Lots of Completed Trip Reports....Nov 2009 - April 2014

[mvf-m11c]

Excellent photos of Carnation Cafe Deej. The soup look so appetizing.

 

[deejdigsdis]

Deej,
This segment needed to come with a warning: "This segment may be dangerous if you are a tad bit peckish. Contains graphic pictures of the most delicious food to be had at DL"

LOVE the Carnation Café and the soup. I sit at my cube with my tummy rumbling. The picture of the pomegranate lemonade looked refreshing enough to stick a straw into my computer screen.

Inquiring minds want to know: Does Chief have spoons hanging from his bulletin board at home? Was your sister able to complete the games and puzzles on the menu?

Excellent photos of Carnation Cafe Deej. The soup look so appetizing.

Thanks TK and Bret. When I was posting that soup picture yesterday I was thinking about what I was going to have for lunch. Nothing in my kitchen sounded good after being reminded of that oh-so-yummy soup from Carnation Cafe!

 

[Sherry E]

deej -

Love the Main Street at dusk photos, of course! I also love the shirt with the picture of the storm trooper holding the Mickey ice cream bar - that is very clever. I would almost wear that (because I like clever shirts!) if it weren't in a color I don't like.

Now I am curious to see the evolution of that sewing machine window display throughout the year! Like, for example, do they do it up for St. Patrick's Day too? I'm sure they do something with it for Easter. I really like what they did with it for Valentine's Day - even more than Christmas, I think. For some reason, it just looks so much more festive to me with the Valentine decor.

It's funny because I was just saying in my TR yesterday - when I posted some DLR Christmas photos that were decidedly Valentine-esque - that the color scheme for some of the DLR Christmas decorations can so seamlessly transition into Valentine's Decor too, and DLR could save itself some money and manpower by just re-displaying certain items.

And then I looked at your photos today and saw that, indeed, they DID reuse some of the Christmas items (at least a couple of things that I spotted) in one of the displays for Valentine's Day!! Too funny! All the straight red and white stuff can totally go with either Christmas or Valentine's Day. In December there was even had a pink-white-red flower bed outside of the PPH, and if that doesn't scream Valentine's Day, I don't know what does.

I haven't been on the Storybook Land boats in so long. It's a ride that I appreciate because I love all the little cottages. I really, really wanted to see it with the tiny Christmas decorations during the holidays. But that darn line is always so long (and slow, because it's not a fast loading or fast moving ride, really) so we never end up getting on it- and it's never open during the MM's we have done.

You know, your food photos from Carnation Cafe are great (and I love the tree with fruit on it, which I never noticed), and I will always love the outdoor ambiance of that restaurant. But, I have been increasingly less satisfied with my meat loaf the last couple of times I've had it. It always seems lukewarm to me - not warm, like meat loaf should be. I don't like lukewarm/tepid food when it should be hot OR super cold. And Oscar has never, ever even come out to greet anyone when I've been there!

Plus, I can't help but remember the old days of Carnation, when it had indoor seating as well as outdoor (nice to have the option), and the menu was much more extensive. I wish the current menu were more extensive. And I didn't really care for my Carnation breakfast too much, although I'm in the minority because everyone else on the DIS (except for you) raves about the breakfast being so great!

But, alas, there are so few table service options inside DL that I think I tell myself that Carnation Cafe is better than it is! I like it well enough. But I'm not sure I would think it was as great if it were located outside of Disneyland. I think the setting has a lot to do with my favorable opinion of it.


Did you see the photos of my free Snapfish calendar (the first one) that I posted in my TR last week? I just received calendar #2 yesterday, so I have to quickly snap those photos and post them as well. I think I like the first one better because the photos are showcased better, but maybe the second one will grow on me. Anyway, remember, if you are going to make one of those free calendars (and they are definitely worth every penny of the $6.57 you will pay for shipping and tax), you only have until February 28!!

 

[deejdigsdis]

deej -

Love the Main Street at dusk photos, of course! I also love the shirt with the picture of the storm trooper holding the Mickey ice cream bar - that is very clever. I would almost wear that (because I like clever shirts!) if it weren't in a color I don't like.

