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

[tiggrbaby]

Oh my about the battery! Glad you were able to exchange!

The mugs are adorable!

I am always impressed with how much you are able to accomplish at the parks!

 

[franandaj]

An man with good taste! (haha)

Nope, but thanks for reminding me, will try to do it tomorrow

So did'ja?

Score, but EARLY!

Well we wanted to get them picked up before we had to do the boarding group.....

Classic, you and the early BG's!

I know! I'm quick!

Ahhh-ohhhh...

Yeah, we ended up lucking out.

Wowzas! Very empty!

Mmm Schwarma!

Only if it's the regular one....

I have to admit, I've steered clear of "beyond" meat products..I know I should give them a try, but I just don't..

No, you don't need to. That may have been the first time I had it. Although there was one time Del Taco "gave" us some tacos that we didn't order. They tasted funny. I think they might have been made with meat substitute.

This actually looks decent though

Looks can be deceiving.

Sounds like it, given the disassembly, but you tried it

Mistakes happen.

Legit us too, D always running things to the car while we find the potty! LOL!

I guess it's the lot for men surrounded by a bunch of women.

Ugg I so regret not buying the green Tiki dress when I was last there...I was between sizes but should have just bought it

Is it no longer available? They are still selling the shirts in that pattern.

Well given you got like 5 the last time, this makes total sense!

Yeah this time there were too many.

MMMmmm different sized chocolate!

I highly recommend this!

This looks soo good!

It is!

You just can't believe you're on RSR's?

Either that or I could've had a V8! (Did you have that commercial in Canada?)

 

[franandaj]

Wow! What a read - I'm finally caught up! If I wore jewelry, I would have LOVED to get those Maleficent earrings - beautiful!

How wonderful that you're able to spontaneously go to DLR - For us in the PNW, it takes serious planning!

I can see that. It's lovely living so close that we can go anytime there is a reservation open!

We were in the parks Sept 2, 4, and 5th. We visited Pym's for the Not-so-little-chicken and the Pym-ini... Loved the huge chicken with the itty-bitty bun (plus the tots are delish)!

We considered going on the 4th but decided that it would be crazy busy on Labor Day weekend so we gave it up and went to an offisite Tiki Bar instead.

And of course, omg yer killin me with all the Club 33 food.... divine!! Looking forward to reading further adventures of Franandaj!

Plenty more to come, along with another wonderful dinner at Club 33.

 

[franandaj]

Toss the alarm clock! You don't need it!

I don't remember when I ditched the alarm clock, probably 20ish years ago when I left the day job.

Britney Spears
One of only two songs of hers that I know. (I think?)

I don't think I would recognize one Brittany Spears song.

But of course!

Why not?

Oh???

 

[pkondz]

I don't remember when I ditched the alarm clock, probably 20ish years ago when I left the day job.

Aaaaaaannnnndddd... a little part of me just died.

Someday!

I don't think I would recognize one Brittany Spears song.

Consider yourself fortunate.

 

[franandaj]

Oh my about the battery! Glad you were able to exchange!

Its good that we both have basically the same model of scooter.

The mugs are adorable!

Aren't they cute?

I am always impressed with how much you are able to accomplish at the parks!

And here i thought I was taking it slow!

 

[franandaj]

Aaaaaaannnnndddd... a little part of me just died.

Why?

Consider yourself fortunate.

 

[franandaj]

Just a little bit of real life to interject here….as you know we really love our kitties. A little over two weeks ago while watching TV, we heard a loud *crash* and I got up to investigate but found no evidence of what had broken/fallen so we went back to what we were doing. The next night Fran noticed one of the cats “favoring” one of her back paws, and then the cat disappeared. Well not really disappeared, you just have to be creative looking for them.

She had crawled into the bottom floor hidey hole of one of our cat trees in the section of the house we call the kitty Riviera (long before the resort itself was built). Instead of waking me up when she couldn’t find the cat, she waited until the next day to tell me about this. Even though it was a Sunday we packed her up in the carrier and headed up to the vet. They’re open 24/7. I called to find out the procedure, whether we waited in the car or came into the office (covid stuff). Well it turned out that they weren’t even taking walk-ins. They had a 12 hour wait and were at full capacity. We could go somewhere else or call back later.

Since Molly seemed somewhat content in the carrier (and we get a 35% “rescue discount” there) we opted to wait. Back home i set the carrier in front of her hidey hole and left it open. She stayed in the carrier for a good 6 or more hours. We called several times that night, but the vet still wasn’t taking walkins. By morning she had climbed back in her hidey hole, and at 6AM they were taking walk-ins again. We headed right up and were actually helped rather promptly. We explained that she may have injured her leg and could they please check it out.

They put her on pain meds through an IV drip and said they would get back to us when they had some information. We left a deposit and were able to go home. I even made my Monday morning chiropractor appointment on time! By the time I was done being adjusted, the vet had called Fran. She had a fractured leg. They didn’t have an orthopedic surgeon in house today, but they bandaged up her leg with a splint and would send her home with a recheck in a week. So here has been her life for the past 2+ weeks.



She had surgery on Monday, and came back home Tuesday. Six more weeks in the crate. Then she will be limited to one room in the house. So you’re thinking, “Great they have a guest room for her!” You would be wrong. Next time I’ll tell you about Clancy.

