California Dreamin'-A 14 Day Odyssey to San Fran,Yosemite & DL! 8/2013 COMPLETE!1/9!!

[shan23877]

Cool tour! Your guide for the first half sounds like a real gem. I can't imagine doing her job in heels everyday-yikes!

I'm eager to hear about the rest-but I suspect the guide wasn't quite as wonderful as the first one...

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Looks like a really cool tour with a great guide! So glad you were able to take the time to do it. And if that means you had to sacrifice IASW...sign me up!

 

[Beth D]

Great updates! YOur food looked fantastic! Hooray for meeting old friends!

That tour guide seemed like a great girl! I hope the other one turns out as well too… I was bummed that I only got to spend about 6 hours in DL, and all of it was in the dark. Still had a fantastic time, but not knowing all the history of the park like you, I love tidbits like you're sharing from your tour!

 

[RGirl]

Hi Ellen! I am working on catching up on this TR, but I had to pause to comment about how excited I was to read about your first moments in DCA and DL! I'm so glad you loved it as much as we do!!! You got to do so many amazing things. I can't wait to read more.

And I am going to do that - right now!

 

[RGirl]

Okay - caught up now! I really enjoyed reading your impression of the dual-coast rides - exactly the same as mine!

Napa Rose looked great - we haven't tried that one yet and won't be doing so on our upcoming trip, but one day we will!

Don't you love the GCH park entrance/exit? We love cutting through there at the end of a DCA day.

I am loving hearing about your Walk in Walt's Footsteps experience. We will be doing it next month!!!!! I am SO EXCITED!!! As is Willow!

I hate the cliffhanger though! Come back!!!!

 

[podsnel]

It looks so much different then I remember. Then again, I was only 15 when I went there the one and only time!

Well, you know what that means....time to go again!!

Mmmmm, Matterhorn macaroon! Worth the trip to DLR!

That thing was incredible! I saved more than half I think for Pods and Tyler- they were VERY grateful!

I sobbed at the end of the tour too. You are not alone.

Jill in CO

Thank you. Always nice to have company in the SAP lounge.

Ugh.... cliffhangers

Come back real soon please

I'm sorry! I blame baseball and the beach!

This definitely sounds like a cool tour!

YOU would both LOVE it.

Noooo not a cliffhanger! Ok, so just kidding with the mad face but you are killing me.

Sorry baby- Happy Anniversary, by the way-

If Amercian Adventure and One Man's Dream had a baby!

WELL????

The Matterhorn Macaroon looks divine.

If you love coconut, it's da bomb!

I'll tell you, I use to feel just like Mia about visiting WDW before I actually visited. WDW does not illicit nearly the same heartfelt, magical, and nostalgic response as Disneyland does and I'm glad. I am much more of a blubbering fool at Disneyland. I don't feel Walt's presence at WDW. WDW is amazing but its not Disneyland. I totally get Mia's thinking. When someone says Disney I think Land not World. Love them both but just in different ways. But not like if they had a baby.

Yea- all these years of wondering what the difference was, and I think it was exactly what all the DL peeps always say- it's more intimate, more nostalgic. And that is from ME, a WDW peep. I DO get all choked up walking down WDW Main St, though (back to the SAP lounge)because it brings back a million happy memories made with my DH, kids, and dearest friends. Bottom line- it's ALL GOOD!

And no- not like if they had a baby- DUH- that would probably be DLP!

 

[podsnel]

Hi Ellen! How fun you got to meet up with your old beach friend Steve! Love the hair on the guys from the TBT pic!

I KNOW!!! Right?

Your NR dinner looked amazing! I'm glad you enjoyed it.

Very lovely, thanks.

The tour is so cool! Looks like Mia was able to really connect with the culture that Walt tried to hard to preserve. "Cheating on DL" What a cutie! Looking forward to seeing who your next CM guide is

Well there are no pics allowed, so....

Love the pin!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ME TOO!!!!! And I barely collect them!

I didn't get on It's a small world on our DL trip either, I need to fix that.

HMMMMMMM......

Fun update but gah on the cliffhanger!

Sorry!!! I blame baseball and the beach! And the cruiselines! And Alaska research!!

If DW and I ever make it out to DL again we MUST do this tour. It's been only 47 years since I was at DL so I guess it's time to go again, right? I love the update!

I guess it is, Bill! They are doing special things next year for the anniversary- beginning spring 2015.

What a sweet tour guide! You can tell from the pictures that she loves her job. I love when you encounter people like that; you can't help but catch their enthusiasm!

