Brina78
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Aug 17, 2005
- Messages
- 311
I think the only reason why my sister and I went that day was because we were both off from work. My aunt, uncle, and their two friends were planning on going Saturday, the 12, but because I had to work all weekend, my sister and I went on Friday. BIG mistake.
To start, it was a holiday, Veteran's Day. We arrived at the gate and it was already crowded. The night before, I wrote out all of the locations of the Hidden 50's and brought two disposable cameras with me. I proceeded to take photos right away, starting at the Disneyland Railroad tower, the floral display, and then continuing into Main Street where there were more 50's all over. My sister's attitude turned to sour at the sight of the massive crowds as I took pictures and recorded my progress. I tried to be careful bumping into people, but it was a little hard to do.
After I captured all of the 50's in Main Street, we headed to Sleeping Beauty Castle. Two 50's are on the front and back. We continued into Fantasyland when I found all of the 50's in some of the hardest places. The search took us to the Matterhorn Bobsleds, followed by the path down by It's A Small World. The whole time, we were shuffling through thousands of people. In fact, the line for It's A Small World was all the way near to the Matterhorn! That's how bad it was.
Next, we went to Mickey's Toontown where I found three hidden 50's. My sister thought we'd hop on Roger Rabbit Cartoon Spin, but the line was a 45 minute wait. With this dampening our spirits, we left the land almost immediately.
We took the route on the left side of the Matterhorn to head to Tomorrowland, or near Club Buzz. I stopped at the entrance for Innoventions to get a picture of another hidden 50 with my sister staring with such annoyance. She was not in a good mood, I could tell. I took pictures of two more 50's before we headed up to Space Mountain to get a Fast Past. The line was 100 minutes and we were not going to wait for it. Funny I should mention, there was also a long line just to GET to the Fast Pass area! Our return time read 6:30 to 7:30.
Next, we went across the Hub and over to Adventureland to find some more hidden 50's. The time for Indiana Jones was 85 minutes and we couldn't get a second Fast Pass untill after 12:45. We took a walk over to Frontierland for me to get pictures of more hidden 50's. Sadly, I had to put a hold on my search because some of the 50's are gone during the holidays. The stagecoach outside Big Thunder Ranch has been replaced with a bright, red sleigh. The stagecoach has a 50 on it. Without being able to get all of the 50's, I put away my checklist and cameras.
It was reaching noon and we were upset that we hadn't ridden any rides yet. All of the lines were too long to stand in. Returning to the Rivers of America, we looked up at the dock for the Mark Twain. Heck, it was something to do and we've never, EVER, been on the Mark Twain before! We went through the turnstile and waited for the famous riverboat to dock. It's a nice, slow ride around the Rivers of America. I took some pictures on my regular camera, saving the disposables for the 50's only.
Afterward, we were getting hungry and thought about eating at Hungry Bear Restaurant. A burger sounded good. We slowly made our way through New Orleans Square and on to Critter Country. Both Pirates of the Caribbean and the Haunted Mansion were over an hour wait and we didn't bother to linger around the area. Reaching Hungry Bear Restaurant, our hearts sank even lower. The place was horrendously crowded. A person could die of hunger waiting there! Then, I mentioned the Stage Door Cafe had good burgers, but when we got there, the lines were just as long, and they took away their burgers! I guess it's been awhile since I've eaten there. My sister remembered Gippeto's had burgers, so we made our way back through Frontierland and toward that restaurant.
With two of us, one could wait in line while the other grabs a table. My sister got in line and I went to find a place to sit. Lots of luck. All of the tables were occupied, and this is the God's honest truth, people were literally waiting overhead for them to get up and then quickly grab the seat! I ended up having to do that, in fact, a girl went to grab the same table. I got to it first and didn't leave until my sister brought the food. As I waited, I watched a poor Grandma-type lady trying to comfort a screaming toddler. The kid was fussy, crying and flailing all over the place. He was very unhappy. Hey, if I were his age, I'd do the same thing! I was miserable!
When my sister came out, she sat down and we tried to enjoy our food. With my back to the restaurant entrance, my sister noted Disney medics going inside. She did a low, "Ut, oh" because someone inside the restaurant collapsed or wasn't feeling good. Next, the medics wheeled a stretcher past our table and into the restaurant. My sister mumbled, "Oh, God, they're coming this way..." We both watched a poor lady strapped into the stretcher looking tired and upset. We heard her say, "Why did this have to happen today?" After they took her away, I looked to my sister and started to cry. "Poor lady!" I muttered. She started to cry too! The weird thing about the lady is she looked like the same Grandma-type attending to the screaming toddler. When I looked to the table, she wasn't there anymore! Her back was turned at the table the whole time, so I didn't get a good look at her. I wonder if it was the same lady? As we were finishing up, a family stood overhead, waiting for us to leave. The girl apologized, feeling like a vulture as she waited for the table. Someone else also went to grab the table, but we told them she got their first. OUI!
