I'm NEVER staying home for March Break again! FINISHED 07/17 Just in time!

[kaoden39]

I would totally love him after that experience too. That's a wonderful story! What a beautiful memory to have.

Thankfully my husband video taped the whole thing.

 

[tksbaskets]

I love the Mad Hatter too after that story. Wonderful bit of magic!

 

[kaoden39]

I love the Mad Hatter too after that story. Wonderful bit of magic!

tksbaskets, it was one of those magical Disney moments.

 

[DisneyFreak06]

Thankfully my husband video taped the whole thing.

That's awesome!

I love the Mad Hatter too after that story. Wonderful bit of magic!

So true!

tksbaskets, it was one of those magical Disney moments.

Exactly true!

 

[DisneyFreak06]

March 18, 2012, part 9: Walk in Walt's Footsteps some more...

We last left off with me snapping pictures while listening to our tour guide's stories. Two things she mentioned were that all CMs wear black shoes unless they are in costume that has special shoes, and that they have special gardeners that take care of different plants, some are only only flowers, some are only trees etc. That explains how everything looks perfect. She also said that all the flowers are real.

Off to 'dventureland'! Guess I didn't pay attention taking this picture!


Adventureland by disneyfreak0306, on Flickr

We talked about the plants and flowers, and since I know that Blanche loves the flowers, I took pictures of a bunch while we chatted.


Plants by disneyfreak0306, on Flickr


Greenery by disneyfreak0306, on Flickr


Flower 1 by disneyfreak0306, on Flickr


Flower 2 by disneyfreak0306, on Flickr


Flower 3 by disneyfreak0306, on Flickr

And soon it was time to get on my first ride!

Christine borrowed my camera to get some pictures of me on my first ever Disneyland ride. Here we are waiting... do I look excited?


Untitled by disneyfreak0306, on Flickr

Look at Blanche, she was literally wearing 4 layers (and a pair of gloves and my big thick mittens).

Our TG led us to the accessible entrance and we were the first on the next boat. Yes, it was Jungle Cruise!


Jungle Cruise B2 by disneyfreak0306, on Flickr


Untitled by disneyfreak0306, on Flickr

Our skipper, Ryan, was awesome! He had us all in stitches. After the ride was over, Christine even told him how great he was.


Jungle Cruise 1 by disneyfreak0306, on Flickr

Bye!


Jungle Cruise 2 by disneyfreak0306, on Flickr

Here are a few of the pictures I took on the ride.


Jungle Cruise 3 by disneyfreak0306, on Flickr


Jungle Cruise 4 by disneyfreak0306, on Flickr


Jungle Cruise 5 by disneyfreak0306, on Flickr


Jungle Cruise 6 by disneyfreak0306, on Flickr


Jungle Cruise 7 by disneyfreak0306, on Flickr


Jungle Cruise 8 by disneyfreak0306, on Flickr


Jungle Cruise 9 by disneyfreak0306, on Flickr

See how much the guy across from me is laughing? Ryan was that good that he had the whole boat going.


Jungle Cruise 10 by disneyfreak0306, on Flickr

They're still loving him!


Jungle Cruise 11 by disneyfreak0306, on Flickr


Jungle Cruise 12 by disneyfreak0306, on Flickr

Jungle Cruise was a great first ride! I loved it. There were ducks swimming all around, and before we got off Ryan reminded us that all the animals on the cruise were real, except for the ducks!

 

[DisneyFreak06]

You will really like the DL view rooms at HOJO. Make sure you ask for a high room to get full view. When I stayed there the room was very clean, front desk staff very friendly, and housekeeping staff was friendly along with being very efficient with room needs. I will be taking a spring break trip via your report-- I am looking forward to haing lots of fun


Patty

Patty, thanks for the suggestion of the high room. As you know, we got top floor. And we LOVED it!

 

[DisneyFreak06]

March 18,2012 Part 10: Still taking steps with Walt

After escaping the head hunters and seeing some bathing animals, in trunks, we headed towards Frontierland.


