Matt's 2017 Spring Dapper Day Trip Report

[whoever]

We rolled off of Indy unscathed by Mara and started to make our way back to the Grand to get ready for the pools. We had a 14:00 or 14:30 (I honestly can't remember when they told us it would start) Cabana reservation, so wanted plenty of time to relax a little and do some shopping as we went. We hit the room at 12:35 after a stroll through the Adventureland and Main Street shops as well as World of Disney as we went. I started downloading the memory card from the camera (I've very seldom ever exhausted a single 64GB card, much less the two which my camera holds before a download session). Swapped batteries, put the phones on the chargers and just relaxed as we got out of our Dapper attire.

Before you knew it, it was 13:51 and we were on the move. We stopped at the entrance the Paradise Pier people use to cut through the Grand and was told they would have the tram right up, but the stroller would have to be folded. Not wanting to deal with removing the step off the back, we decided to just take it on foot as the trip isn't all that far and we've done it several times before. We rolled up to our cabana at 14:03 and were pleasantly surprised that it was already cleaned and prepared for us. Maybe it was a 14:00 reservation. Not knowing, or caring, we set up shop. This was our second time renting cabana #2, and it is definitely our cabana of choice. The vantage and location is our favorite.

The kids were off to the slides as Amy and I settled in. The cabana attendant was by promptly to hand me the bill, and a server was by shortly after to start us on drinks.

THe view from the cabana... perfect vantage to ignore the children from

Happy to be back... it's been about a year and a half since we were in our cabana at the DLH pool.

Within 15 minutes of arriving, we had our first round in hand, a Krakatoa for me (Reserve and Spiced Rums, Tropical Juices, Orgeat, Sam's Gorilla Grog, and Hibiscus Grenadine) , a Black Cherry Lemonade for Amy (Grey Goose Cherry Noir Vodka, Odwalla Lemonade, Fresh Lime Juice and Grenadine topped with a hit of Sprite)

I followed mine up with a Tower 10 IPA or two, and we just relaxed, ignored the kids, and enjoyed some MUCH needed down time on this "vacation" which was wearing us ragged...

I occasionally got up to check on them... still alive..

At 15:00, the offspring were recalled to the cabana for lunch. Katherine had a cheeseburger and fries, Charlotte had Salmon, Victoria had Fries and fruit. Amy and I split the Ahi Poke, and Panko crusted Chinese long-beans. Both were great (but my home-made poke is better...just saying).

Full Belly and drink in hand (Tower 10 IPA), life doesn't get much better than this..

About half an hour after lunch, it was Mojito time!!! A Murky for me (Lemon Hart 151 Rum, fresh Lime Juice, Mint and Organic Agave Nectar topped with Angostura Bitter), a Mosquito for Amy (Strawberry Rum, Organic Agave Nectar, Falernum, Mint, and fresh Lime Juice with a splash of Soda)

Everybody rejuvenated, the kids were off and spry into the pools...

Charlotte fancied herself a jumper today..

Katherine thought herself a submarine-launched intercontinental ballistic missile

 

[whoever]

The water shower the DLH monorail slides have going on is pretty cool

(our kids are up there somewhere..)

And here comes Katherine

Charlotte doesn't quite have the form down..

Victoria is following Charlotte's lead..

Hot tub time..

View from the chair in the cabana..

And... back to the big pool...

This would be Amy's don't put that picture on the internet face...

This is her getting back at me...

And Charlotte refining her technique..

Katherine taking it suspiciously slow..

Oh no she didn't... diving off the end of the water slide..

Vic has already consigned herself to a dunking by the looks of that face.

 

[Canadian Harmony]

I love your trip reports and photos. Still waiting on the birthday/Club 33 TR to be updated *hint hint*

 

[whoever]

I love your trip reports and photos. Still waiting on the birthday/Club 33 TR to be updated *hint hint*

THat is actually next. I left off right at the club itself if I recall correctly..

 

[whoever]

We wrapped up at the pool around 18:00-ish and decided we'd make our way back to the Hotel via Downtown Disney. We strolled through, checked out the Lego store (boy I wish I could justify a whole room of my house and hundreds of dollars per month to Lego fancy). We also stopped at Vault 28 for Amy to look at those special themed dresses they were selling. They were out of several and I think they only had the haunted mansion themed one left. Amy spied a Small World Dooney she wanted and in my compromised state, the Disney Visa came out and it was hers (saved $32 bucks with my AP though). This trip was going to hurt on food/drink/souvenirs for sure.

