Nothing to See Here...

[PHXscuba]

Christmas overload!! (and animatronic duck alert)

Great pictures. I love gingerbread men but not the houses as much. I had a couple of traumatic incidents in junior high trying to make them from scratch (long story) and did not tackle them again until a couple years ago. Those pre-made kits are a lot better, but I'd still rather EAT the gingerbread and the candy instead of decorating with it and letting it get stale.

I can't believe you only went on three rides the whole trip. I'm curious as to which attractions made the cut if you didn't ride a couple favorites. I'm glad you got into a couple of your photos, even if you weren't feeling pose-happy. Without Photopass, it's hard to convince yourself take the time to have someone take your picture.

Awaiting more ....

PHXscuba

 

[bumbershoot]

I just adore the flower pictures, even the ones you weren't happy with. I'm big on bright colors.


I think you're right about Jenny being more forced. Melissa has that sweet face with the dimples, and I bet they could say the exact same lines with the exact same people around them, and I'd like Melissa's take on it.


E took pictures of the gingerbread house with my phone, so I'll try to get those off of the phone and onto the computer later. That would also be good for my remaining trip report I have left...sadly, my 5 year old camera takes worse pictures than my phone. Sad sad sad. All I could get of the nighttime castle was blur with my camera, but they look pretty good with my phone.

I'm feeling called to make my mom's recipe for "molasses doll" cookies. Very similar to gingerbread, but with less ginger and more molasses.

The trader joes kit is in a triangular box, it has the candies you need and even powdered sugar to help with the icing "glue" (all you need is one egg white and a touch of white vinegar or lemon juice). Even has a pastry bag for piping it on. (if only I'd found that before wasting a ziplok bag, LOL) I think they are calling it a "hexen house" or something like that. Little and cute.



OK that was a big enough post for YOUR trip report, LOL.

 

[Sherry E]

Christmas overload!! (and animatronic duck alert)

Great pictures. I love gingerbread men but not the houses as much. I had a couple of traumatic incidents in junior high trying to make them from scratch (long story) and did not tackle them again until a couple years ago. Those pre-made kits are a lot better, but I'd still rather EAT the gingerbread and the candy instead of decorating with it and letting it get stale.

I can't believe you only went on three rides the whole trip. I'm curious as to which attractions made the cut if you didn't ride a couple favorites. I'm glad you got into a couple of your photos, even if you weren't feeling pose-happy. Without Photopass, it's hard to convince yourself take the time to have someone take your picture.

Awaiting more ....

PHXscuba

PHX -

Christmas overload?! That doesn't sound like a good thing! Seeing that Christmas is 4 days away, and seeing that there are many different active holiday Trip Reports going on right now, there's probably going to be a lot of Christmas overload for a while.

I love gingerbread houses, although it is a waste of gingerbread. I've never tried to make one from scratch, nor have I used a kit. I just like the craftsmanship and detail that goes into them. But I also love looking at elaborately decorated cakes and other confectionery masterpieces - like the ones you'd see on those competition shows on the Food Network - but a lot of times those cakes end up going to waste and not being eaten as well.

Yep - only 3 rides. As I mentioned in the first installment of this specific TR, there is a whole list of things I did NOT do - and unfortunately that includes a lot of rides I would normally go on.

As for PhotoPass and solo pictures - see, for me, without friends to take PhotoPass pictures with, I would not waste money on a CD with only photos of me on it! If I am going to pose solo at all, I would rather not do PhotoPass unless I had already taken photos with friends too and was just adding to the PhotoPass account. For example, I took solo PhotoPass pictures on the "Aunt Betty..." trip in December 2011, but I knew I was going to have other photos with friends too so it wasn't all me on the CD!

But it's just as easy to get solo pictures on a non-PhotoPass camera. I just wasn't in the mood to do that during this trip. I was too sleepy and out of it on the first day, and then on the subsequent days I was involved in other photo-taking endeavors and didn't want to break my streak!

 

[Sherry E]

I just adore the flower pictures, even the ones you weren't happy with. I'm big on bright colors.


I think you're right about Jenny being more forced. Melissa has that sweet face with the dimples, and I bet they could say the exact same lines with the exact same people around them, and I'd like Melissa's take on it.


E took pictures of the gingerbread house with my phone, so I'll try to get those off of the phone and onto the computer later. That would also be good for my remaining trip report I have left...sadly, my 5 year old camera takes worse pictures than my phone. Sad sad sad. All I could get of the nighttime castle was blur with my camera, but they look pretty good with my phone.

I'm feeling called to make my mom's recipe for "molasses doll" cookies. Very similar to gingerbread, but with less ginger and more molasses.

The trader joes kit is in a triangular box, it has the candies you need and even powdered sugar to help with the icing "glue" (all you need is one egg white and a touch of white vinegar or lemon juice). Even has a pastry bag for piping it on. (if only I'd found that before wasting a ziplok bag, LOL) I think they are calling it a "hexen house" or something like that. Little and cute.



OK that was a big enough post for YOUR trip report, LOL.

Molly -

Thank you! I do like the pictures that I showed as being unsuccessful attempts at flower photos too (more or less), for the same reason that you do. Bright colors! Vibrant color is everything in a flower! Flowers are interesting subjects for many reasons, but the colors, textures and shapes are seemingly endless and they change with the seasons, so it's like a non-stop array of prettiness, all year long!

It's just that those particular photos that I singled out were not successful as far as depth and dimension, really, but as far as colors and what not, I definitely like them!

While at DLR last week I noticed that many of the flower beds and planters were looking a bit ragged, compared to how they often appear, so it was actually not that easy to find random flowers that were in good shape so I could take pictures. (The "floral Mickey" at the DL entrance was barely floral at all, and it looked quite pitiful. I was surprised!)

I suppose that's just nature taking its course, but I guess I expect Disney to be so on top of its horticultural details that they send gardeners out to the ailing flowers at the first sign of distress.

Can't you just picture it? I can envision official VIPs in suits getting on walkie talkie devices at the first glimpse of a wilted flower and talking to some unknown entity in some unknown office behind the scenes:

"Uh, yes, we have a snapdragon down, behind the White Rabbit statuette at the Hub. Again, I repeat...snapdragon down at the Hub. Please send someone with shears - STAT."

I do amuse myself at times! Snapdragon down!


Anyway, yes, Jenny McCarthy always seems to be trying way too hard to be funny. It's not necessary, so it rubs me the wrong way sometimes. Melissa just seems more natural, and she has more of a built-in sense of timing and delivery. She is more of an actual comedienne, whereas Jenny seems like "the hot girl" trying to show the boys that she is funny.

I've seen photos taken with people's phones that are quite good, so it does not shock me if an up-to-date phone takes a better picture than a camera that's several years old, as was the case with your Castle pics. However, when people have handed me their phones to take their picture for them, I have the worst time steadying my hand and getting a clear shot if I have to just touch a screen. I seem to function much better if I can actually press a shutter of some kind!

I don't seem to be able to get a decent photo of the nighttime Castle from afar. The only way I can get any photo of it that is even close to decent is if I stand really close to it.

I love molasses-y things too, so the doll cookies sound delicious! Yum!

 

[tksbaskets]

Hi,
I'll be taking my iPad with me to WDW. I may be able to keep up with my favorite trip reports and threads

Let the Tasmanian Devil Packing begin!

 

[Sherry E]

Hi,
I'll be taking my iPad with me to WDW. I may be able to keep up with my favorite trip reports and threads

Let the Tasmanian Devil Packing begin!

Have a great time, TK!

I've already gotten the brand new Christmas/Holiday Season Superthread started (I hate having to leave the existing one, which was so much fun and had so many views - well over 300,000 views!), but it will take some time to assemble all of the info I am going to include in it. You will notice that on Page 1 of the new thread I have a bunch of different posts designated for different subjects. In the coming weeks I am going to be taking the existing info that I had in the old thread and deconstructing it, reorganizing it and re-categorizing it to go into the different posts, as well as adding in newer links to more recent info and getting rid of some older stuff that is not relevant anymore.

