To Infinity and Beyond - Becoming a Better DopeyBadger (Comments Welcome)

[DopeyBadger]

Friday, January 12th, 2024 - 5k, California Adventure
5k day!

Trying to remember, but I think I woke up around 1:30-2:00am. G and I got all dressed. Because of the suit/costume design I had to use the bathroom for the very last time. Temp wise, it was in the high 30s, low 40s. So I was wearing my heavy running tights, my heavy running sweater, and two other long sleeves. In addition I had the green man suit, and the Mike sweater. I also wore my heavy running mittens, and my heavy running hat. Suffice to say, I was dressed very warm. I told Steph up and down to make sure G had enough clothes to put on under her costume to stay warm. She was convinced a set of jammies would be enough. Then morning of, I double/triple checked that she didn't need to wear more. But Steph and G were convinced she had enough on - turns out I was right...



We left the hotel just shortly after 3:00am and was through the initial security by 3:30-3:40am or so. They held us in the space between the DIsneyland hotel and California Adventure. While we were waiting around we spotted some of the costumes, and was impressed by several different groups. Saw former DIS member who can't be named and his group and they had costumes. I was disappointed when I spotted the Electric Parade costume and a Nemo, because they were both costumes that surrounded their bodies. Best I could tell neither had any difficulty getting past the next wave of security. Would have been nice for us to run in our full costumes too, but these turned out alright.



Around 4:07am or so is when the opened Disneyland park and we walked inside. This is where this recap is going to split into three parts!

Part 1 - My view

Alright, so we got inside the Disneyland park without issue and made our way down Main Street. They had the 5k corrals within the park itself along Main Street. G and I submitted a 10-12 min/mile estimate and were in Corral C. We had originally planned a DIS meet at 4am outside the Christmas shop on Main Street, but given the structure of the corrals it didn't make any sense. So essentially everyone just headed towards their corral. We were probably 30-40 rows of people behind the front of C. G was cold. Like really cold. She had been wearing a jacket before we separated from Steph, but after that she was just in what she had underneath her costume. So, she was cold. As expected. She tried to tough it out, but she was really having a hard time. We told a few jokes to the people around us. At one point G saw two women dressed as Bluie and Bingo, and I told her she had to go tell them a joke. So she told her the one she came up with,

"Why didn't Jack Skellington cross the road?"
"Because he didn't have the guts to do it!"

She told this one several times and always got a few good laughs. We tried to tailor jokes to the costumes people were wearing. A few plutos so we had a few jokes lined up for that.

It was around 5am when the race itself started. They released the wheelchair division, and then Corrals A and B. According to Strava, we started at 5:17am for Corral C. We tried to run a little, but G was too cold. So we just decided that we would walk. It was a lot more congested than a WDW runDisney 5k that initially leads to that feeder road in the parking lot. So even if we wanted to run a little more than walking, it would have been more challenging than WDW. So I think we made the right choice. Ultimately the goal was to get as many character pictures as we could like Princess 2023, but not wait too long because, again, G was cold.

The first line we saw was around It's A Small World, so we were curious to see who was out there. But it wasn't a character stop. It was just runners taking selfies with the outside of the ride. Then we headed into ToonTown and saw a line. We asked the CM what the line was for. It was Goofy and Max. Alright, I see. A dog themed race. The line looked long, and the initial reaction from G was not to wait in it. But I convinced her we should. As we hung out in line, we turned around and called out the costumes as they passed us by. Told a few jokes as well. Some CMs enjoyed our jokes, and told us we should do a Mike W hand over eye photo. In all, the stop for Goofy and Max only took 18 min. So it wasn't short, but that 45+ min line from Princess 2022 was far longer.



We planned the costumes so that I would stand on G's left hand side, so then our eyes would be looking at each other. We left Toontown and did some backstage area. I think there were some parade vehicles out, this is where they had the security dog setup for photos too. We didn't stop for the security dog. Outside of the Haunted Mansion was Jack and Sally. But they were behind the fence, and also selfie only. I didn't bring my phone and I also didn't have the capability getting it to work given my gloves/green man suit can't work an iphone. So that was disappoint, but plenty of other characters I'm sure.

At some point around GE was saw a line for Belle, Beast, and Lumiere. I thought for sure G would want to stop for that one, but no. Especially since she was in the play over the summer. They did have a photopass person for this one though.

About halfway through the race I gave G my gloves because her hands were getting cold. I can't say I know the sequence of these photos, but here are some of them from us on course.











It was fun to run in California Adventure because that was legit our first time ever in the park. So we literally didn't know where we were going. I didn't know the parks in the least. Disappointed in the lack of Star Wars characters and Marvel characters. Felt like a missed opportunity for a Marvel character since you can't have them in the WDW park.

I remember seeing Cruella, but the line was closed by the time we got there. Same for Carl and Dug from UP when we were in Paradise Pier. Maybe both had photopass, but they were accessible to us.

We saw Steph when we headed into the Paradise Pier area from the spectator viewing area. More on that later.

I remember us telling some other jokes to a Cinderella runner, and to a mom/daughter Bluey/Chilie costume. We asked Chilie if she knew what her favorite color was and she clearly got distraught she didn't know this piece of trivia. Like noticeably disturbed. I was like, "It's blue. Because of Bluey". She was like "Are you sure?". I was so confused. It was just supposed to be a joke.

Then came the finish line. I remember seeing Pluto, and then a non-descript finish line without much fanfare. We made our way through the finish area and then met up with Steph.



We headed towards the exit and made our way out to Downtown Disney to trek back to the hotel.

Overall, I'd give it a D. The race was cold. But they can't control that, nor whether G wore enough clothes. I was warm enough with my choices. But the lack of photopass photographers was apalling for what I've experienced in a WDW rundisney race. In the Princess 2022 5k, we had 57 photos (only 5 character stops). In Princess 2023 5k, we had 52 photos (only 4 character stops). In Disneyland 2024 5k, we had 18 photos (only 1 character stop) and honestly barely any of the photos are good quality. That's just plain disappointing. I've seen the explanations here on the DIS about how DIsneyland has far less photopass photographers than Disney World. But that doesn't take away from the disappointment in the lack of photos we got. There were other things that didn't live up to expectations, but that's the main one. That's what I thought, but what about someone else?



Part 2 - G's view



It was as cold as an ice cube. My feet were very cold. I couldn't run. So we walked the whole thing. It was fun. Sadly we only got one character picture. But for the most part it was cool (get it) and fun. But ultimately I would choose a Disney World 5k over a Disneyland 5k.


