05/19/2013 - 05/22/2013... My DLR trip with my 3 girls. **Full Trip Report now up**

[whoever]

05/19/2013....18:15..
In the fast pass line for Goofy's Sky School. Last time we were at DLR, we had a room which looked directly onto it, and it was KEW's favorite ride in the park. This time through did not disappoint.

05/19/2013....18:27..
Unable to locate the wife and rest of the kids, KEW and I headed over and jumped on Jumpin' Jellyfish. They later found us while we were in queue, and agreed to meet up over by the stroller by Ariel's. CEW got blue cotton candy.

05/19/2013....18:45..
Again unable to locate the wife and other kids, KEW and I did a walk-on for Ariel.

05/19/2013....19:00..
I received a text from A that they were at white water snack bar... headed back into the Grand...They were waiting for us at the end of the entrance alley, and our family friend Lindsey and her Daughter Reese were waiting... they were to be the babysitters for the next leg... we got some food for the kids and her, and headed up to the room to change for dinner...

05/19/2013....20:15..
A and I headed into DCA through the hotel entrance. Having never seen Buena Vista street prior, this was a treat. Noticed everybody appeared to be coming INTO DCA (probably for a WOC show), so we were going against the flow... Out of DCA, and across to Disneyland we went...We meandered down Main Street towards the hub taking our time... Dinner reservations were at 20:45...They had the castle roped off for what I assume was the fireworks show. There was a photo pass guy taking pics with patron's phones for them, so we hopped in line. Everybody was using iPhones, so he had an external light source he was using... until us. The guy was jazzed when I handed him the D600 and the 24-70 f/2.8.... He ditched his light source, and got us some decent shots in front of the castle. By then, I was getting worried... we had to get over to New Orleans square and I had read on the boards that Fantasmic was causing restrictions with getting into the area... we went through Frontierland, my wife still not knowing where we were eating and me remaining aloof. We got to NOS about 20:40. Went over to Blue Bayou and got in line. While we were waiting, I told her to get out the journal and get some updates in it...It said this on the last page filled out.

 

[whoever]

Yes, that's right, Club 33! She was flabbergasted. How had I managed this... who had I bribed/blackmailed into such a treat...it will remain a mystery despite her inquiries throughout the night. We weren't quite ready, with 3 minutes to spare, so went down the way and got some pics of her on the stairs in the courtyard off of Royal St.

05/19/2013....18:45..
I press the button...... and ..... nothing happens... Is it broken... did I do something wrong... do they think we are just tourists goofing off... what? What seemed like 10 minutes later (in reality probably 5 seconds), I hear a knock... FROM THE INSIDE. I step back and the door opens...I reply with my name and party of 2... .the matron jokes "Is everybody in your party here?"... and we are INSIDE!

Waited in the lobby for about 5 mins while another party came in, and went up. There was an apparent shortage of 2-tops tonight, so while we were waiting, we were invited up to the lounge to wait... we took the lift of course.

While waiting in the lounge, the wife and I both enjoyed some adult beverages... WELL made I might add, and strong. We chatted with our server Matt (well named if I do say so myself), and before we knew it, we were seated.
What to order? I scanned the menu, and landed on the Scallop for an appetizer, with the Chateaubriand. The wife went for the duck pot-pie, and the grab-stuffed Lobster tail (last night on the menu for the lobster as they are switching over to the summer fare). The food came well metered. Nobody was rushing you here. I'd try to choose a favorite dish, but they were all ASTOUNDING! They really know how to do it at Club 33. While we were ordering, Fantasmic was going on, so it was LOUD as we were seated in the corner, and had both French doors on both walls open. All of a sudden SMASH!!!! one of the door is slammed shut and a pane in the adjoining door is broken!!! Thank heavens they have a lamination on the glass or we would have been covered in broken glass. The servers and managers came over to inspect and ensure we were not hurt. It was the drunks who were sitting to the tablet next to us who were at fault, goofing off on the patio. I'm amazed their sponsor (they were NOT members) didn't lose their membership over their horrible behavior throughout the even, and their descent into further and further inebriation and poor behavior.

After we finished the main meal, it was time to choose desert... A went for the apple crepe with some sort of whisky ice cream, and I got the crème brule. They were both excellent! Mine came with a nice surprise.

Then I got 1 more adult drink, and we watched some Fantasmic from the balcony. The trees obscured the view, but it was awesome none the less.

Time to pay (ouch! But oh so worth it). While waiting for the wife to powder her nose, I got some items out of the display case. I was debating how many to get, as they are available secondary market... (5 times upcharge on eBay isn't something I would relish though), so settle on 4 items. Oh what a bag they give you even...

Headed out, taking our time (now post-park close), and snapped a pic by Pirates. Then meandered slowly through the park, and back out to the hotel..

