Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friends - A Coast to Coast Adventure

[dolphingirl47]

Day 3

Despite the late night, I was awake before the crack of dawn that day. I got up for a short while, read my emails and caught up with Facebook before going back to bed in the hope to get some more sleep. Fortunately I managed to sleep for another couple of hours, but by 6:00 I was definitely done. I decided to read for a bit before getting ready to start my day.

I had a breakfast reservation at Goofy's Kitchen at 7:40 this morning. I got ready slowly and got the t-shirts that I had made for my friends out of the suitcase. I got everything organised what I would need for the day and then wandered over to the restaurant. Check in was quite smooth and efficient and I was then directed to Chef Goofy's line. This was the longest I have ever seen it and it did not seem to move at all. It turned out that Goofy had left for a bit. Once he came back, things were moving along nicely. I got my photos taken and then was told to sit down in the waiting area until I was called. I was there for quite a while. I was surprised how busy it was considering that it was still quite early. It appeared that there was some dance competition and they all were early risers.



Eventually my name was called and I was taken to my table. Every time I had been there previously I ended up sitting in the same area, often even at the same table. This time I ended sitting in a different area quite close to where the ice cream is on the buffet. My server came to introduce herself and I ordered a Coke. It was already quite warm and I was not in the mood for a hot drink. Pretty much as soon as I had sat down, Pluto came by to say "hello" and Dale was not far behind. So I stayed put until they had gone. On the table opposite were two very nice ladies from Hong Kong. They were quite happy to take photos of me and the characters with my camera. At one point we started to talk about Disneyland Hong Kong and also Tokyo Disneyland, which are both on my bucket list. They even gave me some stickers from Hong Kong Disneyland.





With Pluto and Dale gone, I headed to the buffet. One reason I like this so much is that they have some stuff that are not typical breakfast foods. I am not really a breakfast person. My first plate consisted of biscuit and gravy, sausage, chicken nuggets, macaroni cheese and an open faced taco. The taco was a bit of a surprise. It was surprisingly light and fresh and full of flavour. This was my favourite part of breakfast.



Chip was coming into the area where I was sitting just as I was ready to get some more food so I waited until I had seen him. I then got some macaroni cheese pizza and some peanut butter and jelly pizza. I was a little disappointed with those. The toppings were as delightful as ever, but they have done something to the crust. I actually had trouble cutting through it. I just ate the parts with the most topping and left the rest behind.





After this disappointment, some ice cream was called for. I went to get some vanilla and chocolate ice cream with mini peanut butter cups. This went down a treat. I was still waiting for Minnie to come and visit. All the other characters had been by twice, but there had been no sign of Minnie. I even already had my Photopass package when she finally made an appearance. Once I had my photo taken with her, I headed straight out.





I stopped by the gift shop on the way back to the room. I had worn my beautiful custom Diamond Anniversary Mickey ears for breakfast, but they are the headband style and were pinching my head. I also figured that I would need to get something to keep the sun of my scalp. So I wanted to get some official Diamond Anniversary Mickey ears. Unfortunately they did have none at the hotel gift shop. I was advised that they have them at World of Disney. I headed back to my room to take off the ears, drop off the photo package and pick up what I needed for the day. Then I headed out.





There was a cast member on the little DVC stand near the exit from the Disneyland Hotel and I chatted with him for a bit. I was surprised that there was actually somebody there as normally there is not and I did not see this happening again for the rest of my time there. He gave me an invitation for the Royal Member Gathering and a couple of lanyards before we said goodbye. I then headed towards World of Disney, but this was still closed. I am not sure why I did not think about going to get my Diamond Anniversary Mickey ears at Elias and Co where I knew they had them. The park was already open and I could just have headed to the Grand Californian via the back entrance. Still, this all worked out for the best.

 

[dolphingirl47]

I backtracked to the Grand Californian and as soon as I got to the lobby I spotted Kayla, who had been our VIP Guide in November. She was talking with two people by the fireplace and as there were three people on the tour that day that I had not met before, I wondered if they were part of our group and Kayla would be our guide again. I was correct on both counts. I said “hi” to Kayla and met Denise (dhorner233) and her cousin Daphne. After the introductions, I excused myself as I had to go to sort something out at the DVC desk.

On my way there, I spotted my friend Jennifer. So we said “hi” and caught up with each other. She had got two of the Disneyland 60th Anniversary Dooney and Bourke bags for me when they came out and had brought them that day. While I was looking at them, the third person I had not met before came. Mimi is a friend of my friend Sue. It was her birthday later that week, which was the reason Sue had asked if she could invite her. Mimi is a big Disney fan, an annual pass holder for Disneyland and like me; she collects Disney Dooney and Bourke bags. We chatted for a short while and then I left my stuff with them and went to speak to the person at the DVC desk. This proved to be a waste of time as she did not have the information I needed. I also had a quick look at the gift shop at the Grand Californian if they had the Diamond Anniversary Mickey ears, but I struck out there as well.