Part 3 - Steph's view

The DRAMA at the finish line was UNCALLED for. It's like they've never attended a race before. The CMs handled it well and professionally, and I left and got coffee. So here's the deets.

So they let us in into California Adventure inbetween Earl of Sandwich and World of Disney. Hard to say how many spectators were with me when they let us in. Felt like maybe 30-50 people total. They walked us down to the Paradise Pier area, and then the CM told us we could stand between "there" and "there" which was essentially like a span of 60 feet. It was from the Emearcadero Gifts building to the statue/fountain. Ultimately a fairly small space. Especially compared to WDW which gets the entire length of Main Street and the entrance. And PEOPLE LOST IT. They were irate. They started yelling at the CM, "Well this is BS. How are we suppose to see? And where are we supposed to stand? And how am I suppose to see my runner?" And then other people showed up, and then it just kept escalating with more yelling people. Some people tried to stand in an unapproved area, and the CM yelled at them. "WHY NOT? That's where the runners are coming from?" And then the CM said it was because of fire code.

So then Steph walked up to the CM, and was like "Is this where the runners are coming from?" And she thought I was going to be mean to her like everyone else, and was a little short with me, but then I explained that I didn't really mind and I'd just come back later and instead go get a coffee.

And then the Starbucks was very nice and efficient.

I made my way back to the spectator area, and by the time G and Billy made it to me, there wasn't an issue seeing anyone. It's like people have never spectated ANY race in their lives. It was shocking how rude they were to the CMs, and how if the spectators just worked together a little there was plenty of space for everyone. Once the runners started coming it was a bit of a free for all.


****

So overall, not the experience we were hoping for. The Mike and Marty costumes were a hit though. But left wondering, what if? on the full-go costumes.

Next post - Friday, January 12th, 2024 - 5k, California Adventure (Part 2)

 

[DopeyBadger]

Going through security I heard a similar conversation from a few of the security guards, except it was "Where has [so-and-so] been?" and "Oh, he was fired."

Yep, just like that.

While we were waiting for the Sailing Ship Columbia a CM was chatting with guests next to us and one guest asked what the special pin on is name tag was. CM responded, "oh this means I haven't been fired in over 10 years."
Some of the CM conversations before we got on the canoes were of a similar nature of like who was supposed to be rowing with who and when, etc. Ultimately a manager appeared and settled who was going on this boat and the lead CM at the front of our canoe happened to be taking his last trip around on his last shift after ten years of employment. He did a great job, making it a Jungle Cruise-esque attraction with the corny jokes, but I'm not 100% sure he would have cared to take a final row around or not....??!!

In other news, I saw you & your family eating at Golden Horseshore, but later in the trip that what you've reported so far, so I'm assuming you guys ate there twice. We ate there twice too. We sat front and center both times. I was too shy to say hi, but next time.

Great trip report as always. Thanks for sharing.

Such weird convos.

And are you kidding me, you totally need to say hi. We're not intimidating people. We did eat there a second time later in the trip.

 

[Scootin'By]

And PEOPLE LOST IT. They were irate. They started yelling at the CM, "Well this is BS. How are we suppose to see? And where are we supposed to stand? And how am I suppose to see my runner?" And then other people showed up, and then it just kept escalating with more yelling people.

This is really sad

I'm still just so impressed with the costumes! They are so creative and well executed! Great job! (Sorry the 5k was disappointing though - boo! ... get it

 

[eminemilie]

And are you kidding me, you totally need to say hi. We're not intimidating people. We did eat there a second time later in the trip.

You sort of are! I am pretty sure I saw you guys in CA in the afternoon after the 5k, but was too intimidated to say hi. I did tell my husband that I thought you guys were from disboards though

 

[azrivest]

that 45+ min line from Princess 2022 was far longer.

That was my first character stop at my very first runDisney race ever I'm glad to have experienced other things since then, but it was very cool to have 3 princesses in one stop.

Overall, I'd give it a D.

Thanks for the honest opinion.

But for the most part it was cool (get it) and fun.

Tell G that was the best joke of the post Good job on your race G!

 

[The Expert]

Great 5K recap -- love all three perspectives!

It feels like at Disney World the cast members like really buy into the experience. It's a part of them. Where at DIsneyland it felt more like it was just a job for the castmembers there.

I think this ^^^

It was shocking how rude they were to the CMs

is in part because of this ^^^

The locals in OC really feel ownership of Disneyland, like it is THEIR park. They've always been more aggressive and entitled with cast in my experience. And since Covid, it just seems like nobody has any social skills any longer, so it's only gotten worse.

But the lack of photopass photographers was apalling for what I've experienced in a WDW rundisney race.

I had a lot of issues with the DL races but this was top of the list. And something Disney had full control over (at least in the 5K and 10K). They easily could have taken some Photopass leads to WDW for Wine & Dine to show them the ropes, then come back and recruited extra photographers and trained them properly. But it does not seem they thought that far head, or didn't want to spend the money.

 

[DopeyBadger]

This is really sad

Totally!

I'm still just so impressed with the costumes! They are so creative and well executed! Great job! (Sorry the 5k was disappointing though - boo! ... get it

Thanks! Nice one!

You sort of are! I am pretty sure I saw you guys in CA in the afternoon after the 5k, but was too intimidated to say hi. I did tell my husband that I thought you guys were from disboards though

LOL, you all are too much. I put my shoes on one foot at a time just like everyone else. I'm not intimidating or someone you need to be apprehensive about approaching in the least.

That was my first character stop at my very first runDisney race ever I'm glad to have experienced other things since then, but it was very cool to have 3 princesses in one stop.

Yea, we'll see if they ever use that idea (mistake?) ever again.

Thanks for the honest opinion.

That's what I'm here for.

Tell G that was the best joke of the post Good job on your race G!

She laughed and says thanks!

The locals in OC really feel ownership of Disneyland, like it is THEIR park. They've always been more aggressive and entitled with cast in my experience. And since Covid, it just seems like nobody has any social skills any longer, so it's only gotten worse.

Yea, it totally feels like that. And that's too bad. It wasn't all sour though, we did have a good CM experience, but we haven't hit it yet in the recap.

I had a lot of issues with the DL races but this was top of the list. And something Disney had full control over (at least in the 5K and 10K). They easily could have taken some Photopass leads to WDW for Wine & Dine to show them the ropes, then come back and recruited extra photographers and trained them properly. But it does not seem they thought that far head, or didn't want to spend the money.

100%! Especially since the WDW 5ks are not 100% inside the park like the Disneyland one was. That means there's very little lack of opportunity there.