05/19/2013....23:45..
Back to our room.... Thanks to Lindsey and a 10 minute recap and stuff collection and I wheel her daughter down to a waiting cab, and get them safely sent off to their hotel... hope to see them this trip, but we are DCAing and they are DLing the next day... We have park hoppers, so will have to make a trip over to DL to do a ride or two with them. Sadly she'll be moving back to Indiana at the conclusion of this trip, so not sure when we will see them again if ever

 

[whoever]

05/20/2013....07:35..
In line for DCA! Cars Land, here we come. 4 lanes of entry queued up, we are about 20 people deep amongst the growing masses.

05/20/2013....07:51..
Gates open, and its like the Kentucky Derby&.only to be stopped by another artificial wall, which is some nylon rope and some cast members roughly at where the Radiator Springs Racers Fast Pass location is at&. We wait&.

05/20/2013....08:15..
After learning the ins and outs of a RSR end goal, which was an ever constricting funnel of people until we were single file roughly by Flos V8 café, we grabbed a stroller pass, and are finally loading after a mad dash through the queue.

05/20/2013....08:24..
We are out!! Totally awesome. Shame the only one of the tipping tractors was working (one remained static, one tipped, and one was already tipped, and no smoke ring& L ). Disney should really fix those things on such a high-interest attraction. Execution of stroller swap complete! A and KEW are at it while CEW, VEW, and I kill some time. We wander through Ramons gift shop. The shop keep falls in love with CEW, and after a story about how she loved the non-Nightmare before Christmas Haunted Mansion, she gave CEW a my first visit pin because it was her first visit on the TRUE Haunted Mansion. The cast members sure do their best to make the kids happy.

05/20/2013....08:43..
A and KEW are out from the second pass through RSR. I take the CEW and KEW on Luigis Flying Tires while A and VEW go to scout the line situation over on the Pier. We get Line #1 (KEW was insistent upon it even though it really didnt make a difference if you know what I mean). Boarded at 08:50.

05/20/2013....09:05..
CEW, KEW, and I are in line for Toy Story Midway Mania (10 min wait). Noticed California Screamin is 101! Bummed is an understatement, we were going to grab fast passes& L Ran into a conundrum when boarding. Apparently you have to be 7 to ride alone, so all of us had to cram into one side of a ride vehicle. It was challenging to target and shoot without a line of site, but I didnt do to bad point wise all things considered. Beat my 6 year old, even letting the 4 year old do the shooting at a painfully slow rate of fire while I aimed. Poor thing, her head wasnt big enough to keep the 3D glasses on her head. KEW bested us in accuracy.

05/20/2013....09:25..
As usual, not being able to find A and VEW, I did what I always do&. Rides of opportunity& in this case& King Tritons Carousel. Afterwards, we did locate them, and they came bearing sustenance in the form of churros for the girls and a Cliff bar for me.

05/20/2013....09:45..
Rejuvenated, we rounded the boardwalk, and made an impromptu stop at the Silly Symphony for KEW and I. My hand just wouldnt bend in a manner which got consistent video of KEW, but Ill work on it and get a snippet up. While we were riding, A grabbed us 2 fast passes for Goofys Sky School. When we went looking for them in the general area, not finding them IMMEDIATELY, we decided& lets grab 2 fast passes ourselves&

05/20/2013....09:55..
Upon discovering them over by the Zephyr, and CEW begging for a ride, CEW, KEW, and I boarded up and did a quick spin.

 

[whoever]

05/20/2013....10:07..
In a ploy to let the fast passes mature, we saw that the Hollywood back lot was pretty deserted via mouse wait, so we high-tailed it over to take advantage. We tried Crushs Turtle Talk, but were told next show was at 10:30, so I grabbed CEW/KEW and headed over to Monsters Inc. Sully was out front, but the line was a good 20mins from the looks of it, so we just snapped a quick pic or two, and headed into the ride. Boy do I love the queues in most rides, and thankfully or unfortunately, depending on how many times youve been on them and really taken the time to look around, they go too quickly most of the time&

05/20/2013....10:30..
Hit the Turtle Talk. It was OK. Definitely wouldnt bother again. Girls lost interest right about the time the show was ending. While we were waiting for the show to start, we explored the animation alcove opposite the theater entrance. The animation demonstration using the synchronized strobe light was pretty cool.

05/20/2013....10:45..
A and VEW/CEW headed off to DL to meet up with Lindsey and Reese, while KEW and I trekked back to Goofys Sky School to exercise our now mature fast passes&

05/20/2013....11:10..
Having thoroughly enjoyed our two runs through GSS, KEW and I started the long trek to DL. I ended up carrying her from GSS all the way to Carthay, when I had to fish my phone out to find out where A was going to meet us at.