Now I am curious to see the evolution of that sewing machine window display throughout the year! Like, for example, do they do it up for St. Patrick's Day too? I'm sure they do something with it for Easter. I really like what they did with it for Valentine's Day - even more than Christmas, I think. For some reason, it just looks so much more festive to me with the Valentine decor.

It's funny because I was just saying in my TR yesterday - when I posted some DLR Christmas photos that were decidedly Valentine-esque - that the color scheme for some of the DLR Christmas decorations can so seamlessly transition into Valentine's Decor too, and DLR could save itself some money and manpower by just re-displaying certain items.

And then I looked at your photos today and saw that, indeed, they DID reuse some of the Christmas items (at least a couple of things that I spotted) in one of the displays for Valentine's Day!! Too funny! All the straight red and white stuff can totally go with either Christmas or Valentine's Day. In December there was even had a pink-white-red flower bed outside of the PPH, and if that doesn't scream Valentine's Day, I don't know what does.

I haven't been on the Storybook Land boats in so long. It's a ride that I appreciate because I love all the little cottages. I really, really wanted to see it with the tiny Christmas decorations during the holidays. But that darn line is always so long (and slow, because it's not a fast loading or fast moving ride, really) so we never end up getting on it- and it's never open during the MM's we have done.

You know, your food photos from Carnation Cafe are great (and I love the tree with fruit on it, which I never noticed), and I will always love the outdoor ambiance of that restaurant. But, I have been increasingly less satisfied with my meat loaf the last couple of times I've had it. It always seems lukewarm to me - not warm, like meat loaf should be. I don't like lukewarm/tepid food when it should be hot OR super cold. And Oscar has never, ever even come out to greet anyone when I've been there!

Plus, I can't help but remember the old days of Carnation, when it had indoor seating as well as outdoor (nice to have the option), and the menu was much more extensive. I wish the current menu were more extensive. And I didn't really care for my Carnation breakfast too much, although I'm in the minority because everyone else on the DIS (except for you) raves about the breakfast being so great!

But, alas, there are so few table service options inside DL that I think I tell myself that Carnation Cafe is better than it is! I like it well enough. But I'm not sure I would think it was as great if it were located outside of Disneyland. I think the setting has a lot to do with my favorable opinion of it.


Did you see the photos of my free Snapfish calendar (the first one) that I posted in my TR last week? I just received calendar #2 yesterday, so I have to quickly snap those photos and post them as well. I think I like the first one better because the photos are showcased better, but maybe the second one will grow on me. Anyway, remember, if you are going to make one of those free calendars (and they are definitely worth every penny of the $6.57 you will pay for shipping and tax), you only have until February 28!!

Sherry! So glad you popped in! OK - I actually thought of you when I was taking the "Main Street at Dusk" pictures. I knew you were a fan of "when the lights are coming on" as well.

I agree about Carnation Cafe. If you were to pick up that restaurant and plop it somewhere else... I don't think it would do it for me. I love the location. About the breakfast. I've only eaten breakfast there the one time. I just couldn't get past the huge pile of not-very-good scrambled eggs with ONE piece of paper-thin ham. I would like to try breakfast again someday and go with the cinnamon roll French toast or whatever it's called. It had been my plan all along to order that, and then at the last second I changed my mind and went with the croissant. Ugh. Lesson learned. That's funny that you haven't seen Oscar out and about. It kind of feels like we are old friends now. I had 3 pictures taken with him over the course of my last 4 trips. (He was on vacation the trip I ordered the croissant.) I also have a copy of the Loaded Baked Potato Soup recipe that he signed and gave to me. I will incorporate all 3 pictures and the signed recipe into some sort of -- well, something...not sure what -- and hang it in my kitchen.

The Snapfish Calendar. Yes, I plan on making one! Thanks for giving me the info and the reminder. I can't wait to see yours. It sounds really nice. I will check it out tomorrow. And time is a ticking...better get going and make my own. I usually save those sorts of projects for nighttime to cut down on interruptions (from the kids, etc.) but then when nighttime rolls around I'm often too tired to take on stuff like that. Maybe this weekend will be a good time.