 

[DopeyBadger]

Friday, January 12th, 2024 - 5k, California Adventure (Part 2)
So it was around 7:40am when we finished the 5k and made our way back to Hotel Indigo. The plan was to attempt to rope drop Calfornia Adventure. From memory, CA opened at 9am. I think we got close to being there and back in time to get let into the park. G was excited to visit the park not during race to soak it all in. She chose to wear her Black Widow jacket and Captain Marvel dress.

Steph and I felt our strategy for the Disneyland park the day before was a little off. We kind of just meandered around, got the ears decorated at the christmas shop, rode some low lines rides. So for CA we wanted to be a little more strategic, So the plan was to hit up some of the bigger rides when they had shorter lines. The plan was head towards the Spider-Man ride, but as we walked up main street there was a CM holding a cat. She noticed our pins that said "First visit" and asked us where we were headed first. We said Spider-Man and she said, if she could offer some advice to head to Cars Land first instead. She said it gets busier as the day goes along, and is probably a better bet for the early morning. She also recommended seeing Cars Land when the lights turn on in the evening, "Ka-chow". So we heeded her advice and headed towards Cars Land. Cars Land has three rides. Two smaller ones, and then a Test Track like ride.

As we made our way into Cars Land, we saw that Radiator Springs wasn't open yet. The CM said they were still doing their safety checks and mentioned we should come back in 20-30 minutes. So instead we headed towards Mater's ride which is the same as WDW Alien Saucer Swirl in DHS. I enjoyed it. Seemed like the sound track had some variety to it which was nice. He's got a nice little singing verse which is interesting to listen to while you're in line.

After Mater's we headed towards Luigi's. This one was a unique ride. Sort of like a choregraphed dance, similar to the scene in Mickey and Minnie's RR with Daisy in the ballet studio. Enjoyable. But for someone with motion sickness the spins can get to be a little much. I made it through it alright.



When we got off Luigi's there was a photopass person taking pictures so we got some.





These photos turned out really nice. As we were getting a pictures taken, I could see people rushing towards Radiator Springs, so the ride was open! But according to the app it was still closed, so it was primetime to hit it up. So we rushed over. Got in line with minimal wait. Based on the line size, it looks like you could wait a while. I'd say we waited less than 10 minutes. But it was an excruciatingly long 10 minutes for poor G. She was absolutely freaking out about how we were putting her on a ROLLERCOASTER! How dare we! We tried to explain this was more of a thrill ride and not a rollercoaster. But she wasn't having it. There were tears, and multiple attempts to convince her. Eventually we made our way into the chute and loaded into Lightning McQueen. She was so scared. Poor thing was shaking and just dug her head into Steph's shoulder.



I give this ride an A+. It has a lot to like. Solid animatronics. And then a solid ride experience. The racing through the back-country against another ride vehicle is a nice touch. It's really solid and a must-do if we go back to Disneyland.

Next up was Avengers Campus! So excited to go to this part because of the lack of Marvel in WDW. As we walked in, we saw an absolute gem opportunity in meeting Kamala Khan herself, Ms Marvel!



G and Ms Marvel had a nice chat. Missed out on showing her our Halloween costumes from last year, but she said she was a big fan of G's choice of dress. We got G a really nice Ms Marvel jacket like a year ago, but it's still a little too big for her. After seeing Ms Marvel we headed towards the Spider-Man ride.

The ride had a 35-ish minute wait. After a little bit of time they made an announcement that the wait was now 45 min. It's kind of interesting how wait times work at Disneyland, because it's just a rotary dial that a CM just rotates when they seemingly take a look around. Now granted these people probably have markers that they check where guests are and just rotate the dial based on experience. So when they make these announcements I assume it's because they forgot for a moment to chance the dial and it needed to be adjusted to a little longer. While waiting in line, G had to go potty. So her and Steph scooted out and another woman/child followed suit. They got some looks Steph said when they made their way back into line, but just said "potty break" and people chilled a bit.

I read something on FB at this point about the Expo experience. Seems like one of the new tactics for Platinum members with early access is that some don't purchase things for others, but instead set up camp inside the runDisney merch area with everything that's been requested of them, and then people come into the area with their BG and find the items the Platinum member is holding for them. Positive that there probably aren't a lot of these, but was interesting to read about this tactic instead of buying two of each UPC and then shipping it out. Doesn't feel like the merch was as much of an issue as say WDW Dopey jackets or Figment Challenge materials at Wine and DIne. So maybe that's something DL had better? There were some issues with pin availability if I remember right.

It wasn't long after the potty break, and we were inside. The pre-show was fun. Very GE Rise of the Resistance like with the hologram. Once we got out of there, G wanted some tips on how to score high. So I did some quick reading online. It's not quite like Midway Mania which has a certain sequence of events that can unlock different cut scenes or high point items. I mean it probably is, but at least for MM it just takes a quick Google and all those tips are right at your finger tips. I couldn't quite find a detailed, "do this", for the Spider-Man ride. But we had enough idea what we were doing. G was freaking out again because she thought this was going to be another thrill ride. Despite explaining it to her that it was much more like MM.



Ride overall was good. It was definitely hectic and hard to keep track about what was going on. Definitely more like an Arcade game that swarms you with so much visual input that it's hard to keep focus. Unlike MM which in my mind is much more systematic and predictable. Overall I felt like we did well. I just BARELY beat out Steph, which I wouldn't have heard the end of it if I didn't pull that out.



After walking out of the Spider-Man ride we saw people gathering so we decided to see what's up. It didn't take long before Spider-Man arrived on scene.



We didn't have a great angle, but it was nice how he moves from place to place upon the rooftop so even if your view isn't 100% you can still see him. We almost gave up before the finale when the CM inside the store was like turnaround to see him fly through the air. It was fun to see. I remember seeing the tease for that new robotic on Disney + several years ago. G REALLY wanted to buy some awesome merch (junk) inside the Spider-Man store, but we convinced her that if she was still interested we'd come back later that night (she wasn't and we didn't).

After doing some rides, we were ready for a snack. So we stopped at Ant-Man's restaurant for a super-sized pretzel.



This was an A+++ pretzel. So so good, and worth every $. I wanted so bad to go back and get a second one at other points in the trip, but never did. The dipping sauce was solid too. It's a must.

It was around 10:30, and as we were finishing our pretzel the Dora Milaje were coming down the street. We didn't have a great viewing angle, so we ducked out and headed towards Paradise Pier. When we entered the area the Ariel ride had no wait, so we rode that. Not any different than WDW from what I could tell.

