High Season DL Adventures--Aug 09 TR--Complete!

[Hawleys]

After riding Space Mountain, we headed over to Star Tours which was a walk on. Fun ride but starting to seem a bit dated. I hope all the rumors about an updated film are true. Just for comparison, over the course of our 4 day trip, we went on Space Mountain six times. We only went on Star Tours once and B never requested another ride.

After Star Tours, we hurried B through the giftshop and booked it over to Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. BTMRR was B's favorite ride and our most ridden ride by the end of the trip with a grand total of seven rides.

After BTMRR, B was hungry so he and DW headed to New Orleans square for grub and I hustled over to Splash Mountain for fastpasses. I met up with the crew at Pieces of Eight. B told me that he and DW had "shared" a churro (breakfast of champions). Since B had really eaten the whole churro, we went and got two more to "share". One for me and one for DW.

Then on to the Haunted Mansion where we all sat in one Doom Buggy. I love the graveyard scene where the busts are singing. Does anyone know if the music was composed just for the attraction?

Post HM, B wanted to shop more so DW convinced him that we should check out the Pooh Corner. We bought a poncho for B to wear when we rode on Splash Mountain so that his road rash from the scooter accident would not get wet. B and DW shopped some more and I went to get another set of Splash fastpasses. I was denied by the FP machine and had to wait a few minutes until we were eligible. Back to Pooh Corner to find B and DW and take them to ride Pooh with me. I find this ride to just be so adorable, especially the part where Pooh dreams about the Heffalumps (sp?). B and DW were meh about the ride but B enjoyed posing with the honeypots.

Energy was starting to flag a bit by this time so we made our way to Pirates which is a nice long, sitting down and resting ride. We scored front of the boat seats for an awesome view and stuffed B in his poncho just in case. I'm sure the people behind us were not so happy with our last minute decision to put on the poncho. B has a giant head and we have no kids which meant there were arms in the head hole and a head the in arm holes and a kid complaining that we were suffocating him. While floating through the bayou, we pointed out the Blue Bayou dining room to B and told him that's where we were going to lunch.

Feeling refreshed after our pirate adventures, we caught a raft to Tom Sawyers Pirate Island for some scrambling around. I had never been before and we had a great time exploring all the caves. I had forgotten what I read on the Dis about the effects of touching things in Dead Man's Grotto (Bumbershoot warned me!) and we all got scared. We spent a good 45 minutes or more wandering around and losing each other in the caves and finding each other in the caves and sneaking up behind each other in the caves. Good times for all.

The Bone Cage

Pirate Treasure

Did you know that there is a map to the whole island in the treehouse? B had us take a picture with the iPhone and then we went to every place that was listed.

By this time, it was getting close to our 11:30am PS at the Blue Bayou. While we were waiting at the dock for the rafts, the Davy Crocket canoes went by. I pointed them out to DW as they had been recommended as a fun activity. She told me I was crazy and that there was NO WAY she was working while on vacation.

We made it to the restaurant around 11:20am and we were seated almost immediately at a waterside table. Score!

Next up: Blue Bayou review for DesertDwellers

 

[QueenDoOver]

Great report. Love all the details. It looks like a fabulous trip.

 

[Hawleys]

Great report. Love all the details. It looks like a fabulous trip.

Hey QueenDoOver! So glad you are reading along. I'll try to keep the details coming.

 

[Desert Dwellers]

Having so much fun reading your trip report. I agree with your wife - the canoes hold no interest for me. It's funny, BTMRR was probably our most frequented ride.

B looks like he was having a great time. What terrific memories you all made.

Looking forward to the Blue Bayou review. Thanks for looking out for me.

 

[Hawleys]

Overall, our experience at the Blue Bayou was very positive. As many, many, many people have said, you can't beat the ambience. And for the record, we received excellent service. Polite, attentive (refilled drinks without asking), etc. The cost was exorbitant for the quality and presentation of the food. Was it worth it? Totally! Would we do it again? Maybe for dessert only but not for a whole meal.