Now back to the TR.

Today we knew that we would have a long day for sure! Fran was joining us as well as Leonard. You see we had planned this day well in advance. Jill had booked her plane tickets shortly after the parks reopened to out-of-state folks and one day back in June while surfing the DVC site, I found a two bedroom villa that opened up for this evening. I grabbed it immediately and this way we could spend all day at the park, stay for fireworks and not have to drive home!

We planned to all meet at the Grand Californian at 9AM in the lobby. Fran and I drove through McFood that morning because I was not going to have a repeat of the previous day. I think I ordered a Blueberry muffin and a hash brown. Their sausage can be a little spicy for me, and with my tummy not feeling well the day before I was being very cautious. I think in the end I ate half of one of the muffins and half of the hash brown.

The room was in my name, so I started the check in process. It was taking longer than expected so Fran and Leonard went up to Jill’s room to get the scooter. Fran had my really fully charged battery on her floor boards and soon we had our room keys and were all together in the lobby. Luckily Jill had the forethought to get us a BG for RotR and so that was our first stop!

























After we failed at saving the Galaxy we decided to help out the Resistance by gathering a few parcels of Coaxium. We were successful at getting two this time! I got to do my favorite, engineer! No pressure at all!

It seems to me that we made a whole lot of potty stops that day, and that was our next stop at the Galaxy’s Edge potty near the Droid Depot. Then we made another stop where Jill purchased a beverage. This is where we had our one bad moment of the day. Fran and I had pulled our scooters over into the shade. Other people were in the shade too. It was a hot day. The park was pretty crowded. I started putting on sunscreen while we waited, when all of a sudden this jerk says to me and Fran "Hey ladies give my baby some space!" I didn't see any babies, but not wanting to create a situation we moved away to another shady spot.

Jenny and Leonard however, stayed right there and waited the whole time talking about what a jerk he was...things like "what do you suppose makes someone so self righteous that they think they can just demand their own space in a public place? On a busy Saturday no less?" Evidently they went into all kinds of psycho analysis types of scenarios the entire 10-12 minutes that we waited for Jill to get her water. Sitting right next to the guy and his wife. I’m sure he was so self absorbed that he didn’t even notice they were talking about him.

After that we decided to ride Mr. Toad. I mean where else in Disney can you go to Hell!



And then we went on the newly revamped Snow White ride.











My pictures didn’t come out, but they stole some scenes directly out of the 7DMT at WDW.





They took out the controversial date rape kiss scene at the end. Two more rides crossed off the reopening list!

By this time we were all getting hungry, remember I only ate half a muffin and half a hash brown. But first an obligatory castle shot on our way to get lunch!



Lunch was, of course, the Plaza Inn! Jill nor Leonard had had the opportunity to eat some good fried chicken from such a fine establishment since the reopening. And the last time Fran and I had it was mobile ordered in a take out container, I believe Jenny hadn’t eaten it since the CM previews as well.

Not only were they serving the normal way (don’t have to mobile order), the inside was open for dining. While we like to be safe, we didn’t worry about eating inside at Disney. They have great ventilation and our table wasn’t really close to any other parties. Besides, did I mention it was really hot out that day?

Of course we got the Fried Chicken dinner. Now there is controversy in our group, some say double mashed is the only way to go, but I really like these green beans. They’re obviously not canned and whatever they season them with is quite tasty. Besides after eating like crap the day before it’s good to have a little roughage in your system!



And then even better news, they brought back the Cobb Salad! This salad is mixed to order right in front of you. The ingredients are pre measured and they just drop them in the bowl and toss it right there! They had several other salads since the last time they offered the Cobb Salad, but I suppose that none of them measured up or sold as well as this one. We shared the salad with anyone else at the table who wanted some. Again, it makes you think you’re eating healthy even though it’s got bacon, egg, and blue cheese.



And we couldn’t resist something sweet to finish off our meal. I don’t know why we always order cake here. Most of the time it’s relatively unsatisfying, however, this chocolate cake was delicious! It was super chocolatey, the frosting wasn’t too sweet, it had just the right amount and complimented the cake perfectly. Normally I like my cakes without frosting.



While at lunch we were able to get a BG for Webslingers later that afternoon. Following lunch we made yet another potty stop.

Next we went for the Jungle Cruise, and this ended up being our longest wait of the day. We went in through the exit which is the HA way to go. We get all the time we need to board, and that worked great for Fran as she needed the extra time.



The ride had recently reopened after the controversial rehab to remove all the insensitive cultural references.





They made the people in this scene more diverse.



This is the previous incarnation:







Instead of Trader Sam running the show, now it’s the Monkeys.


Getting out of the boat was tougher, and they had a godsend! If you have someone who has with trouble with steps, there are blocks that they can put on the steps to make them only half the step distance. This was perfect for Fran so I didn't have to shove her butt up the steps!

[Continued in Next Post]

 

[franandaj]

[Continued from Previous Post]

Next up we went to Pirates and that's another one where the HA boarding is via the exit. We usually have to wait for a few boats to go before we get to board.















This is probably the best shot I’ve gotten of this guy.












This is about my best picture of the kitties here, it’s so dark, it’s almost always blurry, but this is one of my favorite parts of the ride.









