For the First Time In Forever.....A Disneyland reopening TR, Dark Ride photos and The End 5/8

[rentayenta]

Best part of the meal? All being together... and the 50% off.

 

[tiggrbaby]

Love Fran's mask and hat!

Looks like it was a lovely meal!

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

It was a couple weeks before we were back and then we didn’t even head into the parks!

Is that even allowed??

It was so nice to be back in this lovely restaurant!

Or any restaurant! But especially that one, I'm sure.

They had the Vintner’s Menu which you either had to order in it’s entirety….

That...feels like an awful lot.

You could not order individual items off of the Vintner’s menu to go with items from the regular menu.

Boo. This is America! Don't deny me my rights!

I asked the Sommelier if he would provide wine pairings for each of my courses, and he was happy to oblige!

It would have been funny if he'd said, "Nah, I'm not really feeling it today. You're on your own."

The vinaigrette has coconut in it….why would Alison eat this?

Are you ok, Alison? Have you been kidnapped? Blink twice if you're under duress.

Fran got the Summer Peach Custard Pie, Blackberries and Peach Sorbet. She was very happy with her choice.

That looks mighty tasty!

We got to use Michael's 50% off Coupon that CMs receive as a perk!

 

[DnA2010]

we lost almost an hour driving across town and then didn't even get to drop off everything. They wouldn’t take my Frankenstein box. We did stop at McFood on the way so I wouldn’t starve.

The night I moved the horses I had McFood twice in like 7 hours I realized!

My arm is twisted in the weirdest way in this one, we were supposed to be slinging webs.

It almost looks like it's going to go- what is it called, double jointed!

Whoa!! That's high!

Aww cute!

I should have ordered one of those chocolate bars

They better still have it when I make it down so we can taste test against an Oh Henry!

You just never stay away on rides LOL!

Jenny shared her "Not So Little Chicken Sandwich" with me. Fried Chicken Breast, Teriyaki and Red Chili Sauces, and Pickled Cabbage Slaw on Brioche, served with crispy Potato Bites, the chicken itself was really good I would order this again. However the top bun was hard as a rock. There were not nearly enough of the tater tots. If sharing the sandwich, I'd order a side of these.

Yum, I'm glad it's good, on my list for sure, but ya 12 tots...def not enough!

Arugula Salad. They seemed to like it well enough as they ate it all. I think Michael told Jenny that her sandwich was the winner.

There's like 12 pieces of lettuce also! Disney you cheapin' out!

Chloe got the Rigatoni and Ditalini Pastas

Not very many noodles it looks like also!


Apparently that's all I quoted! On to the next one! I'm hungry now though!

 

[franandaj]

Best part of the meal? All being together... and the 50% off.

Bring on the 40% and 30%!

 

[franandaj]

Love Fran's mask and hat!

She likes getting creative with her hats and masks!

Looks like it was a lovely meal!

It sure was! I can't wait for another lovely meal!

 

[DnA2010]

This explosion scene is better than it was a few years ago, but nothing like when the ride first reopened about 5-6 years ago.

Have some of the effects just stopped working well?

Bacon Wrapped Asparagus Skewers

I've never actually ordered anything from Bengal, isn't that weird?

I really suck at this game. Even though I know where a lot of the high point targets are, I still can’t hit them. I’ve never got above this level.

I know where a lot of them are too, and I've only had like one or 2 stand out scores- the really good ones are super tiny is my understanding

Wow you think with all the downtime they'd have updated the cameras!

So matchy matchy!

Everyone so happy in the sunshine!

Nice chargers!

I preferred the one with.

Hehe ya you did

I know we've talked about these already and what became your fav, but they do all sound (other the the coconut as I'm with you there) super yummy

MMMmmm! Tenderloin tips jumped out at me

Sustainable Catch of the Day which I believe was a Yellowtail.

This looks sooo perfectly seared

As does this guy!

This looks perfect too, I'd really want both!

vegan menu, and Fran was feeling adventurous.

it sounds good, but I'm guessing vegan would be no delicious stuff like butter in the dessert

I'm always impressed by edible decorations like this

coffee is just so good!

