TR w/4000+ Pics/Disney on Ice w/184 Pics!!

[Sherry E]

Oh, and I forgot to say that the chicken dinner at Knott's looks amazing - waaaaaay better than it looked whenever I last had it (as a child!). (I also enjoy the Knott's preserves!!)

It's funny about Knott's. I'm glad it's there and it has its rightful place in amusement park history, but it's so obvious when you are there that it is just not even close to being as magical or fun or detailed as a Disney park. I haven't been to Knott's since I was a kid, but even then I could tell it didn't hold a candle to Disney.

Even when we used to have Busch Gardens and Marineland in SoCal (more amusement park options) decades ago, I was never as excited to go to those places as I was to go to DL. And today - Magic Mountain? Yuck. And Universal Studios? Well, it has some highlights, and it also has its rightful place in SoCal amusement park history, but I have never been itching to get back to USH to look at all the wonderful details or anything like I have beem/am with DLR.

Disney really is miles ahead of all of its competitors in the theme park world.

 

[kaoden39]

I actually liked the Tail o' the Pup chili dogs better than Pink's. Their chili was less, what should I call it, in your face than Pink's is. Pink's is good too, but I think it's a bit stronger of a chili than TOTP was. But when TOTP closed down, Pink's got some new business.

There's another chili place on Sunset Blvd. called Carney's (it's a restaurant in a big cable car/street car/train kind of structure) - they also serve yummy burgers and hot dogs, and they are locally popular but they never quite caught on like Tail o' the Pup hot dog or, especially, Pink's.

I like Disneyland's chili that they put in the bread bowls. I am lame.

Oh, and I forgot to say that the chicken dinner at Knott's looks amazing - waaaaaay better than it looked whenever I last had it (as a child!). (I also enjoy the Knott's preserves!!)

It's funny about Knott's. I'm glad it's there and it has its rightful place in amusement park history, but it's so obvious when you are there that it is just not even close to being as magical or fun or detailed as a Disney park. I haven't been to Knott's since I was a kid, but even then I could tell it didn't hold a candle to Disney.

Even when we used to have Busch Gardens and Marineland in SoCal (more amusement park options) decades ago, I was never as excited to go to those places as I was to go to DL. And today - Magic Mountain? Yuck. And Universal Studios? Well, it has some highlights, and it also has its rightful place in SoCal amusement park history, but I have never been itching to get back to USH to look at all the wonderful details or anything like I have beem/am with DLR.

Disney really is miles ahead of all of its competitors in the theme park world.

I loved Marineland when I went as a kid. I also loved Marine World which was a great park before Six Flags bought it.

 

[Sherry E]

I like Disneyland's chili that they put in the bread bowls. I am lame.



I loved Marineland when I went as a kid. I also loved Marine World which was a great park before Six Flags bought it.

I never made it to Marine World but always wanted to go. I do miss Marineland, though (even though it still didn't hold a candle to Disney). Somehow, the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach and Sea World in San Diego don't fill the Marineland void for me!

One thing I did like about Busch Gardens as a kid was that several of the gift shops smelled like incense or strong berry-scented candles. It was everywhere we went. Those smells stuck out in my mind.

As for chili - I haven't tried the stuff at DLR yet. As far as I know, all the DLR chili has beans in it, right? I like my chili without beans most of the time.

However, you're not lame. I will admit to liking Dennison's chili in the can - that has to be lamer than liking the stuff in the bread bowl!!

 

[kaoden39]

I never made it to Marine World but always wanted to go. I do miss Marineland, though (even though it still didn't hold a candle to Disney). Somehow, the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach and Sea World in San Diego don't fill the Marineland void for me!

One thing I did like about Busch Gardens as a kid was that several of the gift shops smelled like incense or strong berry-scented candles. It was everywhere we went. Those smells stuck out in my mind.

As for chili - I haven't tried the stuff at DLR yet. As far as I know, all the DLR chili has beans in it, right? I like my chili without beans most of the time.

However, you're not lame. I will admit to liking Dennison's chili in the can - that has to be lamer than liking the stuff in the bread bowl!!

Honestly the first thing that crossed my mind was Dennison's when we had them. But everything is better in a bread bowl.

 

[DizNee Luver]

We made our way to:

& saw this:

But we didn't think we were quite in the right spot for getting pictures, so we ended up taking a very long trip around the block & ended up passing by the NBC Studios again.....lol:

A couple signs:

Now lookie what we found!!!:

To the left:

To the left of center:

Right of center:

Right side:

These are on the top of the rod iron fence surrounding the property:

More Walt Disney Studios coming up!!