After that we rode the Haunted Mansion, but I didn't get any pictures. Jenny and Leonard wanted to ride Splash Mountain. The rest of us did not fancy walking around in wet clothes for the rest of the day, so we grabbed some popcorn and went to the end of BTMRR to wait for them. It took a while for them to ride and while we were waiting Jill, Fran and I decided that we would ride BTMRR, hit our Webslingers Boarding Group, TSMM (since we didn't get to ride it the day before), and then go get a drink at Carthay.

No pictures from BTMRR, but as we left the park, we spied this float coming up Main Street. It traveled to an instrumental version of "Let it Go" while the sisters waved to the "sort of crowds".



And again on Main Street at the Firestation, we stopped yet again for potty. Jenny sat on one of the concrete benches while she waited and thought it was so funny that she left a wet spot outlining where her jeans had touched the seat. The rest us gave her a SMH look confirming our wise choice not to ride Splash.

We hopped over to DCA as our Webslingers BG was open. This was my best score to date! Previously I had scored between 134,000 - 185,000. Interestingly enough, before this, my second best score was the first time that I rode! This day I got the 222,000!



We had one last ride. Most of us were pretty well done. We had been on a ton of rides (at least for us) and we wanted to stay up for the fireworks. So we headed towards TSMM. This time I was concentrating on trying to unlock the secrets and not focusing on large targets. Usually I do a mix of both.

In a previous post it was noted that I'm on the left, Player 1. As you can see I scored the lowest of the two of us.




As soon as the scores came out Fran exclaimed loudly, "I beat Alison!" She kept saying it over and over again.

We still had not received the text that our room was ready so we went to Carthay for a drink.



Just as the server set down the drinks I got the text that our room was ready. We were too tired to rush, but we didn't linger over our drinks either. Our room was on the first floor and it was one of the rooms facing the redwood challenge. No biggie, besides the time we slept this would be the longest period of time we were in the room. We had our bags brought up and I got Fran and I situated for the night.

I know somewhere in there we ate a little something, but mostly we were still pretty full from the chicken dinner we had for lunch. And then we headed back to Disneyland for the fireworks. Look how exhausted I look in this picture!
















Now at this point I was done. All I wanted to do was go back to the room and take a bath in my Jacuzzi tub. But Fran wanted to see if Trader Sam's had any mugs left. The rest of them were game so as we passed the entrance to the Grand, I said "Goodnight" and they all went on to Trader Sam's. I'm not sure who did what but from my understanding some Dole Whips with Rum were ordered and possibly other drinks.

On the way back enough of the party was somewhat inebriated that some sobriety was requested by splitting a Full Montague from Earl of Sandwich. While no pictures of these events seem to exist I have been able to piece together the timeline from verbal accounts. I was definitely asleep by this time.

We checked out of the hotel the following day and all went our separate directions knowing it would only be a month before we saw Jill again.

 

[pkondz]

Why?

Because on many days, that alarm clock is my boss. I'm never a fan of it going off.
Envy anyone who doesn't need to do that and look forward to the day that I don't too.

the house we call the kitty Riviera (long before the resort itself was built)

Now we know where they got the name from.

Well it turned out that they weren’t even taking walk-ins. They had a 12 hour wait and were at full capacity. We could go somewhere else or call back later.

the vet had called Fran. She had a fractured leg.

Oh, no! Poor kitten!

Poor thing.

Brings back memories when our pup broke hers.

Good thing is, now you'd never know she was ever hurt. Hopefully your kitten will be the same.

So you’re thinking, “Great they have a guest room for her!” You would be wrong. Next time I’ll tell you about Clancy.

Oh?

Their sausage can be a little spicy for me, and with my tummy not feeling well the day before I was being very cautious.

Funny. I was thinking "I'd do the sausage & egg..."
But get it if you weren't feeling 100%.

The room was in my name

How cool is that? They named a room after you!

Like this photo of you guys.

That's such a cool photo.

I got to do my favorite, engineer! No pressure at all!

And here's me, lamenting that engineer is the only thing I got to do and hated it.

It seems to me that we made a whole lot of potty stops that day, and that was our next stop at the Galaxy’s Edge potty near the Droid Depot.

These are not the potties you are looking for...

I started putting on sunscreen while we waited, when all of a sudden this jerk says to me and Fran "Hey ladies give my baby some space!" I didn't see any babies, but not wanting to create a situation we moved away to another shady spot.

What the heck???

Jenny and Leonard however, stayed right there and waited the whole time talking about what a jerk he was...things like "what do you suppose makes someone so self righteous that they think they can just demand their own space in a public place? On a busy Saturday no less?" Evidently they went into all kinds of psycho analysis types of scenarios the entire 10-12 minutes that we waited for Jill to get her water.

GOOD!!

Sitting right next to the guy and his wife. I’m sure he was so self absorbed that he didn’t even notice they were talking about him.

I sure hope he heard.

After that we decided to ride Mr. Toad. I mean where else in Disney can you go to Hell!

I know one dude with "babies" that could go...

And then we went on the newly revamped Snow White ride.

I barely remember the ride. I'd have to go again... hmmm.... even then, I don't know if I'd remember what was new vs what I'd forgotten.

My pictures didn’t come out, but they stole some scenes directly out of the 7DMT at WDW.

Really! Huh.

