romymichelle21
Why should I sail with any of you? Four of you hav
- Joined
- Nov 18, 2007
- Messages
- 735
I guess this 'trip report' is a little different - since DB and I are AP holders, there are *lots* of trips to report - so I thought I'd post some highlights for all you fellow Disney fans 
Oy, where to start? Well, I was lucky enough to meet DB early this year, and discover he was a Disneyland fanatic!
I really haven't been to the park much in my life, so I had a lot of "firsts" this year
* California Adventure
* The Matterhorn
* Mark Twain Riverboat
* Indiana Jones
* Rockin' Space Mountain
* Blue Bayou
* Tower Of Terror (I have been to WDW - but didn't go on it there either)
* Astro Blasters
* Seeing everything decorated for Halloween
* Haunted Mansion Holiday
* Seeing everything decked out for Christmas!
* Thanksgiving Banquet at the Disneyland Hotel! (with DBs family)
Onto the stories!!
The Bruise
We decided to go on the Mark Twain Riverboat one morning, to kind of kill time. It looked like it was about to pull away - so DB took off running, and I ran after him (this is a regular thing for us at DL). Well, you have to go through turnstiles. Generally, turnstiles are your friend. They count people and... well, whatever. Except this time, I apparently miscalculated the speed at which I was running, as compared to the speed at which it was turning. Now - you all know how turnstiles work, right? So I assumed that when I pushed this bar, I would slide through, no problem. Well, when I pushed the top bar, the only thing that happened was that my thigh slammed into the lower bar with the entire force of me running full speed after DB
. It hurt. A lot. I just about fell over in pain, and Will was already ON the boat (did I mention he runs?) before he realized I wasn't behind him, and came back. The workers in front of the boat looked quite horrified, and asked if I was ok - to which I replied that it was "his fault" - pointing at DB.
Now... I'm not complaining. I mean, it was comical. Painful, but funny. The moment I hit this thing though, I knew it was going to leave a pretty nasty mark. And believe me - it did not disappoint. I feel the need to throw as many descriptive words at it as possible because... well... "purple" doesn't even begin to describe it.
DB thought this was hilarious. Not in a mean way - he knows I'm accident prone. He felt really bad (honestly), but mostly he just teased me for limping all day
And yes, I have pictures. What makes it so... amusing though, is that the Riverboat wasn't even close to leaving! We sat there for at least 10 mins before it even moved. Nice. So it was real necessary to rush, right?
Caution: Pregnant women and dorks should NOT ride the turnstiles.
Ariel's Grotto
I had wanted to check this place out for awhile, and we finally ended up over there. (Ahem - I really wanted to meet Ariel
). So anyway, we walk up to the hostess, and the conversation goes like this:
DB: "Are we in time to eat before the park closes?"
Hostess: "Yes... do you have a reservation?"
DB: "No"
Hostess: "Oh, we're checking in reservations"
DB: "Oh, so we can't get in unless we have one?"
Hostess: "Well... we're taking walk-ins right now"
DB: *blank stare* "Well... we're walking in..."
Hostess: *just kind of looks at him, confused*
DB: "However we get in, that's what we wanna do"
Hostess: "Oh, ok, go on in and go downstairs"
DB was dumbfounded. He was laughing on our way in, and when we were seated (after pictures with Ariel)... still laughing. At various times during the meal, he'd just start laughing. I mean, really, it amused him. Honestly, was it just us, or did what that girl told us not make ANY sense? Last time we were at the park and walked past the restaurant, he started laughing. Again.
I have to admit though, that has to be the most amusing eating experience I've ever had at DL. For instance, twice during the meal, someone had a birthday, and so the waiters make an announcement - that today is so-and-so's birthday, and the entire room (no joke) sings 'Happy Birthday' to the kid. The second time, we continued our conversation and didn't pay much attention, until... well... after every line, the waiter would yell, "WOO!!". Seriously. I laughed so hard I cried.
Me & DB with Ariel
Very excited after lunch, with a crown they gave me!
Space Mountain: No longer Rockin'
Our 1st trip this year, Rockin' Space Mountain was still up. Yeah - it was pretty awesome. DB had been on it before and was already a huge fan. Well, next time we went, it was back to normal. This made DB very sad, but we went on it anyway. While exiting, he mentions that he wished he had his iPod on him, so he could listen to "Higher Ground" (the Red Hot Chili Peppers song they played for Rockin') during the ride. I said that I had mine in my purse - and... well... puppy dog eyes and 3 minutes later, we were getting back onto the ride and he was adjusting my earbuds. The pictures? Priceless. He was air-guitaring. We exit, and guess what? That was so awesome, we have to do it again! Third ride in 15 minutes - in that picture, he's drumming. He now makes sure to remember his iPod every time, and never rides without his Chili Peppers
. We recommend this to um, 'enhance' the ride, if anybody is interested.
