Thank you Amtrak for a Decade of Disneyland!

[mariezp]

Yes, I know. I'm a little late but it's finally time to start my trip report for our trip that took place October 31-November 12, 2011. Quick before something interrupts me! Let's get started!

The year 2011 marked our 10th trip to Disneyland! Who would have thought that when we made that one Amtrak trip so long ago&. the one that was so panic filled and ended up earning us a free trip & that it would have ended up leading to the start of something BIGGER and BETTER? Something so wonderful?&. the beginning of our annual Peterson family Disneyland vacations! Here we are 10 years later and I cant think of any place I would rather go.

As every year, I start thinking about the next trip almost as soon as we get home from the previous trip. You know, the usual research, itineraries for dining, countdowns, reading up on the Disboard and such. This year I even got my cooking into the act.

With a little effort things started falling into place. Lodging reservation booked in March and April. Airfare booked in June. Limo pickup from airport booked in July. Long term parking reservations made in August. Dog and cat boarding arrangements made in September. Priority seating call made & groceries ordered in October. Throughout the year I stocked up on Disney & restaurant gift cards and purchased new clothes and other items I knew we would need for our trip. Before we knew it the time had come and we were ready to head to Disneyland!

Day 1, Monday, October 31, 2011
We settled on the dates for beginning our trip on this day because we wanted to squeeze in as many days as we could for our trip in before our annual passes expired on November 12th. We did not particularly care to be in the park on Halloween but we decided it would be a good day to begin our travel and have it out of the way so as not to waste any precious park time, get settled in and rest up for our first day in the park the next morning.

I was up bright and early, about 5:30 a.m., since I was all wound up and couldn't sleep. Heck, I was even up before the darn cat woke me up for the day like she usually does. I didn't really mind being up early since I am usually a little nervous about having everything done before it's time for us to leave. I printed out some last minute notes, loaded the dishwasher, fixed up the animals that were staying behind with the sitter and finished some last minute packing. I got everyone else up and at em, showered, managed to make it out the door and we were on our way all by 9:30 a.m..

We dropped some mail off at the post office, made a run through the bank drive through and dropped the dog and cat off at the vet to be boarded while we were gone. After that we hit the big highway into Fort Worth. Along the way we ran into some road construction but thankfully it did not delay us much. We dropped off our suburban at The Parking Spot and were shuttled by Thomas, who was a great driver. He kept us entertained with riddles until we reached our destination where he dropped off at DFW's American Airlines terminal.

We got all checked in and DD and I made it through security with no problem. DH and DS, on the other hand, got the full body scan treatment. We popped in one of the eateries and got some lunch, made a last minute pit-stop and settled in to wait on our flight. Thankfully, I thought to check the wait boards after a few minutes. Our gate had been changed and we had to hike a good ways down to our new location and take the Skyshuttle over to a completely different terminal. I was really impressed with all the men who were respectful enough to offer their seat to a lady, older person or child. I also noticed that all the American Airline employees appeared to be in good humor. Being Halloween day, we saw Cruella Deville and a few other costumed characters passing out candy. After a short wait, we boarded our plane. We had a minor delay of about 15 minutes. DD got the window seat and I sat in the middle next to a woman who never said a word the whole flight. Thank heavens she wasn't coughing and hacking like most of the people I normally end up sitting beside.