After Ariel, we kept up our counter clockwise route and hit up the Jumpin' Jellyfish. This was a highlight for G. She loved it, which is funny because it seems like a nothing ride. But she liked being up high and getting some good views. It's funny because I really feel this ride in my stomach when it goes up and down, but for Steph she feels nothing. Funny how we feel different things.

We passed on the swings and instead hit up the Inside Out ride. G had to get a photo with Disgust.



Such attitude!

Next post - Friday, January 12th, 2024 - 5k, California Adventure (Part 3)

 

[DopeyBadger]

Friday, January 12th, 2024 - 5k, California Adventure (Part 3)

We didn't have to wait long for the Inside Out ride. G really wanted to get the unicorn, and thankfully we were first in line for our section, so it was an easy get. The funny part was the CM who was running the ride. He had the whole dialogue memorized for each of the different members of the Inside Out team. He definitely has some energy over in the corner acting through the lines. He was a hoot.



After Inside Out, Steph was interested in riding the Incredi-coaster. That wasn't for G and I, so we let Steph go get in line and we bummed around. We hit up a few shots because G was interested in finding a stuffed Mickey for her friend Owen. She saw the carnival games and was interested in doing them, but I explained to her that at $5 per game they could be a losing proposition. She was better off just buying one. I think Steph waited like 50 min or so. She liked the coaster.

After the coaster, we headed to San Fransokyo for some lunch. It was super busy. I was starving so I got two tacos from the Mexican joint. G was not impressed. It was solid, but not spectacular.



Steph wanted some BayMax sourdough bread.



We checked out the Ghiradelli's chocolate shop as well, but saw nothing of interest.

We decided to make our way towards the exit. As we exited Paradise Pier we walked past the Redwook Creek Trail, and it piqued G's interest, so we decided to spend some time in there. G had some fun on the zipline. She also ran into a friend walking around.



After the trail, we made our way towards the exit. We saw Soarin' had a reasonable sub-30 min wait, so we decided to jump in line. It was a familiar ride, but sadly we got a poor seat in the lower corner. This is the second time in a row we've gotten that seat.



Surprise, a sleeping Dizzy photo!



We made our way to the exit and headed towards Tortilla Jo's for the DIS meetup. We had a nice showing and it was nice to see some familiar faces and to meet some people for the first time. I feel like @Naomeri, @dis_or_dat, @RunWI1265, @superchime, @Sleepless Knight, @The Expert, @Novatrix. We also had someone poke their head in while they walked by but I'm forgetting the username. Additionally @mrsg00fy also made a brief appearance just by luck as she passed by. So great to see everyone! G was on fire for this one and really opened up. She wasn't full 100% G, but at least everyone got a chance to see the girl in her element. She just started leading some convos on rides and suggestions for others.

After the DIS meet, we headed towards the Disneyland park. I can't remember much of what we did, but I suspect based on pictures that we headed towards Mr Toad's ride. We were sending the family at home clues as to the rides we were doing, and then they would watch Youtube POVs of that ride. This one felt like a giveaway.





I lucked out with the MacBadger car.



That truly was a wild ride. Like, interesting.... But it kept me interested.

After finishing Mr. Toad's we were going to get some dinner because I had the 10k the next morning, but then as we passed the Alice in Wonderland ride, Steph couldn't help herself. This is another ride with an incredibly tight line. The ride vehicles were tight as well. The ride was decent.



But as wild as Mr. Toad was, and interesting as Alice, it had nothing on eating at the Plaza Inn. It was unorganized and tight in there. They didn't have a ton of options, but G was willing to eat the chicken fingers. We saw two separate people bump into others and spill all their food. There just felt like too many people in there. Which made more sense when we searched for a table outside and they were limiting the number of people going inside to get food.

Food was expensive and just average. We really had a hard time not comparing everything to Carnation Cafe. After dinner we headed out of Disneyland and back to our hotel. Looks like we were in bed around 7:10pm. Next up 10k day, and then a visit to Hollywood!

Sleep - 5:58 hrs
RHR - 48 bpm
Steps - 29,696 steps
Miles - 16.2 miles
Body Battery High - 58
Body Battery Low - 29

Next post - Saturday, January 13th, 2024 - 10k, Warner Bros Studio Tour, Hollywood Sign

 

[Scootin'By]

I am absolutely LOVING this trip/race report. I have never wanted to visit DL more than right now!

 

[DisneyParrothead]

I love Mr Toad and Alice. My plan this trip was to get as many rides that aren’t in Florida, but I did do Little Mermaid and Toy Story. I like that a good number of rides aren’t on Genie+ and the line can flow.

 

[SheHulk]

We always tell our kids that Mr. Toad (the ride) is the perfect encapsulation of what being a kid meant in the 70s: The ride is through a bunch of cardboard scenes, and you die and go to h**l at the end of the ride. And that was considered the height of children's entertainment. That and making an ash tray as a craft in summer camp being a seemingly appropriate kids' activity, pretty much sums it up.

 

[DopeyBadger]

I am absolutely LOVING this trip/race report. I have never wanted to visit DL more than right now!

Happy to hear it!

I love Mr Toad and Alice. My plan this trip was to get as many rides that aren’t in Florida, but I did do Little Mermaid and Toy Story. I like that a good number of rides aren’t on Genie+ and the line can flow.

Same. I don't think we waited longer than 60 min for anything. Steph was over 60 min for Guardians, but that was because of other issues.

We always tell our kids that Mr. Toad (the ride) is the perfect encapsulation of what being a kid meant in the 70s: The ride is through a bunch of cardboard scenes, and you die and go to h**l at the end of the ride. And that was considered the height of children's entertainment. That and making an ash tray as a craft in summer camp being a seemingly appropriate kids' activity, pretty much sums it up.

Not my era, but I get it.

 

[DopeyBadger]

Saturday, January 13th, 2024 - 10k, Warner Bros Studio Tour, Hollywood Sign
Slept reasonably well, although I woke up sweating a few times. Just not the 59-62F with a ceiling fan sleeping conditions I'm used to. Looks like I was up at 2:05am to get ready. I ate a PB bagel and banana as soon as I got up. Also drank a water bottle with some Liquid IV. Took a shower, and then got dressed. Goal was to get walking at 3:00-3:10am, and I was on time.