Frontierland by disneyfreak0306, on Flickr


Walkway by disneyfreak0306, on Flickr

It is not advised that you use these mailboxes to actually send mail. It will not be stamped Disneyland, it will be stamped Anaheim, and it takes well, longer than snail mail. What's slower than a snail?


Snail Mail by disneyfreak0306, on Flickr


Tom Sawyer Island by disneyfreak0306, on Flickr

There were some very funny people out front here putting on a little show. It was hilarious. I wish we'd have remembered to go back and watch some more. I think I need to be making a better list next time and following it!


Funny Guys by disneyfreak0306, on Flickr


Funny guys by disneyfreak0306, on Flickr

By this point, Christine is teasing me that I like to take pictures.... actually, I think she was teasing me long before this, because she made sure to take our pictures on Jungle Cruise.


Beauty 1 by disneyfreak0306, on Flickr


Beauty 2 by disneyfreak0306, on Flickr


Water by disneyfreak0306, on Flickr

I started to get even more excited because we were now heading into the unknown, where no Dorothy has ever traveled before! Into New Orleans Square! Seeing as I'd never been to DL, I'd never been in New Orleans Square, so I was excited to see something that looked different from WDW.


New Orleans 1 by disneyfreak0306, on Flickr

I was excited to see this!


Club 33 by disneyfreak0306, on Flickr

Christine had to leave us for a bit, and she walked in front of my camera, stuck her hand out like a celebrity and kept on going. It is one of my favorite pictures, but sadly, not on flickr. Maybe one day I'll post a blurry picture of her hand that I've titled "No photographs, please".


New Orleans 2 by disneyfreak0306, on Flickr


New Orleans 3 by disneyfreak0306, on Flickr


New Orleans 4 by disneyfreak0306, on Flickr

Inside!


Club 33 2 by disneyfreak0306, on Flickr


Club 33 3 by disneyfreak0306, on Flickr


Club 33 4 by disneyfreak0306, on Flickr


Club 33 5 by disneyfreak0306, on Flickr

A self portrait.... showing how pristine every thing is!


Club 33 6 by disneyfreak0306, on Flickr

Christine borrowed my camera again. (Boy, I think I really look like one of my sisters in this one! Rose and Blanche, can you tell which one?)


Club 33B by disneyfreak0306, on Flickr


Club 33B 2 by disneyfreak0306, on Flickr


Club 33B3 by disneyfreak0306, on Flickr

To be perfectly honest, it was an unquestionably special feeling to be where Walt had planned to entertain guests. It means that it was to be a very special place to him. I don't "idolize" him, but I do appreciate that he is the reason I have my love of all things Disney! So he's pretty special to me.

Any guesses on how many more updates it will take before I finish the tour?

 

[kaoden39]

I love New Orleans Square. I could sit there for hours and listen to the music and watch the world go by.

 

[DisneyFreak06]

I love New Orleans Square. I could sit there for hours and listen to the music and watch the world go by.

I really want to spend more time there. I didn't spend a whole lot of time in any one area, unless you count a few lines that were long!

 

[DisneyFreak06]

March 18, 2012: Part 11 maybe? Hahaha Walk a mile in Walt's Shoes

After standing in the lobby of Club 33, dreaming of having a chance to eat there, but knowing that they'll never let me, unless I become a cast member on the next Pirates of the Caribbean movie, we went back out into the cold, sunny New Orleans Square.

My first thought seeing this building was "Wow, it's so beautiful, but not creepy at all!" To be honest, the outside is much more friendly and welcoming than the Haunted Mansion at WDW.


Haunted Mansion by disneyfreak0306, on Flickr

Christine led us up to the Train Station and told us that we'd be getting off at the next stop. It reminded me of the trip I took to Spain last summer. We had a group of about 20 young people, and before getting on the subway, we'd yell "Get off at ..." or "2 stops..." etc. I found the DL train a little easier to figure out!