Mulholland Madness: Worst ride ever
This one isn't so much a "story" as it is just... a suggestion. Do not ride Mulholland Madness unless you are a child. Period. DB noted during one visit that he actually had never been on it, which is crazy since he's been an AP holder basically his entire life. So of course - we ride. Two regular sized adults in one tiny roller coaster car, if you could even really call it a roller coaster. I'd call it a joke. But anyway. Well - it terrified the daylights out of both of us, I kid you not! Those little cars do not feel stable - in fact they feel like every time you turn, the wheels on one side are coming clear off the tracks, and you're going to tip over and fall 2 or 3 stories. We spent those couple minutes leaning, panicked, to the opposite side, to prevent this from happening
. I've never felt more insecure on a ride in my life! Does anyone else think this too? I've had it confirmed by a male friend of mine who also apparently felt like he was going to die on that ride. I would, however, ride it again - just to show someone else how terrifying it is 
.
The search for Maynard continues...
I'm not the only one who knows about Maynard, right? Well, to make it short, about 5 years ago a friend and I were planning our Grad Nite trip, and I discovered Hiddenmickeys.org and the Disneyland/Cast Member page. Several people have written in and mentioned their favorite Cast Member, Maynard. I mentioned how cool this guy supposedly was to my friend, and we decided we HAD to find and meet him when we went. Unfortunately, we never made the Grad Nite trip, but after all this time - I've decided to resume the search! On a recent visit with DB, I decided to ask a Cast Member at Indiana Jones if Maynard still worked at the park. He immediately knew who I was referring to - and informed me that he did indeed still work there, and had been frequenting the Opera House lately! It was pretty near closing that night though, and DB and I didn't make it over to the Opera House (which is, as it happens, the '50 Years of Disney' building on Main St - in case you didn't know, because we sure didn't). This last trip though, we decided to watch the show while the park cleared out just after the fireworks at the end of the night. I thought I saw Maynard - I was so excited! And DB informed me that, no, that was not Maynard, that was just some old guy 
. Well... it looked like him from the side! Note: Maynard is not an old guy, but I've seen pictures where he's lacking in the hair, hence the confusion. So we left, but I had a reason to call my friend the following night! "I almost saw Maynard! Well... really it was an old guy... but it could've been him!". I've tried to explain this whole thing to DB. You know - why we've been searching for one particular Cast Member for 5 years. I got a blank stare. I guess if you're not part of the inside joke, ya know? 
Hope you guys have enjoyed reading!
Oy, where to start? Well, I was lucky enough to meet DB early this year, and discover he was a Disneyland fanatic!
I really haven't been to the park much in my life, so I had a lot of "firsts" this year * California Adventure
* The Matterhorn
* Mark Twain Riverboat
* Indiana Jones
* Rockin' Space Mountain
* Blue Bayou
* Tower Of Terror (I have been to WDW - but didn't go on it there either)
* Astro Blasters
* Seeing everything decorated for Halloween
* Haunted Mansion Holiday
* Seeing everything decked out for Christmas!
* Thanksgiving Banquet at the Disneyland Hotel! (with DBs family)
Onto the stories!!
The Bruise
We decided to go on the Mark Twain Riverboat one morning, to kind of kill time. It looked like it was about to pull away - so DB took off running, and I ran after him (this is a regular thing for us at DL). Well, you have to go through turnstiles. Generally, turnstiles are your friend. They count people and... well, whatever. Except this time, I apparently miscalculated the speed at which I was running, as compared to the speed at which it was turning. Now - you all know how turnstiles work, right? So I assumed that when I pushed this bar, I would slide through, no problem. Well, when I pushed the top bar, the only thing that happened was that my thigh slammed into the lower bar with the entire force of me running full speed after DB
. It hurt. A lot. I just about fell over in pain, and Will was already ON the boat (did I mention he runs?) before he realized I wasn't behind him, and came back. The workers in front of the boat looked quite horrified, and asked if I was ok - to which I replied that it was "his fault" - pointing at DB.Now... I'm not complaining. I mean, it was comical. Painful, but funny. The moment I hit this thing though, I knew it was going to leave a pretty nasty mark. And believe me - it did not disappoint. I feel the need to throw as many descriptive words at it as possible because... well... "purple" doesn't even begin to describe it.
DB thought this was hilarious. Not in a mean way - he knows I'm accident prone. He felt really bad (honestly), but mostly he just teased me for limping all day
And yes, I have pictures. What makes it so... amusing though, is that the Riverboat wasn't even close to leaving! We sat there for at least 10 mins before it even moved. Nice. So it was real necessary to rush, right? Caution: Pregnant women and dorks should NOT ride the turnstiles.
