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

[dolphingirl47]

You did make good time. I can't believe how much you managed to pack in the morning. I love the photos of the Halloween decorations.

Corinna

 

[mvf-m11c]

I can't believe I didn't see your latest update yesterday.

A very nice update. It was a nice warm afternoon which got a little hot later that day and we got to go on a lot of rides that morning to noon.

As you know PiO and everyone that has read my trip reports in the past that I don't like going on GRR because it can get you soaked but not as badly like Kali River Rapids at AK which I haven't and will never go on. But I don't have problems with the other Disneyland Resort water rides like Splash, PotC (I did get wet a few times while riding up front during the first drop), etc. But I don't like to get my bag wet cause I have all the camera and video equipment. Just in this one year alone I have ridden GRR in June and with PiO and her family more times then I have ever in my life which I haven't ridden it since GRR opened in 2001.

I did get soaked way more than the June trip but it wasn't that bad. It was a hot day during that time when we rode GRR so I was dried when we were in DL.

The pictures at Stroyteller's statue are really nice and glad that we stopped to get pictures.

In front of DLRR MS station at DL with the Halloween decorations around the area is nice but I still prefer the Christmas season over Halloween at the DLR. I can't wait to leave next month and go back to the DLR during the Holiday season.

I'll have to share my secret with Brett, I keep a poncho in my bag just for the wet rides as I don't like to walk around with wet pants and unmentionables.

You have some lovely shots of your family and Brett. I'm so enjoying your DL days.

Thank you for the tip Angela. I mostly bring my poncho in my bag with me during my trips but since it was warm during the trip, I didn't need to bring it. Next time, I will remember to bring it even during the summertime for something like this unless someone in our party would watch our bags since they don't want to ride GRR.

 

[PrincessInOz]

Yay for Disneyland! I've been excited to hear about your time at DCA, but there really is nothing like the original

Sorry to hear that Brett got soaked on Grizzly River Run. I got completely soaked the time I was sitting next to the entry, so next time I made sure I was sitting in the middle and managed to come out relatively unscathed. This was in winter though

I'm always fascinated by Halloween as it's not something we 'do' here. I'm glad I will have a chance to see some Halloween decor next year (even if it is just the very beginning!). Not sure how my parents feel about it, but I'm sure they will love all the detail when the time comes.

You were fairly lucky to remain relatively unscathed on GRR.

I think you'll love the Halloween decorations. The details are amazing closer up.

Still reading along her too, PiO.
We were just there too. Love Halloween time.

DD loves getting wet on Grizzly. If we are soaked, we have to ride again until appropriately drenched.....that is one thing we love about staying at the Grand, close enough for a quick change.

I think once you're wet, you might as well go on again.

I totally don't mind going on wet rides...DH however absolutely hates them! He's definitely more girly than me

I always take for granted the time it takes to get from DCA to DL. It's fantastic!

I don't mind getting wet either; but I won't do it in winter. I catch cold too easily.

You got through heaps it seems this day as well as Dismeets! Where was the photo of a drenched Brett? That'd be me. We were disappointed that on our only visit to DCA so far, Grizzly River Run kept being down and we didn't get to ride. On the list with Carsland for next time!! Love the Halloween decorations.

I was trying hard not to laugh (too much) so I didn't take a picture of Bret.

You'll definitely have to get on this ride next time; together with Carsland.

I'll have to share my secret with Brett, I keep a poncho in my bag just for the wet rides as I don't like to walk around with wet pants and unmentionables.

You have some lovely shots of your family and Brett. I'm so enjoying your DL days.

We brought a poncho with us but it didn't get unpacked till we got to WDW. We used it for Kali and at the Universal Studios wet rides. Despite the poncho, we still got wet at Universal!!

I know Bret hates getting wet, so I was surprised to read on his report that he went with you. Luckily for me, Crap hates getting wet as much as I do. It has been years since we've ridden a water ride. Xander loves getting wet, so I am in for water rides once he discovers them. For now, he is unaware! I love the swinging cars, but Xander does not. It will be a while before we ride that one again. Glad you and Bret decided at the last moment to refrain as neither of you were interested.

When I read your seven minute comment about walking across the esplanade, I immediately knew you were taking pictures, lol. I laughed when I read the rest of the sentence. You got beautiful pictures. I especially like the pictures of the Halloween decorations. They are festive and getting me excited to see them in person.

I read that Minnie's Fly Girls just stopped forever. Looks like you got to see the show just before it ended. That's some added Disney magic.

Yes, I saw the notice about Minnie's Fly Girls as well; so it was nice to see it before it ended.

I really love how you use pictures to tell your story! Great update!!

.

