Disneyland and beyond trip report (updated... the end!)

[MAGICinMYHEART]

OH...Mario !

 

[MAGICinMYHEART]

POOR WET GRUMP !

 

[reyasmommy]

Great report....thanks for sharing!

 

[MICKEY'S DREAMERS]

POOR WET GRUMP !

HE is going to PM you !!!
so that I could know about OUR plans too !!!!

laura

 

[MAGICinMYHEART]

He's HERE !!
Tropical Storm Marco
Tropical Depression 13 formed in the Bay of Campeche on Monday morning and has quickly strengthened into Tropical Storm Marco.

Marco may flirt with hurricane strength overnight. As a result tropical storm warnings have been issued along the Mexican coast from Cabo Rojo to Punta El Lagarto. A hurricane watch is in effect from Cabo Rojo to Veracruz.

Landfall of the system is expected to occur Tuesday morning along the Mexico coast near Veracruz. From there it should move inland and rain itself out over the mountains

 

[DGH]

As a grumpy surprise now that we are back home ... we won an Hawaiian prize!
A e-zine which we subscribed to while waiting for our Hawaii vacation made a contest: guess what day the first whales would have been back to the Hawaii for the Winter season !
I guessed the 8th of October ... and I won!
This is my prize !

and this is the full story !

http://www.govisithawaii.com/2008/09/19/contest-predict-the-2008-humpback-whale-arrival-to-hawaii/

http://www.govisithawaii.com/2008/10/10/theyre-back-humpback-whales-arrive-in-hawaii/

 

[diberry]

Well done DGH! What lovely prizes too! I hope you're going to wear a grass skirt to do your Hula workout!!!

 

[travelmel]

Nice job!

 

[MICKEY'S DREAMERS]

Hi!

Loved your update! Since I have only been to DL/DCA I love it when people who have travelled the Disney in other lands compare us (DLR) and say we have the best this or the best that (Aladdin in this case)! It makes me feel proud for some reason.

(See my comparrison chart in my TR )

Grumpy's Camcorder!

Hi there !!!
YAY !! We really did love ALLADIN !!! and DCA !! We have many fond memories overthere !!! + the weather ( at least FOR US !!! ) was much better than in Florida - much more similar to our weather in Northern Italy - in Summer !!
Florida in August can get HOT indeed - all day long !!! though we LOVE WDW !!!!!!!!!!

and Disneyland Paris is beautiful ( I like the main park though - the Studios IMHO are so so themed !! ) BUT SO COLD !!! so much colder than in Italy !! I'm often freezing there ! Though , you can tell !!! , we LOVE IT there ...
we'll be visiting at Easter 2009 , it's official NOW !!!

So ... what could I tell you , dear Melissa ?? TRY and visit them ALL !!!

Ciao , laura

PS : NO problems about Grumpy's Camcorder ... he would be GRUMPY anyway !!! (LOVED your glitters )
I'll have to search your comparison chart !!!

 

[travelmel]

Will do! (Try to visit them all). My DD's are going to DL this summer but without my DH and I It's ok though.. I think my DDC will try and do a TR for her ole mums.

Hey, when you get a minute, could you post that pic of grump on the wedding cake? I wanna show it to my DH. It just cracks me up.

Thanks!

 

[DGH]

Hey, when you get a minute, could you post that pic of grump on the wedding cake? I wanna show it to my DH. It just cracks me up.

Which picture?

 

[travelmel]

LOL Thanks!!!

 

[MICKEY'S DREAMERS]

Here we go again !
Other beautiful highlights of our visit to DCA !

After a rather tiring afternoon at the parks we had a dinner reservation at Ariel’s Grotto for the exciting Disney Princess Celebration!!
The meal was a fixed price menu with very good choices of food ; I had chicken soup and battered fish + a delicious fruit cake, while DGH, after the “French” onion soup, had one of his favourites: chicken biscuit pie and an incredible, enormous slice of chocolate cake.
We met lots and lots of princesses, all of them very kind indeed : each would stop by and have a lovely chat with us !!

Here we are with (a bit tired) Ariel:

and DGH with Aurora: he does look very proud of himself here !

Another attraction we enjoyed very much at DCA is Toy Story Mania: we loved Mr. Potato Head, who interacts with people waiting in queue.
While we were listening to his jokes, one of his ears did pop loose. FUN !!!!

DGH found it very smart that each car in this attraction can take four guests, two of which will be facing a set of targets while the other two are facing the same targets, but on the opposite side.
You have a toy cannon with a pull string and you score points shooting at the targets in the boots you encounter along the way !! Really smart !!

We loved all the details; as it is a 3-D attraction it was very difficult to make pictures …
DGH tried to put the 3-D glasses on his beloved camera … with very little success !!

But these “posters” can give a good idea of the attraction itself , a VERY BEAUTIFUL one ... IMHO !!

Once in a lifetime my score was higher than DGH’s !
He was grumping for days remembering this !!!

Maybe both DGH and I were a bit “home sick” when we decided to stop and ask for a Reservation at the Wine Country Trattoria.

We enjoyed the “so called” Italian food inside their cozy dining room, as it was windy and “cold” out on the terrace.
Marco had sausage Lasagna, while I had “Pizzeta Salad”, i.e. a pizza with salad and bacon on top … exactly the way we eat pizza in Italy !?!
BTW that word PIZZETA doesn’t exist in Italian – though it sounds so … tender to us !!!

