A Trip Report from Way-Way Back, October 2015

[Kiotzu]

Introduction, A Trip Report From Way Way Back
October 15 - 22, 2015

Howdy folks! This trip report was supposed to happen ages ago but as I look forward to my next trip I find myself wants to do this. Let's start with our cast of characters.

Myself, Tanner - I am now 26, I am a computer science student, slightly overgrown at 6'8" and a huge sports and Disney fan.

DGF, Ally - My girlfriend, nursing student, my balance and my love

DSis, Taryn - My younger sister, we quarrel a ton but I love her to death

DF, Arnie(Dad) - My dad, lives a 12 hour drive from me so I don't see him much so this was a great experience.



Okay, so not a great photo but it was better than others we have from the trip. So before we start, a little background on the trip. This was super spontaneous, Ally and I taken a drive one day and were laying on a dock and I had been fantasizing about Disneyland lately and finally she told me to stop talking about it because she was sad we couldn't go. I replied with what if we could, and she said we didn't have enough money. This sounded like a challenge to me and I went to work to figure out how I could plan this trip. I first asked my sister if she would be interested going and sharing a hotel room to drive down costs. She was on board, great one down one to go. I knew my mom would be a hard no, she is not a fan of Disney or theme parks. DADDDD. I called him and I expected this to be a hard negotiation but he was quickly on board and had booked the trip for us. Fantastic, that was surprisingly easy. I told Ally and she quickly made me a jar to save spending money for the trip with the tips I was making moving furniture. October 16, we were heading out.

This all happened in July, which meant I had a ton of time to make plans and research. I also began work at my local Disney Store as a seasonal cast member that would turn into a permanent position. I was told very early on in my tenure I would be made permanent which was awesome. You may notice I randomly ramble off, my apologies in advance. So, in the end, we settled on 2 days driving down from Vancouver, 1 day at Universal, 3 days at DLR, 1 day to do what we please, 1 day driving back. I am currently in the process of editing my RAW photos and will begin to write the first chapter of the trip report once I get a couple edited.

Thanks for reading, even if I am not as great as some other writers!​

 

[Kiotzu]

Chapter 1, It's Going To Be A Long Drive.

Thank you for joining me here, I will be your host as we begin this never ending drive to the happiest place on earth. In advance, I do apologize for the lack of photos of the drive. So on the 14th my dad arrived, he brought his lifted white fully loaded brand new 4x4 for the trip. This was going to be so comfy, I thought. On the morning of the 15th we would be heading out bright and early, like 5:30 am early and would be driving straight from Vancouver, Canada to our hotel. Let me tell you about Ally and Taryn, they are not morning people. Fortunately, Ally is adaptable and was not too grumpy this morning. We set out and arrived at the border very quickly and within 15 minutes we were on our way.

Let me tell you this about the I-5, it is boring. Does not have the glitz and glam of the Oregon Coast, so unless time is an issue avoid it. We were quickly stopping for a bite to eat, quickly being relative as this was probably 5 hours into our journey. We stopped at a Flying J truckstop for the usual truckstop fare. The food was passable but not great.



That is the love of my life, I think at the time we were watching Lilo & Stitch, by far her favorite Disney movie. We continued the drive throughout the day. It honestly wasn't bad. My dad's truck is really comfy and him being a truck driver, he would prefer that he was the one behind the wheel. Before you know it we are in California and just moving along nicely. We will be in Disneyland before you know it.




It was starting to get late and we had all been running on gas station sustenance for too long. There was something that I wanted everybody in our group to experience at least once on this trip as I was the only one with the joy of having it before. In-N-Out Burger, so we found ourself finding the first one possible once we got to the very south of Oregon. This would tide us over so we could make it to Disneyland in the morning. Wow, writing this trip report gives me all of the feelings of driving through various cities knowing it was just one metropolitan area closer. Once were through Sacremento my dad decided to make an executive decision. Since we weren't going to the parks tomorrow we were in no rush. Ummm old man yes we are, I want to be able to smell Disneyland first thing in the morning. No, that was off the table and we got rooms at this grimy little roadside motel. One bed bug check and a hot shower later, Ally and I were fast asleep.