It will take some time and work, but I had to start a new thread (since we reached the page limit in the previous one) so it is necessary! Be sure to look for the link to the new Christmas/Holiday Season thread when you return!

In the meantime I am hoping to knock out a few more TR installments as well as go forth with the Superthread transition-related stuff!

 

[tksbaskets]

Have a great time, TK!

I've already gotten the brand new Christmas/Holiday Season Superthread started (I hate having to leave the existing one, which was so much fun and had so many views - well over 300,000 views!), but it will take some time to assemble all of the info I am going to include in it. You will notice that on Page 1 of the new thread I have a bunch of different posts designated for different subjects. In the coming weeks I am going to be taking the existing info that I had in the old thread and deconstructing it, reorganizing it and re-categorizing it to go into the different posts, as well as adding in newer links to more recent info and getting rid of some older stuff that is not relevant anymore.

It will take some time and work, but I had to start a new thread (since we reached the page limit in the previous one) so it is necessary! Be sure to look for the link to the new Christmas/Holiday Season thread when you return!

In the meantime I am hoping to knock out a few more TR installments as well as go forth with the Superthread transition-related stuff!

Thanks for all your hard work on my most favorite thread! Be sure to have Christmas Carols playing.

 

[Sherry E]

Thanks for all your hard work on my most favorite thread! Be sure to have Christmas Carols playing.

You're very welcome, TK!

And thank you, of course, for being a loyal follower of both this TR thread and the Halloween/Christmas Superthreads!

I have not yet turned on the Christmas music for today, but I do have the Hallmark Christmas movie marathon on TV in the background - does that count?

Have fun with the Tasmanian Devil packing madness!

 

[tksbaskets]

You're very welcome, TK!

And thank you, of course, for being a loyal follower of both this TR thread and the Halloween/Christmas Superthreads!

I have not yet turned on the Christmas music for today, but I do have the Hallmark Christmas movie marathon on TV in the background - does that count?

Have fun with the Tasmanian Devil packing madness!

You betcha that counts! I'm watching all the great Hallmark Christmas movies I have on the DVR....while I pack of course!

 

[Sherry E]

Here is at least one installment for today (I may not get another one going until tomorrow)!!!

Candlelight and Cannonballs! Aunt Betty’s Do-Over Christmas Trip

(Sun., 12/9/12 – Wed., 12/12/12)



Day 1 - Sunday, December 9, 2012 - Part 6​

Pine cones and Holly Berries
Popcorn for you, apples for me
Red striped candy, nut cracker handy
Kettle a-bubbling hot as can be.






In the last segment of this TR I found myself wandering around the Paradise Pier section of California Adventure in a fog on the very first day of the trip (due to lack of sleep the night before), trying to get into my usual photo-taking groove. While I was able to get some photo-taking done, I was not firing on all cylinders. I just couldn’t get going. All I really wanted to do was to take a nap. I kept secretly hoping that my Paradise Pier Hotel room would be ready early (it usually is when I’m there) so I could collapse on the bed.

But I forged ahead, wearily lifting the camera and aiming it at random subjects.

I like how the arch design on the pillar on the left – that is a pillar of sorts, isn’t it? - mimics the design of the railing surrounding the fountain. Details details!

I popped into Clarabelle’s and Trolley Treats, which kind of flow seamlessly into one another due to the open floor plan. It wasn’t time for peppermint ice cream just yet, but I was glad to know that it was sold in DCA as well as in Disneyland.

I love the trolleys with ears!

These photos seem like they should be in black and white (or old-fashion-y looking), don’t they? I didn’t think to use the black and white setting on my camera at the time I took them.

Here is another ‘flower-in-front-of-something- picture’ for Molly!

I decided to leave California Adventure for the time being and call the Paradise Pier to see if, by any chance, my room was ready. In the little folder they give you with your Key to the Magic, there is a number you can call to check on such things. Mainly I was worried that they would try to text message me or call me and that I wouldn’t get the message because the signal on my phone never works properly when I’m in the parks. Sometimes people will call or text me and I won’t get the text message or voice mail until hours later!

I did not want to miss a text or a call from the PPH when I was so tired and anxious to take a nap! If they had a bed ready for me, I needed to be in it right away!

I called the PPH and the room was not ready yet, but I explained to the PPH person that my phone’s signal is always weak and I could miss their text and/or call. The friendly CM told me that I was definitely “on the list” of guests to notify ASAP if a room should become available ahead of time. I didn’t know there was such a “list,” but I have had good luck in the past with getting into rooms early - and it is probably because I arrive at the front desk to check in at the crack of dawn! I suppose that some guests arrive later in the day, or within a couple of hours of the official check-in time, and those people probably don’t make it onto the “list”! Lol.

So I had to decide where to go next; plot my next move. What did I have the energy to do, I wondered.

This is a cute poster.

More bright poinsettias (as if I didn’t get enough pictures of bright poinsettias when I was at DLR in November).

I established that it could be hours before I got into my hotel room, and I wasn’t expecting to hear from my Orange County friends until 2 p.m. or 3 p.m.

There was only one thing to do - get some coffee and try to keep my eyes open, however futile that mission may end up being. The Market House (soon-to-be-Starbucks) would be the destination for my java fix. I would hot-foot it across the Esplanade and onward to the Market House to satisfy my caffeine craving.

…But not without stopping to take a few photos first, of course! I didn’t turn into a totally different, non-photo taking person just because I was sleepy, after all! I know my priorities!

​

You can’t tell from those photos above, but I happened to notice that the floral Mickey at the Disneyland entrance was a pale imitation of its former self. In previous holiday seasons the patches of red in the floral Mickey were striking and vivid, even up close. This time they seemed very thin and flimsy upon close inspection. There must have been cutbacks in the gardening department at DLR!

Princesses on the loose!

And soon, I was sipping on coffee – and munching on cookies too! Well, I just had to get the cookies – they were in the case, just begging me to buy them!

That could very well have been the final time I bought cookies and coffee from the Market House, as it will surely become insanely busy when Starbucks moves in. Crowds aside, the goodies that are sold at the Market House will no longer be cute cookies with mouse ears. They will be Starbucks goodies. The entire ‘general store’ feel of the charming Market House will surely change, which is too bad because it was so fitting with the ‘small town Americana’ feel of Main Street.

The Cast Members working at the Market House lamented the fact that things will change soon.

Also, there was a woman (a customer) taking photos of all of the details in and around the store. She was so focused on getting pictures I thought she must have been a DIS’er – but I asked her and she gave me a blank look, as though DISboards was totally foreign to her.

I said, “Oh, I thought you must belong to one of the main discussion boards because you are really focused on the details, as a lot of people on those boards are.

She looked at me very seriously and said, “That’s because it’s going to be a Starbucks.”

I sat down outside of the Market House.

I even managed to grab the same table that I usually get when I hunker down for a snack! It’s always available for me!

Notice how they are slightly different in shape – one of them has a slightly larger head than the other one!

Coffee Regular - $2.79 (includes free refills all day long, with receipt)
2 gingerbread cookies with ears @ $3.99 each - $7.98

Premium Annual Pass discount of 20% - $2.15
Subtotal - $8.62
Tax - $.67

TOTAL = $9.29
​

All of a sudden – when I was only about one quarter of the way through my coffee – I heard the little robot voicemail voice on my cell phone say, “One new message.” Keep in mind, I had not heard the phone ring at all – as I said earlier, my signal often does not work properly at DLR. So I guess that when the call was coming through, the phone just didn’t even ring and went straight to voicemail. At least the robot voice came through for me to let me know I had a message.

The message was from the Paradise Pier Hotel, and thankfully, my room was ready! Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you! Precious rest was not far out of reach! It was not even 11:00 a.m. yet, so I’d have some time to rest and relax a bit before my friends Jackie and Bob showed up to meet me.

The PPH person said in the voicemail that they had to “move some things around” so that I could get a room ahead of time. I was grateful, although I didn’t ask them to move anything around. I just wanted to make sure I didn’t miss their call IF they called. Of course, I ended up missing their call anyway…but at least I got the message!