When I exited Hotel Indigo, I had planned on going west on Katella and north on Harbor, but the crowd seemed to be heading east and towards the other entrance on Clementine. So I made a change in plan and headed in the same direction as the crowd. Got to security around 3:20-3:25am with an expected opening at 3:30am. There were several lanes of runners lined up. I decided to hug the right side of the security because it looked like it had an extra scanner without a line in front of it because of the median.

A really funny moment. I had just had the thought of the family I met in the MKE airport pop in my mind. I remember the woman I was talking to was going to run the 10k. I internally said to myself what are the odds I'd see her around here going through security. And then immediately after that I turned around and saw her and the family about 10-15 people back in line. Sometimes the world just seems so small.

From memory, we were let past the security checkpoint around 3:38am. The line moved quick and I didn't really have anything on me that needed to be checked. Just a bottle of water and a Maurten gel. Walked through security and north on the road. When I made it to the cross street of Clementine and the entrance to the parking lot was a big miss for security. We were already inside the security bubble at that point. But there were cars trying to drive south on Clementine past that intersection. There were like 5-6 cast members, and some cones. That was it. So then some cars were dropping off runners and the CM would escort them to the security. I'm thinking to myself, this can't be sustainable because it's early and there's bound to be more runners later. Seemed like a big oversight for security purposes.

Made my way into the parking lot for the starting area. I made a quick stop at the porta and then went looking for other DIS members before the corrals opened up. Found @Z-Knight and @The Expert. I can't remember if we found anyone else pre-race. Corrals opened at 4am. Hit up the portas one more time, and then made my way to the "A" corral. It was small. Got in there, set my stuff down and then did some quick stretching. I was wearing Steph's "Mom Squad" sweatshirt from the neighborhood moms. I think I did a quick WU of running for like 3-5 min, and then made my way towards the front of "A". I found @Z-Knight and we chilled together until the race was ready to start. Found a perfect DIsneyland HM runner as well.

Race started on time at 5:00am.

Conditions - Clear sky, Wind 0mph to ?
Start: Temp+Dew = 43°F + 37°F; FL - 43°F
End: Temp+Dew = 41°F + 35°F; FL - 43°F

The goal was to run fast, and I was hoping to go sub-42 min 10k which I haven't since 2018. In fact, I've only run sub-42 min once and that is my 10k PR of 39:54. Which that is wild.

I wasn't right on the starting line, so there was some crowding to get through, but by the time we turned south on Harbor I was in a good place. I tried to keep my eyes on my pace right out the gate to make sure I didn't overdo it. I knew anything under 6:30 was probably way too aggressive. So when I saw 6:40-7:00s, I knew I was in a good place right from the outset.

It was fun to run quick on the roads. There were some quick people around me. I remember I was following a girl on the hip for a good mile or so as we were locked into the same pace. Hit the first mile split at 6:38 and I was pleased.

We made our way into the California Adventure backstage just after mile 1. Two other sets of people were running around with me or jockeying with me as they stopped for characters. There was a group of three women dressed as Toy Story Aliens, and then another guy that would guess was from somewhere in Europe based on his accent.

It's been some time since the race now, and it's been memory holed at this point. The race was Donald and Daisy themed. So I do remember seeing the duck from Chicken Little out for character pictures and thought that was a good one. I'm not really remember anything else specific at the moment. The downhill/uphill that @StarGirl11 warned us about before the weekend was relatively steep, but relatively short. Very similar to the WDW underwater hill. I remember doing my best to hold onto the pace as best I could. I was able to pass the aliens and the friendly european somewhere in the middle of the race, and then just before we exited the Disneyland park towards the finish line is when they passed me back. The European was yelling encouraging words to all of us. Came through the finish line and was glad to be done.






Time - 43:25
Overall finish - 30/6601
Gender finish - 20/1899
Age Group finish - 4/343

5k split was 21:17. Happy with the GAP splits through the first 4 miles. I was hanging in the 6:40s. But definitely a little fade in the last 2 miles. I was hoping for a sub-42, but was still able to put together a good race.





Overall a decent race. Was hoping for faster, but this is what I got today. Was also hoping for Top 25, but Top 30 isn't too far off. For comparison purposes, my last Princess 2023 10k had 50 photos and this one had 24 photos.

Made my through the finisher chute, gathered my items, did a quick stretch in the post-race area, and then made my way back to Hotel Indigo.

ETA - Forgot to mention two things. The security hole was fixed on my walk back post-race. At some point they extended the fence line to keep people from entering the security bubble. So good on them getting that corrected. Secondly, it's a farce to have security at all when the corrals fence is short enough that people could pass things to each other over the fence with people outside the bubble. Seems like a major oversight and security risk.

Next Post - Saturday, January 13th, 2024 - 10k, Warner Bros Studio Tour, Hollywood Sign (Part 2)

 

[DopeyBadger]

Saturday, January 13th, 2024 - 10k, Warner Bros Studio Tour, Hollywood Sign (Part 2)
Hollywood! G was ready with her Barbie inspired outfit.



I got back to Hotel Indigo, got showered, and then we hit the road. I feel like we were driving by 7am or so. The Hollywood Warner Bros Studio was like 45 min away. The drive wasn't nearly as stressful as the drive from the airport. We better knew what to expect this time around. Lots of lots of lanes, and they just appear and disappear at will.

Once we got about 15 min away or so, I did some research on somewhere to eat. There were a few options in the area, but Paty's was open and had great reviews. They had outdoor seating. G got bacon and pancakes w/ chocolate chips, Steph had something?, and I had bacon with Belgian waffles. I'm not exaggerating to say this was one of the best breakfasts I've ever had. That Belgian waffle was incredible. The bacon was high quality. So as far as restaurants go, this is a must do if you find yourself in the area of Warner Bros. Studios. A good find for a random search as we were closing in, and it wasn't pricey either.



After breakfast, we headed over to Warner Bros. Studios for the tour. They've got a few options for tours. There's a "Studio Tour" (which we did), the "Classics Tour", the "Studio Tour Plus" (which my guess is you do both Studio and Classic, and then "Deluxe Tour" (which is Plus with an extra visit to the prop department). We expected to pay for parking, but seemed like the lot was a ghost town because it was Saturday. So if was free. Got parked and made our way into the entrance. Hit up the bathroom and then checked in at the lobby and they moved us into the next holding area of explore before the tour started.



They had a mini-model inside the holding area and that G wanted Rocket to look like a giant in.



After this holding room we checked in for a second time when we were ready for the guided tour. They led us into a movie screening room, and showed us a short video of a bunch of WB film properties. It emphasized how many properties I didn't realize from memory were WB. After that, we met our guide, aptly named Sheldon, and he loaded us into the vehicle.