BEEP BEEP BEEP, back on the road you slackers. We've got no time to lose. I am practically throwing everybody's luggage into the back of the truck. This is no laughing matter we are way behind schedule. Ally takes me aside to reassure me that everything is going to be okay. She truly is good for me. I can get a tad excited from time to time. I was in such a rush but that was quickly and utterly destroyed once we got closer to my beloved parks as the I-5 was shut down because of mudslides. Queue the detour. I mean this was utterly ridiculous, somebody needs to have a talk with these construction crews getting it cleaned up, I mean Goofy could do a faster job. Well, traffic has groaned to a halt and my 5-hour drive is looking more like 10.

This is Ally's "If you upload this anywhere I will kill you face" or maybe it's her "I hate traffic face". This was about hour 3 into a crawl through the California mountains. Safe to say we were grateful that we picked up a DVD with Parks and Rec Season 1 on it at the last fuel up. At least the view from the truck was great.



Okay, this detour is quickly becoming longer and longer. Seriously we should have been there ages ago, where is my magic carpet, Alladin I'm waiting. I digress, while this detour sucks it gives me a chance to catch up with my dad and for Ally to get to know him better. It's funny, they have only spent time together on 3 occasions in the 2 and a half years we had been together at that point but they seemed like the knew each other for years, but my dad has been around and has no shortage of tales to tell. Finally, the traffic seemed to disperse..to where..I have no clue but it was nice regardless. Then I see it, the rains that signal nothing but torential downpour.



You cannot be serious, we had not put a tarp over the box of the truck this morning as it looked like nothing but clear skies. Quickly we are pulling over and covering up and back on the road. Let me tell you, going with my dad every summer I have seen many a rain but nothing like this. It was like wave after wave of water and the road quickly started to flood. My dad's truck was pushing through like it was butter and after about 45 minutes the rain let up and the skies cleared up.

It looks like I didn't take any more photos this day. I think I was exhausted and frustrated. We had scheduled to arrive midway through the day but in the end, we arrived at about 11:30 at night and were scheduled to spend our first day at a park tomorrow, can anyone guess which one. This meant I was not heading over to Downtown Disney to explore. We also missed our reservation at my favorite restaurant, Rainforest Cafe. This was a major bummer for me and it didn't seem like we would get a chance to do this again on the trip.
​

 

[Kiotzu]

Chapter 2, Universally, this would be considered a successful day

Okay, so where were we...ah yes. We join our heroes on the third day of their journey. The first signs of life could be found at the crack of dawn, I think it would have been around 7 am. Me being as excited as I was quickly made my way to the dining floor of our hotel. The Fairfield Inn by Marriot. Once retrieving caffeinated beverages for my sleepy companions I returned to our temporary home. The view on the first morning bodes well for the day as it seemed to be nothing but the sunshine.



Okay, not a great photo but give me a break, I was far too excited to be slowed by a photo, bring on a park. Okay, so around 8:15, we were off. WOW. All I can say is they do not know the meaning of haste. You've probably realized that this meant we were not going to DLR today, woe is me right. This would be a day at Universal Studios instead. Not the end of the world, in fact, I was quite excited. I had never been here before and have fond memories of the Universal Parks in Orlando.

Traffic, wow I do not like traffic, after the battle of patience and aggression all the same time we made it to Universal at 9:53 am, could be better could be worse but we would be inside the gates soon. We casually walked through the City Wak as everybody was getting a little hungry now, not me. I just wanted to be in a park and park, wow you guys really are killing me right now.

