Anyone Game? 2 Castles and a Road Trip TR! Last Day and TR Wrap Up! #2796; 10/01

[PrincessInOz]

Disneyland 15 September 2013




We gulped down breakfast.







Why?



Disneyland! Disneyland! Disneyland! What more can I say?






DisMeet #2: mvf-m11c and our Dis-Miss Madness Story!




mvf-m11c and I have been hanging out on a number of threads on the Dis for the better part of 2 years now. Bret has one of those neverending TRs on the DLR section of the boards and I always enjoy seeing his posts and pictures. He’s already started on this part of the trip on his report here.


We had the pleasure of meeting last year in November 2012; when I had an unexpected trip to San Francisco. Whilst it had been nice to put the name with the face, it hadn’t been quite long enough for me to really get to know Bret.


As he’s a regular visitor, I had asked him earlier this year if there was going to be a chance of an overlap at the parks. At that time, it appeared that a DisMeet would have to wait until a later time.

About 2 weeks before I left Oz, I was very pleasantly surprised to find a PM from Bret……he had the opportunity to head south at the LAST minute. And with this….plans were made and we were to hang out together for the better part of the next day and the half.




We’d arranged to meet in the Promenade at park open and would you believe that in the rush to head in for the must-have ticket of the morning…..







…..we missed taking a picture together?? Yup. With so many cameras around, Bret and I missed this Kodak moment!



Aside from the lack of caffeine to kick-start my brain as a poor excuse, I kept missing that opportunity all the way through the pilgrimage to the next must-do item.







Madness; indeed!







Obviously, we needed the appropriate glasses in order to see clearly!







But it was pretty clear that we weren't wearing them and the picture was not in alignment….






Nor were we shooting straight either.






There were clearly twists and turns in the way….






.…it was definitely a different sort of gallery we were on track for; rather than a mug's gallery.






Yup. Definitely Potato Heads this morning.













Okay, I confess. One of us was shooting at the screens; the other was shooting with Infinity settings on the camera. No prizes for guessing who’s is who’s.







Corny, isn’t it?







As everyone on the Dis knows, it really isn’t a DisMeet if there isn’t objective evidence. What a Dis-Miss Bret and I made this morning!




(Continued in the Next Post)

 

[PrincessInOz]

(Continued from the Previous Post)


Slow and Sedately wins the Race




Between Bret, my DH and myself, we didn’t manage a DisMeet picture at all first up in the morning! At. All!

I checked my collection (and found that I got some later in the day)….and then scoured DH’s. I KNOW Bret didn’t get one till later as he’s already writing up about much later in the day.



Guess who took the first picture of Bret and me??







That’s right. My 13 year old DS beat the large cameras to the shot! (*hangs head in shame*)




We had originally decided to go swinging on that Fun Wheel of Death. But I could feel that Bret wasn’t too keen on the idea; so we decided to split up….my boys swinging in the breeze…






Whilst Bret and I kept with the slow and sedate. Yup, DH came in second. He snagged this shot of Bret and me next. Hey...look! Bret and I were in the Mickey car.






I took a shot of some of that reputed $75Million water jets and development through the grille. The show would wait for us until the second night.











It was nice catching up with Bret in the car. We did talk about life and photography. And I reflected about how nice it was to occasionally take the slow and sedately lane in the midst of the fast pace of life around us.












(Continued in the Next Post)

 

[ACDSNY]

Yes it's hard to believe you have no evidence of this DisMeet with all the cameras involved.

After seeing the next post it's great to see your DS and DH picked up the slack.

 

[PrincessInOz]

(Continued from the Previous Post)


Mermaid Time




After getting round Mickey’s Fun Wheel twice, we got off and just enjoyed our surroundings.






Afterall, you never know who you might bump into when you least expect to.






And in a moment of reflection….






…we decided to head to an attraction, a fairly new one, that my boys had not been on yet. I had the pleasure of hitting this attraction in 2012 with Alison.






Yo ho ho! A Scuttle’s life for me.












I’d found seahorses already on this trip. Definitely time to include mermaids on the list.
















You have to admit….the animatronics are pretty good here.


















Ursula at her seductress evil best!







I might have missed getting Sebastian in the major room….






…but not so here.







As it’s a Disney story, there is always a happy ever after.












And a celebration is always in order.






Every good celebration needs fireworks.







I’ve never really “gotten” this attraction; but it seemed both DH and DS enjoyed it. And given that by this stage, they had both taken a picture of the DisMeet, I guess I’m the slow and sedate one in the family.

