A Fistful of Fastpasses: Disneyland with the DIS and ABD! (Final Day post #205-10/4)

[ymxbfalcon]

Overall, this experience was pretty good, but it didn’t have the wow-level that Imagineering did. It also was getting very warm in the day. I wonder if they had switch the two portions and put the Studios first if that would have made this part of the tour better.

This may have been an improvement, as Imagineering is a very tough act to follow. It really did make the whole trip seem worthwhile. Of course, if we hadn't gone there first, we may have just spent the whole morning counting down the minutes until it was time to go to Imagineering.

 

[PrincessInOz]

Yup, the partners statue is just sitting on the ground at the end of the plaza. The guides encouraged us to "lay hands" on it.

I don't think the artwork was cells, but a lot of concept art and artists sketches. For instance the Aladdin stuff was obviously not what actually made it into the movie. No way to really know what is original versus print. It was kind of the only part of the day we were allowed to take pictures, and I thought some of it was pretty neat.

How do you find out the value of a pin? I told DW that if I cared enough about it, I could probably find some pins at MOG that would help offset the cost of our trip, but I just couldn't be bothered to do the research. I doubt I will sell my PINs though.

I don't really collect pins, so take this with a grain a salt ....but I gather most people go to eBay or pinpics to work out value. I guess it comes down to what someone else would pay for it?

 

[skier_pete]

This may have been an improvement, as Imagineering is a very tough act to follow. It really did make the whole trip seem worthwhile. Of course, if we hadn't gone there first, we may have just spent the whole morning counting down the minutes until it was time to go to Imagineering.

So true, it wouldn't have compared well to imagineering either way...but I think it could've been better. (Again, avoiding details, but the WB tour we took on Sunday before the trip was in many ways a "better" tour.)

I don't really collect pins, so take this with a grain a salt ....but I gather most people go to eBay or pinpics to work out value. I guess it comes down to what someone else would pay for it?

I did look it up, it's a limited edition pin only 300 produced, but seems to be going for $19-$25 on e-bay, so I don't think I'm going to care that much about making $10 to try and sell it. But thanks for the advice.

 

[skier_pete]

The bus arrived at our hotel at I think about 4:30 PM. We were allowed about 40 minutes to go to our room and freshen up as we had to meet in the lobby at like 5:15 PM. We were staying at the Grand Californian Hotel and Spa – which normally runs about $500 a night. The hotel was very grand and very nice, but it’s really about location being adjacent to the California Adventure park. I will review the hotel at the end of the trip report. Suffice it to say we were rarely awake in our room for more than one hour intervals. Here are some initial pictures of the room.







The room location was pretty bad with a view of the parking lot – some people in our group were annoyed by this and I think asked for a room change. Me, I knew that they would give us the ****ty rooms, since ABD I’m sure doesn’t pay the DGC full price for the rooms – and they’d rather reserve the “good rooms” for the paying customers. Oh well, while a view of World of Color would’ve been nice, we were never in our room when it was going, so not sure even that would’ve been enjoyed.

Anyways, when we met in the lobby, our guides introduced us to one of the Disney Ambassadors – I forgot her name – these are people that go around the world preaching the Disney name and have been going on since Walt introduced the idea in 1965.



A nice touch, but much more impressive is at one point we turned around, and someone spotted Disney Legend Bob Gurr walking through the lobby. For those that don’t know who he is, I will save you the trip to Wikipedia:

Robert Henry Gurr (born October 25, 1931 in Los Angeles, California) is an American amusement ride designer and Imagineer. His most famous work was for Walt Disney's Disneyland Park, and its subsequent sister parks. Gurr is said to have designed most, if not all, of the ride vehicles of the Disneyland attractions, including Autopia, Haunted Mansion, the Disneyland Monorail, the Submarine Voyage, and the Matterhorn Bobsleds. He was named a Disney Legend in 2004. He also worked on the King Kong Encounter animatronic for Universal Studios Hollywood. Gurr began his career with Disney designing the Autopia vehicles. He later gave himself the title of Director of Special Vehicle Development

He wasn’t part of our tour, but was there for a party of Tony Baxter at Club 33, which we didn’t get invited to (DARN!). However, he was kind enough to take pictures with everyone in the group before he headed out.



Our guides then took us into the front entrance of the Disneyland Park where they got us in without a wait at the turnstiles (a common occurrence going forward – its quite easy to get used to the glares of the regular guests as you are breezing past them)





Note the crowd level in the park right now – because our pictures tomorrow will look VERY different!









We were heading back to Mickey’s Backyard BBQ at Big Thunder Ranch.