Since everybody else got breakfast, I decided I should grab something too, Ally and I got crepes and my dad got some fruit. This was the first step of a health kick for my dad that led to him losing around 40lbs which led to increased self-esteem and much less worry for me. I can't for the life of me remember was Taryn got, probably a crepe as well. These crepes were not memorable but I know that they hit the spot because once I started eating I definitely realized that I needed to eat.



There he is, my father and his fruit, and my chocolate milk. One thing everybody must know about me is that I LOVE MILK, it is by far my favorite beverage. Most adults like a nice beer, wine or cocktail at the end of the day. Me...milk, I like plain white, chocolate, shaken, frozen, steamed. You name it, I like it...except for maybe spoiled.

Finally, we make it to the entrance. I am now shaking with excitement, I'm sure Ally is thinking what kind of monster have I got myself involved with as she has probably never seen me so excited.



Quickly we were inside, I must say these smaller crowds and such were a breeze to get through and quickly we were enjoying strolling through the park. I must say they do a great job with Halloween decorations. I enjoyed the general theming of the park. We were not in a rush to the rides as we considered this a half day park and were in no rush to do anything else today.



This second photo is one of my favorites of the whole trip. I am not even sure why but it really made me appreciate the Universal guys/girls work on this Krampus theme. My dad was a huge fan of all the Halloween stuff as well. The crowds were so manageable on this day, I am not sure if this is every day at Universal but it was a great way to ease into theme park craziness. Looking back I really wish I would have gotten new shoes for the trip as my 3-year-old trainers that I wore on numerous hikes as well as every day moving furniture did not provide me with the level of comfort I wished for.

While I was excited to go on the rides I was even more excited for The Simpsons stuff, I am HUGE Simpsons fan and this had been on my bucket list ever since it was announced so when we approached I was super stoked but then everybody else in my group just kept walking...wait wha...no...what are you doing. Okay, I guess we can go on some rides. I make my way through the crowds which are now starting to thicken up.


Oh, hi there beautiful. Ally was super excited to go on some rides and I don't blame her. Especially at Universal, this was a huge draw for her as her fandom does not expand as wide as mine. After what seemed like an endless ride down the escalator we see a gaggle of people surrounding a poor captured raptor. It looks like they are doing a feeding, all these people treating him like a zoo animal, maybe one of them will get what's coming to them...ooops I shouldn't say that maybe he likes the attention.



This is a precursor for our first ride. Can you guess which one! I bet you smart people can!



Let me tell you something about me and the River Adventure Ride...we have a history. I have always been a big fan of dinosaurs, still am in fact. I will be taking a Dinosaur course next semester as an elective. With that being said I was also a big fan of Barney and when my parents got him at my 3rd birthday I was a mess of tears and hysterics. Fast-forward six years and this tough nine-year-old and I was so terrified of the animatronics I could not watch. I hope I will be okay this tie, I have grown into an adrenaline junky so what are a couple of dinosaurs, but if a T-Rex comes after us, I am letting him eat Ally first...just kidding...kind of. It's not like I could put up any fight, better to give myself a little bit of a chance to run.



We are on our way and I must say wow they are much larger in person. Lucky these guys like leaves, maybe they will eat my sister the delicate little flower she is. I must say that this was a great start to our rides and I love the smell of the water. Once we completed our tour and escape from the angry dino's we made our way to The Mummy queue. While I am not a huge fan of the series I am a huge fan of Egyptian history and archaeology in general so I was super excited for the experience. Ally was also super excited for this ride as she had been on it when she was younger and loved it.

See the excitement!!



I didn't get any great shots once on the inside of the queue but I really enjoyed it and the ride was awesome, I loved moving backward and not knowing what to expect. I can't wait to ride it again. There wasn't anything else we really want to do in the lower section of the park anymore so we made our way back up.

Can anybody guess what our next attraction will be?

I really hope somebody is enjoying my trip report so far. If not tell me how to get better!