I re-joined Jennifer and Mimi and we chatted some more. We started to talk about what I was going to do with the rather big shopping bag that contained by Disney Dooneys. I had originally planned to quickly take them back to my room, but I did not fancy the walk there and back knowing that I would do more than enough walking that day anyway. We decided that we would ask Bell Services if they would be able to hold he bag for me. I explained that I was staying at the Disneyland Hotel and that we were doing a VIP tour that day. It was no problem. They just asked me to remember that I had left it with them. With the bag out of the way, I could concentrate on the day ahead. Sue and Alison arrived at the same time shortly afterwards. More welcomes were exchanged and we headed over to where the rest of the group was. I quickly gave Sue, Jennifer and Alison the t-shirts I had made for the 4 of us and then we headed out.

We went inside California Adventure via the hotel’s entrance. This was a completely different experience from November as the park felt relatively empty. We headed to The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Undersea Adventure first. This was so quiet that we would probably have got on just as quickly without Kayla. I ended up riding with Denise for this one. The ride stopped a couple of times while we were on it, but that just made taking photos easier. I have a bit of a soft spot for this ride and enjoyed it very much.











We then headed down to Paradise Pier. On the way we stopped on the bridge for some group photos. This turned out the only group photo we have. In November, I had bitterly regretted that we never got a group photo with the Storyteller Statue and this was definitely on the “to do list” for this time. In the end we were so busy having fun that I totally forgot again. I could have kicked myself.





Once we had our group photo, we headed down to Toy Story Midway Mania. There it was a distinct advantage to have Kayla. We pretty much just walked on the ride. I really enjoy this ride although I am not very good at it. This time I rode with Jennifer who is much better at this than I ever will be. The group then headed over the California Screaming. I am still not brave enough to try this. The sun had also started to beat down and I really needed to get something to protect my scalp. There is a shop near Toy Story Midway Mania that sells Mickey ears and I decided to check there if they had the Diamond Anniversary Mickey ears. I told Kayla that I would meet up with the group again at the exit to California Screaming. Again I was out of luck. I did however find a Diamond Anniversary Mickey baseball cap, which I decided to buy. This is a lot more practical than the Mickey ears and I do really love this. In the end I never did get the Diamond Anniversary Mickey ears.

I walked back towards California Screaming and met up with Jennifer who also had sat out this ride. The rest of the group joined us again shortly afterwards. As soon as I saw them coming, I went to the Photopass kiosk to look for their ride photos. They came up soon afterwards and I had them added to my Photopass+ account. Once everybody was back together, we made our way over to Cars Land.





We headed to Radiator Springs Racers first and only had a short wait. We got to go through Ramone's Paint Shop and ended up winning the race. I had the photo added to my Photopass+ lanyard and then we headed out again. We did a quick bathroom stop and I learned that you could get free iced water at counter service restaurants at Disneyland, too. I have known this little trick for a number of years at Walt Disney World, but I did not know that this worked at Disneyland, too. This was useful to know though as it was so hot and for the rest of the trip, I probably drank my bodyweight in free ice water. We then headed over to Mater's Junkyard Jamboree. I had never done this ride before. I enjoyed it, but it is quite wild.



We had a lunchtime reservation for Aladdin, but we still had a little time. We headed over to Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue! I really like this ride. I think it is cute and very well done. This time I got to ride with Alison. When we were done, we walked over to the Hyperion Theater. We still had a bit of time until the doors were due to open so we found ourselves a shady spot and chatted. Mimi and I were talking Disney Dooneys and I rather enjoyed this.

Soon it was time to go inside. We ended up with virtually the same seats we had in November. I was very happy with this. I really enjoyed the show again, but was a little sad that this was the last time I get to see it. Two things stood out for me. One of the performers was using an electric wheelchair and I was very impressed that Disney is enlightened enough to make this happen. The second aspect that really stood out was that the Genie made not so subtle jibes about the show that will replace Aladdin. I think this went straight over a lot of people's heads, but the ones that knew what is about to happen definitely got it.

 

[dolphingirl47]

After the show, most of us were ready for something to eat. I was still pretty full from breakfast, but I was more than ready for something to drink and figured there would be room for something small. We ended up got to Smokejumpers Grill. I went with an orange soda and a large ice water and had some chilli cheese fries. Those were supposed to be a side dish, but it was quite a big portion and I did not manage to finish them. They were very nice though. The chilli was made with proper chunks of beef rather than mince.