They took out the controversial date rape kiss scene at the end.

Um... The what????

Lunch was, of course, the Plaza Inn! Jill nor Leonard had had the opportunity to eat some good fried chicken from such a fine establishment since the reopening.

mmmm... Plaza chicken...

Of course we got the Fried Chicken dinner. Now there is controversy in our group, some say double mashed is the only way to go, but I really like these green beans. They’re obviously not canned and whatever they season them with is quite tasty. Besides after eating like crap the day before it’s good to have a little roughage in your system!

Totally get this controversy. And I'm not really sure on which side of the fence I stand. On the one hand, mashed (with gravy!) is 1,000% better than beans. But on the other fork, er, hand, I do like a bit of variety on the plate.

And then even better news, they brought back the Cobb Salad! This salad is mixed to order right in front of you.

Whoa! That looks fantastic! I want that!

Normally I like my cakes without frosting.

I'm sorry, you what??

While at lunch we were able to get a BG for Webslingers later that afternoon.

Glad you netted one.

Cute shot of you ladies.

The ride had recently reopened after the controversial rehab to remove all the insensitive cultural references.

We wants the Re... oops. Wrong ride.

Huh. I'd have thought it'd be characters from the movie.

Instead of Trader Sam running the show, now it’s the Monkeys.

Getting out of the boat was tougher, and they had a godsend! If you have someone who has with trouble with steps, there are blocks that they can put on the steps to make them only half the step distance. This was perfect for Fran so I didn't have to shove her butt up the steps!

Glad they had that for her (and you.)

This is probably the best shot I’ve gotten of this guy.

Not bad!

This is about my best picture of the kitties here, it’s so dark, it’s almost always blurry, but this is one of my favorite parts of the ride.

I can see why.

Jenny and Leonard wanted to ride Splash Mountain. The rest of us did not fancy walking around in wet clothes for the rest of the day

I've rarely gotten very wet on Splash. Then again, I usually sit in the last row and I'm sure that makes a difference.

Jenny sat on one of the concrete benches while she waited and thought it was so funny that she left a wet spot outlining where her jeans had touched the seat.

As soon as the scores came out Fran exclaimed loudly, "I beat Alison!" She kept saying it over and over again.

Our room was on the first floor and it was one of the rooms facing the redwood challenge.

The redwood challenge?

Look how exhausted I look in this picture!

You do look a little tired, Alison.

On the way back enough of the party was somewhat inebriated that some sobriety was requested by splitting a Full Montague from Earl of Sandwich.

 

[hhisc16]

As someone that has never visited Disneyland, I enjoy reading the trip report to see the differences between WDW and DLR.

 

[franandaj]

Because on many days, that alarm clock is my boss. I'm never a fan of it going off.

I can see that. You also don't have a regular schedule so you need to be artificially awakened. I usually wake around the same time each day, but I sit around in bed watching the news, and playing on my electronics. Today I caught up on a couple TRs.

Envy anyone who doesn't need to do that and look forward to the day that I don't too

It is nice, but during the height of the pandemic, I wanted a reason to get out of bed and couldn't find one.

Now we know where they got the name from.

Oh, no! Poor kitten!

She's far past kittenhood. She's one of the little old ladies in the herd.

Poor thing.

Brings back memories when our pup broke hers.

Good thing is, now you'd never know she was ever hurt. Hopefully your kitten will be the same.

Hopefully at her age recovery won't be a problem. She doesn't seem to mind being in the cage. She just sleeps.

Oh?

In time....

Funny. I was thinking "I'd do the sausage & egg..."
But get it if you weren't feeling 100%.

Normally I get the sausage and egg McMuffin and then pull the yolk out of the egg.

How cool is that? They named a room after you!

Like this photo of you guys.
That's such a cool photo.

Both can be attributed to Leonard.

And here's me, lamenting that engineer is the only thing I got to do and hated it.

Well come down and we'll ride it multiple times and you can be pilot.

These are not the potties you are looking for...

like that!

What the heck???


GOOD!!

I sure hope he heard.

Would serve him right!

I know one dude with "babies" that could go...

I barely remember the ride. I'd have to go again... hmmm.... even then, I don't know if I'd remember what was new vs what I'd forgotten.

Well it used to be Snow White's scary adventures. So there were parts where she ran through the forest and it had a much darker tone.

Really! Huh.

That whole slow part between the coaster parts is recreated in this ride.

Um... The what????

When it reopened that scene from the end of the movie where the prince kisses her and draws her out of sleep was depicted. People were offended because he was forcing himself on her without her consent.

mmmm... Plaza chicken...

Totally get this controversy. And I'm not really sure on which side of the fence I stand. On the one hand, mashed (with gravy!) is 1,000% better than beans. But on the other fork, er, hand, I do like a bit of variety on the plate.

And those beans are really tasty!

Whoa! That looks fantastic! I want that!

We would have given you some!

I'm sorry, you what??

I know people think I'm crazy, but most of the time it's too sweet for my taste.

Glad you netted one.

Cute shot of you ladies.

Jenny loves when I take selfies with her.

We wants the Re... oops. Wrong ride.

Huh. I'd have thought it'd be characters from the movie.

Since it tanked, I'm not surprised.

Glad they had that for her (and you.

Made it so much easier.

Not bad!