 

[franandaj]

That was one heck of a party that you crashed! The house looked amazing! Especially from having just been on a house search, there aren't a lot of them like that out there! Well maybe there are and I just wasn't looking in that price range.

Two tiki bars and you've only been on the ground two days! We should have hit up the Tiki Room!

I have found that when you have the opportunity to hang out with locals, you always have a much better experience than something touristy. However with Fran, I think she might have leant toward the shopping!

 

[dolphingirl47]

I can't believe that with all those big cameras around you forgot to take a photo. In our family it is the other way round. I really enjoy the Little Mermaid Ride, but DH does not get it at all.

Corinna

 

[Pinkocto]

You are an updating machine! I saw 10/20 and got scared I missed a day, the time difference threw me

Glad somebody got your picture proof. What fun that Bret was able to squeeze in a trip at the last minute.

I figured you didn't say anything about the camera because you like to keep your super powers secret I'm off to look it up now!

 

[zanzibar138]

Yay first shots of the parks! Too bad you were so slack with the DisMeet pictures

I did wonder what your score would be on TSM with all that photographing going on

Your boys are very brave going on the swinging wheel of death - I only ever stick to the stationary cars on that one. I wish the mesh wasn't quite so small though

I haven't had the pleasure of going on the Little Mermaid ride yet - it was about 2 weeks away from opening when we were there last. Less than a year to go now though until I can finally say whether I 'get it' or not

 

[mvf-m11c]

Very nice update. It was fun to hang out with you, DH and DS the day and a half during the trip to the DLR. Luckily my DB and his GF had to go to SoCal to drop stuff off for her brother where he is going to Irvine and asked me at the last second if I wanted to come down. I thanked them a lot for letting me come along with them. My DB will be excited when he gets his present that I bought for him that Sunday night when we were at DL. When we got to Irvine on Saturday I stayed for a while to help them unload the stuff for my DB GF brother before I head on over to DL while you were in San Diego. I had a fun time on Saturday to get pictures of the Halloween decorations at DL. You know that I can't pass up the opportunity to go down when PiO and her family are in SoCal.

It was alright that we didn't get a picture when we were at the Esplanade that morning. We were thinking of getting in DCA that morning to be able to get FP's for RSR and go on the rides at Paradise Pier. All the pictures that your DH and DS took are very good. We had a fun morning going on a lot of different rides.

It was neat that your DH and DS was able to get pictures of us just when we were about to board Mickey's Fun Wheel of Doom (which I call a lot thank you Sherry E the DL Moderator on the threads which she calls it). As you know PiO that I don't like riding on the swinging-gondola on MFWoD but you did encourage me to ride it with you and your family. But just when we were almost about to board the ride, you decided at the last second to ride the non-swinging gondola while your DH and DS stayed on the swinging side. It was neat that all of us were getting pictures of each other where we were all on other side of the queue and on the gondolas. My streak of not riding on the swinging gondola is intact. I haven't ridden in it since 2001 when the park opened and it continues.

It was fun to ride the Little Mermaid and take a lot of different pictures.

Very nice update again.

Glad somebody got your picture proof. What fun that Bret was able to squeeze in a trip at the last minute.

It was good timing on my DB and his GF that they were going down to SoCal that week and I couldn't pass the opportunity to go down and have fun with PiO and her family. It would have been nice to stay the whole day with them but I was happy to come down and hang out with them and that what matters.

 

[dhorner233]

Yay! Pictures of Disneyland!! It's cool the way you meet Disboarders everywhere you go! And you go everywhere!!

 

[franandaj]

I finally replied to the party crashing and you snuck in another update. Now that I'm responding to the next update I hope you don't squeeze one in while I'm responding to your first day at DL!

I think it's funny that you were so task oriented that you forgot the obligatory shot. No wonder we took so many after the rest of us met up. You guys got a whole lot done in the morning before we even had an inkling of getting out to the park!

 

[kmedina]

Legal Eagle is an intriguing What If. Are you seriously starting to plan on picking this up at some stage? I always think that the best time to consider it is a couple of years before the youngest is due to go to school. That way, you're all prepared (and enrolled) for school when the house is empty during school hours. You're almost at that mark, aren't you?

It depends on a number of factors. The most important being if we decide to have another baby. We both really want a daughter, but at the present moment would not be happy with the announcement of another son. Until I am okay with either gender, I am waiting. There are also some health implications, but I can clear most of those up by having a C-Section and losing weight. In the past year, I have done nothing but gain weight. That is not good for a mother whose preeclampsia increases with her weight. If I have another kid, I will likely put law school on hold indefinitely.