During lunch, Alison found out that some people she knew online were nearby. She asked us if we minded if they joined us for Soarin, which was the next ride we were planning to do. Nobody objected so Alison let them know where we were and they joined us shortly afterwards. We finished our lunch and tidied up and then we walked over to Soarin. We were not able to do this in November as the Fastpass line was crazy long, but did not have any such issues this time round. We had next to no wait and we ended up being allocated row one. I was pretty happy with this. Unfortunately the happiness did not last long. The person next to me had a rather large camera. I pointed out to her that this should go under the seat, but was kind of dismissed. I decided to let it go. However, when it comes to pulling on the yellow tab on the seatbelt, I could not reach this because of the camera. I just panicked and was terrified for the whole of the ride. I know that this is irrational and I have always thought that the pulling on the yellow tab is just for show. I have done the ride often enough that I know that there are green lights at the back of the hang glider that come on when the seatbelt has been fastened. Even after the ride had finished and nothing had happened, I was so out of sorts that I actually seriously considered leaving the group to it and getting some downtime. I think this was a combination of the jet lag and the stress I had in the run up to the trip that came home to roost. Fortunately I managed to pull myself together and stuck with it.

By then we had done everything that we had wanted to do at California Adventure and crossed over to Disneyland. We headed over to Tomorrowland first and did Space Mountain Ghost Galaxy. This was a bit of a strange experience. I am a little weary of thrill rides and Space Mountain has always been a bit borderline for me. However, the last few times I have done this, I actually rather enjoyed it. I have also done Space Mountain Ghost Galaxy a couple of times in 2011 and was absolutely fine with this. This time round, I found it very disorientating. I was all ready to blame this on jet lag again, but some of the others commented on this, too. I wonder if they have made some changes to Space Mountain Ghost Galaxy.



When we got off Space Mountain Ghost Galaxy, I went over to the Photopass kiosk to have the ride photo added and then I quickly went to the bathroom. Once the whole group was together again, Kayla asked if anybody wanted to do Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage. I had not realised that this was even an option on the VIP Tour. I was all for this. I love this ride, but do not love the lines that this tends to draw. About half of the others wanted to do this as well so we headed off with Kayla while the rest of the group waited for us. I really enjoyed this and I was glad that I had the opportunity to do this.

Once we were all together again, we went over to Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters, which all of us did. I did not do as well as the day before, but I did enjoy it again. Nobody wanted to do Star Tours and I was the only person who quite liked the idea of Matterhorn so we skipped both of those and headed over to Frontierland to do Big Thunder Mountain. I love this ride at Disneyland and I am only too happy that the same changes that they made at Disneyland a little over a year ago are also being made to the rides at Disneyland Paris and Walt Disney World. We got on with next to no wait and I very much enjoyed this again.

We then walked over to New Orleans Square. Pirates of the Caribbean was unfortunately closed for refurbishment, but Haunted Mansion Holiday was very much open. I was so excited about this. I love Haunted Mansion Holiday anyway, but this time there was an added bonus: the Hatbox Ghost. I had been looking forward to seeing him ever since it was confirmed that he would be visible during Haunted Mansion Holiday. The ride was a lot of fun, but for me the Hatbox Ghost was definitely the highlight. I was not sure how he would fit in with the A Nightmare Before Christmas theme, but this was very well done.

When we came out, we all felt done. We still had about an hour left for the tour, but we were all exhausted. So we decided to call it a day. Sue and Mimi got the Zero popcorn bucket near Haunted Mansion and then we ambled over to Club 33 where we said goodbye to Kayla. I am lucky that I have an amazing Fairy Godparent and said Fairy Godparent had agreed to meet us for drinks at Le Salon Nouveau at Club 33. Fortunately the fact that we finished an hour earlier than anticipated was not an issue and after a very brief wait, we were admitted to Club 33. Once we were inside the Court of Angels, there was another brief wait, but that was no hardship. I love the Court of Angels and I was glad to have the opportunity to enjoy this beautiful space and to take some photos. They also had a container with spiced apple cider in this area with some beautiful cut crystal glasses and we helped ourselves to some of this while we were waiting to be escorted upstairs. This went down a treat.





Soon we were escorted upstairs and we had a quick look at the merchandise cabinet before heading over to Le Salon Nouveau. They had a really nice Diamond Anniversary pin, which I knew I would end up getting. When we got to Le Salon Nouveau, there were a couple of empty tables by the window and the cast members pushed them together for us. This was perfect for our group. We all ordered some water and had a look at the menus. I knew what I wanted to eat, but had a closer look at the drinks menu. I noticed that the Diamond Martini was no longer on the menu, which is a bit strange considering that it is Disneyland’s Diamond Anniversary year. However, this is still available and I decided to go with this. For my dinner, I had steak with pommes frites, sauce Béarnaise and asparagus. This was absolutely delicious. We took our time over dinner and drinks. We had VIP seating for Disneyland Forever reserved and most of us intended to make use of this. Denise and Daphne had decided to call it a day and Denise left soon after. Daphne stayed behind until we were ready to leave.