The CM instructed me to go back to the PPH front desk and trade in my key for a new key – again, as I mentioned earlier, this was a new procedure for me. Usually, on previous PPH stays, if my room has been ready early they just let me use the keys I got at pre-check-in to enter. Not this time.

So, back to the PPH I went!

I stopped at the front desk to get my new key. The CM who gave it to me was not particularly chipper – I don’t think she even tried to smile - but that was fine. I retrieved my bags from the Bell desk and darted up to the 6th floor!

I took this picture on my last day in the room, but it works better at this point in the story!

​

Of course, the first thing I did – before collapsing in a heap - was run to the window to look outside.

And, for the third year in a row, the PPH gave me a free upgrade to a park view! Because this was a lower floor than where I have typically ended up, the trees were more in the way of DCA - but that was okay because I managed to eventually get some good shots anyway! I’m not about to let some trees stop me! Lol.

Whoosh!

​

Up next, in Part 7 of Day 1, more photos from inside the Paradise Pier Hotel room (which may be helpful for anyone out there who is debating on whether or not to stay at the PPH)!

 

[Sherry E]

As I’ve mentioned in this thread many times, I adore Christmas but don’t go anywhere or do anything on the actual holiday, or for the season (except go to DLR).

So here I am, spending Christmas Eve with all of you fine folks, and working on my TR! I don’t think there’s anyone following along right now, as all of my ‘regulars’ seem to be busy, but I carry on for the lurkers out there!

This is today’s first installment.

Candlelight and Cannonballs! Aunt Betty’s Do-Over Christmas Trip

(Sun., 12/9/12 – Wed., 12/12/12)



Day 1 - Sunday, December 9, 2012 - Part 7​

I'll be home for Christmas;
You can count on me.
Please have snow and mistletoe
And presents on the tree.
Christmas Eve will find me
Where the love-light gleams.
I'll be home for Christmas
If only in my dreams.






In the last segment of this TR I continued roaming around California Adventure in my sleepy stupor, but ultimately found myself at the Market House (soon-to-be Starbucks) on Main Street in Disneyland for the purpose of buying gingerbread cookies and coffee. My room at the Paradise Pier Hotel was ready early and, although I had just loaded up on caffeine, all I wanted to do was rest. When I got to the room I discovered that I had been given a free upgrade to a DCA park view room for the third year in a row.

Here is a little more of the view from the Paradise Pier room (don’t worry – these photos are a bit boring, but this view will pay off big time when the sun rises and sets!).

Up, up, up they go!

Grrrrr…..

Here are the H20 bath products, which took the place of the Mickey ears bath products in the PPH rooms last year – and, actually, even the H20 bottles have changed their look over the years. When I stayed at the Grand Californian Hotel 5 years ago, the H20 Spa bottles did not have Tinker Bell on them as they do now. So they have been Disney-fied over the years, basically.

The coffee maker – what’s interesting about this is that the coffee makers have not been the same brand in every room I’ve stayed in. I am fairly positive that last year’s coffee maker was not a Cuisinart, although it was a model just like this one shown below. And the 2010 model was not a Cuisinart, either, I don’t think. I never quite understand why they only give the guests 2 pods/packets of coffee when there are sometimes several people staying in the room.

The surfboard lamp and shelf, complete with Mickey icon…

Some art for the walls…

Hidden Mickeys on the bed…

This is the sofa bed contraption…

By the way – let me take this moment to put out the disclaimer that I Auto-Fixed many of these in-room PPH pictures, which is why they look a bit grainy. As I’ve said, normally I do not edit any of my photos just for the purposes of doing a TR, unless they are really dark. And, fortunately, a good number of my photos are usually decent enough to where I don’t feel I even want to lighten them.

However, these in-room pictures were actually all taken on my last day and not on the first day. When I took them (before I packed up to leave) it was still dark outside (early morning) and so I needed to turn on the lamps in the PPH room to get some light. (In the daytime, when the sun is shining, the natural light fills the room quite well.)

Personally, I find the lamp-produced light in the PPH rooms to be on the dim side, not to mention the fact that one of the lamps was not working at all. So, all of the in-room photos came out on the dim side too – you can still see what is in them, but I just wanted them to be lighter for the readers to see the details of the room. In the process of Auto-Fixing them, they began to look grainy.

Using the flash on these photos tends to wash them out…

I did not Auto-Fix this photo of the armoire/TV – can anyone tell which commercial that is on television?

Lifeguard Mickey – who is no stranger to my previous Trip Reports!

The shower curtain…

The safe and mini-fridge…

This is how much space you get in the refrigerator – I had just enough room to fill it with my many water bottles (I think I brought 12 bottles from home – and I guzzled every single one of them while at DLR; not a single bottle went untouched), but it would not have held much more than that while all the bottles were in there…Good thing there wasn’t anyone else staying with me!

​

Up next, in Part 8 of Day 1, just a few more pictures from the Paradise Pier Hotel room. Then, Day 1 comes to a close after I meet up with some of my Orange County friends.

 

[Sherry E]

Second installment for today!

Candlelight and Cannonballs! Aunt Betty’s Do-Over Christmas Trip

(Sun., 12/9/12 – Wed., 12/12/12)



Day 1 - Sunday, December 9, 2012 - Part 8​

‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St Nicholas soon would be there.






In the last segment of this TR I got acquainted with my Paradise Pier Hotel room and my lovely park view.

More from the Paradise Pier Hotel room…

One thing that has not changed in the PPH bathrooms over the years is the seashell soap dish…

But there have been different shower heads over the years…

The mirrored doors to the closet…

Yes, I drink the in-room coffee!

The various brochures, postcards and stationery that can be found in the PPH rooms…

They don’t look any better with the flash…

Okay, enough photos from the room. There was only one thing that was really on my mind at that moment, and it was REST.

I plugged in my cell phone to charge, and I hopped on the bed to settle down for a couple of hours. The lack of sleep the night before was really hitting me hard, and I felt like I couldn’t function properly. I knew that my Orange County friends, Jackie and Bob, would be showing up in 2 or 3 hours and there was no way I could see them without trying to rest first.

For some reason I always have a heck of a time getting comfortable on those PPH beds. I don’t know what it is. I like a lot of pillows, but I feel like they are always too firm or too mushy for my taste.

Also, the comforter is not thick enough for almost-Wintertime (which it was at that point). Yes, I know, I could adjust the room temperature and make it warmer, but I still feel as though comforters on any bed should change with the seasons. The ones they have seem a bit lightweight to me, and those are apparently the same ones on the beds year-round.

I think I may have dozed off for a short bit – not long enough, though – and soon Jackie was calling me to arrange a time to meet up.

Jackie knew that I was bummed out that Shawn wasn’t coming – which I only figured out because Shawn never responded to my most recent messages, letting her know when I’d be in Anaheim. And Facebook now tells us when our messages have been read by the recipient, so I knew she had seen them. But she just ignored me (even though she told me back in early November that she would make time to come and see me when I was there in December, and she knew I was possibly going to change arrival dates from 12/2 to 12/9). I’m not sure what that’s all about – nothing was wrong, the last I checked – but at some point down the road I will get to the bottom of it. I have a feeling there is more to the story, but I just don’t have the energy to figure it out right now.

Jackie also knew that the December 2011 trip was a fiasco due to “M,” and so I think she felt extra bad for me that I was somehow – in one way or the other – getting ditched by ‘friends’ two years in a row, so she and Bob wanted to make a point of at least showing up for a little while. I really appreciated that they showed up.

And then, of course, I felt bad because I didn’t want them to feel sorry for me and feel obligated to show up. As you all know, I am okay with being solo at DLR – the only time it realllly bothers me to be alone at DLR is when I thought I was going to have company because it was discussed or planned that way, and then the ‘friend’ completely backs out on it. Otherwise, if I know in advance that I am going to be alone, that’s fine because I can use that to my advantage to get some awesome pictures!!! Lol.

