A Solo Trip 28 Years in the Making-Oct 16-17th, 2012

[DaveinFallsChurch]

Originally Posted by solana131

Carsland just looks so amazing! Disney really knows how to do it, don't they?!

They did an absolutely wonderful job. Seeing Carsland raised my expectations for the New Fantasyland when we get to visit in January!

[solana131]

That's what I was thinking the whole time I was drooling over your Carsland pics...."I wonder if this is what the new FL will be like". Just from all the pics I've seen online it looks amazing. Can't wait to see your Jan TR, then go in October!

[Zuzu03]

Wow!!!! Carsland is so cool! Is the rumor about it coming to DHS true do you know? I REALLY hope so - the theming is incredible! Aw, that little boy in your car - I remember that shell-shocked look on Emma's face after her first ride on a few of the "big" rides at WDW when she was little too!

[DaveinFallsChurch]

Originally Posted by Zuzu03

Wow!!!! Carsland is so cool! Is the rumor about it coming to DHS true do you know? I REALLY hope so - the theming is incredible! Aw, that little boy in your car - I remember that shell-shocked look on Emma's face after her first ride on a few of the "big" rides at WDW when she was little too!

I've heard about that rumor, but I think right now, it's just a rumor. It would be fun to have it at DHS though.

I have some night time photos of Carsland coming up as well and the whole area looked awesome. Stay tuned!

[204charity]

Wow! That looks so amazing! Addi & Jo would LOVE it there! It's very different so far from DW.

[DaveinFallsChurch]

Tuesday October 16th

I made my way to Tower of Terror to use my fastpass. Walked through A Bug’s Land once again.





Through the FP lane, I reached the library without any wait. And after a short few minutes, I was standing in front of one of the elevators.

Hmmm, somehow I don't think this elevator will make any stops on these floors.




There were a couple of howlers in our group. You know, those teenagers or young adults who feel it’s necessary to exaggerate their howls, screams, and hoots during the ride. Their “fake” screams reached their peaks during the scenes when the ghosts appear – but as soon as the drops began, I can tell you that their screams weren’t fake anymore. I had heard that the drops at this ToT were not programmed to be random like the one at WDW. Since I only went on it once, this wasn’t an issue and I once again enjoyed the ride. It’s not just the thrill ride portion that I like, but everything leading up to it including the Twilight Zone intro video, to the ghosts beckoning us to join them on the ill-fated elevator. I think this exemplifies why I love the rides at Disney so much. This type of drop rides are easily available at any other amusement parks and some are taller and faster (the one at Cedar Point, OH is really good). But what separates ToT is how Disney frames the ride into a detailed storyline that has the guest suspending belief for those few minutes and it all starts from the moment he enters the queue and becomes immersed in this haunted hotel universe. I’ve been on this ride three times now, and used FP for all of them which means I didn't get much of a chance to admire the details that went in to the theming of the hotel lobby. One of these days, I would like to take my time and try to appreciate how the lobby looks.

The sun was beginning to set and the skies were getting darker as I exited ToT. I started making my way towards California Screamin’.

View of Grizzly River Run as I cut through A Bug's Land for the umpteenth time.


On the way, I paused in front of the Little Mermaid ride, contemplating whether I had the courage to ride this one alone. I decided to pass on it and justified it in my head that I was saving my first ride to be with DD when we head to New Fantasyland in January. But we all know it was because my self-consciousness gene kicked into gear! The building looked nice enough but I’m betting the one at New FL looks even better.



Before I headed to the queue entrance for Screamin’, I stopped by the railings looking over the pier and the start point for the coaster where it eventually it shoots out at top speed.



The view across the pier with the ferris wheel looked really nice against the yellow and orange lighting from the setting sun.



The CM in front of the standby entrance for Screamin’ gave me a single rider card and pointed me towards an entrance tucked away in the side.



Then, we were directed towards an elevator which we took up only to find another elevator on the other side of the platform to go back down. I was following a 10 year old who clearly knew how the single rider line worked. If it weren’t for him, I would have been very very confused about the whole route and pretty sure would have gotten lost. I boarded the coaster and a couple of minutes later, we were shot out on to the tracks! This turned out to be one of my favorite rides at DLR! It reminded me a lot of RnRC at Hollywood Studios except this was all outdoors. Thinking back, I should have gone on this ride again considering how short the wait time was for the single riders. Instead, I decided to circle around Paradise Pier. As I passed in front of Mr. Potato Head, I felt an impulse to get in line for Toy Story Mania.



