rgoble5972
Are we there yet?
- Joined
- Feb 4, 2001
- Messages
- 276
CAST
Robin 42 Trip Report Writer, Hostess, Bringer of Butterfingers
Larry - 46 - Trip Report god, Weary Traveler, Stayer in Parks After Hours
Tuesday October 18, 2005
Pretty good, show us your balls!
The first full day at Disney can only mean one thingup early and hit the ground running! We went to the concierge lounge at 7:45 for breakfast then went downstairs and walked through Downtown Disney to be at the Magic Kingdom at 8:30 for early entry.
Hey there folks, good morning to you all, thanks to a Generous Grant from the Robin Foundation, we were staying conchy level, and the great news is, Free/Included breakfasts, and you know what the breakfasts are quite nice, much nicer than the breakfasts at the Holiday Inn Express, and I quite like them too.. They do the usual continental breakfast style, but they have nice touches like interesting fruit plates, so its easy to have a nice but health breakfast. If they did Fry Ups, I wouldnt be able to resist them, so Im rather glad they dont. -LWW
The first order of the day was to ride the Matterhorn Bobsleds but, no cars running on the track and a CM stationed outside the ride telling guests that the ride was down forced us to change our plans. We headed to Space Mountain next, but it was down as well. Okay, another small change of plans.
Yes, I think that we instigated, the We want to go on a Roller Coaster, but they arent going to let us Plan B.- (You know, I really dont know what it is about Plan Bs but I never like them!!) -LWW
We walked through Fantasyland (which was very crowded this morning) Yes they were all walking around the park as they couldnt get on any flipping rides, as they were all shut. Not that Im bitter or anything. L - and over to Adventureland to check on Indiana Jones and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (BTMRR), both of which werent included in early entry. Well, nothing like a nice early morning walk through the park! We went back to Fantasyland, this time going through the castle, and straight on to Its a Small World (IASW). See there, Mr. Wilmot, the ride is good for some things anyway.
Have you considered Robin, that this is some kind of Disney Mind Washing Plot, you know .. You arrive at the park, all ready to go and do some thrill riding on the Roller Coasters, and you have your ticket in your hand, to snap up those early fastpasses. The next news is, all the coasters are shut. Just about the whole place is down, so you are forced to go and Ride IASW .. So what happens then, your thoughts for the day, are obliterated from your mind, completely wiped out as THAT SONG invades your brain, and suddenly, Disney has you .. You have an uncontrollable urge to buy small toys from the Disney Stores Even cokes at $3 sound reasonable .. And worst of all . You actually want to have your photo taken with Lilo and Stitch. LWW.
In doing my job as an objective trip report writer, I feel that its my duty, as disheartening as it might be sometimes, to report all aspects of my trip. So, its with deep sadness that Im forced to tell you that Larry, while we were on IASW (a simple, innocent ride celebrating the youthfulness and hopefulness of children the world over, a pure and wholesome experience for family members of all ages, the last bastion of all that is good and kind in the world), made an obscene gesture. Yes, its true. Let the avalanche of emails begin. He had some flimsy excuse about the gesture not being directed at the innocent and blameless children, but Ill leave the explaining of his heinous actions to him.
OK I have to admit, I may have been slightly rude about the French, and it might have had something to do with us whipping their garlic smelling butts, by beating them to the Olympics which they rather arrogantly assumed they would get. Part of the problem was their rather idiotic President, who, and Im not making this up, said the night before the voting. The English Food is the worst in Europe, well apart from that of Finland. Oh well done Jacque, that got the Scandinavians voting for you in droves . LWW.
Once we were through with IASW (and had entered a settlement for legal fees and therapy for the traumatized children who were on the boat with us!), we decided to go over to California Adventure. The line at the main entrance was already very long and it wasnt quite 9:30 so they werent letting anyone in yet (the park officially opens at 10:00, but they generally open the gates 30 minutes early and usually have Soarin Over California open at that time), so we went back through Downtown Disney and to the Grand Californian entrance, which only had a couple of people waiting (plus, its closer to Soarin).
We were let in the park at 9:30 and we went straight to Soarin Over California. This morning we got to be on the front row and Larry agreed that it helps the experience when you dont have to look at the dangling legs of the people above you. Not only were we in the first row, but we were the first two people in the first row, so we got to be team leaders, (and when I say team leaders I mean the first people in line), as well. Patrick Warburton was very proud! After the ride we got Fast Passes for later (a return time of 10:35 11:35) and then walked to the Tower of Terror, which we rode twice with no waiting. I still dont think its quite as good a ride as the one at WDW, and I miss garden area, but some of the effects are very nice.