We arrived at John Wayne Airport without incident and headed to pickup our luggage. DH had been in touch with the limo driver so he was making arrangements as to where we would be picked up. We usually just take a cab but this time I had picked up a deal from Groupon so the idea was to ride in style to our hotel. Unfortunately, heres where we ran into one of the few disappointments of the trip. The driver pulled up for us in a silver limo. I had requested a black one. It is probably just my opinion but the silver one just didnt look very classy like I had expected&. in fact, we all thought it was down right ugly! It didnt even have tinted windows & so much for feeling like a celebrity during our ride. Oh well, I resigned myself to the fact that its probably what you get when you get a bargain rate. At least the inside of the limo ended up being okay. As for the driver& not quite what I had hoped for either. Last time we had a very distinguished super polite gentleman who looked and acted just like the driver in the movie Driving Mrs. Daisy. Sure, this one was nice enough but just lacked a little something. He grabbed our luggage and literally tossed it into the trunk. It didnt get any better from there. I dont know how many of you have ever seen the movie Ernest Saves Christmas? There's a part when Ernest picks up a guy in his cab and proceeds to send him sliding back and forth across the seats as he weaves through traffic.... well let's just say that our ride speeding down the California highway definitely brought images from that movie to my mind... only we were the ones who were doing the sliding. Not at all what I had expected out of a limo ride. We did arrive at the Anaheim Desert Inn pretty much in one piece and most likely in record time.

We checked into our room and rested for a few minutes. Then we decided to walk down to Mimis to grab a bite to eat. I had been looking forward to their quiche. It was wonderful!

However, DSs salmon was a very small portion compared to the last time we were there. And, DH was not very impressed with their pre-breaded chicken fried steak or their instant potatoes. Darn! Sure going to make it more difficult to get them back next year so I can have my quiche. Anyway, I used my $50 gift card from doing surveys and a 20% off coupon so the only cash we spent out of our pocket was for the tip.

I had an extra coupon that I knew we would not use so I stopped off at a table on the way out and passed it on to a large group who seemed pretty grateful.

We made our way back down Harbor Blvd and stopped in at Coldstone Creamery for some dessert. I had a good chuckle myself listening to the Rocky Horror Picture Show music playing in the background. Brought back memories of way back when. We left our tip and the employees sang their song as they always do&. only this time a little off key but thankfully it was done that way on purpose. Always worth the tip for a good laugh. I tried to make a mental note to myself to be sure to only get a small cup of ice cream next time as the medium size is way too much. We'll see if I remember.

We arrived back at our room and settled in to wait for our grocery delivery. I was glad we had no other plans for the evening because Vons called to say that they would be about 30 minutes late. When they did get to our room the driver was very pleasant and I had no substitutions so I was quite happy.

DD got a new MP3 player for the trip. She was a little excited.

The guys hung out in their room watching who knows what while DD and I relaxed in our room and watched a little Cake Boss. We heard the fireworks going off and we were able to go sit on our window sill and see some of them.

Shortly afterwards we started making preparations to turn in for the night. Evidently Desert Inn had replaced their bedding. It was much firmer than previous years. Even DD agreed. Looking around we also decided that they had gotten new carpet.

Not really pretty but it was nice to know they had done a little upgrading. As it turned out, our room was right next to the elevator, stairs and ice machine. I was a little concerned that it might be extra noisy and keep us awake. For a little while it did but then things settled down... or I was too tired to care... and we drifted off to dream land.

Thats about it for day 1. Not much park talk but I am quite happy that I did actually get this here trip report started. Last year it took me 5 months! My goal this year is to get started AND finished well before our next Disney trip.
By a magnificent stroke of luck, we have been invited to a wedding in Florida. With a little prodding from me I was able to convince DH that we really should visit the parks while we are already there so we will be getting a 3 day bonus trip in at WDW. How cool is that? Even better is that we will also still be taking our big annual trip in November. What a great Disney year for me!!!! So anyway, as you can see I really need to get motivated to get our 2011 trip report completed because it wont be long before there are 2 more reports for 2012 that will need to get done. 2012 is going to be awesome!

Stay tuned! There will be lots more coming up!

Just in case anyone is interested& I thought I would throw in the links to my past trip reports. It'll give you something to do while I am getting the next installment ready! Here you go:
2010 - http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=39506146#post39506146
2009 - http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=34860281#post34860281
2008 - http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2021554
2007 - http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1588869%22]http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1588869
2006 - http://micechat.com/forums/disneyland-resort/48321-long-better-late-than-never-trip-report-dec-3-14-lots-photos-part-1-a.html

 

[mariezp]

I see I have a few people reading along but no comments yet so I guess it's time to get to the good stuff.... so now on with the details inside the park!