Mmmm perfect coffee!

Nice pic on the way out, you and Fran are colour co-ordinated!

We got the song Free Ride

Always a good one!

 

[pkondz]

They also have soups, which I have not tried...you should stop if you have the opportunity, it's pretty good quick food.

Thanks for the tip.

I know I don't have to, but most people don't get to DL as often as I do, so I'm always happy to let my friends suggest what they want to do. It adds variety since I tend to do the same things over and over.

I will keep that in mind.

Well you started running....still doing that?

Doing 5K almost every day.

ohhhhhh... Thanks! Had no idea.

Yeah....I have a funny story on that in about three updates.

OK the stuff I know was his band called Montrose, don't know why I thought he was solo. Sammy Hagar was the vocalist. These were three big hits from the band Montrose's first album.

Bad Motor Scooter
Rock Candy
Space Station #5

I also listened to his band Gamma. Had all their albums, but not sure they made big chart hits.

Funny... I had actually heard of Bad Motor Scooter... somewhere... but had never actually heard it.

I figure you were listening to the right stations. It seems we have similar tastes in Rock n Roll.

I think we do too.

 

[pkondz]

I found this coffee mug that met all my specifications (tall, wide enough, but not too wide, and microwave safe), so she bought it for me.

Which one? The "Nope" or Grumpy?
Given a choice... I really like the "Nope" one.

It was so nice to be back in this lovely restaurant!

Elegant. I like.

Everyone ended up deciding on the a la Carte menu.

At first I thought, "Why?"... but then noticed that some of the menu items were the same and the a la Carte menu gives you more choices.

I asked the Sommelier if he would provide wine pairings for each of my courses, and he was happy to oblige!

Nice.

It went with the Sauteed Diver Scallop and Shrimp, English Peas, Leeks and Yukon Gold Potatoes. Fran got this also. I was a bit surprised as I was actually expecting something a little different, however, it was still delicious!

What were you expecting?

It was pairing with the Smiling Tiger Salad, Spicy Beef (which you can’t see in the picture), Lobster-Shrimp Fritters, and Coconut Vinaigrette.

You had me riiiiiight up to that last thing.

Now many of you may be scratching your heads about now. The vinaigrette has coconut in it….why would Alison eat this?

Well this dish was first served to me at the Chef’s Counter. They didn’t tell me anything besides it was a Smiling Tiger Salad. I loved it! It wasn’t until later I learned that there was coconut, and really none of us could taste it.

Huh. I wonder if I'd be able to eat it, then?

Jenny got the “Pot Pie”, Rocky Chicken Fricassee and Summer Vegetables. This was steaming hot when it arrived, and she nursed that thing for most of the rest of the night. She really liked it!

I love the presentation. It looks very appealing to me.

For my Main I ordered the Sicilian Lemon Lamb, Rack, Shoulder, and Artichoke Barigoule.

Which is exactly what I would have ordered. And it looks amazing!

I got the Manjari Chocolate Indulgence, Chocolate Cremeux, Devil Food and Cloud Kisses.

mmmmm... chocolate.

This is the wine that my dessert was paired with, it was something special and I got the last of the bottle. The main Sommelier had gone home, but he left this for another one of the staff to pour for me and she mentioned that I was getting a real treat.

And was it a real treat?

Fran got the Summer Peach Custard Pie, Blackberries and Peach Sorbet. She was very happy with her choice.

Very refreshing.

 

[Steppesister]

So cute!!

This explosion scene is better than it was a few years ago, but nothing like when the ride first reopened about 5-6 years ago.

It's such a great scene! Glad they fixed it.

He’s like, “Oh, Apple Pay!” clicked a few buttons and we were going to have food. “That was way too easy!” he said.

They make it so magically easy to get more of your money.

I super miss those.

I really suck at this game.

But probably not as much as I suck at it.

It was so nice to be back in this lovely restaurant!

Someplace I've not had the pleasure of eating at yet. Hope to change that soon.