Ah the Tower of Terror, now anyone who reads my Trip Reports with any regularity, will know that I prize atmosphere over almost anything at Disney when Im rating rides, and the Tower of Terror at WDW was and remains my favorite attraction not only in the World but in the World as well. So it was with great anticipation that I approached the Hollywood version of the Hollywood Tower Hotel. And sadly looking at the exterior visuals it rather disappoints, first of all. Who ever stayed in a hotel that was the shape of a Hammer Headed Shark??? Whats all those overhangs about??? And secondly as Robin so rightly mentions above, there are no gardens, and its the spooky gardens that set the tone for the whole ride, your senses tighten as you approach the door to the hotel through the winding dilapidated pathway, with its almost maze like quality. The doorway is shielded by a disused water feature and two right angle turns, you dont quite know what to expect, long before you face the actual drop you are on edge. In California, you walk in through the front door. It just isnt the same psychologically.
Inside things start to rapidly improve, the lobby of the hotel is similar, perhaps slightly fresher, not that freshness is that helpful in context. And sadly little touches are missing, but its still very good. The library is very similar and the Rod Sterling film much the same. However, one good thing is the newness of the ride, I found the cast members to be really into the role, I think, they have gotten a little tired in WDW, so it was nice to have such enthusiastic bell hops. I found myself harking back to five or six years ago at WDW when, there was the great spooky bell hop who looked just like John Cleese.
The boiler room is where you start to notice the changes. There are two loading areas, upstairs and downstairs, and there are three shafts, so that capacity is probably fifty percent greater than in Florida, no bad thing at all. The internal ride layout is different, you go almost immediately into the shaft, and you dont have the shaft to shaft movement that you get in Orlando. Also there are one or two nice touches in the experiences, for example I liked the mirror shattering scene better in LA than in the Original. They also dont seem to have the different drop patterns that you get on the other coast.
All in all its a great ride, and anyone who hasnt ridden the first version, is going to have a fantastic time, for those who have you will find it interesting, but is it better than its older brother, sadly no. LWW.
I have to mention at this point that we quickly became very familiar with the location of the majority of the restrooms in the Disney parks. A couple of years ago during a visit to the doctor, Larry found out that he was borderline diabetic and the doctor recommended cutting sugar out of his diet in the hopes of lowering Larrys blood sugar levels. This approach had worked fairly well for the past two years.
We didnt put two and two together at the time but his borderline diabetes had become full-fledged diabetes and so Larry was drinking water at a much higher rate than normal (drinking like a fish, I believe the expression goes!) and, subsequently, having to make use of the facilities far more frequently than usual. We thought maybe he just had some kind of urinary tract infection at the time but a visit to the doctor once he was back home confirmed that he was, indeed, diabetic. Luckily, medication and a few changes in his diet seem to be controlling things now.
(I like to think of it as a promotion, I was finding that some people didnt think that I was a proper diabetic I mean what kind of diagnosis is glucose intolerant, and Im sure one or two folk were looking down at me, and now that Ive been upgraded to the real thing, you know, I can hold my head with pride in the knowledge that Im tackling this slight disability with the respect that it deserves and I can live my life once again fully in polite society. LWW.)
So, all of this too much information is just so I can tell you about one of Larrys more endearing qualities--he doesnt like to use the hand dryers in the restrooms, and he absolutely wont use one of those towel dispensers that just re-circulates the same old wet germy cloth towel over and over again. I quickly learned to spot him as I waited outside the restrooms for him because he was the man that always came out shaking his hands dry by his sides! At least I can take comfort in the knowledge that he really does wash his hands every time he goes to the restroom.
On our way back up the Hollywood Backlot area, we stopped in the Disney Animation building so I could show Larry their cinema set up and so we could go through the Sorcerers Workshop and see what Disney character Larry would be.
In Beasts library, they have a little quiz you can take to find out which Disney character youre most like. Theres one pivotal question that they ask that determines whether youre a good character or a villain. When Larry took the test the first time, answering each question truthfully, his character was Jiminy Cricketalways honest and letting his conscience be his guide (though I bet he never flipped off a boat load of children in Its a Small World!). When he took the test again, but answered the good/evil question where it would assign him a villain, he was Shere Khan from Jungle Book.
Next, we went to Ursulas, where we did a little voice work, both singing (Hakuna Matata) and acting (a scene from Beauty and the Beast and, yes, Larry was nice and let me be the voice of Belle while he assumed the role of the Beast). Let me just say that we should probably both keep our day jobs and not pursue careers in the entertainment business. Unless, of course, we decide to become comedians, as our efforts were highly amusing.
Id probably better confirm that neither of us is going to win American Idol without significant investment in singing lessons, but I have considered being a comedian before, I had a boss in Elgin who will remain nameless, Sally Chisholm, and once after a meeting I said to her, Sally Im going to quit Social Work, and become a stand up comedian, and she said. Oh Larry, do you think, anyone will notice the difference? - L.