 

[dolphingirl47]

On the way out, most of us bought something from the merchandise cabinet. I got the Club 33 Diamond Anniversary pin that I had eyed on the way in and also a Club 33 Diamond Anniversary lanyard with Club 33 medal. Once we all had our purchases, we headed out. We said goodbye to Daphne and made our way towards the hub. It was still plenty of time until Paint the Night was due to start, but we had heard earlier in the day that the VIP seating may have been overbooked so we figured we better get there early. We were the first people to arrive and found ourselves some seats on the right-hand side so that we would be able to see Paint the Night as it came by.



We spent some time chatting and I checked my emails and Facebook. I knew that two of our table mates from our 2014 Panama Canal cruise were at Disneyland and at one stage one of them posted that they found a spot outside the Plaza Inn to watch Paint the Night. This was not far from where we were so I decided to go over there and say "hi". This area was pretty busy and I started to wonder if I would ever find them when I spotted them. I went over and we had a nice chat. It was great to meet again.

At some stage I figured I better head back to the hub and we said goodbye. I chatted some more with my friends and then the parade started. I have seen various electrical parades at Disneyland Paris over the years as well as the Main Street Electrical Parade when it was shown at California Adventure. Paint the Night blows all of them out of the water. It is truly spectacular. The seating that we had was not ideal for the parade, but I had a decent enough view.

 

[dolphingirl47]

Shortly after the parade finished, the fireworks started and for that the view was amazing. Fireworks are still a fairly new experience for me. I am very sensitive to noise and fireworks in particular always freaked me out. The first time I ever watched Disney fireworks was in 2010 from the safety of the Top of the World Lounge at Bay Lake Tower. My first fireworks experience in a park was Halloween Screams at Disneyland in 2011 and I found that not only was I coping OK, but I rather enjoyed them. Since then I have watched a number of fireworks in the parks and I was very excited about Disneyland Forever. I had every reason to be. The show is really spectacular and combines fireworks, projections and some special effects. I was absolutely in awe of this. Unfortunately I only got to see this once, but I hope that this will be around for a few years and that I get to see this again.































After the fireworks, we headed towards the exit. We lost Mimi who had gone to get a birthday button and Jennifer went to find her. Once we were all reunited, we headed towards the tram where we said goodbye to Mimi and Jennifer. The rest of us pushed on towards the Grand Californian where I said goodbye to Alison and Sue. This was not as hard as it normally is as I knew that I would get to see them again this trip. I collected my bag from Bell Services and then made my way over to the Disneyland Hotel. I was very glad once I was in my room. I set the alarm for the next morning and got ready for bed. I think I was asleep just as soon as my head hit the pillow. I had a truly magical day.

 

[tiggrbaby]

OOOOH, where to begin? How lucky you were to have all of your flights work out? Such fun character pics? A great tour? The cute shirts? A special dinner? Fab parade and firework pics? Great trip start!

 

[PrincessInOz]

Fantastic update and what a great way to start....with a VIP tour. AWesomeness!

 

[jenseib]

Joining in....just need to bo back and read now!!!

 

[Paula Sedley-Burke]

What a day! I just don't know where I want to comment I could fill your trip report! Breakfast looks great. I love all the variety that this unique buffet had on offer. Shame about the p & b pizza that and french toast are my favs!

Much better for your head a baseball cap than ears. Cool you made t shirts for your friends. Lovely photos. I just love the back drop with the big old ferris wheel.

How neat the same guide! What a cool job taking folks around DL and scoring rides!

I am glad you got some rides you like and meet up with some lovely friends. Nice to see Alison there!

Club 33 looks amazing. That steak dish gets my vote! Nice you got a pin. Those stairs scare me but there must be an accessible entrance I have seen Fran dine there.

Wow that light show. How wonderful. Must be eye candy galore. I am so pleased you had a good day.

Does DL do any kind of meal plan like WDW? Not that I have ever got it because it never works out for us just curious.

 

[Pinkocto]

So much to comment on, this sounds like an amazing day!

Breakfast looks delicious. Too bad about the pizza crust though. I like the sound of all those unusual breakfast items though.

Glad they could keep your bag at Bell Services, that would have been a hassle to take back to your resort or carry around all day.

I road Ghost Galaxy twice and although the first time I rather liked it, the second time had me closing my eyes the whole time. The nasty faces coming out all over the place was just too much.

Sorry about the stress with Soarin.

Dinner looked great. How lovely to spend such a fun day with so many friends

 

[franandaj]

Great update and fun to relive our day together! Your pictures of dinner came out much better than mine, and you also got some great ones of the fireworks and the castle projections!

