Do Not Die Today: Southern California, 2022 (COMPLETE 2/23)

[Captain_Oblivious]

Chapter 6: Rolling Out the Red Carpet

I have never been one of the cool kids. As a result, I don’t really have any insight to offer on what it takes to actually be one of the most popular people on the block, so you can take whatever I say with many grains of salt. But from what I can tell, the best way to become popular is some combination of 3 factors:

• You are incredibly good-looking;
• You are incredibly talented and successful athletically;
• You are incredibly rich.

I am 0 for 3 here and thus have earned my status as a permanent schlub. However, I have managed to master the next-most-important talent in life, and that is to learn how to become friends with the cool crowd so that they will allow you to mooch off of them.

At this point in the trip, we had finally arrived in Anaheim and awoke on Saturday, June 18 ready to conquer the Disneyland Resort. Many thanks to those of you who have stuck with this trip report thus far, even though you probably just wanted to read about Disneyland. We’re finally here! But I’m going to frustrate you a little longer with some necessary setup. If you don’t care about the background, you can skip down to the TL;DR summary.

Over the years, I have made some wonderful friends on the DISboards. Yes, there are certain sections where you should not dare to tread or (more importantly) share an opinion, but for the most part the people here have been extremely kind, generous, and helpful. I’ve been hanging around here for more than a decade now and I don’t think I ever dreamed I would have some of the relationships that have now been formed. One of those relationships that has grown over the years happens to be with one of those kind, generous people who happens to be a member of the prestigious Club 33.

This person shall remain anonymous for many reasons, but for the purposes of this trip report, we’ll refer to him as “Mr. Iger”. No, wait—that’s too obvious. Forget I said that. Let’s just call him “Bob”.

In the course of conversations over the years, Bob had told us to let him know if we were ever in Southern California, because he would (in his words) “hook us up”. As we began to plan this adventure, I made sure to let Bob know that we would be there and really wanted to learn what was meant by “hooking us up”. To my surprise, it did not involve Hollywood stars and cocaine, but instead something much better (and more family-friendly): Bob was graciously giving me and my family a VIP Tour for the day.

We were floored. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would get a VIP Tour…of anywhere, really, seeing as I am not a VIP which would seem to be an important criterion. But especially not a Disney park. I have tried to express my gratitude to Bob on at least 50 separate occasions since then (if you’re reading this, have I thanked you enough yet, Bob? Because I honestly feel like I haven’t). Bob, you rock.

Armed with this knowledge, we had to plan our day in order to maximize the return on this huge, game-changing gift. We knew going in that we would be in Anaheim for four full days before leaving on Wednesday. We also knew that we had one more day with Sarah before she would be heading to the airport to get back to school on Sunday. I had originally hoped to avoid being in Disneyland on a weekend, figuring the parks would be more crowded then.

But, as I said—the VIP Tour is a game-changer. It’s pretty simple—you get your own personal tour guide for an 8-hour period during the day. That 8-hour clock can start whenever you wish, and during that time the guide basically acts as your own personal Fastpass (sorry, I haven’t gotten on board with Genie+ yet). You get on whatever rides you want, no wait. And you can hop between parks. If you want to stop for meals, fine. If you want to plow through and get on as many rides as you can, fine. For those magical 8 hours, you are the captain of the ship.

We ended up deciding that we didn’t want Sarah to miss out on this experience, so we’d use it on Saturday. And even if it was crowded, that meant Saturday was probably the best time to do the tour—theoretically, we’d waste even less time in lines that way.

Bob likes to spread pixie dust for his various DISboard friends, and it so happened that some others were going to be in town that weekend as well (ok, two of them live in the area). We got a message from Jill (@jedijill ), Alison (@franandaj ), and Jenny (@rentayenta ) asking if they would be able to join in on our tour. That was an easy yes. One, we had already met up with Jill and Alison over the years and enjoyed their company, and two, we figured it was Bob’s gift to give—who were we to decide whom he was allowed to give it to?

In order to maximize our day, the plan was to hit California Adventure at rope drop. We’d try and get some rides in and then start our tour in that park at 10:30 a.m. We’d use the 8 hours during the most crowded part of the day and then finish up right around 6:30 p.m. so we could peek inside Club—excuse me, so we could retire to the club for supper.

We let Sarah drive the bus in terms of deciding what rides to go on since she would just have the one day to enjoy the parks. Sarah is a) a thrill-ride junkie, and b) young, so the plan basically included trying to hit as many headliners as we could in a day.

So that was the setup and the plan. Got all that? Good.

TL;DR version: Bob gave us a VIP Tour of Disneyland! Thanks, Bob!

The walk from the Hyatt Place was fairly easy—2 blocks up Harbor Blvd. to the main entrance between the parks. It’s such a different experience from Disney World in Florida. There, you have to ride buses for miles just to get within spitting distance of the theme parks. In Anaheim, you walk down a city street with theme park icons tantalizingly out of reach just over a fence, across the street from the Denny’s. On the one hand, you miss the immense scale and epic adventure of Disney World. But it also feels more comfortable and approachable—less intimidating.

Is there any feeling quite like standing just outside the gates at rope drop with a valid admission ticket?

Disney’s California Adventure (DCA) opened at 9 a.m. We were inside the gates. The only question now was: what do you want to do first?

The general mood among the family was to try and see things that would be new to us. We hadn’t set foot in Disneyland since 2014. Sort of a lot has happened since then.

So with that in mind, we turned left off the main path into the Avengers Campus. That hadn’t been there in 2014. This particular area had once been home to an attraction based on A Bug’s Life, which for my money is one of the 5 worst Pixar movies, so I considered the Avengers attractions to be a major upgrade.

I am a pretty big fan of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. I’m not the ultimate super-nerd who can point out connections to the comic books, but I’ve kept up with the movies and TV shows and have generally really enjoyed them as great entertainment. I will admit to feeling some fatigue, especially since they concluded the Infinity saga with Thanos as the bad guy, as much of the shows/movies have felt a bit aimless since then. And there is so much content now that it often feels more like homework to keep up with all of them. But I’m mostly blown away that Marvel has been able to build such a huge franchise and movie universe that feels completely connected and part of a larger story. Do I wish there were more original, grown-up movies in the theaters and fewer franchises/sequels? Yes. But when you look at other studios and the franchises they’ve tried to build, the MCU is a real achievement.

We decided to jump in the standby line for WEB Slingers: A Spider-Man Adventure. I forget what the posted wait time was, but we figured it was the best it was going to be for the rest of the day.

This was a brand-new ride, having just opened in 2021. It’s basically the next-gen version of the shooting gallery games like Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin and Toy Story Midway Mania. The idea is that you are brought into the headquarters of the Web Engineering Brigade (a young engineering program funded by Tony Stark), and Peter Parker, being Tony’s prize pupil, shows off his invention of a robotic Spider-Bot. Naturally, the first thing the robot does is malfunction and begin replicating itself and building a huge spider-bot army which you must then help Spider-Man defeat.

To do this, you are loaded into a vehicle that gives you the ability to sling webs just like Spider-Man. All you have to do is move your arms toward the target. You can shape your hands any way you want—you can make them into fists, spread your fingers in the classic Spider-Man pose, make finger guns, whatever you want. It’s a big improvement on the ball-and-string mechanism from Toy Story Mania which never ceases to make my wrist hurt.

I think we were in line about 40 minutes—this one did seem to move somewhat slowly. I did appreciate the theming along the way, however.

We finally made it through the pre-show, collected our 3-D glasses, and went to do battle with Spider-bots.

In case you were wondering, I went with the “finger guns” method, because why wouldn’t you?

Anyway, the game is a lot of fun. There wasn’t much strategy to it—you just shot at robots. If it was glowing, you tried to hit it because it was worth more points. Sometimes you could hit triggers or bombs or other parts of the scenery to cause chain reactions or explosions or other big moments of chaos, which is always great fun. Like I always say, pyrotechnics are the bacon of the entertainment world—they make everything better.

When all was settled and order restored, it was a clear victory for finger guns—I had the highest score in the family.

Naturally, I remained humble and let the rest of the family figure this out on their own. I’m not one to rub my successes in the face of others, especially not those who are related to me, 25 years younger, and spent countless more hours playing video games on the Xbox than I do. Ahem.

We checked the Disneyland app and saw that Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission: Breakout (yes, there are two colons in the title which is really awkward to type) only had a 15-minute standby wait. So the family decided to head that way.

I was out-voted.

Longtime readers will know that I will do almost anything on a theme park ride, but my Kryptonite is a huge drop. I HATE drops. That freefall sensation, where you feel like you’re going to come out of the ride vehicle and go splat on the pavement? Can’t stand it. Zero fun for me. Right up to this moment, I’d been debating whether or not to give Mission: Breakout a go.

On the pro side: I’d already been on Tower of Terror in Florida. I survived it once. And the ride only lasts a couple of minutes. You can do anything for a couple of minutes, right?

On the con side: I did not enjoy Tower of Terror. I had no desire to get back on. Like, ever.

When we approached the standby entrance of Mission: Breakout, I had to make my final decision. And what tipped the scales for me was not my previous experience with these types of rides. Instead, it was the Channel Islands boat trip I’d taken the day before. And I decided I really did not want to feel that way again, especially just before starting a magical VIP tour.

So I chickened out.