It was time for our Fast Passes for Soarin, so we went there next and got another nice ride in the first row. (The back row is for wimps L)
It was getting nearer to lunch time by now and we were both getting a little bit hungry so we decided to go over to the Pacific Wharf area and see if we could take the Mission Tortilla Factory tour, thereby acquiring a tortilla or two to tide us over till tea time (hows that for some fancy alliteration?!) Our efforts were squelched however, because they werent doing the tour. Larry was very disappointed since he was determined to show me that he can be just as Texan as I am and can eat tortillas with the best of them. (Hey Im keen on Tex/Mex Food, after all, its the only nosh in the world, when if the waiter brings you the wrong order, all you have to do is fold it differently and POOF there you go, what you asked for in the first place. L)
We continued on to the Paradise Pier area where we saw that California Screamin was up and running. It had been closed due to an accident earlier this summer. There had been rumors of the ride opening back up soon because Disney had been testing the ride for several weeks, using big water bottles in the seats to simulate the weight of actual guests, so we were glad to see it was open. (Hey Robin, I think you have misunderstood this procedure, its a new fangled machine that the Coke Company uses to turn Mineral Water into Sparkling Water. Put in a bit of CO2 and mix it up on Screaming.-L) The standby line was just 10 minutes so we got in line thinking that it was probably good fortune that we hadnt had that tortilla yet!
After our roller coaster ride, we went to the Sun Wheel where we queued up to get the slippy cars (yes, I think thats actually their technical name!), and then took a quick ride on Mulholland Madness (the mousetrap-style coaster), which was a first for me. While we were waiting in line for Mulholland Madness we watched a lively older woman (she had to be in her 70s) get on the ride. When her car came back to the unloading area, she had quite a bit of trouble getting out of the low seat and a CM had to help her, but good for her for being so dauntless and willing to try the rides.
I really like the Paradise Pier area of DCA, Im not sure why. Its probably the least Walt part of the whole show, but its kinda fun in a visit the seaside nostalgic kinda way, non of the rides are terribly exciting or innovative (with the possible exception of the slippy cars), but the whole thing adds up to a nice time. L.
It was definitely lunch time by now so we went back to the Pacific Wharf Café where I had the chicken and apple salad with a diet coke and Larry had a turkey sandwich and a coffee. We got a 10% discount for my annual pass and had a nice lunch feeding the birds bits of bread from the bread bowl that my salad was served in. While we ate we decided on our next plan of action which was to pick up Fast Passes for Soarin in case we wanted to ride it again a bit later in the afternoon, and then to ride Grizzly River Run (GRR), get soaked, and go back to the hotel to rest and change into dry clothes.
The events transpired pretty much as planned. I assured Larry that he wouldnt be too uncomfortable on GRR because Im always the designated really wet person. Actually, I think we were both equally wet, but it wasnt too bad of a soaking. We went back to the hotel and stopped in the lounge for a coke and some water and then went to dry off a bit. I spent some time updating my trip report notes and Larry took a little nap-ette. He did mention again that hes certain that Tinkerbelle is a bloke.
The Bear Run thingy is cool, its just like the Kali River Rapids at AK, except for the message bit, and the length this is much more like it, but the best thing is, its next to my hotel, so who cares if I get soaked. Good Planning Walt old Chap- Good Planning. - LWW
After we were all updated and rested, we decided to attempt a ride on the Matterhorn again. We walked west through Downtown Disney to the Monorail station so we could take a ride into Tomorrowland. The queue for the Matterhorn wasnt bad at all so we rode that and then got Fast Passes for Space Mountain.
I was looking forward to the Matterhorn, for two reasons, firstly because its one significant difference with the Magic Kingdom, and it was great having a new coaster to do, and secondly because of its place in History, - The first steel roller coaster in the world. And it didnt disappoint, I thought it was a fun little coaster, I liked the yeti thing, and it had a bit of zippiness about it. Its just a shame that we didnt get a second go on it. Ill have to be back for that one. L.
Larry had mentioned wanting to see the Golden Horseshoe Stage Show so we went there next to catch the 4:15 performance. The place was almost full but we managed to get a couple of chairs at a table where another couple was sitting. This was my first time to ever see this show and I was very pleasantly surprised at how funny it was. Larry said that it was different from the shows hes seen at WDW, but he enjoyed it too.
Im so glad that they have kept this at DL. There was one in Florida, and it was one of my very favorite places to go for lunch there. Then a couple of years ago, they dumped it for a kids show with Goofy, and lost a great show. They used to have a singing cowboy, a magician and dancing girls, sadly you dont get that at Disneyland, but you do get a nice group of singing cowboys, who do a fun comedy routine, and its a great place to go and eat and have a break. I recommend it. Next time you are there, put on your Stetson, and cowboy boots, saddle up to a table and say, Hey Larry the Cowboy from the Highlands sent me. L.
Since we were close by and we had a few minutes before our Fast Passes for Space Mountain kicked in, we rode Pirates of the Caribbean (PoTC). As we floated by on the ride, I got to show Larry the Blue Bayou restaurant where we would be having dinner Wednesday. He was glad that he could be on the receiving end of the comment, Dont eat the lobster! on Wednesday as well as being the giving end tonight. Okay, he doesnt really yell that as we go by, but he threatened to. (Yes, its a good job I dont actually drink alcohol, or I might. L)
In July when we rode the Pirates of the Caribbean at Disneyland Paris, I commented that the Paris version of Pirates, while being better than the WDW version, still wasnt quite as good as the Disneyland California version in my opinion, though it was very close. After our ride, Larry remarked that he did think the sequencing of the scenes was better and made more sense in the Disneyland California Pirates (in Paris, the jail scene with the pirates trying to get the key out of the dogs mouth is at the very first of the ride).