Dinner was actually very good here even though it was just chicken and ribs and corn bread and beans and cole slaw. There were also performers on stage, but we were sort of far away from them.

After this was over, we were allowed to have a little free time if we wanted, and they handed out a set of Fastpasses.



However first they brought us over to ride Haunted Mansion together.





One of the neatest moments of the trip happened when the whole group started reciting the spiel along with the Ghost Host. A bunch of Disney geeks all in a room together, how to resist? The moment was priceless, and I was laughing so hard I couldn’t join in, as was the Cast Member who was hosting us.

For those that would like to see this – here is the link that “DarthVader92” posted of that experience:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8C7Zk6muOdk

After we had a short time on our own before Fantasmic! And a single fastpass to use, so everyone decided to go on Indiana Jones. However, as we went over there, DW decided she had to go to the restrooms. Most of the group decided not to bother waiting, and only a few others were nice enough to stay with us. A few shots I took in the queue:







Day 4 concludes in the next post...

 

[skier_pete]

We went back for Fantasmic and got to enjoy the dessert party / private seating view with the show. Heres the snack tray they provided, it was pretty darn good!





And some pictures of everyone waiting for the show to start:



You can see DW in that first picture. We ended up not sitting together for this show, which was fine&we got to be together most of the time. This was the other chance she had to talk to the podcasters, but again they were more on their phones than talking to her.













Now onto the show. These are pictures that Dean and Matt took&they came out remarkably well. For those that havent seen the DL version  there be (slight) spoilers here!



















My review of Fantasmic! At DL. First off, I am not a HUGE fan of DHSs Fantasmic! I think it is OK, and there are parts of it I like, but we have only seen it a few times because DD doesnt like it. It seems to be universally accepted that Disneylands version is vastly superior, but I am going to rail against the Universe. The differences here are (a) you are much closer to the action, (b) its more integrated within the park. BUT, I dont think that makes it wholly better. The part with Peter Pan on the Columbia is probably as cool as anything in either show, and the Maleficient/Dragon at the end is maybe better, but to me the one in Florida feels more EPIC in scale like it really should. So, honestly overall, I might slot this one as just slightly better, but I wouldnt say it is a clear winner to me. The fact you normally have to wait hours to see it is a real negative too!

The show broke up about 9:30 PM, and several of us headed to Pirates of the Carribean for one more ride so we could avoid the crowds coming out of the park. It was good we did this, because it turned out that we never did get back to Pirates (they were going to take us on it as a group, but it ended up that it was shut down then). At that point it was 10 PM and we had been on the go for about 15 hours and we were beat, so we went back to the hotel to get some sleep.

First day, three rides and one show.

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly for Day 4

The Good (Can I just say EVERYTHING? NO, OK.)
Imagineering
Haunted Mansion Stretch Room
Being let into the park through our own gate.
Reserved Seating for Fantasmic!
BOB FREAKIN GURR!

The Bad
The heat outdoors trudging around at the Disney Studios.
Theres where Walts Office was. Can we go in there. No.

The Ugly
The frenzy of Mickeys of Glendale
Los Angeles traffic at 2:30 in the afternoon!
Being given almost no time to freshen up after a long day. We had been given the wise advice by Kevin Klose to pack clothes on the bus, otherwise we didnt even have time to get our suitcases. Still not as ugly as Thursday morning, though!

A few comments - I notice I am up to almost 8,000 hits on this thread. Thank you everyone that is reading along! Coming up for Day 5 will likely be very picture heavy but not as description heavy. I took over 400 pictures on that day alone, and that's when we weren't backstage. Again, I am not going to talk about what we did backstage, but there will still be lots of stuff to see and read about.

 

[Disneygrl36]

I am the one that spotted Bob Gurr!!!! I turned around & there he was!
Loving seeing your pictures & hearing your take on things Pete. I think Fantasmic is soooo much better at Disneyland. And this time getting a chair & the dessert box was a great way to see the show-last time we had a special area but had to sit on the ground so this was a great upgrade.

 

[ymxbfalcon]

One of the neatest moments of the trip happened when the whole group started reciting the spiel along with the Ghost Host. A bunch of Disney geeks all in a room together, how to resist? The moment was priceless, and I was laughing so hard I couldn’t join in, as was the Cast Member who was hosting us.

For those that would like to see this – here is the link that “DarthVader92” posted of that experience:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8C7Zk6muOdk

After we had a short time on our own before Fantasmic! And a single fastpass to use, so everyone decided to go on Indiana Jones. However, as we went over there, DW decided she had to go to the restrooms. Most of the group decided not to bother waiting, and only a few others were nice enough to stay with us.

