Our 3rd Annual Holiday Trip to DL in November - November 22nd - 25th, 2013 Post #3416

[usnuzuloose]

You will have an outstanding time when you back to the DLR next month. I'm glad that you are enjoying my pictures Angela.




When I walked back from Frontierland to the Hub, the Frontierland Shootin' Exposition was back to normal where guests shoot at the targets. I didn't see any guests around the area and I would have guess that someone left their bag in that area and Disney do clear the area for unattended bags. I know that it is a standard protocol for the CM's to clear out that area for unattended bags. If the area was clear to go back than it was just a minor problem at that time at the Shootin' Exposition.




You should consider to go back to the DLR one day. So much has changed over the last few years and there will be more changes in the future.

I am looking forward to your trip next year with the other DISers. Hopefully maybe I will be able to come along at that time, but time will tell if I can go or not.


The next post will be up tomorrow morning so stay tune.

Sad to say, but I don't think DL will be in the future. But it is ok I can live through everyone's pictures and be satisfied. Hopefully you can come next year! Carry on!

 

[Sherry E]

Bret -

Do you happen to know if that red, white & blue bunting that is draped on the Main Street buildings is there from Memorial Day to Labor Day? And also the red, white & blue decorations on the lampposts - are they there from Memorial Day to Labor Day too?

It never occurred to me that those patriotic decorations would be up all summer long. I really thought that DLR just put them up for 4th of July. However, on June 9th I noticed the red, white and blue decorations on the lampposts when I was at DLR. I thought it seemed too early at that point to put them up for 4th of July, which was almost a month away, so I figured that maybe they had been there since Memorial Day.

Now, in your photos from your August DLR trip, I still see all of the decorations and we are well past 4th of July. So I can only imagine that they are being kept up until Labor Day.

If that is correct that the patriotic decorations are kept up from Memorial Day to Labor Day - that's a long time!

 

[tksbaskets]

Love the pictures down Mainstreet and Frontierland. The corn dog looked tasty

Looking forward to the firework display.

TK

 

[mvf-m11c]

Sad to say, but I don't think DL will be in the future. But it is ok I can live through everyone's pictures and be satisfied. Hopefully you can come next year! Carry on!

Maybe one day, DL will be in the future. Glad that you are enjoying the pictures from my TR. It will be nice if I can work it out next year at WDW.

Bret -

Do you happen to know if that red, white & blue bunting that is draped on the Main Street buildings is there from Memorial Day to Labor Day? And also the red, white & blue decorations on the lampposts - are they there from Memorial Day to Labor Day too?

It never occurred to me that those patriotic decorations would be up all summer long. I really thought that DLR just put them up for 4th of July. However, on June 9th I noticed the red, white and blue decorations on the lampposts when I was at DLR. I thought it seemed too early at that point to put them up for 4th of July, which was almost a month away, so I figured that maybe they had been there since Memorial Day.

Now, in your photos from your August DLR trip, I still see all of the decorations and we are well past 4th of July. So I can only imagine that they are being kept up until Labor Day.

If that is correct that the patriotic decorations are kept up from Memorial Day to Labor Day - that's a long time!

I'm looking through my pictures from my Memorial Day trip in 2011 and yes they do have the red, white and blue drapes on the buildings of MS as well as the lampposts. I would assume that they leave them up all the way towards Labor Day weekend since they were up during my last trip. I have never been to DL during Labor Day weekend.

For the last four years I have been going to DL during the summertime, I know that they put up the patriotic decorations on the buildings of MS. The only one I am wondering the most is the lampposts. I looked at my 2009 pictures during the summertime and saw that there were Celebrate year decorations that were on the lampposts on MS instead of the patriotic colors. Do you remember 'What Will You Celebrate' campaign in 2009 where you get a free birthday admission ticket on your birthday? They did have some decorations on MS during the summertime to promote that campaign. Also remember the giant card envelope with the Mickey balloons where the pumpkin and tree go during the season?

I would guess that DL will keep the decorations up until Labor day weekend. I know that DCA BVS had some patriotic decorations up during 4th of July week. Then they took them down after 4th of July week. I thought that DCA would leave the decorations up just like DL, but it was just for that weekend.

I know for a fact that the patriotic drapes on MS are up from Memorial Day to Labor Day and same thing for the lampposts during the last couple of years.

Love the pictures down Mainstreet and Frontierland. The corn dog looked tasty

Looking forward to the firework display.