​

 

[Kiotzu]

Chapter 3, Minions, Green Guys and Magic

Okay, I don't know if anybody is reading along but I am really enjoying writing this so I will continue along at a feverish pace. So I hope somebody has read these posts, if not it will be a nice way to journal my trip.

At this point, I'm surprised nobody was hungry yet. We decided to get a couple of shots with the Minion, my dad while he looks like a biker in his day to day life, this might be because he was a biker back in the day he loves animated movies and minions especially.

I don't have a whole lot of photo's with him so this is a welcome chance.



Our next experience was going to be Shrek, I didn't actually know this previously but Ally love Shrek and this led to one of our few meet and greets of the trip.



This was actually a really cool ride and I was not excited for the whole 3-D thing but it worked well for me. The queue lent me great views of The Wizarding World expansion that was happening. For me, Harry Potter might as well have been a close friend growing up as I was a loner for the majority of my childhood and he was always there so I wish I could have experienced it this time around but regardless it was nice to see it from a far. I was so glad to get a little bit of air conditioning as I believe it was about 45 degrees when we left home so we were melting in this 90-degree weather.

After this everybody relented and allowed me to see Springfield, this was a huge thing for me as I took it all in. I believe this was the point where this gentleman convinced me to play his carnival basketball game, maybe I'm confusing memories but I want to say this happened. Do any of you know how annoying it gets to be asked about basketball and if you play several times a day, I don't suppose many of you do? I don't actually mind it much and I was successful in my endeavor, I don't remember what I won though.

It's funny though, I don't notice people staring but everyone I'm with always does. People always ask how tall I am and awkwardly make jokes regarding my height. It frustrates Ally to no end, she says "You would never ask somebody, oh you are quite big how much to do you weigh" or "Wow, you look so Chinese, are you good at math" and things along those lines. I don't mind but she does and she is my staunch defender. I say the Chinese-Math thing is not a great comparison because she is terrible at math.

Anywho back to Springfield.



Wow, this is spectacularly done, I was not expecting this level of beauty. We lined up for a couple of beers, the girls and my dad got Duff, I asked for a milk and the guy gave me a look...no milk I will have chocolate milk. Are you kidding me this is a travesty I tell you. I settled on a Duff as well and it did well to clench my thirst. Afer this we made our way over to the Studio Tour, while this was cool I left feeling a little bit underwhelmed, there were some cool effects but the hour and ten-minute line left me drenched in sweat I did not feel like this was worth it but at the end of the day I am glad we did it.

After the Studio Tour we embarked back to the entrance of the park because the thing I was most excited for was here. Waterworld, you know that "terrible" movie. Well I think it is an amazing work of art and I remember watching this show as a kid and let me tell you, I hope they never get rid of this. I love the dystopian setting for all things, even real life maybe, probably not but everything else.



This was not a disappointing experience, I was ecstatic I got to experience this. We meandered through the Wizarding World Store and I picked up a Gryffindor Scarf for my niece before heading back to the hotel.

Okay, so I am horrifyingly bad at taking pictures at night but basically, our next stops were Downtown Disney, I will go through my hard drive once I am home and take a look and see if I have any photos in my Photo's library as I may have taken some on my iPhone. We didn't spend a lot of time here, mostly we walked through the shops not buying anything other than Minnie ears for the girls and a caricature. I will get my dad to send a picture and I will upload it. I believe it was Ally as Lilo, myself as Stitch and my sister as the Queen Of Hearts, it is framed and hung in my dad's entranceway at home.

This led to the first surprise of the trip and my goodness I was so excited because I really didn't think it would happen, we got us a reservation at Rainforest Cafe. I was so excited, I love themed things, from 50's diners to Dinosaur themes. We used to have one locally but it shut down years ago. The food was not exceptional but I really enjoyed it and the theming added to it. With everybody well fed and tired from our day in the heat we decided to retreat to our room. My dad is older and with a lifetime of hard labor was getting sore so I wanted him to be well rested. I was ready to pull an all-nighter and sit outside the gate until they opened for me. Ally was tired as well and Taryn, who knows with her she was at this point distracted by her phone and wandered off to make a phone call. Ally and I threw a movie on my laptop once the hotel and laid down. She was quickly asleep on my chest I watched about 3/4's of Mulan before dozing off.