Robin, do you think that people might think that we are nerds when we compare the intricacies of three versions of the Pirates of the Caribbean in three different Magic Kingdoms? Or do you think they will have pity for us, thinking that we have only done three, and there is a fourth, in Japan that we havent made it to yet, so they set up a Yen Saving Fund for us to help us out, so that we can complete our lifes work for humanity??? No? Shame. L.
It was now time for our Space Mountain Fast Passes, so we crossed over to Tomorrowland (Mr. Morrow, paging Mr. Tom MorrowI really miss the Tomorrowland Transit Authority!) and took a ride on the newly refurbished Space Mountain. Theyve made the ride much smoother and darker now, which was nice.
Yes I liked Space Mountain too, it is very similar apart from the Cars, which are side by side rather than sitty behind each other. Its a nice coaster, and much kinder on the head neck and ears than the Paris version of the same name. Which is some kind of French revenge on the rest of the world. Just because the European Union has banned capital punishment across the member states, so now the French cant lob peoples heads off using Madame Guillotine, they invented the Gaul-ist Coaster to do much the same thing. Did I mention the Olympics yet???? Oh yes sorry. L.
Larry and I were ready for dinner by now, so we went back to Main Street to get some hot dogs at the Refreshment Corner. (Larry said that he didnt care what they called it at Disneyland, it should always be Caseys Corner.)
While we waited in line to place our order, Larry kept the woman in front of us amused by playing up his Yorkshire (well, he says its Yorkshire, I tend to think of it more as Yorkish (or maybe Scottshire) since I think hes picked up a bit of a Scottish tinge from all of his years living in Scotland) accent and reciting which American Presidents were on our currency. Sadly, though he was strong on the one-, five-, and ten-dollar bills, he faltered after that and then completely disgraced himself by not knowing that Benjamin Franklin had never been President. Tsk tsk. It looks like someone needs to get a subscription to the USA Today. (Im more of a Lubbock Avalanche Journal kinda guy Robin. -:L)
Actually, Larry accused me of turning him into an American since he said chips instead of crisps and he couldnt remember if I said to-MAY-toe and he said to-MAH-toe (we both say po-TAY-toeI think anyone who says po-TAH-toe is just about the most affected person ever!) or vice versa. Shhhh. Dont tell Larry but, since Ive been hanging around with him, Ive been known to call tennis shoes trainers, and say kip instead of nap.
After dinner (or tea, as Larry would say), we took a turn on the wildest ride in the wilderness, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. I always like to ride Big Thunder after dark.
There is a great BTMRR at DL, and its so true that it feels much faster after dark, the best time to ride them is during the fireworks, which is, as youngsters are wont to say Way Cool. L.
Splash Mountain was next. While we waited in the queue, listening to the music from Song of the South, Larry admitted that, in the past, he and his boys had a hard time deciphering the lyrics to How Do You Do? Not being from the South of Scotland, much less the South of the good ol USA, he had never heard the expression as sure as youre born, so, instead of pretty good, sure as youre born, he thought they were saying, pretty good, show us your balls! Coming from Scotland, home of the world famous St. Andrews golf course, Im sure this is some sort of common expression over there referring, of course, to the showing of your *golf* balls. I mean, that was what immediately came to *my* mind. Honest.
I would cut him some slack seeing as how hed never heard the expression as sure as youre born, except for the fact that he thought the lyrics of Elvis Presleys Hound Dog were You aint nothin but a hound dog, CROCKING all the time, instead of the correct You aint nothin but a hound dog, crying all the time! I dont think I even want to know what he thought crocking all the time entailed! Why I dont think one could crock for very long at all, much less all the time.
(Kiss, Kiss, Kiss Peep Sounds, Grrrrrrrr Crock Crock Crock . L. )
We were in the first two seats of the log and Larry, being the ever-gallant gentleman, offered to take the front seat so I wouldnt get as wet. Of course, he did borrow my jacket to put across him to block some of the spray. Sadly, the water spray wasnt our problem this eveningit was the water that poured in over the sides of the log! We were all drenched from the waist down and pretty soppy from the waist up. I dont think that Ive ever gotten that wet on Splash before. (No we were definitely PWT, and it was rather uncomfortable at the time, if I remember rightly. L)
That pretty much put an end to our riding for the evening, as the thought of a brisk ride in the cold night air when we were wet didnt sound too appealing to Larry or me. We walked back to the hotel with the idea of getting some hot chocolate from the lounge.
Back at the hotel, I called home to talk to my mom for a while. Even though DCA had closed at 6:00 tonight, the rides in the Paradise Pier section were all running and you could hear the music playing as well. We decided that they must have rented out the park for a private party (although Larry later deduced that it was one of the nights for their Not So Scary Halloween parties). Larry commented that this was the best view he had ever had from a hotel window. (Though the view from the AKL is pretty neat too. L)
We had some hot chocolate and a few snacks from the lounge and I was in bed by 10:30.