It went with the Sauteed Diver Scallop and Shrimp, English Peas, Leeks and Yukon Gold Potatoes. Fran got this also. I was a bit surprised as I was actually expecting something a little different, however, it was still delicious!

Holy moly that looks amazing!! I think of all the luscious dishes you ordered at the two elegant meals, this was a stand out.

Drool!!!!!

Okay, all caught up again, but will be a bit sparse as I keep working on my packing/moving chores.

 

[franandaj]

Is that even allowed??

It happens all the time to people who don't have passes!

Or any restaurant! But especially that one, I'm sure.

I'm getting to an any restaurant kind of mentality....

That...feels like an awful lot.

They're small courses so not a lot.

Boo. This is America! Don't deny me my rights!

There are so many inappropriate for the DIS responses to this. Good thing I recognize your sarcasm!

It would have been funny if he'd said, "Nah, I'm not really feeling it today. You're on your own."

I'm not sure funny is the word!

Are you ok, Alison? Have you been kidnapped? Blink twice if you're under duress.

That looks mighty tasty!

It was pretty good!

Like that 50% discount huh?

 

[franandaj]

The night I moved the horses I had McFood twice in like 7 hours I realized!

I'm sorry! :larughing:

It almost looks like it's going to go- what is it called, double jointed

Perhaps I am?

Whoa!! That's high!

We are debating whether or not that is a mannequin....probably.

They better still have it when I make it down so we can taste test against an Oh Henry!

I bet they will. It's too good to get rid of!

You just never stay away on rides LOL!

I know! What's with that?

Yum, I'm glad it's good, on my list for sure, but ya 12 tots...def not enough!

Especially when splitting!

There's like 12 pieces of lettuce also! Disney you cheapin' out!

Not very many noodles it looks like also!

It did end up being a lot of food.

Apparently that's all I quoted! On to the next one! I'm hungry now though!

Well you are catching up.....slowly but surely.

Have some of the effects just stopped working well?

Well they had stopped working before the shutdown. During the shutdown, it appears that they changed the effects. Probably to something that was more consistent and stable.

I've never actually ordered anything from Bengal, isn't that weird?

That is weird, we should rectify that in January. Maybe that will be our Friday light lunch so as not to fill up too much.

I know where a lot of them are too, and I've only had like one or 2 stand out scores- the really good ones are super tiny is my understanding

This is my new mission, to get to Galactic Hero, or at least past L-3

Wow you think with all the downtime they'd have updated the cameras!

Evidently not.

So matchy matchy!

I like matchy matchy!

Everyone so happy in the sunshine!

Nice chargers!

Too bad they don't sell them!

Hehe ya you did

Of course I did!

I know we've talked about these already and what became your fav, but they do all sound (other the the coconut as I'm with you there) super yummy

It turns out that I did not like "The Blossoms of Edo" and Fran had ordered the coconut drink at the same time. We traded and I actually liked the coconut drink better!

MMMmmm! Tenderloin tips jumped out at me

They are good, but don't seem to be as good a value.

This looks sooo perfectly seared

That's usually the case!

As does this guy!

This looks perfect too, I'd really want both!

So many foods, so little stomach space!

it sounds good, but I'm guessing vegan would be no delicious stuff like butter in the dessert

Yeah, the only real vegan things I like are vegetables....

I'm always impressed by edible decorations like this

It is very pretty. I guess to make up for the cake not being so tasty.

Mmmm perfect coffee!

Love that coffee!

Nice pic on the way out, you and Fran are colour co-ordinated!

We didn't plan it that way!

Always a good one!

 

[franandaj]

Thanks for the tip.

Tip your servers, I'm here all week......

I will keep that in mind.

You can call the shots. If I object, I'll let you know.

Doing 5K almost every day.

Wow! Good for you!

ohhhhhh... Thanks! Had no idea.

You haven't seen the sign at the end of the ride?

Funny... I had actually heard of Bad Motor Scooter... somewhere... but had never actually heard it.

My senior year HS boyfriend rode a crotch rocket, I did some really dumb things riding on the back. It was his anthem.