Club 33 looks amazing. That steak dish gets my vote! Nice you got a pin. Those stairs scare me but there must be an accessible entrance I have seen Fran dine there.

Yes, there is an elevator to the left of those stairs, but for the longest time it was broken after the reopening. They had a freight elevator that they kept offering her, but she was too stubborn and insisted on climbing the stairs. Luckily the elevator started working about 6-8 months after the opening so now she can ride up instead of climbing!

 

[Paula Sedley-Burke]

Great update and fun to relive our day together! Your pictures of dinner came out much better than mine, and you also got some great ones of the fireworks and the castle projections!



Yes, there is an elevator to the left of those stairs, but for the longest time it was broken after the reopening. They had a freight elevator that they kept offering her, but she was too stubborn and insisted on climbing the stairs. Luckily the elevator started working about 6-8 months after the opening so now she can ride up instead of climbing!

Thanks Alison. That is great news about the elevator back in action! Diner without the exhaustion now for Fran. I can't climb a step so I would have had to go up with freight but hey seeing that food. Totally worth it!

 

[dolphingirl47]

OOOOH, where to begin? How lucky you were to have all of your flights work out? Such fun character pics? A great tour? The cute shirts? A special dinner? Fab parade and firework pics? Great trip start!

It was an absolutely amazing trip. One highlight seemed to chase the next.

Fantastic update and what a great way to start....with a VIP tour. AWesomeness!

It was an awesome start and I definitely hit the floor running.

Joining in....just need to bo back and read now!!!

Welcome.

Shame about the p & b pizza that and french toast are my favs!

I was so upset about the pizza. Part of the reason for making a reservation there was this pizza.

Cool you made t shirts for your friends.

The idea was born before the 2014 trip, but I was just lacking inspiration to turn this into something concrete. Then came the idea for this trip and it all fell into place. They truly all are diamonds and to me they are precious.

I am glad you got some rides you like and meet up with some lovely friends. Nice to see Alison there!

It was a pretty perfect day apart from my little mid-afternoon meltdown.

That steak dish gets my vote!

It was beautiful, but in the end it was not the best steak I had that trip. That came from a wholly unexpected source.

Nice you got a pin.

I love that pin and need to find a suitable way to display it.

Those stairs scare me but there must be an accessible entrance I have seen Fran dine there.

In November we took the lift up. It was working by then.

Must be eye candy galore.

It was.

Does DL do any kind of meal plan like WDW?

No and I don't miss it. We rarely do the dining plan at Walt Disney World.

Too bad about the pizza crust though.

I really don't know what happened there.

I road Ghost Galaxy twice and although the first time I rather liked it, the second time had me closing my eyes the whole time. The nasty faces coming out all over the place was just too much.

I did this a few times in 2011 and loved it, but this time once was more than enough for me.

Sorry about the stress with Soarin.

I think this was very much down to me being overtired and not having ha a chance to properly wind down.

How lovely to spend such a fun day with so many friends

It was a perfect start to the trip. This was very much about spending time with friends as well as having fun at Disney and where both could be combined, this was even better.

Great update and fun to relive our day together!

It was an amazing day and one that I will always keep in my heart.

Corinna

 

[dolphingirl47]

Day 4

After two relatively late nights, I was not sure that I would like to get up at 6:30. I had an activity booked at 7:00. In the end I woke up 15 minutes before the wakeup call went off and I got up and ready. I put a change of clothing in my handbag so that I did not have to go back to the room afterwards. The activity I had booked was one of the new member experiences that are offered to DVC members at Disneyland. I had to book those ahead of time through Member Services, but with them being based in Florida, they had no clear idea where the meeting point was. I did not really expect them to know either. However, I did expect DVC staff at Disneyland to know. I went to the DVC Preview Centre at Downtown Disney the first evening and they had never heard of this, which I found more than just a little strange. Surely, if something that adds value to a DVC membership is offered on your doorstep, I kind of expect that you are not only aware of this, but that you promote it. The cast member I did speak to suggested that I speak to the person at the DVC desk at the Grand Californian, which seemed to be a reasonable suggestion. The activity was due to take place inside California Adventure before the park opens to the public so it stood to reason that the meeting point would probably be at the Grand Californian. I had to head there the following morning anyway so that was no hardship. Unfortunately I got a distinct sense of déjà vu as the DVC cast member there had no idea what I was talking about. So essentially that morning I had still no idea where I was going and if I would ever be able to figure it out. I headed to the lobby of the Grand Californian first and there was no sign of anybody there. I decided to head towards the hotel’s entrance to the Grand Californian to see if there was any life there. Fortunately there was. In a little alcove opposite the entrance area was an activities cast member with a clipboard and a handful of people. I asked if this was for the Neighbourhood Powerwalk and he confirmed that it was. I did provide some feedback that nobody could tell me where the meeting point was for this and he was quite shocked by this as this had been offered for nearly a month by then. He promised that he would pass the feedback on. I signed the waiver and he took my order for the complimentary Jamba Juice Smoothie that was included in this. There was fortunately one that is banana free and he made a note that I am allergic to bananas to ensure that there is no issue with cross contamination.