TK

Thank you TK. The corn dog was great that night. I was about to get chicken nuggets until I changed my mind with the corn dog at Stage Door Cafe.

The next post won't have the firework display but it will shortly when we get to the fireworks.


The next post will be up shortly.

 

[mvf-m11c]

Day 1 – August 13, 2012– Part 8​

After having dinner at Stage Door Café, I started to head on to the Hub to see if I had to get my spot earlier. I wasn’t planning on getting the spot until 7:30pm while it was around 7:10pm. If there were some people waiting at the Hub at my spot on the right hand side of looking at SB Castle, I had to get my spot early.

I left Frontierland and on over to the Hub. It was quite busy around Frontierland when I left the dining area right by the Riverbelle Terrace and Stage Door Café. Over at the RoA sitting area for the first show of F!, there were people waiting right at the railing with two hours to go. It didn’t surprise me one bit that there are people waiting over 2+ hours for the first show of F! at the RoA.

Earlier when I got into Frontierlanfd, I passed through the Frontierland Shootin’ Exposition which had some CM Security guards not letting any guests into the Shootin’ Exposition. When I got back there, they were already gone when I got approached the area and guests started to shoot again that night.

When I got to the Hub, there were no people on the curb sides except for the guests sitting on the benches. It was around 7:15pm and there were no guests on the curb sides. SB Castle was all roped off so the guests could not walk through the castle. Like every night for the fireworks at DL, they closed off entry to the castle so they can get ready for the fireworks. It is at least 2 hours I believe that the CM’s closed off SB Castle entry from the front and back. So I head on over to Matterhorn Mountain to see how it looks after its refurbishment.

A now look at the Matterhorn which is so nice to look at after its long refurbishment. The new bobsleds are very nice, but I do miss the old bobsleds. I also don’t like those railings on the bridge of the Matterhorn. I know that it is for safety reasons, but it takes away from the magic of the Matterhorn.

Matterhorn view from MS

After looking at the Matterhorn, I went through the TL side to see the other side of the Matterhorn which is my favorite side to see the Matterhorn. Every time I see the old Skyway tunnel through the Matterhorn, it reminds me of the old days where I love going through the Matterhorn with the Skyway. Over the years ever since the Skyway in the mid 90’s when it was taken out, I like to see the heart shape of the Matterhorn. Sherry caught that spot before when I did the Heart Quest in 2011 and I always get a picture of it every time I am at DL.

After looking at the Matterhorn from the TL side, I went through TL to see what the wait times were like when I head on back to the Hub for the fireworks. I did plan on getting to the Hub around 7:30pm for the fireworks since I didn’t have to wait a long time since my last trip.

It was already dinner time and there were quite a number of people at the Tomorrowland Terrace quick counter restaurant for dinner. The FNSV was around 40 minute wait time when I passed through TL.

Now more look at TL when I am heading on over back to the Hub.

I did look at “Observation” which is actually the former Rocket Jets ride on top of the former PeopleMover/Rocket Rods station. For people that don’t know it, it is a satellite-theme sculpture that came to life every fifteen minutes and plays a song while moving. I really do miss the old Rocket Jets & PeopleMover/Rocket Rods (I didn’t care much about Rocket Rods back then which had ridiculous wait times and broke down a lot). It would be nice if they do something about the former PeopleMover/Rocket Rods station and bring something back since it is just a waste to see the station not being used for something. It has been over 10 years since they used that station and counting.

Now heading on over to the center of TL and you can see Space Mountain

On my left was Innoventions. It will be very interesting to see what they will do with Innoventions in the future. I been hearing rumors that they will tear down the building and put in a new ride or something. But it is just rumors and it will be interesting to see what they will do with it.

A look at Redd Rockett’s Pizza Port which serves pizza and pasta

When I looked at Space Mountain wait time, it was at 40 minutes to get on the ride which isn’t that long during the summertime which can be as long as an hour. I should be glad that these wait times are not that long when you compare to WDW where they are about double the time on specific rides.

I then head on out of TL and back to the Hub. I did get more pics around TL.

The Star Trader store

When I was about to leave TL, Star Tours only had a 30 minute wait time which is a significant change from last year where it was at least 1 to 2 hours to get on the ride. Now you can just wait a short time to get on the ride. Also BLAB one my favorite rides at DL only had a 20 minute wait time which is normal during the afternoon and night.

