F & F at the DLR fun and planing for WestFest 2011

[EastYorkDisneyFan]

First of all I need to introduce myself my name is Thomas and this will be my 4th tip to the Park that stared it all.

Now to explain some things in the tittle "F & F at the DLR" was a fares that got started by "Electric Mike" and "Kilt Boy" from the Disney Park Hopping Podcast. It is a line from the rap video that they shot using some green screen footage and some footage from the meat they hosted at WestFest 2009. "F & F at the DLR" stand for Fun and Frivolity at the Disneyland Resort which became a big catch phrase at last years DPN WestFest.

Next the answer to what is WestFest? WestFest is an unofficial gathering of podcasters, fans and forum members of the DPN podcasts. The DPN is a collection of Disney Podcast that share a set of forms (DPN stand for Disney Podcast Network). DPN WestFest began in 2006 when the the name got thrown around when a group of DPN members happened to meat up at Disneyland together. In 2007 it became a more formal event some what like Mousefest was on the east cost (btw it has nothing to do with Mouse fest or it's organizers).

As of right now all I have planed is a hotel room at the Desert Inn and Suites that sometimes gets called the DPN dorm room.

This years dates are April 28th to May 1st 2011. I am currently planing on arriving on the 27th of April and leaving on the 3rd of May. As of right now I have no airfare booked as Fare cast is telling me to wait as prices are going down.

If anyone has any questions about anything please post them here and I will answer them as best as I can.

 

[EastYorkDisneyFan]

Well as of this moment I now have airfare booked. I went ahead and booked what I had originally planed on as I didn't like the airfares that Fare cast was showing me even though they were cheaper. I just didn't want to arrive in the evening and have to change planes. Now all I need to do is get Disneyland tickets.

 

[EastYorkDisneyFan]

This trip is a go. Disneyland Ticket are purchased, and packing has begun.

 

[MAGICFOR2]

Hi Thomas! Looks like you were right as we sailed away! Where is your TR? Where are your pics?

 

[EastYorkDisneyFan]

Hi Thomas! Looks like you were right as we sailed away! Where is your TR? Where are your pics?

First of all I want to say to my humble but negleted TR. I haven't posted anything new on it as I wasn't sure if anyone was reading it, but if your intrested I will post. Feel free to ask questions about any terms that I might bring up that are not know on the Dis.

 

[MAGICFOR2]

Thanks for the welcome! I was just giving you a hard time, but if you feel like writing, I'll read! Don't spend alot of time just for me - I love to write a TR, because I get to re-live the experience.

Do you do the podcasts, or are you a fan who meets other fans for F&F?

 

[kindakrazy2]

I'm reading!

 

[EastYorkDisneyFan]

First of all welcome to this badly neglected TR, I can give any number of excuses on why I have neglected it but I'm not going to.

Next in answer to the question about weather I podcast or am just a listener. I am just a listener but can be herd and seen in a few of the DPN and other Podcast that have been recorded well I have been at WestFest.

Also as a guide to what to expect and also to show you the video that inspired the name of this TR, It's by a couple of guys who host the "Disney Park Hopping Party Podcast", they go by the name Electric Mike and Kiltboy.

F&F DLR

 

[EastYorkDisneyFan]

Arrival day at Disneyland resort - April 27 2011

After getting up at about 5:00 in the morning Eastern time. My flight was at 9:00 that morning from Toronto International airport so I had to be there about 3 hours before my flight to pre-clear US customs. Once through customs and security I had some time until my flight so I grabbed a coffee at Second Cup (Canadian version of Starbucks). Once I landed in beautiful sunny California I picked up my bag at the baggage claim area and was off to find the pick up area for my Suppershutle van to the Dessert Inn and suites. Once I got to the hotel, my room wasn't ready yet so I left my bags in storage and headed over to the parks. My first stop was the esplanade.

My first stop this year was Disneyland.

After a walk down Main Street

and a stop at the hub

it was time to investigate the construction of the seats and stage for the pirates premier which would be about a week after.

 

[jeremysdisneymom]

Thomas, I am here!!! Would love to read more but I understand completely about these trip reports. I now have a few followers and so glad you are one of them!

If you don't want to finish this one, please do one on your upcoming 2012 report. I would love to read it!

 

[EastYorkDisneyFan]

Welcome to or Welcome back to this badly neglected TR, there are to many excuses to list as to why I haven't gotten back to this one. Some of you may have noticed the ticker I have currently in my sig, unfortunately this years trip isn't possible, but I'm leaving it there as it's a count down to an event that I will be following along with on twiter.

But enough of that and back to the TR.
The last picture I tool should the seats for the pirates premier and now for a picture of the stage/ screen.

After that I headed over to Tomorowland where I checked out inoventions there. For anyone that is reading this that has been to WDW, it's somewhat like the one in Epcot, but it's housed in the old Carousel of progress building. At the time of this trip they had you enter through the top which has somethings from the post show of Spaceship Earth. The lower level has what is called the house of the future where they show off a bunch technology for your home. The Cast members in the house do various demonstrations of them, one of the better ones is in one of the little boys room they tell the story of Peter Pan and some cool things happen in the room. Sorry I don't have any pictures. Also well I was in Tomorowland I stopped at Red Rocket's Pizza Port for some lunch.