Thanks!

I can see why.

I love that they're hissing and making cranky cat noises.

I've rarely gotten very wet on Splash. Then again, I usually sit in the last row and I'm sure that makes a difference

The last time I rode it, when I sat down my butt got immediately drenched.

The redwood challenge?

It's an attraction where you take your kids to get out their energy and climb stuff and get them exhausted. I've actually never been past the gates.

You do look a little tired, Alison.

I was totally wiped out.

 

[pkondz]

I can see that. You also don't have a regular schedule so you need to be artificially awakened.

Sometimes earlier than I'd like. Like today. When the dogs woke me at 4:30am. Oh, well. Only an hour before the alarm was going to go off anyways.

I usually wake around the same time each day, but I sit around in bed watching the news, and playing on my electronics. Today I caught up on a couple TRs.

That works.

It is nice, but during the height of the pandemic, I wanted a reason to get out of bed and couldn't find one.

Ah. I can see that. I think you were far from alone in that.

She's far past kittenhood. She's one of the little old ladies in the herd.

Oh!
Not sure where I got the idea she was a kitten.
Hmmm... maybe because when Luna broke hers, she was just a puppy?

Hopefully at her age recovery won't be a problem. She doesn't seem to mind being in the cage. She just sleeps.

That's good at least. Silver lining.

Normally I get the sausage and egg McMuffin and then pull the yolk out of the egg.

No yolks for you.
Can you just ask for egg white only?

Well come down and we'll ride it multiple times and you can be pilot.

Deal!

Well it used to be Snow White's scary adventures. So there were parts where she ran through the forest and it had a much darker tone.

Ah. So that's what they took out. More kid friendly.

When it reopened that scene from the end of the movie where the prince kisses her and draws her out of sleep was depicted. People were offended because he was forcing himself on her without her consent.

That annoys me. Like the people who were saying Baby It's Cold Outside was bad.
If you're too stupid to understand something, maybe you should just shut the hell up?

Sorry. Hit a nerve there.

We would have given you some!

I would've taken some!

I know people think I'm crazy, but most of the time it's too sweet for my taste.

You may be crazy, but we still love ya anyways.

Jenny loves when I take selfies with her.

Since it tanked, I'm not surprised.

Did it? I guess I'm not overly surprised.
I, on the other hand, enjoyed it a lot.

I love that they're hissing and making cranky cat noises.

The last time I rode it, when I sat down my butt got immediately drenched.

Look before you leap!... er... sit.

It's an attraction where you take your kids to get out their energy and climb stuff and get them exhausted. I've actually never been past the gates.

Ah. So like a play area.

 

[franandaj]

As someone that has never visited Disneyland, I enjoy reading the trip report to see the differences between WDW and DLR.

I'll have to try and take more pictures of the park itself to show the differences! I just got a new wider angle lens for my big camera, so when I go next week, I think I'll bring it along and see what sort of pictures I can get!

 

[Steppesister]

Hey Alison, finally getting all caught up on everyone's TRs. There is a lot of good stuff and stories in your latest chapter, but rather than multi-quote I simply enjoyed reading. Poor kitty! That doesn't look comfortable at all.

Mmm, Plaza chicken dinner. We can do that again, right?

You did so many rides with the group, no wonder you were so tired by the end of the day! I'd have been too! I am in Orlando next week but will catch up again when I get back. I'm woefully behind in getting my own chapters up on my 2 TRs so will do that too as well as try to settle in here in Kentucky.

 

[franandaj]

Sometimes earlier than I'd like. Like today. When the dogs woke me at 4:30am. Oh, well. Only an hour before the alarm was going to go off anyways.

Yikes! The cats know better than to wake me up!

Ah. I can see that. I think you were far from alone in that.

Except a lot of people still had jobs to go to, even if it was just on their computer in the living room. I had literally no reason to get out of bed. No one would have cared if I spent all day solving puzzles. Well OK the cats would have been mad. Then again some of them like to sit in bed with me. Like the one laying between my calves right now.

Oh!
Not sure where I got the idea she was a kitten.
Hmmm... maybe because when Luna broke hers, she was just a puppy?

This is more like a geriatric fall and broken leg.

No yolks for you.
Can you just ask for egg white only?

Well I'm picky on this. I like runny yolks, like on my eggs bennies. I don't like hard cooked yolks.

Before Covid they had a sandwich called the "Egg White Delight" and you could get the egg on any sandwich and I was all over that one, but since Covid they have removed my two favorite breakfast items. That sandwich and the Fruit and Yogurt Parfait.

Ah. So that's what they took out. More kid friendly.

More happy, less scary.

That annoys me. Like the people who were saying Baby It's Cold Outside was bad.
If you're too stupid to understand something, maybe you should just shut the hell up?

Sorry. Hit a nerve there.

Yeah, I get it. Women have been harassed over the years, but it's ridiculous to rewrite and erase everything because it doesn't meet today's "woke" culture.

Did it? I guess I'm not overly surprised.
I, on the other hand, enjoyed it a lot.

I haven't seen it, but one reviewer said, "Parents will enjoy waiting in the line for the Jungle Cruise ride more than they will enjoy watching this movie."

Ah. So like a play area.

Pretty much. I watched a video of someone showcasing the area. I feel I need to take a look at it myself.