Wow, we are moving along at a great pace and I wish I could write my history papers this fast, or my programs as smooth but this now seems like a natural time to take a break as we finished our day.

​

 

[pkondz]

Hi!
(See? Toldja.)

Let me tell you this about the I-5, it is boring. Does not have the glitz and glam of the Oregon Coast, so unless time is an issue avoid it.

Good to know. I'd like to do an East Coast drive.... but I'll stick to the actual coast.

We stopped at a Flying J truckstop for the usual truckstop fare. The food was passable but not great.

How desperate where you????

Since we weren't going to the parks tomorrow we were in no rush. Ummm old man yes we are

we got rooms at this grimy little roadside motel. One bed bug check and a hot shower later, Ally and I were fast asleep.

Ew.

Bring home any souvenirs?

Ally takes me aside to reassure me that everything is going to be okay.

Sounds like you have a keeper there.

Well, traffic has groaned to a halt and my 5-hour drive is looking more like 10.

Ugh. No.

This is Ally's "If you upload this anywhere I will kill you face" or maybe it's her "I hate traffic face".

I'm going to say the latter, since you're still alive.

You cannot be serious, we had not put a tarp over the box of the truck this morning as it looked like nothing but clear skies

Whoops! Get it done before the rain hit?

We had scheduled to arrive midway through the day but in the end, we arrived at about 11:30 at night

Whoa. Well that sucks.

Okay, not a great photo but give me a break, I was far too excited to be slowed by a photo

Break granted. You get two more per TR, just so you know.

This was the first step of a health kick for my dad that led to him losing around 40lbs which led to increased self-esteem and much less worry for me.

Good for him!

There he is, my father and his fruit, and my chocolate milk. One thing everybody must know about me is that I LOVE MILK, it is by far my favorite beverage. Most adults like a nice beer, wine or cocktail at the end of the day. Me...milk, I like plain white, chocolate, shaken, frozen, steamed. You name it, I like it...except for maybe spoiled.

Actually... I'm pretty close to the same.

Finally, we make it to the entrance. I am now shaking with excitement, I'm sure Ally is thinking what kind of monster have I got myself involved with as she has probably never seen me so excited.

I will be taking a Dinosaur course next semester as an elective.

You can do this????

if a T-Rex comes after us, I am letting him eat Ally first...just kidding...kind of.

 

[Kiotzu]

Good to know. I'd like to do an East Coast drive.... but I'll stick to the actual coast.

Either of the coasts are wonderful!

How desperate where you????

I was pretty hungry at this point, I almost went with twinkies but I must say it was fulfilling knowing that my stomach can handle all of that rigorous torture

Ew.

Bring home any souvenirs?

Nope, thank goodness. I will say this though, the bed was very comfy.

Sounds like you have a keeper there.

She is great, keeps me level headed!

Ugh. No.

Unfortunately yes, it was so agonizing.

I'm going to say the latter, since you're still alive.

Yes, but when she read through my TR she was like, really Tanner.

Whoops! Get it done before the rain hit?

Just barely but my dad has been tarping things for ages, he's quick.

Whoa. Well that sucks.

Yea, I was very eager to do some exploring but it was also nice to just be able to stretch.

Break granted. You get two more per TR, just so you know.

Duly noted.

Good for him!

Huge life change, it was quite a shocker but I always make sure to let him know how proud I am.

Actually... I'm pretty close to the same.

Milk is the best way to start and finish the day.

You can do this????

I needed an elective to round out my semester and this happened to be available. I wouldn't say it is common practice but it can be done!!