But that’s ok. The teens would go and enjoy it and then we could get on with our day. Julie always sits out these kinds of rides. She won’t even go on roller coasters more intense than Thunder Mountain. She could keep me company, and—

--I’m sorry, what? You’re what?

Apparently, in either a fit of crazed mania or an Invasion of the Body Snatchers moment, Julie had decided to give it a whirl.

Well, that’s all right. Drew and I can hang out and maybe try a kiddie ride togeth—

--I’m sorry, what? You’ve gotta be kidding me.

Drew went on Mission: Breakout as well.

Suddenly all of those Family Bragging Points I’d accumulated by winning Web Slingers had vanished, snapped out of existence by Thanos himself.

So I contented myself with wandering Avengers Campus. Oh, and Julie gave me the job of re-filling everyone’s water bottles, so I wasn’t totally useless. I did some pre-scouting for the inevitable souvenir shopping in the gift shops as well.

In the end, everybody LOVED the ride (of course they did). I think by the end of the trip at least 3 family members declared it their favorite ride. Maybe someday I’ll learn what’s so fun about feeling like you are plummeting to your death, but it still eludes me.

It was now getting close to 10:30, so we went for a potty break (can’t waste valuable tour time with bathroom stops) and then made our way to the front entrance of DCA. We were instructed to meet our tour guide at the Chamber of Commerce, just inside the gates.

We arrived and a dashing, handsome gentleman in a plaid vest and red necktie looked up and asked, “Are you Mark?”

This was our tour guide, Jeff.

Remember what I said at the beginning about cool people. Jeff is definitely one of the cool people.

He stood about six feet tall, looking perfectly athletic and fit in his uniform. Beard, perfectly trimmed. Hair, perfectly coiffed, not a single strand out of place. A friendly, soothing voice, warmth and intelligence in his eyes, and a firm handshake grip. We could have been twins.

I mean, I do have a beard.

We waited a few minutes for Jenny, Jill, and Alison to show up and exchanged hugs and greetings when they arrived. Jeff explained his role as our own personal Lightning Lane and asked what we’d like to do first. We explained our plan of trying to hit headliners for Sarah and end up in Disneyland later in the day. Jeff nodded as though he’d already considered this option and had an entire itinerary ready to go. He suggested we start at Soarin’ since it was close by and he liked to move efficiently through the parks so we don’t waste time between attractions. Being an engineer, I appreciated the nod to efficiency.

Also, Jeff is the kind of guy who can suggest anything and make it sound like a good idea. This is what the cool people do. He could have said we should all go throw ourselves off the top of Mission: Breakout, and we would have said, “You’re so right, Jeff. That’s such a great idea. Lead the way, pal.” And then we would have gone up there and jumped, except I would have stepped back because—well, I really hate big drops.

Jeff led the way to Soarin’. He walked in an unhurried manner, sort of like a gunslinger in an old Western. One might even say he sashayed. By my count, at least half of the cast members in Disneyland greeted Jeff or gave him a fist-bump.

We walked through the Lightning Lane entrance and Jeff moseyed up to the CM’s guarding the entrance and explained that these Very Important People needed to be let in right away. The CM’s nodded in agreement, yes Jeff, that’s a great idea, and on we went. As we moved up in line, he told us he could get us in the front row, but if we wanted to be directly in the center we’d probably have to wait one cycle.

Dude, you get spoiled in a hurry on a VIP tour.

Anyway, we decided not to waste time waiting but just to take the front row on one side (ugh). This was when Julie decided to skip out and wait for us at the exit (seriously? This is the one you skip out on?).

(She doesn’t like having her feet dangling out into space.)

(We’re all kind of weirdos in this family, you might as well get used to it now.)

(I use parentheses a lot.)

The ride was fun for what it is—I’ve explained in the past that I greatly prefer the original, Soarin’ over California, to the new version, Hoverin’ over Curvy Buildings and CGI Creatures. But still, a Disney ride beats most other activities you can partake in, so it’s all relative.

Jeff suggested we ride WEB Slingers next, and we agreed even though we’d already ridden it once that day because 1) it was a lot of fun and new to us, 2) my kids wanted revenge on me, and 3) it was Jeff who suggested it.

While we made our way through the queue, Jeff was a font of information about Imagineering tricks and behind-the-scenes factoids. For example, this whiteboard has some of the actual math/calculations used for the ride.

And this is basically a map of the ride layout.

Drew had mentioned that he loved looking for Hidden Mickeys in the parks, so Jeff made sure to point those out along the way for the rest of the day.

When we split up into our ride vehicles, I ended up in a row with Jeff, Scotty, and Random Dude.

In seat 1, Scotty was focused, anxious to start. He was disappointed in his first outing, and couldn’t let some middle-aged has-been show him up again.

In seat 2, Jeff was the picture of calm. Aware of his surroundings, but not betraying the slightest unease. Like John Wayne and Clint Eastwood rolled into one.

I felt relaxed and confident in seat 3. I’d racked up 291,000 points on my first go-round. Clearly this ride was in my comfort zone.

In seat 4, Random Dude was definitely there.

Spider-Man called for our help, and away we went. For the next few minutes, our car was a blur of web shooting, finger guns, and 3-D explosions. When the dust finally settled…Scotty had his revenge.

But none of us could hold a candle to Jeff, who was a machine. I knew he had that gunslinger look to him.

“I was just along for the ride,” said Random Dude. Yes you were, Random Dude. Yes you were.

More importantly, Scotty and I had teamed up with the Coolest Guy in the Park (are you sensing a theme here yet?) to bring home the best score of the hour on the ride. I like to think we all did our part.

We strolled on over to Radiator Springs Racers next, cut through the lines and piled into our vehicle. This was an old favorite from our previous DCA visit in 2014, when we used the old (far superior) paper Fastpass system to get 4 rides on this one in one day.

We had a great time riding this one, although only one of us was in midseason form when it came to posing for the ride photos. The rest of them were still rusty, I guess.

Finger guns for the win.

There was one last ride we absolutely needed to do in DCA, and that was the Incredicoaster. This was going to be a first for all of us, so we were looking forward to conquering it. Julie was a definite no—she had no interest in being flipped upside-down. Drew took a little coaxing, but so far he’d loved every single coaster he tried, so he decided to go for it. The kids all sat together and I took a seat next to Alison. We were in the back of the train, which meant we’d get maximum whiplash on this one. Come to think of it, I think Jeff suggested that we sit there.

Of all the coasters I’d tried to this point, I believe Rock ‘n Roller Coaster was the most intense one I’d ridden. And I’d loved it. That was the first time I’d ever been on a coaster that had a 0-60mph launch and/or gone upside-down, and it was a total blast. Incredicoaster would be the second.

What a great ride!

I would say this one is maybe a hair more intense than Rock ‘n Roller Coaster, just because it goes much higher and has bigger drops. The speed and intensity of the launch was awesome, and we carried that speed through almost the entire ride. If I have one complaint, it’s that the loop kind of made my head hurt. I had to close my eyes to get through it.

We had more people ready for the ride photo this time. Except me, I guess.

On the downside, Drew said he wasn’t a big fan of Incredicoaster. More specifically, he didn’t like the loop. He said that part made him feel bad. So we wouldn’t get him on that one again.

We told Jeff we were ready to head to Disneyland Park now. He nodded as if this was just what he had expected to hear and we began the walk while he high-fived cast members all along the way.

I gotta say, park hopping is so ridiculously easy in California. It’s wonderful just walking from one theme park to the other.

As we left DCA, Alison decided to head home to check on her wife, Fran, who has been going through some medical issues. Jenny and Jill went along with her to visit. We promised we’d all meet up later in the day.

Jeff led us on and soon we were seeing some very familiar sights…

…and entering a new world.

We walked down Main Street, trading jokes and Disney trivia with Jeff while he pointed out factoids and Hidden Mickeys along the way. From Main Street, we entered Frontierland. We rounded a few turns and headed for a railroad bridge set into some rock walls. Jeff told us to pay attention to how the theme transitioned from one side of the bridge to the other, as we left the Wild West and moved into…

Well, you might say it was a whole new galaxy.

Coming Up Next: I mean, duh.

 

[afwdwfan]

Forget I said that. Let’s just call him “Bob”.

So it wasn't Iger?

Must be Chapek.

Dang... I guess you've lost your golden goose.

(sorry, I haven’t gotten on board with Genie+ yet).

Me neither

We’d use the 8 hours during the most crowded part of the day and then finish up right around 6:30 p.m. so we could peek inside Club—excuse me, so we could retire to the club for supper.

Good plan. But I can't wait to read about meat and potatoes Mark going to Club 33 with his drooling Homers.

The general mood among the family was to try and see things that would be new to us. We hadn’t set foot in Disneyland since 2014. Sort of a lot has happened since then.

So with that in mind, we turned left off the main path into the Avengers Campus. That hadn’t been there in 2014. This particular area had once been home to an attraction based on A Bug’s Life, which for my money is one of the 5 worst Pixar movies, so I considered the Avengers attractions to be a major upgrade.

Completely agree

I will admit to feeling some fatigue, especially since they concluded the Infinity saga with Thanos as the bad guy, as much of the shows/movies have felt a bit aimless since then.

Like I always say, pyrotechnics are the bacon of the entertainment world—they make everything better.

But were there any exploding helicopter spiderbots?

