skiingfast
<font color=teal>Has had no bacon<br><font color=b
- Joined
- Mar 12, 2010
- Messages
- 28,475
I'm really enjoying this wedding segment of the TR. Seeing all the groomsman happenings make me think of the fun times I've had being in weddings.
ohmaigawd, STOP stepping on me: a July DL trip
- Thread starter wingedjojo
- Start date
kindakrazy2
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 17, 2007
- Messages
- 4,230
Love, love, love your report so far! Keep it coming girlie! 
wingedjojo
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Mar 1, 2011
- Messages
- 148
I'm sure the bride and groom would appreciate that! They spent so long planning the whole thing.
Love, love, love your report so far! Keep it coming girlie!
Another update coming right up.
Looked like a fun wedding!
I am going to download Tiny Towers just because you say it's so addicting!
download at your own risk.i've never been in a wedding before and i'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing. seems like a lot of work.
wingedjojo
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Mar 1, 2011
- Messages
- 148
Following the wedding and the couples departure, the groomsmen (plus Jo) were off to the Mens Warehouse. Everyone had brought an extra set of clothes so they could change at the warehouse and return the suits right away. I wish I had thought to do the same thing because after everyone had changed, I was still all dressed up in a sundress with 4 inch heels. Talk about awkward. 
We decided to go eat at Five Guys following our drop off at Mens Warehouse. If anyone is wondering why were eating so soon after the reception, first I need to put some things in perspective. Weve all been up since about 9am. We got ready and went right to the ceremony site without having eaten breakfast. Wedding was at 11am and reception/food began about 11:45am. By 12:30pm food was finished and dancing commenced. Partying continued until about 2pm when the newlyweds took their leave. We stuck around to help clean up and were at Mens Warehouse about 3pm. When we got to Five Guys we were all hungry again.
We were back at the Comfort Inn by 4pm and were ready/packed to leave in no time.
On the road again, it didnt take very long to get to Anaheim. I have this video of us from the road but Im not sure if it was from Davis to Riverside or from Riverside to Anaheim so Ill post it up here because now seems a good time for it.
In Anaheim we were staying at the Holiday Inn. I had bid on Priceline for the first time and this is what I got. They say the hotel is on park property and thats why they have an extra fee but its located behind the park and we were uncertain how close to the entrance it really was.
We got checked in and were assigned room 2202.
We were located on the second floor and right next to a stairwell. It was SO convenient coming and going out of the hotel.
Entering our room, it looked like your average hotel room. It had two queen beds
a television set and a desk
a random mirror
a closet right next to the door
and a sink which was oddly facing the beds.
Ive never seen a room layout like this before. It was weird but it wasnt too bad. What we didnt like was the two queen beds. We had hoped for a giant king bed (because those things are glorious) but we werent too disappointed. There was a simple solution to all this and the following video shows what we did.
With that out of our system and after we got most of our things squared away, we were off to go exchange our vouchers for our park tickets as well as find the quickest way from the room to the parks.
This is a side entrance to the hotel and we literally go through the doors, up one flight of stairs and arrive at our room.
We didnt really have much of an idea on how to get from point A to point B. All we knew was the general direction of where to go and we kind of just went with gut feelings.
We decided to walk through Downtown Disney because for some reason it seemed like the most logical way to go. Along the way, we saw some fireworks! We didnt stop too long because we didnt want to spoil it for the night we had planned to go see them.
Finally we got to Downtown Disney. We had timed ourselves and from the Holiday Inn, through Downtown Disney, and to Guest Services and it only took us 30 minutes.
That took way too long and itll be impossible to do early in the day and late in the night. We need a better route.
So going through Downtown Disney was not going to work out. We saw the tram loading area and thought maybe the tram will take us somewhere thatll help us shorten the walk. So with no idea where it really went, we stood and waited for the tram.
Apparently it only drops off once and it was at this random parking structure. Next to this structure is the Pinocchio parking lot. I feel like they use this parking lot as their tram depot because every time we walked by there would be a ton of trams just sitting there.
We found that if we walked through the Pinocchio parking lot theres a gate that leads to a (forgot which) street and it helped shorten our walk by about half the time.
Back at the hotel, we safely packed our tickets away (I got Donald and Kevin got Pluto) and got ready for tomorrows activities.
FYI: a giant king bed is fun but I really wish it was one mattress instead of two.
We decided to go eat at Five Guys following our drop off at Mens Warehouse. If anyone is wondering why were eating so soon after the reception, first I need to put some things in perspective. Weve all been up since about 9am. We got ready and went right to the ceremony site without having eaten breakfast. Wedding was at 11am and reception/food began about 11:45am. By 12:30pm food was finished and dancing commenced. Partying continued until about 2pm when the newlyweds took their leave. We stuck around to help clean up and were at Mens Warehouse about 3pm. When we got to Five Guys we were all hungry again.