A quick stop at the room to change and we were ready to head back into the parks at 18:55. We are Disney warriors after all, no rest for the wicked.

Our first stop was Plaza Inn for some Fried Chicken Meals. Nothing beats it for Disney quick eats and filling goodness..

Somewhere between dinner and Frontierland, Victoria fell asleep and Katherine was being moody. This prompted Charlotte and I to ride BTMRR in the last car. I love riding all the way in back.. it feels SOOO fast. Once we got off, Amy decided to take the older girls on another round while I watched Vic.

I just have to say that I LOVE BTMRR at night... so beautiful

After we concluded our adventure on the wildest ride in the wilderness, Amy decided to take Vic back to the room and call it a night while I keep the older two girls up a bit later. Clearly to me, this meant a trip to exotic locals via the Jungle Navigation Company was in order. We had a GREAT skipper who could sling his witty lines with expert fluency. We did get a little backed up over by the anaconda though and getting back to the dock turned into a slight fiasco.

Clearly there could be only one attraction for our next adventure and that was Pirates!!! We jumped in the queue at 19:07 and proceeded on our quest for cursed treasure.

There is that myth again. Wanted to make sure my eyes weren't deceiving me the first time around...

Our adventure through the Spanish main was going well until... we hit a sand bar just under the bridge leading to the burning scene. This persisted for probably 10-15 minutes with the singing pirates not to far ahead perpetually wailing out the Pirate's song..

Once freed up, I had a chance to try for the hardest shot on all of Pirates (IMHO), the cat with the fish bones in its mouth...and... still not passable as a worthy shot... oh well, I tried my best. If somehow I could get a 1/10th second exposure from a moving boat MAYBE I could pierce the pitch blackness it resides in and get a proper shot.

These guys had been tormenting us from just beyond the bridge... finally I could cast my vision on their blithering faces..

I never realized how expansive this show scene is. It occupies quite an area..

Not sure if I like my normal close up or a bit further away better on this guy..

And as always... time for a jail shot or two.. that dog is NEVER going to move!!!!!!!

The trip had taken 31 minutes. Not bad for a long stoppage. Indy was calling to us as well, so into the queue we went.. it was a relatively fast progression and I got my best Eeyore to date (but still pretty darn grainy)

The ride was pretty bumpy and chaotic (I think they turn it up late at night when the smaller kids all leave) but we left the queue after at 22:00 on the dot. The park was open until midnight, but we weren't going to stay out THAT late. That didn't mean we weren't going to get several more attractions-worth under our belt. What could we do without Mom and Vic which we would love and they would be hesitant to do were they here? Splash!!!

We ended up getting to go THREE times in a row. At the end of #3, we called it though and sloshed our way back to the room at 22:55. This is why I love the Grand even moving at a glacial pace, stopping at both the Emporium, AND World of Disney we still hit our room at 23:17 not the worse for wear.

 

[whoever]

04/24/20107
As all Mondays do, this Monday came entirely too quickly and early. We were all exhausted from the previous day's festivities and late night out, so we were slow to rise. Thankfully, it was a LATE EMH for DCA. We got ourselves up, dressed, loaded up, and headed out from the room at 08:25. Security from the Grand via DTD was a breeze, no lines (I'm kinda liking this new security setup). We cruised to the Esplanade and what did we see? The place was FULL!!!! Apparently Disneyland was opening at 09:00 as well as the 09:00 EMH for DCA. Thankfully, you don't get DCA EMH with your Disneyland MM, so our lines were relatively short..

I can't recall seeing the Esplanade filled ALMOST TO DCA for a Disneyland opening in times past. CRAZY. There's been rumors that attendance is dropping... I failed to see it during my four-day trip.

And here is where you guys who are along for the ride get to bear with me as I examine features of DCA which most people would find inane. I really love the details and this is my trip report, so you get to see them too...

Have I mentioned how much I LOVE this Art Deco fountain?

Amy's quit taking pictures of me face as we waited for rope drop.