Sheldon drove us around the lot for about 45-60 min. We went to a wooded area, and they showed us some videos on the screen inside the vehicle of properties that were filmed there. One that was interesting to me was the stretch of road used to film the scene from Jurassic Park when the T-rex is chasing the jeep. The stretch of road is tiny. So they would film a few seconds, cut, and then roll the vehicle back, and film again. They did this 80-100 times to piece together that few minute scene. The interesting thing to note is there is an electrical transformer box on the right side of the vehicle that appears multiple times in that scene because the stretch of road is so short.

They also showed us their "wooded" pond and several things filmed there. Then they took us to a "city scape". He taught us how they designed the building to make them look taller, make them look there are more of them, and how the roads turn at an angle to give an illusion that there were more around the corner when there weren't. It was really surprising how versatile the studio sets are. So many different properties all filmed in the same city scape and all it takes is a few adjustments here or there and suddenly you're in a different city.

This really became apparent when we were in the "small town" area. Like each of the different houses were part of a different show, but at the same time, if they filmed a down the road neighborhood scene you'd see homes from other shows that were just like neighbors of the main house. It was fascinating. He got us out and we took a pic with the water tower.



We saw the set for Abbot Elementary (which we haven't seen, but Sheldon described it like a modern day The Office). It's interesting how part of the purpose of the show is to sell us on new properties they've got coming out. But it does make me curious to try it.



What's interesting is how the facade of Abbott Elementary is just built in front of a different building. And then inside the doors is an optical illusion. It's a painting that in person is noticeably fake. But if you look at the inside of the door using your camera, it tricks it into looking like it's actually real. It's a really weird phenomenon. Like I can tell it's fake in real life, but the camera gets confused and makes it appear real. So cool. This was another example later and how they can make the space look bigger than it is.



Not as confusing in a picture, but take my word that in person it's weird.



Then Sheldon took us past some of the sound stages. So they can film outside, but it's hard to control the audio like you can on a sound stage. We toured the Big Bang Studio. If a property goes longer than 10 seasons, then it gets a sound stage named after it. The outside of the stage shows all the different properties filmed in it. The Big Bang stage is now being used for Bob Hearts Abishola. We couldn't film inside the sound stage because it was setup for a room view that hadn't aired yet. The ceilings were made to be hollow, and the film area themselves are three walls and cameras along the fourth wall. He pointed out how you couldn't hear anything from outside, and how there was no echo when talking. Interesting stuff.

After the sound stage, he drove us around a little more, and then we got to go inside some of the houses in the "neighborhood". He showed us how the one house had a car driven through the front window as part of the scene, and then they just rebuilt the front. Ultimately, you can do what you want, but then you've got to put it back together. This was an interesting house because the first floor didn't have a celing. It was empty just like the sound stage. Then secondly, the flooring was made with sound deafening material. So when you walked around on the "wood" floor, you didn't really here your footfall. So cool.

Sheldon then took us into another house next door made for a current show that needed a ceiling and real wood floors for the aesthetic. SO MUCH LOUDER. Like you can do that, but be ready for so much more additional noise. Like over and over and over, what this whole experience showed us was how creative you have to be. If you're a creative person, then you can succeed in being in the entertainment business. It goes without saying, but G was living her best life on this day. She absolutely loved every minute of it. We even got to see some movie star trailers, and parking spots. Some very famous names!

Now here's Sheldon's advice from the end of the guided tour. Come on a Thursday/Friday for the tour the next time, and don't come during a holiday weekend. The studio was about as quiet as it gets with it being Saturday and MLK Day weekend. We'd see a LOT more action on Thurs/Fri because those are traditional filming days. If we go back to Disneyland we will 100% be going back to the Warner Bros tour, and we're seriously considering doing the $300/pp Deluxe Tour. Just the guided tour alone was really worth it, but the Deluxe Tour on a Thurs/Fri offers the chance you might be dining next to some of your favorite actors/actresses at the restaurant on property.

After the guided tour, Sheldon dropped us off and wished us well. It was now time for the self-guided portion of the tour.




We saw some dresses, suits, and some other items to look at. I think this is where the Friends recreated set picture opportunity was.



Next Post - Saturday, January 13th, 2024 - 10k, Warner Bros Studio Tour, Hollywood Sign (Part 3)

 

[DopeyBadger]

Saturday, January 13th, 2024 - 10k, Warner Bros Studio Tour, Hollywood Sign (Part 3)
After the Friends set, they also had picture opps with Big Bang, maybe another set, and then a Lord of the Rings picture opp. The Lord of the Rings was interesting because it showed how they made certain character appear bigger/smaller than others using forced perspective.



Makes G look like she's almost as big as me. You can see when we swap seats how now I look like a giant compared to her.



They also had some other opps in front of green screens, like Batman and Harry Potter. Everything was free to do, but then at the end they wanted you to buy those things for extra cost. There was an audio filming part where you can read lines from some of your favorites. G read Harry Potter's lines from when he got Christmas presents. Hilarious.

G got a picture with the Barbie poster.



Once you leave the first part of the guided tour, then you can catch a shuttle to the other guided part of the tour centered around action. Along the shuttle ride, they stop at the Friends fountain. Now here's the really interesting part. Remember that scene where Phoebe is running oddly.



See that trash can, and the curve in the road she's coming around. That trashcan is like right in front of the fountain. So these two things are in the exact same spot and the area is really just a throw away spot. But it made one of the most iconic running scenes ever. Again, creative.

We got a picture with the fountain. The lady in front of us was wild. She was an "influencer". She didn't know anything about Friends, which I causally watched but am by no means an expert or anything. But she was wild because she's talking about how she has to get this picture because her followers demand it. And how she wanted to jump into the couch and all these other things. The CM was like, uhh no. The couch isn' real. At least the one we sat on was plexiglass. So definitely don't want to jump onto that.



We toured the self guided area of the action area. They had DC superhero stuff, and Harry Potter stuff.





G did some shopping in the store. The highlight was a "Director" hat. She felt like a boss walking around in that thing.

So in summary, this studio tour is a homerun. We'd 100% do it again, and would consider doing the highest cost version. The insights are incredible, and really gives you a view into the entertainment business. The only change would be to go on a Thurs/Fri because of the higher likelihood for seeing filming of properties.

