Spoonful of Sugar
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Aug 7, 2006
- Messages
- 236
Here it is finally, part 1 of my first trip report. I took my four day California vacation from August 19 - 22, but I haven't had time to post till now. Enjoy!
Cast of characters:
Me - 24 years old. I have never been to DL, but I have dreamt about it all my life. Seriously, it's been one of my number one goals for years, so I was soooo elated to finally go.
DF - Greg, 29 years old. It's been 22 years since his last trip to the Land, so it was definately time to go again.
Day 1 - Saturday, Aug. 19:
We wake up to my alarm at 3:10 AM, still the middle of the night as far as most people are concerned. If this were any other weekend I might be just getting to bed, but today we have a plane to catch! Greg has spent the night at my house so we can catch the shuttle together at a hotel up the street. He opts for a few minutes more sleep while I shower. We pack all our last minute essentials, and we're off!
Our plane to Vancouver is small, but we have window seats. (In fact, I manage to sit by the window on every flight, there and back.) Even though I love to fly, I'm feeling a little nervous, so I chatter incesantly to Greg the whole way. In Vancouver we have a heck of a time navigating the airport; good thing we've got three hours till our flight leaves. The Rockies are just beautiful from above, and I want to take pictures but don't for fear of bothering the other passengers who might still be shaken from the London arrests.
When we touch down in Los Angeles I am in heaven. I have wanted to live in California for as long as I can remember but had never layed eyes on it till now. I take a picture of the first palm tree I see. The first person I see is also camera-worthy -- a stereotypical California surf bum with shaggy blond hair, sunglasses, and tattered denim cut-offs -- but I hold back.
We take the DL shuttle to our hotel, The Anabella. I love knowing that everyone on this bus is on their way to the happiest place on earth. I can already feel the magic: the shuttle is painted with a huge Disney mural, and after we have picked up all our passengers, the driver puts on The Incredibles. I don't watch though; I am too busy staring out the window and pointing at every exciting thing I see. Things seem to be bigger here: the street signs are huge, the American flags are huge, even the bumble bees are huge! All this may not be unique to California, but very different from BC.
At last we arrive at our hotel, right across the street from CA, with the big coaster visible through the palms. We're too early for check-in, so we drop off our luggage at the front desk and I change into shorts in the lobby restroom. Unfortunately, some bad advice from a guidebook sends us the long way around the perimeter of the park! It takes forever to reach the main gates. Greg slept on the plane, but I've been up for twelve hours running on three hours sleep, and I'm getting cranky. Just when I feel that the pixie dust has already worn off, we're in the park and I'm saved.
Main Street is packed. The Parade of Dreams is about to start, but we decide to catch it later. I absolutely love parades, so I need to have a good viewing spot or else I'll be frustrated. As we head for Frontierland, I glance back at the parade and spot Tigger prancing along! My first ever character sighting!
As far as my imagination is concerned, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is already my favorite ride. Since it's the one always shown on the commercials (along with the Dumbo ride, of course), it strikes me as being the essence of DL. I insist on riding it first. The line looks long and a sign warns us of a thirty-five minute wait, so we are surprised to be on in ten minutes. Throughout the course of our trip we would learn that most lines move fast, so never trust those signs. Finally riding the train through that mountain after so many years of wishing is the most fun in the world, and I vow to ride it again. Later, I would be pleasantly surprised to realize that BTMR is not even one of the more impressive rides (in my opinion).
By this time we are hungry, so we grab burritos at Rancho del Zocalo. (I'll be writing a dining report later, complete with pictures, so I won't review the food here.) We are too tired and hot to finish our meals, and leave our food only half eaten, a wasteful practice which would become the norm during our trip.
After lunch, still sleepy and so full we cannot stomach a real ride, we pile in for a voyage on the Mark Twain Riverboat. I would have preferred the Sailing Ship Columbia (I have a great love for ships), but it has just finished its final sailing for the day. I anticipate our boat trip to be more of a time-killer and heat-beater than anything, but it is actually quite entertaining. We snag a spot at the bow on the upper level and enjoy the audio animatronics, especially the cute puppy playing with the Indian boy.
Of course, we take some pictures in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle. Amazing to finally see close up. We are actually here! Then, still digesting our lunch, we seek out another peaceful attraction, and make the mistake of trying out Innoventions, the giant commercial/arcade. It just feels like a whole lot of advertising to me, and we get out of there as quick as possible.
Time for the Parade of Dreams. I save us some seating room close the edge of the Main Street sidewalk while Greg buys sodas from a nearby churro stand. The churros smell deliciously like the sugary mini donuts one gets from the fair, but I'm not hungry. The parade exceeds my expectations, with a huge life-like Ursula, a dancing Simba, and royal Minnie and Mickey at the top of a castle with the banner reading, "It all started with a mouse." This is the most wonderful of all the firsts -- my first time seeing Mickey Mouse. And, although Greg finds the repetative music annoying after a while, I hope I never get that song out of my head: "Welcome to the family time..."