We were back at the Comfort Inn by 4pm and were ready/packed to leave in no time.
On the road again, it didnt take very long to get to Anaheim. I have this video of us from the road but Im not sure if it was from Davis to Riverside or from Riverside to Anaheim so Ill post it up here because now seems a good time for it.
In Anaheim we were staying at the Holiday Inn. I had bid on Priceline for the first time and this is what I got. They say the hotel is on park property and thats why they have an extra fee but its located behind the park and we were uncertain how close to the entrance it really was.
We got checked in and were assigned room 2202.
We were located on the second floor and right next to a stairwell. It was SO convenient coming and going out of the hotel.
Entering our room, it looked like your average hotel room. It had two queen beds
a television set and a desk
a random mirror
a closet right next to the door
and a sink which was oddly facing the beds.
Ive never seen a room layout like this before. It was weird but it wasnt too bad. What we didnt like was the two queen beds. We had hoped for a giant king bed (because those things are glorious) but we werent too disappointed. There was a simple solution to all this and the following video shows what we did.
With that out of our system and after we got most of our things squared away, we were off to go exchange our vouchers for our park tickets as well as find the quickest way from the room to the parks.
This is a side entrance to the hotel and we literally go through the doors, up one flight of stairs and arrive at our room.
We didnt really have much of an idea on how to get from point A to point B. All we knew was the general direction of where to go and we kind of just went with gut feelings.
We decided to walk through Downtown Disney because for some reason it seemed like the most logical way to go. Along the way, we saw some fireworks! We didnt stop too long because we didnt want to spoil it for the night we had planned to go see them.
Finally we got to Downtown Disney. We had timed ourselves and from the Holiday Inn, through Downtown Disney, and to Guest Services and it only took us 30 minutes.
That took way too long and itll be impossible to do early in the day and late in the night. We need a better route.
So going through Downtown Disney was not going to work out. We saw the tram loading area and thought maybe the tram will take us somewhere thatll help us shorten the walk. So with no idea where it really went, we stood and waited for the tram.
Apparently it only drops off once and it was at this random parking structure. Next to this structure is the Pinocchio parking lot. I feel like they use this parking lot as their tram depot because every time we walked by there would be a ton of trams just sitting there.
We found that if we walked through the Pinocchio parking lot theres a gate that leads to a (forgot which) street and it helped shorten our walk by about half the time.
Back at the hotel, we safely packed our tickets away (I got Donald and Kevin got Pluto) and got ready for tomorrows activities.
FYI: a giant king bed is fun but I really wish it was one mattress instead of two.
Hiya! I have found your Trip report fascinating... you should make it into a film.. like a sort of Hangover 3, but without the hangover!! Lol!
I have to say I am amazed at the quality of the photos you have taken and posted here- can I ask what camera you are using? Is it a Canon or Panasonic?
I used to have on old early digital Minolta, but recently splashed out on a Lumix G3... http://www.panasonic.co.uk/html/en_...MIX+G+Micro+System+Cameras/4855154/index.html
RRRrrr! It's fab! Can't wait to take it abroad with me to Disney Florida later this year... but I doubt that my blog/trip report can be as well constructed as yours..
I have to say I am amazed at the quality of the photos you have taken and posted here- can I ask what camera you are using? Is it a Canon or Panasonic?
I used to have on old early digital Minolta, but recently splashed out on a Lumix G3... http://www.panasonic.co.uk/html/en_...MIX+G+Micro+System+Cameras/4855154/index.html
RRRrrr! It's fab! Can't wait to take it abroad with me to Disney Florida later this year... but I doubt that my blog/trip report can be as well constructed as yours..
wingedjojo
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Mar 1, 2011
- Messages
- 148
Hm, that is an interesting set up for a hotel room. Never saw that before.
YAY we are getting closer to the DLR part of this TR
Good thing Kevin and I are not overtly superstitious or anything because it's bad Feng shui to have mirrors so close to a bed and such.
Coming up!
Hangover 3...speaking of which, need to go watch Hangover 2.I'm using a Canon t2i. I'm still pretty much a newbie when it comes to photography and most of the time I just fiddle with it and luck into most of my shots. I still have trouble with manual focus now and then. I'm too stubborn to use auto focus because it just takes FOREVER for it to focus on its own.
Oh, I'm sure you'll do excellent on your blog. As long as you just go with the flow of events, you really can't mess up. For me, proof-reading is my friend. Half the time I have crazy grammar issues. hahaha.
wingedjojo
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Mar 1, 2011
- Messages
- 148
Monday, July 11
Finally we get some real Disney action today and we got up bright and early at 6:45am. Disneyland didnt open until 8am all week and California Adventure didnt open until 10am so we had plenty of time.
We took breakfast on the go because while early, we still wanted to be near the front of the line for park opening. Prior to leaving for Riverside we had bought a box of Poptarts, designated as breakfast for our Disney days. Theyre portable, dont require any sort of cooking, and are ready to eat as is; perfect for a fast and on-the-go breakfast.
