head over to DL.

This is what I wanted: to see the parade, to catch the Scot Bruce Elvis show in Tomorrowland, to see the swing dancing at Carnation Gardens, see the fireworks, and see Fantasmic.

I told them my "want to do" list.

Chris' eyes got big. Like this: :eek: He said...."Well...it's not impossible."

Sea said, "Not impossible, will take some planning and timing, though." :thumbsup2

Lena and Cornelia were totally game.

MM said, "Mom, I'm exhausted. I have to go back to the room to rest for a bit, and I'll meet up with you guys later..." He looked like this: :faint:

Wimp. :rotfl2:

MM went back to the hotel...and the rest of us settled down on the curb on Main St. to wait for the parade.

trixiequilts

10-09-2009, 12:41 AM

This is what I wanted: to see the parade, to catch the Scot Bruce Elvis show in Tomorrowland, to see the swing dancing at Carnation Gardens, see the fireworks, and see Fantasmic.

I told them my "want to do" list.

Chris' eyes got big. Like this: :eek: He said...."Well...it's not impossible."

Sea said, "Not impossible, will take some planning and timing, though." :thumbsup2

Lena and Cornelia were totally game.

MM said, "Mom, I'm exhausted. I have to go back to the room to rest for a bit, and I'll meet up with you guys later..." He looked like this: :faint:

Wimp. :rotfl2:

This is me right now, KB! -----------> :rotfl2:

If I ever get all the way out there, I totally want to meet you and Sea at the "C"!!! :snooty: You do Disneyland the way I'd want to do Disneyland!!! :banana:

Katiebell

10-09-2009, 01:03 AM

This is me right now, KB! -----------> :rotfl2:

If I ever get all the way out there, I totally want to meet you and Sea at the "C"!!! :snooty: You do Disneyland the way I'd want to do Disneyland!!! :banana:

Whoo hoo, Mayer saLUTE: :banana::banana::snooty::snooty::banana::banana:

:goodvibes That would be so fun! I know DL isn't nearly as big as WDW -- and I truly do love WDW! -- but DL really is such a blast. We found plenty to do, and weren't a bit bored in 5 days there. It's really nice to be able to get from point A to point B this way:

:cool1:
:tiptoe:

without worrying about:

:car:
:boat:
:teleport:
:drive:
:sail:
:faint:

And making sure when you get there, that you have ADR's 6 months in advance.

:rotfl2:

There are a lot of differences between DL and WDW to explore -- all of DCA, IASW is a HUGE beautiful structure (extremely cool at Christmas, they do an outdoor lightshow at night, timed to music), we have New Orleans Square instead of Liberty Square, Toon Town is different from the country fair theme at WDW...it's still Disney and still wonderful, but definitely a different experience. And you've never seen Fantasmic until you've seen it on the Rivers of America. Wow.

We would most definitely :welcome: any Mayer friends who could come visit DL!

disneynerd420

10-09-2009, 01:04 AM

Sounds like some good times. I'm waiting for the next part.

trixiequilts

10-09-2009, 11:11 PM

Katiebell

10-13-2009, 04:16 PM

KB~I just got to thinking and wondered if you and Sea did the MAYer salute when you met up that day? You know...

:banana: :banana: :snooty: :snooty: :banana: :banana: ???

Because if you did, next time forget about the "scream out"...I want to see a video of the salute!!!

:rotfl2:

Keep up the good work, I can't wait to read more!

I'm not sure how we'd do that in RL for the camera...although I'm sure Sea could figure out a way. He's hilarious, like a real movie director, telling you where to stand, and when it's time for "Action!" :laughing: He's very good at letting you improv what you are going to do, too. Did you see our shout out video? He filmed the whole ride on CA Screamin', then added on a bit at the end late at night, when we were exhausted, totally wiped out :faint: It was a really busy evening...but so much fun! I'll try to post my next installment soon, maybe tonight...