I can’t recall the time, but Jackie and Bob eventually called me and we arranged to meet in front of California Adventure. They said that they hadn’t seen Cars Land at all yet and wanted me to show them (I got the feeling that this was because they knew that I was supposed to show “M” around DCA last year and that it all fell apart).

However, Jackie and Bob really couldn’t stay too long, as they both had to work the next day.

When we first walked in, Bob suggested going on Soarin.’ I had a hunch that this was because they knew that “M” blew me off for Soarin’ in December 2011 and they thought it was something I really, really wanted to ride. Yes, I wanted to ride it but 2011 was different. “M” had not been on that ride before, and I had been telling her for years that I wanted to go on it with her because I knew she would like it, and I wanted to point out certain things to her. So I was crushed when she left me out of it altogether and went on it with another friend.

Jackie and Bob were not new to Soarin’ in any way so it was not like I needed to show them anything. But I secretly knew what they were doing, and why they were doing it, which I appreciated, so I agreed to go on it.


After Soarin’ we walked through Buena Vista Street – I explained who Oswald is/was – and they both said they felt disoriented because everything was so new to them. Jackie said she felt like she didn’t know where anything was all of a sudden, and would have to come back in the daytime to get her bearings again.

I guided them to Cars Land – but I insisted that we had to enter CL the “good way” for the first time (past the red rocks). I told them they could get into Cars Land a couple of different ways, but for their first time going in they had to get the full dramatic presentation.

So, without wasting a second, I said, “Follow me. We’re going in the good way…and we’re passing right by Ghirardelli.”

Soon the three of us were collecting peppermint bark samples, and Jackie and I were giggling over the silly Ghirardelli commercials, which always feature a woman holding her pinky up to her lips with a blissful, knowing smile as she dreamily ponders her chocolate. We repeatedly held our pinkies up to our mouths in homage to those hokey ads.

I brought Jackie and Bob in through the red rock entrance, and they were kind of impressed. Instantly, Radiator Springs Racers caught their attention and they wanted to go on it, which I encouraged. I thought they would both really like it. Unfortunately, of course, the line was way too long, and they were not going to wait.

We strolled around Cars Land a bit more and they didn’t seem as thrilled as I’d hoped they’d be. I pointed out the oil stains (embrace the oil stains!) and the cracks on the ground. I pointed out “Butte Gas.” They were only mildly amused.

When it boils down to it, Jackie and Bob are not huge Disney fans. They think the parks are fun, but let’s face it – they both still have their gift cards from 3 years ago, when Disney was giving out free stuff on people’s birthdays! They haven’t used those cards! What true Disney fan do you know who wouldn’t have used his or her birthday gift card 3 years later? Lol. I have no clue what they are waiting for – if you aren’t a huge Disney merchandise fan now, and you weren’t a fan 3 years ago, chances are there won’t be anything that suddenly pops up in a store that you want to buy! They won’t part with the cards and give them away, though, and yet they continue to not use them!

They just keep telling me, “The cards don’t expire!”

I was thinking but not saying, “Yeah, but what are you holding on to them for if there is nothing you want to buy, and if you don’t even want to take the time to go into a shop and look for something? The merchandise isn’t going to come out and find you!” Lol.

Anyway, there were a lot of people milling about in Cars Land. At one point, as we tried to pass the Cozy Cone, we got stuck in a traffic jam of people. We couldn’t move because the CM’s had to clear the path for McQueen to leave his photo spot in the drive-thru parking lot. They wouldn’t let us walk. And let’s face it – McQueen doesn’t exactly move at “Lightning” speed when he is going through Cars Land (pun intended). It is a fairly slow process. Bob pointed out that it’s kind of crazy the way it’s handled. It’s not very efficient, making a bunch of people wait for a slow car to move. It’s not a parade, after all. The Cars move so slowly, and the crowds are essentially stuck in one place until they pass. Heck, the crowds are at a standstill before McQueen or Mater even get close to the road!

I could see that Cars Land was not going to be the big hit that I hoped it would be, so Jackie suggested getting something to eat. She asked what I was hungry for.

I said, “Do you have a great need to eat at a sit-down, table service restaurant? Because, last year, Shawn told me that you and she ‘wanted to be served’ at a table service place.”

Jackie chuckled and said she didn’t care where we went, and that counter service was fine. So I suggested Earl of Sandwich. I told her that people had been raving about this place and I was curious to try it. This is the only one actually on the West Coast. I think that she and Bob were intrigued as to what all the fuss was about, so they were up for it.

When we got to Earl of Sandwich there was a line. There was a menu board outside for the folks in line to see, because there was going to be someone coming along to jot down our order as we stood there. The problem was that the outdoor menu board only listed the names of the items – it didn’t specify what was in the sandwiches like the menu inside the restaurant did. We were not the only ones who were frustrated by not being able to see what was in the sandwiches outside the restaurant.

This is a picture I took of the indoor menu in November of this year, and as you can see, there are details under each sandwich listing. The outside menu did not have those details, so it was hard to know what to order.

Jackie and Bob decided to order a Chinese chicken wrap and a chicken chipotle sandwich, and they would share the 2 sandwiches between the two of them.

I ordered the Cannonballs! Meatball sandwich. Again, it is Cannonballs!…with the inexplicable exclamation point at the end, like you have to stomp a foot or punch your fist at the air when you say “Cannonballs!” for dramatic effect.

In my November TR I specifically mentioned that I was going to go to Earl of Sandwich and try one of their Cannonballs! Sandwiches in December. And yet, when I chose the title for this current December TR - “Candlelight and Cannonballs!” – no one had any clue what it meant! Lol. No one said, “You mean the sandwich?” Lol. Oh well. I guess no one was paying attention.

After waiting in the long line just to get up to the counter, we then handed over our order slip and had to wait even longer. I really don’t think it saved one bit of time or served any real purpose when the employee came out to jot everyone’s orders down outside. We only ended up having to repeat them when we got up to the counter. It’s not like our order was already being prepared while we were waiting in line.

Also – in addition to the ‘outside menu’ issue, be forewarned that this new Earl location tends to run out of items very quickly. They should have had peppermint brownies in stock – they didn’t. They should have had strawberry shortcake. They were out of that too. And not just once – they ran out of these things repeatedly.

Anyway, while Jackie and Bob waited in the restaurant for the sandwiches, I looked around the outdoor seating area for an empty bench. It took a while for anyone to leave.

That’s another thing to keep in mind about the new Earl of Sandwich at DTD – there are benches for many people to share, but they fill up fast.

When we finally got settled and began to eat our sandwiches, Jackie realized about half of the way in that her Chinese chicken wrap was actually a Mediterranean chicken wrap – a BIG difference. She had already eaten a good portion of it. She decided that it was really tasty and so she wouldn’t complain because she liked it, but still…be forewarned about that too. Check your sandwiches before you eat them or before you leave the property because Earl makes mistakes!


My Cannonballs! sandwich was pretty good. I was glad that there was now a place where I could get a meatball sandwich to take back to my hotel room while at DLR. Truthfully, I probably would have been happy with any place that made meatball sandwiches, but Earl of Sandwich was going to be it for me!

This would not be the last I would see of Cannonballs! during my DLR trip…We would, indeed, meet again!

We chatted for a bit, and I explained my computer issues to Jackie and Bob. ( They asked.) Bob seemed to truly ‘get’ what I was describing, and the severity of it, which I don’t think a lot of people do. He thinks I am on borrowed time with this PC and that it is way past its shelf life. He also felt bad because he just got rid of a PC that was about 4 or 5 years old (which most folks do at that point), and he realized he should have given it to me because it would have run much, much better than the one I currently use.

Finally, it was time to say goodbye as they had to work and I had to get some sleep. I could tell that Jackie felt bad when they left – again, because all of my friends somehow keep blowing me off, and it just set me up to have a sad trip again. She said she wished I lived down in Anaheim so they could see me more often. She said she missed me. Of course, then I felt sad and bad because she felt that way FOR me! Lol. They wished me a merry Christmas. We hugged goodbye and they headed off to the tram, Mickey & Friends-bound.