Theyre great to walk and eat with but I just gotta say: they taste really gross. Maybe Im just picky and perhaps strawberry Poptarts is the wrong flavor for me but they were just gross. I understand the appeal because they look pretty and theyre sugary so kids eat them up but other than that, theyre hardly edible. Oh well, we bought them so might as well eat them.
This was a very important sign in helping us find our way to the park entrance last night:
After approximately 15 minutes of walking later, we get to the Pinocchio parking lot that we had found the day before. Looks like a lot of the trams are still sleeping.
A quick tram ride later we get to the front entrances. The entrance to California Adventure was still undergoing its facelift during the time we were there. I think they finished it a couple of weeks after we left. As pretty as it looks now Im saddened that they couldnt have come up with something more original rather than straight up copy off of Hollywood Studios in Orlando.
But we werent going to visit that park until later. Right now, our attention was to Disneyland. I think we arrived maybe 15 minutes before the park opened and the lines were at least 30 people deep each.
We were ready and prepared to enter the park!
The park opened and we were let in exactly on time (darn no early entry; not even by a minute!). The train was parked at the train station so I quickly grabbed a shot of it.
As we were about to go under the bridge and into the actual park, smoke started billowing out of the trains chimney? Is there a term for the part of the train where smoke comes out of? For that matter, whats the head of the train called? Engine compartment? Yeah, I know nothing about trains.
The first look at Main Street always brings such a heart-warming feeling for me. Especially on the first park day, going down Main Street so early in the morning just makes you happy knowing youre about to start a whole new set of memories.
This is the second Disney trip Ive taken with Kevin and I think weve started developing a tradition of making a particular ride the first we go to at the start of our vacation.
Which ride is it?
Leave your guesses and tune in next time for the thrilling reveal!
Finally we get some real Disney action today and we got up bright and early at 6:45am. Disneyland didnt open until 8am all week and California Adventure didnt open until 10am so we had plenty of time.
We took breakfast on the go because while early, we still wanted to be near the front of the line for park opening. Prior to leaving for Riverside we had bought a box of Poptarts, designated as breakfast for our Disney days. Theyre portable, dont require any sort of cooking, and are ready to eat as is; perfect for a fast and on-the-go breakfast.
Theyre great to walk and eat with but I just gotta say: they taste really gross. Maybe Im just picky and perhaps strawberry Poptarts is the wrong flavor for me but they were just gross. I understand the appeal because they look pretty and theyre sugary so kids eat them up but other than that, theyre hardly edible. Oh well, we bought them so might as well eat them.
This was a very important sign in helping us find our way to the park entrance last night:
After approximately 15 minutes of walking later, we get to the Pinocchio parking lot that we had found the day before. Looks like a lot of the trams are still sleeping.
A quick tram ride later we get to the front entrances. The entrance to California Adventure was still undergoing its facelift during the time we were there. I think they finished it a couple of weeks after we left. As pretty as it looks now Im saddened that they couldnt have come up with something more original rather than straight up copy off of Hollywood Studios in Orlando.
But we werent going to visit that park until later. Right now, our attention was to Disneyland. I think we arrived maybe 15 minutes before the park opened and the lines were at least 30 people deep each.
We were ready and prepared to enter the park!
The park opened and we were let in exactly on time (darn no early entry; not even by a minute!). The train was parked at the train station so I quickly grabbed a shot of it.
As we were about to go under the bridge and into the actual park, smoke started billowing out of the trains chimney? Is there a term for the part of the train where smoke comes out of? For that matter, whats the head of the train called? Engine compartment? Yeah, I know nothing about trains.
The first look at Main Street always brings such a heart-warming feeling for me. Especially on the first park day, going down Main Street so early in the morning just makes you happy knowing youre about to start a whole new set of memories.
This is the second Disney trip Ive taken with Kevin and I think weve started developing a tradition of making a particular ride the first we go to at the start of our vacation.
Which ride is it?
Leave your guesses and tune in next time for the thrilling reveal!
floydfamily4
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Feb 20, 2009
- Messages
- 701
more please 
skiingfast
<font color=teal>Has had no bacon<br><font color=b
- Joined
- Mar 12, 2010
- Messages
- 28,475
The only thing to know about the DLR railroad. They have shiny bells. 
I'm going to guess your traditional first ride is Space Mountain.
It took me a bit to catch up, but once I scrolled by the picture of the poptarts, I knew you were done with the wedding and going to DL!
I'm going to guess your traditional first ride is Space Mountain.
It took me a bit to catch up, but once I scrolled by the picture of the poptarts, I knew you were done with the wedding and going to DL!
SigalTchelet
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Aug 20, 2011
- Messages
- 328
Hahaha, this is a photo I have from our drive down in 2009:
I'm 98% sure it's the same water tower! But I think it's in Sacremento? My photo angle shows a few letters on it.