Day 2, Tuesday, November 1, 2011
As usual ,for the first few days I woke up early, still on Texas time. I tried to go back to sleep but when DD woke up too we went ahead and turned on the Disney Channel to start off the day. Even the guys woke up early which NEVER happens so we decided we would get to the park for opening. I got my shower and we were out the door bright and early for us.

DD can't resist doing a little pole bending on the way into the park.

She always has to bring a park buddy along.

Still a few decorations up. Those Disney characters can sure make a pumpkin look cute.

Proof that we really were there for park opening at 10:00 a.m. .... something that may never happen again!

There was not a huge crowd on this magical first morning of our trip. The band came out front to play and then they let us through the gates. Just love that welcoming chime as your ticket gets scanned! We stopped off to buy a pen at the news stand for DDs autograph book and one for me to write down my notes in the evening. Id like to mention that this was my first AP discount of the trip and I used my first Disney gift card too.

Next, we made our entrance into the park. Ahhhh, home sweet home!

Not sure we have ever been early enough to ever see this happen. COOL! I love it!

We meandered down Main Street towards the Cinema.

DS loves this place and had requested that it become our traditional first stop so we had to oblige. It really is one of those underrated areas of the park. Love those early cartoons.

We hung around for awhile and then made our way down to the Markethouse where I got my first white hot chocolate and we all grabbed a gingerbread Mickey cookie with those yummy chocolate ears.

What a perfect treat to start the day. We sat for a few minutes listening to the sounds of the dentist office and soaking up the other sites and sounds that add to Main Street's atmosphere.

What a beautiful glimpse of my favorite sight! The castle... not those people, as I have no idea who they are.... although I am sure they are quite nice too.

Fully charged up with a good sugar fix we decided to go to the Tiki Room so we headed to Adventureland. Love the off season. Just look at the non existent crowd!

Our traditional first ride is always POTC but, alas, it was closed so we had to come up with a new plan. Not nearly as good a choice but it would suffice& especially since there wasnt a thing we could do to change the situation. There were only about 3 other families ready to take on the Tiki Room this morning.

Second ride was the Jungle Cruise.

Would that be the Dominguez tree, the oldest object in Disneyland?

 

[mariezp]

Continued....

After such a long trek DS had worked up a hunger and was craving a turkey leg. He set off to Frontierland where he was able to locate the cart for his favorite Disneyland park meal.

What a happy face!

The rest of us were planning to try out the new offerings at Hungry Bear so we had wandered off in the direction of Critter Country where he would meet up with us and grab a table while we were picking up our order.

DH and I both tried the fried tomato sandwich with sweet potato fries. I liked it. He did not. We both agreed it was really messy. DD got one of the kid pack meals but spent most of her time worrying about the ducks. Id like to mention that the CM working the counter was excellent. He engaged us in conversation asking us where we were from and all about our trip. Wished I had gotten his name and put in a good word for him. I really need to work on that.

Lunch out of the way, it was time to get in some rides. The guys headed out to ride Splash while the girls headed in the direction of Pooh.

Next, we met up and all rode Haunted Mansion.

Making our way to a different area of the park, we all boo-hooed as we passed by the closed POTC.

We cut through the Plaza Pavillion on our way to Fantasyland and paused to listen to the band that was playing.

Crummy photo I know but I loved that the guy was wearing his Mickey ears.

 

[mariezp]

Continued...


While the guys went on Matterhorn, DD and I chose to ride Storybookland. I spotted what looked like the tiniest little pomegranates on some of the trees. DD was in quite a mood. She was getting annoyed with some of the kids in line so she spent her time annoying me. Still we managed to have a great boat trip. I love this ride!

We met the boys and all squeezed into a teacup. Glad it is a short ride because it is not really too comfy for 4 good sized people. Needless to say no photos as I did not have enough elbow room to raise my camera!

