DIS Dads DDC XV - We put the "FUN" in dysfunctional! Christopher's thread...

[AirGoofy]

Another Monday ownage.

Or buy us a beer

I'd prefer this option.

 

[hoyce]

Another Monday ownage.



I'd prefer this option.

MMMMMM... BEER

 

[cj9200]

Hey there guys. Sounds like its been a real Monday out there.

I'm on the road again in Florida (Coral Gables) and have admit the weather is perfect.

Also I took a page from Anthony Bourdain's book and went to dinner at this seafood place called Garcia's. This place was great! Fresh seafood (they run their own fishing fleet) and they even had a fish market on site. The restaurant has all open air seeting and all fresh catch served. Total win column from Mr. Bourdain's Layover series.

Hope everyone has better days tomorrow, and CJ, let me know if Wednesday works. If not, maybe next time.

Garcia's is a good place. Forgot about that one.

Sent you a PM, but it looks like I'm not going to be able to meet up. Next time.

 

[BigTikiDaddy]

Glad you made it home safe, so how much snow do you have in The Great White North Let me look out the window, here our grand total is zero

Here west of Toronto, there in maybe now a couple of inches. mainly from tonight, much much more to the west (Sarnia) where we were yesterday. It was funny after driving through that mess yesterday, we get into the city, and hardly a trace if it here

 

[BigTikiDaddy]

Hmmm...an hour and no posts, I'd try a page run here BUT I know someone is lurking here. As a wise man once said...

 

[alanapapa]

Guys, I want to relay a story my DD12 told us at dinner.

On the bus home from school a guy sat down next to her, put his arm on her shoulders and said "So, do you want to go out with me?" She said no. He said "What, did you say NO?" and she said yes she said no. DW asked why she didn't want to go out with him and she replied "Cause I am only 12." While she is the more boy crazy of my two DD's, she is also the more level headed one.

I told her she should have to the guy if he wanted to keep use of the arm he had better move it.

 

[stopher1]

I get to go to my first daddy/daughter dance as a guest not as the DJ on Feb 11th. I can't wait to tear up the dance floor with Juliana. The good thing is she is too young for me to embarrass her yet!

I took my daughter to our first daddy-daughter dance last spring with her American Heritage Girls troop. It was fun.

 

[cj9200]

Guys, I want to relay a story my DD12 told us at dinner.

On the bus home from school a guy sat down next to her, put his arm on her shoulders and said "So, do you want to go out with me?" She said no. He said "What, did you say NO?" and she said yes she said no. DW asked why she didn't want to go out with him and she replied "Cause I am only 12." While she is the more boy crazy of my two DD's, she is also the more level headed one.

I told her she should have to the guy if he wanted to keep use of the arm he had better move it.

Good for her. She also needs to know that Dad "knows guys" that can make people disappear.

 

[stopher1]

That looks delicious!!! Now I'm hungry- thanks.

Ooooh - and it tastes even better than it looks! Had one yesterday for lunch. Mmmmm. Going to have another one before I fly home.

As much as I love the atmosphere at the Bayou, and I loved the 3 days I worked the kitchen there, I too think it is overrated.

So is Le Cellier. I think that Bayou was much better 20+ years ago - but it is a great experience. And that's what Disney really is about - storytelling and experiences.

As guests enter the manor house there in New Orleans Square, and board their bateaux for their boat ride into the bayou, they pass this plantation house, which is of course, the Blue Bayou restaurant. Diners enjoy their meals in the moonlight, with fireflies fluttering about nearby, as the boats quietly pass by. Walt wanted this experience to be part of the overall Pirates experience. In fact, the restaurant was ready to open in early December 1966, but prior to his death, he said NO, if the attraction wasn't ready to open, then the restaurant would have to wait. Patrons should only be dining when boats are passing by. So any time the ride goes down for rehab - the restaurant does as well.

Tokyo & Paris each got their own version of the Blue Bayou with their POTC attractions, but sadly WDW was robbed of this charming restaurant. WDW wasn't even supposed to get POTC, since as the imagineers at the time felt - Florida was so close to the real Caribbean, why would anyone want to see fake pirates while in Florida. But the clamor and demand upon the MK's opening was so great (thanks to the Sunday night tv program), that they had to rush a second version of the attraction into production. Marc Davis, the lead imagineer didn't want to repeat himself with another POTC, and made some sad cuts to the Florida version, and other changes. Since there was no New Orleans Square in FL, it was decided to create the small like Caribbean Plaza section at the end of Adventureland. Instead of being inside the Manor house, it was placed inside El Castillo, the castle recreation, and they nixed the restaurant that Walt so dearly loved about the Anaheim concept.