I'm glad you guys made it time for the bachelor party, and how fun for you, being one of the guys
And does Kevin know his thighs are posted on the internet for the world to see?
It's in Sacramento off the Pocket Road exit, as you are going south on 5.
wingedjojo
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Mar 1, 2011
- Messages
- 148
Thanks for reading!
Coming right up!
The only thing to know about the DLR railroad. They have shiny bells.
I'm going to guess your traditional first ride is Space Mountain.
It took me a bit to catch up, but once I scrolled by the picture of the poptarts, I knew you were done with the wedding and going to DL!
I would think Space Mountain too. Sometimes I wonder why we didn't choose that one first since the line is always way long. I guess the early morning rush of stepping into Disneyland clouded our minds and we couldn't think straight. Too much excitement.
Hahaha, this water tower is so popular.
Sorry for being MIA for so long, life got a bit busy. But no worries, this TR isn't going to be abandoned.
wingedjojo
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Mar 1, 2011
- Messages
- 148
Sorry for being MIA for so long everybody. Life just kind of caught up to me and Ive been tired.
That made me sound so old.
Anyway, to apologize, I finished all of day one. Thanks for hanging in there!
~*~*~*~
I guess Kevin and I have an uncanny need to veer left so when we left the hub, we landed in Adventureland. For those of you playing at home that mentally guessed the Indiana Jones ride, you are correct!
At this time of the day, it was pretty much a walk on. We were lucky it didnt break down on us because the last time we were here, the ride went down right before we were about to board the vehicle.
I somehow managed one decent-ish dark shot. I love the atmosphere and mood that Disney creates but I hate how hard it is to photograph anything.
Both Kevin and I really enjoy the Indiana Jones ride and think its one of the more worthwhile rides to wait hours for (if waiting was absolutely necessary, that is).
Sad to say, Ive only ever seen the first Indiana Jones movie and I feel I should really watch the others. Except the newest one (Crystal Skull?); I hear that its not as great as the previous installments.
Following our clockwise rotation (but apparently skipping a couple of things), we ended up going on Splash Mountain next.
Thank goodness we went on this ride early because then we had plenty of time to air-dry. I dont think Ive ever gotten that wet on Splash Mountain before. My entire bottom was wet and it was pretty uncomfortable.
You really cant tell from our pictures how wet we are but trust me when I say were wet.
If Im not mistaken, we went to ride The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh next. It was cute and the coolness of an indoor ride was welcomed because it was starting to get a tad warm out. Before we left Critter Country entirely, we took some pictures with some honey pots.
Ive always wondered: why does Pooh like honey so much? Its so rich and filling that I cant imagine eating that much honey all by itself would taste very good. Why honey? Why not berries? Or I dont know leaves?
May never know.
I was all excited to see this moose bench. Ive always wanted to see a real moose in person but that hasnt happened yet. I hear stories that they can get super mean though.
Next on the agenda was Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. While waiting in line, I was looking around to find something interesting to take a picture of and I managed to come away with three:
I dont know where we wandered off to next but according to my pictures, wherever we were, there were goats.
Now commencing pictures of us petting goats:
I like goats because theyre basically dogs but I just cant get over their freaky eyes. Dont know what Im talking about? Heres a picture:
Its just all kinds of creepy.
I remember coming out of that animal petting area thinking that I really wanted to wash my hands. Not a moment after I said that in my head that we saw a giant water basin dedicated solely for washing hands. Yay for clean hands!
According to my pictures (because I cant really remember anything anymore) we went through Fantasyland as we made our way out of the park. I guess along the way we happened to run across Peter Pan.
We also happened to find the meet and greet area for Rapunzel.
It was decided earlier on that we wouldnt be visiting any of the Fantasyland rides today. We had a 3 day park hopper and that allowed us a Magic Morning. We were just going to wait and use that to knock out all the Fantasyland rides.
Our plan for the moment was then to make our way over to California Adventure. Upon exiting the park, we got some nifty hand stamps. I cant remember which stamp we got on which day but I think the order was Ursula for this day, either Pluto or Goofy for tomorrow, and Cruella for our last day. It also doesnt help that our picture doesnt really show our hand stamp very well. I should rephrase that; it doesnt show our hand stamp at all but trust me when I say its there.
Like in Disneyland, we didnt really have a game plan at all. We had 3 days to explore and that was more than enough time to do everything we wanted. So the idea was to wander until we found something we wanted to do.
Well, apparently the something we wanted to do turned out to be the Tower of Terror. I didnt take many pictures but I did take one of this creepy doll in the lobby.
Is anyone else scared of these types of dolls or is it just me? I have fears that theyll just come to life and start killing people. Has anyone seen the Chucky movies? I think thats where my fear stems from. Also, clowns are scary.
After our free-falling adventure, we continued our wanderings and wandered right into the Animation Academy building.