The Haunted Mansion really was a lot of fun, wasn't it? It was awfully nice to experience a Disney attraction with a group of "hard core" Disney fans. I'm sorry that the two of you were left behind on the way to Indiana Jones, though. I've come to realize that it's really not easy to travel with such a large group of people. Our short journey through the crowds from the Haunted Mansion to Indy really gave me an appreciation for Matt and Dean and all they did to keep us so organized throughout the Adventure.

 

[khertz]

What a fun update! I'm kind of with you on Fantasmic though. I didn't find it was all that great at DL compared to DHS, except for the dragon. That thing is just amazing! But I think I'm really just not a fan of the show period, so standing up to watch it didn't do much for me in that regard.

Great update!!

 

[skier_pete]

I am the one that spotted Bob Gurr!!!! I turned around & there he was!
Loving seeing your pictures & hearing your take on things Pete. I think Fantasmic is soooo much better at Disneyland. And this time getting a chair & the dessert box was a great way to see the show-last time we had a special area but had to sit on the ground so this was a great upgrade.

Well, good job on spotting him. I honestly could probably have Tom Cruise sit down next to me and wouldn't notice. It was so nice of him to take the time to get his picture with us bunch of wackos.

The chairs and dessert (which I had no room to eat) were certainly a big plus.

The Haunted Mansion really was a lot of fun, wasn't it? It was awfully nice to experience a Disney attraction with a group of "hard core" Disney fans. I'm sorry that the two of you were left behind on the way to Indiana Jones, though. I've come to realize that it's really not easy to travel with such a large group of people. Our short journey through the crowds from the Haunted Mansion to Indy really gave me an appreciation for Matt and Dean and all they did to keep us so organized throughout the Adventure.

Well, I only mentioned it because we walked over as one (mostly) big group, and then when we got to the ride and DW said she had to use the restroom, someone said, "OK, we'll split into two groups." and then EVERYONE went on the ride, leaving me standing alone. The four who stuck with us came up a minute later, and it was nice that they waited. (I don't want to make a big deal about it, I was not mad or upset, I just thought it was funny the way it happened.)

Those white placards were an important accessory though, weren't they!

What a fun update! I'm kind of with you on Fantasmic though. I didn't find it was all that great at DL compared to DHS, except for the dragon. That thing is just amazing! But I think I'm really just not a fan of the show period, so standing up to watch it didn't do much for me in that regard.

Great update!!

Looks like again we agree on something. Shocking I know. I am just not a huge fan of Fantasmic! The dragon and the stunts done on the Columbia were impressive. Maybe its also comparing it to World of Color, which mostly blows Fantasmic away.

 

[ymxbfalcon]

The chairs and dessert (which I had no room to eat) were certainly a big plus.

I ate a little that night, but I brought most of the food back to the hotel with me. I was still eating some of it on Friday, which means it lasted for four days. I thought it was nice that it included not just desserts but also things like grapes and cheese which made for a good light snack on some of the midday breaks I took from the parks later in the trip.

Those white placards were an important accessory though, weren't they!

As a teacher, I have a deep appreciation for the challenges involved in organizing large groups of people. It was very tempting to sneak those "Adventures By Disney" paddles into my luggage to use on my next field trip.

 

[Disneygrl36]

It was really nice of Bob Gurr to take the photos with us. I will share what I said to him as I turned around or at least this is how I remember it.
Me: Oh my it's Bob Gurr
Bob Gurr: What are all of you doing? This looks like an important group.
Me: We are on Adventuers by Disney.
Bob Gurr: Oh.
Me: Can I take your picture?
Bob Gurr: Sure
Me; Wait a minute, can I get in the picture too?
Bob Gurr: I was wondering when you were going to figure that part out.
How cute was that?

Sorry we didn't wait on you guys. The same thing happened to us when everyone headed to pirates. I had to go potty & we got left behind. As Angie said, it's hard to keep a big group together for sure. AND I would love to have one of those paddles of power for sure.

I think I ate some grapes that night but took most of mine back & after long days I was glad to have that cheese & crackers as a snack for sure. Eric ate his sweet treats but saved the rest.

 

[Tinker326]

Great update! Thanks!

We stayed at the Pacific Pier Hotel when we went to DL- just walked through the Grand Californian to get to the parks. Reminded me very much of Wilderness Lodge- which we stayed at before & loved. (it's my DH favorite of Disney hotels).