The wait time is nowhere as long as the one in Hollywood Studios, but I still couldn’t get excited about staying in line for 40 minutes. So I continued my trek around the Pier. I was very much ahead of schedule! Enjoyed the atmosphere of the pier which felt like a piece of amusement park at a boardwalk.





Panoramic view from my iphone.


As I completed my circle, I realized I only had 10 more minutes before Aladdin was set to start. Dusk was starting to settle in and the ToT was beginning to emit a mixture of orange and bluish glow.



I picked up my pace and briskly walked towards the theater.

This was the one area of DCA that I was not too fond of. The billboard background scenery just didn't mesh very well with the foreground.


I made it in with just a couple of minutes to spare. Found an aisle seat near the front left section.

This show was a LOT better than I had expected. I think I was expecting something in the same lines of Beauty and the Beast at DHS but the production value was definitely a step up. The actors and actresses were actually singing! And the Genie was entertaining although certain parts of his costume freaked me out from time to time. The only question I had during the show was, Where Is Apu?? Just not the same without him lol. In all seriousness, this was a good Disney show.

Clearly, this thief is not a diamond in the rough.




Genie finally makes his appearance!




Prince Ali's parade made its entrance through the aisles!










Next Up: The Nightscene at Carsland.

[DaveinFallsChurch]

Originally Posted by 204charity

Wow! That looks so amazing! Addi & Jo would LOVE it there! It's very different so far from DW.

Your kids would love DLR! It felt completely different than WDW. Even DL which shares some common elements with MK, was nothing like MK. Apples and Oranges.

[204charity]

I didn't like the look of the Aladdin show myself...I'll check it out on youtube.

[khertz]

You got some really great shots of Carsland! The themeing is really so incredible there. The Imagineers really nailed it!

ToT in WDW is really a lot better, but you are right about the themeing. Every other amusement park has a ride that shoots you up and drops you down, but Disney is miles ahead in taking a simple ride mechanism and spinning and story and an entire environment around it to make it something special.

We both love thrill rides, so CS is right up our alley too! I love those fast takeoffs that make you lose your breath for a second. You are not alone in finding the Single Rider process totally confusing there either! There were times I was convinced I must be going the wrong way. Indiana Jones at DL was like that too.

Little Mermaid is a great attraction, but from the pictures I've seen of the queue area in the new Fantasyland, it's going to look SO much better in WDW! I'm anxious to see if the ride is an exact duplicate. I was surprised to see that ones I thought would be exactly the same in both parks like Peter Pan's Flight and Snow White's Scary Adventures had a few scenes that were different. I expected them to be a carbon copy!

Great that you were able to go see Aladdin! And you got some really great photos of the show too! I wish we would have been able to see the rest but with DS along we just couldn't sit there while they tried to reset everything after the snake malfunctioned. DL/DCA definitely doesn't seem to have as many shows as WDW, but they really knocked it out of the park with this show compared to the ones they have in WDW. What we saw of it, I would rank up there with Festival of the Lion King at AK, one of my favorites in WDW!

[DaveinFallsChurch]

Originally Posted by 204charity

I didn't like the look of the Aladdin show myself...I'll check it out on youtube.

Originally Posted by khertz

Great that you were able to go see Aladdin! And you got some really great photos of the show too! I wish we would have been able to see the rest but with DS along we just couldn't sit there while they tried to reset everything after the snake malfunctioned. DL/DCA definitely doesn't seem to have as many shows as WDW, but they really knocked it out of the park with this show compared to the ones they have in WDW. What we saw of it, I would rank up there with Festival of the Lion King at AK, one of my favorites in WDW!

I agree that if I compare Aladdin to all of the shows at WDW, it ranks nearly at the top. Definitely better than any of the shows at DHS. For me, FotLK edges out Aladdin just because I really enjoy the level of energy and festivity of it.

Thanks for the compliments about the pictures! Since I rushed into the theater at the last minute, the only front row seats still available were to the far left so didn't have the best angles for Jasmine. When I reviewed the shots later, it turned out I mostly had direct shots of Aladdin.

[DaveinFallsChurch]

HAPPY HALLOWEEN everyone!

[DaveinFallsChurch]

Tuesday October 16th

When I exited the theater, it was 7:10pm. As I sat outside the theater exit briefly switching my camera lens, I had a great view of ToT.



I quickly made it over to Monsters Inc where the wait was minimal. Loved the theming outside - look, it's Boo's door!!