At last ready for another fast ride, we brave the Matterhorn Bobsleds. Somehow I got it in my head before our trip that this was too scary a ride for me. But now that we are here I am filled with a giddy confidence. I like the seating on this one: you sit in front of your riding buddy, sort of on their lap, like in a real bobsled. The Matterhorn is great! (If you haven't been on, don't read about it in a guidebook first. Be surprised like I was; it wil be twice the fun and twice the screams.)
We have a quick dinner at the Village Haus nearby, then a spin on King Arthur's Carousel with the beautifully lit castle as a nighttime backdrop. We grab spots for the second Fantasmic just as the first show is ending, guaranteeing us front row. For an hour we fight with all our might to keep our amazing vantage points, and it certainly pays off. Fantasmic is indescribable. We are close enough to feel the spray from the water, the heat of the flames. I could watch this show forever. How could any Disney lover not get choked up at the end of this one? I sure do! Greg teases me about it as I wipe my eyes.
Now everyone starts filing out of the park, even though it's open till midnight tonight. This is awesome, as it allows us to practically walk right on to our final four rides. We start with the Haunted Mansion. This is one of the places Disney's attention to detail really shines. I have to admit being almost... a little bit... okay, I'll just say it: scared. For one thing I have no idea how they do most of the stuff in there, so it's hare to convince my senses that it's not real. Secondly, there's so much going on that it's a bit overwhelming. Greg actually has to direct my attention towards the mirror at the end because I'm so busy looking around. And those freaky trees...
We head for Pirates of the Caribbean and stop by The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh on the way, just because there's no line. Boring, confusing, insanely bright with all the colours in the heffalumps and woozles part. I feel like this ride would be scarier for little ones than the coasters. I don't think it's terrible by any means, but I feel it doesn't quite measure up to the other rides I've tried today. (Of course, this is just my opinion. Greg like Winnie the Pooh.)
Pirates, on the other hand, is better than I expected. I love the drops, and Jack Sparrow looks so real! Ladies, if you love Johnnie Depp, this is the place to be. The "sky" inside looks exactly like the real night sky outside, so we have no idea whether we are inside or outside at the beginning and end of the ride. Very well done.
Our last stop before the park closes is Indiana Jones. We are lucky to get front seats; Greg is the driver. We love this ride and can't wait for a chance to go again. I actually duck as we "just miss" being crushed by the boulder. Greg, however, is too focused on the totally life-like Indy hanging out above the hood to notice the rolling rock. Yes, we will have to take another spin next chance we get. Whoah, I have now been up for twenty-one hours! We teeter back to The Anabella and, after finding our room and calling the concierge for our bags, fall into a good, deep sleep.
Thanks for reading! More to come....
Cast of characters:
Me - 24 years old. I have never been to DL, but I have dreamt about it all my life. Seriously, it's been one of my number one goals for years, so I was soooo elated to finally go.
DF - Greg, 29 years old. It's been 22 years since his last trip to the Land, so it was definately time to go again.
Day 1 - Saturday, Aug. 19:
We wake up to my alarm at 3:10 AM, still the middle of the night as far as most people are concerned. If this were any other weekend I might be just getting to bed, but today we have a plane to catch! Greg has spent the night at my house so we can catch the shuttle together at a hotel up the street. He opts for a few minutes more sleep while I shower. We pack all our last minute essentials, and we're off!
Our plane to Vancouver is small, but we have window seats. (In fact, I manage to sit by the window on every flight, there and back.) Even though I love to fly, I'm feeling a little nervous, so I chatter incesantly to Greg the whole way. In Vancouver we have a heck of a time navigating the airport; good thing we've got three hours till our flight leaves. The Rockies are just beautiful from above, and I want to take pictures but don't for fear of bothering the other passengers who might still be shaken from the London arrests.
When we touch down in Los Angeles I am in heaven. I have wanted to live in California for as long as I can remember but had never layed eyes on it till now. I take a picture of the first palm tree I see. The first person I see is also camera-worthy -- a stereotypical California surf bum with shaggy blond hair, sunglasses, and tattered denim cut-offs -- but I hold back.
We take the DL shuttle to our hotel, The Anabella. I love knowing that everyone on this bus is on their way to the happiest place on earth. I can already feel the magic: the shuttle is painted with a huge Disney mural, and after we have picked up all our passengers, the driver puts on The Incredibles. I don't watch though; I am too busy staring out the window and pointing at every exciting thing I see. Things seem to be bigger here: the street signs are huge, the American flags are huge, even the bumble bees are huge! All this may not be unique to California, but very different from BC.
At last we arrive at our hotel, right across the street from CA, with the big coaster visible through the palms. We're too early for check-in, so we drop off our luggage at the front desk and I change into shorts in the lobby restroom. Unfortunately, some bad advice from a guidebook sends us the long way around the perimeter of the park! It takes forever to reach the main gates. Greg slept on the plane, but I've been up for twelve hours running on three hours sleep, and I'm getting cranky. Just when I feel that the pixie dust has already worn off, we're in the park and I'm saved.
