Thursday (day 4) - Disney Studios, Disneyland Park and Val d' Europe.
Where is everybody? Oh, I know...
Another deliberate late start, we decide to skip breakfast and opt for an early lunch at Annettes diner instead.
Me: Mega Burger (I love them)
Michele: Burrito Wraps
Katie & Jake: Menu Enfant (pasta) and jelly with cream & ice cream
Drinks: x2 50cl glasses of Coke (plus drinks with kids meals), one tea and one Cafe Creme
Total: 74.05 EURO
After breakfast/lunch (brunch?) Michele and Jake popped to Val d' Europe for a little retail therapy. In all fairness Michele was actually a little fed up with the parks as she isn't really into Disney etc. (we went this year as an early 40 birthday treat for me... oh, and for the kids!) and Jake would rather be with his mom regardless of where she is.
So we'll see you later then...
Katie and I popped to the Studios to see if I (sorry, we) could get on Crushes Coaster, but the queue was a good 90 minutes so I decided against it (this thing is crying out for FastPass!)
We watch the Cinema Parade which I don't particularly like. I think the whole stop/rewind/start again thing gets a little monotonous. Also, the parade seems to pass by quite fast and character interaction is a little sparse. But it might be just me...
I cautiously decided to take Katie to the Armageddon attraction. I like Armageddon (I paid 120 quid for the Criterion NTSC laserdisc boxed set, then I bought the R1 Criterion DVD, then the R2 SE DVD) so it was a little odd I hadn't actually visited it yet. While we waited I explained the movie plot to Katie and what to probably expect. To my delight she loved it (as did I) but one of the walkway jolts was quite vicious and caused my neck to crack painfully. Oops! It ached for a good two hours after, but I wasn't complaining!
We had decided to catch at least one of the shows during this trip and opted for the trickiest one to see, The Legend of the Lion King. If we have any spare time tomorrow we might try to see The Tarzan Encounter too as it will be our last day and the flight isn't until late. I checked my watch and realised that we had only fifteen minutes to get to Disneyland and get tickets for the 17.00 English language performance of The Legend of the Lion King. I had to practically drag Katie all the way (which I felt really bad about, but I'm sure she will appreciate the show later).
While we waited for the show we made it onto Pirates of the Caribbean, Big Thunder Mountain and the Phantom Manor (I think I see a pattern emerging). Katie bought a Big Thunder Mountain shirt and changed into it at the toilets near the Phantom Manor.
At least you can see the stage during the day.
Before we knew it it was almost 17.00 so we headed across to Videopolis to meet Michele and Jake. They were late as Michele got lost while trying to find her way through Val d' Europe to the RER station (but I suspected she got a little carried away while shopping as she was laden with bags when she eventually arrived). As we entered the show started so we squeezed onto the end of the front seating area below the animatronic Simba. The show was great and everyone loved it! I'm pleased we managed to see it. If you are like me and think "Bah, I'm sticking to the rides!" DON'T BE A FOOL! Videopolis is very impressive too, I'd only been in there once before (and that was for quick dash to the toilets!)
After the show we headed up to the Left Luggage desk and checked in the shopping bags (we managed to half the number bags beforehand as you pay per item).
Then we headed down Main Street to watch Candlebration. It's good, but a bit pointless in daylight. Peoples expressions are like "Err... what's going on? What's he pointing at? Is something twinkling on the castle?"
Then we all went to watch Honey I Shrunk the Audience (an English language presentation, which I was a little surprised at). Afterwards I take Katie on Star Tours again (the Imperial March was really making me homesick by now, not that I live on the Death Star or anything!) while Michele takes Jake on Buzz again.
We all had another ride on Pirates of the Caribbean (front seats again), it was a walk on. The kids were clapping along as we went up the incline, Jake was really into it now.
After this we headed back down to Big Thunder Mountain, which was a ten minute wait. This time Katie and I went on and she poses for the camera, she definitely wants this photograph (and gets it)!
As the park closed for the day we walked back to the hotel. Again, we grabbed a snack at McDonalds in the Disney Village to eat on the way back.
Katie spies the bungee/trampoline contraptions near Hotel New York and wanted a go. We waited for a good thirty minutes (after getting vouchers from the nearby machine) and she finally got on. But the guy supervising wasn't really doing a very good job and when he launched her up high she nearly missed the trampoline completely! Lots of people in the crowds commented on his tardiness, but he was young and we decided to shrug it off. Katie was oblivious to the whole thing! She just kept asking if we saw how high she went
I'm really going to miss this place.
Back at the Hotel Michele popped across to the reception to book lunch at Cafe Mickey as a last day treat for the kids.