Katiebell

10-20-2009, 09:53 AM

(whew, sorry it's been a while since my last update...life gets away from ya, ya know? :rolleyes:)

We settled down on the curb in front of the Penny Arcade on Main St. Sea and Lena said that the parade was really more of a street show, and they knew that the performers would be stopping at that exact spot so it would be a great view. Chris went to scope out some pin trading, while the rest of us took turns grabbing snacks. Sea hoofed it over to Adventureland and brought back Bengal Barbeque. Near the entrance to Tomorrowland, I got the BEST corndog I've ever had. :cloud9: Lena and I went in to the candy shop and got a couple of things, including this marshmallow/caramel/chocolate thing that their family has dubbed the unfortunate name of "poop on a stick" :eek: It did sort of look like that, but thank goodness it TASTES better than it sounds. :lmao: In fact, it was pretty darn delicious. So we had a bunch of things on sticks, perfect "waiting for parade" food.

http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w83/Katiecat63/DL9-08043.jpg

http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w83/Katiecat63/DL9-08101.jpg

http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w83/Katiecat63/DL9-08106.jpg

Great show, the dancers were very talented and fun to watch. Somehow Sea talked me into joining him in the conga line in the street, and talked his accomplice...er, wife...into immortalizing the moment for posterity on video. Good heavens. :dance3:

The rest of the afternoon and evening were a blur. It think it went something like this:

We rode some rides? Maybe Buzz Lightyear?
Sea and I sighted Elvis in Tomorrowland. That's right, folks -- Elvis is ALIVE! He must have just been living with aliens...

http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w83/Katiecat63/DL9-08123.jpg

http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w83/Katiecat63/DL9-08124.jpg

They say you are either a Beatles fan or an Elvis fan -- if that's so, then I am most definitely a Beatles fan. But Elvis is still the King, and Scot Bruce puts on a fabulous tribute show. AND he is cute as a puppy :lovestruc Definitely worth seeing... :thumbsup2

Lena, Cornelia, and Chris had disappeared, and I found out they were saving us a spot front and center of the castle for the fireworks. We traded off, Sea held the spot, while the rest of us went over to watch the swing dancing. Well, Lena, Cornelia, and I watched, while Chris danced. He's quite good, and he never lacked for dance partners. He tried to get each of us out on the floor with him, but we all declined. Can't speak for his mom or Cornelia, but I'm NOT a dancer, at least not real dancing where the girl has to follow the guy and somehow be psychic which way he intends to go :laughing: I'm one of the biggest klutzes imaginable -- once I actually managed to throw myself headfirst into a trashcan full of thorns while pruning my roses. AND break my wrist while I was at it. :eek: But that's another story...

MM FINALLY showed up, and met us right before the fireworks started -- how did ANYONE ever FIND each other before we all had cellphones??? Chris and Lena took off to snag a spot for Fantasmic right after the first show ended. MM was a little concerned, saying, "Sheesh, he can't be having much fun at all -- running for FP's for all of us, missing the fireworks..." I said, "MM, honey...he is a happy young man, don't worry. He spends practically every weekend at Disneyland." Sea assured us that Chris had seen the fireworks numerous times and that they didn't mind at all playing tag team to save good spots, especially knowing that MM hadn't been to DL for ten years.

My camera really isn't great for night photos...I've gotta get a better camera...but here are a couple of the fireworks that turned out okay:

http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w83/Katiecat63/DL9-08146.jpg

http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w83/Katiecat63/DL9-08170.jpg

We braved the crushing crowd to catch Fantasmic -- the new dragon is incredible:

http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w83/Katiecat63/DL9-08203.jpg

Sea and Lena told us that Maynard was hosting at the Tiki Room so we had to see the show there:

http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w83/Katiecat63/DL9-08179.jpg

I have no pics of Maynard, but I have to tell you...still photos wouldn't do his performance justice, anyway. He sings and dances with the birds, does goofy announcements in a booming "Tiki God" voice, and we were all :lmao: :laughing: :rotfl2::woohoo: He is a DL legend, famous for his stints in the Tiki Room, Jungle Cruise, and Haunted Mansion. Just go to YouTube and search for "Maynard Disneyland" and you can see him in action.

By then...we were completely exhausted. We said our goodbyes and thanks to Sea and his crew, and dragged ourselves back to the hotel...