Blue Bayou is a DL tradition for many, many guests. Growing up it was my dad's favorite restaurant, and when we went as a family, by golly, we would eat there every single time. I took my wife there on our 15th anniversary trip a few years back (and the quality and menu had changed quite a bit). Still a nice experience, but not what it used to be years ago.

I wish they still had the Tahitian Terrace, which had a great show and good food.

Now THERE was a GREAT EXPERIENCE. I loved the TT. I mean, c'mon, who wouldn't love a restaurant full of hula girls inside a theme park. It is a shame they closed it back in the '90s.

The stand I originally worked at (Carnation Plaza Gardens) is long gone. I can't believe it has been 30 years since I quit.

Yep, closed in 2000. I worked there myself. Actually had dinner tonight with friends from those days when we all worked there together. I'm not thrilled at all with the current plans for that piece of real estate, either. I don't like that they're going to be pushing Fantasyland out into the hub using that parcel of ground. I'm kind of surprised construction hasn't started yet - happy, but surprised. It was supposed to start last October.

Here's a picture of the sign from earlier today. Even the sign will be coming down once the new Fantasy Faire crap goes into place.

Will be there a couple of weeks after it opens. The bumper car thing looks like a lot of fun. Oh and stop with the Dole Whip pics. Remember, I will get my revenge over the summer.

No worries. I dish it - I can take it.

 

[stopher1]

Here's a little of the closing sequence from World of Color. The angle isn't the best as I didn't know it was playing and hadn't gotten a fastpass - but it's still not too bad. Unfortunately the girls behind me kept talking - I wanted to turn around tell them to shut up, but I didn't.

http://s292.photobucket.com/albums/mm34/stopher1_photos/Disneyland%20-%20Jan%202012/?action=view&current=DSCN5502.mp4

 

[stopher1]

And here are a few pictures from the show. As a refresher (since I haven't talked about World of Color in a while) - the fountain table has over 1200 fountains on it, and is larger than a football field. It's quite an impressive show. No human actors, and without them, it can be (and has been several times already), quickly updated and changed. I've seen it nearly 2 dozen times now, and of those performances, I've seen about 5 different iterations of the show.

The mist screens are the most technologically advanced of that type of thing. Very clear - depending on your vantage point in the audience.

 

[stopher1]

 

[stopher1]

Over in Disneyland, Fantasmic! is down for rehab this month. So without it, we once again get the rare treat (rare since F! opened in 1992) of evening rides aboard the Mark Twain. I love this view, and haven't gotten a picture of it in years.

 

[stopher1]

CJ, you asked about dining locations at the Disneyland Resort.

Here's one that is new in the last year. It's in California Adventure, over in the Paradise Pier section. I have eaten at it twice since it opened, and really, really like it.

It's counter service, but not what you'd think of counter service.

Here's the menu.

I had the grilled steak with the chimichurri sauce. Mmmmmm-mmmm. It was so good.

 

[stopher1]

Another fine counter service option in DCA is in the Pacific Wharf area

The

It has great Mexican food. I've eaten there a couple of times in the past.

 

[stopher1]

Inside Disneyland, the French Market is still a good option for lunch or dinner. It's a buffeteria - you get your tray, and then get your food from the servers at the counter, and then go pay. Sort of cafeteria style.

I ate there last in 2010, and it was pretty nice then. Not sure what's currently on the menu. Then it was Jambalaya, a chicken dish, and other creole/cajun offerings.

 

[stopher1]

New to the restaurant roster at Disneyland is the Jolly Holiday Bakery Cafe. It's located at the end of Main Street, in the Hub. It replaces the old Blue Ribbon Bakery, which is being removed to finally give back inside table space to Carnation Main Street - I mean, Carnation Cafe. (I still call it Carnation Main Street, even though it's been CC for the past 15 years).

The Jolly Holiday is on my agenda in the morning. Very much a similar experience to the Main Street Bakery in the MK. It took up residence in the former Plaza Pavilion real estate, which was the Plaza Pavilion Restaurant for many years, sadly closing in the mid-90's only to become the Annual Passport Processing Center for a good number of years since. It's nice to have another restaurant option back on the Hub once again.

I do have a problem, however, with the choice of theming for this particular establishment. Having a 1910 English nanny as the thematic element doesn't quite fit the bill for an 1890-1910 small town AMERICAN street. I went inside it today to take a look around, and they did a really good job with the look and feel of it - I just doesn't speak Main Street, U.S.A. to me. Kind of a contradiction to the overall theming of the land.

 

[stopher1]

The Disney Gallery currently has an exhibit on the Disneyland Railroad, and other trains within the Disney parks. The sign over the door is really cool - it puts out smoke!

 

[stopher1]

Cruella de Vil could be seen in Town Square today for photos & autographs.

So too were the Queen of Hearts and the White Rabbit.

Along with Donald and Goofy in separate locations (no pics, they're too common)

 

[stopher1]

Sleeping Beauty Castle