A Tale of Two Trips: Disneyland and Hawaii July 2014 Long Way Home: The End 9/13 p.40

[luvpoohandcompany]

You know me Dee-I definitely want all the details lol So glad the trip is a go Is Ben excited or is that a daft question??

 

[natebenma]

After we finished our great lunch at Flo’s it was still too early for our RSR FP.





Which of these two places would you like for lodging? The Hollywood Tower Hotel or the Cozy Cone?


There are a couple of other rides in Carsland:

Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree- Get pulled around by little tractors while you spin and whirl to Mater’s music.

We never did ride this during our trip. Dang! I don’t think I have any pictures of this ride!


Mark and I wanted to try Luigi’s Flying Tires- Float and fly in a “spare” on a cushion of air!

It is kind of like riding on a giant air hockey puck. Or if you have been on the Buzz Lightyear thing at Disney Quest, it is similar to that without the part where you are trying to vacuum up balls.

I am looking at the park map for CA and apparently, the ride is sponsored by Alamo Car Rental. I didn’t know that! Shouldn’t it be Goodyear or Michelin or something? And I guess it isn’t a great sponsorship if I didn’t notice it until after the trip.

Hmmm… I didn’t notice while we were there, but there wasn’t a lot of sponsorship like you see, especially in EPCOT. A few restaurants are hosted by companies, but this is the only attraction I see in CA with sponsorship. So I pulled my Disneyland map out and saw that other than some dining places and Innoventions in DL, there are 3 attractions with sponsorship. One is Gadget’s Go Coaster in Mickey’s Toontown, sponsored by Sparkle. The other two rides are classic attractions which also appear in Magic Kingdom. Anyone care to guess the two attractions and who sponsors them?


Anyway- back to the ride. The boys didn’t really want to try it, but we didn’t have anything else to do and we were right there, so we got in line, which was about 15 minutes long. Most of the waiting area was not covered, and it was approaching noon, so it was pretty hot waiting out in the sun.















Those are a couple of big smiles from boys who didn’t want to ride!










This was fun, but it was a one-and-done. We never did get on this again during our trip.


On our way to use our Radiator Springs Racers Fast Pass, we stopped at the viewing area of Monument Valley behind Flo’s V-8 Café. Gorgeous views!!!































Continued in Next Post: The Ride!
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[natebenma]

Continued from Previous Post

And finally, time to use our Fast Pass for RSR. Ben, why don’t you lead the way since this is where you spent a lot of your morning!


After boarding your vehicle, you take a leisurely ride through beautiful Monument Valley to a soundtrack of dramatic music that reminds me of the Soarin’ score. Then, your vehicle goes inside, where you drive by scenes inspired by the movie Cars with life-sized “auto”animatronics (yes, I’m using that again). A truck comes at you, you pass by the Sherriff, you go through the tractor-tripping scene and then the track breaks off into one of two scenes, allegedly. Once again, we got Ramone’s Paint Shop. Then, a la Test Track, you burst through doors into the outside track where you race the car next to you.






















Here is the walk-out after the ride









There is a ride photo for this attraction, however for some reason I don’t have it on my account! I don’t remember if I didn’t add it to my card, or if they didn’t include it when I ordered the files, but I think now it is too late to go back and ask if they still have it. Dang, again!




It was 12:30. We had been at California Adventure since 7 that morning. We decided to take a break and return to the resort.

On the way out, I caught Lightning McQueen arriving for his meet & greet. I think LM and Mater alternate meeting guests at the Cozy Cone, but my boys are not into character greets, so I don’t know for sure.








On our way out of the park, we pulled this:



CA closes at 10 pm that night, so at 12:30 in the afternoon, there are not that many remaining for the rest of that day.


We really wanted to ride RSR at night, so this was perfect!

If anyone is keeping count (and you need two hands), if we make it to this ride, that would be 6 rides on RSR for Ben that day! One first thing in the morning, 3 single rides between 10:30 and 11:10 am, a Fast Pass ride at around 12:10 and then a Fast Pass ride in the evening.

Not too shabby!


And a couple more pictures and we are out!







Next up: Resort Break and More Disneylandhttp://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=52395936&postcount=208
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[natebenma]

(but not so much)
Last Monday, I went before our towns School Committee in support of the 8th grade Disney class trip. We are a go for Ben's trip in June. I can email you the details if you want.