05/20/2013....11:30..
Being thoroughly unable to find them waiting for us at Plaza Inn, KEW and I made an executive decision that Dole whip was required&.with only one side of the booth open though, it was sporting a 5 min wait. Got three as there was interest from afar via txt&. And tried to keep two from melting for the next 10 minutes until the rest of the party showed up. The little alcove between Jungle Cruise and Aladdin makes for a good resting/eating spot with some shade.
05/20/2013....11:50..
Departed to head over to Plaza Inn& Need Fried Chicken in the most serious of ways& It was to be a delicious, yet frustrating lunch, as the 3 adults were outnumbered by the 3 blonde girls, and the fussy infant.

05/20/2013....12:43..
After a sprint through Frontierland, and a glance at a now overflowing Pirates queue, we practically walked on Haunted Mansion. It was great, and finally getting to see some of the things Ive missed before. We always seem to get the South stretching room.

05/20/2013....13:06..
PIRATES!!! A really fun ride this time for A, VEW, and I in the very back of the boat& stayed dry-ish.. Theyve really got the water level up this trip for some reason. I did some good looking through the scenes, and could actually see where you could see to the next one here/there through gaps and arches. Is it me, or are they figuring out how to make dark darker? The light levels are seriously low on Pirates this trip. On the way in, we dumped the strollers at the exit QUICKLY, thinking it would be easier post-ride&. And had to line cut slightly due to the long queue moving faster than expected, and A going under the arch before we arrived. Oh well. Post ride, the strollers were parked in 4 deep, and I had to just lift them over the chain. That needs rethinking.

 

[whoever]

05/20/2013....13:30..
KEW and I hit Indy fast pass, subsequently cannot find rest of group… wander New Orleans Square, and then decide to hit Tarzan (nice views today), and then grab some orange Fantas and cool down in that same Aladdin’s sitting area. Turns out A and VEW/CEW had done some Winnie the Pooh, and ended up deep in the Jungle Cruise queue right about the time KEW and I were to head into the Indy fastpass line.

05/20/2013....14:35..
KEW and I had a slightly slower entry to Indy this time, which gave some brief moments to appreciate the queue ambiance. Pretty cool. The ride this time was bumping and jerking. The one the day prior was like riding on pillows by comparison. She still loved it, and was grinning ear to ear, and we had the same seats as before. As we were pulling into the station to disembark the ride vehicle all she was saying was “AGAIN…AGAIN”. After exiting, found out A and the girls and Lindsey and Reese were over by the Matterhorn in the shade… Trekked over there, walked right past them, was about to call, when I turned around and spotted them. Right about this time the Mad Hatter was coming through, so the girls grabbed a pic with him. Checked out Alice, but it was a 30 min posted wait and looked every minute if not more… so off to Toon Town.

05/20/2013....15:25..
Chip and Dale’s Gadget Go Coaster. This was a must because both CEW and Reese aren’t quite 40 inches (Lindsey swears Reese is 40 and going to ride Space Mountain), but this coaster, they could both ride. CEW has been talking about nothing else for the past few weeks. We hop in line, which is short, and moving OK. Killing the time, I tell Lindsey some of the night before story of Club 33… We board, KEW and CEW are up front, followed by Lindsey and Reese. I bring up the third car single handedly. I saw arms up the entire ride, and CEW was bursting with joy after it was done. Going to be looping that ride tomorrow, I can tell… CEW being thoroughly satisfied, rode back in the stroller… she was asleep by the time we hit the hotel.
05/20/2013....15:50..
Hit the room. Have 16:50 reservations at Carthay, and needed some down time…however brief. CEW slept the entire time in the room (didn’t dare get her out of the stroller). KEW decided she wanted some Grizzly River Run after dinner… said I’d think about it. Cleaned the cameras off, grabbed some juice for the electronics, and off we went before too long. On the way out, grabbed four fast passes for GRR. Yay.

05/20/2013....16:50..
CEW is still sleeping when we hit Carthay, so we just wheel her in. Table isn’t ready, so we sit down in the lounge and order some beverages (Martini for me, A got a daiquiri (traditional, not the blended stuff you think of when you hear daiquiri), and KEW got some pomegranate lemonade. Before we get our drinks, the table is ready, so up the elevator we go, and get seated. Because we were going for Carthay seating for World of Color, we went for the FireCracker Duck wings for an appetizer, I got the Rib eye, A got the Salmon, and KEW got a steak kid’s plate. We would later round it out with the strawberry rhubarb pie. KEW was being a pistol, and VEW was fussy all through dinner making it thoroughly unenjoyable. CEW woke up right after we had boxed up KEW’s Leftovers for her. She wolfed down the steak, and we were out of there. As far as the food went, A took one bite of the firecracker duck, deemed it too spicy, and relegated me to finishing the entire bowl. They were good, but could have been warmer/crunchier. The kid’s steak was cooked perfectly, but mine was medium, not the PROPER medium rare I ordered. I wasn’t about to send it back the way dinner was going with the kids, so just sucked it up and ate it as-is. A’s salmon was awesome. The pie was pretty decent too.