Me too! She was soooo fantastic!

I would have teared up, too!

Oh yea you would have- I have seen you in action. Welcome to the SAP lounge.

Lunch looks yummy! How cute that they put your name stickers on there. And the pin is SO neat - I love it!!

Completely adorable!

Cool tour! Your guide for the first half sounds like a real gem. I can't imagine doing her job in heels everyday-yikes!

We actually commented on it to her and she was very definite about that she felt it was the only way to go- in heels, i mean. Like it was what Walt would have wanted.

I'm eager to hear about the rest-but I suspect the guide wasn't quite as wonderful as the first one...

Umm...NO. NO she was NOT.

Looks like a really cool tour with a great guide! So glad you were able to take the time to do it. And if that means you had to sacrifice IASW...sign me up!

LOL- I bet you would LOVE hangin with my boys...

 

[podsnel]

Great updates! YOur food looked fantastic! Hooray for meeting old friends!

It was sooo nice to spend time with them.

That tour guide seemed like a great girl! I hope the other one turns out as well too… I was bummed that I only got to spend about 6 hours in DL, and all of it was in the dark. Still had a fantastic time, but not knowing all the history of the park like you, I love tidbits like you're sharing from your tour!

She was fabulous- can't say enough good things. And you need to go back! Go back to the Mothership!!

Hi Ellen! I am working on catching up on this TR, but I had to pause to comment about how excited I was to read about your first moments in DCA and DL! I'm so glad you loved it as much as we do!!! You got to do so many amazing things. I can't wait to read more.

Hi Roni! Of COURSE I did!

And I am going to do that - right now!

Okay - caught up now! I really enjoyed reading your impression of the dual-coast rides - exactly the same as mine!

I will never feel satisfied on SM in MK ever again....

Napa Rose looked great - we haven't tried that one yet and won't be doing so on our upcoming trip, but one day we will!

So many others to try now-

Don't you love the GCH park entrance/exit? We love cutting through there at the end of a DCA day.

That is SUCH an incredible amenity!

I am loving hearing about your Walk in Walt's Footsteps experience. We will be doing it next month!!!!! I am SO EXCITED!!! As is Willow!

How cool!! Can't wait to hear what you think! And how much you cry...

I hate the cliffhanger though! Come back!!!!

I'm sorry! I will!

 

[podsnel]

So sorry I have kept you all hanging for a while! So this is just a small update just to get the story finished- heading to the beach again today for an overnight at my girlfriend's in Bradley Beach (near Asbury Park)- last week I was 3 nights at my girlfrien Jen's in South Beach Haven on LBI.

I really love summer in NJ with my friends.

Back to the tour.....We all walked over to the Firehouse and were handed over to our new tour guide.

Oh boy.

This lady is a little...different.

She is older- she does have a great love and admiration and beyond tons of respect for Walt. BUT...she is kinda creepy. Because I swear, I think she is an animatron. She was SOOOOO rehearsed, SOOOOO staged, SOOOOO BIZARE!!


I have no pics of her. Because you are not permitted to take photos up in the apartment. Except when she takes them of YOU. Standing in the exact permitted spot for taking said photos. As many as you would like. But only in THE official photo spot of the DL official apartment.

Oh boy.

So she tells us all of this before we go up- keep our hands to ourselves. Put away our cameras until the exact moment the pictures can be taken. She is the only one allowed to use a camera in the apartment. Actually she said a ton of other scary rules, too, but I don't remember them very well. Although we may or may not have been allowed to breathe the air inside the apartment, but I did anyway, rule breaker that I am. And I totally ignored that first rule, oh yea. Because it was suggested to me by someone, somewhere along the way, that it was nice to go up in the apartment and touch things where Walt might have touched things. You know- because he did.

But the creepy lady/animatron said that was VERBOTTEN! There will be no touching in the apartment!!

Shaking, half our group ascended the stairs, terrified we were going to OBVIOUSLY do SOMETHING wrong in the next 10 minutes and be ejected from Disney for life! We all assembled in the tiny livingroom, where the scary lady was allowed to go behind the ROPE! Like she OWNED the place! The rest of us were too busy trembling in fear, trying not to touch a wall, a rope, each other- taking no chances my friend. No chances.