 

[Kiotzu]

Chapter 4, You mean to say we get to go to Disneyland

Well, this is the day I have been waiting for. Safe to say I was super excited! I was the first person up and was quickly rushing everybody to wake up. We had breakfast reservations so Taryn and my dad grabbed a coffee and met us in the lobby. Ally had fitted herself with her ears and I am pretty sure that I was practically dragging her out the door. Hurry up we need to get to rope drop. I need to beat out all those other people in this place.

It seemed in the moment that we took 14 years to get to the esplanade but realistically it was probably 15 minutes. I thought we would be the first people in line but unfortunately, that was not the case.

I wonder if Mickey knows I am coming, probably. What kind of host wouldn't know his most important guest was arriving. They say anticipation is just as good as the moment and I don't know if I agree. I was bright eyed and bushy tailed but I don't think you could say the same for my companions. Security quickly ushered us through and I could finally see the Halloween decorations lining the gates.



I was quick to become impatient as my ticket seemed to be screaming to released. Once we were actually in line I realized that we actually were very close to the front of the line and I began to relax and take photos.



It's the love of my life and she looks like she is ready to go! I think at this moment though she was looking forward to breakfast more than anything.



My dad and sister, on the other hand, looked like they could use another 45 minutes in bed. My dad continued to tell me his coffee was terrible but I know that it would do the trick and he would be good to go throughout the day.

What was that we are moving! Soon I was getting ready for my close up. Once my ticket was ready to go and we passed through the turnstiles I felt like I was home. I was ready to snap away trying to capture every moment. It had been years since I had been to the land and it had changed so much that this felt like the first time. The sounds and smells begun to encapsulate me as I soaked it all in.



We meandered down Main Street and tried to figure out where we could redeem out PhotoPass.



We were soon ready to roll and were in the hub trying to decide which land we would go to first. We decided on Adventureland as this theme appealed to each of us. Ally was super excited to go on Indiana Jones and I was honestly just trying to experience everything. They did a really cool sort of opening ceremony and message the entrance and then allowed us to make our way in.

I took a look at a couple of the shops, I am so sorry I cannot remember the names anymore. People more familiar with Disneyland would know most likely. The shop was the one right at the entrance to Adventureland. Soon we were in the queue for our first ride INDIANA JONES!



I must say that this was such a cool ride and became my favorite ride, I don't hear this sentiment much. My dad loved it as well and there was so much room for my giraffe legs. This ride renewed my interest in the series. I remember how enthralled I was by the queue. This really made me appreciate the level of detail that Disney puts into the parks.

Next up..more rides and breakfast.
​

 

[pkondz]

I was pretty hungry at this point, I almost went with twinkies but I must say it was fulfilling knowing that my stomach can handle all of that rigorous torture

Twinkies wouldn't be torture?

She is great, keeps me level headed!

Lucky! Mine gave up on me loooong ago.

Yes, but when she read through my TR she was like, really Tanner.

But you survived.

Just barely but my dad has been tarping things for ages, he's quick.

Trucker? I'll bet!

Well, this is the day I have been waiting for. Safe to say I was super excited!

Good! You should be!

Hurry up we need to get to rope drop. I need to beat out all those other people in this place.

I thought we would be the first people in line but unfortunately, that was not the case.

Not early enough. Cut an extra 30 minutes off.

I think at this moment though she was looking forward to breakfast more than anything.

The sounds and smells begun to encapsulate me as I soaked it all in.

Niiiice.

People more familiar with Disneyland would know most likely.

Don't look at me!

 

[Kiotzu]

SORRY, went away camping and a night in Seattle, may post a little side TR in here about that if I feel motivated

Twinkies wouldn't be torture?

I once ate a few too many twinkies and got really sick and now I stay away

Lucky! Mine gave up on me loooong ago.

I'm waiting for the moment she cracks and no longer attempts this

But you survived.

For now, I think she is plotting with the cats to take me out.

Trucker? I'll bet!

I don't know how he does it!

Not early enough. Cut an extra 30 minutes off.