The good stuff: We checked in at 11:20am for an 11:30am PS. I asked if we would have to wait for a waterside table and the hostess told us she would check and get back to us. We had barely gotten settled on a cushy bench and our name was called. We were seated at a waterside table. Sweet! The table was directly to the right of the server's station as you faced the water. In another nod to the good service, it was not a problem at all to be next to the server's station.

More good stuff: We were hungry and thirsty! Our drink order was taken right away and drinks and bread appeared in short order. We took turns going to the bathroom to wash our hands. The bathrooms were clean. I'm going to quote my DW here as she describes the bathrooms "They were clean and like, more accented than a regular bathroom."

Even more good stuff: The salad course was delicious. It was a chopped salad with greens, red peppers, cherry tomatoes (the pear shaped ones), cheese, sausage, thinly sliced onions and vinagrette. There was probably more stuff in the salad that I don't remember. Dressing was a bit heave so maybe request on the side. B's kid's meal came with crudite and dip. He ate the carrots but not the celery and declined an offer to share my salad.

The mediocre stuff: Our main courses were mediocre across the board. I had the crab cakes and they just didn't wow me. They didn't quite taste fresh enough; too much filling to really taste the crab. DW had the Monte Cristo and she enjoyed it but to quote her again "I realized I liked the concept of the Monte Cristo more than the actual Monte Cristo. It was a lot of fried on a lot of grease. You CAN have too much of a good thing". I also tried the Monte Cristo and it was yummy but very heavy with too much breading for my taste. Both Stephanie and I thought the potatoes that came as a side dish were delicious. I've never had potatoes prepared in quite this way. They were sort of scalloped but drier than I would expect for scalloped. But not dry in a dried out way, just not with sauce. But they had some kind of cheese that was so tasty. Anyway, B ordered the salmon and I think he has been spoiled by the salmon that his grandmother cooks for him in Seattle. After a couple bites he told us that salmon shouldn't be crunchy.

The fun stuff: Both B and I got a kick out of waving to people in the boats as they came by. We also saw some cast members walking about inside the bayou. Maybe repairing something? I love the lanterns that are strung up over the dining area. Where can I get these for my backyard?

The stuffed stuff: I had been hoping to try dessert but we were all too full to even think about it.

Next up: Battling the effects of insomnia...and losing

 

[cap'njack.]

A great TR! Looking forward to your further installments.

 

[Desert Dwellers]

(I tried posting from my iPod, but DIS booted me out when I hit submit reply. I'll try again.)

Sigh, I'm wanting very badly to go back to DL during our Fall or Winter break, but it's just not feasible. Reading your trip report only increases my DL jonesing. So I'll occupy myself until next summer making my "absolutely, must-do, no excuses" list. My son already had Blue Bayou on his list, now I'm certain next trip I will be sitting waterside. I don't even care about the food, I just want to wave at the boats.

Too bad about the insomnia. I can never sleep well in hotels, either. It's getting better now that the kids are older. When they were little, every time they stirred, I'd bolt awake, worried they would fall out of the big hotel bed. (It's happened.) My daughter also grinds her teeth. I can't hear her at home, but in the same room? Yikes.

 

[Hawleys]

(I tried posting from my iPod, but DIS booted me out when I hit submit reply. I'll try again.)

Sigh, I'm wanting very badly to go back to DL during our Fall or Winter break, but it's just not feasible. Reading your trip report only increases my DL jonesing. So I'll occupy myself until next summer making my "absolutely, must-do, no excuses" list. My son already had Blue Bayou on his list, now I'm certain next trip I will be sitting waterside. I don't even care about the food, I just want to wave at the boats.

Too bad about the insomnia. I can never sleep well in hotels, either. It's getting better now that the kids are older. When they were little, every time they stirred, I'd bolt awake, worried they would fall out of the big hotel bed. (It's happened.) My daughter also grinds her teeth. I can't hear her at home, but in the same room? Yikes.

The food wasn't bad, it was just really expensive. But it was so cool to actually be IN the ride. If I'm in the boats when you are there, I will wave back. You and your son are going to enjoy it.