I think we do too.

Which one? The "Nope" or Grumpy?
Given a choice... I really like the "Nope" one.

Those are both sides of the mug.

Elegant. I like.

It's a very pretty place!

At first I thought, "Why?"... but then noticed that some of the menu items were the same and the a la Carte menu gives you more choices.

Not many were the same. They try and hook you into the Vintner's menu.

What were you expecting?

I don't know why I was expecting this because the menu clearly said, Shrimp and Scallop and English Peas....

You had me riiiiiight up to that last thing.

I know, I was debating whether or not to order it as kept reading coconut, but I really have never been able to taste it.

Huh. I wonder if I'd be able to eat it, then?

If we went I would let you try a bite and split it if you liked it.

I love the presentation. It looks very appealing to me.

It's really so good! The fritters are yummy and the beef is so good!

Which is exactly what I would have ordered. And it looks amazing!

It was!

mmmmm... chocolate.

And was it a real treat?

I think so, it was nicely aged and went perfect with dessert.

Very refreshing.

 

[pkondz]

Tip your servers, I'm here all week......

I always do.

Well... there was that one time...

You can call the shots. If I object, I'll let you know.

Deal.

Wow! Good for you!

Thanks!

You haven't seen the sign at the end of the ride?

I don't think so!

My senior year HS boyfriend rode a crotch rocket, I did some really dumb things riding on the back. It was his anthem.

Oh dear.

Those are both sides of the mug.

Ah! Even better.

I know, I was debating whether or not to order it as kept reading coconut, but I really have never been able to taste it.

Hmm.... I dunno if I'd have the nerve...

If we went I would let you try a bite and split it if you liked it.

That's very nice of you.

 

[franandaj]

It's such a great scene! Glad they fixed it.

Well I don't know that they "fixed" it, but it is better than when it was broken.

They make it so magically easy to get more of your money.

Yes they do!

I super miss those.

So yummy!

But probably not as much as I suck at it.

I'm making it my mission to get better!

Someplace I've not had the pleasure of eating at yet. Hope to change that soon.

It's definitely a great place to dine!

Holy moly that looks amazing!! I think of all the luscious dishes you ordered at the two elegant meals, this was a stand out.

They do know how to cook a scallop!

Drool!!!!!

Okay, all caught up again, but will be a bit sparse as I keep working on my packing/moving chores.

You've definitely got a lot on your plate right now.

 

[franandaj]

I always do.

Well... there was that one time...

Oh? Bad service?

Hmm.... I dunno if I'd have the nerve...

Well I had eaten it multiple times before with no ill effects, so I took a leap of faith.

That's very nice of you.

:flower3

 

[franandaj]

So before we get to this next update I just thought I'd give y'all an update of that super fun plumbing situation that we had going on back at the beginning of this TR. Well about a month ago we got another text from the same tenants that they had been away for a while and came home to yet more sludge in the tub and shower.


Yay.


We had received a discount postcard in the mail from a particular plumbing company (won't say their name in case I get nailed for "advertising"), so we decided to give them a try. I met the guy over at the apartment since I wanted to hear directly from him what was happening. Of course there was no problem with the plumbing when he got there. But he suggested that he could run a camera down the pipes and that might give us an idea of what was going on. First off the he went down this pipe that had been put in by the previous plumbing company so that they could clean out the lines. See how they cut a chunk off the pipe going horizontally?



Well look there it is in the pipe there!



This was the drain for the bathtub, we tried the toilet and the sink and it wasn't until we turned on the bathwater that we saw water flow in this pipe.

Since he couldn't get the camera past the blockage, the only choice to see what was going on was to take up the toilet and run the camera that way. What he found was that there was standing water in the pipes. In this picture the camera is basically underwater.



In this picture you can see (maybe?) that over the 50 years of the building's life a small trench has formed in the bottom of the pipe. What I don't see, but the plumber did, is that the inside of the pipe has developed imperfections, small points, and rough spots.



Between the blocked pipe and the condition that he noted, he wanted to kick this up to his supervisor, so we made an appointment for the following Monday. I kicked it up to my supervisor and made Fran come along.

