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

[deejdigsdis]

I don't remember when I first learned about the Flag Retreat, but it is one of those gems that I absolutely love.

We caught the tail end of the parade shortly before the Flag Retreat began.



Let the Flag Retreat and all the patriotic feelings begin!











Posting these pictures reminds me of my Dad's funeral, which was less than a year after this trip. He was in the Army and served in the Korean War.










I usually like to linger after the Flag Retreat. It is so awesome to sit back and watch our past and present military members greet each other like old friends because of that connection they share.

 

[deejdigsdis]

Before leaving Town Square post-Flag Retreat, we came across someone planking on one of the benches.



Actually, it was my Sister.

A walk down Main Street and we spy another Easter Egg in a window display.



I always have to check out the Sewing Machine display. It was kind of bare bones this trip. This display is one of my favorites. (Not as a kid, mind you. I wasn't 10 years old and asking to see how the Sewing Machine was dolled up that particular trip. Just one of those details I came to appreciate as an adult!) I don't think it's there anymore, though. It has moved before, but the last time I was there I didn't see it at all.



We must have had some Big Thunder Mountain FPs to use, so we rode that. I remember noticing that the gates were extra rusty after the months-long refurb/changes.





Next up, we grabbed some ice cream from Main Street and headed on over to watch Mickey and the Magical Map. Ice cream always tastes better at Disneyland!







This was a fun show. I have only seen it a couple of times but we enjoyed it.

We rode Pirates next - no pictures - and then headed back to enjoy the sights and sounds of Fantasyland at night!

 

[deejdigsdis]

We rode Big Thunder Mountain one more time and then made our way back to Jolly Holiday for a nighttime snack.



We made our way down Main Street to the lockers to retrieve our things. I love this map in the locker area.

 

[deejdigsdis]

We stopped into the Emporium and I picked up these 4 plates I had my eye on. Five years later and going strong as plates-that-get-used-every-day.







A couple more pictures before calling it a night.



Goodnight Disneyland!



Good Morning Disneyland! Our 3rd day started out with just putting our stuff in a locker at Disneyland since we were going to end our day there.

 

[deejdigsdis]

We hopped on over to DCA. First ride of the day:



27 minutes after taking the picture of the horse on Main Street in Disneyland my legs were dangling out of Soarin' Over California. Legs on the left that could use a little more lotion, I might add!



We rode Monster's next.




I'm all about pictures of feet...



Roz is my favorite part of the ride and I'm scared of Roz -- all at the same time.



A high school band was playing when we exited the ride. My then-trumpet-playing 14 year old son would have absolutely loved being a part of this.



We spent some more time in the area taking pictures and riding the Trolley. There will be some out-of-orderness to these pictures. I'm thinking this picture was taken before riding Monsters, while picking up a FP.

 

[deejdigsdis]

I realized after that last post that most of what I posted had changed. Soarin', ToT, and Aladdin. All sad things to me.

OK, on to the Red Car Trolley...



And a tad out of order, as I post from 2 different sources.










Mad T Party, anyone?



A little Five and Dime...





And News Boys...

 

[deejdigsdis]

A few more pictures in DCA before we left the park.

"Once Upon A Time" was a big thing at the time. A display of clothing from the set in one of the shops:







Time to use those ToT FPs!









Ugh. This building looked so much better as ToT.





We left DCA and turned left to go to DTD. But first, a peek at the Disneyland entrance.

 

[deejdigsdis]

We swung into DTD for a specific reason.



I needed to pick up a little request for my then-8-year-old son. The Lego set of the hour! I could have just bought it at home. There was something about it coming from Downtown Disney, though.



We rode the Monorail back to Disneyland and caught another glimpse of the lagoon:



I put the Legos in our locker and then we had lunch at our favorite lunch spot, Carnation Cafe.





One time Oscar sat with me and told me how to make this soup. He had given me the recipe (signed) back in 2009. When I made it at home, it just didn't turn out. I told him and he gave me some tips for the next time I made it!



Wish I was having this for lunch today!



After lunch we headed over to a ride that is good post-meal. Nothing too crazy... Not a bad wait time, either.



A couple more pictures before we hopped over to DCA to use some FPs we collected earlier.



Missing one of my favorites! IJ was closed during both SIL's 2012 and 2014 trips. She would have to plan another trip to finally be able to ride it.

 

[deejdigsdis]

So we just left Disneyland to use some FPs in DCA.





We rode Soarin' Over California next, and then spent most of the remainder of our day in Cars Land.





No FPs for RSR, so Single Rider Line, here we come!







We were able to do Single Rider twice without too long of a wait.

 

[deejdigsdis]

There always needs to be a picture of a mannequin. Because they creep us out.



Goodbye for the last time this trip, DCA!

 

[deejdigsdis]

We hopped back over to Disneyland to close out our last night in the parks.



First up, dinner at Rancho del Zocalo. I preferred it as Casa Mexicana as a child, but this will do.