If we decide not to go for another kid, I very well may apply. I have already taken pre tests for the LSAT and have done decently well, especially on the logic games. Actual tests are given multiple times a year, so it would be easy to take one on time. My references know of my desire to attend and are on hand if and when the need arises. My student loans from undergrad (which were not much as I had academic scholarships the whole way through) are paid off, so I should have no problem getting a new loan to fund tuition.

My GPA for undergrad is higher than the average applicant. It is even higher than the average person accepted. The law school is where I attended undergrad, so I would get priority over external applicants. The submission deadline every year is on my birthday, so I will never forget the turn in date. Basically, I have no doubt I would get in If I wanted to go. Hopefully, that does not come off snooty. The school is at UNLV, not Harvard. If I applied to Harvard, I am sure the admissions office would have a great laugh at my expense. I will not apply until I am 100% sure I want to go though. As you pointed out, there is a lot of work that goes into applying.

 

[kmedina]

The ring he picked is lovely. Congrats to your cousin.

That house is absolutely fantastic. While I am bummed you missed the Carlsbad outlets, I am happy you caught that party. It sounds like you had a great time. The pool is the only thing more amazing than the view, the secluded location or the sheer size.

I engulf food at Disney too. Commando member 234 here! Only at table service restaurants do I ever really take a break. It is neat reading the three way DISmeet from all three of you. Although you're doing the same thing, it is cool that you each paint the picture a little differently. It sounds like you had a great time that morning. Having Bret as a guide must have been pretty cool. Your LM pictures are amazing. One day, I will learn his to use my camera (once I get it fixed). Then, I may try to take no flash pictures on dark rides again.

 

[PrincessInOz]

Love the house and views. I want one of those chairs with the shaded cover You have already packed so much into your first few days, cant wait to read more.

I want one of those chairs as well.

As for packing it in......well, we were taking it easy on those two days.

Yes it's hard to believe you have no evidence of this DisMeet with all the cameras involved.

After seeing the next post it's great to see your DS and DH picked up the slack.

I know! What a Dis-Miss, right?

That was one heck of a party that you crashed! The house looked amazing! Especially from having just been on a house search, there aren't a lot of them like that out there! Well maybe there are and I just wasn't looking in that price range.

Two tiki bars and you've only been on the ground two days! We should have hit up the Tiki Room!

I have found that when you have the opportunity to hang out with locals, you always have a much better experience than something touristy. However with Fran, I think she might have leant toward the shopping!

The Tiki Room or close to the Tiki Room was on my hit list at both DLR and WDW. I had the Dole Whip Float as one of the things I NEEDED to indulge in. Sadly, I missed it completely. I was two for two on that one too.

It was super interesting to visit two such awesome houses in the space of two days. I loved both for different reasons and DH and I agreed - we could see ourselves living in either house quite easily.

I can't believe that with all those big cameras around you forgot to take a photo. In our family it is the other way round. I really enjoy the Little Mermaid Ride, but DH does not get it at all.

Corinna

I'm with your DH. Although, I am warming up to it.

You are an updating machine! I saw 10/20 and got scared I missed a day, the time difference threw me

Glad somebody got your picture proof. What fun that Bret was able to squeeze in a trip at the last minute.

I figured you didn't say anything about the camera because you like to keep your super powers secret I'm off to look it up now!

I'm heading back to work next week; so the update pace will slack off. Just wanted to push this along whilst I had the chance.

No secret super powers here. It was a complete Old Fogie moment for me. I read your question and when I went to respond, I completely forgot. In any case, I'm pretty sure I went back to list the Canon 7D at the start of the Anyone Game PTR because a number of people asked what camera I had.

Yay first shots of the parks! Too bad you were so slack with the DisMeet pictures

I did wonder what your score would be on TSM with all that photographing going on

Your boys are very brave going on the swinging wheel of death - I only ever stick to the stationary cars on that one. I wish the mesh wasn't quite so small though

I haven't had the pleasure of going on the Little Mermaid ride yet - it was about 2 weeks away from opening when we were there last. Less than a year to go now though until I can finally say whether I 'get it' or not

I've been on the swinging cars twice before and despite what I had posted previously, I do quite enjoy re-acquainting the top of my stomach with the bottom of my lungs.

Very nice update. It was fun to hang out with you, DH and DS the day and a half during the trip to the DLR. Luckily my DB and his GF had to go to SoCal to drop stuff off for her brother where he is going to Irvine and asked me at the last second if I wanted to come down. I thanked them a lot for letting me come along with them. My DB will be excited when he gets his present that I bought for him that Sunday night when we were at DL. When we got to Irvine on Saturday I stayed for a while to help them unload the stuff for my DB GF brother before I head on over to DL while you were in San Diego. I had a fun time on Saturday to get pictures of the Halloween decorations at DL. You know that I can't pass up the opportunity to go down when PiO and her family are in SoCal.