 

[deejdigsdis]

So...we are done with our delish lunch at Carnation Cafe and are now heading over to DCA for the rest of the day. We began walking down Main Street and veered toward the right to exit under that tunnel. But...we were blocked by a wall. Apparently we didn't see the big "EXIT" sign with an arrow at the end of Main Street directing us toward the left. When we were trapped between the wall and the Emporium area, Chief noticed this in one of the windows.

He thought it was the funniest thing. Ariel was rocking back and forth with that goofy look on her face. From here on out this little window display became known as "Pooping Ariel." {My little smilies aren't working -- so insert the little blue one that is rolling its eyes HERE!} Evidence that I am in the presence of an 11 year old boy. He insisted on getting a picture so he could show his brothers later. Realizing that a still shot wouldn't quite get the point across...he later went over and took a video of it. {Insert rolling eyes smiley here.} So after being amused by Pooping Ariel, we decided to actually follow the arrows that directed us out of Disneyland to the left.

OK, this was weird. We were just about to pass through the tunnel and we ran into a family that used to live in our neighborhood about 5 years ago! It was so strange running into them here. It's not like we live even remotely close to Disneyland. Very unexpected!

Heading over to DCA, we get our first up-close glimpse of the area now sans-CALIFORNIA letters. Walls, walls, and more walls. As far as walls go, they don't get any cuter than these. {Insert Good Vibes smiley here.}

There was a CM standing out front by the middle of the wall, directing people. I knew the 'S was dropped from Disney's California Adventure, making it be just Disney California Adventure. That was a while ago. Anyway, I asked the CM about it. I couldn't remember if I had read the official reason for the change. Well, she didn't know there had been a change. She said -- referring to the sign on the main wall -- "Yeah, when I saw it, I just thought it was a typo!" {Insert laughing smiley here.}

We went around the walls and in through the left. A pretty tight space. Fortunately it wasn't a crowded day.

We headed to Monster's Inc. first. Walk-on. By the way, how did I not know the Mickey Fountain was gone? I wish I would have remembered to take a picture.

Chief was really hoping to be the object of Roz's affections at the end of the ride. He was up front by himself and his wish came true. I can't remember what she said, but it was pretty generic. Given that I'm somewhat scared of Roz, I was glad she didn't direct her comments toward me. Don't get me wrong...I'd rather bump into Roz in a dark alley than a clown or a puppet. But still...

 

[deejdigsdis]

After Monsters, we decided to go ride Grizzly River Run. The weather was wonderful (mid-70s) but I wanted to make sure my clothes had time to dry before nighttime. Another walk-on. I am realizing I have been so spoiled with most of my wait times over the course of my 4 trips in 15 months. GRR has been less than a 5 minute wait during each of my trips, if it wasn't a walk-on. I guess I'm being rewarded for all the 1 to 2+ hours waits I had in the 70s, 80s, and early 90s. No more 2 1/2 hours in line for Indiana Jones for me!

Anyway, back to GRR. We rode with a group of rowdy guys that had us laughing the whole time. I probably got the least wet of the whole group.

After the ride we hopped right back on. This time we were with a family that lived a couple of hours from where my sister and I grew up, so it was fun chatting with them about familiar things.

Once again, I barely got wet. Chief, on the other hand, was SOAKED. Looking back, I should have had him take off his socks. I could have put them in my purse during the ride and kept them dry. We exited the ride and Chief sat down to remove his shoes. Water poured out of them. He took off his socks and wrung tons of water out of them. My sister told him, "The only way your socks will get dry is if you hang them on your ears and walk around like that for the rest of the day. That way the sun can help them dry out..." He good-naturedly followed her advice and walked around with socks on his ears.

Not for the rest of the day, though. Just for a few minutes.

Next we headed over to Golden Zephyr. Not my kind of ride, but it's one that Chief missed out on during his first visit. He got his very own ship all to himself and rode up front.

When the ride was over the CM said everyone could stay on and just keep going. So once again he had his own ship. He had a chance to stay on and continue riding yet a 3rd time, but he was getting a little dizzy so he got off. Silly Symphony Swings were supposed to be his next ride, but he was done going in circles for the time being.