Thanks LegoMom. Really glad that you're checking in and reading along.

The Soarin' queue looks a lot more interesting than the one at EPCOT.

DH is a smart man; I'm hoping there will be a Jasmine picture along the way.

I went looking for Jasmine and Aladdin twice at Epcot. Both times, they were NOT there.

But I hate to disappoint your hopes and after some navel gazing on my part, I figured you may appreciate this shot of Jasmine from last November.

I love that Storytellers statue! Fancy it being free! People didn't notice it's amazing worth. You managed to score some wonderful photographs!

Oh dear re we Brett. Poor guy. I am not partial to getting covered in h2o either. Splash mountain is one of my nemesis rides. Jo loves it so I wear my brave hat and ride it but the water I find is like a cat. It knows when there is a person that is not a fan so hangs on to that person more for devilment!

At DisneyLand Paris the two parks are very close together also. Literally the two gates are side by side it's so cute! One is MK and the other Walt Disney Studios. There is a DTD and an Earl there as well! We can get on a train near us and get off at DL Paris because they built a tunnel under the sea that connects England to France. There is a train that goes from near London all the way to the station at DisneyLand. Very cool!

Next time we go I will do a TR. We don't go a lot because it's very expensive and the CM are rude. So unDisney. The Europeans don't quite get it...

If you do a TR of Disneyland Paris, please send me the link. I'll definitely be most interested to read and learn from your experience.

I tried to read your updates from my cell phone and it kept shutting down the phone every time I pulled up the page.

If I'd known y'all did GRR the day before I might have sat it out. I'm definitely not a get wet kind of person! The rides sound fun, but what about lunch?

Denise, when are you thinking of hitting DL? I happen to know that a local concert band will be playing in DCA on Nov 10 at 1:50pm.

I'm glad you got on GRR with us.

Lunch? Wait and see.

 

[PrincessInOz]

You did make good time. I can't believe how much you managed to pack in the morning. I love the photos of the Halloween decorations.

Corinna

It has been suggested that we are real Disney Commando's. The thing is....we don't feel like we rushed through the parks at all.

But it is easier to cover a bit of ground in the mornings; when the parks are less busy.

I can't believe I didn't see your latest update yesterday.

A very nice update. It was a nice warm afternoon which got a little hot later that day and we got to go on a lot of rides that morning to noon.

As you know PiO and everyone that has read my trip reports in the past that I don't like going on GRR because it can get you soaked but not as badly like Kali River Rapids at AK which I haven't and will never go on. But I don't have problems with the other Disneyland Resort water rides like Splash, PotC (I did get wet a few times while riding up front during the first drop), etc. But I don't like to get my bag wet cause I have all the camera and video equipment. Just in this one year alone I have ridden GRR in June and with PiO and her family more times then I have ever in my life which I haven't ridden it since GRR opened in 2001.

I did get soaked way more than the June trip but it wasn't that bad. It was a hot day during that time when we rode GRR so I was dried when we were in DL.

The pictures at Stroyteller's statue are really nice and glad that we stopped to get pictures.

In front of DLRR MS station at DL with the Halloween decorations around the area is nice but I still prefer the Christmas season over Halloween at the DLR. I can't wait to leave next month and go back to the DLR during the Holiday season.




Thank you for the tip Angela. I mostly bring my poncho in my bag with me during my trips but since it was warm during the trip, I didn't need to bring it. Next time, I will remember to bring it even during the summertime for something like this unless someone in our party would watch our bags since they don't want to ride GRR.

I wonder why you missed it yesterday! But you're all caught up now.

Perhaps it's worth considering getting on Kali with a poncho. DH and I put the poncho's on when we got to AK and it kept us relatively dry.

DS, on the other hand, got completely drenched (without the poncho)!

 

[TMGosizk]

I'm all caught up! Yay!

I loved the sea life pictures from the aquarium! Very beautiful!!

Your morning in California Adventure seems like it was amazing! I loved all the pictures and they included some that were my first look at many things from that park! One of these days, and depending on where we are stationed next, I'm hoping to make it out to Disneyland and see these things in person!

You all looked like you were having so much fun! Looking forward to reading more!

 

[Pinkocto]

He did I miss that gorgeous Walt and Mickey statue!? Another thing for the ever growing list.

Love love love all the Halloween decorations! I had no idea Australia isn't into Halloween. It's not my favorite but I do enjoy a good costume party. Some people like to do scary things and I'm just not into scary.

Wet rides are not my favorite unless I'm at the waterparks in my bathing suit wanting to get wet

 

[PrincessInOz]

I'm all caught up! Yay!

I loved the sea life pictures from the aquarium! Very beautiful!!