Long and short of it, when the supervisor came out, the piece of pipe stuck there was dislodged into the main pipe, so that was solved. However, those imperfections in the pipe noted previously can snag things like toilet paper as it travels through the pipe. When enough gets caught, the pipes back up and it shows up in the lowest drains, showers and tubs. So this will continue unless we do something.

The “something” is called descaling. Essentially they go inside the pipes and smooth them out so that everything will flow through smoothly again. As an extra precautionary matter, we could do an additional service which would put a coating on the interior surfaces of the pipes. He said that this would get us an additional 15-20 years of life out of the pipes. Since we intend to keep the building for that long, it seems prudent that we do both procedures.

I've already signed the contract and paid the deposit for the first procedure. It's scheduled for next week. Once they complete the first job, we will talk about the second one. It's a good thing that we refinanced one of our buildings and pulled out some cash earlier this year. But hopefully after this we won't get any more texts with pictures of sludge in the bathtub and shower.


So back to the TR….


Dr. Jekyll and Mrs. Hyde


Trader Sam’s opened on July 2nd and while we had plans to visit with Jill at the end of the month, when we were enjoying our night at the Bamboo Club in Long Beach, we made plans to visit Trader Sam’s sooner rather than later. Evidently Fran didn’t remember that we all had wanted to do this because somewhere from the time that we left home to the time we arrived at the DLH her mood had gone from just fine to super crappy. As has been discussed on other TRs, there is no sense in sugar coating crap so I'm going to tell this evening like it was.

As we were parking, Fran was telling me that she should just drop me off and have Jenny and Michael drive me home. Jenny and I had been texting and it was unclear to me what was the exact situation with regards to waiting for a table. I convinced Fran to get on the scooter and ride to the restaurant. It turns out that Jenny had put our names in for a table, and we were waiting on being seated. There were tons of unoccupied tables, but it seems that they just did not have the staff to service the tables. At least they left them open so people were not sitting around with poor service.

When I found Jenny and Michael, they had ordered drinks at the walk up window. No one was sitting at the bar so they grabbed a couple seats and were sitting there. When I figured out what was going on, I convinced Fran to stay. But she crossed her arms and said, “Fine, but I’m not ordering anything besides a diet coke.”

I explained the situation to Jenny, and since she deals with crazy people for a living she didn't even let this phase her. I ordered a Mosquito Mojito and we sat at the bar chatting while waiting for our table.





Soon our table was ready. Proof that Jenny and Michael were there!



We ordered some panko crusted long beans. They were excellent!



I got another Mosquito Mojito, and Jenny and Michael ordered second drinks as well….



See there’s Michael’s drink and Fran’s Diet Coke.



I got the Tempura Shrimp. I know that I could have gotten Tempura Shrimp just about anywhere during the pandemic (and I did), but there is something about having them outdoors at Trader Sam’s with a Tiki Drink!



Jenny got the Wings. I think she said they were pretty hot.



Michael got what Fran would have normally ordered, the burger with bacon, pineapple, havarti cheese and sweet potato fries.



Over the course of the evening, Fran lightened up a tiny bit, she didn’t ruin our evening, but it was nothing like what happened the following week.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

So just eight days later we were back with the same folks plus Jill. This time Fran was a completely different person. All day, the J's squared (as they have been named) and I had been texting back and forth about when we should leave to meet at Sam's. By 3PM Fran and I had finished all of our “chores” and we had two stops to make before getting on the freeway and by 4:20 we were in the parking lot and unloading the scooter.

I don’t think it took long for us to be seated, in fact, I think we were seated right away. Fran and I were starving and we ordered food at the same time we ordered our drinks. The food came out even before we got our drinks!

We got the green beans again since they were so good the previous week.



This time she got her burger with the bacon, pineapple, havarti cheese and sweet potato fries.



I got the Poke bowl with Ahi tuna. I stirred this all up before eating it and it was really good, but not totally filling.



She also started off with a Sea Monster’s Revenge, that could have had something to do with her jolly mood. It’s usually a drink for two, but she had it mostly to herself.