05/20/2013....18:30..
Balloon lady created a ruckus… apparently, she didn’t tell KEW the right price (said $3 vs the $8 the balloons actually were), and didn’t tell her there was any particular line, so while KEW waited, the colors she wanted were quickly disappearing. Such an unprofessional cast member that lady was. Grr. CEW was throwing a fit because of it, and I should have shut it down on cost alone once it became apparent how much they were.  2 expensive, pink, Mickey balloons later, and we are making our way back towards the hotel entrance through Condor Flats.

05/20/2013....18:50..
Over the next 75 minutes, KEW and I hit GRR no less than 4 times. Only used 2 of our 4 fast passes because it was walk-on after the first trip due to the temperature dropping. We were going to go for 5, but we had to get cleaned up for WOC… During the time we were doing GRR, A and the small girls were just sitting in a shell going through Ariel over and over not getting out even due to lack of riders…

05/20/2013....20:35..
Headed out for WOC. They apparently have seating by which restaurant/package you’ve got now, so we ended up in the picnic lunch section at first before I went and found where we were supposed to be. It was decent viewing, but the girls still had to take turns on my shoulders. Obviously didn’t get any in-show pics as a result, but some after pics were decent. Someone didn’t put the cap on tight on a water bottle and as a result, a soggy stroller was to be had 

05/20/2013....21:45..
Back in the hotel… boy are my feet sore… Girls got put to bed, wife is sleeping, and I’m going to wrap this installment up now. Pics may be a few days because there’s just not enough time at the end of the day or in the day when we are in the room… They will come, and I’ve got about 27 gig so far to sort through. It was a good second day, just need more energy…

 

[whoever]

05/21/2013....07:35..
Stuck at bag check. Only 2 checking lines open… lines are easily 150 deep…. They aren’t letting anybody through yet.
05/21/2013....07:39..
They opened up 2 more lines… we jumped over to them when they appeared to be starting to move the barriers… still not letting anybody in.
05/21/2013....07:43..
At the DL gates… 11 people in front of us for this gate. The family selected to do the countdown to park open was from Montana.
05/21/2013....07:49..
Waiting at the hub for rope drop. The skies are gray and it looks like rain. Would be a welcome relief after yesterday, and more what we are used to on our Disney trips. The crowd is solid back to Market House.

05/21/2013....08:00..
In line for Peter Pan

05/21/2013....08:24..
After a whirlwind of Peter Pan, Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride, King Arthur’s Carousel, we are in line for Dumbo. While waiting, I notice I overlooked Jingles on the Carousel (and I did a complete circle of it looking the first time… I must have been blinded by Disney. Must swing past a second time during the trip and have one of the daughters snag a ride on Jingles. Noticed that only our pinwheel was spinning on Dumbo… weird.

05/21/2013....08:44..
In line for Alice. The scaffolds look ugly… Why make Disney do something which apparently worked for the first 50+ years? At any rate… long line for pre-park opening… we JUST made it on the ride in time because up next…..

05/21/2013....09:06..
Dropped all the ladies off for a 9:10 Bippity Boppity Boutique makeover (well… for the two oldest daughters that is… we supplied the dresses, one of which A hand made). After that I was off….

05/21/2013....09:14..
At Main Street Station. Just scored a 15:30 res for the Lilly Belle. This is going to be great!!!

 

[whoever]

05/21/2013....09:21..
Just scored FOUR fast passes for Indy, and jumping on Pirates..Seems it took 20 minutes from the walk-on queue until I got back onto Royal Street. Took some time to get some pics of things I’ve been wanting, and took some measurements of a special something…While I was occupied, the girls got done with their makeovers and got in a Snow White ride.

 

[whoever]

05/21/2013....10:06..
In line for Fantasy Faire. We got to meet Cinderella, Ariel, and Aurora!

05/21/2013....10:23..
KEW and I split and headed over to Indy… knocked out the first ride by 10:45… and second ride by 11:03. That’s a ride fast passes really shine on… She had a blast as usual… even in full on Tiana getup… After we got off, connected with A. She and the girls were heading to the Small World area for a Merida meet… KEW and I booked it cross park, and caught up to her by Alice.. The Merida queue had a 35 min wait posted…

 

[whoever]

05/21/2013....11:17..
Due to the long Merida wait, we jumped on Small World. Was a good ride… think once is enough per trip of this one, though. Longish ride…. We were literally sitting in the boat for 16 minutes.