Suddenly all of those Family Bragging Points I’d accumulated by winning Web Slingers had vanished, snapped out of existence by Thanos himself.

Yeah... that's gonna be a tough one to come back from.

He suggested we start at Soarin’ since it was close by and he liked to move efficiently through the parks so we don’t waste time between attractions. Being an engineer, I appreciated the nod to efficiency.

I mean, if lines aren't even a factor, heck yes!! I'd always go down the line from one ride to the next as efficiently as possible.

As we moved up in line, he told us he could get us in the front row, but if we wanted to be directly in the center we’d probably have to wait one cycle.

Dude, you get spoiled in a hurry on a VIP tour.

What kind of VIP tour is this??? You would have had to wait one cycle for center??? That's unfathomable.

I guess we could see that Chapek really was losing his grip on the company back a while ago.

(We’re all kind of weirdos in this family, you might as well get used to it now.)

We have known that for years. But that is part of why we enjoy you guys!

I greatly prefer the original, Soarin’ over California, to the new version, Hoverin’ over Curvy Buildings and CGI Creatures. But still, a Disney ride beats most other activities you can partake in, so it’s all relative.

That's actually a pretty good perspective on the whole situation.

“I was just along for the ride,” said Random Dude. Yes you were, Random Dude. Yes you were.

Based on the scores, it looks like you were closer to random dude than the other 2.

This was an old favorite from our previous DCA visit in 2014, when we used the old (far superior) paper Fastpass system to get 4 rides on this one in one day.

As someone planning a trip... I miss fastpass. Heck, I'd even take fastpass+

On the downside, Drew said he wasn’t a big fan of Incredicoaster. More specifically, he didn’t like the loop. He said that part made him feel bad. So we wouldn’t get him on that one again

At least he got to try it once!

As we left DCA, Alison decided to head home to check on her wife, Fran, who has been going through some medical issues. Jenny and Jill went along with her to visit. We promised we’d all meet up later in the day.

I'm so jealous. Living close enough to DIsneyland to show up for a few hours and just go home to check on the wife.

 

[pkondz]

I have never been one of the cool kids.

I was! But just one year. It was my first year in a new school. I was shy and didn't speak. People thought I was too cool to talk.
After they got to know me, I got voted out of the club cool.

• You are incredibly good-looking;
• You are incredibly talented and successful athletically;
• You are incredibly rich.

Whelp, that rules me out too.

learn how to become friends with the cool crowd so that they will allow you to mooch off of them.

Many thanks to those of you who have stuck with this trip report thus far, even though you probably just wanted to read about Disneyland.

You're going to DL?
Had no idea.

Yes, there are certain sections where you should not dare to tread or (more importantly) share an opinion,

but for the most part the people here have been extremely kind, generous, and helpful.

I will 100% agree with that.

but for the purposes of this trip report, we’ll refer to him as “Mr. Iger”. No, wait—that’s too obvious. Forget I said that. Let’s just call him “Bob”.

Man. You're making this hard. Nope. No clue who it could be.

To my surprise, it did not involve Hollywood stars and cocaine, but instead something much better (and more family-friendly)

But nothing says family like cocaine. At least according to an article I read about its use, years ago:

"Cocaine toothache drops were marketed to children, and coca wines came packaged with dosing instructions for children. In addition to its anesthetic properties, cocaine was hailed as a cure for shyness in children!"

Bob was graciously giving me and my family a VIP Tour for the day.

Niiiice.

Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would get a VIP Tour…of anywhere, really, seeing as I am not a VIP which would seem to be an important criterion.

But instead of VIP, you can be vip (lower case). very ignored person.

Sarah is a) a thrill-ride junkie, and b) young, so the plan basically included trying to hit as many headliners as we could in a day.

I'm old... but I approve of this plan.

TL;DR version: Bob gave us a VIP Tour of Disneyland! Thanks, Bob!

The walk from the Hyatt Place was fairly easy—2 blocks up Harbor Blvd. to the main entrance between the parks. It’s such a different experience from Disney World in Florida. There, you have to ride buses for miles just to get within spitting distance of the theme parks. In Anaheim, you walk down a city street with theme park icons tantalizingly out of reach just over a fence, across the street from the Denny’s.

I couldn't get over that. Just walk out of your hotel and over to the parks.
No bus? No tram? No boat??? How is this even possible???

Is there any feeling quite like standing just outside the gates at rope drop with a valid admission ticket?

Sure there is.

This particular area had once been home to an attraction based on A Bug’s Life, which for my money is one of the 5 worst Pixar movies,

That sent me down a rabbit hole.
I thought. "Wait a sec. I thought that movie wasn't bad."

And... maybe it is and maybe it isn't. But when you compare it to all the other Pixar movies out there... Yeah, I'd have to put it in the bottom five.
But that's kind of like saying "List your five favourite foods" and you list five and someone says "So #5 isn't very good, huh?"

I am a pretty big fan of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. I’m not the ultimate super-nerd who can point out connections to the comic books, but I’ve kept up with the movies and TV shows and have generally really enjoyed them as great entertainment.

I'm so so on it. I've seen a lot, but not all the movies. Haven't seen many of the TV series.

when you look at other studios and the franchises they’ve tried to build, the MCU is a real achievement.

No denying that. The word "juggernaut" comes to mind.

We decided to jump in the standby line for WEB Slingers: A Spider-Man Adventure. I forget what the posted wait time was, but we figured it was the best it was going to be for the rest of the day.

Do they still have the robot Spidey spinning through the air?
Or is that a thing of the past, after this?

In case you were wondering, I went with the “finger guns” method, because why wouldn’t you?

Logical choice.

Like I always say, pyrotechnics are the bacon of the entertainment world—they make everything better.

And throw in helicopters and you have the best bacon money can buy!

Naturally, I remained humble and let the rest of the family figure this out on their own. I’m not one to rub my successes in the face of others, especially not those who are related to me, 25 years younger, and spent countless more hours playing video games on the Xbox than I do. Ahem.

Of course you do. No one would expect anything less from you.

Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission: Breakout (yes, there are two colons in the title which is really awkward to type)

A ride in search of a colonoscopy.

On the con side: I did not enjoy Tower of Terror. I had no desire to get back on. Like, ever.

I had forgotten that about you.

So I chickened out.

buck buck buck buckaww!!!

Julie always sits out these kinds of rides. She won’t even go on roller coasters more intense than Thunder Mountain. She could keep me company, and—

--I’m sorry, what? You’re what?

Apparently, in either a fit of crazed mania or an Invasion of the Body Snatchers moment, Julie had decided to give it a whirl.

Way to go Julie!

Well, that’s all right. Drew and I can hang out and maybe try a kiddie ride togeth—

--I’m sorry, what? You’ve gotta be kidding me.

Drew went on Mission: Breakout as well.

Of course. Even little children aren't afraid of a little bouncing.

Oh, and Julie gave me the job of re-filling everyone’s water bottles, so I wasn’t totally useless.

I'm glad you at least thought you weren't totally useless.
I'm sure that made you feel better.

Maybe someday I’ll learn what’s so fun about feeling like you are plummeting to your death, but it still eludes me.

The few, the strong, the brave.



And their photographer

He stood about six feet tall, looking perfectly athletic and fit in his uniform. Beard, perfectly trimmed. Hair, perfectly coiffed, not a single strand out of place. A friendly, soothing voice, warmth and intelligence in his eyes, and a firm handshake grip. We could have been twins.

I mean, I do have a beard.

Practically twins.

We waited a few minutes for Jenny, Jill, and Alison to show up and exchanged hugs and greetings when they arrived

Met Jill and Alison. Glad you got to meet up with all of them again.

Being an engineer, I appreciated the nod to efficiency.

And yet it's road engineering... which is the antithesis to efficiency, as we all know.

Also, Jeff is the kind of guy who can suggest anything and make it sound like a good idea. This is what the cool people do. He could have said we should all go throw ourselves off the top of Mission: Breakout, and we would have said, “You’re so right, Jeff. That’s such a great idea. Lead the way, pal.” And then we would have gone up there and jumped, except I would have stepped back because—well, I really hate big drops.

So you're being a vip (lower case) may actually save your life some day.
Tis better to be lame, than it is to be cool and dead.

Unless you're cool, then you'd rather be dead, than lame. But what do they know?

Jeff led the way to Soarin’. He walked in an unhurried manner, sort of like a gunslinger in an old Western. One might even say he sashayed.

Of course he did. You just said he's the epitome of cool.


Plus... I bet you could almost hear spurs jangling with each step.

As we moved up in line, he told us he could get us in the front row, but if we wanted to be directly in the center we’d probably have to wait one cycle.

Dude, you get spoiled in a hurry on a VIP tour.

Anyway, we decided not to waste time waiting but just to take the front row on one side (ugh).

I'd have waited. I do not enjoy tilted buildings. Totally ruins the experience. At least it does for me.

This was when Julie decided to skip out and wait for us at the exit (seriously? This is the one you skip out on?).

What???

(We’re all kind of weirdos in this family, you might as well get used to it now.)

Nah. I've met you all (well except for Sarah). You're all pretty much VIPs in my books. Well... most of you.

(I use parentheses a lot.)

For example, this whiteboard has some of the actual math/calculations used for the ride.

Huh! Cool!