Robin 42 Trip Report Writer, Hostess, Bringer of Butterfingers
Larry - 46 - Trip Report god, Weary Traveler, Stayer in Parks After Hours
Tuesday October 18, 2005
Pretty good, show us your balls!
The first full day at Disney can only mean one thingup early and hit the ground running! We went to the concierge lounge at 7:45 for breakfast then went downstairs and walked through Downtown Disney to be at the Magic Kingdom at 8:30 for early entry.
Hey there folks, good morning to you all, thanks to a Generous Grant from the Robin Foundation, we were staying conchy level, and the great news is, Free/Included breakfasts, and you know what the breakfasts are quite nice, much nicer than the breakfasts at the Holiday Inn Express, and I quite like them too.. They do the usual continental breakfast style, but they have nice touches like interesting fruit plates, so its easy to have a nice but health breakfast. If they did Fry Ups, I wouldnt be able to resist them, so Im rather glad they dont. -LWW
The first order of the day was to ride the Matterhorn Bobsleds but, no cars running on the track and a CM stationed outside the ride telling guests that the ride was down forced us to change our plans. We headed to Space Mountain next, but it was down as well. Okay, another small change of plans.
Yes, I think that we instigated, the We want to go on a Roller Coaster, but they arent going to let us Plan B.- (You know, I really dont know what it is about Plan Bs but I never like them!!) -LWW
We walked through Fantasyland (which was very crowded this morning) Yes they were all walking around the park as they couldnt get on any flipping rides, as they were all shut. Not that Im bitter or anything. L - and over to Adventureland to check on Indiana Jones and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (BTMRR), both of which werent included in early entry. Well, nothing like a nice early morning walk through the park! We went back to Fantasyland, this time going through the castle, and straight on to Its a Small World (IASW). See there, Mr. Wilmot, the ride is good for some things anyway.
Have you considered Robin, that this is some kind of Disney Mind Washing Plot, you know .. You arrive at the park, all ready to go and do some thrill riding on the Roller Coasters, and you have your ticket in your hand, to snap up those early fastpasses. The next news is, all the coasters are shut. Just about the whole place is down, so you are forced to go and Ride IASW .. So what happens then, your thoughts for the day, are obliterated from your mind, completely wiped out as THAT SONG invades your brain, and suddenly, Disney has you .. You have an uncontrollable urge to buy small toys from the Disney Stores Even cokes at $3 sound reasonable .. And worst of all . You actually want to have your photo taken with Lilo and Stitch. LWW.
In doing my job as an objective trip report writer, I feel that its my duty, as disheartening as it might be sometimes, to report all aspects of my trip. So, its with deep sadness that Im forced to tell you that Larry, while we were on IASW (a simple, innocent ride celebrating the youthfulness and hopefulness of children the world over, a pure and wholesome experience for family members of all ages, the last bastion of all that is good and kind in the world), made an obscene gesture. Yes, its true. Let the avalanche of emails begin. He had some flimsy excuse about the gesture not being directed at the innocent and blameless children, but Ill leave the explaining of his heinous actions to him.
OK I have to admit, I may have been slightly rude about the French, and it might have had something to do with us whipping their garlic smelling butts, by beating them to the Olympics which they rather arrogantly assumed they would get. Part of the problem was their rather idiotic President, who, and Im not making this up, said the night before the voting. The English Food is the worst in Europe, well apart from that of Finland. Oh well done Jacque, that got the Scandinavians voting for you in droves . LWW.
Once we were through with IASW (and had entered a settlement for legal fees and therapy for the traumatized children who were on the boat with us!), we decided to go over to California Adventure. The line at the main entrance was already very long and it wasnt quite 9:30 so they werent letting anyone in yet (the park officially opens at 10:00, but they generally open the gates 30 minutes early and usually have Soarin Over California open at that time), so we went back through Downtown Disney and to the Grand Californian entrance, which only had a couple of people waiting (plus, its closer to Soarin).
We were let in the park at 9:30 and we went straight to Soarin Over California. This morning we got to be on the front row and Larry agreed that it helps the experience when you dont have to look at the dangling legs of the people above you. Not only were we in the first row, but we were the first two people in the first row, so we got to be team leaders, (and when I say team leaders I mean the first people in line), as well. Patrick Warburton was very proud! After the ride we got Fast Passes for later (a return time of 10:35 11:35) and then walked to the Tower of Terror, which we rode twice with no waiting. I still dont think its quite as good a ride as the one at WDW, and I miss garden area, but some of the effects are very nice.
Ah the Tower of Terror, now anyone who reads my Trip Reports with any regularity, will know that I prize atmosphere over almost anything at Disney when Im rating rides, and the Tower of Terror at WDW was and remains my favorite attraction not only in the World but in the World as well. So it was with great anticipation that I approached the Hollywood version of the Hollywood Tower Hotel. And sadly looking at the exterior visuals it rather disappoints, first of all. Who ever stayed in a hotel that was the shape of a Hammer Headed Shark??? Whats all those overhangs about??? And secondly as Robin so rightly mentions above, there are no gardens, and its the spooky gardens that set the tone for the whole ride, your senses tighten as you approach the door to the hotel through the winding dilapidated pathway, with its almost maze like quality. The doorway is shielded by a disused water feature and two right angle turns, you dont quite know what to expect, long before you face the actual drop you are on edge. In California, you walk in through the front door. It just isnt the same psychologically.