Ariel's Grotto
I had wanted to check this place out for awhile, and we finally ended up over there. (Ahem - I really wanted to meet Ariel
). So anyway, we walk up to the hostess, and the conversation goes like this:DB: "Are we in time to eat before the park closes?"
Hostess: "Yes... do you have a reservation?"
DB: "No"
Hostess: "Oh, we're checking in reservations"
DB: "Oh, so we can't get in unless we have one?"
Hostess: "Well... we're taking walk-ins right now"
DB: *blank stare* "Well... we're walking in..."
Hostess: *just kind of looks at him, confused*
DB: "However we get in, that's what we wanna do"
Hostess: "Oh, ok, go on in and go downstairs"
DB was dumbfounded. He was laughing on our way in, and when we were seated (after pictures with Ariel)... still laughing. At various times during the meal, he'd just start laughing. I mean, really, it amused him. Honestly, was it just us, or did what that girl told us not make ANY sense? Last time we were at the park and walked past the restaurant, he started laughing. Again.
I have to admit though, that has to be the most amusing eating experience I've ever had at DL. For instance, twice during the meal, someone had a birthday, and so the waiters make an announcement - that today is so-and-so's birthday, and the entire room (no joke) sings 'Happy Birthday' to the kid. The second time, we continued our conversation and didn't pay much attention, until... well... after every line, the waiter would yell, "WOO!!". Seriously. I laughed so hard I cried.
Me & DB with Ariel
Very excited after lunch, with a crown they gave me!
Space Mountain: No longer Rockin'
Our 1st trip this year, Rockin' Space Mountain was still up. Yeah - it was pretty awesome. DB had been on it before and was already a huge fan. Well, next time we went, it was back to normal. This made DB very sad, but we went on it anyway. While exiting, he mentions that he wished he had his iPod on him, so he could listen to "Higher Ground" (the Red Hot Chili Peppers song they played for Rockin') during the ride. I said that I had mine in my purse - and... well... puppy dog eyes and 3 minutes later, we were getting back onto the ride and he was adjusting my earbuds. The pictures? Priceless. He was air-guitaring. We exit, and guess what? That was so awesome, we have to do it again! Third ride in 15 minutes - in that picture, he's drumming. He now makes sure to remember his iPod every time, and never rides without his Chili Peppers
. We recommend this to um, 'enhance' the ride, if anybody is interested.
Mulholland Madness: Worst ride ever
This one isn't so much a "story" as it is just... a suggestion. Do not ride Mulholland Madness unless you are a child. Period. DB noted during one visit that he actually had never been on it, which is crazy since he's been an AP holder basically his entire life. So of course - we ride. Two regular sized adults in one tiny roller coaster car, if you could even really call it a roller coaster. I'd call it a joke. But anyway. Well - it terrified the daylights out of both of us, I kid you not! Those little cars do not feel stable - in fact they feel like every time you turn, the wheels on one side are coming clear off the tracks, and you're going to tip over and fall 2 or 3 stories. We spent those couple minutes leaning, panicked, to the opposite side, to prevent this from happening
. I've never felt more insecure on a ride in my life! Does anyone else think this too? I've had it confirmed by a male friend of mine who also apparently felt like he was going to die on that ride. I would, however, ride it again - just to show someone else how terrifying it is .The search for Maynard continues...
I'm not the only one who knows about Maynard, right? Well, to make it short, about 5 years ago a friend and I were planning our Grad Nite trip, and I discovered Hiddenmickeys.org and the Disneyland/Cast Member page. Several people have written in and mentioned their favorite Cast Member, Maynard. I mentioned how cool this guy supposedly was to my friend, and we decided we HAD to find and meet him when we went. Unfortunately, we never made the Grad Nite trip, but after all this time - I've decided to resume the search! On a recent visit with DB, I decided to ask a Cast Member at Indiana Jones if Maynard still worked at the park. He immediately knew who I was referring to - and informed me that he did indeed still work there, and had been frequenting the Opera House lately! It was pretty near closing that night though, and DB and I didn't make it over to the Opera House (which is, as it happens, the '50 Years of Disney' building on Main St - in case you didn't know, because we sure didn't). This last trip though, we decided to watch the show while the park cleared out just after the fireworks at the end of the night. I thought I saw Maynard
- I was so excited! And DB informed me that, no, that was not Maynard, that was just some old guy . Well... it looked like him from the side! Note: Maynard is not an old guy, but I've seen pictures where he's lacking in the hair, hence the confusion. So we left, but I had a reason to call my friend the following night! "I almost saw Maynard! Well... really it was an old guy... but it could've been him!". I've tried to explain this whole thing to DB. You know - why we've been searching for one particular Cast Member for 5 years. I got a blank stare. I guess if you're not part of the inside joke, ya know? Hope you guys have enjoyed reading!
)
It was kinda fun. But short...Too slow
The Xmas stuff was all great! I was so excited to finally see it. When it got dark I was like 