You know me Dee-I definitely want all the details lol So glad the trip is a go Is Ben excited or is that a daft question??

Yes, Ben is very excited and has been for more than 3 years since Nate's trip.

He is a planner (don't know where he gets that from), so we are already talking about what we are going to do.

"Mom, we ARE eating at Columbia Harbor House", unlike on Nate's trip when I had my heart set on dining there but got overruled.

"What do you mean my friends are going to want to go back to the resort to swim?"

"Can we take all of my friends to Ohana?" "Who's going to pay for that?" "We are!"


Ben is going to be a little disappointed though because my husband has been considering coming along as well to chaperone and we would leave Nate behind with a neighbor (a friend of his) since he would still have school those 5 days of the trip.

But Mark thought it would be fair to ask Nate how he felt about that, and gave him the option of going elsewhere to stay and Mark staying home with him since that is what he did with Ben. Nate says he prefers Mark stays.

 

[mickeystoontown]

I somehow missed the update that included lunch. Everything looks really really good and the view certainly can't be beat.

Well, let's see, you wanted to know if we could guess two classic Disneyland AND Walt Disney World attractions and their sponsors. I could only think of one....would it be Tower of Terror being sponsored by Depends Undergarments? I know that I need them after taking that plunge.

Luigi's Flying Tires does sound like it's similar to the Buzz whatever they are called things at Disney Quest. I hope that they work better. We always get stuck in the corner. Course, that may have something to do with the fact that I was driivng and I suck at those sorts of rides.

RSR looks awesome! I can certainly see why you'd want to pull another Fastpass so you could get a night time ride on it.

 

[ProudMommyof2]

I really want to see Carsland!!! It looks so fun and well themed!

 

[petals]

Your trip is coming up quickly!!! Maybe not for you, but it won't be long now.



Do tell- what will you be having?

Not at all weird that you know what you are eating so far in advance. For most of my trips to WDW, I know what I am having 180 days out, sometimes longer. One of my favorite Disney quotes is

"I don't know what I am having for dinner tonight, but I know what I am having in 6 months!"

Love that quote! There's like 56 days to my trip.. soon it'll be the 30 day countdown and 30 days of disney movies

In Flos they changed the menu so what I wanted is gone now but what i'm thinking now is i'm going to get a kids meal with a turkey sandwich and get the pasta side as extra The still have some dishes with the potatoes/"proper" food as momma would call it so I still want to go there! Plus it looks awesome and you can't go to Carsland and not eat at Flo's!

 

[jenseib]

I am glad you enjoyed Flo's. Cass and i only thought it was so so. I swear it was the gravy that did it in for me....had the canned cheap gravy taste.

Go Ben! I love that he has rode it so many times....and it is a great ride.
You have gotten so many great pictures and you describe everything so perfectly! I can picture it all as I read.

 

[CarlaT]

Just catching up on the updates.
Your pictures are amazing!
Can't wait for CarsLand!! Down to 58days.
The view from Flo's looks great. That will be on the list to make sure we eat at. Prices didn't seem that bad.
Also liking the tip for Dole whip! So yummy.

 

[Wood Nymph]

The scenery at Carsland looks very authentic. We have been to Sedona, AZ a few times and it reminds me of that area.

 

[JanetMom]

Note to self... Don't read Dee's trip report updates just before lunch. Those Flo's meals look so good. There is no way my lunch today will satisfy me after seeing those pictures. Mmmm

 

[HockeyMomR]

Note to self... Don't read Dee's trip report updates just before lunch. Those Flo's meals look so good. There is no way my lunch today will satisfy me after seeing those pictures. Mmmm

Janet - I so agree. Just finished dinner and my food didn't compare!

Rebecca

 

[luvpoohandcompany]

Yes, Ben is very excited and has been for more than 3 years since Nate's trip.

He is a planner (don't know where he gets that from), so we are already talking about what we are going to do.

"Mom, we ARE eating at Columbia Harbor House", unlike on Nate's trip when I had my heart set on dining there but got overruled.
I remember that!! I hadn't eaten there until I read about it in one of your TR yonks ago and then on our next trip my daughter and I went there and got a window seat upstairs and had the most relaxing QS meal ever All thanks to you
"What do you mean my friends are going to want to go back to the resort to swim?"