I felt a bit melancholy. I was sad that some of my supposed good friends seem to not care if they see me. I was also happy that Jackie and Bob are still good friends, and that they cared enough to come join me just for a short time so I wouldn’t be totally alone. But I was sad that they felt sad for me. I don’t want to seem like a sad sack downer of a person! Lol. Also, I knew that I probably wouldn’t see them again for at least another year which is a bit dismaying.



I didn’t take any photos of or with Jackie and Bob that night – as I said, I was not my usual photo-taking self. But here is a photo of them from 2009.

I was feeling down in general, but it was largely amplified by the fact that I hadn’t gotten any real sleep in a couple of nights. I needed to get back to my PPH room and crash…which is what I did.

I barreled past the parking guys at the front – who now greet everyone with a jovial “Welcome back,” which is interesting – and zoomed up to the 6th floor.

The next day would be a new day, and I told myself that I would not wake up feeling depressed, or dwell on why I was sad. I told myself that I was going to seize the day and do the things that I KNEW I wanted to be doing, because I did not want to get home and regret not having done them. It was a truly a blessing and a dose of Christmas magic that brought me to DLR this season anyway. I was not going to waste my time there by being mopey.

So this meant that I was going to take tons of photos the following day – and they were going to be good ones! This meant that I was going to try to see the Candlelight Processional. This meant that I was going to eat peppermint ice cream – in a cone. This meant that I was going to take halfway decent nighttime photos of the Winter Castle and It’s a Small World Holiday – something I had been meaning to do for the last few years! This meant that I was going to say Happy Holidays or Merry Christmas to whomever seemed receptive. I was going to smile and chat with strangers. I was going to look in shops and check out the merchandise. I was going to stop and smell the roses – literally. I was not going to allow another holiday DLR trip – a trip which is such a big deal to me – go down the tubes.


Sweet slumber was finally mine, as I shut out the sadness and sluggishness of the day and faded off into Sleepyville. Zzzzzzzzzzz…..



Up next, in Part 1 of Day 2, I FINALLY get my photo groove back and begin my picture-taking spree, soaking in vivid colors and intricate details! Also, I make a little stop in the morning that I have not previously mentioned thus far. Stay tuned!.

 

[mvf-m11c]

Great pictures of DCA. I didn't go inside Clarabelle’s and Trolley Treats during my trip and I wouldn't have to go to Gibson Girl for the peppermint ice cream. I would have got the ice cream at Clarabelle's and Trolley Treats instead.

Very nice pictures of the PPH room that you were upgraded again.

Glad that you got to meet up with Bob and Jackie that day and did a few things at the park.

That reminds me that I need to go to Earl of Sandwich one day at DTD and try those sandwiches.

Very nice updates.

 

[Sherry E]

Great pictures of DCA. I didn't go inside Clarabelle’s and Trolley Treats during my trip and I wouldn't have to go to Gibson Girl for the peppermint ice cream. I would have got the ice cream at Clarabelle's and Trolley Treats instead.

Very nice pictures of the PPH room that you were upgraded again.

Glad that you got to meet up with Bob and Jackie that day and did a few things at the park.

That reminds me that I need to go to Earl of Sandwich one day at DTD and try those sandwiches.

Very nice updates.

Hi, Bret!

Let me wish you a belated Merry Christmas and an early Happy New Year! I hope you had a good holiday yesterday with your family.

Thank you for the kind words and compliments. I was very pleased to get a room upgrade to park view for a third year in a row. I wasn't really hitting my photo stride/groove on Day 1, but I was trying to get some sort of pictures just so the earlier part of the day wasn't a waste.

Day 2 is coming up (in fact, I was just working on the first installment of Day 2 when I saw the alert pop up that you had posted here), and I think I did much better with the pictures on Day 2. But, maybe I'm the only one who will think that! I felt that I got a few good ones - or, at least, pictures that met my personal goals of what I wanted to achieve on this trip.

You know, to be honest, I'm not sure if DCA sold peppermint ice cream at all in the previous years. Maybe they did and I just wasn't aware of it? I could be wrong, but I always thought it was only sold in Disneyland. Now that they have a brand new ice cream shop, I guess they decided to sell it in DCA too.

BUT, when I went into Clarabelle's on November 12 I am pretty sure that I did not see a sign that mentioned peppermint ice cream. So this makes me wonder if, perhaps, the peppermint ice cream did not get to Clarabelle's until a bit later in the holiday season? Maybe they were not selling it there in November? As you mentioned, you didn't go in there on your trip so you wouldn't have seen a sign, and I never checked the old ice cream place in DCA (pre-makeover) to see what they had.

In any case, now we know that peppermint ice cream is likely to be sold at both Gibson Girl in DL and in Clarabelle's in DCA.

Let me just say, too, that I am very glad I ate the peppermint ice cream at DLR this year - because my local grocery stores and pharmacies (and I have now checked at least 4 places in my area) have only been selling the Dreyer's half-fat "Slow Churned" peppermint ice cream this year. They have not been selling "the good stuff" that Dreyer's makes, like what is sold at DLR. I don't know if this is what is going to happen every year at my stores from now on, but it is getting to the point where I may only be able to eat the 'real' peppermint ice cream when I am at Disneyland! The Slow Churned stuff is just not as good - it tastes more like toothpaste than ice cream!

You should try Earl of Sandwich on your next trip, and let me know what you think of it. Just be sure to check your sandwich before leaving the property, because they may make mistakes (as they did on my friend's sandwich and on one of my sandwiches the next night)!

I was just writing a bit more about Earl of Sandwich in the Day 2, Part 1 TR installment I am currently putting together for today, and explaining how it is a good value for Disneyland Resort (compared to the prices and the value of the food you get inside the parks) but it is more expensive than, say, Subway sandwiches.

 

[PHXscuba]

Hidden Mickeys on the bed&

This is how much space you get in the refrigerator  I had just enough room to fill it with my many water bottles (I think I brought 12 bottles from home  and I guzzled every single one of them while at DLR; not a single bottle went untouched), but it would not have held much more than that while all the bottles were in there&Good thing there wasnt anyone else staying with me!

[/CENTER][/I][/B][/COLOR]

Is it wrong that I want that green Hidden Mickey throw for my house? Very cute.

Youy've stayed in many a PPH room -- do they pretty much all have the sofa beds? I'm hoping to put DS7 on one.

And I'm glad I'll have two mini-fridges to put stuff in ... and I'll pack light.

When we first walked in, Bob suggested going on Soarin. I had a hunch that this was because they knew that M blew me off for Soarin in December 2011 and they thought it was something I really, really wanted to ride. Yes, I wanted to ride it but 2011 was different. M had not been on that ride before, and I had been telling her for years that I wanted to go on it with her because I knew she would like it, and I wanted to point out certain things to her. So I was crushed when she left me out of it altogether and went on it with another friend.

Jackie and Bob were not new to Soarin in any way so it was not like I needed to show them anything. But I secretly knew what they were doing, and why they were doing it, which I appreciated, so I agreed to go on it.


After Soarin we walked through Buena Vista Street  I explained who Oswald is/was  and they both said they felt disoriented because everything was so new to them. Jackie said she felt like she didnt know where anything was all of a sudden, and would have to come back in the daytime to get her bearings again.


When it boils down to it, Jackie and Bob are not huge Disney fans. They think the parks are fun, but lets face it  they both still have their gift cards from 3 years ago, when Disney was giving out free stuff on peoples birthdays! They havent used those cards! What true Disney fan do you know who wouldnt have used his or her birthday gift card 3 years later? Lol. I have no clue what they are waiting for  if you arent a huge Disney merchandise fan now, and you werent a fan 3 years ago, chances are there wont be anything that suddenly pops up in a store that you want to buy! They wont part with the cards and give them away, though, and yet they continue to not use them!





Also  in addition to the outside menu issue, be forewarned that this new Earl location tends to run out of items very quickly. They should have had peppermint brownies in stock  they didnt. They should have had strawberry shortcake. They were out of that too. And not just once  they ran out of these things repeatedly.