They were in the process of doing a "Changing of the Engineer" ceremony, so I snapped a picture. I'm sure the changing of the royal guard would be a little more complex.


Engineers by disneyfreak0306, on Flickr

I love the three girls with their arms linked. Blanche and Rose, we'll have to get that done sometime. If they ever decide to show up, you readers might get to "meet" them.


Not too crowded by disneyfreak0306, on Flickr

Another staple, must see for me! I have to ride this at least once a trip. I didn't ride it right then, with our tour, but I did later. I'll tell you what I think later.


It's a Small World 1 by disneyfreak0306, on Flickr


It's a Small World 2 by disneyfreak0306, on Flickr


It's a Small World 3 by disneyfreak0306, on Flickr

I really wanted to ride the Matterhorn. Did you hear that there is a basketball court in it? I think it was in the tour I heard that... or on the Dis! Not getting to ride it just means I'll have to go back, hee hee.


The Matterhorn by disneyfreak0306, on Flickr

Back to one of my favorite buildings!


Sleeping Beauty Castle by disneyfreak0306, on Flickr


Sleeping Beauty Castle again by disneyfreak0306, on Flickr
We learned about the problems and the fix with these statues.


Snow White by disneyfreak0306, on Flickr


Dwarves by disneyfreak0306, on Flickr


Dopey by disneyfreak0306, on Flickr


Main Street by disneyfreak0306, on Flickr


Sleeping Beauty Castle again 2 by disneyfreak0306, on Flickr


Sleeping Beauty Castle again 3 by disneyfreak0306, on Flickr


Sleeping Beauty Castle again 4 by disneyfreak0306, on Flickr

During this tour, and for the rest of the trip, I kept looking for the black shoes. Even now, I will see someone wearing black shoes and I'll think of Disneyland!

 

[tksbaskets]

I'm enjoying the heck out of your trip report and wonderful pictures. Thank you for sharing

 

[DisneyFreak06]

I'm enjoying the heck out of your trip report and wonderful pictures. Thank you for sharing

Thanks! I'll hopefully have some more posted today.

 

[hildyp]

Great trip report with beautiful pictures!

 

[DisneyFreak06]

Great trip report with beautiful pictures!

Thanks, and welcome.

 

[DisneyFreak06]

Part Twelve: We've walked more than a mile in Walt's shoes...

I left you standing in front of the castle. Are you still standing there or did you go ride something?

Next up on our tour was the Enchanted Tiki Room (under the original management! )


Tiki Room 1 by disneyfreak0306, on Flickr

Our attention was drawn again to the flowers. We touched them, gently, and yes, they were real too.


Tiki Room 2 by disneyfreak0306, on Flickr


Tiki Room 3 by disneyfreak0306, on Flickr

I took a ton of pictures during the show, but I will only post some here... Some are not worth keeping, let alone posting!


Tiki Room 4 by disneyfreak0306, on Flickr


Tiki Room 5 by disneyfreak0306, on Flickr


Tiki Room 6 by disneyfreak0306, on Flickr


Tiki Room 7 by disneyfreak0306, on Flickr

We stayed after the show.


Tiki Room 8 by disneyfreak0306, on Flickr

And got to meet an original flower from the show. Ophelia is her name, and even the CMs who touch her have to keep gloves on to keep her safe. She was hand painted, as were all the flowers back then.


Tiki Room 9 by disneyfreak0306, on Flickr


Tiki Room 10 by disneyfreak0306, on Flickr

We went back down around Main Street and learned about the bench and the popcorn machine that I posted pictures of earlier. It was Walt's Bench where he first thought of Disneyland.


Native American by disneyfreak0306, on Flickr


Walt's Bench by disneyfreak0306, on Flickr

I was happy to actually see what an actual "E" Ticket was like and to understand the old ticketing system. I'm glad they changed it to the way it is now!