Main Street is packed. The Parade of Dreams is about to start, but we decide to catch it later. I absolutely love parades, so I need to have a good viewing spot or else I'll be frustrated. As we head for Frontierland, I glance back at the parade and spot Tigger prancing along! My first ever character sighting!
As far as my imagination is concerned, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is already my favorite ride. Since it's the one always shown on the commercials (along with the Dumbo ride, of course), it strikes me as being the essence of DL. I insist on riding it first. The line looks long and a sign warns us of a thirty-five minute wait, so we are surprised to be on in ten minutes. Throughout the course of our trip we would learn that most lines move fast, so never trust those signs. Finally riding the train through that mountain after so many years of wishing is the most fun in the world, and I vow to ride it again. Later, I would be pleasantly surprised to realize that BTMR is not even one of the more impressive rides (in my opinion).
By this time we are hungry, so we grab burritos at Rancho del Zocalo. (I'll be writing a dining report later, complete with pictures, so I won't review the food here.) We are too tired and hot to finish our meals, and leave our food only half eaten, a wasteful practice which would become the norm during our trip.
After lunch, still sleepy and so full we cannot stomach a real ride, we pile in for a voyage on the Mark Twain Riverboat. I would have preferred the Sailing Ship Columbia (I have a great love for ships), but it has just finished its final sailing for the day. I anticipate our boat trip to be more of a time-killer and heat-beater than anything, but it is actually quite entertaining. We snag a spot at the bow on the upper level and enjoy the audio animatronics, especially the cute puppy playing with the Indian boy.
Of course, we take some pictures in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle. Amazing to finally see close up. We are actually here! Then, still digesting our lunch, we seek out another peaceful attraction, and make the mistake of trying out Innoventions, the giant commercial/arcade. It just feels like a whole lot of advertising to me, and we get out of there as quick as possible.
Time for the Parade of Dreams. I save us some seating room close the edge of the Main Street sidewalk while Greg buys sodas from a nearby churro stand. The churros smell deliciously like the sugary mini donuts one gets from the fair, but I'm not hungry. The parade exceeds my expectations, with a huge life-like Ursula, a dancing Simba, and royal Minnie and Mickey at the top of a castle with the banner reading, "It all started with a mouse." This is the most wonderful of all the firsts -- my first time seeing Mickey Mouse. And, although Greg finds the repetative music annoying after a while, I hope I never get that song out of my head: "Welcome to the family time..."
At last ready for another fast ride, we brave the Matterhorn Bobsleds. Somehow I got it in my head before our trip that this was too scary a ride for me. But now that we are here I am filled with a giddy confidence. I like the seating on this one: you sit in front of your riding buddy, sort of on their lap, like in a real bobsled. The Matterhorn is great! (If you haven't been on, don't read about it in a guidebook first. Be surprised like I was; it wil be twice the fun and twice the screams.)
We have a quick dinner at the Village Haus nearby, then a spin on King Arthur's Carousel with the beautifully lit castle as a nighttime backdrop. We grab spots for the second Fantasmic just as the first show is ending, guaranteeing us front row. For an hour we fight with all our might to keep our amazing vantage points, and it certainly pays off. Fantasmic is indescribable. We are close enough to feel the spray from the water, the heat of the flames. I could watch this show forever. How could any Disney lover not get choked up at the end of this one? I sure do! Greg teases me about it as I wipe my eyes.
Now everyone starts filing out of the park, even though it's open till midnight tonight. This is awesome, as it allows us to practically walk right on to our final four rides. We start with the Haunted Mansion. This is one of the places Disney's attention to detail really shines. I have to admit being almost... a little bit... okay, I'll just say it: scared. For one thing I have no idea how they do most of the stuff in there, so it's hare to convince my senses that it's not real. Secondly, there's so much going on that it's a bit overwhelming. Greg actually has to direct my attention towards the mirror at the end because I'm so busy looking around. And those freaky trees...
We head for Pirates of the Caribbean and stop by The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh on the way, just because there's no line. Boring, confusing, insanely bright with all the colours in the heffalumps and woozles part. I feel like this ride would be scarier for little ones than the coasters. I don't think it's terrible by any means, but I feel it doesn't quite measure up to the other rides I've tried today. (Of course, this is just my opinion. Greg like Winnie the Pooh.)
Pirates, on the other hand, is better than I expected. I love the drops, and Jack Sparrow looks so real! Ladies, if you love Johnnie Depp, this is the place to be. The "sky" inside looks exactly like the real night sky outside, so we have no idea whether we are inside or outside at the beginning and end of the ride. Very well done.
Our last stop before the park closes is Indiana Jones. We are lucky to get front seats; Greg is the driver. We love this ride and can't wait for a chance to go again. I actually duck as we "just miss" being crushed by the boulder. Greg, however, is too focused on the totally life-like Indy hanging out above the hood to notice the rolling rock. Yes, we will have to take another spin next chance we get. Whoah, I have now been up for twenty-one hours! We teeter back to The Anabella and, after finding our room and calling the concierge for our bags, fall into a good, deep sleep.
Thanks for reading! More to come....