Even though it wasn't the day you had planned with your friends (and how many days truly are, lol? it sounds like Jackie and Bob really made a big effort. They may not be huge Disney fans, but they wanted to see YOU, and see things that were important TO you. It sounds like from the Ghirardelli portion that you made some fun new memories and they left happy.

And running out of peppermint brownies at Earl of sandwich? The nerve!! Didn't they know you were coming? I am glad you got your meatball sandwich. I remembered you wanted one but had no idea they called it a Cannonball(!!!!!!)

PHXscuba

 

[Sherry E]

Is it wrong that I want that green Hidden Mickey throw for my house? Very cute.

Youy've stayed in many a PPH room -- do they pretty much all have the sofa beds? I'm hoping to put DS7 on one.

And I'm glad I'll have two mini-fridges to put stuff in ... and I'll pack light.



Even though it wasn't the day you had planned with your friends (and how many days truly are, lol? it sounds like Jackie and Bob really made a big effort. They may not be huge Disney fans, but they wanted to see YOU, and see things that were important TO you. It sounds like from the Ghirardelli portion that you made some fun new memories and they left happy.

And running out of peppermint brownies at Earl of sandwich? The nerve!! Didn't they know you were coming? I am glad you got your meatball sandwich. I remembered you wanted one but had no idea they called it a Cannonball(!!!!!!)

PHXscuba

Hellllllloooooooo, PHX!

Belated Merry Christmas and early Happy New Year to you! It seems like only yesterday that it was Halloween and now the year is almost over. I think that 2012 has zoomed by.

The bedding is very cute in both the PPH and DLH rooms. Even the white comforters and pillow cases have Mickey icons on them (but you have to look really closely to see them).

One great thing about those mini-fridges is that they tend to get cold very fast. In the past they sometimes got too cold, and my water bottles would freeze. Now (and last year) they seem to have regulated the temperatures enough to get my water cold in a hurry, but not to the point of being frozen.

Yes, all of the PPH rooms in which I have ever stayed - going all the way back to my very first PPH stay for New Year's Eve 2000 - have had some sort of sofa bed thingy. The sofa beds have changed styles over the years, but they all have them (even though I think the PPH people will tell you that they "cannot guarantee" that your room will have one, but I guess they have to say that).

The sofa beds are interesting contraptions. Molly/bumbershoot knows what I mean - she took detailed photos in a past TR from a couple of years ago, showing exactly how you assemble them.

Well, my first day didn't go exactly the way I'd hoped because I was soooo tired and because I was sad about my friend Shawn completely ignoring me (and I still have no clue why) and blowing me off, when she had previously told me that she would come to hang out with me (even for a meal). This meant that I was missing out on Goofy's Kitchen too, which is a longstanding tradition for me/us.

BUT I did eat those gingerbread cookies (did you see the photo above, with the slightly chubbier gingerbread man and the slightly more svelte one?) and I discovered that peppermint ice cream was being sold in DCA too. So it was not a totally wasted morning/afternoon!

Interestingly, given that the prices of everything keep increasing all over DLR, it is noteworthy that the gingerbread cookies have not gone up in price in a while. They have pretty much been holding strong at the $3.99 price for a long time. Isn't that odd (in a good way)? Everything else climbs up and up the price ladder, but the gingerbread cookies with mouse ears stay the same!

Yes, Jackie and Bob were wonderful to show up. They live about 15-20 minutes away (not in Anaheim) so it is not a far drive, but they both had to work the next day. I just felt bad because I knew they felt bad FOR me that my (cough) "friends" keep doing these screwy things to me. They're a great couple, though. They've been together a long, long time.

Yes, can you believe the madness? Earl of Sandwich ran out of the peppermint brownies (and the strawberry shortcake)! Plus, they gave Jackie the totally wrong sandwich/wrap, and they ended up making a mistake on one of my future orders too (which shall be described in a later installment).

Originally my plan was to devote a whole evening to eating a Cannonballs! sandwich and a Haagen Dazs Peppermint Bark Dazzler together, in one sitting, and then heading to the GCH lobby to enjoy the Dickens carolers. Well, I got the Cannonballs! and I got the Dazzler - just not together, and not in the same evening...and I never made it to the GCH lobby to enjoy the carolers!

I am currently working on the first installment of Day 2 - which was, by far, the best day of my whole trip for a few reasons! STAY TUNED!!!

 

[Sherry E]

PHX -

I forgot to mention in my reply to you above ^^ that I was out walking around last night (how sad is that? Walking around by myself, at night, on Christmas), looking at the gorgeous trees and lights and enjoying the crisp, in-between-rainstorms air, and I stopped at 4 places - FOUR PLACES - looking for peppermint ice cream. They either had no peppermint ice cream at all, or they only had the Slow Churned kind. No one had the 'real' ice cream - the kind that is sold in Disneyland and in California Adventure. They didn't even have tags on the shelves for the real ice cream, so I don't think any of these places ever carried it this season at all.

I finally caved in and got a carton of Slow Churned, just to have something pepperminty in my freezer for this year. It's not bad, of course - Dreyer's ice cream is never bad - but it tastes more like toothpaste than ice cream! And it is not pink enough!

As I mentioned above to Bret, I don't know if this is now going to be a trend - maybe Dreyer's is now only shipping the Slow Churned stuff to the stores in my area? - but it may end up that the only place I can get the 'real' peppermint ice cream is when I go to Disneyland! Imagine that! Madness, I tell you! Madness!

 

[rentayenta]

Wow, great update! The Cannonballs! photo is making me hungry!! Note I didn't forget the !

The PPH rooms look really nice. I still love the lifeguard Mickey lamp. Wonder if they sell those? Our house has a nautical theme and it would look so so cute. DH got a two Disney lithographs framed for me for our media room and that lamp would be perfect.

I'm sorry you were feeling blue.

Hope you had a very Merry Christmas. It's snowing here like mad so I'm catching up on reports and am going to update mine. It's weird looking at hot Florida pics when it's snowing and 20* out.

 

[Sherry E]

Wow, great update! The Cannonballs! photo is making me hungry!! Note I didn't forget the !

The PPH rooms look really nice. I still love the lifeguard Mickey lamp. Wonder if they sell those? Our house has a nautical theme and it would look so so cute. DH got a two Disney lithographs framed for me for our media room and that lamp would be perfect.

I'm sorry you were feeling blue.

Hope you had a very Merry Christmas. It's snowing here like mad so I'm catching up on reports and am going to update mine. It's weird looking at hot Florida pics when it's snowing and 20* out.

Hi, Jenny! Welcome back!

I can't help but giggle at the Cannonballs! sandwich name. There is no reason for it to have an '!' at the end of it. For that matter, why is is called "Cannonballs!" with that 's' at the end? Why not just call it "The Cannonball"? I feel like I need to stomp my foot when I say it.

At one point my friend Jackie and I asked someone at Earl of Sandwich why there was an exclamation mark at the end of the name. The employee tried feebly to emphasize the power of this sandwich by punching her fist at the air...maybe to imply "Pow! Boom! Cannonballs!" Who knows? I just find it funny.

The PPH rooms got their remodel/redecoration after the last time you stayed there, correct? I remember you said you stayed at the PPH in the past and didn't really care for it. Don't get me wrong - the PPH is certainly not worth what Disney wants to charge for it (sans any kind of discount), but at least the decor has been updated and freshened up.

Interestingly, I've noticed that when I've stayed in PPH park view rooms on the higher floors (like the 11th or 12th floors), there were chocolates brought to the room (the ones in foil with character pictures on the front). When I stayed in this 6th floor park view room on this recent trip, not only did the room look a teeny weeny bit less 'kept up' than the higher floor rooms but I never got any chocolates! Could it be that the higher floor rooms are taken better care of, and the guests get better service?

There was one day when I came back to the room and the bathroom did not look as neat as it would normally look after housekeeping got done with it. The bath mat and shower curtain were kind of askew. They even left the faucet in the tub running a little bit, which was not the norm! Plus, one of the lamps did not work at all.