That night , leaving the Trattoria, we met our beloved Disney’s Electrical Parade.
Do you remember? it was originally titled “The Main Street Electrical Parade” and it travelled through all Disney Parks: we watched it several times at WDW and also enjoyed it, with my parents, at Disneyland Paris, years ago, during one of our trips at Christmas time.

All those coloured lights and sounds are always for DGH and me the perfect end to a wonderful day at the parks !!!!!!!!

To be continued … job / head teacher permitting !!!
Ciao , laura & DGH

 

[diberry]

Oh just what I needed - a Disney fix on a Sunday afternoon!! I love the photos of you with the Princesses - that sounds like a lovely character meal!!

We went on Toy Story Mania at WDW too and really LOVED it - we thought it was brilliant (though I didn't manage to beat my DH I'm afraid!!)

The Main Street Electrical Parade is great isn't it? We loved it too - and I adore Spectromagic!!

More please!!!

LOVE your new tickers by the way!!

 

[travelmel]

The Grump sure perked up around The Princess!

That pizzeieta (now THAT's Italian! - an American commercial reference)
sounded pretty good though. I love salad on my pizza. True story.

Cute pics and great update.

 

[crmscotland]

I've really enjoyed catching up on your trip report.

Congratulations on winning the Hawaiian competition.

The Disney Princess Celebration at Ariel's Grotto sounds great. The photos with Ariel and Aurora are lovely.

I think l'd really like Toy Story Mania - l'm sure DS John would love it and seeing Mr Potato Head too, l can just imagine him laughing if one of his ears popped off (Mr PH's ear that is not John's )

The Disney Electrical Parade photo is lovely. I have fond memories of watching the evening parade on our last night at Disneyland CA with Louise when she was 4.

 

[MICKEY'S DREAMERS]

HERE WE GO AGAIN !!!!!!!!!!!!
Other MAGIC MOMENTS from our trip to California !!!!

WOW !!!!!!! It was our first morning at Disneyland !!!!!!!!!

Though we both were still jetlagged … we thoroughly enjoyed our day !! The MAGIC was all around us !! While we entered the main park they were playing a song from “ Snow White and the seven dwarfs” : we both thought that “The Mouse” was welcoming us back !!! Especially Marco was delighted : “Hey , have you noticed ? HE knew Grumpy was coming for a visit !!!”

A “magical” feature was Tinkerbell, lighting up the lawn at the Park entrance,
in front of Main Street Station.

In the looong months ahead of our trip , while dreaming and planning each day of our vacation at Disneyland , DGH and I had decided that we wanted to have a “priority”: FIRST THING we would give a try to those shows and attractions that we had not seen at WDW yet !!!

So this first morning we tried the new (to us )
Indiana Jones stunt show !!!

The live-action show was really good fun !!! Indy has to fight against a female archaeologist , who seems kind , but eventually reveals her villainous side !!! Our “hero” , with the help of various kids from the audience, at last … GUESS WHAT ??? … wins !!!!!!!!!!

We also liked very much when – after the end of the “main” show – Indy was pursued by “a bad guy” through the ( very crowded !) streets of Adventureland …

and even on the balconies and rooftops !!!

You felt to be in the middle of a movie !!! Superb indeed !!!!

There was also a good photo-set : you could imagine … to be Indy yourself !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Next we rode Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride : this is one of Disneyland original attractions … Go figure: it was opened in 1955 … ahem … when I was 3 years old !!!
But it still is very amusing IMHO !!!
Here I am with an old friend of my childhood !!

By now it was so hot that we decided to take another “cool” break in the Enchanted Tiki Room ; again this is the original attraction – without the “new management” they added to it at WDW .
It could be because we would have been soon heading towards …HAWAII !!!! but we really enjoyed this “VINTAGE” experience and the exotic flavour of “the South Seas” :
the colourful tiki poles seemed to whisper : “ We are waiting for you at Honaunau bay !”

Next morning we enjoyed a bountiful breakfast at the Plaza Inn : their brochure says “Join Minnie and friends for a breakfast in the park” … though we did not meet Minnie at all !!!!!
BUT we could spend plenty of minutes with many “friends” … quite “unusual “ characters , like Pinocchio , and … lots of them !!!

What am I whispering to dear Dale ?

He does seem pleased !!!

The Rafkiki character was quite “serious “ !!

And Capt.Hook wanted to get rid of my dear husband !!! hehehe

After so much chatting with so many characters a RICH breakfast was indeed needed !!

I especially liked my delicious omelet , cooked with three different cheeses and loads of fresh mushrooms !!!!!!!! YUMMY !!!!!!!! ( No, there is no photo !! NOTHING left of that bountiful omelet !!)

To be continued … hopefully soon !!

 

[DGH]

I especially liked my delicious omelet , cooked with three different cheeses and loads of fresh mushrooms !!!!!!!! YUMMY !!!!!!!! ( No, there is no photo !! NOTHING left of that bountiful omelet !!)

Laura doesn't know ... but I can create a picture of almost everthing

 

[TotallyAngelic]

I am really enjoying reading about all of your magical moments! We loved Toy Story Mania in WDW this year - it was really clever! Marco does look very pleased to be photographed with all of those Princesses: Ariel, Aurora and of course Princess Laura herself! I also love the Electrical Parade as it was playing the very first time we visited WDW in 1999 when DS was only 5, and the hearing the theme always reminds me of that magical first trip.

 

[travelmel]

Yummy food!

I missed the Indiana Jones show (and after show). Did you like the new movie?? I loved, loved, loved it!

Thanks for the update, I always have fun with you two.