I feel like it was 12:30-1:00pm by the time we left. We drove over to Porto's Bakery and Cafe in Buena Vista. That was wild. Parking was a challenge (ended up parking in the neighborhood by a school). IT WAS BUSY. Like uncomfortable with how many people inside the building trying to get food uncomfortable. Like call the fire marshall uncomfortable. We were meeting one of Steph's co-workers, and thankfully he had been there before so he knew the ins/outs. So we got some food ordered and then sat outside. They had like potato balls, empanada, and sandwiches. My sandwich was going to take longer so they gave Steph a little buzzer. But then it just never went off. After about 20 min they came and searched us out, asked me what I was waiting for, and then brought back my sandwich. Food was good. The price was one of the lowest meals. I'd definitely go again, but only during off-peak hours. Just too busy for me.

After Porto's we wanted to get a view of the Hollywood sign. Steph had researched in advance places to go to see the sign and #1 on a lot of lists was Griffith Observatory. So we drove over to that area. The observatory sits high on top of a very tall hill/mountain? As we drove up there were several chances for parking for free, but there was a paid section further up. So I requested the paid section give the HM the next day. So we drove up, and up, and up, and up. The parking was INSANE. Like they wanted you to park on the side of the mountain road, and then walk 0.5-1.5 miles on the side of the mountain over to the observatory. It was insanely busy, and honestly even if we wanted to stop (which was questionable based on the safety of the situation) there just wasn't any available spots. So again, if you want to do this, don't visit at peak time. Come early.

So we made our way down the mountain and found one of the free parking lots. We quick parked and tried to look at our options. Didn't have great cell service here, but I found a dog park that Google mentioned might be a good option. So we decided to head that way and see if we could get a glimpse. We came at it from the east which was a mistake. Come at it from the west and it's an easy drive. Come at it from the east and it's a fear induced nightmare drive. We did get a good glimpse.



The drive up the mountain was nuts. Like how do people live there and commute everyday. Super tight roads, tight turns, little space, I don't get it. I'm sure the reverse direction is a great view. But nightmare to drive. We ALMOST got in an accident around a tight Y-Turn and blind corner coinciding. Eventually we made our way to the dog park and it was busy too. Not a lot of parking. So we took a quick pic as we were driving by.



We decided we wouldn't stop, but then as we were exiting the area and in a flatter section of the neighborhood it suddenly didn't seem as daunting anymore. So we pulled over, got out quick and took a 2 min picture, and then got back into the car.



Traffic was heavy as we made our way back to Anaheim. I think the drive in was 45 min, but the drive back was 75-90 min. Doesn't make the roads as scary when you're only driving 10-15 mph.

When we got back to Hotel Indigo, Steph wanted to eat dinner at the Grand California quick service. So we walked down Katella to the Grand California hotel because we thought going through security in Downtown Disney would take longer. Turns out the front gate at GC isn't made for walk-ups. So the CM told us the next time we need to come from the downtown area, but he'd let us in this time. We walked through GC and then towards the quick service. We got in line, and then I went to secure a table outside. Steph called me and said the wait for the food was >60 min and wanted to know if we should stay. They apparently share a kitchen with the sit-down and they were behind. I said she should stay because who knows how much easier anything else will be on a Saturday night. At some point that evening I realized I didn't bring both sets of CR3023 batteries for Maui's hook. So Steph went looking for those, and G and I sat and waited for the food. She shared that LA is her kind of town. The entertainment business is where she wants to be. It's wild to me that LA has 3.9 million residents and all of Wisconsin has 5.2 million. Like that's crazy.

The food didn't end up taking 60 min. Probably only 30 min. It was expensive, and just ok. Another notch for eating every meal at Carnation Cafe inside the Disneyland Park.

We walked back to Hotel Indigo through Downtown Disney. Got back to the hotel, Steph found some batteries at CVS, and then everyone headed to bed. Looks like it was around 7:50. Which was later than I wanted, but not too bad.

Sleep - 6:54 hrs
RHR - 49 bpm
Steps - 24,593 steps
Miles - 15.0 miles
Body Battery High - 64
Body Battery Low - 24

Next post - Sunday, January 14th, 2024 - HM, Disneyland, California Adventure

 

[DisneyParrothead]

I think the best meal I had on Disney property was the holiday sandwich from Earl, sans mayo. All that fresh air and walking made me pretty hungry and I effectively face planted.

 

[DopeyBadger]

Sunday, January 14th, 2024 - HM, Disneyland, California Adventure
HM race day!

Same routine as yesterday. Up at 2am, eat PB bagel/banana, drink Liquid IV, shower, get dressed, and out the door. Took a little extra time because the Maui hook was giving me a little grief. I think I was out the door by 3:15-3:20 or so. By the time I got to security it was open already even though it was before 3:30am. Funny enough my gels set the scanner off and they asked me to empty my pockets. They hand wanded me, and it was legit the Maurten gel that was setting it off. They asked if they were sealed which I showed them they were, and then he asked me, "And you eat that stuff?". Well yea, but I'm also curious why it set it off...

Made the walk to the pre-race area. They held us for some reason at the entrance of the pre-race area until like 3:45am, and then guided some runners towards the D-F corrals that were back by the Clementine security entrance. But what about their gear check, and they don't get to enjoy the pre-race festivities? Like odd. Found our DIS meeting light pole. I can't say I remember everyone there. I know @The Expert, @Z-Knight, @Naomeri, and like 4-5 others I'm just blanking on.

Said my goodbye at 4am-ish once the corrals opened and headed to the portas. Made my way into the "A" corral. Less room to do a WU jog, so I just stuck with the dynamic WU, and then found a spot to stand pre-race. Drank my water and ate a Maurten gel pre-race at about 4:50am anticipating a 5:00am start. But then we had a delay. Don't know why, but we didn't start until 5:12am.

Conditions - Broken clouds, Wind 3mph to ?
Start: Temp+Dew = 44°F + 43°F; FL - 43°F
End: Temp+Dew = 46°F + 43°F; FL - 43°F

Goal was to stick around 7:00-7:30 pace. I was carrying the Maui hook, so not quite PR level effort. But body was feeling alright after the day prior's activities.

Same as the 10k, I don't really remember a ton from the race, but I'll do my best.

It was busier out the gate for this one. Still congested by the time I head south on Harbor, but I did get some room to run by the time we hit Katella. I avoided a too fast start again by sticking to the low 7s. I remember seeing Dumbo character up on stage with no wait. Didn't know it was such a rare occurrence when I ran by. The run inside the park wasn't exactly the same as the 10k, but definitely similar. I was giving out some shouts in character as Maui. I really egged the crowd on when I ran in-between California Adventure and Disneyland. Probably overdid it here, just like when I overdid it on Main Street during the 2023 Princess HM. Looks like I was running 6:30-6:40s through there. Oops!