“I was just along for the ride,” said Random Dude. Yes you were, Random Dude. Yes you were.

We had a great time riding this one, although only one of us was in midseason form when it came to posing for the ride photos. The rest of them were still rusty, I guess.

Someone's got his camera game face on.

What a great ride!

I would say this one is maybe a hair more intense than Rock ‘n Roller Coaster,

Really! I've only been on it once. And that was about 5-6 years ago (before the transformation). I don't recall it being that intense. Huh.

Awesome.

I gotta say, park hopping is so ridiculously easy in California. It’s wonderful just walking from one theme park to the other.

Feels like cheating, somehow.

Coming Up Next: I mean, duh.

Liberty square! Is it Liberty square???

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

So it wasn't Iger?

Must be Chapek.

Dang... I guess you've lost your golden goose.

Come on now, we both know Chapek wasn't going to be giving away anything for free.

Me neither

I keep hoping it will go away and be replaced by something better (and not pay-as-you-go), but that's just wishful thinking. I'm sure it's here to stay.

Good plan. But I can't wait to read about meat and potatoes Mark going to Club 33 with his drooling Homers.

Well, it might not go quite the way you're expecting...

Completely agree

I remember being blown away by the original Toy Story, and then coming back to theaters and being so underwhelmed by A Bug's Life.

But were there any exploding helicopter spiderbots?

Well, there is an exploding jet with spiderbots, so it's in the same genre.

Yeah... that's gonna be a tough one to come back from.

I'm 48 years old. I know what I like and what I don't at this point. I'm comfortable with my decision. That boat ride the day before was a factor, too.

I mean, if lines aren't even a factor, heck yes!! I'd always go down the line from one ride to the next as efficiently as possible.

Exactly.

What kind of VIP tour is this??? You would have had to wait one cycle for center??? That's unfathomable.

I guess we could see that Chapek really was losing his grip on the company back a while ago.

We have known that for years. But that is part of why we enjoy you guys!

We put the fun in dysfunctional!

That's actually a pretty good perspective on the whole situation.

I always have to remember this when complaining about Disney rides. It's definitely a first-world problem.

Based on the scores, it looks like you were closer to random dude than the other 2.

And the Eagles only beat the Bears by 5 points yesterday. Getting the W is the main thing here.

Scotty and Jeff were so fast, they took all the good targets.

As someone planning a trip... I miss fastpass. Heck, I'd even take fastpass+

Spoiler alert: I'm going to get into some of my issues with Genie+ later on down the road.

At least he got to try it once!

I was proud of him for getting on! Hopefully we can convince him to try Rock 'n Roller Coaster when we can afford to go back to WDW in 2037.

I'm so jealous. Living close enough to DIsneyland to show up for a few hours and just go home to check on the wife.

Yeah...it's a foreign concept, for sure.

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

I was! But just one year. It was my first year in a new school. I was shy and didn't speak. People thought I was too cool to talk.
After they got to know me, I got voted out of the club cool.

Well, you know what they say. 'tis better to have been considered cool and lost, then never to have been part of the cool crowd at all.

Whelp, that rules me out too.

I never had a chance.

You're going to DL?
Had no idea.

It was either that on the Anaheim convention center. Tough call.

I will 100% agree with that.

Man. You're making this hard. Nope. No clue who it could be.

I'm just so thankful for "Bob". We didn't do anything to deserve this.

But nothing says family like cocaine. At least according to an article I read about its use, years ago:

"Cocaine toothache drops were marketed to children, and coca wines came packaged with dosing instructions for children. In addition to its anesthetic properties, cocaine was hailed as a cure for shyness in children!"

I bet that would do wonders for "shyness"! Maybe down it with some Red Bull.

Niiiice.

But instead of VIP, you can be vip (lower case). very ignored person.

I'm the dad in the family. That's my normal status, except for Father's Day and my birthday, when I move up to something like 5th on the pecking order.

I'm old... but I approve of this plan.

It made the most sense to me, too. Get on the rides that would have the longest lines as long as we don't have to wait in them.

I couldn't get over that. Just walk out of your hotel and over to the parks.
No bus? No tram? No boat??? How is this even possible???

It's definitely a strange experience, especially for those of us who grew up on WDW. I kept expressing amazement that we were driving down a city street and there was a Disney theme park just over the fence.

Sure there is.

Nailed it!

That sent me down a rabbit hole.
I thought. "Wait a sec. I thought that movie wasn't bad."

And... maybe it is and maybe it isn't. But when you compare it to all the other Pixar movies out there... Yeah, I'd have to put it in the bottom five.
But that's kind of like saying "List your five favourite foods" and you list five and someone says "So #5 isn't very good, huh?"

So I was not a fan of A Bug's Life at all. Coming off the original Toy Story, I thought it was a huge disappointment. But then I remembered that Cars 2 exists, and some of the recent ones have been duds as well, so I couched my ranking with "bottom 5".

I'm so so on it. I've seen a lot, but not all the movies. Haven't seen many of the TV series.

I feel like it's consistently entertaining. The hard part with the TV series is that it requires even more time invested in order to keep up, hence making it feel like homework to me.

No denying that. The word "juggernaut" comes to mind.

It makes me a little sad that new, original ideas are being pushed out of the theaters by all the franchises.

Do they still have the robot Spidey spinning through the air?
Or is that a thing of the past, after this?

I remember seeing that...but no, they've got him fixed! We got to watch this little show at some point during our stay. Pretty cool.

And throw in helicopters and you have the best bacon money can buy!

Exactly!

Of course you do. No one would expect anything less from you.

I've always been very proud of my humility.

A ride in search of a colonoscopy.

I had forgotten that about you.

Every once in a while, motion sickness rears its ugly head. It's never pretty.

buck buck buck buckaww!!!

I suppose I deserve that. But the previous day's boat ride was weighing heavily on my mind. Given that this was probably the only time in my life I'll ever get a VIP tour of the parks, I really didn't want to spend it feeling sick!

Way to go Julie!

Of course. Even little children aren't afraid of a little bouncing.

Yes, in the same way the iceberg gave the Titanic "a little scrape".

I'm glad you at least thought you weren't totally useless.
I'm sure that made you feel better.

Just let me grasp at my straws in peace.

The few, the strong, the brave.



And their photographer

Accurate.

Practically twins.

That's what I'm saying!

Met Jill and Alison. Glad you got to meet up with all of them again.

They make for great company!

And yet it's road engineering... which is the antithesis to efficiency, as we all know.

If you think you can do better, just let us kn--actually, no, don't do that. We already have way too many people who do that.

So you're being a vip (lower case) may actually save your life some day.
Tis better to be lame, than it is to be cool and dead.

Unless you're cool, then you'd rather be dead, than lame. But what do they know?

I'm reminded of an old Smothers Brothers routine:

"If he told you to jump off a bridge, would you do it?"
"Not again."

Of course he did. You just said he's the epitome of cool.


Plus... I bet you could almost hear spurs jangling with each step.

Oh, absolutely. It goes without saying. None of us will ever be as cool as Jeff.

I'd have waited. I do not enjoy tilted buildings. Totally ruins the experience. At least it does for me.

It does ruin the ride, but already feel like the new version is a lesser version. So I chose to preserve tour time and try and fit more rides into the day.

What???

Nah. I've met you all (well except for Sarah). You're all pretty much VIPs in my books. Well... most of you.

Well, if you ever do meet Sarah, I'm sure she'll rank higher than me too.

Someone's got his camera game face on.

Hey, somebody has to be prepared for these things.

Really! I've only been on it once. And that was about 5-6 years ago (before the transformation). I don't recall it being that intense. Huh.

It has a launch to start, which is the same as RnRC. I felt like RnRC was much smoother, and the upside-down parts are pretty much over before you even realize they happened. And it doesn't go nearly as high. Incredicoaster is a bit rougher, with some much larger hills/drops. The loop kinda made my head hurt, too.

Awesome.

That photo makes me laugh every time I see it.

Feels like cheating, somehow.

Yes. Glorious, glorious cheating.

Liberty square! Is it Liberty square???

That would be a much longer walk!

 

[pkondz]

Well, you know what they say. 'tis better to have been considered cool and lost, then never to have been part of the cool crowd at all.

Only cool people say that.

It was either that on the Anaheim convention center. Tough call.

Comic con is there I think… so… not quite so clear cut after all.

I'm the dad in the family. That's my normal status, except for Father's Day and my birthday, when I move up to something like 5th on the pecking order.

Sounds about right.

It's definitely a strange experience, especially for those of us who grew up on WDW.

So I was not a fan of A Bug's Life at all. Coming off the original Toy Story, I thought it was a huge disappointment. But then I remembered that Cars 2 exists, and some of the recent ones have been duds as well, so I couched my ranking with "bottom 5".

I guess I can see that. But it was only the second film by Pixar so not a lot to compare it to when it came out. But Toy Story definitely set a high bar.

I remember seeing that...but no, they've got him fixed! We got to watch this little show at some point during our stay. Pretty cool.

Ah!

I've always been very proud of my humility.

I suppose I deserve that. But the previous day's boat ride was weighing heavily on my mind. Given that this was probably the only time in my life I'll ever get a VIP tour of the parks, I really didn't want to spend it feeling sick!

Actually, I get that.

Yes, in the same way the iceberg gave the Titanic "a little scrape".

‘Tis but a scratch.