There's a wall right there by the swings, so we had to go clear back around the other way. California Screamin' was next on the agenda. As we were walking along I thought it would be a good idea to take a picture that would capture the DCA crowds that day.

Can you find Chief's shadow in the midst of all those crowds of people? It was a great day to be at DCA.

I took a picture from this same spot back in April. (Different time of day, though. The lighting was better last time.) I like to see how they change out the flowers in the different flower beds. Wow, that would be a lot of work. But I'm glad they do it. I wonder what they do with all of the perfectly fine flowers that they replace?

Finally we make our way over to Screamin'. We noticed things seemed awfully quiet in that general area. No screams or roller coaster sounds whatsoever. The ride is obviously down. A small crowd had gathered and we went over to check out what was going on. A group was being evacuated from a coaster above us.

I can tell you that seeing this took away my need to ride Screamin' this trip. I would HATE to be evacuated from this ride. SCARY. I just might rather run into a clown or a puppet in a dark alley...rather than ride Screamin' knowing it had just been evacuated minutes earlier. Yikes.

 

[tksbaskets]

LOVE the 'crowd' picture! I have an aversion to heights but LOVE roller coasters. I can't imagine having to evacuate

 

[TheColtonsMom]

Looks like you had the exact opposite day at DCA than we did WOW you weren't kidding when you said to come over & see your crowd shot.

 

[deejdigsdis]

LOVE the 'crowd' picture! I have an aversion to heights but LOVE roller coasters. I can't imagine having to evacuate

I love roller coasters too, but I can't do them over and over and over like I could when I was younger. I hate that. I just want to keep going but my head tells me to stop (headache).

Looks like you had the exact opposite day at DCA than we did WOW you weren't kidding when you said to come over & see your crowd shot.

I know, isn't that crazy? Look at all those empty benches and wide open walkways! I couldn't believe it.

Gotta get to uploading more pics. Hmmmm....did Screamin' re-open? If so...was I too scared to ride it after seeing the evacuation? Stay tuned.

 

[JH87]

I always thought that Ariel figure looked odd as well.

 

[TheColtonsMom]

I always thought that Ariel figure looked odd as well.

Colton thought she had to go potty LOL

I agree about Carnation Cafe. If you were to pick up that restaurant and plop it somewhere else... I don't think it would do it for me. I love the location. About the breakfast. I've only eaten breakfast there the one time. I just couldn't get past the huge pile of not-very-good scrambled eggs

You know DL has this prob with scrambled eggs all over the park. They had to be the worst thing I saw at the character breakfasts and Colton didn't even eat his at River Belle they are always either runny or squeaky or both. Maybe they should remove scrambled eggs as an option they are not good. We did have the guy at the omlette station at Storytellers to scramble some fresh for Colton and those were the only good scrambled eggs we saw all week.

 

[deejdigsdis]

I always thought that Ariel figure looked odd as well.

Good to know it's not just us! That face just isn't right.

Colton thought she had to go potty LOL



You know DL has this prob with scrambled eggs all over the park. They had to be the worst thing I saw at the character breakfasts and Colton didn't even eat his at River Belle they are always either runny or squeaky or both. Maybe they should remove scrambled eggs as an option they are not good. We did have the guy at the omlette station at Storytellers to scramble some fresh for Colton and those were the only good scrambled eggs we saw all week.

That's funny that Colton noticed it too. He seems like quite an observant guy. Of things and of people.

Back to the eggs...cuz I just can't seem to let them go! Do you think they are powdered eggs? I've never tried powdered eggs, but the eggs I had at both CC and River Belle Terrace didn't taste like real eggs to me. The texture was all wrong, too. At any rate, I won't be "scrambling" to get any more eggs there any time soon! Sorry -- just had to say it.

 

[deejdigsdis]

OK, so just as a reminder... we left off with a picture of Screamin' being evacuated. Here's another picture of that little episode.

So no Screamin' for now. We decided to go on Mickey's Fun Wheel. I've never been on this ride, and neither has Chief. I'm not really a Ferris Wheel person, but my sister assured me that it doesn't have the Ferris Wheel feel that I was trying to avoid. So I decided to give it a go.