Buzz Lightyear Astro Orbiter sign

Now I was back at the Hub and saw that there was one group of people at my curb side spot that I usually get for the fireworks on the right hand side. I didn’t mind that I since I knew that I took a chance of going around the park and looking at different things when I could use my time at the spot. While I was around the Hub, I needed to get some pics of the flowers around the area (Deej, I know that you aren’t looking at my TR cause you don’t want to see CL & BVS pics but these pics are for you).

When I was around the Hub, I was using the Nikkor 35mm lens with the density filter. The flowers turned out really well with lens and filter. I tested the lens and filter when I was at the California State Fair in Sacramento and the flowers pics turned out very nice just like the DL flowers.

Flowers around the Hub

Now some pictures of the character statues as well as Partners statue

Pluto

Partners statue

Chip & Dale

After looking around the Hub, I finally head on over to my spot for the fireworks that night. There were some people on the right hand side of my spot that I usually videotape the fireworks, so I decided to go on the left side of the Hub in front of SB Castle for the fireworks. Last time during my June trip, I watched Magical two times. One time I videotaped the show and the other time I used my DSLR for the firework trail. I was excited to use my new lens and filter that night. I always bring my video camera like I do every night for the nighttime shows.

I was about to use my DSLR and the new lens and filter that night, but I realized that I forgot my remote control to my DSLR. I was not happy that I forgot my remote control that night. Luckily, I still have my video camera so I put it on the tripod that night. So I thought about trying to hold on my DSLR and take pictures of the firework trails that night. I knew that it was going to be difficult of not moving the camera. So I had to go with 2 seconds on the shutter speed. I have tried to hold my DSLR camera for the firework trail on my last trip in June and it was so difficult to hold on the camera and get pictures with the firework trails.

While I was waiting at the Hub, I took a few pics until it was time for the fireworks at 9:30pm. It was quiet when I got to the spot around 7:30pm with just a couple of people on the curb side while all of the benches were taken. When I set up my tripod, one of the people that was sitting on the bench wondering why I am setting up my tripod. I told him that when it is time for the fireworks, we have to stand up. He was kind of surprise to hear me say that we have to stand up for the fireworks. I told him that the people on the park benches don’t have to stand up, but the CM’s will ask the guests to stand up for the fireworks. It’s almost like he was about to go off on me about the standing up for the fireworks. I have been watching the fireworks for years around the Hub and knew that the guests on the street will have to stand up for the fireworks. But for the guests who are sitting on the benches don’t have to stand up since there will be no one behind them unless you are sitting in the VIP seating area.

A look at SB Castle before the fireworks

Now pictures of the former Carnation Plaza Gardens which is now gone and will be replaced with Princess Fantasy Faire in the winter of 2013. I really do miss the CPG ever since Disney announced that they are taking it away for the Princess Fantasy Fair and construction began.

That's it for this post from MS Hub and I will be back with more from that night.

 

[deejdigsdis]

Hi Bret! I didn't realize you just had another trip. I look forward to catching up on your latest adventure. I have company coming in today so I need to get ready for that. I should be able to start catching up this weekend.

 

[tksbaskets]

WOW this installment was chock full of DL trivia. I didn't know there used to be a Skyway that went through the Matterhorn. I never noticed the heart in the mountain either.

Deej - did you see the great flower pics?

Looks like a very nice night to watch the fireworks.

TK

 

[ACDSNY]

Nice update. I really miss the people mover and skyway tram too.

 

[usnuzuloose]

I forgot the skyway went through the matterhorn. I miss the skyway, people mover and America sings. Cant wait for more.!

 

[Sherry E]

I don't know if I caught the Matterhorn hole as being a 'heart' when you did Heart Quest last year (which was a great quest idea on my part, if I do say so myself!). I had always heard people say that they thought the shape looked like a mangled Hidden Mickey, but it kind of changed over the years and began to look less Mickey-like.

I am very old, so I remember the Matterhorn and the Skyway buckets going through it way, way back when. In fact, I posted a picture from the early 1990's somewhere buried in my TR thread that, I think, shows a bucket going through the Matterhorn and the old, pre-Nemo version of the Subs, or it at least shows the line for the Skyway. I will have to look at it again, but I think there is a bucket going through it.

Great flower pictures!

 

[mvf-m11c]

Hi Bret! I didn't realize you just had another trip. I look forward to catching up on your latest adventure. I have company coming in today so I need to get ready for that. I should be able to start catching up this weekend.

Hi Deej. It is very nice to hear from you. Hope that you will enjoy this TR. I would skip the posts 2 through 6 on my TR since they are at DCA and I know that you don't want to see any pics of Cars Land or Buena Vista Street. Glad that you here Deej.