They make for great company!

I erred. I meant I met Jenny and Alison. I’ve not met Jill.

But… yes.

If you think you can do better, just let us kn--actually, no, don't do that. We already have way too many people who do that.

"If he told you to jump off a bridge, would you do it?"
"Not again."

Well, if you ever do meet Sarah, I'm sure she'll rank higher than me too.

I’m sure too.

 

[StarWarsMomofGirls!]

I am so glad I found this!!! I have read some of your trip reports in the past but have fallen on and off the trip report wagon many times since Covid hit. I am planning our trip to San Diego and Disneyland for us this April and decided to pop over here to the Disneyland Trip Reports. And I am so glad I did!!

We’ve now entered a new phase in terms of our family vacations. It’s the station of life where our kids have now become or are becoming adults with their own priorities, schedules, and lives that are now separate from our own. I believe the technical term for this is the “Holy crap, I’m old!” stage.

I am in the phase right before this... where I know it is coming and trying so so hard to cherish the time left!!!
But I am also old already.

just after my oldest, Sarah, had started attending college in Philadelphia.

Where is she at? We are just outside of Philly in South Jersey Burbs...

My son, David, was just graduating from high school this past June, which meant we would now have two kids in college. My wife, Julie, and I fall into that large middle-class bracket that is both too rich to get any meaningful financial aid but too poor to actually be able to afford college payment

Ugh... I fear this will be us as well...

One of the things that attracted Sarah to her current school is the fact that they incorporate a co-op (or internship) period as part of their curriculum

Wait... I think I know where she is at... based on that. My boss actually is an alumn from there. work experience is great to have!

Less understandable is the way they frown upon teachers taking off for those “pack up the classroom” days. I mean, why do they give teachers “personal days” if they’re not allowed to use them? And why is the principal happy to take multiple vacations during the school year? I hate people.

Ugh, all of the rules for teachers are so out dated.

The things you do for family.

I would do the same thing!!!

 

[StarWarsMomofGirls!]

In those cases, we tell people to drive straight until you see the McDonald’s, then turn left, another left at the Wawa, and then make a right at the Safeway. If you see the Wendy’s you’ve gone too far.

Problem is there are too many Wawas around here...

Alison thought I’d really enjoy that as a highway engineer and…well, she was right. Doesn’t it look like fun?

Highway engineer you say.... What do you say about the mess that is happening here in jersey for the 295 / Walt Whitman construction?

But on the plus side, they have fried chicken. And the palm trees make it look much more exotic than the ones in Delaware.

Makes it look so much fancier!

Coming Up Next: Something that doesn’t have to do with sports!

Woo Hoo! Don't get me wrong I love your reports, just not a big sports fan. You guys looked like you enjoyed it, which is what counts.

Therefore, the Captain_Oblivious Law of Art is as follows: if it looks like something I could do, it’s not art.

I agree.. i don't get modern art.

Even on an overcast evening, the pier was a popular and crowded place. I’d obviously seen it on TV before but didn’t quite know what I was expecting. Basically, if you’ve ever visited a beach with a boardwalk area consisting of greasy concession stands, cheap souvenir shops, and amusement rides, then you’ve seen the same thing you’d find here.

We thought the same. But I guess we can go to about a dozen places similar with ease.

 

[StarWarsMomofGirls!]

I did it! I am all caught up!

Over the years, I have made some wonderful friends on the DISboards. Yes, there are certain sections where you should not dare to tread or (more importantly) share an opinion, but for

Isn't it great how friends are made here. It is so strange in a way but also nice to know that the internet isn't all bad.

To my surprise, it did not involve Hollywood stars and cocaine, but instead something much better (and more family-friendly): Bob was graciously giving me and my family a VIP Tour for the day.

That is amazing!!! We also will never have a VIP Tour... But that's ok.

TL;DR version: Bob gave us a VIP Tour of Disneyland! Thanks, Bob!

I like the simple version as well.

In the end, everybody LOVED the ride (of course they did). I think by the end of the trip at least 3 family members declared it their favorite ride. Maybe someday I’ll learn what’s so fun about feeling like you are plummeting to your death, but it still eludes me.

It really is a great ride. My oldest doesnt' like it. I do think it feels different than HS version. the drop is different... Still a drop but smoother? possibly...

Remember what I said at the beginning about cool people. Jeff is definitely one of the cool people.

Aren't all people in California this way?

The ride was fun for what it is—I’ve explained in the past that I greatly prefer the original, Soarin’ over California, to the new version, Hoverin’ over Curvy Buildings and CGI Creatures. But still, a Disney ride beats most other activities you can partake in, so it’s all relative.

I am hoping it's soarin over CA still when we are there in April... They have been switching it back. We never saw the original version.

Of all the coasters I’d tried to this point, I believe Rock ‘n Roller Coaster was the most intense one I’d ridden. And I’d loved it. That was the first time I’d ever been on a coaster that had a 0-60mph launch and/or gone upside-down, and it was a total blast. Incredicoaster would be the second.

What a great ride!

I didn't realize this ride was so intense!

As we left DCA, Alison decided to head home to check on her wife, Fran, who has been going through some medical issues. Jenny and Jill went along with her to visit. We promised we’d all meet up later in the day.

Such a nice morning for all of you!

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Only cool people say that.

Well, I wouldn't know.

Comic con is there I think… so… not quite so clear cut after all.

I have a feeling comic con is one of those experiences I prefer to read about from afar than actually experience.

I guess I can see that. But it was only the second film by Pixar so not a lot to compare it to when it came out. But Toy Story definitely set a high bar.

True. And they did rally in a big way.

‘Tis but a scratch.

Or a flesh wound!

I erred. I meant I met Jenny and Alison. I’ve not met Jill.

But… yes.

Eh, close enough.

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

I am so glad I found this!!! I have read some of your trip reports in the past but have fallen on and off the trip report wagon many times since Covid hit. I am planning our trip to San Diego and Disneyland for us this April and decided to pop over here to the Disneyland Trip Reports. And I am so glad I did!!

Hey, I'm glad you found me. My DIS time has really been reduced over the years...I barely make it at all over to the main TR board nowadays. And it takes me a lot longer to finish my own TR's too! I don't know if I'll finish everything before you leave for your trip but let me know if I can help you out at all.

I am in the phase right before this... where I know it is coming and trying so so hard to cherish the time left!!!
But I am also old already.

Time just keeps speeding up and speeding up...

Where is she at? We are just outside of Philly in South Jersey Burbs...

She's going to Drexel. Really loves it, too.

Ugh... I fear this will be us as well...

There's a large portion of the population in that particular boat.

Wait... I think I know where she is at... based on that. My boss actually is an alumn from there. work experience is great to have!

It really is! That was a major selling point for us.

Ugh, all of the rules for teachers are so out dated.

This is more of a "do as I say, not as I do" type of situation.

Problem is there are too many Wawas around here...

You can never have too many Wawas!

Highway engineer you say.... What do you say about the mess that is happening here in jersey for the 295 / Walt Whitman construction?

Well...I really don't know what they're doing there, so it's hard for me to say!

Makes it look so much fancier!

Woo Hoo! Don't get me wrong I love your reports, just not a big sports fan. You guys looked like you enjoyed it, which is what counts.

We all have our thing, right? This was ours.

I agree.. i don't get modern art.

We thought the same. But I guess we can go to about a dozen places similar with ease.

It might be more special to someone from a landlocked state.

I did it! I am all caught up!

Cool, thanks for sticking with me!

Isn't it great how friends are made here. It is so strange in a way but also nice to know that the internet isn't all bad.

Yeah, some parts of it can be very special.

That is amazing!!! We also will never have a VIP Tour... But that's ok.

I have a feeling this is probably the only time in our lives it will ever happen, but it was really special. We will forever be grateful.

I like the simple version as well.

I tend to talk too much here.

It really is a great ride. My oldest doesnt' like it. I do think it feels different than HS version. the drop is different... Still a drop but smoother? possibly...

I might never find out! I just hate that free-fall sensation.

Aren't all people in California this way?

Maybe to hear them tell it!

I am hoping it's soarin over CA still when we are there in April... They have been switching it back. We never saw the original version.

The California version is so much better!

I didn't realize this ride was so intense!

Well, it's all relative. It's certainly not as intense as, say, the Hulk at Universal. But it's definitely a step up from Big Thunder or Expedition Everest.

Such a nice morning for all of you!

It was such a great day!

 

[pkondz]

I have a feeling comic con is one of those experiences I prefer to read about from afar than actually experience.

Actually... I've been to one here where I live. It was fun. Some people dress up a little... and some a lot.
Just looking around was worth the time.

Or a flesh wound!

 

[franandaj]

I have never been one of the cool kids.

I've always been the weird kid.

Many thanks to those of you who have stuck with this trip report thus far, even though you probably just wanted to read about Disneyland.

I've enjoyed hearing about your exploits driving around So Cal and seeing the sights.

Over the years, I have made some wonderful friends on the DISboards.

Yes. I can say the same!

In the course of conversations over the years, Bob had told us to let him know if we were ever in Southern California, because he would (in his words) “hook us up”.

We were floored. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would get a VIP Tour…of anywhere, really, seeing as I am not a VIP which would seem to be an important criterion. But especially not a Disney park.