The insomnia kills me. Part of what makes it frustrating is that I KNOW that I should be sleeping and that I will enjoy my vacation more if I am sleeping. I totally agree with you about having trouble sleeping in hotels. The worst is staying with my Dad. He snores so loudly.

 

[disneynerd420]

I'm really enjoying your TR.

 

[Hawleys]

I'm really enjoying your TR.

Thanks disneynerd420! I wish that I had as many great pictures as you do. Next trip I will be more vigilant with the camera.

I need to get cracking on some new installments. Work has been busy and our tenant is moving out which means we have been spending time showing our rental unit and doing credit checks. Boring but necessary. Updates coming soon!

 

[Hawleys]

We exited the Blue Bayou satisfied and tired. So tired that I felt like I was sleep walking. B wanted to ride Pirates again to see where we had just eaten. Sounded good to us. I jetted over to Indiana Jones to grab a fastpass and we made our way into the Pirates line. The line was a bit longer than the morning but not a bad wait at all. After the first big drop, our whole row was singing "Yo ho Yo ho". Sweet.

Next up was Indiana Jones. Fastpasses got us all the way to the room with the big TV with no wait. Jumped in our troop transport vehicle thingies and prepared to be thrown around. I had read on the Dis that you got jostled less if you kept your body looser instead of trying to brace yourself. This technique worked for me and I enjoyed the ride more. I even noticed some of the details instead of feeling like I was being tossed around in a room full of strobe lights. Oh, and I was on the side of the ride with the giant snake. I actually screamed out loud. DW will tell you that I scream on all the rides. The burning question about IJ is did B like it?

At this point, I was done. Auntie Dictator declared nap time and we trundled off to the hotel. It was hot and we were so tired. B was complaining and walking so slowly. Auntie Dictator might have told him to suck it up and walk faster. It was rough trip.

Once we got back to the hotel, I apologized to B for snapping at him. DW and I laid down to sleep and B watched the Disney Channel. DW was out like a light but I was still too wound up. And who knew the Disney Channel is so darn loud!

After a while, B and DW headed to Downtown Disney to explore the Lego Store. I stayed in the hotel a bit longer to try and pull it together. Here's a few pics. B is a huge Lego fan.

DW and I connected on the cell phone and arranged to meet at the security gates to Downtown Disney. We all went into the park together. First order of business=cotton candy! Am I bribing my nephew because I was snarky earlier? Yes. Does that make me a bad auntie? I hope not. The cotton candy certainly made for a happy nephew.

Second order of business=Autopia FP. Then we trooped over to Space Mountain for the third order of business, using our FP from the morning. The cast member collecting FPs looked at ours and asked where we had been all day. (We had picked up our FP at 8:00am exactly so the return time was 8:40am!). This was the only time that a CM commented about our late FP use. Awesome ride and at the top we all counted down the launch with the soundtrack. This would become our Space Mountain ritual.

Next up: Shoppin' 'til we droppin'

 

[Hawleys]

Sorry for the long delay between posts. I've been on the East Coast for a week visiting my family and generally avoiding the internet, email and my phone for the whole time. It was a nice break but now I'm BACK and ready to post.

===============================================
After Space Mountain we headed over to the gift shop where we shopped and shopped and then shopped some more. B put together his own lightsaber which was a challenge. It's like putting together Ikea but with no (for me) preconception of how the pieces should fit. Thank goodness a CM saw us struggling and walked us through it. B was pumped about the new lightsaber. His auntie, not so much. Here's why...in a bid for authenticity the lightsaber is about 5 ft tall when extended. For the safety of everyone in the park we immediately made a rule that the lightsaber had to be closed while we were walking through the park.

By the time we finished lightsaber construction it was time to use our Autopia FPs. Sweet! B was excited because he is finally tall enough to drive his own car. The line for this ride moved slowly, even with FP, but the lightsaber kept us all entertained.