Wall over by the Fun Wheel.

We got in line for the non-swinging gondolas or whatever you call them. Our wait was less than 10 minutes. I think the wait for the swinging ones was around 30 minutes. The gondolas are much roomier than I was imagining. No claustrophobic feeling whatsoever.

Now for some random view pictures of our time on the Wheel:

Yep, Screamin' is still down.

A closer look at that same picture. Walking around on that track...no thank you.

Annnnnnd it's still down.

Notice those 2 CMs. They look like they are hiking up a mountain.

I really enjoyed this ride! You just can't beat the views. I'm really glad my sister talked me into this one, but I will definitely be sticking to the non-swinging gondolas.

Back on the ground now...

Still won't be heading to Screamin'

Chief's feet were still very much on the wet side. I told him we'd go buy some socks, but he didn't want to. My sister remembered that she was actually wearing 2 pair of socks, and she offered a pair to Chief. Dry socks, regardless of the fact that they were womens socks, were sounding pretty good to Chief. They found a bench and sat down to make the switch.

And then...what do you know...

"Mom! California Screamin' is working again! Let's go get in line!"

 

[TheColtonsMom]

Back to the eggs...cuz I just can't seem to let them go! Do you think they are powdered eggs? I've never tried powdered eggs, but the eggs I had at both CC and River Belle Terrace didn't taste like real eggs to me. The texture was all wrong, too. At any rate, I won't be "scrambling" to get any more eggs there any time soon! Sorry -- just had to say it.

If you look at them you can tell they don't even look right. Colton didn't eat his. Brant & I were pretty much on the omlette tour so we never ordered any but I did try Colton's when he said they tasted funny and he was right which is why all eggs the rest of the trip were fresh scrambled before our eyes at the omlette stations. Plus bonus Colton ate scrambled eggs with cheese and veges all the rest off the trip. With the exception of River Belle and they were bad again but all he really wanted that day was his Mickey Pancake anyway.

We won't be "scrambling" for anymore either

 

[travelmel]

Thank You! I think you will see that Picasa does some of the work. Here are many of the pictures you asked about -- straight from the camera with no editing at all. You can see for yourself the difference. Sometimes the difference is small, sometimes it's a bit more drastic.

[
Let me know if you have any more questions. Actually, maybe I should find some pics taken inside and show you the difference in those. Most of my DL pics are taken outside.

So after our celebrity sighting, and after Chief rode Astro Orbitor, we headed over to Jedi Training Academy. It was the last show of the day (4:35) and we got there about 10 minutes early.


Just like last time, Chief battled Darth Maul. I was sitting right up front so I could film the battle. Chief started using his moves he had just learned and all was going well. That is until the girl that leads the kids around thrust out her lightsaber, interrupting the battle, and very sternly/borderline yelling told Chief to stop. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. I couldn't tell what else she was saying to him. Whatever she was doing was completely unnecessary, for one thing. For another thing...if she did see the need to halt a battle for a safety reason, etc., there would be better ways to do it. She pretty much ruined the whole Jedi Training Academy experience for him. In his eyes... here he was, right up front, having his moment. She steps in and gets mad at him for no reason. Then she didn't let him have his full battle time. He was pretty upset. Of course having been up since 4am didn't help matters any. I wondered if I had missed something, so I watched it back, as did my sister since she filmed it as well. We were even more confused. We couldn't see any reason for her to do what she did. We sat at the tables there in Tomorrowland Terrace for a few minutes, and then headed toward the lockers. The sun had gone down and we needed those jackets! And a treat.

Thank you so much for posting your before and after pictures. I am going to try and use Picasa with my pictures that I have taken with my camera to see if maybe I can make them look nice without buying a new camera. Thanks so much for your time in helping me out

I'm sorry about the Jedi thing... sometimes when things go "wrong" with my kids I will pretend they didn't go wrong or that the person who messed with them is crazy.... what I mean is that sometimes kids can even be talked out of the feelings that they have if the parent just up and doesn't let the mood be what it is. It's hard to explain and I"m in a rush but.. what I mean is.. kids are gullible and sometimes I can use that to my advantage..you forget that they think YOU are the most perfect and smart person and will believe whatever you say.