Oh c'mon, I bet your kids would secretly rate you as a VIP for all the incredible adventures you plan for them. But they'd never tell you to your face.

We got a message from Jill (@jedijill ), Alison (@franandaj ), and Jenny (@rentayenta ) asking if they would be able to join in on our tour.

We have mastered that skill of mooching as well!

We’d use the 8 hours during the most crowded part of the day and then finish up right around 6:30 p.m. so we could peek inside Club—excuse me, so we could retire to the club for supper.

Nice save there!

It’s such a different experience from Disney World in Florida. There, you have to ride buses for miles just to get within spitting distance of the theme parks. In Anaheim, you walk down a city street with theme park icons tantalizingly out of reach just over a fence, across the street from the Denny’s. On the one hand, you miss the immense scale and epic adventure of Disney World. But it also feels more comfortable and approachable—less intimidating.

I have a difficult time relating the difference to my So Cal friends. They just can't grasp the concept of Disney as large as an entire county or city. Sure in Anaheim you have the "Disney price gauging bubble" where the prices of all the chains in a 1/2 mile radius of the park are higher. The McDonald's across the street doesn't have a dollar value menu. But once you're a mile away from the park, it's just another city where people live their lives.

I am a pretty big fan of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. I’m not the ultimate super-nerd who can point out connections to the comic books, but I’ve kept up with the movies and TV shows and have generally really enjoyed them as great entertainment.

I'm a latecomer to the whole MCU but I'm trying to learn.

And there is so much content now that it often feels more like homework to keep up with all of them.

I'm actually writing a "term paper", rewatching all the movies in order and then putting the important parts into a large word document. There's so much I've missed watching them the first time. So many moments in later movies were set up in earlier ones, but if you didn't know what was coming, you missed it.

We decided to jump in the standby line for WEB Slingers: A Spider-Man Adventure. I forget what the posted wait time was, but we figured it was the best it was going to be for the rest of the day.

Probably a smart choice.

In case you were wondering, I went with the “finger guns” method, because why wouldn’t you?

I seem to go with the wide spread fingers. Can't wait to ride this one again.

Anyway, the game is a lot of fun. There wasn’t much strategy to it—you just shot at robots. If it was glowing, you tried to hit it because it was worth more points. Sometimes you could hit triggers or bombs or other parts of the scenery to cause chain reactions or explosions or other big moments of chaos, which is always great fun.

I like trying to open up the secret things in the Collector's Fortress, but it never seems to get me more points.

I had the highest score in the family.

I don't know how you kicked so much butt!

Naturally, I remained humble and let the rest of the family figure this out on their own. I’m not one to rub my successes in the face of others

Who are you and what have you done with Mark?

In the end, everybody LOVED the ride (of course they did). I think by the end of the trip at least 3 family members declared it their favorite ride.

Naturally! They are smart!

Maybe someday I’ll learn what’s so fun about feeling like you are plummeting to your death, but it still eludes me.

But that's not what it feels like. You catch a tiny bit of air as you fall, and you're rockin' out to fun tunes, and then you're laughing the whole time cause it's fun!

Remember what I said at the beginning about cool people. Jeff is definitely one of the cool people.

He definitely is.

He walked in an unhurried manner, sort of like a gunslinger in an old Western.

You're cracking me up with your description of Jeff!

As we moved up in line, he told us he could get us in the front row, but if we wanted to be directly in the center we’d probably have to wait one cycle.

Dude, you get spoiled in a hurry on a VIP tour.

Anyway, we decided not to waste time waiting but just to take the front row on one side (ugh). This was when Julie decided to skip out and wait for us at the exit (seriously? This is the one you skip out on?).

(She doesn’t like having her feet dangling out into space.)

That was odd.. she does Guardians and not Soarin.

Jeff suggested we ride WEB Slingers next, and we agreed even though we’d already ridden it once that day because 1) it was a lot of fun and new to us, 2) my kids wanted revenge on me, and 3) it was Jeff who suggested it.

I'm glad cause I wanted to ride it.

But none of us could hold a candle to Jeff, who was a machine. I knew he had that gunslinger look to him.

How did he get that score?????

More importantly, Scotty and I had teamed up with the Coolest Guy in the Park (are you sensing a theme here yet?) to bring home the best score of the hour on the ride.

That's awesome!

We had a great time riding this one, although only one of us was in midseason form when it came to posing for the ride photos. The rest of them were still rusty, I guess.

That's one of the easiest ones to hit.

I would say this one is maybe a hair more intense than Rock ‘n Roller Coaster, just because it goes much higher and has bigger drops.

That's funny. I think RnRC is a little more intense just because the first thing you do is an upside down loop. The tight turns on that one make it more intense for me. I find the long sloping tracks relaxing.

On the downside, Drew said he wasn’t a big fan of Incredicoaster. More specifically, he didn’t like the loop. He said that part made him feel bad. So we wouldn’t get him on that one again.

That's too bad, such a fun coaster.

I gotta say, park hopping is so ridiculously easy in California. It’s wonderful just walking from one theme park to the other.

Jeff told us to pay attention to how the theme transitioned from one side of the bridge to the other, as we left the Wild West and moved into…

I love how they transition that, the light fixtures, the music, the textures....

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Actually... I've been to one here where I live. It was fun. Some people dress up a little... and some a lot.
Just looking around was worth the time.

I can see the appeal of seeing exhibits on your favorite movies and heroes. I think I might get weirded out by a lot of the fans, though. Just not my scene.

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

I've always been the weird kid.

That explains a lot.





Just kidding!

I've enjoyed hearing about your exploits driving around So Cal and seeing the sights.

Oh good! That makes one satisfied reader.

Yes. I can say the same!

Oh c'mon, I bet your kids would secretly rate you as a VIP for all the incredible adventures you plan for them. But they'd never tell you to your face.

I really, really hope so. But you're right--I will never know.

We have mastered that skill of mooching as well!

I feel like it's an essential life skill!

Nice save there!

I don't know how to operate in the fancy-people part of the world.

I have a difficult time relating the difference to my So Cal friends. They just can't grasp the concept of Disney as large as an entire county or city. Sure in Anaheim you have the "Disney price gauging bubble" where the prices of all the chains in a 1/2 mile radius of the park are higher. The McDonald's across the street doesn't have a dollar value menu. But once you're a mile away from the park, it's just another city where people live their lives.

You have to see it to really understand it. I grew up picturing WDW as the Disney Experience. It's so weird to walk down a city block and see Mission: Breakout towering up above.

I'm a latecomer to the whole MCU but I'm trying to learn.

There's just. So. Much. Content.

I'm actually writing a "term paper", rewatching all the movies in order and then putting the important parts into a large word document. There's so much I've missed watching them the first time. So many moments in later movies were set up in earlier ones, but if you didn't know what was coming, you missed it.

Wow, more power to you! I've probably forgotten half the movies by now.

Probably a smart choice.

I don't know if this has ever been said about me before.

I seem to go with the wide spread fingers. Can't wait to ride this one again.

Seems to be a popular choice. It's a lot of fun!

I like trying to open up the secret things in the Collector's Fortress, but it never seems to get me more points.

I remember hitting a Dr. Strange book in a cage or something, but I don't know that it did anything for my score either.

I don't know how you kicked so much butt!

Even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in a while.

Who are you and what have you done with Mark?

As I told pkondz, I'm very proud of my humility.

Naturally! They are smart!

But that's not what it feels like. You catch a tiny bit of air as you fall, and you're rockin' out to fun tunes, and then you're laughing the whole time cause it's fun!

I rode ToT. Pretty sure I felt like I was plummeting to my death.

He definitely is.

That guy is just so smooth.

You're cracking me up with your description of Jeff!

Hey, did I get anything wrong? We all wish we were that cool.

That was odd.. she does Guardians and not Soarin.

I'm glad cause I wanted to ride it.

There's definitely a novelty factor to having a new ride.

How did he get that score?????

I told you, he's basically Mr. Perfect.

That's one of the easiest ones to hit.

Yeah, they don't even hide that one.

That's funny. I think RnRC is a little more intense just because the first thing you do is an upside down loop. The tight turns on that one make it more intense for me. I find the long sloping tracks relaxing.

For me, I think due to it a) being in the dark and b) not being so tall, RnRC doesn't hit me as hard. By the time you realize you're upside-down the loop is already over.

That's too bad, such a fun coaster.

Yeah, it was a lot of fun. He'll probably love it in a few years.

I love how they transition that, the light fixtures, the music, the textures....

It's almost like they are really good at their jobs!

 

[pkondz]

I can see the appeal of seeing exhibits on your favorite movies and heroes. I think I might get weirded out by a lot of the fans, though. Just not my scene.

scene that, done with that

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Chapter 7: VIP’s in DLP seeing SW:GE without G+ or ADR’s

My apologies that I’m going so long between updates. My DIS time has been very limited as of late (really, over the past few years), so I’m just scraping together whatever I can manage. As always I very much appreciate those of you who have stuck with me and are still reading along.

When we last left, we had just hopped over to Disneyland Park and made a beeline for Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. None of us had seen the Star Wars-themed portion of the park yet, so we were eager to check it out. There are those who remain upset at the idea of a Star Wars land inside Walt’s original park, and I understand those complaints. But now having seen it, it doesn’t bother me nearly as much. For one thing, it feels completely separate from the rest of Disneyland. They did a nice job of walling off the views, noise, or any stray sights that might clash with the rest of the park.