That's a good question, about the lifeguard Mickey lamp. Isn't/wasn't there a website at some point that exclusively sold retired furniture and things from various Disney hotel rooms? I remember going onto a site like that a few years ago, and saw some things from the Disneyland Hotel as well as items from some of the WDW hotels. I cannot recall the name of that site, though. I'm not even sure if it still exists.

I was blue for a while at DLR. I'm not real pleased with how some of my "friends" treat me, and this little episode seemed to come out of the blue. But, as I mentioned, I was not going to let it ruin my trip. I was not going to let it turn into another sad trip. So I made myself snap out of it - and Day 2 was probably the best day of the entire trip!

I had about as merry a Christmas as I could have, being by myself. I watched some TV Christmas movies on the Hallmark Channel and also on this other channel called Ion (which I never knew existed until recently). I am finally over the cold I picked up at DLR so I feel much better. I went out walking around after dark, to see lights and pretty Christmas trees in picture windows. I went on the hunt for peppermint ice cream (which was pretty futile).

I can imagine that it is very odd looking at your WDW pictures when it is a winter wonderland outside! I guess that kind of snowy weather definitely lends itself to TR updating and reading!

Stay tuned - I've just completed Part 1 of Day 2, which I am about to post, and there are some pictures of very pretty flowers coming up! Vibrant, vivid, stunning flowers!

 

[Sherry E]

Here is the first installment for today, and hopefully it is not the last installment for today!

Candlelight and Cannonballs! Aunt Betty’s Do-Over Christmas Trip

(Sun., 12/9/12 – Wed., 12/12/12)



Day 2 - Monday, December 10, 2012 - Part 1​

Have a holly, jolly Christmas;
It's the best time of the year
I don't know if there'll be snow,
but have a cup of cheer.
Have a holly, jolly Christmas;
And when you walk down the street
Say Hello to friends you know
and everyone you meet.





In the last segment of this TR, I met up with my friends Jackie and Bob for a brief visit. I introduced them to Cars Land and Buena Vista Street; made sure we got some tasty Ghirardelli samples; and we rode Soarin’ – the first of only 3 rides I went on through the entire trip. We also tried out Earl of Sandwich – the first of a few visits I made to that location over the course of my DLR stay – which was mostly a good experience, but with a couple of flaws (namely, they gave Jackie the completely wrong sandwich/wrap, and we found it difficult to know exactly what to order from the menu board stationed outside the restaurant, as it did not have any descriptions or ingredients listed).

Finally, although I was very sad and down about my usual Disneyland companion, Shawn, basically bailing out on me just by inexplicably ceasing all communication, I fell asleep with the promise of a new day – a better day – in my mind.






By the way - just to go back to Day 1 for a minute - I think I neglected to mention that Jackie treated me to my Earl of Sandwich Cannonballs! (yes, it has the exclamation mark at the end of it) meatball sandwich. It was a last minute thing – I wasn’t expecting it. In fact, I was reaching for my wallet to get out the money to hand to her when she said she would treat.

Because I didn’t see the receipt (and all of our sandwiches ended up on the same order/bill), I can’t recall exactly how much the sandwich was. I don’t think Jackie realized that she could use her AP to get a 10% discount, so I am guessing that my sandwich – after tax – was somewhere in the range of $7.53-ish? Maybe? Does that sound about right?

The tax in Anaheim is still 7.75%, if I recall correctly, so I should be in the right ballpark on that $7.53 price (again, this was without benefit of the 10% AP discount). In any case, it was a fairly good deal for a relatively substantial sandwich. I could probably spend a good $9.00 just getting a simple hot dog in the parks, and I would be spending more than $12 just to get a flimsy hamburger with a few onion rings and a small drink at Taste Pilots’ Grill in DCA.

Somehow – even though Earl of Sandwich’s sandwiches are costlier and smaller than a Subway foot-long sandwich (which usually runs about $5.00 plus tax) – they still seem to be a GREAT value and bargain at Disneyland Resort. In fact, I would venture to say that if Disneyland or California Adventure decided to start making meatball sandwiches to-go, they would be less substantial and more expensive than the Earl of Sandwich Cannonballs! sandwich.



Anyway, we’ll revisit Earl of Sandwich later.



As I previously mentioned, I told myself that Day 2 – Monday, December 10, 2012 – would be a good day, and that I would not let myself get depressed about my ‘friend’ backing out on me. I was going to make the most of the day. I was not going to let it go to waste. So, as long as I wasn’t sick or in terrible pain I was going to enjoy being at DLR to fully soak up all the holiday-ness that I could manage. This was/is my absolute favorite time of year, after all, and this is my only holiday celebration for the whole season. I was very fortunate to even be taking this trip this year, when I really didn’t think it would happen. I was not going to waste it by being mopey.

And it would turn out to be a good day, indeed.

I think I’d venture to say that Day 2 was the best day of my entire trip. Sure, I loved seeing my friends on Day 1 (I so rarely see them)…but I was not myself. I was sluggish and not in great spirits. I wasn’t in my ‘groove.’

However, Day 2 proved to be much better in many ways. Not only did I tell myself that it would be a good day (which goes a long, long way in setting up one’s outlook, frame of mind and attitude), but it actually turned out to be an awesome, highly productive day - for me, that is.

What is “productive” for me is likely going to be very different from what you all consider to be productive for your own DLR trips! For me, “productive” means taking lots of photos – and fairly good ones, at that – enjoying a favorite snack, accomplishing a couple of personal photographic goals (like getting better shots of certain things than my last attempts at the same subjects a couple of years back), finally getting the chance to see a beautiful ceremony I have been wanting to see for years and…scoring a $50 Disney gift card!? (More on that gift card coming up!)








I awoke on Monday morning (December 10th) to find a stunning sunrise outside my Paradise Pier Hotel window. Ahhhh…nature’s beauty is truly something to behold. How could a day not be great when it starts out like this?

I love a California (Adventure) sunrise!

I waited a couple of minutes to see if the color of the sky got any deeper or paler. Then I think I used either the “Vivid” setting or the “Sunrise/sunset” setting on my camera for these next two pictures – I can’t recall which. Those settings are there to use, so I figured I might as well use them!

Oh, what a beautiful morning! Oh, what a beautiful day!

After getting a decent night’s sleep, I felt refreshed, renewed and ready to take on the day. I noticed that the clock in my room was about 8 minutes slow, with no obvious way to adjust it. I had to keep cross-referencing the time on the TV news channel I was watching and on my phone.

The reason why I needed to keep a close eye on the time was because I had to be somewhere at a certain time. I had a 10:00 a.m. appointment and I didn’t want to be late!

Where did I have to be at 10:00 a.m.? Let’s backtrack…

About 3 weeks before my DLR trip was set to commence, I received a postcard in the mail from the Disney Vacation Club. I’ve received mailings from them before – various brochures and catalogues and things – which I have just set aside. I like Disney brochures and booklets, so I keep them. But knowing that I cannot buy into the DVC at this particular point in time, I’ve never really looked through the books in depth.

This specific postcard was different. This time the DVC folks were acknowledging that I had an upcoming stay at one of the Disney hotels (I guess they got the information from the Disneyland Resort reservations system), and they were inviting me to make an appointment to come in and meet with them while I was at DLR, to learn about DVC and receive a $50 Disney gift card!

To be honest, when I first got the postcard in the mail I just set it aside too and didn’t think much of it. At some point I picked it up again and re-read the text and fine print on the postcard because it seemed too good to be true. Yes, they really were sending me an offer to simply go and meet with a DVC person to receive a gift card.

I’ve heard of guests being approached by DVC people at Disneyland Resort – specifically in the Grand Californian Hotel lobby – in the past, and invited to participate in the same sort of thing to receive a gift card at the end of the presentation. I had never heard of anyone receiving a postcard in the mail with that offer, though. I’m sure it’s happened, but I was not aware of it.

While I was definitely curious to learn more about DVC and how it works – because so many people on the DIS are members - I didn’t want to waste anyone’s time, and I didn’t want to be dishonest and lead anyone into thinking that I could or would buy into DVC at this stage of the game. I wouldn’t ‘trick’ anyone just to get a gift card.