Where is everybody? Oh, I know...
Another deliberate late start, we decide to skip breakfast and opt for an early lunch at Annettes diner instead.
Me: Mega Burger (I love them)
Michele: Burrito Wraps
Katie & Jake: Menu Enfant (pasta) and jelly with cream & ice cream
Drinks: x2 50cl glasses of Coke (plus drinks with kids meals), one tea and one Cafe Creme
Total: 74.05 EURO
After breakfast/lunch (brunch?) Michele and Jake popped to Val d' Europe for a little retail therapy. In all fairness Michele was actually a little fed up with the parks as she isn't really into Disney etc. (we went this year as an early 40 birthday treat for me... oh, and for the kids!) and Jake would rather be with his mom regardless of where she is.
So we'll see you later then...
Katie and I popped to the Studios to see if I (sorry, we) could get on Crushes Coaster, but the queue was a good 90 minutes so I decided against it (this thing is crying out for FastPass!)
We watch the Cinema Parade which I don't particularly like. I think the whole stop/rewind/start again thing gets a little monotonous. Also, the parade seems to pass by quite fast and character interaction is a little sparse. But it might be just me...
I cautiously decided to take Katie to the Armageddon attraction. I like Armageddon (I paid 120 quid for the Criterion NTSC laserdisc boxed set, then I bought the R1 Criterion DVD, then the R2 SE DVD) so it was a little odd I hadn't actually visited it yet. While we waited I explained the movie plot to Katie and what to probably expect. To my delight she loved it (as did I) but one of the walkway jolts was quite vicious and caused my neck to crack painfully. Oops! It ached for a good two hours after, but I wasn't complaining!
We had decided to catch at least one of the shows during this trip and opted for the trickiest one to see, The Legend of the Lion King. If we have any spare time tomorrow we might try to see The Tarzan Encounter too as it will be our last day and the flight isn't until late. I checked my watch and realised that we had only fifteen minutes to get to Disneyland and get tickets for the 17.00 English language performance of The Legend of the Lion King. I had to practically drag Katie all the way (which I felt really bad about, but I'm sure she will appreciate the show later).
While we waited for the show we made it onto Pirates of the Caribbean, Big Thunder Mountain and the Phantom Manor (I think I see a pattern emerging). Katie bought a Big Thunder Mountain shirt and changed into it at the toilets near the Phantom Manor.
At least you can see the stage during the day.
Before we knew it it was almost 17.00 so we headed across to Videopolis to meet Michele and Jake. They were late as Michele got lost while trying to find her way through Val d' Europe to the RER station (but I suspected she got a little carried away while shopping as she was laden with bags when she eventually arrived). As we entered the show started so we squeezed onto the end of the front seating area below the animatronic Simba. The show was great and everyone loved it! I'm pleased we managed to see it. If you are like me and think "Bah, I'm sticking to the rides!" DON'T BE A FOOL! Videopolis is very impressive too, I'd only been in there once before (and that was for quick dash to the toilets!)
After the show we headed up to the Left Luggage desk and checked in the shopping bags (we managed to half the number bags beforehand as you pay per item).
Then we headed down Main Street to watch Candlebration. It's good, but a bit pointless in daylight. Peoples expressions are like "Err... what's going on? What's he pointing at? Is something twinkling on the castle?"
Then we all went to watch Honey I Shrunk the Audience (an English language presentation, which I was a little surprised at). Afterwards I take Katie on Star Tours again (the Imperial March was really making me homesick by now, not that I live on the Death Star or anything!) while Michele takes Jake on Buzz again.
We all had another ride on Pirates of the Caribbean (front seats again), it was a walk on. The kids were clapping along as we went up the incline, Jake was really into it now.
After this we headed back down to Big Thunder Mountain, which was a ten minute wait. This time Katie and I went on and she poses for the camera, she definitely wants this photograph (and gets it)!
As the park closed for the day we walked back to the hotel. Again, we grabbed a snack at McDonalds in the Disney Village to eat on the way back.
Katie spies the bungee/trampoline contraptions near Hotel New York and wanted a go. We waited for a good thirty minutes (after getting vouchers from the nearby machine) and she finally got on. But the guy supervising wasn't really doing a very good job and when he launched her up high she nearly missed the trampoline completely! Lots of people in the crowds commented on his tardiness, but he was young and we decided to shrug it off. Katie was oblivious to the whole thing! She just kept asking if we saw how high she went
I'm really going to miss this place.
Back at the Hotel Michele popped across to the reception to book lunch at Cafe Mickey as a last day treat for the kids.