 

[OKW Lover]

It was really nice of Bob Gurr to take the photos with us. I will share what I said to him as I turned around or at least this is how I remember it.
Me: Oh my it's Bob Gurr
Bob Gurr: What are all of you doing? This looks like an important group.
Me: We are on Adventuers by Disney.
Bob Gurr: Oh.
Me: Can I take your picture?
Bob Gurr: Sure
Me; Wait a minute, can I get in the picture too?
Bob Gurr: I was wondering when you were going to figure that part out.
How cute was that?

Bob Gurr is very outgoing. After PCC 2.0 he did a DATW with a whole bunch of us. Really nice guy.

 

[Disneygrl36]

Bob Gurr is very outgoing. After PCC 2.0 he did a DATW with a whole bunch of us. Really nice guy.

Lisa told me about that Jeff! That would be amazing to DATW with Bob.

 

[skier_pete]

As a teacher, I have a deep appreciation for the challenges involved in organizing large groups of people. It was very tempting to sneak those "Adventures By Disney" paddles into my luggage to use on my next field trip.

Sorry we didn't wait on you guys. The same thing happened to us when everyone headed to pirates.

As Kim Possible says: No big!!!

Great update! Thanks!

We stayed at the Pacific Pier Hotel when we went to DL- just walked through the Grand Californian to get to the parks. Reminded me very much of Wilderness Lodge- which we stayed at before & loved. (it's my DH favorite of Disney hotels).

I think if I were to go back and decide to splurge and stay on property, I would probably give that a try. The only aspect of the hotel I really liked was the early entry, and ANY of the 3 would give me that.

Bob Gurr is very outgoing. After PCC 2.0 he did a DATW with a whole bunch of us. Really nice guy.

I don't know what DATW is...and I can't figure it out! Dance Along The Walkway? Drink Around the World....that can't be right on a cruise, can it?

 

[skier_pete]

Another early start, they wanted to get us into the park before they started letting people in at around 7:40, so we had to meet in the lobby at 7:20 AM. I was ready a little early so I took a detour through the pool area:



Some artwork by the elevator:



I found the pool area very odd. For one thing, the lounge chairs were all cushioned, as you can see. This seems like a lousy idea. Wouldn’t these cushions get wet easily, and when you go down to the pool you are sitting on someone else’s wet padding? And eventually mold and mildew? Ick!





The pool area was actually broken into three separate pools. Later in the day when I took a dip, I noticed it made the pool area seem VERY crowded, as each pool was so small. I guess I don’t expect the gigantic WDW resort pools, but by splitting the pools it made it very small.

Also, you can see the main pool slide in the center of this shot around the redwood stump. This slide SUCKED so bad. It had such a shallow slope that you barely moved on it. One trip down was enough.



Some other architectural features around the pool area.







Then from the lobby. For those that have never been out to DGC, basically picture a clone of the Wilderness Lodge lobby, but without the great view.





I liked this lamp with the dragonfly on it. (My favorite thing at the hotel.)



So we went over to the park and again they let us in while the crowds who were queue up outside waited patiently with envious visages.









We gathered together and headed through the tunnel. I was both filming and snapping away with my camera as we got to enter the park by our lonesome:




















Continued in next post...

 

[skier_pete]

At one point, they let DW lead the procession down the street:









More “deserted” Main Street buildings:











Finally we approached the castle and the hub:







Gosh, some of these are out of focus...I was taking so many shots but didn't have time to stop!

















To be continued in next post....

 

[skier_pete]

We were the first two to get our pictures in front of an empty castle forecourt (well except for the maintenance man hanging out back there behind us!)









While others were up there, I tried to get some interesting shots using the Partners statue in the foreground. Of all for them, this first one is probably my favorite since it shows the empty main street.

















I won’t share ALL the groups pictures, but a couple of the podcast team – Pete and Dustin:



And then “The Boys”, a shot I really wish I’d thought of:



Then finally the whole group together.



As we gathered the group for this last picture, the crowds were let into the park, but again held back at the hub before the various lands. They were again all watching us being gathered together and led to our next destination…


….which you will have to wait a bit find out where it was.

And don't forget, next Tuesday (July 30th) will be the podcast covering our trip. So go and check out Dustin and Craig's professional quality coverage of our vacations!

 

[Lee Disney]

DATW = Drinks Around The World. It was AFTER the 2.0 cruise. What a hoot that was!


I am just loving your TR and reliving our trip through it. I remember the feeling of walking down an empty Main Street in DL, it was incredidible. I wanna go again! . I think I'll stow away in Christy's luggage in December.

 

[chiefdragon]

Enjoying your TR. It is great to read all about the trip.