After munching down our complimentary breakfast at the Ramada Inn Maingate and having a super speedy check-out of the hotel, we got to the DLs main gate at 8:00 am (7/11), and after a bit of jostling we were in. It felt soooo good to be back at Disneyland. I bought my gold ears 
, rented a locker, and then we went to get our photo taken by the castle. Our photographer brought us over to the left side for a different vantage point where we didnt get all the people in the background. It ended up great.
It was a wonderful day all around.
The weather was beautiful, we didnt run into any crabby people all day long, and just about every CM we were in contact with was very pleasant. This was truly scheduled as a girls day out: unhurried shopping whenever we wished; not having to worry about any missing children; and going on the rides we wanted. Now theres a concept, huh? Mom had not been to DL in about 10 years, so this was a very special treat for her.
Mom was feeling a bit self-conscious being in a wheelchair due to medical problems, but that apprehension quickly subsided once she realized we got to go to the front of the queues! The CMs were very helpful and made her feel quite comfortable. If any CMs are reading this, THANK-YOU for being so kind and going the extra mile.
We started by all going on Buzz Lightyear! I just made sure not to spin the car for mom. I do like the fact that you can hold the guns in your hands, rather than being mounted.
Then it was on to conquer Fantasyland (via a quick check at Space Mountain to see when it would be open, but DSis & I never made it on the ride oh well). ALL the rides minus the carousel, Casey Jr. & Dumbo, including every store! We were totally enjoying this aspect of our day. After a quick stop in Toontown it was off to the first show of Bill Hill and the Hillbillies. I made sure to buy a Mickey ice cream to devour along the way.
The snack line at the Golden Horseshoe was HUGE. Since all they had was fried foods, while DSis waited in line for cookies, I charged over to the Bengal Barbeque for our lunch snack (fruit cup, a chicken and a beef kabob) and raced back just before the doors closed (a short-cut through the River Belle Terrace worked wonders!), and DSis was still in line for her cookie! The fruit was some of the best I have ever had at a restaurant of any kind nice and fresh, and very tasty and refreshing.
Bill Hill and the Hillbillies was a hoot!
Do they know how to play to an audience. Here's a tip: make sure you see them while in DL. Its not something you will want to miss. I picked up a copy their CD for my dads Christmas present.
Then it was off to Critter Country and the Winnie the Pooh ride, and more shopping! I was tempted to get a Tigger Tail, but those chocolate chip cookies were calling out to us! Its amazing how they can do that
Shopping in New Orleans Square was next. I miss the gourmet store that was once there, but the goodies in the jewelry store were scrumptious. The CM there gave us quite an education on vintage jewelry and precious stones. I never knew that most colored stones are first considered sapphires until they reach a certain depth of color. They had the most beautiful pink sapphire jewelry that I had ever seen. And she let us try on anything we wanted. Definitely drool time. Mom saw an almost exact copy of her wedding ring set there.
We then ventured to Main Street for more shopping and to pick up our portrait. We got to the showing of the new Disney movie in the Opera House just as it was starting, so we didnt have a chance to see the exhibit. We only wished the movie was longer. I wonder (hope!) if they will have a more extended version in the 50th Anniversary DVD.
The Tiki Room was next (moms favorite!), then we hit the Tiki Bar to get Dole Whips. Let me tell you, Im now in love with Dole Whips! Gotta find a recipe! I kept on eyeing the Dole Whip Float as well, but since we were soon to eat at the Blue Bayou, I passed on that particular temptation. Next were the Adventureland and Frontierland shops. We were sooooo disappointed in the Frontierland shops. Gone is the wonderful Pendleton store, which is now the Bonanza Outfitters.
I used to love drooling over the wool yardage, all the clothing and western accessories they carried. Now all they carry is Mickey wear, which you can purchase anywhere in the park. The CM at the register had no clue as to what Pendleton was. What a shame. And the Pioneer Mercantile had nothing western-themed, either. No moccasins, no western clothing for children, no western nothing. Just the typical Disney souvenirs. We went in and then straight out. Just the Westward Ho Trading Company across the street had a small amount of westerned-themed goodies.
We had a 3:20 priority seating at the Blue Bayou, and since we wanted to try for water seating, showed up at 3:10 with our request and were told that the wait would be 20-30 minutes. 10 minutes later, after we had a nice conversation in the lobby with other guests, we were ushered to our waterside table. Mom had the Monte Cristo Sandwich (VERY large she couldnt finish it), DSis the crab cakes (which she reported were fantastic), and I had the jambalaya. I wasnt sure what I was going to have until I walked into the restaurant and smelled that jambalaya that sealed the deal! They refilled our Mint Julep glasses, which was a pleasant surprise. We were too full for dessert. My only complaint was that it was VERY dark in the restaurant dark enough that we could barely see the boats floating by though we did not have a problem seeing the camera flashes and video camera lights of the people on the boats taking photos of the Blue Bayou, though.
We couldve done without being blinded during our meal.
After our meal we rode PotC
, then the Haunted Mansion 
. After a quick stop at a few more stores and at the lockers, we got our seats for the fireworks. After an hour wait, we were not disappointed! We were lucky enough not to have people stand in front of us; although people were standing to the side and behind our spot (we sat to the left of the castle on the street at the main hub). Mom later said that the fireworks were the highlight of her day. They were absolutely amazing. I especially enjoyed seeing Tinkerbell for more than a few seconds.
After an evening visit to the Storybook Land canals (and a few more shops
), we headed back to our car at 11:00 p.m., tired but excited about our very full day. The 1-1/2 hour trip home went very fast as we reminisced about our two days of fun. Now I just got to get those photos developed and into an album!