Inside things start to rapidly improve, the lobby of the hotel is similar, perhaps slightly fresher, not that freshness is that helpful in context. And sadly little touches are missing, but its still very good. The library is very similar and the Rod Sterling film much the same. However, one good thing is the newness of the ride, I found the cast members to be really into the role, I think, they have gotten a little tired in WDW, so it was nice to have such enthusiastic bell hops. I found myself harking back to five or six years ago at WDW when, there was the great spooky bell hop who looked just like John Cleese.
The boiler room is where you start to notice the changes. There are two loading areas, upstairs and downstairs, and there are three shafts, so that capacity is probably fifty percent greater than in Florida, no bad thing at all. The internal ride layout is different, you go almost immediately into the shaft, and you dont have the shaft to shaft movement that you get in Orlando. Also there are one or two nice touches in the experiences, for example I liked the mirror shattering scene better in LA than in the Original. They also dont seem to have the different drop patterns that you get on the other coast.
All in all its a great ride, and anyone who hasnt ridden the first version, is going to have a fantastic time, for those who have you will find it interesting, but is it better than its older brother, sadly no. LWW.
I have to mention at this point that we quickly became very familiar with the location of the majority of the restrooms in the Disney parks. A couple of years ago during a visit to the doctor, Larry found out that he was borderline diabetic and the doctor recommended cutting sugar out of his diet in the hopes of lowering Larrys blood sugar levels. This approach had worked fairly well for the past two years.
We didnt put two and two together at the time but his borderline diabetes had become full-fledged diabetes and so Larry was drinking water at a much higher rate than normal (drinking like a fish, I believe the expression goes!) and, subsequently, having to make use of the facilities far more frequently than usual. We thought maybe he just had some kind of urinary tract infection at the time but a visit to the doctor once he was back home confirmed that he was, indeed, diabetic. Luckily, medication and a few changes in his diet seem to be controlling things now.
(I like to think of it as a promotion, I was finding that some people didnt think that I was a proper diabetic I mean what kind of diagnosis is glucose intolerant, and Im sure one or two folk were looking down at me, and now that Ive been upgraded to the real thing, you know, I can hold my head with pride in the knowledge that Im tackling this slight disability with the respect that it deserves and I can live my life once again fully in polite society. LWW.)
So, all of this too much information is just so I can tell you about one of Larrys more endearing qualities--he doesnt like to use the hand dryers in the restrooms, and he absolutely wont use one of those towel dispensers that just re-circulates the same old wet germy cloth towel over and over again. I quickly learned to spot him as I waited outside the restrooms for him because he was the man that always came out shaking his hands dry by his sides! At least I can take comfort in the knowledge that he really does wash his hands every time he goes to the restroom.
On our way back up the Hollywood Backlot area, we stopped in the Disney Animation building so I could show Larry their cinema set up and so we could go through the Sorcerers Workshop and see what Disney character Larry would be.
In Beasts library, they have a little quiz you can take to find out which Disney character youre most like. Theres one pivotal question that they ask that determines whether youre a good character or a villain. When Larry took the test the first time, answering each question truthfully, his character was Jiminy Cricketalways honest and letting his conscience be his guide (though I bet he never flipped off a boat load of children in Its a Small World!). When he took the test again, but answered the good/evil question where it would assign him a villain, he was Shere Khan from Jungle Book.
Next, we went to Ursulas, where we did a little voice work, both singing (Hakuna Matata) and acting (a scene from Beauty and the Beast and, yes, Larry was nice and let me be the voice of Belle while he assumed the role of the Beast). Let me just say that we should probably both keep our day jobs and not pursue careers in the entertainment business. Unless, of course, we decide to become comedians, as our efforts were highly amusing.
Id probably better confirm that neither of us is going to win American Idol without significant investment in singing lessons, but I have considered being a comedian before, I had a boss in Elgin who will remain nameless, Sally Chisholm, and once after a meeting I said to her, Sally Im going to quit Social Work, and become a stand up comedian, and she said. Oh Larry, do you think, anyone will notice the difference? - L.