05/21/2013....11:37..
The Merida line seemed to have got better, so we jumped in………. and …. Half way through, Merida goes on break… this isn’t looking good. I jump out and get the family some refreshments in the form of $3 sodas (need to keep the kids blood sugar up or they turn scary..) After some more waiting, Merida returns. Kids were geeked, and KEW drew this in her autograph book, which Merida appreciated…

 

[whoever]

05/21/2013....12:20..
In the queue for tea cups… We all crammed into a purple cup, and I gave it a good spinning… CEW was going crazy with excitement as she LOVES spinning rides (or just being spun I supposed even if it is me doing the spinning).

05/21/2013....12:29..
Its HAT time. This trip I was surprised….. KEW went for the Cheshire cat ears, and CEW went for the Ear headband with some flowing princess veil. VEW not having a say as she can’t talk got pink ears with first visit and her name/year embroidered on them.

05/21/2013....12:43..
Not to miss a ride on Jingles… we all jumped on the Carousel… KEW got the honor.. she was jazzed about it….. other than saying “Who is Mary Poppins?” I had to tell her that she was the lady who sang about supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. She got it. Kids today..

05/21/2013....12:58..
Showed up at Blue Bayou for a 13:00 reservation…Had a 5-10 min wait, and did NOT get a water-side table.  I do say, the Louisiana Lemonade I started with was AWESOME. I must find a recipe… The girls were all in melt down mode, so lunch was less than stellar. The food was great though, even when eaten at a fevered pace. A got the Salmon… I finished it for her. It was delectable. I got the strip loin… it was cooked better than the one I got at Carthay. Let that tell you something… the 33 cooks (they do double duty with Blue Bayou from what I’ve heard) can run circles around the Carthay and in theory Napa Rose cooks. KEW got the kids salmon, and CEW got the kids steak (also perfectly cooked Medium Rare). Their gumbo starter was awesome too. I may just have to find some gumbo tomorrow for lunch. Our server was Jessica. She did an admirable job, and our drinks (including my awesome lemonade) were always topped off.

05/21/2013....14:37..
CEW really wanted to do Storybook Canal Boats or as she REPEATEDLY called it… the Whale ride. We split, and I took her while A took the other two for a snack. She was a hit in line, and I saw one couple eyeing my AWESOME Dole whip shirt with envy. Ride was nice, had a great captain, and a good crew. One mother was lamenting that her child had dropped her D600 body, and she had to revert to a few year old backup for the trip. I felt for her… and snapped away.

05/21/2013....14:51..
Kids needed some time out of the sun, so we did a walk through of Sleeping Beauty’s Castle. Afterwards, we meandered down Main Street, and through most of the stores… stopping to critique the candy…Picked up a Hidden Mickey book in the Emporium… wish we had it at the start of the trip..
05/21/2013....15:25..
Main Street Station….. Boarding the Lilly Belle. Words cannot describe the awesomeness. Learned a TON of info from our very well versed CM conductor. All about Retlaw1 as it was formerly called. That SantaFe Railroad used to sponsor the Disneyland Rail Road, and that it had a former life as the “Grand Canyon” during said sponsorship. Today, we were pulled by the 5-Train, decked out in Blue. Learned about Emperor Hirohito, and how he loved his first ride, how the benches we were sitting on were from the Queen Mary when she was retrofitted into the floating restaurant, and that the carpet in the car was the last remnant they found in storage of the carpet from Walt’s apartment, and had the hidden Mickey/Minnie pairs… Very cool. Also learned about yesterland attractions such as the Toon Town Station being Videopolis station in the 60s… where you went to get your groove on. Also learned a bunch about the Dioramas… I think he said it was a single piece of un-seamed canvas 332’ long, 40’ high, and painted with 350 gallons of paint, and that it once held (and may still to this day) the dubious honor of world’s largest canvas. I also discovered the number of animals in the diorama (49 if you were wondering) including the armadillo…. Yes… there’s an armadillo… I didn’t get a pic, but I will next time I ride the train. The log book was beyond FULL, and had to get creative on the last page. Not surprising since it had been in use since October of 2012. We were the first entry for days and would be the last entry in that book.

 

[whoever]

05/21/2013....16:15..
Back in the room… having some snacks, and changing to go swimming… The main waterslide is down today.. technicians were inspecting it while we were in the pool. They had the small one going for the really young kids. First time in 3 visits that we used the pools… Would love some more time and a working waterslide.