So when entering the building, theres a mural on the wall that says Once Upon a Time and Kevin decided to stand next to it for a picture. Im pretty sure theres a Happily Ever After... somewhere on another wall but we didnt take a picture with it.
Once upon a time Kevin was stupid and he stayed that way.
That made me sound so old.
Anyway, to apologize, I finished all of day one. Thanks for hanging in there!
~*~*~*~
I guess Kevin and I have an uncanny need to veer left so when we left the hub, we landed in Adventureland. For those of you playing at home that mentally guessed the Indiana Jones ride, you are correct!
At this time of the day, it was pretty much a walk on. We were lucky it didnt break down on us because the last time we were here, the ride went down right before we were about to board the vehicle.
I somehow managed one decent-ish dark shot. I love the atmosphere and mood that Disney creates but I hate how hard it is to photograph anything.
Both Kevin and I really enjoy the Indiana Jones ride and think its one of the more worthwhile rides to wait hours for (if waiting was absolutely necessary, that is).
Sad to say, Ive only ever seen the first Indiana Jones movie and I feel I should really watch the others. Except the newest one (Crystal Skull?); I hear that its not as great as the previous installments.
Following our clockwise rotation (but apparently skipping a couple of things), we ended up going on Splash Mountain next.
Thank goodness we went on this ride early because then we had plenty of time to air-dry. I dont think Ive ever gotten that wet on Splash Mountain before. My entire bottom was wet and it was pretty uncomfortable.
You really cant tell from our pictures how wet we are but trust me when I say were wet.
If Im not mistaken, we went to ride The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh next. It was cute and the coolness of an indoor ride was welcomed because it was starting to get a tad warm out. Before we left Critter Country entirely, we took some pictures with some honey pots.
Ive always wondered: why does Pooh like honey so much? Its so rich and filling that I cant imagine eating that much honey all by itself would taste very good. Why honey? Why not berries? Or I dont know leaves?
May never know.
I was all excited to see this moose bench. Ive always wanted to see a real moose in person but that hasnt happened yet. I hear stories that they can get super mean though.
Next on the agenda was Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. While waiting in line, I was looking around to find something interesting to take a picture of and I managed to come away with three:
I dont know where we wandered off to next but according to my pictures, wherever we were, there were goats.
Now commencing pictures of us petting goats:
I like goats because theyre basically dogs but I just cant get over their freaky eyes. Dont know what Im talking about? Heres a picture:
Its just all kinds of creepy.
I remember coming out of that animal petting area thinking that I really wanted to wash my hands. Not a moment after I said that in my head that we saw a giant water basin dedicated solely for washing hands. Yay for clean hands!
According to my pictures (because I cant really remember anything anymore) we went through Fantasyland as we made our way out of the park. I guess along the way we happened to run across Peter Pan.
We also happened to find the meet and greet area for Rapunzel.
It was decided earlier on that we wouldnt be visiting any of the Fantasyland rides today. We had a 3 day park hopper and that allowed us a Magic Morning. We were just going to wait and use that to knock out all the Fantasyland rides.
Our plan for the moment was then to make our way over to California Adventure. Upon exiting the park, we got some nifty hand stamps. I cant remember which stamp we got on which day but I think the order was Ursula for this day, either Pluto or Goofy for tomorrow, and Cruella for our last day. It also doesnt help that our picture doesnt really show our hand stamp very well. I should rephrase that; it doesnt show our hand stamp at all but trust me when I say its there.
Like in Disneyland, we didnt really have a game plan at all. We had 3 days to explore and that was more than enough time to do everything we wanted. So the idea was to wander until we found something we wanted to do.
Well, apparently the something we wanted to do turned out to be the Tower of Terror. I didnt take many pictures but I did take one of this creepy doll in the lobby.
Is anyone else scared of these types of dolls or is it just me? I have fears that theyll just come to life and start killing people. Has anyone seen the Chucky movies? I think thats where my fear stems from. Also, clowns are scary.
After our free-falling adventure, we continued our wanderings and wandered right into the Animation Academy building.
So when entering the building, theres a mural on the wall that says Once Upon a Time and Kevin decided to stand next to it for a picture. Im pretty sure theres a Happily Ever After... somewhere on another wall but we didnt take a picture with it.
Once upon a time Kevin was stupid and he stayed that way.
wingedjojo
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Mar 1, 2011
- Messages
- 148
It was only about 10 or so minutes until the next session for Animation Academy so we just stood around to wait for it. To pass time, Kevin played Tiny Tower. I wasnt into the game yet at this point so I just went on Facebook or something on my phone.
Kevin is a pretty bad artist but he still found the concept of the class to be really fun. We enjoyed it so much that Im pretty sure we went and did this at least once a day while we were there. For this particular day, we drew Goofy. It looked kinda goofy though because, for some reason, we didnt draw his hat.
After class, we continued our aimless movements through the park and somehow wound up at the Wilderness Explorers Camp. We made it just in time for a showing of the Wilderness Explorers Induction Ceremony.