I tried my best to catch the detailed theming on the walls along the queue but since we were constantly moving at a fast pace, I missed most of it. There was a menu for Harry Hausens that I didn’t get to read in detail. There were a set of payphones with emergency dialing instructions for reaching the Child Detection Services. And then there was this ad.



Once I got on the ride, I felt like I was once again transported into another Pixar world. And anything with Mike Wazowski is a winner in my book. The rides recreated many of the scenes from the movie and I enjoyed it. Roz was there at the end to greet us and remind us that she’s aaaaaaaaalways watching us.



















I had one last ride to squeeze in with about 30 minutes left before closing time. I walked across Buena Vista St again.







I entered the single rider line for Soarin'.

It felt like an eternity before the CM called me up to fill a gap in the line. Soon enough, Mr.Puddy made his appearance on the screen to give us our safety instructions for our flight, although I don’t find it reassuring that Puddy is in charge of our safety.



I was placed in the last row again. This was my third time on Soarin (twice at Epcot), and I had yet to have sat in the front row. One of these days I’ll get there. I really liked the screen for the DCA version. I might be wrong, but I don’t remember Epcot’s version being a round and globe of a screen. It may have been my third time, but I still got goosebumps and the ocean and pine scents smelled sooo good. During certain parts of the ride, it felt like my feet could touch the tips of the trees or the golf course! And the final scene seemed more fitting considering it takes place over Sleeping Beauty’s Castle. I could go on this ride over and over again.

*Continued in Next Post*

[DaveinFallsChurch]

When I exited Soarin’ it was just about 8pm which meant the park will be closing. I was able to get all the rides done with a bonus showing of Aladdin. There was only one thing left to do before leaving the park. I HAD to go back to Carsland to see it lit up in all its neon beauty. People were starting to filter out so it felt less crowded as I strolled down the street. Even the strollers around the Stanley statue had cleared out. This had to be one of my favorite night scenes in all of Disney. It was just like from the movie.







































I also wished I had more time to explore and enjoy the little things that Carsland and DCA had to offer. 4 hours was way too short of a time. I would have liked to have gotten a snack at the Cozy Cone Motel or a sit down meal at Flo’s Café. Would have loved to have taken the time to stroll in and out of the shops on Buena Vista Street. Hopefully, I’ll get a chance again soon.

Next Up: Winding down with a late dinner

[DaveinFallsChurch]

Tuesday, October 16th

It was about 8:15pm when I decided it was time to start heading out the park. I stopped by the lockers to pick up my bag again. I walked along other visitors and some CMs leaving for the day as I made my way towards Harbor Blvd. It took about 8 minutes to walk to Anaheim Plaza and Suites to check in. I was given a first floor room at the end of a building. I quickly washed up a little bit and changed into some nicer clothes. Then I headed out towards GardenWalk for my 9:15pm dinner reservation at Roy’s (Hawaiian Fusion Restaurant). I had been wanting to try this restaurant for a while. It has several locations across the country, but mostly on the western half. Eating at a restaurant by myself doesn’t bother me as much anymore and thanks to traveling for conferences a couple of times a year,and I’ve gotten quite used to it. I ordered an ahi tartare for an appetizer, a miso cod for my entrée, and a pineapple upside down cake for dessert. All of it was excellent.

Pics of my meal from my iphone.







By the time I got back to my room it was almost 11:00pm. I finally got a chance to take inventory of the room and realized there was no iron or ironing board which could become problematic on my departure day. The room was in good shape and clean. There was a minifridge and a microwave sitting on top, but don’t know if they were in working condition since I never had to use it. TV was a tube tv but once again never turned it on during the entire stay. Being on the first floor, there was a fenced in patio with some outdoor furniture. I’ve heard depending on the building location, your patio could have a partial view of DCA but mine was facing another building. The bathroom fixtures were clean but definitely worn down. The phone in the room was not working and I couldn’t get a dial tone. The hairdryer on the bathroom wall was also not working. When the bathroom light is on, so is the fan which intermittently makes a metal grinding noise. The room overall was serviceable and considering that I only spent time in the room for sleeping, it worked out fine especially for the cheap rate I got. You can’t get much cheaper for its location. But you do give up a lot on the amenities. If I had my family with me, I would be looking for a different place to stay.

I plugged in all of my devices to recharge which included my iphone, ipad, and my camera battery. I had another great day ahead of me the next day, so I tried my best to tamp down my excitement and anticipation of seeing DL. By the time I fell asleep it was about 11:30pm.

Next Up: Rope Drop at Disneyland

[solana131]

Sounds like a good end to a great day! That meal looks yummy