Hotter than Hades - a Halloweentime 2015 trip report (finished 12/6)

[Vala]

Day 1: Travel


As a change to the usual routine travel this time was with British Airways. The last minute drop of Lufthansa direct flights never materialized, and as this time my friend Andrea was travelling with me for the first part of the trip we had decided to British Airways due to the stopover in London. She always gets a little nervous with immigration procedures in the US.

The second leg of the trip was with a brand new Airbus A380. I strongly recommend paying for seat reservations if you're travelling on this aircraft with BA. A couple of people close to us in middle seats were not happy.

In the end the whole journey was pretty uneventful. I don't really know what I was expecting, but with all the hype about the A380 I guess I thought some sort of epiphany was coming. The service was okay and not much slower than on the normal international aircrafts. There were some problems with in flight entertainment, it took the crew several hours to get it to work. But that can happen anywhere I guess. I did manage to nap a little, something I really had to do. Due to our early departure from Frankfurt we'd arrive in Los Angeles shortly after noon, but that wasn't the end of our trip... somehow it had seemed like a good idea to get a rental car and carry on right to Las Vegas!

So after getting through immigration and a painfully long wait to get our bags we were off to Alamo to get our car and hit the road.

Said "hitting the road" took a little longer than anticipated, especially after we got lost once we hit Las Vegas... the right turn our GPS kept telling us to to was a 100 percent left turn. But we figured it out eventually and made it to our hotel for the night, The Orleans.

 

[Vala]

Day 2 part 1: Viva Las Vegas!


Up way too early. My sleeping pattern is out of whack anyway, the time difference does not help.



We end up in the food court of the hotel - hey, at least one step up from dinner at McDonalds in Barstow the night before.



A place called Foodruckers.

Milk Shake.



Waffle.



French Toast sticks with breakfast potatoes.



Why are we staying at The Orleans you ask?



Hey, if I can't have Louis I will start looking for a replacement.

Mine, mine, mine!



Off to the MGM Grand and our reason for the detour.



Walking Dead is everywhere.



Entrance to the Experience, going down the escalators.



As no photos allowed inside a quick rundown will have to do.

It's basically a walk through experience. You're a beginner CSI, solving your first case. There's three different cases, you are randomly assigned to one. Of course once you cracked the riddle you're getting a coupon for a discounted second case. It's Vegas after all.

Anyway, there's different stations starting with the crime scene, including the lab or the autopsy. Most stations are introduced by a short video with one of the cast members.

Once you've solved the case you enter your data in the system and get a certificate signed by Grissom certifying you're now a CSI. Of course there's also the ever present gift shop and you can get your photo taken in CSI outfit.

If you're a fan it's worth doing it I think. Is it worth a 4 hour drive... well that was my personal decision to go back to Anaheim within a day as there was something happening in Disneyland Thursday morning which I really did not want to miss. I didn't hate it, far from it. But I can totally see why some people rate it as "tourist trap" online.

Shortly before noon and with a 4.50 soda in our hands - don't ask... - we hit the road again. We're trying to escape at least the worst LA rush hour, plus we had been hoping to maybe get our APs and the Photopass before park closing. At the very least the goal was to check out the new dinner buffet at Paradise Pier.

 

[Vala]

Day 2 part 2: Back at the park


We just about manage to avoid rush hour traffic and arrive at the Desert Inn a little before 4 PM. We drop off bags, then go to drop off car in DTD before getting our passes.

No issues at car return, but for some reason there are insane issues for Andrea getting her AP. It is in the system, but can't be issued.

20 minutes and one run to Lost and Found later - someone had forgot their popcorn bucket at the neighbor booth and I figured I was being nice and handed it in - Andrea still does not have her AP and we decide I'll make a run for the photo store so I cab pick up the Photopass plus. Well that is not exactly how I wanted to enter the park again after almost a year.

On the way to the Photo place I am being sidetracked by singing through the speakers though and one voice mentioning the name "Nathan." Oh. The Dapper Dans. *detour to Firehouse*







Andrea catches up with me there. They eventually got it working, and they even gave her 2 20 percent off merchandise coupons and 2 of those special "good for up to 6 riders" Fast Passes for both parks.