Disney E-tickets by disneyfreak0306, on Flickr

We ended the Tour with lunch. Normally they eat outside somewhere, but they were supposed to move us inside because it was the forecast called for rain. It didn't rain, and we weren't exactly inside. We were under the outdoor covered area at El Rancho del Zocaro (the little Mexican restaurant). We'd ordered our lunch hours before, I was hoping we'd still all feel like eating the same things!

My name was written on a sticker at my seat. I noticed immediately the font it was written in and had to take a picture. As soon as the camera came out, Christine starting teasing me again. She couldn't believe I was taking a picture of my lunch. She had never heard of the Disboards and I explained that I was fairly tame - there are people out there who write whole reports on their Disney dining experiences!

Warning: You're going to learn my real name! Gasp, our names are not really Dorothy and Blanche! Good thing I don't really mind!


Lunch by disneyfreak0306, on Flickr


Lunch by disneyfreak0306, on Flickr

We continued to talk during lunch - the couple from California are big DL fans. They have tons of Disney pictures, even ride posters, all over their home. For now, I can only dream of my own Disney house! (I do have an attic full of Disney things though! hee hee hee)

After lunch, Christine said goodbye to the couple as she shook their hands. I reached to shake her hand and thank her and she laughed and grabbed me for a big hug. I don't know how she learned that about me in a few hours (when I didn't hug a single person), but I'm a big hugger. My family doesn't know why I'm such a hugger, I think I got all the hugging genes and left my siblings with barely any.

What did I think of the tour? I loved it and I'm glad we didn't venture too far into the park before the tour. I would do it again in a heartbeat. Yes, I know it would be the same script. Have a wonderful cast member to chat with in a small group is great. Sometimes you don't remember everything, so you'd learn something more. It's like re-reading a book or watching a movie again. I love doing that. For others, they'd rather watch paint dry than watch a re-run or re-read a book. I enjoyed hearing about the CM "rules", some of the opening day issues and learning some "whys". If you get a chance, do this tour!

 

[DisneyFreak06]

March 18, 2012, Part 13, The end of a great day!

Feeling well fed and comfortable, Blanche and I decided to head back to our hotel for a break. We thought about taking a city bus to the Disney Outlet store, but realized it was closed on Sundays. After a little rest, we decided we wanted to check out the three Disney hotels. We love visiting the WDW hotels, so we knew we had to do it at DL. We also had a reservation at Goofy's Kitchen later in the week, so we figured it would be easier to know where it was before we go for breakfast.


Balcony view B1 by disneyfreak0306, on Flickr


Balcony view B2 by disneyfreak0306, on Flickr


Balcony view B3 by disneyfreak0306, on Flickr

The view from the hallway stairs:


View from 7th floor stairwell by disneyfreak0306, on Flickr

The World of Disney store was definitely calling my name as we walked past, but I kept repeating "soon, soon..." and made it by, well, without buying!

We started our tour of the hotels by entering the Grand Californian hotel through the DTD entrance. We both agreed that it was beautiful and it would be a lovely hotel to stay at. We were able to stay at the Grand Floridian a few years ago, for three WAY TOO SHORT nights, so this is on the list.


Grand Californian shop window by disneyfreak0306, on Flickr

These chairs were huge!


Grand Californian 1 by disneyfreak0306, on Flickr

I tried to make it look like I was on The Big Comfy Couch.


Really big chair by disneyfreak0306, on Flickr


Piano player by disneyfreak0306, on Flickr


Beautiful Lobby by disneyfreak0306, on Flickr


Outside the Grand Californian by disneyfreak0306, on Flickr

I love palm trees! This street seemed so much more tropical than Harbor Blvd. Don't get me wrong, Harbor Blvd was a pretty street, and it was a nice walk between the hotel and the parks, but it was missing some more palm trees!