 

[franandaj]

Hey Alison, finally getting all caught up on everyone's TRs.

I hear ya. I think I've only got one more to catch up on.

There is a lot of good stuff and stories in your latest chapter, but rather than multi-quote I simply enjoyed reading.

I get that.

Poor kitty! That doesn't look comfortable at all.

She's only halfway through her cage recovery right now.

Mmm, Plaza chicken dinner. We can do that again, right

You did so many rides with the group, no wonder you were so tired by the end of the day! I'd have been too!

It's exhausting having fun!

I am in Orlando next week but will catch up again when I get back.

I've seen that!

I'm woefully behind in getting my own chapters up on my 2 TRs so will do that too as well as try to settle in here in Kentucky.

I get it!

 

[pkondz]

Yikes! The cats know better than to wake me up!

Wish my dogs did! Except they've been "trained" to get up that early. Pre-pandemic, DW would get up around 4:30 - 5:00 to go to work. Now they expect it.

Except a lot of people still had jobs to go to, even if it was just on their computer in the living room. I had literally no reason to get out of bed. No one would have cared if I spent all day solving puzzles.

I get that.

Well OK the cats would have been mad. Then again some of them like to sit in bed with me. Like the one laying between my calves right now.

Awww... Nothing better than a cat on (or between in this case) your legs.

Well I'm picky on this. I like runny yolks, like on my eggs bennies. I don't like hard cooked yolks.

Ah. Understood.

Yeah, I get it. Women have been harassed over the years, but it's ridiculous to rewrite and erase everything because it doesn't meet today's "woke" culture.

Hear hear.

I haven't seen it, but one reviewer said, "Parents will enjoy waiting in the line for the Jungle Cruise ride more than they will enjoy watching this movie."

I think if you are a Disney fan and enjoy the ride... you'll enjoy all the hidden gems in the movie that the average movie goer would completely miss.

 

[franandaj]

So I told you about Molly and her broken leg last update and I promised to tell you about Clancy next time, and here it is next time! Well Fran tends to be in all kinds of "groups" that have landed us in trouble, and this was no exception. She saw a post that someone had an injured cat whom they brought to the vet and the vet wouldn't treat him because he wasnt their cat. Turns out we both went to the same vet, so when Fran showed up with this cat there was a little bit of confusion and they had to contact the other people before they would agree to treat him, even though he wasn't their cat.

Turns out he wasn't injured. They did find that his tummy was irritated. It appears he had eaten a bird a few days ago cause the bones were still in his belly (saw it on the Xray). But other than the fact he was FIV positive, he was OK. So we figured we'd put in him the spare bedroom get him socialized, and adopt him out to a nice family as a single indoor cat. As expected when we opened the carrier door, he darted under the bed. That was three months ago.

Now it's not that he doesn't come out of there. The food I put out disappears, the litter box is being used regularly. But when he's not eating or pooping he is under the bed at the farthest point from everywhere. Fran has laid in the bed reading her kindle aloud to him so that he gets used to human voices. We've left the TV on, and he is still too scared to come out.

This week we plan to take matters to a more aggressive approach. We are going to buy a second crate (like the one Molly is in), Jenny and Michael will come over and Michael is going to pick up the mattress and boxspring for the bed, and we're gonna play catch the cat. He's gonna live in a crate out in the open until he learns to live with people. If he can't get socialized he'll have to go to a cat farm somewhere like the Cat House on the Kings.

Wish us luck!

It was over two weeks from our last adventure before we would get back to Disney again. Remember back in May we went to Cafe Orleans for a Monte Cristo?

Well that very day I made us another reservation for the first day available (which was mid July). Well that date didn't work out. We were super busy in Mid-July and Fran had me change our Cafe Orleans reservation. The soonest time I could find that didn’t conflict with other things we had scheduled was August 19. Well just one week before that day she wanted to change our Cafe Orleans reservation yet again because Fathom events was having a 35th Anniversary showing of Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home.

I told her that she had to find me another reservation for Cafe Orleans before I would agree to this deal. Figuring it would be another month before we would get there, I taught her how to use the Disney app to make dining reservations. Not only did she get one, but it was three days sooner than the one I got!

So the day of our reservation arrived, and I was up at 7AM trying to get a BG for RotR. I ended up getting Group 23.

For whatever reason the ride didn't open up until around 10:45ish. We were still at home when the BG was called. I guess Fran didn't understand that I actually wanted to ride the ride. So I had to explain to her that we needed to leave sooner rather than later.

When we got to the ride she found a spot in the shade and I parked my scooter and walked on. This was my first time on the ride without someone in a scooter.. This was also my first test of the whole "arriving outside of the Boarding Group time". We were probably an hour late arriving, she chose not to ride, so I went alone. They gave me no problem, and just scanned my code before letting me ride.

I decided to take pictures of weird things that most people don't notice in the queue this time. These things were on the walls high up at the beginning of the ride.



Trust me there is a waterfall in there.



Do you ever pay attention to Disney trash cans? They always are themed to whatever locale you may be in. Can you imagine having that job, trash can designer?


I like their creativity on how they separate these two spaces where the queue wraps around, they just put useless space junk in the doorway blocking your path so you have to walk around the wall.