We split up again and the guys headed off to somewhere besides Fantasyland. DD and I stayed behind and rode Dumbo.

Then we headed over to Toad which had a minor delay right before it was our turn to get on. Glad it wasnt while we were on it because I dont think I would like to be trapped in hell. Anyway, they got it going and we came out from our wild ride with no problems.

Then we moseyed over to Casey Jr for a little train trip.

DD wanted to grab a tub of Dibs and eat them while riding the train like we had done in WDW so we found the ice cream cart and made our purchase. We boarded the train in Toontown and they proceeded to announce that there was no eating allowed on the train. The announcer was very good and added a little humor to our excursion. Unfortunately, after his announcement, DD turned into a very unhappy camper when I informed her that we would not be breaking the rules. After quite a long drawn out argument she finally accepted my suggestion that we could disembark on Main Street and find a bench on Town Square. We had to stop and pose with the horse, of course.

 

[mariezp]

Continued....


We found a bench and she started on her snack. The firehouse band came out to play so we decided to move closer for a better view. We listened for a few minutes and then DD was ready to go back to our room for a break. We realized she had left her puppy on the first bench but by the time we went back it was already gone. Thankfully, a man saw DD in distress and pointed out a CM who had picked it up and was just coming out of City Hall. We went over and YES they did have Pookie so the crisis was averted and DD was joyous again.

Hopefully she also learned a lesson about keeping a better eye on the stuff she just has to take to the park. We made our way back to the room and rested up for a couple hours.

Recharged we made our way back to the park where DD wanted to head to Fantasyland again.

First stop was Peter Pan. It actually had one of the shortest lines I have ever seen! We probably waited only about 10 minutes. Wish it were like that all the time.

Love the hook hanger for the light.

Next was the Carousel.

Then, followed up with Pinocchio which was a walk on.

Dumbo was next, then Alice, Casey Jr. and Snow White.

We ended the night with one last ride on the carousel. We then headed back to the room and crashed in no time after our first big day in the park.

 

[lozzypop]

Yay - another mariezp TR! I don't care if you are a few months late, I love your pictures (especially of your DD who is a total ham!) and eagerly await more.

I absolutely never noticed the hook light fixture at PP. That's what I love about Disneyland - there's always something new or something you missed.

 

[mariezp]

Hi lozzypop! Thanks for reading along with me, the nice compliment about my pictures and actually remembering my past trip reports. I hope this one keeps you reading along and enjoying more photos too. There's still plenty more to come. Just gotta keep the old ball rolling!

My DD is indeed a true camera ham. I am so glad because she sure livens up my picture taking for me. I also think she's pretty darn cute.

I am not sure if I ever noticed the light hanger before this trip either. I have always loved architectural elements so I absolutely loved this one when I saw it. Wish the picture would have came it better but the lighting in the line is never very good. Guess I could have turned on the flash but I am pretty sure no one around me would have really appreciated me blinding them while we were standing in line. As always Disney's attention to detail is a huge part of what makes Disneyland so much more than just another park. And, I totally agree that you can always find something new to see that you have never seen before. Happens to me on every trip.

I hope to get the next day of my TR posted soon so be sure to chime in again and let me know what you think.

 

[mariezp]

Day 3, Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Today was our first California Adventure day. We made our way through the new turnstiles. I thought they did a good job of detouring guests around the construction and hiding it very well.

My DH has his private pilot's license so all things plane related are right up his alley.

First Ride was Soarin which is my favorite ride in CA. There was no line at all when we walked up to the building.

I love the blue glowy industrial look lighting.

First snack of the day.

Next up was our very first time to ride Little Mermaid, again with hardly any wait. I loved it! The animatronics are amazing and I love all the bright colors along with all the ocean theme decor. My picture taking stunk on this trip so I made sure to practice more later on.

Next was Toy Story, again with the shortest line I have ever seen which was about 10 minutes.