"Can we take all of my friends to Ohana?" "Who's going to pay for that?" "We are!"


Ben is going to be a little disappointed though because my husband has been considering coming along as well to chaperone and we would leave Nate behind with a neighbor (a friend of his) since he would still have school those 5 days of the trip.

But Mark thought it would be fair to ask Nate how he felt about that, and gave him the option of going elsewhere to stay and Mark staying home with him since that is what he did with Ben. Nate says he prefers Mark stays.

Shame that Mark wont be there but I get where he was coming from letting Nate choose. Don't suppose you can make late alterations if Nate should change his mind between now and then? Probably not but worth checking for sure before plans have to be finalised

 

[luvpoohandcompany]

The scenery in RSR is absolutely stunning and so lifelike! I would love to visit there someday.
If I had to choose between staying at Cosy Cones or Hollywood Hotel I would go for the latter just because I wouldn't want to get too comfortable and sleep too much during my stay
No ideas on the attraction sponsors but my brain is fried because I haven't slept properly since last Thursday due to sick kiddo (who has hopefully turned the corner after being ill again at 3am this morning ).

 

[DisneyKid4Life]

Wow, they really did hit a home run with Carsland. I hope to see the same level of detail (I'm sure we well) with whatever is coming next in WDW.

That is some unique food options. Love the ability to choose your sides. Yum!! Not bad pricing either for a theme park.

I still find it comical that they installed the Flying Tires. I saw a Dland video from way back when they had the spaceships with the same style of ride, but they hardly ever worked. You have to admire their perseverance.

Ah pretty cool that the cars actually come out for the greets

 

[natebenma]

Sorry it has been so long since I have been here for comments!

Busy week last week and I am even working today, the first time I have had to be at the farm on a weekend. We have a huge two day Harvest and Music Festival with bands playing all day (Entrain headlined yesterday), Old Fashioned Baseball, Tractor Rides, Corn Husking Bees, Cider Pressing. The proceeds go to all of the local school foundations.

Lisa reminded me that I issued a quiz about the attractions at Disneyland that have sponsors.

Her response was the best! (Tower of Terror hosted by Depends) but the answers are:

Enchanted Tiki Room sponsored by Dole and
It's a Small World sponsored by Sylvania

I somehow missed the update that included lunch. Everything looks really really good and the view certainly can't be beat.

Well, let's see, you wanted to know if we could guess two classic Disneyland AND Walt Disney World attractions and their sponsors. I could only think of one....would it be Tower of Terror being sponsored by Depends Undergarments? I know that I need them after taking that plunge.

Luigi's Flying Tires does sound like it's similar to the Buzz whatever they are called things at Disney Quest. I hope that they work better. We always get stuck in the corner. Course, that may have something to do with the fact that I was driivng and I suck at those sorts of rides.

RSR looks awesome! I can certainly see why you'd want to pull another Fastpass so you could get a night time ride on it.

Luigi's Tires seemed to work pretty well- better than the Buzz Astroblasters at DQ- which is probably the best thing there. Well, maybe Pirates, but I really don't care for much else there!

Radiator Springs Racers is really a win for Disney! I am so glad we had a Fast Pass for a night ride, but it was pretty late for us (9-10 pm, which is really past midnight on east coast time)

I really want to see Carsland!!! It looks so fun and well themed!

The details in Carsland are amazing!!!

We tried to watch the movie Cars a couple of weeks before our trip as a refresher, but the teens were not into it! But we were all still impressed by the area.

Love that quote! There's like 56 days to my trip.. soon it'll be the 30 day countdown and 30 days of disney movies

In Flos they changed the menu so what I wanted is gone now but what i'm thinking now is i'm going to get a kids meal with a turkey sandwich and get the pasta side as extra The still have some dishes with the potatoes/"proper" food as momma would call it so I still want to go there! Plus it looks awesome and you can't go to Carsland and not eat at Flo's!

Isn't that a great quote! It was really weird going to Disneyland and California Adventure, and not having reservations and not knowing where we were going to eat!

I can definitely recommend Flo's for the atmosphere and the food.

I am glad you enjoyed Flo's. Cass and i only thought it was so so. I swear it was the gravy that did it in for me....had the canned cheap gravy taste.