At this point in the queue I was starting to think about the POV of the Imagineers. I was looking at this duct work on the ceiling and wondered about the back story as to why the Imagineers thought to include this piece of hardware and why they chose this room to run it through. I bet they have a playbook explaining this!



And then there are these yellow things arching over the hallway here. And for that matter the texturing on the walls. Keep in mind it’s not like there were hills or mountains here that the Imagineers had to excavate through to “get” to these passages. This is where the horses used to be boarded and they stored extra floats and stuff. All these things were built for this attraction. I’m wondering what use the Imagineers are having for these to justify their existence.



And then there’s these little odd sort of “remnants” in the walls here. Whether or not they are some sort of ancient remnants of artwork or an odd ancient language, it makes you wonder.


This picture was taken in the same room farther down the bench. What’s with that thing in the bench that looks like an urn or pot? Is this supposed to be on the site of an ancient civilisation?


What happened here? Did the original coat of paint peel off the top part of the wall? I mean someone made a conscious decision for this design. Or did they just run out of the gray paint?



Was this once part of a door and all is left is The giant keyhole? The more I looked at things this way the more questions that I had!



This one was a big question mark for me. Was this once the kitchen and they filled in the ovens? Good thing we are almost at the end of the queue!



For the last of my odd musings in the queue I'll leave you with this device. This last room was full of them. No idea what it is for, but there sure were a lot of them sitting around. I'd love to hear what the imagineers were thinking of when they decided to put these here. Did they create them special or did some tech company clean out it's storeroom and say, "Hey! Disney could maybe use these things in that new Star Wars land they are building!"



After our mission briefing we went to board our transport. I realized that I'm always looking this direction in preparation of boarding the ship.



So today I looked in the opposite direction. I realized that when Rey tells BB8 that he needs to get ready for the mission, he goes and gets ready!



Normally for the first segment of this ride I end up in the back. But since I was walking and riding solo, I made my way right up to the front where they were flying the ship.



Once we were captured I lingered on my way out of the transport ship.



Everyone takes pictures of the stormtroopers lined up here, so I decided to take a picture of the guard giving us some stinkeye as we proceeded to interrogation.



Normally on this ride, they direct my parties to the right which must be where they send guests with disabilities. So for the first time, I was directed to the waiting area which is directly forward of the entrance. So I passed these guys from a different angle.



Once off the ride it was close enough to the time for our reservation (at least once we made our way over there) so we headed directly there.on our way we saw this duck on this barrel in the water. We weren't sure if it was real or an animatronic.



It was gone after our meal so we decided it was real.

Normally Cafe Orleans is an al Fresco kind of dining place and one wants a table near the edge of the restaurant so you can see the water and people watch. However this day was really really hot, like in the 90s or so. I would generally be upset if they tried to seat me inside, but today the table in the AC was a very welcome surprise!





We started off by splitting the gumbo. Always yummy!



And of course we both got the Monte Cristo. I think I like it better served with just two pieces and fries on the side.





While we were seated at our table, but waiting for our check, Fran got a phone call. Remember that super fun plumbing business that I told you about in a previous update? Well this is an example of how as a landlord you're never "not working". While we weren't "on vacation" we still were on call, even if we were relaxing. It was the boss from the plumbing company calling to answer some questions we had regarding the upcoming work.

To begin the job, our first task was to notify the tenants that they would be experiencing periods where their water use would be restricted. We needed to know exactly when the work would start, how long the tenants would not be able to use the water, and how many days the work would take. It was about a 15 minute call and it was nice that we were still sitting in the AC.

After that we picked up some Mickey Beignets at the Mint Julep bar. Last time we dined at Cafe Orleans, mobile ordering was having crazy wait times. Like we would have had to wait two hours after our meal time to get the beignets. I think we ordered before we left Cafe Orleans and it was only about 10 minutes before we pressed the "I'm here prepare my order." It doesn't look like much, but yet another thing finally ticked off the list of stuff I want to do/eat.



It was about this period in time that my TR was focused on a previous attempt at riding Buzz Lightyear. We were discussing how I never got past L-3, so I decided it was going to be my new mission in life to better my score on Buzz Lightyear. I know, I know, some people learn new languages, others take up exercising, but I'm just not that motivated. I feel that this is something I can manage.





So I read up online about how to increase your score.

Unfortunately the article I read was for Florida's version of the ride. So I still got my similar sorry score that I had back in June. Disregard that "L" in front of the score. I caught the thing going back and forth between L-3 and the actual score.



On our way out of the park we ran into this Frozen Cavalcade yet again.





We decided to stop at the Dress Shop on our way out because I spied this Haunted Mansion Dress on the mannequin in the window.



Turns out it fit pretty well so I got it. They weren't allowing people to use the changing room, but I did put it over my clothes and seemed to fit nicely. Then I spied this Jungle Cruise Dress and got that one too.



I have yet to wear either of these dresses, but I hope soon, now that restaurants are open and such.

It’s been a while since I posted my pre-reopening list of things that I want to do and eat, and a lot more things have been checked off that list.