I even like the street lamps

As with EVERY DCA EMH, first stop is RSR. Even here I was taking in the details as we waited...

Can't say I've ever noticed the named suites in the loading area.

This vista never gets old..

This is a decent Mater. I need a little bit faster of a shutter and a little bit crisper when focusing the focus ring (manual focus as AF won't meter in the dark)

We won!!!

 

[whoever]

After our spin on RSR, we headed over to the Pier. TSMM was down... AGAIN. Amy decided to try Charlotte for height again on Screamin as we've measured her a LOT and she was definitely over height despite being turned away previously. What do you know, she was good to go. Her first time on Screamin'!!! Wish I could have been the one to take her. Victoria was not amused at being ditched with Daddy... she only wants Mommy. She kept peeking out to see if I was still there and retreating when she saw me. Darn kid.

Charlotte was starting to have second thoughts...

Her first launch... Amy later told me as soon as they launched she was screaming AGAIN AGAIN!!!

She loved it and was hooked!!!

Amy decided to take Vic over to the Fun Wheel of DEATH while I took the other two on Screamin'... three more times.

For our last trip, we waited 4 cycles to get to ride up front.

Charlotte wanted to keep doing it, but we had other activities to partake of. I must say the view up top is great, but it was an overcast/smoggy day, not like that crisp winter day where I got my favorite DCA shot ever being able to see snow on the top of the distant mountains and a perfect color balance.

And the monstrosity... it brings shivers to me every time I catch a glimpse of it.

My fast passes I had grabbed on the way into the park now open, we headed towards Cars Land, but not before stuffing our faces and watching the bakers bake at Boudin Bakery. I LOVE their sour dough and Katherine is an addict.

Victoria REALLY wanted to do the dancing cars, so into Luigi's queue we went at 10:23. The queue actually had people in it, which was a surprise.

The flowers were attracting a LOT of honey bees.

Katherine was tasked with carrying the timing lanyard

I just LOVE the details. They should sell these... I'd buy one.

Eventually we aligned with a view of the two oldest in their own car.

And a selfie taken from the above picture (take that iPhone photogs)

The morning progressing, it was time to exercise those FP and jump in RSR.

Not wating to post more of the same... here's some new shots..

We departed after our win and made our way towards Hollywood Land at 11:04 as we wanted to grab some lunch before the Frozen show.


As with everything in life, if you don't like your view, just shift your focus and change your perspective.

I must say, the Bacon Street Dog from Award Wieners was AWESOME. I miss the TOT themed one, but this one was great. The new Filmstrip fries were a huge hit as well.

Sadly... Marvel will change all this..

And it started with Spider Man and Captain America (Captain America could actually fit the narrative if done right)

 

[Belle83]

I am loving your trip report

 

[whoever]

I am loving your trip report

Thanks. Didn't know if anybody was reading it.

 

[ADLFAN]

I'm reading, too! Your reports are the best because of your awesome pictures of the little Disney details that I adore, your ultra photogenic family, and your humor and wit! Keep those updates rolling out , and I would love to hear about Club 33 on your other trip report in progress! Thanks for bringing us a little Disney when we can't get there ourselves!

 

[LALA8971]

Great trip report! I absolutely love all your photos!

 

[Angrose]

Of course people are reading...you have over 3,000 views!! We all LOVE your trip reports!! Thank you for taking the time to post them, they really are great

 

[whoever]

Prepare yourself... the next three updates are pretty much solid pictures... while I had trepidation about Frozen especially replacing my beloved Aladdin, it was GREAT!

Our lunch gone, Katherine and I decided to do the Pirates of the Caribbean Dead Men Tell No Tales preview while Amy and the younger girls did some browsing in the shops. Sadly, the preview was immediately starting, so we didn't get to check out the costumes and props in the lobby. Thankfully POTC isn't one of my major prop collections or I'd be pissed.

The movie looks GREAT, and Amy and I will probably try to see it for our Anniversary as we've done the previous ones in the theater at the same time if memory recalls. It was now time to go stand in queue for Frozen. Katherine was ADAMANT that she wasn't going to stand in a queue for an hour for "stupid Frozen" Thankfully by the time we made it over and bribed them with something or other it was a done deal. We chose Mezzanine. I've had both Balcony and Orchestra and Mezzanine offers the best view. As we were so far up front, we were literally front row, center (too much center as there is a dog house over the projector I had to cope with).