WOW this installment was chock full of DL trivia. I didn't know there used to be a Skyway that went through the Matterhorn. I never noticed the heart in the mountain either.

Deej - did you see the great flower pics?

Looks like a very nice night to watch the fireworks.

TK

Originally the Skyway opened in 1956 one year after DL opened. A few years ago the Matterhorn was built in 1959. Since the Matterhorn is in the middle of the Skyway track line, they built tunnels through the Matterhorn for the Skyway line.

Here is a pic of the Skyway buckets going through the Matterhorn. These are not my pics but from wikipedia.org

The tunnels through the Matterhorn are completely different from today's Matterhorn. Just as Sherry said that it doesn't look like a heart shape but a Mickey shape head. It does kind of look a little bit like a Mickey head, but from my angle at TL, it mostly looks like a heart shape.

Nice update. I really miss the people mover and skyway tram too.

Thank you. Same here, I do miss the PeopleMover and Skyway. Those were the great times in the 80s and early 90s at DL.

I forgot the skyway went through the matterhorn. I miss the skyway, people mover and America sings. Cant wait for more.!

It has been over 15 years since the Skyway & PeopleMover been removed from TL and part of old DL history rides.

I don't know if I caught the Matterhorn hole as being a 'heart' when you did Heart Quest last year (which was a great quest idea on my part, if I do say so myself!). I had always heard people say that they thought the shape looked like a mangled Hidden Mickey, but it kind of changed over the years and began to look less Mickey-like.

I am very old, so I remember the Matterhorn and the Skyway buckets going through it way, way back when. In fact, I posted a picture from the early 1990's somewhere buried in my TR thread that, I think, shows a bucket going through the Matterhorn and the old, pre-Nemo version of the Subs, or it at least shows the line for the Skyway. I will have to look at it again, but I think there is a bucket going through it.

Great flower pictures!

After looking at the Matterhorn from the TL side, it almost looks like a heart shape and some people would say that it look like a Mickey shape head in half. I did the heart quest in February 2011. The sign quest was in January of 2011. I can't believe it has been over a year since I did those quests and they were daunting. Maybe these last few years looked like a heart shape while early on, the Matterhorn did have a Mickey shape head through the former Skyway tunnels.

I still do missed the old days at TL with the Skyway, PeopleMover, the pre-FNSV which was called the Submarine Voyage ride, America Sings, Rocket Jets. Oh yeah, do you remember the 360 theater at TL where BLAB is now located? I remember that theater a lot since we past through the theater on the PeopleMover.

Thank you Sherry.

The next post will be up tomorrow with the fireworks.

Have a great night everyone.

 

[Sherry E]

This is my picture, taken in Summer 1992, if I recall. I'm sharing it because you were kind enough to share your "ugly Toon Town tree" photos in my TR, and TK was kind enough to share her Boo to You pics in your WDW Pre-TR!

 

[PrincessInOz]

I remember that Skyways from my first two trips to Disneyland. Come to think of it, I think it was the FIRST ever ride I did at Disneyland.

Thanks for sharing pics Sherry...brings back memories.

 

[mvf-m11c]

This is my picture, taken in Summer 1992, if I recall. I'm sharing it because you were kind enough to share your "ugly Toon Town tree" photos in my TR, and TK was kind enough to share her Boo to You pics in your WDW Pre-TR!

Thank you Sherry for the picture of the Matterhorn, the Skyway and the Submarine Voyage. You and TK are great to show your pictures from your past Disney trips.

I remember that Skyways from my first two trips to Disneyland. Come to think of it, I think it was the FIRST ever ride I did at Disneyland.

Thanks for sharing pics Sherry...brings back memories.

That is neat PiO that the Skyway was your first ever ride at DL.


My next post of Magical fireworks will be up shortly.

 

[mvf-m11c]

Day 1 – August 13, 2012– Part 9​

Now I just left off at MS Hub waiting for the fireworks that night. It was a nice night which was in the low 70s and a clear night for the fireworks. At first, I was hoping that it wouldn’t be windy so DL had to cancel the fireworks. But after that whole day, it looks like they will run the fireworks with no problem.

It was close to one hour until the fireworks and the area around the Hub for the fireworks started to pick up with more and more guests coming in to get a great spot. For people that want to get a front row spot to see the fireworks in front of SB Castle will have to get there at least one hour. For people like me who will wait as long as 2 hours for the fireworks would have no problem waiting. I know that it isn’t worth waiting that long for the fireworks, but I am just that type of a person who will wait that long just to get a great spot and videotape or take pictures.