We strolled along the boardwalk games. DS tried his hand at baseball without his usual success. DD on the other hand, snagged 2 mini Bullseyes when she won the the horse race game.

We followed up with 2 rides on the Carousel while the guys rode Screamin. I love the critters and the bright colors on King Triton.

 

[mariezp]

Continued.....

Moving right along DS and I rode the Silly Symphony Swings while DH and DD just watched. It was very windy. DS was on the outside swinging pretty crazy. After DD watched us this time I bet it is going to be even harder than ever to convince her to ride now. I guess that's okay because it's kinda fun to have a ride or two that only my DS and I will ride together. This is one of those we get to share just between the 2 of us.

We made our way around to Goofys Sky School and the guys rode that while DD and I went on Little Mermaid again.

From there DD and I went through the Redwood Creek Trail, aka Wilderness Explorer Camp, while the boys went on Grizzly River Rapids. I usually let DH take DD through this area but she wanted me to go today so I tried to take plenty of photos. I didnt mind missing GR at all because I am usually the one to get drenched and it was still a little cool to be walking around all day soggy.

We had reservations at DTD for Rainforest Café so we headed out of CA to partake of some good food.

We paused out front to watch the bird show for a few minutes.

We checked in at the front and were seated in about 5 minutes.

The food was fair. I have to say that the WDW RFC has much better food. I dont really understand why DTDs cant make a few improvements and bring their food up to where it should be. Anyway, we were very happy to learn that we could make a substitution and add regular shrimp instead of the coconut shrimp that none of us are very fond of. After we finished eating we, of course, had to stop off in the gift shop for DD. I do believe their store is her favorite place to shop out of all the choices she has throughout the resort. Her souvenir picked out, she was happy and we headed back to our room for a midday break.

 

[mariezp]

Continued....

I had a horrendous headache so I tried to take a nap but it didnt last long. Determined to not let it stop me we went ahead and set out back to the park at about 6:00. This time we headed for Disneyland. DD and I headed out on our own towards Adventureland after we first grabbed a Mickey ice cream and a chocolate banana. Oh so good! Probably just what I needed! We looked around in some of the shops for a few minutes while we finished off our ice cream and found Shrunken Ned.

We went over to the Jungle Cruise where we waited about 5 minutes.

We then backtracked to the Tiki Room. Jonathan was an excellent host who appeared to really enjoy his job. I made sure to thank him after the show. Again, I wish I had left a positive comment for him at City Hall. Ill have to be sure to keep an eye out for him next time.

Next, we crossed over to Tomorrowland.

We walked right on to Buzz's Astroblasters. I don't think I held my mouth just right cause I didn't do very well.

Next was a 5 minute wait for Autopia. DD finally tried pushing that darn pedal and just about gave me whiplash! Thank heavens she wore out pretty soon and I took over control of the pedals again, as usual. She drives a lot like Toad!

I caught the mouse hole!

We decided to make Nemo our last ride of the night&. Where again we found another 5 minute wait.
Getting in the mood to see the fishies.

We stopped and got some corn dogs to take back for supper. Then met the guys at the Market House and picked up some sweet treats to have for our dessert later. It was a wonderful evening to be in the park! I could have stayed all night! Unfortunately, they closed early. The weather was perfect, crowds were low and the lines were super short. Wish it were like that all the time!

 

[lozzypop]

I love the photo of you on King Triton's carousel mariezp.

More! More!

C'mon people, I can't be the only one following along........

 

[mariezp]

Thanks lozzypop. I usually don't have very many photos with me in them and I always prefer the photos of everyone else but me!

This is a tough crowd around here! I'd like to hope that some are reading and looking but they just don't have much to say. I do have to say that it is much more encouraging when people chime in so thank you for speaking up... again!

 

[Seaera]

I'm reading too and enjoying your trip report.
Keep up the good work!