It was alright that we didn't get a picture when we were at the Esplanade that morning. We were thinking of getting in DCA that morning to be able to get FP's for RSR and go on the rides at Paradise Pier. All the pictures that your DH and DS took are very good. We had a fun morning going on a lot of different rides.

It was neat that your DH and DS was able to get pictures of us just when we were about to board Mickey's Fun Wheel of Doom (which I call a lot thank you Sherry E the DL Moderator on the threads which she calls it). As you know PiO that I don't like riding on the swinging-gondola on MFWoD but you did encourage me to ride it with you and your family. But just when we were almost about to board the ride, you decided at the last second to ride the non-swinging gondola while your DH and DS stayed on the swinging side. It was neat that all of us were getting pictures of each other where we were all on other side of the queue and on the gondolas. My streak of not riding on the swinging gondola is intact. I haven't ridden in it since 2001 when the park opened and it continues.

It was fun to ride the Little Mermaid and take a lot of different pictures.

Very nice update again.

Bret - I think I thought that you weren't real keen to go on the Swinging cars at the time and I figured it wasn't quite fair to ask you to go on it; so I decided to switch to the stationary one instead. If I had realised that you hadn't been on it since 2001, I think I might have decided otherwise.

It was good timing on my DB and his GF that they were going down to SoCal that week and I couldn't pass the opportunity to go down and have fun with PiO and her family. It would have been nice to stay the whole day with them but I was happy to come down and hang out with them and that what matters.

Likewise. I was really happy to have the day and the half with you. I hope we can go to the parks together again in the future.

Yay! Pictures of Disneyland!! It's cool the way you meet Disboarders everywhere you go! And you go everywhere!!

Not quite everywhere.....but I do get around.

I finally replied to the party crashing and you snuck in another update. Now that I'm responding to the next update I hope you don't squeeze one in while I'm responding to your first day at DL!

I think it's funny that you were so task oriented that you forgot the obligatory shot. No wonder we took so many after the rest of us met up. You guys got a whole lot done in the morning before we even had an inkling of getting out to the park!

I thought it was funny as well. It took me a whole 2 hours before I even got round to thinking about getting that picture of Bret and me on my camera!

It depends on a number of factors. The most important being if we decide to have another baby. We both really want a daughter, but at the present moment would not be happy with the announcement of another son. Until I am okay with either gender, I am waiting. There are also some health implications, but I can clear most of those up by having a C-Section and losing weight. In the past year, I have done nothing but gain weight. That is not good for a mother whose preeclampsia increases with her weight. If I have another kid, I will likely put law school on hold indefinitely.

If we decide not to go for another kid, I very well may apply. I have already taken pre tests for the LSAT and have done decently well, especially on the logic games. Actual tests are given multiple times a year, so it would be easy to take one on time. My references know of my desire to attend and are on hand if and when the need arises. My student loans from undergrad (which were not much as I had academic scholarships the whole way through) are paid off, so I should have no problem getting a new loan to fund tuition.

My GPA for undergrad is higher than the average applicant. It is even higher than the average person accepted. The law school is where I attended undergrad, so I would get priority over external applicants. The submission deadline every year is on my birthday, so I will never forget the turn in date. Basically, I have no doubt I would get in If I wanted to go. Hopefully, that does not come off snooty. The school is at UNLV, not Harvard. If I applied to Harvard, I am sure the admissions office would have a great laugh at my expense. I will not apply until I am 100% sure I want to go though. As you pointed out, there is a lot of work that goes into applying.

Whatever your future holds, I wish you well with it all.

The ring he picked is lovely. Congrats to your cousin.

That house is absolutely fantastic. While I am bummed you missed the Carlsbad outlets, I am happy you caught that party. It sounds like you had a great time. The pool is the only thing more amazing than the view, the secluded location or the sheer size.

I engulf food at Disney too. Commando member 234 here! Only at table service restaurants do I ever really take a break. It is neat reading the three way DISmeet from all three of you. Although you're doing the same thing, it is cool that you each paint the picture a little differently. It sounds like you had a great time that morning. Having Bret as a guide must have been pretty cool. Your LM pictures are amazing. One day, I will learn his to use my camera (once I get it fixed). Then, I may try to take no flash pictures on dark rides again.

We really enjoyed hitting the parks and the rides with Bret, Alison and Fran. It was a whole heap of fun.

Thanks Kim.