Gotta run!
Great update!

 

[Sherry E]

I wanted to chime in on the egg topic before I shut the PC down for the night!!

I did not care for the eggs at Carnation Cafe. Then again, as you know, I was not a big fan of the breakfast there anyway (and I am one of the very few who feels that way). I didn't even really care for the eggs at Rainforest Cafe that much. There are all kinds of problems that scrambled eggs can suffer from, and it's a risk.

Now as for Goofy's Kitchen - snce I've been eating there so long (since 1992), I know there have been days here and there in those years where the eggs were not good. I cannot remember what exactly they tasted like because those 'bad egg days' haven't been that often (at least to my taste), but there have been those days here and there.

Every now and then, though, we get a batch of eggs at Goofy's that is just excellent and has us going back for seconds - of eggs! Not a second trip to the buffet to fill up on pastries or even the delicious bacon. Sometimes we just go and get more eggs! The funny thing is, the last two times I ate breakfast at Goofy's, the eggs were better than I had remembered them being for a while - and my friends commented on it even before I said anything.

But it's probably very hit or miss. As soon as I tell someone that the eggs at Goofy's are decent, they will go there and come back, saying it was the worst meal they've ever had!! So I think it's just a crap shoot with the eggs! Maybe it's a risk not worth taking for many people. Because when you DO get a bad egg, it's just not fun.

 

[deejdigsdis]

Thank you so much for posting your before and after pictures. I am going to try and use Picasa with my pictures that I have taken with my camera to see if maybe I can make them look nice without buying a new camera. Thanks so much for your time in helping me out

I'm sorry about the Jedi thing... sometimes when things go "wrong" with my kids I will pretend they didn't go wrong or that the person who messed with them is crazy.... what I mean is that sometimes kids can even be talked out of the feelings that they have if the parent just up and doesn't let the mood be what it is. It's hard to explain and I"m in a rush but.. what I mean is.. kids are gullible and sometimes I can use that to my advantage..you forget that they think YOU are the most perfect and smart person and will believe whatever you say.

Gotta run!
Great update!

I'm glad to hear you are giving Picasa a try! I hope you are happy with the results. Wow, your trip will be here before you know it.

And for the Jedi thing...that was just so weird. I made sure my son understood that he did nothing wrong.

I wanted to chime in on the egg topic before I shut the PC down for the night!!

There are all kinds of problems that scrambled eggs can suffer from, and it's a risk.

 

[deejdigsdis]

Better get hoppin' on this thing if I want to finish before I've been home for a month. For some reason I like to try to complete TR stuff within a month of returning home. Hmmmm...that means I have 8 days to finish this up.

So...Screamin' is up and running again and Chief wants to get in line, donning dry womens socks. I decided we'd ride TSMM first, just to make sure Screamin' was really doing OK. Truth be told...I still needed to talk myself into riding it. That whole getting stuck thing was really messing with my head.

So we got in line for TSMM.

My plan was to read up on tksbaskets awesome TSMM tips and work together with Chief to pull off our highest score ever. (Since we've only ridden it a few times, that wouldn't be too hard.) But, busy-ness got the best of us and Chief and I didn't get around to this. So Plan B was to print out the tips so Chief would have some fun reading material on the plane. He was all excited about this. We went to print them out and no ink in the printer. Time to head to the airport, so Plan B was out the window. We resorted to Plan C. Just have fun with it.

Before we got in line we bought some popcorn. It was a good way to pass the time. (35 minute wait) The family we rode GRR with got in line shortly after us, so we chatted with them some more. We also saw Dandruff Lady again! Actually, I'm pretty sure I haven't mentioned Dandruff Lady yet. Backing up a bit...when we were in line for Alice earlier in the morning I saw a lady in line in front of us wearing a black shirt. Out of the corner of my eye it looked like her shirt was totally speckled with dandruff. We are talking all over. Not just around the neckline/shoulders area. I took a closer look and realized it was glittery stuff, NOT dandruff! Then, a little while after that, while we were in line for Storybook Land Canal Boats, we looked up and there she was again! And now, hours later, we run into her in line for TSMM. It was so funny! It made us wonder how many times you pass the same person over and over during your DLR trip but don't really realize it if there is nothing "distinctive" about them.