After we left, it was after 12:45 (or already around 1 p.m.), so we headed back to Big Thunder Mountain Railroad to get a Fast Pass. I forget the exact return time, but I think it was 3:55 and 4:55. We left Disneyland to hop over to DCA for awhile to see how that park was. It was just as crowded. We went to jump on Soarin' Over California, but the wait was 85 minutes. For the first time ever, we saw the line wrap around the building! It was a horrible sight. We walked away and headed over to the Hollywood Pictures Backlot to do Muppet Vision 3D. We first went into the Off the Page store to
look for the new Pirates of the Caribbean book by Jason Surrell, or the same author who did the Haunted Mansion book. No luck, there. We went to Muppet Vision 3D after and then left DCA.
Returning to Disneyland, we spotted Aladdin and the Genie next to the 50 floral display. I've seen Aladdin many times, but never the Genie! I took a picture on my regular camera and then we went into the park on the right side. It was still a little early to get on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, so we thought about checking on the lines for Pirates and Haunted Mansion. Before we got there, we stopped to watch Laughing Stock Co. outside of the Golden Horseshoe. I finally got to see it from beginning to end. It's a very funny
show! By the time the show ended, it was time to jump on Big Thunder Mountain and enjoy a decent roller coaster ride.
As we predicted, Pirates and Haunted Mansion were still jam-packed, so we took a walk back over to Critter Country to 'hop' onto Winnie The Pooh. It hardly ever is crowded and it's something to do. After that, we walked back to New Orleans Square and went upstairs into the Disney Gallery, still looking for that Pirates book. We stepped out on the balcony overlooking Tom Sawyer's Island and sat down for a bit to catch our breath. We were running out of ideas of what to do because of the crowds. I shrugged and suggested we explore Tom Sawyer's Island. That was something we haven't been to in AGES. The last raft to depart was at 4:30. We hopped on just before 4 and turned into two 9 year-olds again. The caves were a lot bigger when I was younger, either that or I got taller! With my sister on a bathroom break, I waited outside and talked to Mom on my cell phone, telling her how the day's been going.
We returned to New Orleans Square and decided to go eat at Pizza Port in Tomorrowland. On the way, we stopped in Adventureland to get a Fast Pass for Indiana Jones to return between 6:55 and 7:55. Next, we looked around the Bazaar and found an adorable Stitch figure. It was small with magnets in his hands and feet. Only $6 with tax. My sister bought him right away.
The hunger finally hit us and it was onto Pizza Port. I told my sister of a great, and inexpensive, way to eat. We bought one dish, one drink, and one cookie, and split it all. With my passport discount, it came to around $12 and change. While at the table, we played with the new Stitch toy, wrapping his magnetic hands and feet on a fork, the straw, and the cookie. So cute!
It was not quite 6 p.m. when we finished dinner. We went to walk around Tomorrowland, trying to find something to do before we could return to Space Mountain at 6:30. There was hardly a line for Star Tours, and it was something we hadn't done in awhile. As we got in line, the guy in front of us was going inside with a tiny newborn in his arms. The cast member went after him and said he couldn't ride with a baby. I shook my head in dismay. Some people don't think half the time!
After Star Tours, it was close to 6:30, so we went back over to Space Mountain. A line had formed for the Fast Pass of 6:30 and the cast members wouldn't let us in until it was time. Eventually, we were on and off the ride, love it as always, and then it was time to go back over to Indiana Jones.
By then it was dark and we had hoped the crowds would lessen. It only got worse. We took the path behind the Matterhorn and over to Fantasyland where I wanted to get a picture of It's A Small World all lit up. As we got there, all the lights went out and we were treated to some strange screen show bouncing off the building of the attraction. Music from the Nutcracker and Christmas themes danced around, giving my sister and I wide-eyed looks. After it ended, we clapped and I got my picture.
We got back over to Adventureland to jump on Indiana Jones. The Fast Pass got us to the boarding zone in no time. Afterward, we went to check on Pirates yet again. The line was STILL long. There was no point in checking on the Haunted Mansion. We heard the Disneyland Railroad train arriving at the New Orleans Square stop and went to hop on to reach Main Street.
Once there, we tried to find the Pirates book, but with no luck. None of the stores had it. We went outside near the fruit stand and bought a Coke for me to drink on the way home. I sometimes get tired behind the wheel. I took a picture of the lit-up Christmas tree before we left for home.
To start, it was a holiday, Veteran's Day. We arrived at the gate and it was already crowded. The night before, I wrote out all of the locations of the Hidden 50's and brought two disposable cameras with me. I proceeded to take photos right away, starting at the Disneyland Railroad tower, the floral display, and then continuing into Main Street where there were more 50's all over. My sister's attitude turned to sour at the sight of the massive crowds as I took pictures and recorded my progress. I tried to be careful bumping into people, but it was a little hard to do.