We love to sit with Big Thunder Mountain as our view. The sounds of the whistle of the train and the train rounding the tracks while you are eating...





We did see another cockroach when we were done eating. That makes several times now...

We continued on and rode Haunted Mansion, Pooh, and Pirates. While in line for Pirates, I was introduced to Disneybounding.



I had never heard of it before. (Keep in mind, this is 2014.) But I immediately could tell he was Mickey Mouse-ing.

Walls up for the NOS/Club 33/Court of Angels changes.



Last night in Disneyland = a shopping trip to Candy Palace!



After we bought our candy (always includes fudge!) we went back to the lockers to retrieve our things.

Oh how I wish they didn't close down the Main Street Cone Shop! (Oh yeah, Hi Goofy!)



We always drag our feet out of the park that final night. Not so much due to "Disneyland feet," moreso due to sadness. We love those quieter moments at night after official park closing. But we had one more morning of fun, so off to bed we went!

 

[deejdigsdis]

Just back last night from my most recent trip, Tuesday May 14 - Friday May 17th! I am interrupting the rehashing of this April 2014 trip to test out a new way of resizing/posting pictures into a TR. Here are a few pictures from this week.

 

[deejdigsdis]

I really need to get this April 2014 trip wrapped up! The goal is to be done within a week.

So our last morning! My usual breakfast at the Candy Cane Inn, along with a couple of pictures of the breakfast area:





I remember thinking that was a little ghost out of the corner of my eye.



A look at the front of CCI before heading out our last morning.



One last time...



Main Street at 9am.



First stop was to go pick up a Space FP. Which sounds funny now, since I've used MaxPass my last 2 trips. We passed through Fantasyland on our way over to NOS to ride Haunted Mansion. Good morning Alice and Mad Hatter!





Still making our way over to NOS and hoping to fit in a spin on the Mark Twain before we have to leave the park around 1pm.

 

[deejdigsdis]

Finally made it over to Haunted Mansion. But first, another egg!



Looks so open without the scanners out there!





A favorite Hidden Mickey.



Splash Mountain was up next. Hellooooo Single Rider line!



I don't think I've done Single Rider since this trip 5 years ago. I have no idea if this is still how it works.



I was in the back of my log...and the only rider without a poncho.







Bathroom break...love this one.

 

[deejdigsdis]

One more egg sighting as we left Critter Country and went over to Tomorrowland to use our Space FPs.









OK, these will be out of order. I didn't take them after riding Space Mountain, but I'll just throw them in here. It was the 50th Anniversary of it's a small world and there was an event that day. Lots of filming going on:

 

[deejdigsdis]

More iasw filming action...










Setting up the piano for the sing along.





One more egg sighting across the way...



We ended up having enough time to ride the Mark Twain before we needed to leave the park. As a kid...I definitely wouldn't have taken the time to ride this unless my parents dragged me on for a "family ride" moment. As an adult...one of my favorites, for sure.

 

[deejdigsdis]

Now it was time to ride it's a small world!



Loved this shirt the man in front of us was wearing...



Flower detail for the 50th...





Hang in there, just a couple more fairly wordless posts! I guess that's what happens when 5 years pass by in between posts!

 

[deejdigsdis]

OK. That dreaded time. The last ride of the trip. Sometimes it's POTC, sometimes it's Big Thunder. This time it was Big Thunder. And grrrr. It broke down just as it was our turn to board. This was not the first time that this was our chosen last ride of a trip, and then had to exit right before boarding. It's extra not fun when you're geared up for something as the last hurrah ride, and it doesn't pan out, and there is no time to replace it with something else.



The Mass Exodus.



We basically just had enough time for lunch before leaving the park and heading back to Candy Cane Inn to catch a Super Shuttle to the airport. We love eating at Hungry Bear, and especially love the cool, relaxing atmosphere next to the water on warm days. I'm just sad they no longer serve this Fried Green Tomato Sandwich and whatever the slaw was. Sooooooo good.





My mouth is watering, just looking at the slaw picture. Mmmm. So good.



After lunch we made our way to the Exit. This is the time when I just take pictures willy nilly as I walk out, sad to leave.

 

[deejdigsdis]

Sadly, this was my only Oscar sighting at Carnation Cafe this trip. He wasn't there when we ate lunch earlier in the trip. I wondered if he would ever sit and chat at my table again since it seemed like he could retire at any moment. Spoiler Alert: He would.





Even the flowers looked sad that we were leaving!









We were very sad that we would be missing the Sing-Along happening an hour after we left.



One last look. Until next time, Disneyland! Whenever that will be. That's always the hard part. Not knowing when I will return.





Back at CCI now, wishing we were boarding this shuttle instead of the Super Shuttle... Sigh.



And that closes the book on the Great Girls' Trip of 2014!

I have 4 more trips to catch up on since then, so stay tuned!