Liberty Square is a bit of a shocker to those of us use to the sanitized version of New Orleans in Disneyworld. Gone is the elaborate grillwork, beads hanging from the trees and non-alcoholic mint juleps with fritters dusted in powdered sugar. In its place is a semi-Colonial plaza that gives me an "Ethan Allen Furniture Store" type of vibe. No real standout food items are available. I had high hopes for the caramel corn, though I don't know what makes it Colonial but was disappointed. What WOULD be Colonial? I don't know, maybe Spoon bread. I know that is not a bit kid pleaser. Hey! Here is an idea! CARAMEL APPLES!!! I LOVE Caramel Apples. I propose as High Mucky Muck Disney Princess Snob that the company starts selling caramel apples in Liberty Square. Now make it so!
Alright, back to the show. We head over to the Haunted Mansion which is no longer an antebellum mansion but a sandstone type thing that I have never seen in Pennsylvania, DC, Virginia, Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey or Connecticut (the "Northern" states I've been to and yes, I know that Virginia is technically "South" but its spitting distance to DC so I'm counting it for architectural purposes and we are talking pre-civil war anyway).
It's cool looking but it doesn't look scary. Not at all. No creeps to be had. Just a big cool building. We enter the lobby after I briefed Catwoman on Florida etiquette. I know I have mentioned before and it bears repeating, that in CA we are more interactive and loud in the rides, especially Mansion. We recite the words along with the Ghost Host and when the hanged man appears we all scream our fool heads off. It's fun. Florida people frown on that. A lot. They try to try you as you exit to your doom buggy and send you their kids therapist bills. I ask them if their kid has ever been on Alien Encounter or to the Castro for Halloween. That usually shuts them up.
We enjoyed our ride, especially comparing the differences in the ride. Catwoman pointed out that this Mansions "Old School Tech" was showing. This ride seems to have some elements that we updated or changed a long time ago. I do like the fact that you walk though the hallway of portraits in
Disneyland and ours are cooler. I mean, mostly all of our stuff is cooler except you do have the swirl Dole Whip and a better people mover and ummmmm, Oh - the Original Swiss Family Tree House which is TONS better than the Tarzan thing we got. Oh, and you have a better Tom Sawyer Island. I think that is about it. Your Splash Mountain might be a bit better as well but that is it.
Well since we are so close to Frontierland, I want to check out Pecos Bills and lay to rest once and for all the fixins bar controversy. At least for this week......
I mosey on into Pecos Bills because in Frontierland you should never walk when you can mosey. It isn't open for business yet but there are a few cast members at the aforementioned fixins bar. I proceed to grill them on the selection. I find out that everything is still there and the same with the lone exception of the cheese sauce. It is available but you have to ask for it at the register and they will give it to you. I suppose pre-melted cheese substance was the largest loss or the item that cost the most or given the percentage of the product that was used and figuring in the amount of cost per serving, the cheese sauce was determined to be.... I will shut up now. I think I am even starting to offend myself. Everything is still there, ask for cheese. That is all anyone needs to know.
After this fun adventure, we head over to Thunder Mountain. Catwoman wont ride the one in Disneyland because it is the Rootinist, Tootinst, Wildest Ride In The West (that kilt a feller). However since this ride has no fatalities to its name, she will ride this one. I didn't point out that the one in Disneyland was fatality free as well until that one guy. No need begging trouble. So glad Paul Pressler is gone but that is another Disney Politico rant for another day.
The ride was fun but ours is better even with the poor departed feller. I miss the goat and the skunks and the earthquake with the rocks falling and ours is faster and has more stuff. Yeah, that's it, more stuff.
By this time I am debating a run over to Tom Sawyer Island but we really need to store some of our gear. Honestly, Catwoman needs to store gear because when you bring climbing equipment and an evening dress for charity balls with Billionaire Playboys, they take up room in your bag and are a pain to carry around.
We head back to Main Street in search of lockers. I am sure they have them but I can't recall ever using them. Unlike the ones in Disneyland that we use all the time. We finally find them on the outside of the train station, on the left side and tucked behind a souvenir stand. You need to pay a cast member $9 in advance ($2 of that is a refundable deposit) and need to stand in line behind the people needing batteries, autograph books and a last minute gigantic swirly sucker.
Next:My Nemesis the Squirell, the Horror of the Jungle Cruise, Dole Whip Surprise, What is that guy DOING?!
Hope I'm right or I'm going to feel like a complete donkey!! 