 

[yupikgal]

Ok, I need to chime in here..I am really enjoying your TR!! Your pictures are amazing and interesting and you captured a lot of things that I haven't seen before, or at least at that angle. Great job! What type of camera do you shoot with? I am excited reading your report, as I will be there in about 10 days! I love all the rides you were on with your daughter, I stay away from Screamin', TOT, and most other "scary" rides! I look forward to reading more...

 

[Poppins2010]

Can you tell me more about the Cold Stone singers? We are staying at the hotel with the Cold Stone next week, and this sounds fun!
Great trip report... its getting me all excited to go. Thanks!

 

[mariezp]

I am so excited!!!!! I finally have some more comments! You all probably have no idea how much I appreciate when someone speaks up! It certainly does make me more enthusiastic about posting more to my trip report. So, just as soon as I make a few responses I will be sure to post another day so you will have more to read. Thanks again folks for coming out of "lurker" status and letting me know you are here!

I'm reading too and enjoying your trip report.
Keep up the good work!

Thank you Seaera! Glad you are enjoying reading along. Hope you stay with me.

Ok, I need to chime in here..I am really enjoying your TR!! Your pictures are amazing and interesting and you captured a lot of things that I haven't seen before, or at least at that angle. Great job! What type of camera do you shoot with? I am excited reading your report, as I will be there in about 10 days! I love all the rides you were on with your daughter, I stay away from Screamin', TOT, and most other "scary" rides! I look forward to reading more...

Thank you yupikgal! If I had a decent memory myself I would probably end up with even more good pictures. Unfortunately, it usually takes me a couple days of experimenting with settings on my camera again to finally end up with some decent shots. I don't seem to do much picture taking anywhere except when we are on vacation. My camera is a Canon Powershot SD880. I've had it for a few years now and really enjoy it. I sometimes switch back and forth between it and my Panasonic DMC-TZ5 but I don't think I've posted any using that one from this trip yet. I've been taking these mega photo trips for the past 7 or 8 years now so I do try to come up with shots of new things so my photos are not exactly the same every year. Disneyland is a fantastic place for doing this because there is always something new to discover and so many details everywhere you look.
I am jealous but even more excited for you about your trip coming up! So, how many times have you been to the park? I hope you have a fabulous time! You sound like my kind of girl. I prefer the not scary rides too. I just recently started riding Screamin because my son finally wore me down. I do have to say it was not nearly as bad as I expected. Sure that launch kinda takes your breath away but I really liked that you are strapped in so well with the shoulder type harness that it really does a fine job of making you feel more secure. I've decided that I do now like it better than Big Thunder because you do not slide around all over the place in the seat. As for TOT... it is the one ride I REFUSE to ride. Did it once and hated it. I have no desire to have the life scared out of me.... again.

Can you tell me more about the Cold Stone singers? We are staying at the hotel with the Cold Stone next week, and this sounds fun!
Great trip report... its getting me all excited to go. Thanks!

I knew there was bound to be someone else out there that would find this fun to do! By the cash register at Coldstone's there is a bowl for tips. It you leave a tip the employees will sing a silly song for you. They change up a lot so it is really fun to see what you will get on your next visit. Some of them really have good singing voices but even if they don't they are sure to make you smile. So, not only do you get a yummy ice cream treat you also get a little entertainment for tossing in a little spare change. Oh yeah.... try the coffee lovers. It's our family favorite! Yikes! I am now having a full blown craving! Aside from the ice cream, I hope you have a fantastic trip!!! Thanks for joining in and for the compliment!

 

[mariezp]

Day 4, Thursday, November 3, 2011

I think I must be finally adapting to the time. I slept a little later and got a bit slower start this morning. Our internet service here in the room is really slow so I went downstairs to the lobby to place our second grocery order to be delivered to Dolphin’s Cove when we move hotels on Saturday. I got that done, headed back to the room and we finally got around to heading to the park.

DD wanted to ride the horse drawn trolley so we looked around on town square while we waited.

Our ride finally came. The horse for the day was Lee, one of the horses we had also gotten to ride with last year.

I like the way this one came out framed. Must remember to try again another time and get a better quality picture.