Up next was a quick trip over to DCA (Disney California Adventure) to see what had changed since my last trip in 2010.
Construction on the Cathay circle had begun as well as on cars land.

Also world of color was now showing nightly so the fountains were in position for that nights show.

Also Silly symphony swings was open too, work was also progressing on little mermaid which would be opening later that spring.

At this point it was nearing check in time so I headed back over to the Desert Inn which was just across Harbor blvd. from Disneyland. At this point my room was ready. I actually didn't take any picture of the room this year, but there pretty much just your standard hotel room.

 

[EastYorkDisneyFan]

After that I took a quick nap as I had been up since 5:00 am edst. After that I headed back over to Disneyland to explore the park again for a little bit, also at this point my cell phone wasn't working properly, I later found out after I got back home that it was a software problem with it.

As it was nearing closing time at Disneyland I stopped on main street for a quick photo.

 

[EastYorkDisneyFan]

This morning was going to be my first full day of the trip and Disneyland was having a Magic morning day that day (essentially it's like EMH at WDW except in addition to the onsite hotels and good neighbor hotel guest, guest who have muilt day tickets get one early entry with them). So I made my way across the street and under the monorail track.

Once inside Disneyland I passed by the Sherman brothers door on Main Street.

That morning I did most of the Fantasyland rides as they were all a walk on. After a trip to nowhewre in particular including hell on an old freind that is sadly not at WDW anymore.

It was now time for rope drop for the regular guests so I decided to watch from the Hub.

After a little bit I decided to head over to DCA again to rride Toy story mania plus I think I also picked up a fast pass for sorain later as I also had one for Space Mountain, and Rogers Rabit's Cartoon Spin.

After posing for some pictures in front of the soon to be gone Golden gate bridge, I grabbed a fastpass for Sorin' Over California and then made my way over to toy story mania to see the new game that they had added and also to see what kind of score I could get.

I eventually made my way back to Disneyland and decided to climb up Tarzans tree house to take in the view.

 

[EastYorkDisneyFan]

After some time in Disneyland I headed back over to DCA again tor ride sorain' Over California, and to walk around the park again.

I then went back to Disneyland and toured around the park for a bit.

I think the picture may be in the line for the Jungle cruise, I'm not sure if there is a local to Disneyland reading this please let me know.

After a ride around the rivers of the world I headed out again.

I then headed over to Tortilla Jo's in Downtown Disney were a bunch of the people from the DPN would be meeting for the first meet at WestFest.

 

[jeremysdisneymom]

Great update! I had no idea there was a Tarzan's treehouse! So many new things there that is not at WDW.

We are heading to San Francisco this summer so loved your Golden Gate Bridge shot! Can't wait to see the real one.

Is the Toy Story ride the same or different than the one at WDW?

Can't wait to read more.

 

[EastYorkDisneyFan]

Toy story is the same at both parks except there is no fast pass and the line is outside at DCA

 

[EastYorkDisneyFan]

sorry to have neglected this TR again I was away at the cottage during the week with no internet.

 

[EastYorkDisneyFan]

So today begin the third day of my trip and after the kick off meet last night WestFest is now offically begun. The only meet on the schedule today is the annual Rebel Rousers event that was stared in 2008 as an event before WestFest began on the Friday night. The meet starts at the beer truck in the pacific wharf area and then goes to an attraction from there (in 2008 they rode tower of terror, in 2009 we rode sorian', and in 201 we rode Mickey's fun Wheel with a choice between "men or Mice" aka swinging or non swinging).

The day began with a walk across Harbor Blvd. to wards the Disney parks. This morning I would be meeting up with several people from the night before in the esplanade. Just so everyone knows some of them I will refer to by there screen names or the on air persona from the podcast they are on.

The group of people end up being Mike from MiceCast (one of the podcast of the DPN) who's local to the area, Brad (Oakfan , from the Oakland area and host of the bringing Disneyland home vidcast), "Earl" and Mel aka "the bleeping wife" from the trapped on vacation podcast (Earl is not his real name but the one he uses on the podcast as he is a CM at WDW) and the daughter that gets referred to as the Little Souvenir. Also in attendance were Matt "the Esquire" from the Washington DC area who hosts the Misuse Droppings podcast and also the Hub podcast (the hub is a group of various Disney podcasters get together top discus the news and other thing from the Walt Disney Company) and Mikes's nephew Jeff who currently works at guest relations at Disneyland, however toady he would be at the blue sky cellar in DCA and we would be meeting up with him later in the day.

As we made a quick stop to get one of the lockers om main street I got a quick picture of Main street that morning.

After some discussion of what we wanted to do we made our way over to Pirates and passed by the constriction for the pirates premier.

After an uneventful ride on pirates (if you want to her a really crazy ride through on pirates with the it going 101 at the top of the first hill you can listen to mouse droppings podcast episode 5 the pirate shuffle), we headed over to the jungle cruise. Well we were outside the queue Mike pointed out the live parrot in the cage above the sign.

Next we crossed the park for a ride on Buzz Lightyear's Astrobalast. Well we were in Tomorowland I took some pictures of the new mural on the side of the Star Tour attraction.

and by total accented it end up lining up perfectly as a panorama.