Our fitness instructor met us and then the security guards let us into the park. Our fitness instructor asked if I would be OK. This kind of amused me. I am definitely not the world’s fittest person, but I do my 10000 steps per day without even trying. As I am also decidedly not a morning person and tend to cut things a bit fine in terms of getting up, more often than not I end up power walking to the station. So the prospect of power walking through an empty park for two miles did not worry me. We walked over to Grizzly River Run and used the fence in front of the ride for some stretching. We witnessed something fascinating. The water level was very low. Our fitness instructor shared that Grizzly River Run gets drained every night so that it can be cleaned and basic maintenance can be carried out. The water is held at a holding pool in the Pacific Wharf area while this happens and it takes about an hour to refill this in the morning. I found this extremely fascinating.
After we had stretched and were warmed up, we headed out. I got to see a part of the park that I did not even knew existed. There is a nice path behind Grizzly River Run. This is one of the designated smoking areas and I am not sure if it is quite as lovely when the park is open, but I loved the theming. We came out on the path leading to The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Undersea Adventure and then headed towards the Golden Zephyr. We then walked along the boardwalk and up the hill towards Ariel's Grotto. This part I was not too keen about. It was already quite hot and the hill felt very steep. We re-joined the main path by the winery and then headed through Cars Land, A Bug's Land and Hollywood Land to Buena Vista Street. We walked through the Grizzly Peak Airfield and took a lap around Redwood Creek Challenge Trail, where we had to go over a rope bridge and then our fitness instructor took us to a cave where you can find out what your animal spirit is. This did not work that morning and we headed back to where we started for more stretching before heading back to the Grand Californian. We were met on the way by the cast member who had checked us in, who was bringing our smoothies. This tasted so good. On the DVC website it states that this activity includes a complementary chair massage at the Mandara Spa. This did not happen this morning, but I was fine with this. Our fitness instructor said goodbye to us once we were back at the Grand Californian. She was impressed that I stuck with the group all the way round. I definitely felt like I had a workout, but this was not something that I could not cope with.

There had been a slight spanner thrown in the works. I am sure when the park hours for this day were first published; it stated that it would be EMH at California Adventure that morning. However, it was actually EMH at Disneyland. So I made my way through Downtown Disney to take advantage of this. It did not take me long to get into the park. Once I was inside, I headed to the bathroom near City Hall to get changed out of my workout clothes.



I decided that I may as well check out the new version of Peter Pan's Flight. The line for this went through the castle and onto the drawbridge. I went up to the ride to check the posted waiting time and that was 30 minutes. I figured I would not get a waiting time of less than that so I got in line. The line moved pretty swiftly at first and soon I was in the proper line. I was about halfway when the line stopped moving. There was no indication what was going on. At some stage I checked the app and it showed that he ride was down. Still, there was nothing I could do. In the end, by the time I had finished with the ride, it was about 90 minutes after I entered the line. Still, I am glad that I did this as they did a great job with the refurbishment. As I came out of the right, I bumped into Denise and Daphne. They were waiting for their turn to get on. I chatted with them for a bit until it was their turn to ride.





I decided to head over to It’s A Small World next. On the way over there, I had a lovely surprise. Judge Frollo was just strolling on the path leading up to It’s A Small World. I had not had much opportunity to meet villains previously so I was rather excited by this. The fact that he is quite rare was an added bonus. So I stopped to pay my respects and the cast member who was with him kindly took a photo of us. I then carried on walking towards It’s A Small World. The ride was a walk on and I enjoyed this very much even though it was a bit strange seeing it in its normal state after having enjoyed the Holiday overlay on my last visit.







I crossed over into Frontierland and near the Big Thunder Ranch I spotted a Photopass photographer with one of the special backdrops for the 60th anniversary. He was not very busy so I stopped and had my first set of photos done. I then headed down to Big Thunder Mountain and used one of my magic Fastpasses to do the ride with no wait at all. After this I carried on towards Haunted Mansion. I stopped at the 60th anniversary backdrop there and only one family was ahead of me. I then walked over to Haunted Mansion Holiday and the posted waiting time was 5 minutes. It actually was a walk on. I walked straight up the staircase and into the stretching room. When I came out, it had got a little busier so I used one of the magic Fastpasses to ride a second time.













After this, I decided to have an early lunch. I had plenty of exercise that morning and apart from the smoothie, I did not have anything to eat or drink. I decided to have lunch at the French Market restaurant and had some meatloaf with mashed potatoes, green beans and carrots, a Mint Julep and some chocolate cake for dessert. Everything was very nice.