I thought that as soon as we exited Disneyland and the twist-turns of the park, that I'd speed up. But that's not what happened. I pretty much instantly slowed down. Like I was running well, but just not as fast anymore. And it wasn't really a fade because I was able to maintain that slower pace to the finish. Saw some interesting things. The volunteer sleeping on the bench, the DJs, the dogs/UP house, fun looking cars, and the Anaheim Duck to name a few. I kept expending energy trying to hype the volunteers and other runners. I did well, but the crowd wasn't as receptive as the Princess 2023 Maui experience. Having that double back on the course with other runners is a real hype point where I could shout across the road to the others, and Disneyland doesn't have anything like that. Obvious lack of photopass out on Anaheim roads, but that's not unexpected.

Not much else to say. I had a good time as Maui again. When I came into the finish line, the thought had crossed my mind that this might be my last runDisney race for a while. We're still undecided on the next one, but G and I really enjoyed the Halloween Party by a wide margin. So we'll see. So it was a little bit of a bittersweet finish line. Steph and G were there, so I went over and gave G a fistbump. But in doing so I did a finish line taboo and didn't check my surroundings. Nothing bad happened, but post-race when I watched the video I saw I crossed another runner's path. The finish wasn't empty of other runners, but despite that I got a lot of call-outs from the announcers about the Maui costume. They're so quick witted.





Time - 1:38:37
Overall Finish - 125/11186
Gender Finish - 107/3570
Age Group Finish - 25/681

Dumbo Challenge Time - 2:22:02
Overall Dumbo Challenge Finish - 18/~2960 (did this manually so could be off by a little)













Not quite as fast as I want to go, but a solid race overall. Had a good time. Finishing 18th overall for Dumbo runners is nothing to sneeze at, so I'll take it. Beat the bib # of 20034. I'll take it.

Walked through the finisher chute and collected my materials. Found Steph and G. Did some stretching, and then we headed towards Hotel Indigo.

Next post - Sunday, January 14th, 2024 - HM, Disneyland, California Adventure (Part 2)

 

[DopeyBadger]

Sunday, January 14th, 2024 - HM, Disneyland, California Adventure (Part 2)

We exited the race area around 7am. After getting showered, I was ready for a quick turnaround as we headed back to the Disneyland park. Steph got us some breakfast from the hotel, which was passable. We walked into Disneyland and made it before rope drop. They were holding people just off Main Street. There were a lot of people, and it seemed someone had a medical emergency.

The plan was to do Indiana Jones out the gate. But we decided to pivot and did Jungle Cruise instead under the assumption that everyone that got off IJ would go to JC and make that a longer line for the combined of the two. Don't know if that was true, but we were on JC without a wait. Got a funny skipper. Didn't see anything new on the ride from memory, but I do remember it was shorter (no tunnel).



Got off JC and headed to IJ. G had a freakout about the ride for most of the time we were in line because she feared it. She was practically crying when she was getting strapped into the ride vehicle. It wasn't terrible, but G definitely didn't enjoy it. Likely had her eyes closed and buried in Steph the whole time. I thought it was fun, but not necessarily something I'd have to do. G definitely didn't want to do it ever again. But at least she tried it to know she didn't like it.

Pretty sure after this we headed towards Toontown. G wanted to stop for a picture with this waterfall as the train came by.



We stopped for some more churros.



In Toontown, we hadn't ridden on Roger Rabbit or Mickey Minnie the other day, so that was a goal this time. Mickey and Minnie was down, so we headed to Roger Rabbit. Definitely an interesting ride. G hasn't seen the movie, so it didn't mean much to her.



When we exited G wanted to play around a little as we walked towards Mickey and Minnie's.



Some higherup CM were walking around for some reason. They had a chuckle at G's picture opp. We got lucky again because Mickey and Minnie had just opened back up again, so we jumped in line. That's the second time we just got lucky where we were standing when a ride re-opened.

The Mickey and Minnie Runaway Railroad queue might be the best queue I've seen of all the Disney rides in FL and CA. It has so much to look at. So it was a little disappointing that we didn't have to and we moved quickly through. The queue alone is worth doing the ride again just to get the opp to see everything going on.



MM ride itself was really any different than the FL ride.

After MM, we headed over to the meet location for Mickey/Minnie, and the wait for Mickey was minimal. So we decided to do that. Took less than 10 minutes, and most of that was us stopping for pics in line.



G got to meet Mickey and he liked her "Director" hat.





After meeting Mickey, G horsed around in the play area.



Next post - Sunday, January 14th, 2024 - HM, Disneyland, California Adventure (Part 3)

 

[DopeyBadger]

Sunday, January 14th, 2024 - HM, Disneyland, California Adventure (Part 3)
After Toontown, we boarded the train to have a ride around. More to look at on this train ride than the WDW one.



We made an impromptu stop in New Orleans for some beignets. Talked with some other runners here about the jacket from WDW Marathon Weekend. The person thought their jacket was defective, but that's when we realized the "defective" thumb hole was actually a place for your watch to stick out. After getting the beignets we found a bench to eat them on. Passed by the Club 33 entrance as someone was being let in.



The beignets are SO messy. Like it was near impossible for G to eat it and not make a mess of her clothes and self.

After eating the beignets, G and Steph wanted to do the Swiss Family treehouse walk around. I wasn't interested because of all the stairs. They got some good views.



Keep this view in mind, because we'll compare this to Universal from Monday's trek.

After the Swiss house we made our way over to the castle's wishing well. We saw Geppetto there. Made some wishes, and everyone's wishing they'll come true.





We decided to take a walk tour through the castle.



This was just after noon, and we were getting hungry. So we decided to have lunch at Golden Horseshoe again. Those chicken strips are SOLID. This time there was a performance.



After lunch, we felt we had completed the Disneyland park and decided to make our way to California Adventure to wrap up the last few rides we hadn't done yet. First up was the Monsters ride. The line for Monsters is poorly designed. It's a kids ride. It has planters in the medians of the lines that are JUST ASKING for kids to get up on. And so they do. And the poor CM has to keep asking kids to get off of it. Over and over and over. I can't even imagine the mental anguish it takes to be a CM assigned to this location. No thanks.



The ride was fun. Saw the Mike animatronic that inspired the mouth design for my costume in person. If the wait is 30 min or less, this would be one I'd do again.

After Monster's, I believe we made our way towards Pixar Pier.



Next post - Sunday, January 14th, 2024 - HM, Disneyland, California Adventure (Part 4)