And for another, it’s just so well done in there.

Leaving the corporate price-gouging parts of Disney aside for the moment, it’s clear that the Disney Imagineers still have their A-game. They managed to create an immersive world as well-themed as any park in the nation. Universal upped their game with the Harry Potter attractions and Disney responded with Star Wars and I am totally here for it as long as my wallet holds out.

As we walked, Jeff filled us in on many of the details in the theming, including these numbers which are a shout-out to the years of the release dates of the original trilogy of movies (1977, 1980 and 1983).

Every part of the park gives the same futuristic yet lived-in feeling that the movies present so well.

We didn’t want to waste a ton of valuable VIP Tour time on meals, but it was lunch time and we were all hungry, so we went to Ronto Roasters to grab some food. The main menu items here are “Ronto wraps”, which are basically sausages (meat or vegetarian) wrapped in pita bread with slaw and peppercorn sauce. Jeff recommended we try the vegetarian version, because he said he actually liked that one better. Given that Jeff is basically Mr. Perfect and right about everything, we ordered some of each. And darned if he wasn’t…almost right. I preferred the meat option, but the vegetarian version was surprisingly decent.

While we ate, Jeff took a break and went backstage, leaving me his cell number so I could text him when we were done. I’m not sure what he did during that time, but I suspect he was calling our friend Bob to berate him for sticking him with these losers for 8 hours. Or trying to get another tour guide to trade off with him. Or faking an illness. But in any case, he came back when I texted and was his usual gracious, smiling self.

We ate as fast as we could so we could get out and get on some more rides. From Ronto’s place, we walked down a short path and flight of stairs over to Millenium Falcon: Smugglers Run. Along the way, Jeff made sure that Drew found evidence that even Mickey was around a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away.

We headed into the pre-show, where we got a video version of Hondo Ohnaka. I guess the animatronic figure was down. Boo.

We were briefed on our mission of collecting coaxium barrels and assigned to team Orange. Then we experienced the ultra-cool feeling of walking through the hallways of the Millenium Falcon into the waiting area.

I have always loved Star Wars, and have generally enjoyed the various movies. I’m not an ultra-fan who can name every side character or planet and am only vaguely aware of the existence of the animated Clone Wars series. And I am also willing to admit that some of the movies/TV shows are downright lousy (the prequels, Rise of Skywalker). But this series was basically hooked into my veins when I was young, and Han Solo was always my favorite character, so I was thrilled to be able to see such a painstaking re-creation of the fabled spaceship.

And if you don’t take this photo in the waiting area, what are you even doing there?

When they called our team, we went into the tunnel for the last briefing. Drew’s Hidden Mickey game was still on point.

Dave and Scott took the roles of the pilots (having watched the ride on YouTube before, they at least had some idea of what was coming) and the rest of us filled in the back. I was a gunner on this run, so my job basically consisted of mashing buttons over and over again. Well within my skill set.

I think we did ok for the first try. We had some bumps and bruises along the way, but we managed to pick up one coaxium barrel. More importantly, we had a lot of fun. I can see why some people complain about not being able to see what’s going on due to needing to push buttons and look at the control panel. But I also feel like that issue was solved with multiple rides. We all enjoyed the experience.

Outside, Jeff wrangled a Photopass guy to do some photos in front of the Falcon. That life-size model is just so impressive.

After a few normal family shots, the photographer asked us to do a Jedi “Force” type pose. We thought it might be a magic shot, but no—it’s just us trying to stop traffic. Julie evidently took that job seriously.

And then they pulled out the recent high school graduate so we could all taunt him, I guess.

By some miracle, Rise of the Resistance was still up and running in the middle of the day, so we decided it was time to take on the main event.

I’m not sure what I can write about Disney’s showstopper of a ride that hasn’t already been written, but I can tell you this: as your VIP Tour guide, the host is free to get on any rides with you that he/she wishes. Often, Jeff would send us on our way and meet us at the exit when we were finished. But with Rise of the Resistance, he made sure he rode with us.

It’s clear that Disney spared no expense on this one. They went way over the top and down the other side, and I couldn’t be happier that they did so. This ride gets full marks as an experience, a spectacle, a ride, and a combination of every piece of technological wizardry and showmanship Walt Disney Imagineering has ever learned to date. It’s a stunner. I’m so glad we got to experience it.

We moseyed on south from Galaxy’s Edge after that, entering the edge of Frontierland and then moving on to New Orleans Square. As we walked, we asked Jeff if most guests did what we were doing and targeted the headliner rides. He said that was definitely the case, but that many tours would often go for the old classics, for more of the nostalgic experience. We asked him what the weirdest request for a ride he got as a tour guide was. He thought for a moment and then said, “I had one group that wanted to go on Davy Crockett’s canoes. That was a weird one. I mean, there’s NEVER a wait for the canoes.”

As tempting as it sounded, we passed on the canoes. We went for a classic ride of our own instead: the Haunted Mansion.

It’s always fun to note the differences between similar attractions in Disney World and Disneyland. I like being able to walk in the front door of the one in DL. And it’s fun to know that the stretching room actually is an elevator in California.

One we’d escaped with our souls, we moved into Adventureland. It was now finally time to right a wrong from my past.

When we’d visited in 2014, we had exactly one day to try and fit in as much of the Disneyland resort as we possibly could. We put our park hoppers to the test that day, scurrying back and forth between theme parks and using the old (superior) paper Fastpass system to see as much as we could. But the one ride we couldn’t fit into our day was Indiana Jones and the Temple of the Forbidden Eye. If I’m a fan of Star Wars, then I’m nuts for Indiana Jones—Raiders of the Lost Ark is my favorite movie of all time.

After nine years of sadness and regret, I was finally going to get the chance to get on this ride.

As Jeff led us through the queue, he stopped to show us one support pole in the temple that seemed curiously flexible. He gave it a shake, and suddenly there was a loud crashing noise like the ceiling was about to collapse. We all had a good laugh, but unfortunately I think the loud noise spooked Drew, who was a bit unsure going into this ride anyway. So he ended up deciding not to ride. He hung out with Jeff while the rest of us got on the jeep.

So was Indiana Jones the most amazing ride ever??

No, of course not. That’s Rise of the Resistance. But Indy is a perfectly cromulent ride. I’d known going in that it was basically the same ride as Dinosaur in WDW. So I knew what to expect in terms of the experience. I would give it the edge over Dinosaur because the theme (and source movie) is much better. And some of the animatronics didn’t quite seem to be working right. But it was fun, and I’m glad I can say I finally got to ride it.

Let’s keep this tour moving, because time is running short. We started walking back towards Frontierland from the hub side, passing this restaurant along the way.

In another handy bit of Disney trivia, Jeff informed us that this was the location where Doritos were invented.

We got a ride in on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, because we can’t ever skip that ride. Then we crossed the hub. Look, a tiny castle!

We walked over to the Matterhorn Bobsleds, so we could once again right a wrong from the past. On that same 2014 visit, we were working hard to burn the candle at both ends, and we hadn’t gotten to the bobsleds until late at night (approaching 11 p.m. if I recall correctly). It had been down a few times during that day, so we had to come back late at night in one final attempt to ride it. But the long day and fatigue finally got to David, and he hit the wall while we were in line and started saying he wanted to go. So Julie took one for the team and waited with him and Baby Drew while Sarah, Scotty and I went on the ride.

This time, no one hit the wall, including the parents, even though we are now much older and more subject to fatigue than our children. Again, we all had a great time. Is the track old and bumpy? Yes. Did that bother us? Not really. It’s hard for us not to enjoy a coaster.

Speaking of which, the next stop on the VIP headliner tour was Hyperspace Mountain.

Yes, we were fortunate enough to be at Disneyland while the Star Wars overlay was intact on Space Mountain, so that was definitely a bonus. I had enjoyed the regular DL version of this ride before—I like the fact that the cars are 2-seaters, so you can have some company. And the soundtrack by film composer Michael Giacchino was a fun one. But I was definitely interested in seeing what adding Star Wars music and effects did for the ride.

Short answer: Best. Space. Mountain. Ever. Star Wars proved to be the bacon of amusement park rides—it made everything better. We were greeted at the launch with the familiar iconic musical theme, and then we were zooming around, ducking laser blasts and TIE fighters. They did a wonderful job incorporating those elements into the ride, and I instantly wanted to ride it again and again.

But we couldn’t do that, because we only had about two hours left on the tour! We’d basically completed all of the headliner rides in both parks by now (and yes, we were proud of that), so at this point, it was just about getting on as many rides without a wait as we could.

Alison, Jenny and Jill had come back to the parks and we briefly met up with them outside Space Mountain. But they decided to go on to the Club and meet up with Bob, who had already reserved a table for us, rather than do some more rides. If you’re reading this as saying they needed to fortify themselves with alcohol before spending more time with us, well…you’re probably not wrong.

On to Fantasyland, where we got on another new experience for us—Snow White’s Enchanted Wish. This one had been recently re-built with brand new animatronics and effects, so we figured we might as well check it out. And it was exactly what we expected—a nice, air-conditioned dark ride. I doubt I would have made it a priority on a normal visit, but I’m happy I saw it.