05/21/2013....18:30..
Dinner at Golden Horseshoe while we figure out the rest of the evening. While A took the kids in, I sprinted over and back to Splash Mountain, only to find out they had exhausted their Fast Passes… Oh well… back to dinner..the Fish & Chips were GREAT and the chicken nuggets were pretty good too.

05/21/2013....19:05..
We find ourselves waiting for the Mark Twain. I really wanted to knock out a Pilot House Ride, so asked the CM when she showed up as it was pulling up to the dock. Doh… already booked up for the day… inquiries as to how to get said booking were simply responded with “be in the right place at the right time”. Guess this trip won’t make it happen unless we get extremely lucky tomorrow. There was a small group of the Main Street Elite Disney fan club standing at the dock, and I’ll let you guess who ended up in the pilot house that trip. It was a good trip around the rivers of America, albeit cold. Never realized it is roughly a 30 minute unload/board/trip around the island type of ride.

05/21/2013....19:45..
Half way through the Jungle Cruise queue (definitely wasn’t going to miss it, one of my favorite rides in the park). CEW manages to fall and hurt herself right as a sweeper was coming through the queue. He gave her a sticker, which seemed to help after a bit. I wonder if the reason he was coming through the queue itself was the HORRIBLE state of garbage just strewn on the props/ground/etc. Seems a lot of people really are lazy. I was always taught pack it in, pack it out. More should follow suit and make it a better experience for us all.
05/21/2013....20:04..
In the Tiki Room queue getting Dole whip. Boy am I in trouble. The whip jerk (I just made up that title, like soda jerk) took off on break, leaving one gal who was training a newbie CM. It was a slow line for both sides being open and a whopping two CMs running the hut. At any rate, got some good pics of the 40% of our party who wore Dole Whip/Adventureland shirts into the park that day. Got a pin for VEW too, for her first Dole Whip experience (she’s a fan). Tiki room was awesome as usual, and CEW was singing up a storm in queue with the birds. She loves the Tiki room song.

05/21/2013....20:35..
A took CEW and VEW over to Nemo as CEW LOVES, and I mean LOVES Nemo. KEW and I headed to Splash Mountain. It was walk-on. First trip through I caught a rogue wave after the main drop and my left side was soaked. Now I’m not sure if you’ve seen the previous trip reports, but KEW is a Splash FEIND!!! I mean like 12 times in a row one night addicted, so we’ve got a tradition of getting a pic each time we come. First pic, she had her eyes closed when the flash hit (she does this with flash photography for some reason). So we managed a second run thankfully… very close to closing… this time… PERFECTION!! Arms up, Cheshire Cat ears on, eyes open. It was a great end to a wonderful day. Met up with the rest of the girls at the hub, and made the way back to the hotel. Back in the room by 21:30. Hitting the sack now… last day in park tomorrow… going to be a rough one…

 

[whoever]

05/22/2013....07:42..
In line at DCA with KEW. A and the little girls weren’t quite ready with the final packing and such, so KEW and I forged ahead as she was the only one of the girls who could do RSR. 12 people in line in front of me at the gate I’m at. Bag check was practically nonexistent. I think the anomaly from yesterday was due to DL getting Magic Morning people AND EMH people vs. DCA being only EMH. The first party at the front of my line were refused entry (they were probably Magic Morningers), and promptly stomped off spouting “Well that’s stupid”. The Disney spirit did not find them this fine morning. It was gray again (starting to see a theme here), and looked even more like rain. The park opened for us, and we got up to the rope at Carthay, and were promptly told that RSR was down, and would not be up until park open at 9am. Darn…. Change of plans….

05/22/2013....08:06..
After a quick jaunt to the Pier, we jumped on Toy Story Midway Mania… it was literally walk on. I took VEW, and A took CEW/KEW. I did pretty good against VEW… I smoked her with 111,000 to her zero…

05/22/2013....08:20..
After TSMM, A took KEW on Screamin’, while CEW/VEW and I rode Triton’s Carousel. KEW refused to go on Screamin’ with me because she was anxious, but she had no problems doing it with A. After we got off, I see them coming off, and KEW says…. AGAIN!!! A monster was born. I knew she’d love it as she’s a thrill junkie, but the first time on stuff she has a hard time overcoming. KEW and I jumped on and did it three times in a row. A took CEW/VEW on TSMM 3 times, and then headed over to Car’s Land and jumped in line for RSR.

05/22/2013....09:10..
KEW and I hoofed it over double time, but had a delay as we were refused entry to Cars Land through the Wharf under the arch… ended up having to enter by Filmore’s. They really need to do this better with the RSR queue overflow, they shouldn’t block off entry points.
05/22/2013....09:13..
RSR was apparently over an hour by this point, so with A and the little girls in line, KEW and I quickly jumped on Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree. It was more high speed than I was expecting, and whipped you around pretty good. Guess I understand the height thing for it whereas before I had ridden it, I was like what the heck, a height limit on something equivalent to the tea cups?