 

[dolphingirl47]

When I finished my lunch, I headed towards the exit and crossed over into California Adventure. I looked out for Oswald, but he was nowhere to be seen. I walked past Soarin over California and the standby line was only 20 minutes so I decided to get into the single rider line which was about half this. I did this a couple of times and then I headed towards Grizzly Peak River Run to see if there were still Fastpasses for World of Color Celebrate! Fortunately there were. With my Fastpass in hand, I backtracked down to Buena Vista Street and crossed into Hollywood Land. There was something that was high up on my “to do list”. Shortly after I had returned from my previous trip to Disneyland, Olaf started to meet and greet at California Adventure. After Stitch, he is my second favourite Disney character and I definitely wanted to meet him and get a warm hug.

On the way to see Olaf, I stopped by the Fastpass machine for Anna and Elsa and to my surprise not only were there still Fastpasses available, but my return time was only a little over an hour later. I went over to where Olaf is meeting and he had a bit of a line. The sun was also beating down on this area. I don’t know about Olaf, but I felt like I was melting. Still, I only waited about 15 minutes and meeting Olaf more than made up for this.









I still had plenty of time until I was due to meet Anna and Elsa. I stopped at one of the quick service outlets in Hollywood Land for a free cup of ice water and then found a bench in the shade to drink it. After this, I headed over to Cars Land. I wanted to do Radiator Springs Racers again. I was in two minds whether to use the single rider line or use another one of my magic Fastpasses. I asked the cast member near the entrance and he suggested that if I had a Fastpass, I should use it and I could always use the single rider line for a second ride. This proved to be a good suggestion although I never got around to a second ride that day.

As I approached the loading dock, I spotted a familiar face. We had never met in person, but I knew instantly who I was looking at. I belong to an amazing Disney group on Facebook and we have a bit of a celebrity in that group. If you live in Southern California, you may have read about him in the local paper. Jon Alan Hale has clocked up a serious number of laps on Radiator Springs Racers As I write this, he has done over 5000 laps, but at the time we met, it had been about 4600. I had planned to look out for him, but never in a million years did I imagine that I actually would meet him. I was utterly delighted when he was sent to the same car that I was in. I introduced myself and told him that it was an honour to get to race with him. We did not win the race, but you cannot have everything.



By the time I got out, it was nearly time for me to meet Anna and Elsa. I cut through the back of Cars Land into A Bug’s Land to Hollywood Land. It was still a couple of minutes until my Fastpass window was due to open so I headed into one of the shops to look around as it was really boiling hot that day and air-conditioning was very welcome. Once my window opened, I went inside the Art of Animation building. The queuing arrangements were a little confusing and it did take a while until it was my turn. Still, it was nice and cool in there so I did not mind. Eventually it was time to meet Anna and Elsa and they were fascinated by my Olaf t -shirt and told me that he was hanging out nearby. I told them that I had already been to see him. We had a nice chat.









When I came out from meeting Anna and Elsa, I decided that I had enough for the time being. It was simply too hot and the jet lag, late nights and the early morning started to catch up with me. I was ready for something else to drink and I had read before the trip that Whitewater Snacks at the Grand Californian has a Coke Freestyle machine. So I decided to go back to the Disneyland Hotel this way and get a drink from there. When I passed the aircraft at the Grand Californian end of Grizzly Peak Airfield, Pluto was about to come out. I decided to hang around. It is a shame that he did not have a themed costume, but it was still nice to meet him.







Once I had caught up with Pluto, I headed over to the Grand Californian. I got myself a Raspberry Coke at Whitewater Snacks and then walked back to the Disneyland Hotel. When I came up the path, I spotted that Goofy was hanging out near the entrance to the Fantasy Tower. So I took a little detour to meet him and get a photo with him. Then I headed to my room for a nap.

 

[dolphingirl47]

I got up again about 17:30 and headed for the pool. I swam for a while and then enjoyed the hot tub for a bit. Around 19:00 I headed back to my room and got showered and changed. I needed to do some laundry so I went to find the laundry room. I was impressed by this. There were plenty of machines and this is now all credit card operated. They even have an app where you can check the availability of machines and how long your machine has got to run. As there were plenty of spare machines, I got my washing going and then headed over to California Adventure to watch World of Color Celebrate!

I got a fairly decent spot and got there just as the Fun Wheel Challenge started. I decided to play along. Soon it was time for the show to start. After my experience with World of Color Winter Dreams the previous year, I was clever this time and watched this on You Tube as soon as this had started. I did like it. I am glad that I had watched it beforehand as based on some of the reviews that I have seen; I may otherwise not have bothered. That would have been a crying shame. I still marginally prefer the original version, but this had me wowed. The special effects are breath-taking and watching the video did not prepare me for this at all. It was truly immersive as the special effects were not just in front of us, but all around us. In terms of content, it combined some history about Walt Disney, the Disney movies and then celebrated various attractions at Disneyland before ending with some footage of Walt Disney himself. I thought it was very cleverly done and found it very moving. I had to smile. Again I was stopped by a "suit" and asked how I liked the show. When this happened the previous year, I am sure she regretted that she asked me. This time round my reaction was a lot more enthusiastic.