Next time, I will know this.

 

[jcc0621]

Let me tell you this about the I-5, it is boring. ​

Not if you get caught up in a slow speed chase
​

I think at the time we were watching Lilo & Stitch,​

​

Just watched this the other night. We are doing a movie countdown to our trip

​

Okay, I don't know if anybody is reading along but I am really enjoying writing this so I will continue along at a feverish pace. ​

I am reading and am enjoying it so far.
​

Waterworld, ​

​

Was on the fence about this one for our trip next month, but I think you have convinced me.​

Rainforest Cafe.

We have a reservation for our arrival night
​

We decided on Adventureland ​

This was sort of going to be my plan - go left when everyone else is going right?
​

​

 

[pkondz]

I once ate a few too many twinkies and got really sick and now I stay away

So.... two?

I'm waiting for the moment she cracks and no longer attempts this

For now, I think she is plotting with the cats to take me out.

Cats don't need help there.

 

[Kiotzu]

Not if you get caught up in a slow speed chase

This was more like a no speed chase

Just watched this the other night. We are doing a movie countdown to our trip

One of my favorite movies, I watch it every couple of months just for fun.

I am reading and am enjoying it so far.

YAY! I'm sorry for lack of updates, my computers display failed and as a poor starving student I too poor to fix!

We have a reservation for our arrival night

It's one of my faves, they used to have one locally here and I miss it so much.

This was sort of going to be my plan - go left when everyone else is going right?

It's always my plan, but I think this is just because I am left-handed

So.... two?

I think it was actually nine, it was not a good day.

Cats don't need help there.

Update, they now don't even bother with me. They have decided it is more fun to hunt each other.

Sorry for the lack of updates, display on computer died, student life blah blah, excuses excuses

 

[Kiotzu]

Chapter 5: Trips through the jungle and Mickey shaped food

Okay, I am back and ready to rock and roll. Where were we, ah yes we had just finished Indy. We were lost in a foreign land and had no idea where to head next. It seems there is navigation company that may be able to help us out. No line up either, maybe we were the only ones with a poor sense of direction.


The quickly boarded us and our skipper was a fantastically funny gentleman, I don't know how he compares to the others but he allowed me to really enjoy my time. I was quick to see an animal that I had never seen before.


They look to be having a great time. This was a nicely paced ride, it allowed me to take in all of the details. It is awesome not being at land since I was a child because everything feels fresh to me as my memories have long since faded.






This is actually my favorite shot from my whole trip. I don't know why I think it's the depth, despite the blurriness. Our skipper informed us that we were getting close to our destination and would not be lost anymore, this was great because we had a breakfast thing back on Mainstreet, USA. After all the sights and sounds of the jungle, we finally docked and stepped back on dry land.

My stomach was crying out for food at this point.

This is one of my favorite lands so I made sure to take a couple of farewell photos.



These masks were pretty cool and I often look back at this photo fondly. I remember how excited I was feeling at this moment. Everything just seemed to have come together so nicely at this point. We passed by the Enchanted Tiki Room and I really wanted a Dole Whip but we already had plans for breakfast which I could not wait for.


It made for a nice picture though. We pushed passed quickly as at this point our group was all ready to eat me instead. I researched this breakfast for many an hour. The crowds were building at this point and they had that magical buzz about them. Every store I passed made me want to go in and buy everything. We made it to our breakfast spot!



The biggest reason I wanted to eat here was because of the large Mickey waffles, I had them on our Disney cruise a couple of years ago and I have cravings for them on a daily basis. I remember I basically opened and closed the menu knowing what I would have.



Let me just say this was everything I remember and better. I'm thinking that Ally had eggs benedict, this is a safe bet where ever we eat breakfast. My dad got a simple bacon and eggs i believe and no clue what my sister got. This ended up being a quick meal and we were on our way.

I was going to continue this post but I must run to work very soon! I just wanted to get back on track.​