05/22/2013....09:40..
A gave up on RSR line, and went over to the Fast Pass line instead with VEW (sleeping nicely by now). I took KEW and CEW, and jumped on Flick’s Flyers. I’ve never been on this, and it wasn’t bad. Did a quick FP return time check for Tower of Terror and decided the time wasn’t quite right yet to grab them.

05/22/2013....09:45..
In queue for Chew Chew Train. Practically walk on. I remember waiting FOREVER to ride this 2 trips back, and THAT was not worth it at all. The girls sat up front, and me behind. Nice diversion, and CEW likes it. By now, A/VEW was back with our RSR Fast Passes.

05/22/2013....09:57..
A took CEW on the tuck and roll bumper cars while KEW, VEW, and I waited…CEW was loving it. It really is a shame there’s so little she can ride being under 40”. Next time (and Big thunder will be open to boot… Yay). The rides she could ride, she loved the heck out of… Afterwards, KEW and I decided to grab TOT FP for a 10:30-11:30 return time.. should work perfect.

 

[whoever]

05/22/2013....10:22..
The wait for TOT was posted as 15 minutes and KEW was nervous about TOT (which is weird because she LOVED it back in 2010. Didn’t make it on last trip. Turns out it wasn’t the drops (she loves those), but the ghost aspect of it which had her worrying. Must be the realization of death at the age she’s at. At any rate, it wasn’t a good experience for her, and she was practically in tears on exit. Nix using those FP…A did grab a stroller pass though, and that would come in handy later in the day for me. We trekked back to the hotel for a break and to finalize the checkout, finish the bags, and get them down into storage. I took 10 minutes afterward to run around getting hotel pics as I had no time this trip until now. Got some good ones, I REALLY love the craftsman style.

 

[whoever]

05/22/2013....11:30..
Trekked over to Redwood Creek Challenge trail and started to do the challenge for the merit badge. We couldn’t find Kevin’s foot prints for some reason. Headed around, did the howling slides, played in the hollow logs, started to do the totem pole deciphering, and the rock slides and mystic cave. Only KEW was tall enough for the rock climb, but she was awesome at it (kid is a monkey as it is). Ran into Doug. CEW was TERRIFIED of him, and by the time KEW got near, he had to exit out the cast member exit, but did give her some nice waves which she returned and was happy about. By this time, time was running short, so we abandoned the challenge, hoping to get back later in the day and finish, but that wasn’t in the cards. KEW and I have a Girl Scout Survival Camp in June for Father’s day, so a little bit of real world scouting challenge will have to suffice.

 

[whoever]

05/22/2013....11:55..
Checked in Ariel’s Grotto for the girl’s 12:00 lunch and M&G. Went downstairs with them, shot off some pics, went out to the water side seating area they were eating at which jutted out into the lagoon, got them settled, and then took off for some Daddy time. First stop for me… Cove bar. Two Tower 10 IPAs were calling my name to cut the heat, help a little bit with the pain of walking 50 miles per day, and do some general people watching and enjoying the ambiance. Really like cove bar, it’s an adult oasis in DCA for sure. Contemplated some of the snack type meals they offer, but decided I’d rather go grab a hot dog/chips, and ride Screamin’, so off I went.

05/22/2013....14:30..
I rode Screamin’ OVER and OVER and OVER… there was no wait, just walk out the exit, in the entrance, and back on. I got in 6 loops on it (I’d text the girls and let them know what color train and what car I was in and wave to them at Ariel’s as I rocketed past post-launch.) They saw me 3 or 4 times. After they got out, KEW was itching to go, so she and I looped on it 5 MORE times together, and got a GREAT photo, which I used my free photo coupon for. While KEW and I were looping, A and the small girls went and rode Ariel’s undersea adventure, got the free lanyards over at Blue Sky Cellar, got some popcorn in an Adventureland bucket (yay, Adventureland!) and then over to Cars land to select pins from Tin Lizzy’s shop. By 2:30, our FP for RSR had matured, so started heading over to Car’s Land with a stop for some barley soda for me on the wharf.

 

[whoever]

05/22/2013....14:40..
KEW and I are boarding RSR (yay for FP, pretty much walk-on). On the way in, I grabbed a stroller swap pass. We had a Red car, went the paint booth (I still haven’t gone the new tires route), and we WON! Was an awesome ride. Got out, and swapped with A. She got the new tires, and their car did NOT win. The tractors were all broken this time around. Wonder what’s up with that. Doesn’t seem like they are a particularly complex piece of Imagineering. Hmm.