It was a cute little display where little kids got to be a part of the show. Russell came along to take part of the show about ¼ into it.
When I first learned that they were changing the theme of this area from Brother Bear to Up I had gotten super excited. I LOVE Up but more specifically, I LOVE LOVE LOVE Dug. He is like the cutest thing ever and I wish I could have him as my own.
Back in 2009, when I had first gone to Disneyland with Kevin, I had hoped against hope that they would have Up characters in their Pixar and Friends parade. They were having Up character meet and greets at Disney World so MAYBE they would at least be in the parade here? Alas, that was not to happen and I was super sad. As much as I understand that its just a costumed cast member, I was still depressed at the idea that Ill never get to pet Dug.
But things were completely different now. The theme here was Up and if there was a Russell then there HAS to be a Dug somewhere. It was my mission to find him and finally get my picture with him.
At the end of the induction ceremony, everyone was able to line up and take a picture with Russell (we also got a nifty Wilderness Explorers badge sticker).
Okay okay okay, we got Russell but wheres the IMPORTANT character? Maybe this is one of those line-up scenarios where after taking a picture with Russell, around the corner would be Dug. Is he there?!
Of course not.
NOOOOOOoooooooo~~~ How can you do this to me, Disney?!!? How can you dangle the possibility of meeting Dug in front of my face and not give it to me????
Just to make sure, we asked a cast member if Dug ever made appearances. Apparently, he came out approximately 15 minutes after the shows.
MY CHANCE!!! HOPE IS RESTORED!!!
So we waited
and waited
and waited
Finally in the distance we see a large, tan figure emerge.
Is it?
Can it be?
Its DUG!!!!
I was super excited although the camera didnt exactly capture my jumping for joy face.
Finally, in a few moments, I will finally get to pet Dug.
I guess he could really tell I was super excited because for the first time in my life I had a legit character experience. It wasnt just a quick picture and a high five or something. We had actual interaction and dialogue in the sense that I spoke and he pantomimed responses. Apparently he really liked the cupcake on my shirt and I told him that if he came home with me I would feed him as many cupcakes as he wanted. He agreed so now I just have to go get some cupcakes. I will come back for you, Dug!
Life is good. Now if only Kevin wasnt in that picture ruining my moment with Dug.
It was about lunch time and I had reserved a picnic that came with tickets for World of Color so we went to go pick that up.
Along the way, we stopped and took some pictures in front of Mickeys Fun Wheel.
Suddenly Kevin got terribly distracted because the Phineas and Ferb Rockin Rollin Dance Party was rolling through and he LOVES Phineas and Ferb.
Not to mention that everyones favorite monotreme was also present (albeit not in a moving or dancing form).
As we continued on our quest to acquire our picnic, we wandered into an air-conditioned gift shop and found some funny boxes of candy.
We also saw Duffy the Disney bear although Kevin was terrible at taking a decent picture.
After circling around a couple of times, we found the picnic pick-up spot.
Our lunch came in a nifty (and FREE) tote bag that I wasnt aware we were going to get. Its pretty but I currently have no knowledge as to its whereabouts. Im sure itll turn up one day.
If Im remembering correctly, Kevin got the All American option and it had fried chicken, coleslaw, potato salad and apple pie. He also got to choose a Coke to accompany his meal.
He said it was pretty good and I didnt think it was too bad based on the couple of bites I had. The only complaint was because the meals were all refrigerated prior to their distribution that the chicken wasnt crispy or hot. Meals were all cold. If the chicken was freshly fried, it wouldve been wonderful but it wasnt too bad cold.
None of the adult meals really appealed to me so I opted for the (same priced) childrens Lunch Box. It had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, apple slices, and a cupcake. I chose a water bottle to go along with my meal. Since it is a kids meal, I also got to choose between a red, green, or blue bracelet that came with it. I got a cute, blue one but my hands were too big and I couldnt put it on.
This was the perfect sized meal for me and I felt satiated without feeling overly full. Too bad I neglected to save the cupcake to lure Dug to come home with me. Next time.
Kevin is a pretty bad artist but he still found the concept of the class to be really fun. We enjoyed it so much that Im pretty sure we went and did this at least once a day while we were there. For this particular day, we drew Goofy. It looked kinda goofy though because, for some reason, we didnt draw his hat.
After class, we continued our aimless movements through the park and somehow wound up at the Wilderness Explorers Camp. We made it just in time for a showing of the Wilderness Explorers Induction Ceremony.
It was a cute little display where little kids got to be a part of the show. Russell came along to take part of the show about ¼ into it.
When I first learned that they were changing the theme of this area from Brother Bear to Up I had gotten super excited. I LOVE Up but more specifically, I LOVE LOVE LOVE Dug. He is like the cutest thing ever and I wish I could have him as my own.