The set is BEAUTIFUL...

I never noticed them selling concessions during Aladdin. Is this something new?

The performance opened taking over the snow-capped peaks of Arendelle. I wasn't sure what to think of the heavy use of projection technology. In the end I'd give it a thumbs up.

The King..

The lack of face makeup on the actors inside the troll costumes was... distracting. I would have preferred them to have a similar tone as the gray skin of the trolls via makeup.

The use of oversize props gave a GREAT illusion of a smaller Anna and Elsa.

Anna was a great actress with crazy facial expressions

I must say the overstuffed costume Elsa was forced to wear for the quick-change was a bit bulky/distracting too

Just liked these shots..

The Duke of Weselton was quite the animated character even dancing a jig for us.

Hans was also a great cast for the role

 

[ashley0139]

I'm loving your trip report! Looking forward to more. Love the girls' matching outfits for Dapper Day!

 

[whoever]

The performance stage is pretty awesome... and pointy

I know a stair isn't all that impressive but this one does some pretty good range of motion...

The chandelier was pretty good...

Now you see me in this outfit..

Now in this outfit...

Ditch that crown too...

Sven was completely and totally awesome... his handler mimicked all expressions perfectly...

I think this sled segment was the highlight of the performance...

Jumping the chasm was SOOOO well done...

 

[whoever]

Olaf and his handler were also expertly cast and every facial expression was perfectly synced between the two.

Loved the summer vignette

And... back to those arguing sisters... having a family of all females... I see this regularly..

Else LOVED flipping her cape.

And back to the trolls..

It was a well done sequence, but the lack of facial makeup still distracting

The last scenes were awesome as well..

Anna frozen...

True love melts!!!

Trading... ceased!!

Finale!!!

LOVED the supporting cast... thanks for a brilliant performance..

And the leads were perfection.

Classic pose anybody?

 

[whoever]

Frozen concluded, we let most of the people fill out at their own pace as we were crammed up against the railing and didn't want to try to fight our way through the crowds. We entered back into daylight at 13:38 and had our senses assaulted by the gaudy building presented in front of us offending our senses.

I'm not going to ever stop ridiculing this horrible decision... so horrible..

We decided we had achieved enough in DCA for the day and park hopped over to Disneyland. I just LOVE how everything is not only walkable.. but ridiculously close. I wonder if that's why it always feels so crowded.

It was time for some Dole Whip... and Tiki Room, but mainly Dole whip..

Charlotte and I volunteered to do the Whip wait while Amy and the other girls scoped out some seats. Just love the theming.

Charlotte and I were sporting our Tiki Room/Dole Whip shirts in solidarity..

A slew of whips achieved (you'd be surprised how much it costs to whip a family of 5) and we were enjoying them while we waited for the next show.

Amy hates when I do this. I keep doing it.

Thankfully there are several retailers who offer official Dole Whip in Phoenix, so I'll grab a gallon or so of it from time to time ($25/gallon in case you were wondering) so we can enjoy it at home. I finally got to eat mine!!

Some random stranger in the queue with an AWESOME shirt I really wanted to have.

And the show begins!!

 

[McNs]

Still loving the TR! Awesome photos, is there a way of seeing the camera settings?

Your tiki tshirt is cool but that mans is next level cool!

 

[whoever]

Still loving the TR! Awesome photos, is there a way of seeing the camera settings?

The basic EXIF is exposed on the pictures so if you have an exif viewer plugin for your browser, you should be able to see most of the info. Everything is shot in manual mode, sometimes AF is on, sometimes not. I seldom if ever touch the WB during a trip so the only variables are focal length (I shoot primes and zoom lens), ISO, Aperture, and shutter speed.

Your tiki tshirt is cool but that mans is next level cool!

I wanted to offer to buy it off his back. Great shirt to add to my collection.

 

[Angrose]

Yep, I didn't love the trolls either. I thought they looked strange, but I was sitting all the way up in the balcony and didn't realize it was human skin showing through the masks. Strange they would not use make-up.

I also love YOUR tiki/Dole Whip t-shirts. Where did you get them?