First stop: get Photopass - which promptly leads to another detour when an Asian pin trader with a lanyard full of Hong Kong and Tokyo Disney pins appears next to us... not even 5 minutes after I jokingly assured Andrea that no, I would not be pouncing on every Asian visitor with pins. I never mentioned Asian visitors with Chipmunk pins though.

Some flailing of arms later the young lady has some shiny Paris pins and I have a Tinkerbell, Chipmunks and a Tokyo Rapunzel pin.

Seeing Tink is in the parade Pixie Hollow hours are already over, so the first stop of our usual agenda won't happen today. Jump to step 2... BUZZ LIGHTYEAR! I really missed that ride. Paris just isn't the same.

Afterwards it's Haunted Mansion time. Try as I might, no chance to get a good picture of the Hatbox Ghost. They really had a reason for making the doombuggy shake in that area.



Our usual tradition had always been that the first meal was going to be at Goofy's Kitchen. But due to the changes (and also the fact that due to the long road trip we hadn't wanted to make a reservation) we decided to try something new: The Bonfire Barbecue at Paradise Pier.

Our first fear - "hopefully we can get a table" is already squashed. We're in fact being greeted with a "yay, customers" when we reply to the "do you want to dine with us tonight?" question with an enthusiastic "yes!" We stayed a while cause the athmosphere was so nice, and over the course of the night never saw more than 6 tables taken.

Overview of the buffet area:



Specialty pizzas - make sure to tell your server you want to try those, they are not automatically brought out.





The upper one is a goat's cheese pizza - absolutely delicious.

Speciality drinks. For the life of me I can't remember what mine was - something with coconut. Andrea had a wild berry lemonade.





Carving Station.



Now the sauces were delicious. I actually prefered them over my beloved sauce from the Ranch Barbecue and that means something. Andrea gave the ribs a thumbs up too. The tri tip however... I loved the first serving I had, it melted in my mouth. When I went back for seconds that one was very gritty and chewy.

Bread and butter:



Seafood:



Garlic bread:



Tacos and Mac and Cheese:



Chicken:



Pork Belly - didn't try, not my thing:



Mini Burgers and Hot Dogs:



Mini Stuffed Potatoes - needed a bit of salt:



Mozzarella:



The "salad Bar":



Deviled Eggs:



Salmon:



Extras at Carving Station:


Desserts:

Coconut Pineapple whatever... one of my favorites. Seems to be seasonal, it's currently not on the menu anymore.



Chocolate Bacon Caramel goodies... tastes way better than it sounds.



Fruit kebabs.



Berry Cobbler.



Dessert Pizza - again didn't try, I don't like the brioche style too much.



Build your own Strawberry Shortbread - thumbs up from all involved.



Dessert cones - the favorite all around.





Overall verdict: we enjoyed ourselves and it definitely was a meal I'd go back to. If that's the usual popularity level though I wouldn't count on it lasting much longer. It was so quiet, it was almost scary.

 

[Jennafoo]

Yay! My favorite trip reporter is back! Looking forward to reading all about your trip...

 

[Vala]

*takes a bow* Thank you.

 

[Vala]

Day 3 part 1: Minnie's Breakfast

First stop is at DTD - pin release. Not the Alice set we all had been hoping and praying for and the Ariel surprise pin isn't released either, but well, I guess the Fantasmic Dragon is something.

Happy Homecoming!

My friend Jackie meets us at the gates to join us for a Thursday tradition... Minnie's Breakfast.

Food still not our thing, but characters galore - though it did turn out that today has what seems the standard cast: hostess Minnie, Chip and Dale, Hook, Fairy Godmother, Tigger, Eeyore and Pooh. In the past years there had always been at least two guest stars in the mix. Okay then.

Still, playful and fun... unlike a really bad experience my poor friend JJ had some months ago.