Chief decided in the end that he didn't want to ride with me after all. He sat alone and I rode with my sister. Our less-than-impressive scores:

After I took the pic of our scores, my sister took a picture of me making a beaver-ish face, so we would remember who scored what. As flattering as that picture is, we'll just leave it in the archives for now.

OK. Screamin' is up and running full swing now. We got line. Usually I take pictures when I am in line, but I have nothing on my camera that proves I was in line for Screamin'. I must have been too nervous. Or just plain . We waited in a 15 minute standby line. Soon it was our turn to board. My mind just kept going back to seeing the coaster stopped on the track and people evacuating. I couldn't get those pictures out of my mind. I don't remember the last time I was so nervous about a ride. Ugh. I just wanted it to be over with. I know I wouldn't have gone on it if my son hadn't been talking about how he couldn't wait to ride his "favorite ride in the whole world" again for the past 14 months. Interesting what we moms will do for our children. Time to pull away from the loading area. The slowness of the beginning wasn't helping my fears any. That transition from slow to stopping and waiting to blasting off is usually fun for me. Not this time. I had to remind myself to breathe. Finally, we were off! Definitely no turning back now. I closed my eyes a lot, which I don't normally do. I remember thinking, "OK, we made it past that part...OK, I don't need to worry about this section anymore...OK please let us make it through the loop..." And then I relaxed. Not 'til after the loop, though. Needless to say, it wasn't the most enjoyable ride this time around. I felt like I needed a do-over, but given my body's inability to ride Screamin' twice in a row, it would have to wait. I also realized that in my 4 trips to DCA, I've never ridden Screamin' in the daylight. Hmmm.

Chief was ready to ride Silly Symphony Swings by now, so we made the long trek back to that area. His wait was less than 5 minutes. He was given the opportunity to ride again.

After that we headed over to Soarin' Over California. We had FPs to use before hopping back over to Disneyland for the rest of the night. Our wait was less than 5 minutes. I think 5 minutes is the longest I've EVER waited for this ride in the 4 trips.

Well, Chief needs the computer for homework, so we'll have to finish up DAY 2 later.

 

[Sherry E]

Dandruff Lady!! Even though it was not dandruff, she will forever go down in history as being the Dandruff Lady!!

I always, always notice that I see the same people repeatedly on each DLR trip - whether it be a multi-day extravaganza or a one-day marathon - I see one certain family, group of friends or loving couple early in the day, like maybe at Goofy's if that's where we go first, or in Downtown Disney or one of the hotels, and then I see those same people all over the place later. I don't seem to notice 50 families or couples over and over again. It's always like one specific group per day or per trip, and we keep ending up in the same locations! I might spot them at the PPH or at Goofy's at 7:00 a.m., and then on the Teacups at 9:00 a.m., in Adventureland at noon, and then in a shop in DCA later on in the day. In December, I saw one girl (who looked like a non-crack addict Heidi Fleiss) repeatedly on one specific day.

Isn't it odd that, in such a large place absolutely PACKED with people, you can see the same faces over and over again? To me, that's fascinating - because when you think about the actual odds of running into the same people in the exact places where you are in DLR, I'm sure the numbers are low. To take it to a more metaphysical level, it almost seems as if fate or the universe is intervening and we are supposed to somehow cross paths with these folks many times - but we just don't know why because we probably never talk to them...so we never find out what the greater purpose is!!

I know what you mean about feeling the need to complete your TR within a month. Actually, it doesn't even seem like it's been almost a month since your trip. Wow! It can be hard to accomplish that goal when you have 'real life' stuff to tackle, but I know that once I pass the 30-day mark in one of my TR's, it does start to feel a bit...I don't know...old...outdated...over. I feel like, "Okay, people have tuned out by now and have moved on to other brand new reports." That's why it's great to have a handful of loyal followers/DIS-friends. Otherwise, the general TR audience can be a fickle, fickle crowd!!