 

[LegoMom3]

Yay Disneyland!!! Love the shot from way up on the Wheel! Nice to see the park from that height (well, through my computer -- in real life??! ).

.

 

[rentayenta]

I am finally caught up.


I'm am really enjoying this report. You always have great photos too.


That house is UNREAL. You picked a perfect party to crash that's for sure.


Always like reading about DISmeets and the whole 3D to 2D process.
Hopefully one of these days we'll have trips that overlap in some way.

We'll be at Alison's I'm sure to celebrate her big 5 0 in their new amazing casa. Thanks for those pics as well.

 

[declansdad]

You are moving right along with this report, aren't you?

Lots of great pics! Looking forward to more.

 

[PrincessInOz]

Yay Disneyland!!! Love the shot from way up on the Wheel! Nice to see the park from that height (well, through my computer -- in real life??! ).

.

It's not that bad in real life.

I am finally caught up.


I'm am really enjoying this report. You always have great photos too.


That house is UNREAL. You picked a perfect party to crash that's for sure.


Always like reading about DISmeets and the whole 3D to 2D process.
Hopefully one of these days we'll have trips that overlap in some way.

We'll be at Alison's I'm sure to celebrate her big 5 0 in their new amazing casa. Thanks for those pics as well.

I managed to squeeze in a few DisMeets this trip. And yes, you're on. We need to have overlapping trips one of these years.

You are moving right along with this report, aren't you?

Lots of great pics! Looking forward to more.

Thanks. The pace will slow down after today.

Back. at. work. tomorrow.

 

[PrincessInOz]

Into Carsland and on Radiator Springs Racers




When walking into Carsland for the very first time, the common belief is to enter from the Pacific Wharf side; rather from the Radiator Springs Main Street. DH was a little surprised when we veered right; but he was happy to fall in with the plan.






On the DisMeet Objective Evidence stakes, DH is leading. He got this one as well.






The reason for taking the Pacific Wharf entrance is fairly self-evident.






Who can resist that unemcumbered view of the buttes?











Apparently…..my boys can. I don’t think they even gave it a second glance!






Until……






Ahhh…..the high pitch whine of a well-tuned machine really knows how to turn heads.






We did stop by Radiator Springs Main Street for a quick look.






I think DH and DS were blown away by how Disney life has faithfully imitated art.


















And it was here that the light bulb finally switched on for me. My first picture of Bret!






Taken at about 9.45; some TWO hours after we’d met up.






I always take the opportunity to grab one of these if I have the chance. It makes me feel kinda special for the entire walk in. I know….small things, right?






You might have noticed that the stand-by line was already out to 75 minutes. For that reason alone, I don’t think I’ve ever seen the World Famous Bottle House.






I’ve only ever hit the ride using a Fast Pass.






Another score to DH.






(Continued in Next Post)

 

[PrincessInOz]

(Continued from Previous Post)


On the Radiator Springs Track




Before too long, we were on the loading dock and getting really excited to be on this ride. The last time I rode this, I had been super excited and had loved it. You know how it is….when you love something the first time and there is a long period between drinks, you tend to romanticise it all and in the telling and the re-telling, it all gets bigger than Ben Hur.
I wondered if it would be the case for this ride with me.


All up on to the point that I saw this. Va Va Vroom. Vroom.






Nope. What a foolish mortal thought. This ride IS bigger and better than Ben Hur for me. After strapping ourselves in….






…we were on our way! For those of you that have been on this ride. Can you hear the music? Hum it with me as we head into Ornament Valley.






Radiator Falls……











Uh.oh. We got caught by the Sherriff!







Nearly get mowed over by Frank.







Before hitting the indoor Main Street of Radiator Springs.







It wasn’t Luigi’s Tyre shop for us today….






We were routed into Ramon’s House of Body Art. Spray paint, anyone?







Would you believe that this is really my first picture of Bret and me together? Well…..I’m counting it!







Fabulous!






I sure hope that I don’t get too far behind in the picture taking….er…..racing stakes.






And we’re off! I may have been on track today with hitting the rides.






Hold on tight. It gets a little bumpy here. But I sure forgot about the little things along the way.....such as a picture of Bret and me first thing!






The competition! Who would have thought that DS and DH would have beaten me to the punch this morning?






It’s neck and neck! It's not always how you start; but how you finish.






And we finally win! Yeah. We all win. A picture may tell a thousand words but we get to spend all day in each other's company creating happy memories. Better the camera of the mind than the camera of pixels and dots anyday!







I checked Bret’s TR. This is also officially the first picture of the two of us that he posted on his TR. I’m counting it.




(Continued in Next Post)