DW got her own car and I hopped in with B. B may have been tall enough for this ride but he still had a hard time reaching the gas pedal and it was difficult to push. I ended up operating the gas for our whole trip. B concentrated on driving us back and forth along the preset track so that we slammed from side to side.

Love this photo that DW took.

We still had two sets of Splash FPs from the morning so we decided to take the train to New Orleans Square. The train was just arriving as we exited Autopia so we hustled over to catch it. Turns out there were mechanical difficulties and we ended up waiting about ten minutes before leaving the station. No problem waiting though...we had a lightsaber to keep us entertained.

Hey, a Jedi uses the force for defense, never for attack!

At this point, I lose the thread of my narrative. I can tell you which rides we went on but I have only a vague idea of the order. Here's my best guess about what we did.

Enjoyed a relaxing train ride to New Orleans Square.
Headed to Indiana Jones for a fastpass.
Rode the Jungle Cruise--B loved the jokes!
Used one set of our Slash Mountain fastpasses.

A little detail about Splash Mountain. This ride is DW's absolute favorite and unfortunately, B was reluctant to ride because of his scooter injury. He was really anxious about getting it wet and as a sensitive kid, he was kind of embarrassed to be wearing a poncho. Fortunately, there were several other people in line wearing ponchos and we ended up in a boat with some a guy who not only wore a poncho but tied a plastic shopping bag around his head! See pictorial evidence below.

Can you find B in the picture? Probably not. He is in front of the guy with the shopping bag but hunched over and hidden because he was terrified of getting wet. We decided not to use our second set of fastpasses so we sauntered off toward Indiana Jones. Before getting on IJ, we give away our second set of fastpasses for Splash. DW is sad but hopefully the guys we gave them to enjoyed it.

Indiana Jones is awesome yet again although B and I are bummed to discover that even though we go through a different door in the temple, the track of the ride is the same. We have some fun trying on Indy gear in, you guessed it, the gift shop!

B desperately wanted to buy a real Indiana Jones whip ($45!). We told him he had to call and ask his Mom before buying any weapons. Needless to say, he opted not to make the call.

DW and B take off for the Mad Hatter to shop for ears and I head over to BTMRR to grab one more set of fastpasses. Ears are selected and the CM checking us out upgrades to the fancy ($7) lettering for free because the color and print on B's ears makes it hard to read the regular writing. Once again, fantastic customer service from DL.


Blue steel with ears.

At this point we are pretty much dead on our feet. B requests a ride on the Storybook Land Canal Boats which was something he wanted to do during Magic Morning but we nixed as taking too much time. Sitting down for a gentle boat ride sounded so perfect at that time so we hopped in line. The boats are big and the line moved quickly. To top it off, there was a big group in front of us that all wanted to travel together so the CM pulled us in front of about 20 people for the last three seats in an otherwise full boat. I didn't expect to enjoy this ride that much but it was kind of cute. I liked listening to the music from Aladdin.

We trudge around the back side of Frontierland for a ride on BTMRR. While we are on the train, the fireworks from Fantasmic go off. Cool!! After BTMRR, we all agree that it is time to get out of the parks and get some food. B is starving having eaten some cotton candy around 4:30pm and nothing else since lunch. DW volunteers to stop at McDonalds while B and I head back to the hotel. We watch the fireworks from our balcony until DW arrives with dinner. Then we watch the fireworks from our balcony while eating hamburgers.

We crawl into bed, exhausted, and even I manage to get some sleep tonight. It was an incredible day!

Next up: A vist from Cunkle Robert

 

[Hawleys]

Monday morning found us getting up early again but not quite as early as the day before. After 7 hours of sleep I felt amazing! B however, was having a grumpy morning. DW had loaded the iPod up with some of his favorite music and rigged it to play through some travel speakers as his wake up call. Apparently, Green Day's 'American Idiot' is not that fun to wake up to, even if it is your favorite.