 

[deejdigsdis]

Dandruff Lady!! Even though it was not dandruff, she will forever go down in history as being the Dandruff Lady!!

I always, always notice that I see the same people repeatedly on each DLR trip - whether it be a multi-day extravaganza or a one-day marathon - I see one certain family, group of friends or loving couple early in the day, like maybe at Goofy's if that's where we go first, or in Downtown Disney or one of the hotels, and then I see those same people all over the place later. I don't seem to notice 50 families or couples over and over again. It's always like one specific group per day or per trip, and we keep ending up in the same locations! I might spot them at the PPH or at Goofy's at 7:00 a.m., and then on the Teacups at 9:00 a.m., in Adventureland at noon, and then in a shop in DCA later on in the day. In December, I saw one girl (who looked like a non-crack addict Heidi Fleiss) repeatedly on one specific day.

Isn't it odd that, in such a large place absolutely PACKED with people, you can see the same faces over and over again? To me, that's fascinating - because when you think about the actual odds of running into the same people in the exact places where you are in DLR, I'm sure the numbers are low. To take it to a more metaphysical level, it almost seems as if fate or the universe is intervening and we are supposed to somehow cross paths with these folks many times - but we just don't know why because we probably never talk to them...so we never find out what the greater purpose is!!

I know what you mean about feeling the need to complete your TR within a month. Actually, it doesn't even seem like it's been almost a month since your trip. Wow! It can be hard to accomplish that goal when you have 'real life' stuff to tackle, but I know that once I pass the 30-day mark in one of my TR's, it does start to feel a bit...I don't know...old...outdated...over. I feel like, "Okay, people have tuned out by now and have moved on to other brand new reports." That's why it's great to have a handful of loyal followers/DIS-friends. Otherwise, the general TR audience can be a fickle, fickle crowd!!

I debated whether or not I should post a picture of Dandruff Lady. I decided not to, but then I figured if I cropped off her head it would be OK. Upon discovering her for the 3rd time in one day, I decided I really needed to get a picture. You're right, she will go down in history as being known as Dandruff Lady. "Remember our trip to Disneyland back in January 2011...how we ran into that same lady 3 times? What was her 'name' again??? Oh yeah, Dandruff Lady!!!" Anyway, I had Chief pose and I nonchalantly captured a picture of him with Dandruff Lady.

And I'm shocked. All this time I was thinking I had seen dandruff all over her neck area/shoulder area and then some. But it's a sleeveless shirt! I had really only seen it on her back and front.

But this stuff fascinates me. If you could mark yourself as a dot on a Disneyland map and see your dot move on its path throughout the day/trip, it would be so fun to see your dot cross paths multiple times with other dots on their own path. OK, that last sentence sounds weird but I know you know what I mean. It was so crazy when we went in Oct. and saw the same lady in nearly the same place in the exact same outfit 2 days in a row. That would be Halloween Lady. She was very distinctive.

We saw her one morning walking in this same area while we were eating breakfast at River Belle Terrace. Then the next day...lo and behold...here she was again! Walking in almost the same spot, wearing those cute socks and tiny witch hat!

And look at me stalking her! All in the name of getting that perfect picture. I loved how happy she was. Maybe we should call her Happy Halloween Lady instead of Halloween Lady. And in case there is anyone out there thinking I'm rude, and "How would you like it if..." Well, I would love it! I would love to know what someone was calling me if they happened to notice me once or twice or three times or whatever. I would love to know what my Disneyland nickname is for someone else. Even if it's not very flattering. I feel like the Happy Halloween Lady name is flattering, so I left her face in the picture. Plus I needed to showcase her little hat. Now Dandruff Lady -- that's not so flattering. So I cropped off her head. Hmmm. What would my nickname be??? Maybe I'll have to come up with my own. But that's not as fun. No, I just want to know what someone else would come up with. But that's not very likely. OK, I'm done now.

And the TR thing...EXACTLY. It feels old and outdated to me if I go beyond the 30 day mark. Man, I'm going to be busy this week if I'm trying to finish up my last day, which was a 9am-11pm day, AND make my Snapfish calendar!