Go Ben! I love that he has rode it so many times....and it is a great ride.
You have gotten so many great pictures and you describe everything so perfectly! I can picture it all as I read.

I remember that you guys were not all that impressed. I went with the turkey anyway and I liked it.

Ben OWNED RSR that day!

Thanks so much for the kind words!

Just catching up on the updates.
Your pictures are amazing!
Can't wait for CarsLand!! Down to 58days.
The view from Flo's looks great. That will be on the list to make sure we eat at. Prices didn't seem that bad.
Also liking the tip for Dole whip! So yummy.

Thank you!

I see that you and petals will be there at about the same time- not sure how long each of you will be there.

Can't wait to hear what you think of Flo's. I wonder if it gets busy at other times of the day.

The Dole Whip tip was very helpful, especially when it was Nate's quest for a Dole Whip a Day.

The scenery at Carsland looks very authentic. We have been to Sedona, AZ a few times and it reminds me of that area.

We had considered going out west for our family trip this summer. I guess you could consider this the best of all worlds.

Note to self... Don't read Dee's trip report updates just before lunch. Those Flo's meals look so good. There is no way my lunch today will satisfy me after seeing those pictures. Mmmm

Sorry to give you lunch envy!

Janet - I so agree. Just finished dinner and my food didn't compare!

Rebecca

Food porn is a dangerous thing.

Shame that Mark wont be there but I get where he was coming from letting Nate choose. Don't suppose you can make late alterations if Nate should change his mind between now and then? Probably not but worth checking for sure before plans have to be finalised

I think it would be possible for Mark to join in if the situation changes, would probably have to be in early 2015 when they make final plane reservations. We talked to Ben and he understands the reason behind Mark staying behind. He stayed home with Ben during Nate's trip and he wants Nate to have the same opportunity. Nate would rather stay home than go to a neighbor's house and at 16 we are not leaving him home alone.

And fortunately, I will be rooming with a really dear friend, unlike the year I went with Nate and didn't even know my roomie until the day we arrived.

The scenery in RSR is absolutely stunning and so lifelike! I would love to visit there someday.
If I had to choose between staying at Cosy Cones or Hollywood Hotel I would go for the latter just because I wouldn't want to get too comfortable and sleep too much during my stay
No ideas on the attraction sponsors but my brain is fried because I haven't slept properly since last Thursday due to sick kiddo (who has hopefully turned the corner after being ill again at 3am this morning ).

I love your reasoning for picking the Hollywood Hotel.

No sleeping in Disney!



I was glad to hear your little one is finally on the mend!

Wow, they really did hit a home run with Carsland. I hope to see the same level of detail (I'm sure we well) with whatever is coming next in WDW.

That is some unique food options. Love the ability to choose your sides. Yum!! Not bad pricing either for a theme park.

I still find it comical that they installed the Flying Tires. I saw a Dland video from way back when they had the spaceships with the same style of ride, but they hardly ever worked. You have to admire their perseverance.

Ah pretty cool that the cars actually come out for the greets

It would be EPIC if Disney could fit a Carsland in HS! They already have the Lightning McQueen from LMA, so they are half-way there, right?



Flo's was a for us.

The Flying Tires seemed to work pretty well. They were fun.

 

[KatMark]

Wow...lunch looks great at Flo's.

Beautiful pictures all around the area, Dee. And good for Ben getting that many rides in.

 

[KatMark]

Oh and to answer your question, I'm not sure how far DL is from Phoenix. We have decided to put DL on hold for three years...it will be my 60th birthday gift (we did DW at Christmas for Mark's 60th). We are still planning on going to Phoenix for four or five days sometime in March to see Mary, Jeff and our girls.

 

[teekathepony]

Carsland just blows my mind, it's so amazing and I'm not even a Cars fan! Your pictures of it are gorgeous.
The tire ride looks pretty cute.
Wow look at that scenery at the viewing area. Absolutely looks like you just stepped into the movie.
Great description and photos of the RSR ride too. It's on my bucket list to do that some day.

 

[MEK]

I thought I read this update, but I guess I didn't. I know I said this before, but I just think the Carsland land and all the rides are seriously amazing. That Luigi's ride looks like so much fun.

Score on the FP return time. I miss the old fashioned FP's Boo!

Fun update. Sorry I'm so late. Doh!