I got the Safari Swizzle, and I believe Jill got the Krakatoa Punch because Fran bought her mug.



Not sure who got the drink with cherries, but Jenny has a little “skill” that she likes to show off at cocktail parties, she can tie the cherry stem in a knot.



Fran was riding my scooter that night because mine was in the back of the van, and hers was in the garage charging. She was having such a good time that night that she decided I should put her scooter in the car and she would come out to the park in the afternoon the next day, but she would drop me off in the morning.

It was somewhere around this time that it was clear that Fran was having a good time, and everyone was enjoying her mood. We were talking about all kinds of fun stuff like deciding on our picnic menu for our trip to the Hollywood Bowl a month later, and other fun things. I’m not sure if she went into her Laurel and Hardy imitation saying, “This is a fine mess you’ve gotten us into!” By now Jenny and Michael decided to order a bowl of Ramen, which is another tasty dish at Sam’s.



While we were chatting away, Fran mentioned something about the mug release that was taking place the next day. Our server overheard us talking and gave us some tips that even if we ordered them early we could still pick them up later, but the important part was we needed to order them before they sold out. She also told us they were going to open up the order window at 6AM, and not 7AM like so many people assumed because the pick up window opened at 7AM. I guess in all of the frenzy Jenny and Jill got hyped up to buy mugs.

We ordered another round and Jill got the Piranha Pool (in the green mug), and I got the La Florida. It was good! Not sure what Jenny’s drink was.



We got ourselves some Dole Whip Floats with Rum for dessert. Which prompted Jenny to text us “You make it home?” later in the evening.



And of course we did, or I wouldn’t be here to tell you about it. We stopped at Costco for gas on the way home because our tank was running on fumes. Fran asked if I wanted to put her scooter in the car tonight, and I didn’t relish putting it in when I was tipsy, so I told her I’d do it in the morning. I took my battery into the house and put it on the charger so it would be all ready for our day at the park the next day.

 

[rentayenta]

Fun update! We need another TS date!

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Well look there it is in the pipe there!

Well, there's your problem!

What he found was that there was standing water in the pipes. In this picture the camera is basically underwater.

I'm not a plumber, but that doesn't seem good.

The “something” is called descaling. Essentially they go inside the pipes and smooth them out so that everything will flow through smoothly again. As an extra precautionary matter, we could do an additional service which would put a coating on the interior surfaces of the pipes. He said that this would get us an additional 15-20 years of life out of the pipes. Since we intend to keep the building for that long, it seems prudent that we do both procedures.

I guess that sounds better than completely replacing the pipes.

Evidently Fran didn’t remember that we all had wanted to do this because somewhere from the time that we left home to the time we arrived at the DLH her mood had gone from just fine to super crappy. As has been discussed on other TRs, there is no sense in sugar coating crap so I'm going to tell this evening like it was.

Ugh. I know I, for one, would never dream of ruining Julie's fun evening by being a grumpy sourpuss.

See there’s Michael’s drink and Fran’s Diet Coke.

Careful, don't drink that too fast!

I know that I could have gotten Tempura Shrimp just about anywhere during the pandemic (and I did), but there is something about having them outdoors at Trader Sam’s with a Tiki Drink!

Everything is better at Disney!

She also started off with a Sea Monster’s Revenge, that could have had something to do with her jolly mood. It’s usually a drink for two, but she had it mostly to herself.

That is quite the sizable drink.

Not sure who got the drink with cherries, but Jenny has a little “skill” that she likes to show off at cocktail parties, she can tie the cherry stem in a knot.

Wow, impressive!

I guess in all of the frenzy Jenny and Jill got hyped up to buy mugs.

Does the server get a commission?

Fran asked if I wanted to put her scooter in the car tonight, and I didn’t relish putting it in when I was tipsy, so I told her I’d do it in the morning.

Aw, I was hoping there would be video.

 

[franandaj]

Fun update! We need another TS date!

I know! But I can't figure out how to get a reservation! Do they still take walk ups?