Beautiful street by disneyfreak0306, on Flickr


Paradise Pier 1 by disneyfreak0306, on Flickr


Paradise Pier 2 by disneyfreak0306, on Flickr


Paradise Pier 2 by disneyfreak0306, on Flickr


Pretty walkway by disneyfreak0306, on Flickr


Goofy by disneyfreak0306, on Flickr


Gazebo by disneyfreak0306, on Flickr


Fountain by disneyfreak0306, on Flickr


Outdoor Fireplace by disneyfreak0306, on Flickr


Disneyland Hotel by disneyfreak0306, on Flickr


Disneyland Hotel 2 by disneyfreak0306, on Flickr


Disneyland Hotel 3 by disneyfreak0306, on Flickr


Disneyland Hotel 4 by disneyfreak0306, on Flickr

Of the three hotels, we preferred the location of the Grand Californian. The other two seemed about just as far as the HoJo. They were nice, and I would definitely prefer staying in one, but without a Disney "Value" hotel, it's much harder to do. I love being able to send purchases to the hotel. It's much nicer than lugging big bags around. I like that perk of staying on Disney property, and seeing more Disney things around.

After wandering around the hotels and being a little disappointed in the size of their gift shops, we were hungry. We walked back to DTD and thought about getting some supper there. We still wanted to try to eat at the Rainforest Cafe, but there looked to be a huge line, and we were saving lines for rides, not food.

We decided to head back into DL and look for food in there.

See, we're not the only cold ones:


New Orleans Square B by disneyfreak0306, on Flickr

We had read about Chili in a bread bowl and thought that would be yummy and warm us up, so that's what our hunter/gatherer instinct was telling us to search for. No luck though this evening. We did find Gumbo in a bread bowl, but I was too chicken to try it. Maybe one day I will, but I have to be in the right mood to try something new. When I'm already hungry, I seem pickier, yet I want junk food more so than healthier food!


Dining by disneyfreak0306, on Flickr

 

[DisneyFreak06]

March 18 Part 13B

I hit the maximum pictures in the last post, so I had to add this:


We ended up getting turkey breast sandwiches with beans at the Liberty Belle Terrace, and we should have just gotten one between us. It was huge and delicious!


Supper by disneyfreak0306, on Flickr

Look what we got for dessert!


Mickey Beignets by disneyfreak0306, on Flickr

We rode Pirates of the Caribbean, Indiana Jones by using Fastpass, and we probably did Haunted Mansion too. I loved all three rides, and I felt like I was at Disney! I'm a ride girl, and I ride everything that I can. I can do rides, shows, see the characters... Honestly, if I could get an annual pass, and I could afford to, I'd be at a Disney park every week, at least! It's just a little far to go! hahaha

After the few QUALITY rides, we drug our tired feet all the way out of the park. The walk back did seem longer than the walk to the park in the morning, but it was still a short walk. Off to bed because we had a tour of Hollywood in the morning!

 

[DisneyFreak06]

March 18, 2012

1. A Cinch Sack similar to this one except it says Disneyland. I wanted to have it to use the following day on the tour. I used it a few times through the trip when I didn't want to take my whole camera bag. I could keep the cameras and one extra lens in that and I felt okay with that.
2. Some Disneyland Yoga pants! I was so excited to see these.
3. A Blue castle throw. I have it on my couch in the basement to use when I'm cold. It's the one you get for cheaper if you spend a certain amount of money. I think I posted a picture of it earlier.

 

[jwwi]

food pictures are so much fun, you may have told us your real name, but didn't say what was in the plastic container

While the three hotels are close to DL it is a bit of a walk to go on the hotel tour. Hope is warms up for the rest of your trip.

 

[DisneyFreak06]

food pictures are so much fun, you may have told us your real name, but didn't say what was in the plastic container

While the three hotels are close to DL it is a bit of a walk to go on the hotel tour. Hope is warms up for the rest of your trip.

I can't remember what I got! I didn't take good notes. I remember it was delicious though! I think I got ham and swiss, but I'm not sure. Sorry!

And I totally am hoping that it will warm up too at this point!

The hotels are nice, and I would definitely stay in them, but the price was better for the Hojo for a room with a view... and it was really close, so I was happy!