Your morning in California Adventure seems like it was amazing! I loved all the pictures and they included some that were my first look at many things from that park! One of these days, and depending on where we are stationed next, I'm hoping to make it out to Disneyland and see these things in person!

You all looked like you were having so much fun! Looking forward to reading more!

I finally caught up on yours today as well!!! So sorry I missed the posts about your DD ear operation. Glad it all went well.

He did I miss that gorgeous Walt and Mickey statue!? Another thing for the ever growing list.

Love love love all the Halloween decorations! I had no idea Australia isn't into Halloween. It's not my favorite but I do enjoy a good costume party. Some people like to do scary things and I'm just not into scary.

Wet rides are not my favorite unless I'm at the waterparks in my bathing suit wanting to get wet

You'll definitely need a return trip to DCA to see the Storyteller's Statue.

Australia is starting to get more into Halloween. The kids have worked out it is a great way to score free candy/lollies. But it wasn't a big celebration here for a long time (still isn't).

 

[PrincessInOz]

Little Critter Lunch




When travelling with a teenage child, your days are immediately segmented into timeframes of eating and sleeping. It’s all in hindsight and after the fact, but I wish I had a $1 for every time my DS said to me “I’m Hungry” or “I’m Tired” on this trip. I think the total amount would have funded my next trip.


We had just entered the Disneyland park…..











…..when it was around this stage that DS said “I’m Hungry”. I’m pretty sure he didn’t have pumpkins in mind for food!






And as we had a resident Disneyland park expert with us, we deferred to his judgement on where to eat. And so, we followed his charge.

We did move down Main Street very very quickly.






Despite the various modes of transportation on Main Street, it was leg power for us. You might even say...we hoofed it that day.






I had a FP running task to do and deviated to the right for a quick collection.
There was barely enough time to check out the other Partners statue...






...or even to admire the castle.






I caught up with the boys in Critter Country and our lunch spot. Truth be known, we were all starving by this stage.






Bret picked up the little critter.....er......Crispy.....Chicken sandwich.






I don’t know how Big Al felt about it...but DH got the chicken salad, without the chicken.






Not quite a little critter, but DS got the hamburger.






I got the Holiday (water bound) Fish (critter) sandwich special. The jicama mango salad was great; the rest of it was standard park fare.






The standout for us....turned out to be the unassuming sweet potato fries. When did this become a standard staple offering on the American menu? It was the first time that DH and I had enjoyed this variant of the deep fry spud.






For those of you that have not yet eaten at this location, my recommendation would be to try it out. The meals are not any better or worse than what you’ll find in most of the QS locations in the park.

But it is a very pleasant spot to watch the river slip by.











(BTW - I’d like to point out that no little critters were harmed by me or anyone in my party in the presentation of this post! I cannot claim the same for anyone else not in my travelling party.)


(Continued in Next Post)

 

[PrincessInOz]

(Continued from Previous Post)


Repeatable and Predictable in the 100 Acre Wood




As a photography destination, any Disney location is a dream. Not only is there colour and motion at every corner, but the opportunity to practise shooting in low light conditions is present and available in almost every attraction.

Even better....every time you go into an attraction, the conditions are completely repeatable and predictable. So you get to practise taking similar but different shots of the same thing.











No tricks up any one’s wings in here.






Nor were we kept too much in the dark about what camera settings to use.






And with everything being so repeatable and predictable, even when it seems like things are heading into a psychedelic kinda world....





....over and over again. Seems like I got two shots EXACTLY the same that day.






Still.....it's all about keeping with the cyclic flow of nature.






Yes, we had a 100-Acre Wood kind of field day....and as you can clearly see, we did this attraction twice in a row. As one door.....






....or two opened.....






...into the different rooms....again and again.

















Even if we kept missing things, at least it was predictably consistent!












It really was a tea party for Bret and I. It was fantastic to snap snap snap together.












Yup. Disney dark rides definitely take the prize where photographers like me are concerned.







I should mention that whilst Bret and I were enjoying predictable and repeatable behaviour, DS was displaying repeatable and predictable behaviour as well. He was after another splash!

Not that I was averse to getting....or more correctly.....staying.....wet again, I had noticed that standby for Splash Mountain was running at 45 minutes. And we were already holding one set of fastpasses with a window not opening for another 20 minutes. Besides, the current FP return time was for after 5.30 pm and we had other arrangements in place for that time.

DH and DS headed over to Splash to look for the single rider queue whilst Bret and I hit the 100 Acre Wood. Who knew? There was no single rider queue for Splash!



Needless to say, DS was completely predictable in his reaction to the turn of events after lunch and his words to me are unrepeatable on the Dis.