 

[kaoden39]

Aren't those Mickey heads cute?

 

[DizNee Luver]

They really missed out then!!

I would say that Pink's has equal parts local following and tourists (and celebrities, although the celebs don't always go there in person, but I will explain that in a second). I am 43, but I remember long lines for Pink's way back when I was 14 and chowing down on their chili burgers! It has grown in popularity over the last few decades, for sure, but it has a diehard local following.

As for famous people at Pink's, a lot of the entertainment companies in this general area - and there are many - send their runners/assistants out to get mass quantities of Pink's Hot Dogs to bring back to the offices, or they order a bunch of Pink's stuff for cast parties and things like that. Every now and then a few celebs show up at Pink's - there is a famous story about Bill Cosby showing up there, for example - but mostly they order things to be sent to them on movie sets far away or they have their assistants do the dirty work and get the food for them.

Another reason why Pink's spiked in popularity - other than word of mouth - over the last decade is because another local favorite hot dog place - Tail o' the Pup - closed down. TOTP had a different kind of chili - it tasted different than Pink's, but was very yummy and had a definite following. TOTP was the place that is famous in photos - you've all seen it. It's the giant hot dog with a window in front. It was an iconic part of L.A. scenery, just like the giant doughnut that belongs to Randy's Donuts.

So when TOTP closed down, sadly, I think a lot of the chili dog lovers migrated over to Pink's, and crowds increased. I guess there just was not enough room in this town for two hot dog giants!!

I thought I had the fifty-fifty guess about right.....I had seen documentaries that had Pink's history in it......I would have loved to try one....just so I could say I ate one....but didn't feel like standing in a long line or eating right after having a doughnut in the car.

Loved the latest installment and I TOTALLY agree about the Knott's as I told you. Ghostrider just about killed me when I rode on it and like you NEVER again!! As I mentioned we just felt like it was NOT that fun. The rides were too big for our kids at that point and like you said NO shade and it just seemed dirty and just NOT fun. We left early so no chicken dinner either. I WOULD like to try it but don't know if we will ever venture that way since we very rarely have a car when we are there.

Loved your other day and all the fun places you saw. We used to have krispy kreme here in town but they got rid of them all. I don't know why cuz I loved their donuts and the kids loved watching them make them. Did that one have a pickle on it? It kind of looked like it LOL.

And I am not a huge hot dog fan so don't know if I would even venture a try or not.

Can't wait to see the next installment!!

I'm not sure which donut you're questioning but I can guarantee, no one had doughnuts & pickles......lol

I forgot to mention this in my Knott's review....so here goes:

Knott's was filthy!! The bathrooms had toilet paper & paper towels all over the floor....you literally had to wade thru it to get in & out. The tables, seats, benches were sticky, there was garbage on the ground, people were smoking way outside the smoking areas & I stepped on 2 wads of gum in the first 30 minutes.......GROSS!! You didn't want to touch or sit on anything & you took your life in your hands if you needed the restroom!!

Ok, off my soapbox!!

I actually liked the Tail o' the Pup chili dogs better than Pink's. Their chili was less, what should I call it, in your face than Pink's is. Pink's is good too, but I think it's a bit stronger of a chili than TOTP was. But when TOTP closed down, Pink's got some new business.

There's another chili place on Sunset Blvd. called Carney's (it's a restaurant in a big cable car/street car/train kind of structure) - they also serve yummy burgers and hot dogs, and they are locally popular but they never quite caught on like Tail o' the Pup hot dog or, especially, Pink's.

Hmmm, I'd be interested in looking up Carney's next time....fascinated with restaurants that are made in trains, cable cars, etc.....just weird that way!!

Oh, and I forgot to say that the chicken dinner at Knott's looks amazing - waaaaaay better than it looked whenever I last had it (as a child!). (I also enjoy the Knott's preserves!!)

It's funny about Knott's. I'm glad it's there and it has its rightful place in amusement park history, but it's so obvious when you are there that it is just not even close to being as magical or fun or detailed as a Disney park. I haven't been to Knott's since I was a kid, but even then I could tell it didn't hold a candle to Disney.

Even when we used to have Busch Gardens and Marineland in SoCal (more amusement park options) decades ago, I was never as excited to go to those places as I was to go to DL. And today - Magic Mountain? Yuck. And Universal Studios? Well, it has some highlights, and it also has its rightful place in SoCal amusement park history, but I have never been itching to get back to USH to look at all the wonderful details or anything like I have beem/am with DLR.