Back in 2009, when I had first gone to Disneyland with Kevin, I had hoped against hope that they would have Up characters in their Pixar and Friends parade. They were having Up character meet and greets at Disney World so MAYBE they would at least be in the parade here? Alas, that was not to happen and I was super sad. As much as I understand that its just a costumed cast member, I was still depressed at the idea that Ill never get to pet Dug.
But things were completely different now. The theme here was Up and if there was a Russell then there HAS to be a Dug somewhere. It was my mission to find him and finally get my picture with him.
At the end of the induction ceremony, everyone was able to line up and take a picture with Russell (we also got a nifty Wilderness Explorers badge sticker).
Okay okay okay, we got Russell but wheres the IMPORTANT character? Maybe this is one of those line-up scenarios where after taking a picture with Russell, around the corner would be Dug. Is he there?!
Of course not.
NOOOOOOoooooooo~~~ How can you do this to me, Disney?!!? How can you dangle the possibility of meeting Dug in front of my face and not give it to me????
Just to make sure, we asked a cast member if Dug ever made appearances. Apparently, he came out approximately 15 minutes after the shows.
MY CHANCE!!! HOPE IS RESTORED!!!
So we waited
and waited
and waited
Finally in the distance we see a large, tan figure emerge.
Is it?
Can it be?
Its DUG!!!!
I was super excited although the camera didnt exactly capture my jumping for joy face.
Finally, in a few moments, I will finally get to pet Dug.
I guess he could really tell I was super excited because for the first time in my life I had a legit character experience. It wasnt just a quick picture and a high five or something. We had actual interaction and dialogue in the sense that I spoke and he pantomimed responses. Apparently he really liked the cupcake on my shirt and I told him that if he came home with me I would feed him as many cupcakes as he wanted. He agreed so now I just have to go get some cupcakes. I will come back for you, Dug!
Life is good. Now if only Kevin wasnt in that picture ruining my moment with Dug.
It was about lunch time and I had reserved a picnic that came with tickets for World of Color so we went to go pick that up.
Along the way, we stopped and took some pictures in front of Mickeys Fun Wheel.
Suddenly Kevin got terribly distracted because the Phineas and Ferb Rockin Rollin Dance Party was rolling through and he LOVES Phineas and Ferb.
Not to mention that everyones favorite monotreme was also present (albeit not in a moving or dancing form).
As we continued on our quest to acquire our picnic, we wandered into an air-conditioned gift shop and found some funny boxes of candy.
We also saw Duffy the Disney bear although Kevin was terrible at taking a decent picture.
After circling around a couple of times, we found the picnic pick-up spot.
Our lunch came in a nifty (and FREE) tote bag that I wasnt aware we were going to get. Its pretty but I currently have no knowledge as to its whereabouts. Im sure itll turn up one day.
If Im remembering correctly, Kevin got the All American option and it had fried chicken, coleslaw, potato salad and apple pie. He also got to choose a Coke to accompany his meal.
He said it was pretty good and I didnt think it was too bad based on the couple of bites I had. The only complaint was because the meals were all refrigerated prior to their distribution that the chicken wasnt crispy or hot. Meals were all cold. If the chicken was freshly fried, it wouldve been wonderful but it wasnt too bad cold.
None of the adult meals really appealed to me so I opted for the (same priced) childrens Lunch Box. It had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, apple slices, and a cupcake. I chose a water bottle to go along with my meal. Since it is a kids meal, I also got to choose between a red, green, or blue bracelet that came with it. I got a cute, blue one but my hands were too big and I couldnt put it on.
This was the perfect sized meal for me and I felt satiated without feeling overly full. Too bad I neglected to save the cupcake to lure Dug to come home with me. Next time.
wingedjojo
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Mar 1, 2011
- Messages
- 148
Lunch done, we decided to tackle the line to the new Little Mermaid ride. Earlier, when we first entered the park, the ride had been down and there werent any Fastpasses for this ride. So now was the moment to finally go ride the new attraction.
The craftsmanship to the building and its surrounding areas was very well done. There were a lot of seashells embedded into the actual concrete which really gave it that beach-like feeling.
There were also these mosaic borders along the line which really gave the whole area an extra something-something.
We knew we were going to ride the attraction again later on so I didnt really bother with taking too many pictures. I just wanted to enjoy the ride the first time around. I did grab a picture of the loading area though.
It was a pretty good ride and quite enjoyable. I wouldnt exactly call it a big ticket attraction but it was cute.
California Screamin was next on the agenda and while we made our way over, we passed by the character dining area. To test the stalker mode of my camera lens, I decided to try and take pictures of the princesses there. Here are my results:
Looks like I was able to capture Cinderellas back and what appears to be Belle hiding behind a pole.
California Screamin was amazing, no surprise. If only the line wasnt so long we wouldve done it a couple of more times. I love how the people behind us also put up some peace signs.
Toy Story Mania was right next door so there we went.