(Continued in Next Post)

 

[PrincessInOz]

(Continued from Previous Post)


The Odds are STILL Star Wars astronomical!




By this stage, our FP window had opened up. So, we headed into Tomorrowland for an out of this world experience.



Star Tours is yet another one of those attractions that is a firm favourite in my family. And my boys had yet to experience the V2.0 re-boot of this attraction. It was definitely time to address this!






I’d collected a FP earlier in the day for this ride and we were all excited to hit it.



Those of you that have read my Mad Dash reports on Disneyland....particularly the one that I wrote for November 2012....will know that when I hit this attraction then, I got the same sequence for the first 3 out of the 4 elements of the re-boot storyline both time I got on the ride. With a total of 54 different permutations available, I actually calculated the odds of that happening as 1 in 972.



This would be my 3rd time experiencing the attraction. The boys LOVED it!


Guess what?

Yup. I got the EXACT same sequence for the first 3 elements. The odds of this happening 3 times in a row are 1 in 17,496.

 

[ejud]

I came in late and haven't gone back yet, so excuse me if this was already covered, but having just seen your Pooh shots, dang girl! What camera lens and settings are you using???



Jud

 

[ACDSNY]

Nice update. I love the sweet potato fries and I agree they were the best part of our meal there.

 

[zanzibar138]

OMG there are sweet potato fries at Disneyland??? Last time we were there DH and I were devastated that we couldn't get any fries Will definitely remember Hungry Bear for next time, thanks for the tip

Love all your pics from Winnie the Pooh - you are very talented at getting photos on the dark rides

When we were there last, that whole area was down for maintenance, so we never got to do Splash Mountain, Winnie the Pooh, or check out the shops and restaurants in the area.

 

[mvf-m11c]

It was fun to go to DL that afternoon where it wasn't that busy except for a few rides like Splash where DS wanted to go on and get wet.

That's what I like about Hungry Bear Restaurant where it has the sweet potato fries. It is so fun to eat at Hungry Bear Restaurant where you can see the Columbia or Mark Twain going down the Rivers of America.

It was nice to ride Winnie the Pooh two times in a row so we can get some nice dark ride pictures.

I also can't believe from that day at Star Tours of what are the odds that you would get the same ride experience.

Very nice update.

 

[LegoMom3]

I came in late and haven't gone back yet, so excuse me if this was already covered, but having just seen your Pooh shots, dang girl! What camera lens and settings are you using???



Jud

I am SO envious of your nice crisp, colorful indoor shots!! They are absolutely brilliant and something I aspire to.

Did you like the sweet potato fries?! I've just started making those at home (not deep-fried, but still yummy). I wonder if they offer those at WDW anywhere?.....or, maybe it's just a California thing.

.

 

[Meriweather]

Sweet potato fries are the new rage everywhere..........at least west coast and where we live. Even the fast food places have added them.
Good for me.....I am not supposed to eat white potatoes, but do love fries!!
We enjoy eating at Hungry Bear and sitting looking over the water.

 

[dolphingirl47]

I love the photos from Winnie the Pooh. They look really stunning. I can't believe that you had the same three elements on Star Tours three times running.

LegoMom3, they do amazing sweet potato fries at Kona Cafe. I don't normally eat sweet potato, but those were amazing.

Corinna

 

[LegoMom3]

I love the photos from Winnie the Pooh. They look really stunning. I can't believe that you had the same three elements on Star Tours three times running.

LegoMom3, they do amazing sweet potato fries at Kona Cafe. I don't normally eat sweet potato, but those were amazing.

Corinna

That's great to know -- thank you!! I love Kona....only been there for breakfast in the past but now I have a new reason to try dinner!

.

 

[dhorner233]

Yes, how do you get those shots on the Pooh ride? Here's one of mine:



It's interesting that the rides in DLR and DW are different.

 

[franandaj]

Well I'm glad to see that you finally got lunch! I was getting very hungry reading your TR!

Nice shots on the Pooh ride. I should start playing with the DSLR and not rely so much on my P&S, but my life is complicated enough without having to worry about pictures!

Yeah, everywhere is serving those Sweet Potato fries now. Not being a fan of Sweet potatoes, they do nothing for me. The Hungry Bear starting serving them after they went down for rehab. I know we ate there with Arline in Feb 2012 because they put the Fried Green Tomato Sandwich on the menu and she really wanted to try that, it was served with the sweet potato fries. I had read about it on the Disneyland Food Porn thread for quite a while before we actually ate there.

I see why your DS was so keen to get on Splash the next day now! I hope that at least at WDW you got some different scenarios on Star Tours!


Hmmm what was going on at 5:30??