It was time for our Fast Passes for Soarin, so we went there next and got another nice ride in the first row. (The back row is for wimps L)
It was getting nearer to lunch time by now and we were both getting a little bit hungry so we decided to go over to the Pacific Wharf area and see if we could take the Mission Tortilla Factory tour, thereby acquiring a tortilla or two to tide us over till tea time (hows that for some fancy alliteration?!) Our efforts were squelched however, because they werent doing the tour. Larry was very disappointed since he was determined to show me that he can be just as Texan as I am and can eat tortillas with the best of them. (Hey Im keen on Tex/Mex Food, after all, its the only nosh in the world, when if the waiter brings you the wrong order, all you have to do is fold it differently and POOF there you go, what you asked for in the first place. L)
We continued on to the Paradise Pier area where we saw that California Screamin was up and running. It had been closed due to an accident earlier this summer. There had been rumors of the ride opening back up soon because Disney had been testing the ride for several weeks, using big water bottles in the seats to simulate the weight of actual guests, so we were glad to see it was open. (Hey Robin, I think you have misunderstood this procedure, its a new fangled machine that the Coke Company uses to turn Mineral Water into Sparkling Water. Put in a bit of CO2 and mix it up on Screaming.-L) The standby line was just 10 minutes so we got in line thinking that it was probably good fortune that we hadnt had that tortilla yet!
After our roller coaster ride, we went to the Sun Wheel where we queued up to get the slippy cars (yes, I think thats actually their technical name!), and then took a quick ride on Mulholland Madness (the mousetrap-style coaster), which was a first for me. While we were waiting in line for Mulholland Madness we watched a lively older woman (she had to be in her 70s) get on the ride. When her car came back to the unloading area, she had quite a bit of trouble getting out of the low seat and a CM had to help her, but good for her for being so dauntless and willing to try the rides.
I really like the Paradise Pier area of DCA, Im not sure why. Its probably the least Walt part of the whole show, but its kinda fun in a visit the seaside nostalgic kinda way, non of the rides are terribly exciting or innovative (with the possible exception of the slippy cars), but the whole thing adds up to a nice time. L.
It was definitely lunch time by now so we went back to the Pacific Wharf Café where I had the chicken and apple salad with a diet coke and Larry had a turkey sandwich and a coffee. We got a 10% discount for my annual pass and had a nice lunch feeding the birds bits of bread from the bread bowl that my salad was served in. While we ate we decided on our next plan of action which was to pick up Fast Passes for Soarin in case we wanted to ride it again a bit later in the afternoon, and then to ride Grizzly River Run (GRR), get soaked, and go back to the hotel to rest and change into dry clothes.
The events transpired pretty much as planned. I assured Larry that he wouldnt be too uncomfortable on GRR because Im always the designated really wet person. Actually, I think we were both equally wet, but it wasnt too bad of a soaking. We went back to the hotel and stopped in the lounge for a coke and some water and then went to dry off a bit. I spent some time updating my trip report notes and Larry took a little nap-ette. He did mention again that hes certain that Tinkerbelle is a bloke.
The Bear Run thingy is cool, its just like the Kali River Rapids at AK, except for the message bit, and the length this is much more like it, but the best thing is, its next to my hotel, so who cares if I get soaked. Good Planning Walt old Chap- Good Planning. - LWW
After we were all updated and rested, we decided to attempt a ride on the Matterhorn again. We walked west through Downtown Disney to the Monorail station so we could take a ride into Tomorrowland. The queue for the Matterhorn wasnt bad at all so we rode that and then got Fast Passes for Space Mountain.
I was looking forward to the Matterhorn, for two reasons, firstly because its one significant difference with the Magic Kingdom, and it was great having a new coaster to do, and secondly because of its place in History, - The first steel roller coaster in the world. And it didnt disappoint, I thought it was a fun little coaster, I liked the yeti thing, and it had a bit of zippiness about it. Its just a shame that we didnt get a second go on it. Ill have to be back for that one. L.
Larry had mentioned wanting to see the Golden Horseshoe Stage Show so we went there next to catch the 4:15 performance. The place was almost full but we managed to get a couple of chairs at a table where another couple was sitting. This was my first time to ever see this show and I was very pleasantly surprised at how funny it was. Larry said that it was different from the shows hes seen at WDW, but he enjoyed it too.
Im so glad that they have kept this at DL. There was one in Florida, and it was one of my very favorite places to go for lunch there. Then a couple of years ago, they dumped it for a kids show with Goofy, and lost a great show. They used to have a singing cowboy, a magician and dancing girls, sadly you dont get that at Disneyland, but you do get a nice group of singing cowboys, who do a fun comedy routine, and its a great place to go and eat and have a break. I recommend it. Next time you are there, put on your Stetson, and cowboy boots, saddle up to a table and say, Hey Larry the Cowboy from the Highlands sent me. L.
Since we were close by and we had a few minutes before our Fast Passes for Space Mountain kicked in, we rode Pirates of the Caribbean (PoTC). As we floated by on the ride, I got to show Larry the Blue Bayou restaurant where we would be having dinner Wednesday. He was glad that he could be on the receiving end of the comment, Dont eat the lobster! on Wednesday as well as being the giving end tonight. Okay, he doesnt really yell that as we go by, but he threatened to. (Yes, its a good job I dont actually drink alcohol, or I might. L)
In July when we rode the Pirates of the Caribbean at Disneyland Paris, I commented that the Paris version of Pirates, while being better than the WDW version, still wasnt quite as good as the Disneyland California version in my opinion, though it was very close. After our ride, Larry remarked that he did think the sequencing of the scenes was better and made more sense in the Disneyland California Pirates (in Paris, the jail scene with the pirates trying to get the key out of the dogs mouth is at the very first of the ride).