Andrea loves Jungle Book and is wearing the Paris Kaa baseball cap and a Kaa shirt this morning. Lots of great reactions to that - Dale and Tigger both got hypnotized and even make her hide the cap in the end after frantically trying to cover it.

Pooh loves his drawing.





Yes, I still love you - you're the one who keeps running off with other girls. :silly:













Dale coming back to check on us and promptly spotting the munks camera bag.







Speaking of running of with someone else... *nervously checks watch* Guys, I don't know if you want to join me, but I definitely got to run off now to see someone. New Orleans Square it is!

 

[Vala]

Day 3 part 2: Piratepalooza


If you read last year's trip report you may have figured out why the watch checking anyway when I mentioned New Orleans Square.

The Bootstrappers. And usually on Thursdays my favorite pirate comes out to play.

With a very amused Jackie in tow Andrea and I take off to New Orleans Square. Where we wait. And wait some more. No Bootstrappers. It's pretty crowded, so we check out the usual performance spots. Still nothing. But Jack Skellington is out. Hmm... should be his first set. If we get in line now Sally may have joined him when it is our turn.

We get in line when I hear familiar screech... a familiar voice singing I mean. Looks like Pirate Time is even more off than I thought. *leaves line to check*

Yes, the Bootstrappers.

Hiding won't help, I am apparently recognizing your voice from a mile away.



Hi Syd.



Crow's Nest.



Stringfellow.



Crow's Nest going a little wild... the other crewmembers had to stop him.



Of course meanwhile Sally is out and we face a slightly longer line after the set.

Inspecting their picture.





Second Bootstrappers set, this time a little less hidden.





It's getting pretty hot already and the humidity is insane. We decide to skip the next set and head to get a snack, then check out the castle show - the press release said the characters would be out in Diamond Celebration outfits after the noon show in Town Square. Plus Jackie is meanwhile more than a little amused about me wanting to follow the pirates around anyway. She deserves distraction.

Snack delayed due to incoming characters on the way.



Thank god it's daytime... enough light for Jafar to sign.







And the snack... Boysen Apple Freeze. You have no idea how much I missed this.

 

[Vala]

Day 3 part 3: At the Castle


Even with the ban of selfie sticks... people will still stick their phones in front of your nose, no matter how much earlier you've been there.









No offense to the members of the new Disneyland Band. But that's one of the changes I really don't get. Why pretty much replace each and every band member? Now we have what looks like the Disneyland College Band. :/





The little dancing show is followed by a march down Main Street. Duck and munks in the lead? You bet I'll follow, doesn't matter how hot it is.

Goofy so doesn't mind the temperatures either.



On the way the Dapper Dans join and perform in front of the Train Station.



Walking up to the train station is kind of amusing... Japanese tourists with cameras two lines deep waiting already.



I hear you saying... why is she taking pictures of the Dapper Dans when there's dancing munks and a dancing duck? *points to second Dapper Dan from left - his name is Nathan *





We wait until after the show and of course.... Halloween costumes again. Grmbl.

Jackie has to leave and the heat is getting to Andrea. We decide to cross over to DCA - can't let a Fast Pass that can be used on Toy Story Mania go to waste even though everyone is melting.



Jackie leaves for the parking lot at the Grand Californian entrance and Andrea decides to flee to our hotel and air condition too. Not that I would blame her... but I have Diamond Munks and ducks to find. Well I would have if today wasn't technically a Bootstrappers day.

Still Halloween outfits when I hop back to DLR. But at least Cruella is out.



And she really seems to appreciate being asked for a photocall too - she almost seems insulted when I tell her thank you and stop taking pictures.

 

[Vala]

Day 3 part 4: Back at New Orleans Square


The setting of New Orleans Square is of course ideal for the Bootstrappers. And while I love the sets in the little side streets or in front of the former Court of Angels... if it gets crowded it's kind of hard to watch these. Yes, the streets are narrow, so foot traffic crossing can't be avoided. But for the love of everything shiny and fluffy, if you want to discuss your dinner plans or heaven forbid get into a full blown fight with your wife, why do you feel the need to do this in front of a group of performers, even moreso when a rather significant audience is actually trying to enjoy the performance??? [/rant]

Olin. I never figured out if he's the Captain, but he's kind of the lead singer.