So the creepy lady proceeded to describe a typical day in the life of Walt & Lily in the apt- making toast, coffee, etc. I SWEAR to you, her mouth was NOT in sync with her voice. Sometimes her mouth was still opening and closing to speak, but no sound came out. Or the opposite, a voice and the mouth was shut. I SWEAR!!! Her completely canned little presentation there needed to be re-set, I think she may have even gotten stuck and had a skip in her record a few times. Even her body moved like Foxy Cleopatra up there in Spaceship Earth- all herky jerky. Next, the time had come- we were allowed to take out our phones or cameras, but she came out from behind the rope to take the pics.While half of us took pics, the other half saw the bathroom where a much more normal human type person was guarding the toilet.



And then, it happened.

I touched IT.

While the lady was busy taking approved photos on the approved spot, I leaned against the tiny kitchen- and touched a cabinet handle.

Oh yes I did, rulebreaker that I am, and here I am, alive and everything to tell the tale.

When we exited the apartment, I found out that there were MORE like me- nearly all of us had touched something. HAH!

Back outside, Mia was waiting for us. She asked me how it was up there- I told her it was so special, I was teary, of course, but largely due to the fact that I was completely freaked out by the creepy CM in charge. That lady was WEIRD!

She just smiled.

And then I whispered in her ear, "I touched IT".

And she smiled even more.

 

[Misskitty3]

You are too funny!!

Sounds like that creepy CM would have fit in better over at The Haunted Mansion.

 

[jedijill]

Luckily we didn't have creepy CM when we were in the apartment. She just sounds really weird!

Jill in CO

 

[KristiMc]

You are such a rulebreaker - love it! How cool and she does sound pretty creepy.

 

[JKSWonder]

Funky Cleopatra! Ha! Ellen, you kill me....

 

[saintstickets]

Back to the tour.....We all walked over to the Firehouse and were handed over to our new tour guide.

Oh boy.

This lady is a little...different.

She is older- she does have a great love and admiration and beyond tons of respect for Walt. BUT...she is kinda creepy. Because I swear, I think she is an animatron. She was SOOOOO rehearsed, SOOOOO staged, SOOOOO BIZARE!!


So the creepy lady proceeded to describe a typical day in the life of Walt & Lily in the apt- making toast, coffee, etc. I SWEAR to you, her mouth was NOT in sync with her voice. Sometimes her mouth was still opening and closing to speak, but no sound came out. Or the opposite, a voice and the mouth was shut. I SWEAR!!! Her completely canned little presentation there needed to be re-set, I think she may have even gotten stuck and had a skip in her record a few times. Even her body moved like Foxy Cleopatra up there in Spaceship Earth- all herky jerky.

I wonder if she is a reject from the Great Movie Ride at WDW-DHS? Everything there is so dated and maybe she was even too dated for that ride so they shipped her to DL!

And then, it happened.

I touched IT.

While the lady was busy taking approved photos on the approved spot, I leaned against the tiny kitchen- and touched a cabinet handle.

Oh yes I did, rulebreaker that I am, and here I am, alive and everything to tell the tale.

I understand that Disney has contracted with the NSA, CIA, FBI, Homeland Security and TSA to take finger prints of items in Walt's apartment and then track down the nefarious perpetrators! You better get out your tin foil hat and start watching out for black helicopters!

 

[RGirl]

OMG! I hope we don't get the scary animatronic CM!!!! I might pee my pants!

 

[dvc4life]

Thanks for the great laugh this morning Ellen! You rule breaker you!

 

[DWGal210]

Oh my she was special, wasn't she?!?! I mean, I get that people have to be careful in Walt's apartment but I mean COME ON lady. It's not the National Treasury or the Crown Jewels.

 

[Linda67]

We had a really young girl as our guide in Walt's apartment and a very nice gentleman guarding the toilet!
I remember the young girl being very sweet but looking mildly terrified, almost as if the possibility of a tourist going rouge was too much responsibility for her
Even so, it was amazing to stand in that apartment

 

[Wicket's Mom]

I'm back! Finally was able to connect to the Dis, so got to catch up again.

Your anniversary dinner looked pretty tasty, anything cooked tempura style is fine with me.

The tour was neat as was the tour leader, I remember those uniforms from watching Mickey Mouse Club back in the day. It does my heart good to see not everything has changed from those bygone days at Disney. The apartment would be nice to see, but the animatronic CM would be creepy. Maybe she was left from Westworld!

It seems strange it has been almost a year since your family went on this trip. This summer has flown by so fast, I can't get anything done, still haven't decided on a vacation.

 

[jenseib]

OMG!!! You crack me up. I was so lucky not to have her. I even asked if Hitler was up there and the one CM knew exactly who I was talking about.
I touched things too, but we weren't under such strictness. I did not however get to see the bathroom and I am kind of disappointed about that.