I left DW to deal with getting B ready and headed off to secure a place in line at Disneyland. I was about 1 hour and 15 minutes later than the day before and there were way more people in line since it was not a Magic Morning. I ended up second in line. Before DW and B joined me, my cell phone rang. It was Cuncle Robert who had driven from LA to join us for the day! Cuncle Robert is DW's cousin which makes him B's first cousin once removed. This was way too complicated for B so we tried to explain that Robert was like his cousin and uncle combined...his cuncle! Here's a pic--you can tell they're related because they dress alike!

The gates opened around 7:45am and DW and B were still en route. Since I had their park tickets, Cuncle Robert headed off to secure a spot at the rope. There was some debate via cellphone about what to do first. We considered making a dash for Nemo but Cuncle Robert was not interested at all. Since he only had one day at DLR, we decided to head to Space. Once DW and B arrived we entered the park and used a trick I had read about on the Dis to make our way toward the rope. We snuck into the shops on the right hand side of Main Street and threaded our way toward the rope. We arrived right by the corn dog stand just as the rope dropped and this turned out to be a great place to make the dash for Space Mountain. We grabbed fastpasses and then rode. Cuncle Robert introduced us to the art of waiting for a particular seat on Space Mountain. I have to agree with him that the experience is better from the very front row.

After Space, we were sort of undecided about what to do next (this would be a theme for the day as I had purposefully not made an itinerary because Cuncle Robert would be with us and I didn't want to boss him around on his only day at the park. Besides, I didn't know ahead of time what rides he liked/disliked). After some discussion, we made our way to B's favorite--Big Thunder Mountain Railroad! There was a bit of a line but not too long. This ride rocks. Cuncle Robert had us wait for the end car this time and I have to agree with him again that the ride is faster in the very back.

After BTMRR, it was time for more fastpasses. Cuncle Robert let us know IJ is one of his favorites so we trundled over to Adventureland. Then off for a satisfying ride on Pirates. This ride never gets old. Next, since we were in the area, we made our way to the Haunted Mansion. Since Cuncle Robert was with us, DW and I got to ride in our own Doom Buggy. Cuncle Robert said we were the scariest part of the ride.

 

[Hawleys]

With all the grumpiness of waking up, we hadn't had much in way of breakfast. By the time we exited the Haunted Mansion we were hungry, hungry hippos. On my only previous trip to Disneyland, we had giant cinnamon rolls at the Blue Ribbon Bakery and I was hankering for another one. As an added bonus, cinnamon rolls are included on DW's medical diet so this was a treat everyone could enjoy. DW and I jumped in line and sent B and CR (Cuncle Robert) to the penny arcade. We split two cinnamon rolls between 3 adults and 1 child and there was plenty of food. They are as big as your head.

Next up was Space Mountain, again! We had fastpasses but we noticed that already the lines were longer than they had been on Sunday. Weird. Leaving Space, DW mentioned that she wanted to try her hand at Buzz again. The line was 30 minutes and we got in. Can you believe it? One day without my itinerary and we're waiting in 30 minute lines. Turns out the time in line went super quick because CR has an almost inexhaustible supply of PG jokes. He told B jokes the ENTIRE time we were in line. I was so impressed. B would give CR a topic and he would have a joke. Amazing. The worst part is that I cannot remember even ONE of the jokes he told.

Buzz was fun as always but the ride stopped recording hits about halfway through so none of us given scores.

CR suggested that we head to DCA and grab fastpasses for Soarin' as this is his favorite ride in the whole resort. He also said that he needed some real food and suggested Taste Pilot's Grill. We had some decent food at Taste Pilot's on Saturday so everyone happily agreed to this plan. We obtained fastpasses, got spritzed under the giant mister by the Soarin' entrance and settled down in line at TPG to study the menu. B went for chicken nuggets again, DW ordered for the chicken sandwich and CR and I decided on a hamburger. I saw people leaving the counter with some good looking ribs but they were so messy I didn't order them. Big mistake. The hamburger tasted and smelled like meat from a school cafeteria. It didn't even look like meat. In Disney's defense, this was the only truly horrible meal I had. There were some mediocre things but this was the only item that I wasn't sure I could eat. Blech.