Yuri, the piper.



Syd having another one of his "moments."













The next set is in front of Cafe Orleans which funny enough has way less foot traffic than the side streets... is there a diversion I didn't catch?













Finally some people cross after all, among them a couple where Syd seems to like the girl. So... Olin gets to hold the instrument, Syd tells the boyfriend "excuse me" in his own special way, takes the arm of the girl... and much to everyone's amusement she actually walks off with him.



Before anyone states the obvious: It's not like I would have put up a fight, but my boyfriend certainly would have.



Oh my god, they killed Syd.



He did recover in the end, but the picture does look kind of spectactular, doesn't it?

In set break I walk past the Mansion



to check out Pooh's line - much too long. Back to wait for the final set of the day.

 

[Vala]

Day 3 part 5: Oh Captain my Captain


Court of Angels again as it mostly happens for the last set.







Cap and Thor are still out after the set is finished, so I make my way to Tomorrowland.



I'm not sure if you noticed my shirt. It says "Major Trouble" with "Major" crossed off and "Lt. Colonel" replacing it. It's an older one which I made as an inside joke when one of my favorite characters on the TV show Stargate: Atlantis got promoted.

Now Thor spots it and asks me if I outrank Captain America. Yes, if my knowledge of American Army ranks is correct I most certainly do. This prompts Thor to ask why everyone is even addressing Captain America as Captain when he isn't a real Captain, but no one calls Jack Sparrow Captain. The (female) CM holding my camera tells him: "I'd call him Captain." Me being me I quickly add: "I'll call him anything he wants me to call him." Have you ever seen an Asgardian god laugh, a full belly laugh? Well I have now.



How Cap didn't catch anything of that is beyond me.





Andrea texts, she's hungry. I grab food and some drink and head back to the hotel.



Near the ticket booths the heat is getting too much and I decide to open a bottle of Sprite - which I bought in Fantasyland and had in my hand all the way. Bad mistake. Seriously bad mistake. I don't know what they did to the bottle before cause I really didn't do anything that could have caused this. When I open it the whole thing pretty much explodes, Sprite everywhere. Worst bit? I had my camera around my neck. So of course the obvious thing was try to cover camera while getting rid of bottle... which leaves me wet and sticky in almost 40 degree heat. Not good. Run back to the hotel, clean camera, get a shower, wash clothes - option 2 of Garden Walk and dinner had sounded better.

 

[Vala]

Day 4 part 1: Pixie Hollow at last


Andrea decides to take it slow and we agree to meet up for lunch. It's really very humid, and that's getting to her badly. Even when I open the door to head out for the pin release at Soda Fountain it feels like I am walking against a wall.

My friend Aaron kindly picks me up and we hit GSF at the crack of dawn - only to have me get the mother of all bad numbers. At least Aaron behind me gets a really good one, so we get one set - and I have the consolation that if I hadn't gone he would have had the bad number, so my sacrifice of getting up at 3 AM at least wasn't in vain. The Pin Trader Delights have not flipped either. That Creeper pin really wants to rival Stinky Pete from last year! Almost 800 people out for the release. Okay, that I did not expect. Now I am really worried about the Villains release next Friday - those pins I REALLY want!

Back at the park.

The characters in Halloween outfits are already out and about when I walk in. Only Pluto and Mickey have lines from hell... I guess our Japanese friends are sleeping in. Might as well start getting some photos done.







Donald had come out when I had been half way through Minnie's line, so of course I'm making a beeline for him next. Little did I know how familiar I would become with the sight of this cute little pumpkin over the next two weeks.

There is a little misunderstanding in front of me which is blamed on not having enough coffee. Donald agrees he is missing some Pumpkin Spice Latte.



This gives me a cute photo idea - let's be Zombies!



Forget about Walking Dead, here come Walking Ducks!