But…again, DVC invited ME. I did not seek out a meeting with a DVC person.

So I thought about it and thought about it. I called the toll-free number that was on the card and mentioned that I had received this postcard and gift card offer. I was very up front with them from the beginning. I made it clear that I could not buy into Disney Vacation Club right now or in the near future, but I was truly interested in learning about it and how it worked for possible future use. I told them I didn’t want to waste their time, but the card DID invite me and offer a gift card.

I asked the Cast Member on the other end of the line if it would be pointless for me to come in, or if it would be okay for me to do so. She double-checked with another Cast Member in the office to be sure that the postcard I mentioned was legitimate (she hadn’t heard of it, but the other person she asked was aware of it), and then came back to tell me that it would be fine for me to come in.

So I booked a 10:00 a.m. appointment at the Disney Vacation Club offices (which are situated on the Disneyland Hotel property) for Monday.

On Monday morning I walked over to the DVC building via the ‘backside’ of the Paradise Pier – in other words, I did not take the short cut – and arrived a few minutes early.

I handed over my postcard and was promptly seated in a separate little room, so I could watch a couple of DVC promo videos. I was also given a small cup of Starbucks coffee and a little package of Pepperidge Farm Milano cookies.

A lovely Cast Member named Annmarie greeted me, and then explained all about DVC. Again, I made sure to tell her that I could not currently buy into DVC so she was very aware of where I was coming from.

Annmarie explained the basics about DVC and how the points system works, and I must admit – for a family, couple or even for a solo person like I am – that it is tempting. I can totally see why so many people are buying into it. Heck, if I were in the financial position to do so right now, I would be buying into it at the lowest point level. It is something that definitely pays off after a couple of trips.

Disney Vacation Club is really for people who LOVE Disney. If you are in a situation where you know for a fact that you will be visiting Disneyland Resort, Walt Disney World Resort or other Disney Resorts at least twice a year, for at least a night or two, DVC is well worth it for the monthly price you pay.

I was also shown one of the model rooms/villas at Aulani, which was right next door to the DVC offices, and it was fantastic!

When the presentation was over, Annmarie gave me a free tote bag, some DVC booklets and my $50 Disney gift card. She told me to let her know as soon as I got in a position where I could consider buying in.

As we walked out and said our goodbyes, Annmarie was asking me what I was doing for work at my former (long-term) job. I told her, and she suggested that I try to work ‘there’ – or for Disney in general.

Annmarie said, “Why not? You have a great smile and a good disposition and demeanor, and you love Disney.”

I didn’t want to bore her with the details, so I gave a very short, vague answer. But little does she know that I would love to work there! I think that working for some aspect of Disney – behind the scenes, or in a creative office setting rather than in the parks – is probably my true calling. That is probably what I should have been doing all along. And it’s not like it’s a pipe dream, totally out of reach. They do hire people, after all! However, in my particular circumstances, relocating to Orange County – which is what I would have to do – would be very tough at this point in time. The jobs in Burbank and Glendale (which are a bit closer to where I am, but still not that close) are largely not park-related. They are mostly focused on other areas of the Disney empire. I think that my real niche/strong suit would Disneyland-related jobs, but not actually in the parks.

Anyway, it was nice to know that another Disney employee felt that I would be a good Disney employee too!

I took my tote bag and booklets and decided to drop them off in my Paradise Pier Hotel room before heading to the parks. The gift card would stay with me (just in case!).

My free tote bag, Milano cookies, DVC booklets and Disney gift card envelope…

On my way back to the PPH I made a quick stop in the Walt Disney Travel Company to pick up their latest travel books (which are free). I hadn’t done this in about 4 years, even though I had been meaning to on the last several Disney visits.

If you are someone who likes to collect Disney travel-related books so you can read up on all of the magic at DLR, WDW and on the Disney Cruise Line, the Walt Disney Travel Company is a good place to stop in for such books. They are not wimpy 2-page brochures. The Cruise Line book, especially, is quite substantial. The DLR and WDW books have gotten a little thinner over the years, but they are still a good size.

As soon as I walked into the WDTC office – I mean, the very second – a CM at the front desk (there were two of them), who I felt was a tad on the brusque side, quickly said, “May I help you?” I hadn’t even gotten fully through the door yet.

I kind of nodded my head in the direction of the travel books and said, “I just wanted to pick up a couple of those books.”

The WDTC CM said, in an annoyed tone of voice, “Okay, but we don’t have the 2013 books. We only have 2012.”

I said, “That’s okay. I’m fine with 2012. Sometimes, if you call the Travel Company phone number and ask for the travel books, they will send you books from the previous year – not even the current year – so at least you have the books from this year!”

She kind of forced a smirk and looked away. She made me feel a bit uncomfortable, as though I was doing something wrong or bothering them somehow by stopping in to get the free books that are available to the public.

I established that the WDTC CM probably sounded that way because there are likely many people who come through those doors to get free books. The WDTC people could easily keep them behind the counter if they wanted some control over who takes them, but they leave them out in the open for everyone. Plus, it’s not like I wasn’t staying onsite. I was an onsite guest!

I grabbed my DLR, WDW and DCL books and high-tailed it out of there because I felt like I was being glared at, like I was a thief in a watch store or something. I tossed the WDTC books into my Disney Vacation Club tote bag with the DVC books, and onward to the PPH I went to dump everything!

These are the 2012 Walt Disney Travel Company books…

I deposited all of my various Disney books and materials in my PPH room, and it was time to hit the parks! Which park would be my destination?

Disneyland (since California Adventure was where I spent most of my time on the previous day)!

On my way out of the PPH front entrance, I stopped to admire my favorite tree!

And when I crossed the street to get to the Grand Californian Hotel, I stopped to admire the flowers…

I stopped in Acorn Goods and Gifts (or is it Gifts and Goods?) in the GCH and spotted these amazing nutcrackers, which were brand new on the merchandise circuit this year. The only one of the collection that they did not have in stock was the popular Santa Mickey nutcracker, because it was flying off the shelves, but I did see it later on in the trip…

After a quick peek in World of Disney in Downtown Disney to see what I might want to buy with my $50 gift card, I marched to the security tents. I got one of those ‘overly cautious’ security CM’s who wanted me to unzip every single compartment of my bag – usually they are fine with just 2 pockets being unzipped. This one wanted to be extra, extra sure, I suppose…because I clearly look like a trouble-maker, I guess.

I have been known to wildly wave my winter scarves around and injure small children just by quietly sitting in a chair, after all. Of course the security folks would want to be extra sure that I wasn’t up to shenanigans!

Once inside Disneyland, I took a photo of something that everyone else has taken a photo of (but I never have). This is hardly a clever or original idea on my part, but I figured that I’d better have a photo of this for my own collection since so many before me (hello, deejdigsdis!) have captured it.

Once past the tunnel, I spotted the Candlelight Processional (Ceremony) set-up. It had been there in 2011 when I was at DLR, but I hadn’t gotten any photos of it then. I think that some of the seats for it did not go up until later in the day, as to not completely block foot traffic walking around Town Square.

The narrator’s golden podium…

A beautiful golden wreath on the golden podium!

Lovely yellow poinsettias…

These flowers below were truly some of the prettiest and most vibrant flowers I had ever seen in Disneyland. It’s funny – if you see them from afar you don’t realize exactly how stunning they are. It’s only when you get up close that you see the amazingly rich colors! I didn’t even think the flowers were real at first. A young couple came up and asked if I would take their photo in front of the flower arrangement, and they said that the flowers were all real. So I got up close to inspect them.

The contrast of the red, green and snowy white was just awesome! The mix of textures is very involved, too!

Simply gorgeous! Wow! Honestly, I almost couldn’t tear myself away from these flowers! They were so striking.

Up next, in Part 2 of Day 2, I finally heed the siren’s song of the peppermint ice cream, and I have an awkward encounter with some total strangers as we share a table. Then, I arrive at the Disney-fied version of the Big Easy, where I begin a photo frenzy!