Around here, I lose the thread of my narrative again (next time I will take better notes, I promise!). I know the things we did but I have only a vague idea of the order. So I'll list what we did and give a brief review.

Redwood Creek Challenge Trail: Awesome, awesome, awesome! Great fun to run up and down the big cargo nets and squeeze down the tiny slides. B was the only one small enough to go on the ziplines and he didn't want to go alone so we skipped it. Both B and CR made it across the climbing wall. I couldn't go bc I had open-toed shoes. The best part was the totem cave. DW's totm was a beaver! CR and I totally cracked up.

Toy Story Mania: We waited in line for about 35 minutes and it was totally worth it! This ride is so much fun! Plus, DW always creams me at Buzz and I kicked her butt. Double fun!

Turtle Talk With Crush: Also a ton of fun and air-conditioned and you sit down! B was bummed because he wasn't picked to ask a question. They really only have time for a few kids to ask questions so don't expect your kid to definitely be picked.

Waiting for the show to start

Soarin' Over California: This is CR's favorite ride. He is a struggling movie score composer and I think he knows every note of the soundtrack for this ride. It made me listen to the music more closely and it really enhanced the ride for me. Usually, the music is just background to me.

Once we finished all these attractions, it was late afternoon and getting hot so we headed back to the hotel for siesta. But not without stopping so that B could buy the most ridiculous hat on the planet. In defense of the hat, it made it very hard for B to get lost...just look for the small kid with the GIANT hat.

Time lapse hat photography

I'll leave you with a pic we took on the walk back to the hotel--the mousehawk!

And one more thing...delurk and come on in...I like company.

 

[cali_crafter]

I'll de-lurk, I am loving your trip report, you are the best aunts!

 

[prncesaurora21]

*delurks*

i am enjoying your trip! makes me wish mine was coming up sooner! B is a lucky guy to have aunties like you both!

 

[Hawleys]

I'll de-lurk, I am loving your trip report, you are the best aunts!

Thanks for letting me know you're out there cali_crafter! It's more fun to write for readers.

*delurks*

i am enjoying your trip! makes me wish mine was coming up sooner! B is a lucky guy to have aunties like you both!

I am enjoying my trip again by writing about it. Seriously, I get a big grin every time I work on this TR. prncesaurora21, I see you have a kitty. We have a kitty, too, Miss Dion. I will post a picture of her even though she can never go to Disneyland.

 

[firefox2]

Great TR, it sounds like loads of fun. Loving the pictures too.

 

[Hawleys]

Great TR, it sounds like loads of fun. Loving the pictures too.

Thanks firefox2! Props go to DW who took almost all of the pictures. Another update coming soon.

 

[Hawleys]

Ok, I'm going to do a really bad thing and interrupt my TR with some news about my upcoming trip (we leave Friday!). I know I should finish my TR first but we finally decided what we are going to wear to the ToT party and I just had to share. Drumroll....

We are going as a bee (me) and a beekeeper (DW). I wanted to be Siegfried and Roy because it seemed so easy. Just wear white tiger stripped t-shirts and carry a stuffed tiger. DW nixed this idea. Then she saw this incredible bee keeper costume in a Martha Stewart magazine and she was hooked.

I found a child size bee costume at CVS that works for me. It's supposed to be short tank dress with bee colored stripes and then a ruffly skirt. It fits me perfectly as a cute bee top. Headband with antennae attacked is included. Add some black yoga pants and my costume is complete.

Just to rant for a minute though, who designed a Halloween costume that is a tank top?! I grew up in New England and part of choosing a Halloween costume was picking out something warm because if you were going out to trick or treat at night you would need layers.

We went to Home Depot tonight and DW bought a plain white coverall suit (the kind some people wear while painting) to serve as her bee suit. We found some really cute bee doo dads at JoAnns fabric store to attach to the suit. A friend is going to lend us her hat with mosquito netting and viola! Bee suit complete. Now we just need a cute honey bucket for DW to collect her candy.

Now back to our regularly scheduled TR. Peace.