Robin, do you think that people might think that we are nerds when we compare the intricacies of three versions of the Pirates of the Caribbean in three different Magic Kingdoms? Or do you think they will have pity for us, thinking that we have only done three, and there is a fourth, in Japan that we havent made it to yet, so they set up a Yen Saving Fund for us to help us out, so that we can complete our lifes work for humanity??? No? Shame. L.
It was now time for our Space Mountain Fast Passes, so we crossed over to Tomorrowland (Mr. Morrow, paging Mr. Tom MorrowI really miss the Tomorrowland Transit Authority!) and took a ride on the newly refurbished Space Mountain. Theyve made the ride much smoother and darker now, which was nice.
Yes I liked Space Mountain too, it is very similar apart from the Cars, which are side by side rather than sitty behind each other. Its a nice coaster, and much kinder on the head neck and ears than the Paris version of the same name. Which is some kind of French revenge on the rest of the world. Just because the European Union has banned capital punishment across the member states, so now the French cant lob peoples heads off using Madame Guillotine, they invented the Gaul-ist Coaster to do much the same thing. Did I mention the Olympics yet???? Oh yes sorry. L.
Larry and I were ready for dinner by now, so we went back to Main Street to get some hot dogs at the Refreshment Corner. (Larry said that he didnt care what they called it at Disneyland, it should always be Caseys Corner.)
While we waited in line to place our order, Larry kept the woman in front of us amused by playing up his Yorkshire (well, he says its Yorkshire, I tend to think of it more as Yorkish (or maybe Scottshire) since I think hes picked up a bit of a Scottish tinge from all of his years living in Scotland) accent and reciting which American Presidents were on our currency. Sadly, though he was strong on the one-, five-, and ten-dollar bills, he faltered after that and then completely disgraced himself by not knowing that Benjamin Franklin had never been President. Tsk tsk. It looks like someone needs to get a subscription to the USA Today. (Im more of a Lubbock Avalanche Journal kinda guy Robin. -:L)
Actually, Larry accused me of turning him into an American since he said chips instead of crisps and he couldnt remember if I said to-MAY-toe and he said to-MAH-toe (we both say po-TAY-toeI think anyone who says po-TAH-toe is just about the most affected person ever!) or vice versa. Shhhh. Dont tell Larry but, since Ive been hanging around with him, Ive been known to call tennis shoes trainers, and say kip instead of nap.
After dinner (or tea, as Larry would say), we took a turn on the wildest ride in the wilderness, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. I always like to ride Big Thunder after dark.
There is a great BTMRR at DL, and its so true that it feels much faster after dark, the best time to ride them is during the fireworks, which is, as youngsters are wont to say Way Cool. L.
Splash Mountain was next. While we waited in the queue, listening to the music from Song of the South, Larry admitted that, in the past, he and his boys had a hard time deciphering the lyrics to How Do You Do? Not being from the South of Scotland, much less the South of the good ol USA, he had never heard the expression as sure as youre born, so, instead of pretty good, sure as youre born, he thought they were saying, pretty good, show us your balls! Coming from Scotland, home of the world famous St. Andrews golf course, Im sure this is some sort of common expression over there referring, of course, to the showing of your *golf* balls. I mean, that was what immediately came to *my* mind. Honest.
I would cut him some slack seeing as how hed never heard the expression as sure as youre born, except for the fact that he thought the lyrics of Elvis Presleys Hound Dog were You aint nothin but a hound dog, CROCKING all the time, instead of the correct You aint nothin but a hound dog, crying all the time! I dont think I even want to know what he thought crocking all the time entailed! Why I dont think one could crock for very long at all, much less all the time.
(Kiss, Kiss, Kiss Peep Sounds, Grrrrrrrr Crock Crock Crock . L. )
We were in the first two seats of the log and Larry, being the ever-gallant gentleman, offered to take the front seat so I wouldnt get as wet. Of course, he did borrow my jacket to put across him to block some of the spray. Sadly, the water spray wasnt our problem this eveningit was the water that poured in over the sides of the log! We were all drenched from the waist down and pretty soppy from the waist up. I dont think that Ive ever gotten that wet on Splash before. (No we were definitely PWT, and it was rather uncomfortable at the time, if I remember rightly. L)
That pretty much put an end to our riding for the evening, as the thought of a brisk ride in the cold night air when we were wet didnt sound too appealing to Larry or me. We walked back to the hotel with the idea of getting some hot chocolate from the lounge.
Back at the hotel, I called home to talk to my mom for a while. Even though DCA had closed at 6:00 tonight, the rides in the Paradise Pier section were all running and you could hear the music playing as well. We decided that they must have rented out the park for a private party (although Larry later deduced that it was one of the nights for their Not So Scary Halloween parties). Larry commented that this was the best view he had ever had from a hotel window. (Though the view from the AKL is pretty neat too. L)
We had some hot chocolate and a few snacks from the lounge and I was in bed by 10:30.