Disney really is miles ahead of all of its competitors in the theme park world.

The chicken dinner was sooooooo good!! Tasted better than the pictures gave it justice!! The whole experience with this restaurant was positive!! Worth it to just visit Knott's for that.

 

[DizNee Luver]

These were on either side of the gate:

The water tower:

Have I mentioned how much I loved my new camera!!:

The Partner's Statue located just to the right of center thru the gates:

The building with the 7 Dwarfs holding it up:

Sleepy:

Happy:

Grumpy:

Dopey:

Doc:

Sneezy:

Bashful:

This was to the far right side of the main gate:

 

[DizNee Luver]

Aren't those Mickey heads cute?

Yes, yes they are!!

 

[kaoden39]

Those are my favorite kind of palm trees!! I wouldn't mind a couple for my front yard.

 

[DizNee Luver]

We decided to drive to the backside to try & get more pics of the water tower & realized when we got back there.....we had totally forgotten about the Sorcerer Mickey hat!! We found it!!

More water tower:

The Roy E. Disney Animation Building:

A studio sign:

Another Disney Studio Building to the right of the animation building:

We got back on:

And got a couple more pics from where we first started at (but didn't get out for pics):

The commissary sign......begs to wonder if the commissary is ever open to the public???

One more Disney building:

So finishes our Walt Disney Studios tour....thank you for joining us on this colorful pictorial. Please take your seats & we will continue our Hollywood tour in just a few minutes.......lol

 

[DizNee Luver]

Those are my favorite kind of palm trees!! I wouldn't mind a couple for my front yard.

The metal ones?? I like palm trees they seem so tropical!!

 

[kaoden39]

The metal ones?? I like palm trees they seem so tropical!!

I love them but they are messy. Especially when it is windy which it is most of the time here.

 

[DizNee Luver]

As we continued on, I tried to snap a pic of Forest Lawn but it didn't come out very well:

The hills above Forest Lawn were used in the opening shots for the TV show M*A*S*H (at least that is what I've read & heard......it looks about right):

We went by the record studio building again:

Our next destination was the Bob's Big Boy in Burbank. Mike & I used to eat at these when we lived in Wyoming right after we were married. We also ate at them in Arizona as we traveled (via Disneyland & Knott's in 1984) back to Oregon. Loved their burgers & was excited to find some still in business!!:

The lobby/interior:

While we were waiting to be seated:

Next up.....FOOD PORN!!!

 

[DizNee Luver]

I love them but they are messy. Especially when it is windy which it is most of the time here.

I didn't know that....since I haven't lived in Cali or Hawaii....

 

[kaoden39]

I didn't know that....since I haven't lived in Cali or Hawaii....

I didn't realize there weren't palm trees in Oregon. What a silly one I am.

 

[DizNee Luver]

The menu....most of us went with their Big Boy Combos.

Bob Big Boy Statue in the dining room:

Pics of the family:

A picture on the wall near us & a look at the dining room:

The twins:

Shy's cup:

As promised: *+*+*+Food Porn+*+*+* So delicious!!

One more time at the statue in the front before we headed back on the road!!

Next up....let's go get touristy on the Walk of Fame!

 

[kaoden39]

Those onion rings look so good. I love good onion rings, I can make a meal out of good onion rings.

The twins were smiling so cute at the table in Bob's.

 

[Sherry E]

I must say, Laurie - the food pictures in this entire TR are out of this world!! Each and every set of them is making me so hungry! From Goofy's to Ariel's (which I never even had any interest in eating at until looking at your photos) to Knott's to Bob's Big Boy, and on and on... I have even eaten at Carnation Cafe for breakfast and didn't care for it that much - but your photos make the food look so much better than I thought it was!! And Bob's - like Knott's - is another place I haven't eaten at since childhood, but I remember loving their burgers and, most importantly...the HOT FUDGE CAKE!!! It was insane!!

You and Michele were discussing the palm trees. I know what Michele means about the palms being messy. The palm frons fly off of the trees and land all over the place. After a really windy day, it is a mess in the streets!

Funny you guys mentioned the trees - that's another great detail that I love in DLR. In front of the Paradise Pier Hotel, there are big palm trees to support the whole beachy/sunny SoCal theme of the PPH.

However, it's a different world across the street at the Grand Californian Hotel, which is hidden behind fir (or are they pine?) trees, indicating that you have, perhaps, stepped into a lodge in NorCal somewhere. So you get both ends of California represented in the trees on Disneyland Drive!!

 

[kaoden39]

Disney themes things so well. The landscaping even shows that.