Don't mind my bags in the next shot - Donald being the pro that he is insisted that I needed to line him up with the pumpkin in the background.



Next stop... Team Chipmunk!







Surprisingly: still a very short line at Pixie Hollow. Are people really sleeping in?

Another surprise when I walk in: Fawn is visiting. She and Rosetta had been the fairies which were hardest to catch last year. To meet her first thing - definitely a great success.





Tink - really happy that I had a pin of her on my lanyard.







JJ had been hoping to make it in for the first set of the Bootstrappers, but no word from her yet and still some time to kill anyway. My next venture: find Frollo.

 

[Vala]

Day 4 part 2: The real Ruler of Paris


Frollo is not even close to the times on the app... yeah, I'm beginning to figure out that the app at best is a guideline. He is roaming, many people seem to be afraid to approach him.







On the way to New Orleans Square I quicky visit the goats at the Ranch, friends of mine were curious if they have Halloween scarves this year. They have not.





The Bootstrappers crew is tiny today until one of the older crew members shows up half way through the first set. Two older guys, a new crew member named Diamond Jim, Mean Jean and Yuri.







I message JJ and tell her to meet in Town Square for the Dappers.

 

[Vala]

Day 4 part 3: Town Square


The Dappers are in front of the Firehouse. At least you have to rarely hunt for them!





JJ is running a bit late and Mickey is just coming out... one more quick line.







I timed it right - now Goofy has no line cause our Japanese friends have discovered Mickey.

 

[kateandy08096]

Awesome TR!!! Is Jack & Sally always avail for pics? I will be in DL April 1st to 8th and hope to see characters I havent seen yet in WDW. Thanks!!

 

[superkick555]

Sounds like a great time and the paradise pier hotels buffet looks tasty

 

[Vala]

Awesome TR!!! Is Jack & Sally always avail for pics? I will be in DL April 1st to 8th and hope to see characters I havent seen yet in WDW. Thanks!!

No, unfortunately Jack and Sally are only out for the duration of Haunted Mansion Holiday. So Halloween and Christmas season. Jack seems to be doing the first set alone, after that normally Sally joins him.

Sounds like a great time and the paradise pier hotels buffet looks tasty

Yes, we were very pleasantly surprised by that buffet. I was shocked about the little crowd. I know it's out of the way, but the food is good and it's really not that pricey either.

 

[Vala]

Day 4 part 4: On the hunt


JJ finally makes it - yay! Hugs all around.

We decide to skip the Bootstrappers and watch the last Dappers set before lunch at Cafe Orleans. Remember my last posts about rarely having to hunt? Yeah, scratch that. We end up finding them doing store sets, which rarely happens.





On the way to meet with Andrea we bump into Jack and Sally coming back from a break.



Three Cheese Monte Cristo:



Pommes Frites:



Andrea decides to go take some pictures and then back to the hotel - the humidity is killing everyone.

JJ and I switch over to DCA. Two of the Mad T Party performers are having an album release the week after and are doing kind of a hide and seek game in the park as some sort of promotion. Think Where's Waldo, Dapper Day style. Of course hints were being posted on social media, mostly on one of the few things neither JJ and I use. But our superior sleuthing skills (TM) win... we're actually first to spot them. Well I am first to spot them... JJ is busy talking to Officer Blue. So I am trying to get her attention as innocently as possible, but several "JJ!!" whispers are ignored until I actually start slapping her arm... which of course does not go unnoticed by the subjects we hunt for. *clears throat, tries to look innocent and miserably fails* Serves me right for wearing a bright blue shirt that's too easily spotted I guess.

So everyone, say hi to Dan Franklin and Johnny Gomez.



From left to right: Dan, yours truly, Johnny.

Some picture taking later - it was supposed to be a selfie quest, but the guys were nice enough to let us take real pictures because both JJ and I suck at taking selfies - we quickly catch a Newsboys performance. So that's where our Japanese friends have been hiding.



Afterwards we take a quick look at the T Party stage.