We enjoyed our little trip down Main Street and hopped off in front of the castle where they were setting up for the Christmas Day Parade filming. No pretty castle photos today.

DD wanted to ride Jungle cruise so off we went to see if we might get another good skipper. Larry did do a pretty good job and we made sure to let him know we appreciated his efforts.

Finished with our cruise, we decided to stroll leisurely through Tarzan’s Treehouse. We are usually in a hurry but this time I gave DD plenty of time to explore. And, I took way too many photos. There really is so much in there to see.

 

[mariezp]

Continued....

HM was next. DD noticed that Jacks sleigh was actually made from a coffin. Cannot believe as many times as we have ridden that we never noticed before.

We made our way over to NOS station so we could head to the front of the park and make it out of the park for our lunch reservations.

The boys met up with us at Toontown station.

We rode through the Grand Canyon, got off and Main Street station and exited the park. We then made our way over to Gardenwalk. Emma always has to stop and chit-chat with this lady.

I enjoyed the food at PF Chang's since I love Asian food but I am not so sure everyone else really cared for it. DH did love their chili paste. I tried Tiramusu for the first time but was not really all that impressed&. something about the soggy texture of cake. Emma amused herself, and us, with the chopsticks.

 

[mariezp]

Continued....

We went back to our room for our afternoon break. About 4:25 I recalled that if one got in line for Rapunzels meet-n-greet at 4:45 that you would be likely to not have a long wait. DD was agreeable to the idea so we grabbed our shoes and jackets and raced out the door. We even made it with time to spare. We got DDs first autograph and picture with both Rapunzel and Flynn. Flynn was quite the talker and excellent at playing his part. Rapunzel was so sweet and beautiful.

DD decided that she also wanted to get Mickeys autograph so while she was in the mood I decided wed better hurry on over to Toontown before she changed her mind and decided shed rather not wait in line. It looked like everyone else in the park had decided to head to Toontown too. It was probably the most crowded I had ever seen it. Thankfully, they were not all headed for Mickeys house so we were able to get in our visit without much of a wait.

I do not like the new plastic Christmas trees that were passed on from WDW. Looks like a cheap fix even if it is probably high grade Disney plastic.

DD wanted to grab an ice cream so I fixed her up. I nabbed myself a pretzel. We sat and enjoyed our goodies while we watched the ducks in the old motorboat are, aka our fireworks viewing area.

We ran across these guys who were fairly entertaining.

 

[mariezp]

Continued....

Now that our munchies were satisfied we decided we could press onward. We decided Dumbo would be good.

Wish this one had come out clearer but it is still one of my favorites.

Then the Teacups and a nighttime ride on Jungle Cruise.

We were trying to decide what to do next when the guys called so we were going to meet them and ride the Mark Twain. Unfortunately, when we got there it was already closed. So, we started over to the Tiki Room instead. However, along the way, DD changed her mind on our destination and decided she would be brave enough to ride Splash for her first time if the boys would get her a poncho&. and buy her a stuffed giraffe. She was afraid the store was going to sell out of the toy shed had her eye on so she wanted to go right then and there. We called the boys, told them her idea and asked them to find her a poncho while we made a pit stop. We met up with the guys, suited her up and got in line.

The men seemed to think they had it all figured out how we would all get wet the least. I had my doubts and I was pretty sure that DD would not like it in front but they insisted. Their theory was that the lighter the front the less is would splash. No time to protest since we were already in the loading area so we got seated per their suggestion. Just as I expected, those of us in front came out drenched. Bless her heart. She was so scared through the whole ride and ended up all sopping wet. Cold and miserable we headed to Adventureland to purchase her reward. Thankfully, it did help her feel better and she finally realized she had also earned bragging rights for having survived the big Splash drop. In the end she was quite proud of herself.

We decided to call it a night and go get out of our wet clothes. Everyone requested pizza delivery which was fine with me. It took me 3 tries but I finally found the right Pizza Hut that would deliver to us.