Eat:

Plaza Inn Chicken
Corn Dog/Cheese Dog
Asparagus Skewer
Cafe Orleans
Mickey Macaroon from Jolly Holiday
Mickey beignets from Mint Julep Bar
Funnel Cake
Pickle Corn Dog (taking this one off the list)
Raspberry Swirl Dole Whip
Bacon Mac n Cheese from Cozy Cone
Sweet treats from candy shops
Ghirardelli sundae


Ride:

Haunted Mansion
Pirates
Star Tours
Space Mountain
Guardians of the Galaxy
Soarin
Indiana Jones
Incredicoaster
Little Mermaid
RotR
Falcon
Train
Snow White
TSMM
Mr. Toad
BTMRR
RSR


The only foods left are a funnel cake and a Ghirardelli Sundae, and the only ride left is The Little Mermaid.

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Finally catching up! Sorry it's been a while. Been slammed with all sorts of stuff and haven't been on the boards much.

By the time I was done being adjusted, the vet had called Fran. She had a fractured leg. They didn’t have an orthopedic surgeon in house today, but they bandaged up her leg with a splint and would send her home with a recheck in a week. So here has been her life for the past 2+ weeks.

Poor kitty. Hope she's healing well.

Fran and I had pulled our scooters over into the shade. Other people were in the shade too. It was a hot day. The park was pretty crowded. I started putting on sunscreen while we waited, when all of a sudden this jerk says to me and Fran "Hey ladies give my baby some space!" I didn't see any babies, but not wanting to create a situation we moved away to another shady spot.

Um...what? This guy doesn't make any sense.

I mean where else in Disney can you go to Hell!

I've always been shocked that scene actually exists!

They took out the controversial date rape kiss scene at the end.

Of course we got the Fried Chicken dinner. Now there is controversy in our group, some say double mashed is the only way to go, but I really like these green beans.

I'm gonna go with the double mashed crowd.

Most of the time it’s relatively unsatisfying, however, this chocolate cake was delicious! It was super chocolatey, the frosting wasn’t too sweet, it had just the right amount and complimented the cake perfectly. Normally I like my cakes without frosting.

I'm with you here. I don't like my cakes to be overpowered with icing.

Jenny sat on one of the concrete benches while she waited and thought it was so funny that she left a wet spot outlining where her jeans had touched the seat. The rest us gave her a SMH look confirming our wise choice not to ride Splash.

You made a good call!

This was my best score to date!

As soon as the scores came out Fran exclaimed loudly, "I beat Alison!" She kept saying it over and over again.

So obnoxious!

I mean, I would totally do the same thing, but it's not nice when other people do it.

Now it's not that he doesn't come out of there. The food I put out disappears, the litter box is being used regularly. But when he's not eating or pooping he is under the bed at the farthest point from everywhere. Fran has laid in the bed reading her kindle aloud to him so that he gets used to human voices. We've left the TV on, and he is still too scared to come out.

This week we plan to take matters to a more aggressive approach. We are going to buy a second crate (like the one Molly is in), Jenny and Michael will come over and Michael is going to pick up the mattress and boxspring for the bed, and we're gonna play catch the cat. He's gonna live in a crate out in the open until he learns to live with people. If he can't get socialized he'll have to go to a cat farm somewhere like the Cat House on the Kings.

What a struggle. I never think about the work involved in something like this.

Remember back in May we went to Cafe Orleans for a Monte Cristo?

Trust me there is a waterfall in there.

Uh huh.

Can you imagine having that job, trash can designer?

Graphic Design! It's Sarah's major. Maybe this will be her future career. Hey, can you set up an interview for her while we're out there?

At this point in the queue I was starting to think about the POV of the Imagineers. I was looking at this duct work on the ceiling and wondered about the back story as to why the Imagineers thought to include this piece of hardware and why they chose this room to run it through. I bet they have a playbook explaining this!

I think about stuff like this, too. Like, is there some HVAC stuff that they needed to disguise?

So here, my guess is they would say the rebels needed to tunnel into the cave, and this was a weak spot, so they had to reinforce it by jerry-rigging some scrap parts into place.

This picture was taken in the same room farther down the bench. What’s with that thing in the bench that looks like an urn or pot? Is this supposed to be on the site of an ancient civilisation?

I got nothin' here.

What happened here? Did the original coat of paint peel off the top part of the wall? I mean someone made a conscious decision for this design. Or did they just run out of the gray paint?

Gives the appearance of age. Maybe an old rebel base that the Resistance has re-purposed.

This one was a big question mark for me. Was this once the kitchen and they filled in the ovens?

Showing off their rock collection?

For the last of my odd musings in the queue I'll leave you with this device. This last room was full of them. No idea what it is for, but there sure were a lot of them sitting around. I'd love to hear what the imagineers were thinking of when they decided to put these here. Did they create them special or did some tech company clean out it's storeroom and say, "Hey! Disney could maybe use these things in that new Star Wars land they are building!"

I don't think we're supposed to spend this much time thinking about Leia's microwave oven.

And of course we both got the Monte Cristo. I think I like it better served with just two pieces and fries on the side.

I'll take it any way I can get it!

It doesn't look like much, but yet another thing finally ticked off the list of stuff I want to do/eat.

You made great progress!

I decided it was going to be my new mission in life to better my score on Buzz Lightyear. I know, I know, some people learn new languages, others take up exercising, but I'm just not that motivated. I feel that this is something I can manage.

The only foods left are a funnel cake and a Ghirardelli Sundae, and the only ride left is The Little Mermaid.

Not too shabby at all!