Actually meant to be a quick check for lanyards than anything else. But we are both surprised to see that the front of stage is already taken and there is barely room at the Dormouse side - of course the Dormouse and Hare side switches since last year and the Dormouse side is now harder because the Hatter fans also stand there. So... camping out it is.

 

[Vala]

Day 4 part 5: Mad T Party

Before T I have to run off quickly and get the rental car for tomorrow, Andrea and I are doing a day trip. That leads to a serious delay... it takes me over half hour to get back into the park. Rumor is that Disneyland was at capacity due to Dapper Day, that spilled over to DCA.

While the show is called "Diamond Mad T Party" now and does have some new songs it's still the same characters in the band.

Alice, the female lead singer.



Our host, the Mad Hatter.



Cheshire Cat on the drums.



Guitars...

Dormouse



and March Hare.



Caterpillar at the keyboard.



With the new sets Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum are making stage appearances too.



And the White Rabbit DJ who's on stage during band breaks.



Dormouse and Hare jamming.



*considers founding Society against March Hare abuse* - Alice was really out for him.




No idea how he does it, but he always seems to know when there's a camera aiming at him.





Another thing Alice seemed to get into... no complaints from Dormouse.



During the first longer set break JJ sends me off to go and see if I could find the Tweedles or the flamingo seeing I never had my photos taken with them. No luck with the Tweedles - but the flamingo went straight for my ears.



House of Cards.



Alice is up to something.



Artsy photo... I really was trying not to take Hatter pictures that night.



Dormouse decided it was time to back up Alice...





I'm a rock star and I know it.





One of the new segments, a video camera is brought out.









I've been trying to get a good shot of that for the last two years.









Bad Dormouse!

 

[Vala]

Day 4 part 6: Paint the Night


After T it's a run for Tomorrowland Terrace. The stage there will close at the end of September, so the last band performances are pretty crowded.

After one set jetlag catches up with me and I bid good bye to JJ.

Unfortunately I timed it really wrong - I have to leave the park against the incoming parade.

So as a wrap up for the day here's some parade photos taken while I was stuck.

 

[Vala]

Day 5 part 1: El Capitan


Our day trip - okay, half day trip: We have VIP tickets for the first showing of Aladdin at El Captain Theater downtown this morning and we're having character breakfast at Soda Fountain with the Genie beforehand.

VIP tickets sound a little fancier than they actually are. They include a slightly better seat, popcorn and a drink. There used to be a pin too, but there hasn't been one lately for a number of movies.

We left a little extra time for traffic and in case we'd get lost, but I do remember the way from the night before still and we're a little early.





Breakfast before breakfast at Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf down the street.



A not so nice surprise at the Soda Fountain. Jackie did book our tickets cause they only allow orders from American and Canadian addresses. She had specifically called in to have the name changed, prebook our meal choices and also arrange for movie ticket pick up at Soda Fountain. Nothing of that happened.

Thank god I look perplexed enough that the supervisor of the whole thing lets us in and promises to sort out our tickets.

Chocolate muffin and blueberry yoghurt.



The menu.





Still Creeper - supervisor tells me they are close to selling out but even if they do today it's Saturday and they won't release new ones on Saturday. Soda Fountain makes up so many rules for pins nowadays, I am really losing track.

The Alice set is still there - yay, I will get it after all!



Unfortunately at check out they tell me no more Chessie. uppy: Our server is really sweet though - she collects pins as well and when I trade her a Paris pin for her mom she tells me she has an extra Chessie and will mail him to me.

Main breakfast:



Each table is called separately, you meet the Genie in the cinema lobby.





The supervisor has meanwhile really sorted out our tickets, so we're being shuffled in the Theater with the others.

The famous Wurlitzer.





Genie does a little routine on stage before the movie too.



After the show I'm kind of surprised to see the Supervisor in the cinema lobby, waiting for me. They found a Chessie for me!

My local friends always say the service at Soda Fountain can be very questionable. But apparently playing the tourist card makes them behave. Well okay... I didn't even play it. I just looked the part.