So I just kept waiting until it was time for Magical fireworks at 9:30pm

A few birds passing by SB Castle

Another look at the Carnation Plaza Gardens that night

I took some different color pictures of SB Castle while I was waiting. I was on my iPad that whole time that night waiting for Magical fireworks talking to some of you DISers and updating my trip.

Regular colors

Just blue

Red only

It was around 8:55pm that night and we saw fireworks in the direction towards IASW. In that direction, Magic, Memories & You is playing at 8:45pm and some kids right next to me were wondering why there were fireworks at that time and the mom said that they were testing the fireworks that night. I didn’t want to say anything to the family right next to me since that was a nice answer from the mom to their kids.

Now it is 9:30pm and is time for Magical fireworks. I did try to take a few pics of the fireworks with the trails. I used my Nikkor 35mm f/1.8 lens with the density filter that night. I got a lot of help from PiO of how to take firework trail pictures on my last trip and I was really looking forward to taking the pictures of the fireworks that night. But just one problem is that I forgot my remote control to my DSLR. I put my video camera on the tripod to tape the show while I tried to take pictures of the fireworks trails in my hands. Some of the pictures will be bad while some of them turned out nice. I haven’t uploaded Magical yet, but it will be up later today.

Here are pics of the Magical that night with my DSLR camera.

This one was bad, but you can see Dumbo flying that night.

You can tell that some of the pics were bad without the tripod and it does make a big difference if you move your camera just a little bit and you will see a blurry photo.

Here are some pics from my video camera that I taped that night.

After Magical fireworks were over, I packed all of my things and about to do my next nighttime show at DL. Can you guess what nighttime show I am about to see that night? I will have the answer on the next update to my TR.

 

[PrincessInOz]

That first picture with the trails turned out good. Shame about the remote...next time (which will be at WDW ).

I'm guessing that we might be seeing a bit of COLOUR in the next little while.

 

[PrincessInOz]

Day 1 – August 13, 2012– Part 9​

I got a lot of help from PiO of how to take firework trail pictures on my last trip and I was really looking forward to taking the pictures of the fireworks that night. But just one problem is that I forgot my remote control to my DSLR.

I was running out the door for school drop off earlier....I mean to comment on this.

Thanks for the acknowledgement. I have to say that without the help from the photographers on the Photography subforum of the Boards (thanks to them!), I wouldn't be in a position to pay it forward.

 

[Sherry E]

Bret -

Just a heads up...there's a new Theme Week in the Halloween thread on Friday, and then, in 5 days (Mon., August 27), we begin the Theme Week Countdown in the Christmas Superthread!!!

It's time to start that train a-rollin' once again in the Christmas thread, all the way to November 12!!

 

[mvf-m11c]

That first picture with the trails turned out good. Shame about the remote...next time (which will be at WDW ).

I'm guessing that we might be seeing a bit of COLOUR in the next little while.

The first picture trails turned out well, but the castle didn't look too well since it was blurry. I must have taken about 20 pictures with the trail and 2 of the 20 were not that blurry. I wasn't that happy since I didn't bring my remote control. So on my WDW trip when I see Illuminations, HalloWishes, or Wishes I need to pack my remote in my bag so I won't forget.

There will be some color in the next update for tomorrow.

I was running out the door for school drop off earlier....I mean to comment on this.

Thanks for the acknowledgement. I have to say that without the help from the photographers on the Photography subforum of the Boards (thanks to them!), I wouldn't be in a position to pay it forward.

Thank you for all of your help on the firework trails.

Bret -

Just a heads up...there's a new Theme Week in the Halloween thread on Friday, and then, in 5 days (Mon., August 27), we begin the Theme Week Countdown in the Christmas Superthread!!!

It's time to start that train a-rollin' once again in the Christmas thread, all the way to November 12!!

I all ready for the new Halloween theme on Friday and the Christmas theme on Monday.

It's time to start up the Christmas thread again.

 

[tksbaskets]

Hi Bret,
I liked the historical pictures of the Skyway! Thanks to you and Sherry

Your firework pics from your video camera were great! Getting great shots with your camera is a really advanced skill. Yours looked really good. I'm glad you were able to pass the time on your iPad. When solo and in line/waiting for a parade it is nice to have something to do.

I really enjoy your one-touch color photographs. I'll look forward to your youtube posting of the fireworks.

TK