I dont know what happened but when I took a picture of Kevin in front of Mr.Potato Head, the end result made it look as if Mr.Potato Head was drunk or something.
Heres a better, non-drunk picture of Mr.Potato Head:
With our 3D glasses firmly planted in front of our eyes, we were off to do battle.
I lost. Darn.
So at school, Kevin is part of a dance crew and they recently did a piece with a Toy Story theme. His character was Wheezy so he made me take this picture:
After losing to Kevin, we went through the gift shop and out, stopping for some pictures with props.
We decided to start making our way out of the park to go hit up some more rides in Disneyland but before we left, we were going to ride Soarin Over California. Theres this giant misting rocket right next door and Kevin decided to bask in its cooling exhaust before we entered the Soarin line.
Even though Ive lived in California all my life and have been to most of these places, its still such a pleasant experience. I especially love the orange groves; smells so good.
With one last picture of the construction over the parks entrance, we made our way back over to Disneyland.
We hadnt gone through Tomorrowland yet so we went right of the hub this time around. Buzz Lightyears Astro Blasters was first up and the line was long and hot. It was only at this point that we remembered the wedding favors that we had been given: fans! We immediately busted those out and quickly became the envy of all those around us (not really).
This ride is always a hoot and a half. Its that competitive nature that makes it fun every time.
Like in Toy Story Mania, I lost again. Sadness. One day I will get that coveted 999,999 score as soon as I figure out all the tricks and secrets.
In the gift shop we randomly found a barrel full of Phineas and Ferb plush dolls. Kevin had to pick out all the Perrys, of course.
The craftsmanship to the building and its surrounding areas was very well done. There were a lot of seashells embedded into the actual concrete which really gave it that beach-like feeling.
There were also these mosaic borders along the line which really gave the whole area an extra something-something.
We knew we were going to ride the attraction again later on so I didnt really bother with taking too many pictures. I just wanted to enjoy the ride the first time around. I did grab a picture of the loading area though.
It was a pretty good ride and quite enjoyable. I wouldnt exactly call it a big ticket attraction but it was cute.
California Screamin was next on the agenda and while we made our way over, we passed by the character dining area. To test the stalker mode of my camera lens, I decided to try and take pictures of the princesses there. Here are my results:
Looks like I was able to capture Cinderellas back and what appears to be Belle hiding behind a pole.
California Screamin was amazing, no surprise. If only the line wasnt so long we wouldve done it a couple of more times. I love how the people behind us also put up some peace signs.
Toy Story Mania was right next door so there we went.
I dont know what happened but when I took a picture of Kevin in front of Mr.Potato Head, the end result made it look as if Mr.Potato Head was drunk or something.
Heres a better, non-drunk picture of Mr.Potato Head:
With our 3D glasses firmly planted in front of our eyes, we were off to do battle.
I lost. Darn.
So at school, Kevin is part of a dance crew and they recently did a piece with a Toy Story theme. His character was Wheezy so he made me take this picture:
After losing to Kevin, we went through the gift shop and out, stopping for some pictures with props.
We decided to start making our way out of the park to go hit up some more rides in Disneyland but before we left, we were going to ride Soarin Over California. Theres this giant misting rocket right next door and Kevin decided to bask in its cooling exhaust before we entered the Soarin line.
Even though Ive lived in California all my life and have been to most of these places, its still such a pleasant experience. I especially love the orange groves; smells so good.
With one last picture of the construction over the parks entrance, we made our way back over to Disneyland.
We hadnt gone through Tomorrowland yet so we went right of the hub this time around. Buzz Lightyears Astro Blasters was first up and the line was long and hot. It was only at this point that we remembered the wedding favors that we had been given: fans! We immediately busted those out and quickly became the envy of all those around us (not really).
This ride is always a hoot and a half. Its that competitive nature that makes it fun every time.
Like in Toy Story Mania, I lost again. Sadness. One day I will get that coveted 999,999 score as soon as I figure out all the tricks and secrets.
In the gift shop we randomly found a barrel full of Phineas and Ferb plush dolls. Kevin had to pick out all the Perrys, of course.
-
Make Candy Apple Olafs for your 'Frozen the Musical' Showing
-
All The New INSIDE OUT Merch For 10th Anniversary
-
El Artista: A Spanish Haunting Coming to Halloween Horror Nights
-
Is Walt Disney World Focusing Too Heavily on the Magic Kingdom?
-
New Disney Springs Shaken & Stirred Cocktail Class Dates
-
Looking for Ways to Experience 'Elio' at Disney Parks? We've Got Some + NEW Merch!
-
Why is There a Giant Dinosaur at Disney's Hollywood Studios?
Save Up to 30% on Rooms at Walt Disney World!
Save up to 30% on rooms at select Disney Resorts Collection hotels when you stay 5 consecutive nights or longer in late summer and early fall. Plus, enjoy other savings for shorter stays.This offer is valid for stays most nights from August 1 to October 11, 2025.
CLICK HERE