05/22/2013....14:47..
While KEW/A were doing RSR, CEW really wanted to go do Monsters Inc., so I trekked the little girls up there. On the way, I stopped at Carthay, and made some measurements of a project I want to do. CEW, VEW, and I ended up riding it 4 times with an average of 11 minutes per round.

05/22/2013....15:45..
A showed up with some much needed food/drink. She had stopped at the Cozy cone, picked up some pretzel balls for the kids/her, and a chili con carne cone for me. The chili was alright (chili like pizza is good even when its bad), but the cone itself wasn’t terribly tasty. I bet most people just pitch the cone when they’ve consumed the filling. Given the relatively low volume of food, KEW and I were still hungry, so I got a chili cheese dog for me, and a hot dog for her from Wiener’s.

05/22/2013....16:20..
After dining, and getting the girls bathroom breaked, and cleaned up, I had that parent swap pass for TOT from before, so A said go run it. I hustled over. They were asking for single riders down in the boiler room, so I got on a good 3 cars earlier than I would have otherwise. This is the first time I’ve seen the ride clearly (I wore glasses the previous times and was afraid of losing them), but this time I had some daily wear contact lens samples, so I got to see the show in the elevator and out over the park in detail. I remembered the ride itself being longer, it’s like they cut out a full cycle of up/down, but maybe it’s just perspective looking back. All told, I was walking out 15 minutes after I walked through the entrance. I did get a “Happy anniversary, you picked a great hotel to stay at” from one of the CMs which gave me a good laugh. I really love the set dressing in the Hollywood Tower of Terror. Art Deco is one of my “things”. They pull it of superbly.
While I was doing TOT, A took all the girls on Monsters one last time… then we made our way through the Buena Vista Street shops giving the girls a chance to pick out one thing each. Some really neat stuff, and I was half tempted to get the mini sculpture of Walt and Mickey from the circle out front of Eligah’s, but just couldn’t justify it.

 

[whoever]

05/22/2013....17:30..
Left the hotel… with much sadness. Noticed that the valet was not charged to my room, nor was it collected at vehicle pickup. I wonder if they are going to charge me after all. Upon loading up, there’s not a free spot for anything anywhere…. If we do any longer of a trip, we’ll need to move up to a full-size SUV vs. the midsize we have. The LA metro traffic was HORRIBLE. Leaving in the afternoon on a weekday was a poor decision. Not any better options available though unless you give up park time. We all make our choices…

05/22/2013....18:22..
Kids are all asleep. After spending too much time in grid lock, it FINALLY opened up, and I was making phenomenal time until I had to stop for fuel somewhere out by Indio. $4.59/gallon for the premium the V8 Volvo SUV we were driving drinks. Holy smokes. It’s a good 60 cents cheaper right across the border in AZ for the same grade. Swapped drivers now that we are pretty much out of Cali. Let the wife drive while I catch up on the trip report.

05/22/2013....21:00..
Crossed back into friendly territory… aka AZ. Made a pit stop as KEW and VEW are up. KEW wants French fries and VEW needs some mommy time. While there, there was a family parked next to us doing the same thing. Mentioned we were coming back from Disney, and they said they were going to Disney. What are the odds? Wished them safe travels, have fun, and God speed.

05/22/2013....21:18..
Back on the road…. Easily an hour and a half left to go…They should put in a high speed train directly from Down Town Phoenix to Disneyland… I’d ride it.

05/22/2013....23:13..
Switched with A somewhere at a rest stop roughly 60 miles from Phoenix. She was starting to drift between the lane edges. I stepped it up a bit to get home, and pulled into the driveway at 23:13. Thirty minutes of unpacking the vehicle into the garage and necessities/perishables into the house, and its bed time….

 

[whoever]

KEW's first ride on Radiator Springs Racers.

My Edited Video - YouTube


KEW and I on Dumbo

DSCN1861 - YouTube

KEW and I on Goofy's Sky School

DSCN1854 - YouTube


KEW's first ride with me on California Screamin'

She had her eyes barely open... that would change by the next time...

KEWs California Adventure. - YouTube


Shame the time I decided to do a POV on Screaming I had a long haired person in front of me. Oh well... I'll do the front car next time I do one (and use a real camera vs. the P&S)

POV on California Screamin - YouTube

Our last ride on RSR before heading back to AZ.

We WON!

KEWs California Adventure - YouTube

A few pics that Lindsey took. The Girls with Aladdin.

The Girls getting Crazy in the Pirates Queue

CEW and Reese with Tigger

CEW and Reese with Eeyore

CEW and Reese with Cinderella's Fairy Godmother

KEW and I on Mater's Junkyard Jamboree

KEW riding Maters Junkyard Jamboree - YouTube



There may be a few straggler pictures (will go through everything this week and post any I missed), but this likely concludes the trip report.