Thanks to everyone who posted their tips and observations, as well as those who answered my questions before our trip. It all really helped, even to a Disneyland Veteran!
, rented a locker, and then we went to get our photo taken by the castle. Our photographer brought us over to the left side for a different vantage point where we didnt get all the people in the background. It ended up great.It was a wonderful day all around.
The weather was beautiful, we didnt run into any crabby people all day long, and just about every CM we were in contact with was very pleasant. This was truly scheduled as a girls day out: unhurried shopping whenever we wished; not having to worry about any missing children; and going on the rides we wanted. Now theres a concept, huh? Mom had not been to DL in about 10 years, so this was a very special treat for her.Mom was feeling a bit self-conscious being in a wheelchair due to medical problems, but that apprehension quickly subsided once she realized we got to go to the front of the queues! The CMs were very helpful and made her feel quite comfortable. If any CMs are reading this, THANK-YOU for being so kind and going the extra mile.
We started by all going on Buzz Lightyear! I just made sure not to spin the car for mom. I do like the fact that you can hold the guns in your hands, rather than being mounted.
Then it was on to conquer Fantasyland (via a quick check at Space Mountain to see when it would be open, but DSis & I never made it on the ride oh well). ALL the rides minus the carousel, Casey Jr. & Dumbo, including every store! We were totally enjoying this aspect of our day. After a quick stop in Toontown it was off to the first show of Bill Hill and the Hillbillies. I made sure to buy a Mickey ice cream to devour along the way.
The snack line at the Golden Horseshoe was HUGE. Since all they had was fried foods, while DSis waited in line for cookies, I charged over to the Bengal Barbeque for our lunch snack (fruit cup, a chicken and a beef kabob) and raced back just before the doors closed (a short-cut through the River Belle Terrace worked wonders!), and DSis was still in line for her cookie! The fruit was some of the best I have ever had at a restaurant of any kind nice and fresh, and very tasty and refreshing.
Bill Hill and the Hillbillies was a hoot!
Do they know how to play to an audience. Here's a tip: make sure you see them while in DL. Its not something you will want to miss. I picked up a copy their CD for my dads Christmas present.Then it was off to Critter Country and the Winnie the Pooh ride, and more shopping! I was tempted to get a Tigger Tail, but those chocolate chip cookies were calling out to us! Its amazing how they can do that
Shopping in New Orleans Square was next. I miss the gourmet store that was once there, but the goodies in the jewelry store were scrumptious. The CM there gave us quite an education on vintage jewelry and precious stones. I never knew that most colored stones are first considered sapphires until they reach a certain depth of color. They had the most beautiful pink sapphire jewelry that I had ever seen. And she let us try on anything we wanted. Definitely drool time. Mom saw an almost exact copy of her wedding ring set there.
We then ventured to Main Street for more shopping and to pick up our portrait. We got to the showing of the new Disney movie in the Opera House just as it was starting, so we didnt have a chance to see the exhibit. We only wished the movie was longer. I wonder (hope!) if they will have a more extended version in the 50th Anniversary DVD.
The Tiki Room was next (moms favorite!), then we hit the Tiki Bar to get Dole Whips. Let me tell you, Im now in love with Dole Whips! Gotta find a recipe! I kept on eyeing the Dole Whip Float as well, but since we were soon to eat at the Blue Bayou, I passed on that particular temptation. Next were the Adventureland and Frontierland shops. We were sooooo disappointed in the Frontierland shops. Gone is the wonderful Pendleton store, which is now the Bonanza Outfitters.
I used to love drooling over the wool yardage, all the clothing and western accessories they carried. Now all they carry is Mickey wear, which you can purchase anywhere in the park. The CM at the register had no clue as to what Pendleton was. What a shame. And the Pioneer Mercantile had nothing western-themed, either. No moccasins, no western clothing for children, no western nothing. Just the typical Disney souvenirs. We went in and then straight out. Just the Westward Ho Trading Company across the street had a small amount of westerned-themed goodies.We had a 3:20 priority seating at the Blue Bayou, and since we wanted to try for water seating, showed up at 3:10 with our request and were told that the wait would be 20-30 minutes. 10 minutes later, after we had a nice conversation in the lobby with other guests, we were ushered to our waterside table. Mom had the Monte Cristo Sandwich (VERY large she couldnt finish it), DSis the crab cakes (which she reported were fantastic), and I had the jambalaya. I wasnt sure what I was going to have until I walked into the restaurant and smelled that jambalaya that sealed the deal! They refilled our Mint Julep glasses, which was a pleasant surprise. We were too full for dessert. My only complaint was that it was VERY dark in the restaurant dark enough that we could barely see the boats floating by though we did not have a problem seeing the camera flashes and video camera lights of the people on the boats taking photos of the Blue Bayou, though.
We couldve done without being blinded during our meal.After our meal we rode PotC
, then the Haunted Mansion . After a quick stop at a few more stores and at the lockers, we got our seats for the fireworks. After an hour wait, we were not disappointed! We were lucky enough not to have people stand in front of us; although people were standing to the side and behind our spot (we sat to the left of the castle on the street at the main hub). Mom later said that the fireworks were the highlight of her day. They were absolutely amazing. I especially enjoyed seeing Tinkerbell for more than a few seconds.After an evening visit to the Storybook Land canals (and a few more shops
), we headed back to our car at 11:00 p.m., tired but excited about our very full day. The 1-1/2 hour trip home went very fast as we reminisced about our two days of fun. Now I just got to get those photos developed and into an album!Thanks to everyone who posted their tips and observations, as well as those who answered my questions before our trip. It all really helped, even to a Disneyland Veteran!