After the show, I exited via the Grand Californian. I was surprised how smooth the process was. By then I was ready for some food. I stopped by Ralph Brennan's Jazz Kitchen Express and got some red beans and rice with Tasso ham & Andouille sausage to take away. When I got back to the hotel, I went to the laundry to put my clothes in the dryer and then went to the patio outside the Frontier Tower where I sat down to have my food. This was rather nice.

When I finished my food, I wondered what I could do next. I did not really want to go up to my room as I was worried that I would fall asleep. In the end I decided that I fancied a nightcap at Trader Sam's. All the seats on the terrace were taken and I did not really expect to get a seat inside. Still, I had a look. Unfortunately I was right. I noticed that there were menus from Trader Sam's by the big outdoor fireplace and there were seats to be had there. So this is where I went. This is actually a lovely spot to just relax. It did not take long until a server came by to take my order and I ordered a Rosita’s Margarita, which was as good as I remember.

Not long after I got my drink, somebody approached me and said "hi". It was Daphne. She joined me and we had a really enjoyable conversation talking about loads of different things. This must have been the most enjoyable laundry duty I ever had as it involved a drink and some great company. I am so glad that the opportunity had presented itself that I got to spend some one on one time with Daphne. I am normally pretty sociable, but I don't tend to do too well when meeting people for the first time in a group setting.

At some stage Daphne had to leave as they were leaving Disneyland the next morning and she had yet to pack. I figured that my laundry was probably finished as well. So we said goodbye and headed in opposite directions. My laundry was indeed finished and I took it back to my room. I got ready for bed and enjoyed the Kiss Goodnight on my headboard before settling down to sleep.

 

[Paula Sedley-Burke]

Wow I am so impressed with all you fitted into this special day. First of all the powerwalk. How silly nobody knowing the details. We had that with a mixer at AK we signed up for. Even though it had occured for months nobody could tell us where it was located... It was like hunt the DVC rep and clipboard game. I don't know why they would imply you couldn't keep up. What a nerve. Did they see what you acheieve this day!

I love the idea of being in the parks in the morning seeing things you don't usually see. That must be neat. Good idea to pack your clothes for later less trips back to the hotel the better! Nice you get a smoothie.

Lots lf great rides you scored! Brilliant! I like that it looks like It's a small world goes outside a little at DL how neat. I love this little ride. They do a wheelchair boat at WDW. And the Jungle Cruise. Not Pirates though I can't do that anymore the boat side is too high to climb in.

Great that you saw Olaf! I love the photos. Isn't he just so cute? Like a big old marshmellow. Yeah re Elsa and Anna. Nice one! I adore those photos of Great Thunder and The Haunted Mansion how cute!

Lunch looks so good. At Christmas was my first try of meatloaf and I am in love.

That is amazing you saw the guy that clocks up the miles on the springs ride!

I love that laundry app isn't it helpful. Having the laundry of DVC is such a bonus. When we did the pay system at Coronodo springs this Christmas what a hassle! You have to charge cedits cards then get a laundry card... Too much for your smalls..I won't take it for granted anymore!

That is great you went to Traders Sam after that great show. Meeting your friend too! Perfect end to the perfect day thanks for sharing.

 

[tiggrbaby]

You are so good at fitting in a lot in your days! It was so perfect that you had your Olaf shirt on for you meet and greets with the Frozen gang.

 

[jedijill]

Sounds like another great day! I walk so much at DL I'm not sure I would be up to volunteering to walk more, so you go girl! I do love Trader Sam's...what a great place to wait for laundry to finish especially when you run into a friend.

Jill in CO

 

[franandaj]

You really got a lot in that day! I can't believe that you walked two miles before getting started at the parks. I would be done at that point.

I still have not been on Peter Pan. I need to make a point to just go out there one day with the intent of riding that ride. The magic fastpasses sound like they worked out for you! I can't believe that you ran into Denise and or Daphne so many times! It's nice that you were able to do laundry and see the show and go to Trader Sam's all at once. Your meals sounded great! I love the meatloaf at French Market, and I've never had that meal from Brennan's, but I'm sure it's really good!

I need to go back to Trader Sam's!

At Christmas was my first try of meatloaf and I am in love.

Wow! Is meatloaf not something you eat in the UK? It's a staple in American Cuisine. In fact you will see it somewhat soon in my TR!