We moved across the walkway to Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride, which none of our kids had ever experienced before. Again, it’s an enjoyable dark ride. I always got a kick out of the fact that a Disney ride actually ends with you going to hell (spoiler alert). I’m just amazed that it exists at all. The only photo I took here was of the hidden Mickeys in Mr. Toad’s eyes.

Time was ticking! We got on Peter Pan’s Flight, figuring it was a good use of VIP privileges to skip the ride on that one. Away we went on our voyage, sailing through the skids, until we came to a dead stop right over the pirate ship with Smee blasting away at us with the cannon. The ride had broken down. Eventually the lights came on and someone announced over the loudspeaker that hey had to reset the ride. I can tell you it’s not nearly as magical with the lights on. It is interesting to see, though.

One hour left! What do we do now! Clearly it was panic time, because as we ran through the list of rides in the immediate area, Andrew asked to go on the Alice in Wonderland ride and somehow we actually agreed to this. I’m nearly positive Jeff raised an eyebrow behind my back. It’s for the children, Jeff!

I can definitely say that we rode it, and it is now on the list just behind the Winnie the Pooh ride at WDW for Best Disney Ride To Experience While Tripping on LSD.

As day moved towards the evening hours, and with limited time left on the tour, I told Jeff that we wanted to try and get a family photo by the castle, and then maybe do Jungle Cruise in order to finish things off. Then he’d walk us to the club and we’d say our goodbyes there. We made our way to the castle, which was starting to glow in the late afternoon sun.

Rather than stand amongst the other peons, Jeff led us to this spot along the side of the castle and we took our photos there. Out of about 20 photos there were only like 2 or 3 where everyone had their eyes open. This is par for the course in our family.

We asked Jeff to get in one as well, and he obliged with some mad selfie skillz.

See? We’re practically twins. Anyway, he’s doing a great job of pretending like he’s happy to be with us. Total pro.

We walked over to Adventureland and hopped aboard a Jungle Cruise boat. Our skipper was pretty fun and energetic, which of course makes the ride what it is. I felt like it was a great ending to our storybook Disneyland day, finishing up on a classic ride after we’d accomplished everything we’d set out to see. I noticed as we disembarked that Jeff went over to the skipper and thanked her, telling her she did a great job, because he just can’t resist charming everyone he meets.

We walked into New Orleans Square and found the “hidden” entrance to Club 33. As we walked, we all remarked on what a great day it had been. We were incredibly grateful to Bob, who had arranged for all of this to happen. And honestly, I don’t know if we can ever thank Bob enough. What a huge gift to give us! I’m so grateful that we got to experience this as a family and humbled that you would choose to make our day so magical. We are forever in your debt.

Guests on VIP Tours are strongly suggested to tip their guides, so I’d made sure to bring some cash along with me. Jeff, of course, was fantastic and a wonderful host for the day. As we said our goodbyes, I rolled up the cash in my fist and then did the ol’ gangster handshake with him, slipping him the bills as we shook.

“I’ve always wanted to do that,” I said.

“And now you have,” he said with a smile. He bid our family adieu and left us in the club as he went back through the doorway. I can’t be certain, but I may have heard some footsteps breaking into a rapid sprint on the other side of the door.

Coming Up Next: Evening falls on our special day. And I try and figure out what photos I’m actually allowed to post from Club 33.

 

[Dizzy4DL]

I think Jeff may be my new favorite Disney character. He sounds like an amazing tour guide, and an overall cool person.

 

[melk]

That was an update worth waiting for! I feel like I was right there with you going from attraction to attraction. What a fantastic experience to have the VIP treatment. Count me in as a Jeff fan!

 

[pkondz]

My apologies that I’m going so long between updates. My DIS time has been very limited as of late (really, over the past few years), so I’m just scraping together whatever I can manage. As always I very much appreciate those of you who have stuck with me and are still reading along.

No apologies needed.
We know that life happens and we're just glad you're still writing and entertaining us in whatever way you're able.

VIP’s in DLP seeing SW:GE without G+ or ADR’s

Is it bad that I had no problem understanding that?

There are those who remain upset at the idea of a Star Wars land inside Walt’s original park, and I understand those complaints. But now having seen it, it doesn’t bother me nearly as much. For one thing, it feels completely separate from the rest of Disneyland. They did a nice job of walling off the views, noise, or any stray sights that might clash with the rest of the park.

Interesting. I was wondering about that. In Florida, it's fine slotted into DHS, but... DL? I wasn't sure about that.

Leaving the corporate price-gouging parts of Disney aside for the moment,

This is possible??

I am totally here for it as long as my wallet holds out.

So... you're saying about 10 minutes or so?


Okay... I have no idea if you're independently wealthy. So maybe 5 minutes.

Took me a minute to spot those.

The main menu items here are “Ronto wraps”

Finally got to try one... Thought it was really good!

I’m not sure what he did during that time, but I suspect he was calling our friend Bob to berate him for sticking him with these losers for 8 hours.

Not losers. I mean I've met you guys and Julie and the kids seem perfectly fine to me.

But in any case, he came back when I texted and was his usual gracious, smiling self.

And the Oscar goes to...

we got a video version of Hondo Ohnaka. I guess the animatronic figure was down. Boo.

Unfortunate. He's a pretty impressive animatronic.

Then we experienced the ultra-cool feeling of walking through the hallways of the Millenium Falcon into the waiting area.

I’m not an ultra-fan who can name every side character or planet and am only vaguely aware of the existence of the animated Clone Wars series.

That pretty much describes me, too.

And if you don’t take this photo in the waiting area, what are you even doing there?

Right?????

I was a gunner on this run

As long as it's not engineer.

Never be an engineer on this ride.


Never.

After a few normal family shots, the photographer asked us to do a Jedi “Force” type pose. We thought it might be a magic shot, but no—it’s just us trying to stop traffic. Julie evidently took that job seriously.

So... only Julie understands what's going on? Good for you, Julie!

And then they pulled out the recent high school graduate so we could all taunt him, I guess.

By some miracle, Rise of the Resistance was still up and running in the middle of the day,

This is possible??

I’m not sure what I can write about Disney’s showstopper of a ride that hasn’t already been written, but I can tell you this: as your VIP Tour guide, the host is free to get on any rides with you that he/she wishes. Often, Jeff would send us on our way and meet us at the exit when we were finished. But with Rise of the Resistance, he made sure he rode with us.

Not at all surprised. That is one heck of a ride.

. We asked him what the weirdest request for a ride he got as a tour guide was. He thought for a moment and then said, “I had one group that wanted to go on Davy Crockett’s canoes. That was a weird one. I mean, there’s NEVER a wait for the canoes.”

Actually... I've never done that and didn't know they still did. I might be tempted!

We went for a classic ride of our own instead: the Haunted Mansion.

Raiders of the Lost Ark is my favorite movie of all time.

You know what they said about it on Big Bang Theory, right?

As Jeff led us through the queue, he stopped to show us one support pole in the temple that seemed curiously flexible. He gave it a shake, and suddenly there was a loud crashing noise like the ceiling was about to collapse.

Okay, I like that.

. We all had a good laugh, but unfortunately I think the loud noise spooked Drew, who was a bit unsure going into this ride anyway. So he ended up deciding not to ride. He hung out with Jeff while the rest of us got on the jeep.

Aww... poor li'l guy.

But Indy is a perfectly cromulent ride.

Well that was an interesting little rabbit hole. Huh!

In another handy bit of Disney trivia, Jeff informed us that this was the location where Doritos were invented.

I did know that! I don't remember where, but I did read about that somewhere.

Then we crossed the hub. Look, a tiny castle!

Careful... Locals are pretty protective of their little castle.

We walked over to the Matterhorn Bobsleds, so we could once again right a wrong from the past

Yeah... haven't been on that one. I don't remember if it was because I didn't want to risk my back or it was down. I think the latter.

Yes, we were fortunate enough to be at Disneyland while the Star Wars overlay was intact on Space Mountain,

Was? It's gone now?

Short answer: Best. Space. Mountain. Ever.

High. Praise. Indeed.

Alison, Jenny and Jill had come back to the parks and we briefly met up with them outside Space Mountain. But they decided to go on to the Club and meet up with Bob, who had already reserved a table for us, rather than do some more rides. If you’re reading this as saying they needed to fortify themselves with alcohol before spending more time with us, well…you’re probably not wrong.

On to Fantasyland, where we got on another new experience for us—Snow White’s Enchanted Wish. This one had been recently re-built with brand new animatronics and effects, so we figured we might as well check it out. And it was exactly what we expected—a nice, air-conditioned dark ride. I doubt I would have made it a priority on a normal visit, but I’m happy I saw it.

Not sure I saw that one. No clue. I'm gonna go with a definite... maybe.

Eventually the lights came on and someone announced over the loudspeaker that hey had to reset the ride. I can tell you it’s not nearly as magical with the lights on. It is interesting to see, though.

Nope. That's one ride I don't want the lights to come on. Too much history with that one. Too much nostalgia.

I can definitely say that we rode it, and it is now on the list just behind the Winnie the Pooh ride at WDW for Best Disney Ride To Experience While Tripping on LSD.

See? We’re practically twins.

I can't tell which is which!

Anyway, he’s doing a great job of pretending like he’s happy to be with us. Total pro.

Really earning that Oscar...

I can’t be certain, but I may have heard some footsteps breaking into a rapid sprint on the other side of the door.