After I captured all of the 50's in Main Street, we headed to Sleeping Beauty Castle. Two 50's are on the front and back. We continued into Fantasyland when I found all of the 50's in some of the hardest places. The search took us to the Matterhorn Bobsleds, followed by the path down by It's A Small World. The whole time, we were shuffling through thousands of people. In fact, the line for It's A Small World was all the way near to the Matterhorn! That's how bad it was.
Next, we went to Mickey's Toontown where I found three hidden 50's. My sister thought we'd hop on Roger Rabbit Cartoon Spin, but the line was a 45 minute wait. With this dampening our spirits, we left the land almost immediately.
We took the route on the left side of the Matterhorn to head to Tomorrowland, or near Club Buzz. I stopped at the entrance for Innoventions to get a picture of another hidden 50 with my sister staring with such annoyance. She was not in a good mood, I could tell. I took pictures of two more 50's before we headed up to Space Mountain to get a Fast Past. The line was 100 minutes and we were not going to wait for it. Funny I should mention, there was also a long line just to GET to the Fast Pass area! Our return time read 6:30 to 7:30.
Next, we went across the Hub and over to Adventureland to find some more hidden 50's. The time for Indiana Jones was 85 minutes and we couldn't get a second Fast Pass untill after 12:45. We took a walk over to Frontierland for me to get pictures of more hidden 50's. Sadly, I had to put a hold on my search because some of the 50's are gone during the holidays. The stagecoach outside Big Thunder Ranch has been replaced with a bright, red sleigh. The stagecoach has a 50 on it. Without being able to get all of the 50's, I put away my checklist and cameras.
It was reaching noon and we were upset that we hadn't ridden any rides yet. All of the lines were too long to stand in. Returning to the Rivers of America, we looked up at the dock for the Mark Twain. Heck, it was something to do and we've never, EVER, been on the Mark Twain before! We went through the turnstile and waited for the famous riverboat to dock. It's a nice, slow ride around the Rivers of America. I took some pictures on my regular camera, saving the disposables for the 50's only.
Afterward, we were getting hungry and thought about eating at Hungry Bear Restaurant. A burger sounded good. We slowly made our way through New Orleans Square and on to Critter Country. Both Pirates of the Caribbean and the Haunted Mansion were over an hour wait and we didn't bother to linger around the area. Reaching Hungry Bear Restaurant, our hearts sank even lower. The place was horrendously crowded. A person could die of hunger waiting there! Then, I mentioned the Stage Door Cafe had good burgers, but when we got there, the lines were just as long, and they took away their burgers! I guess it's been awhile since I've eaten there. My sister remembered Gippeto's had burgers, so we made our way back through Frontierland and toward that restaurant.
With two of us, one could wait in line while the other grabs a table. My sister got in line and I went to find a place to sit. Lots of luck. All of the tables were occupied, and this is the God's honest truth, people were literally waiting overhead for them to get up and then quickly grab the seat! I ended up having to do that, in fact, a girl went to grab the same table. I got to it first and didn't leave until my sister brought the food. As I waited, I watched a poor Grandma-type lady trying to comfort a screaming toddler. The kid was fussy, crying and flailing all over the place. He was very unhappy. Hey, if I were his age, I'd do the same thing! I was miserable!
When my sister came out, she sat down and we tried to enjoy our food. With my back to the restaurant entrance, my sister noted Disney medics going inside. She did a low, "Ut, oh" because someone inside the restaurant collapsed or wasn't feeling good. Next, the medics wheeled a stretcher past our table and into the restaurant. My sister mumbled, "Oh, God, they're coming this way..." We both watched a poor lady strapped into the stretcher looking tired and upset. We heard her say, "Why did this have to happen today?" After they took her away, I looked to my sister and started to cry. "Poor lady!" I muttered. She started to cry too! The weird thing about the lady is she looked like the same Grandma-type attending to the screaming toddler. When I looked to the table, she wasn't there anymore! Her back was turned at the table the whole time, so I didn't get a good look at her. I wonder if it was the same lady? As we were finishing up, a family stood overhead, waiting for us to leave. The girl apologized, feeling like a vulture as she waited for the table. Someone else also went to grab the table, but we told them she got their first. OUI!
After we left, it was after 12:45 (or already around 1 p.m.), so we headed back to Big Thunder Mountain Railroad to get a Fast Pass. I forget the exact return time, but I think it was 3:55 and 4:55. We left Disneyland to hop over to DCA for awhile to see how that park was. It was just as crowded. We went to jump on Soarin' Over California, but the wait was 85 minutes. For the first time ever, we saw the line wrap around the building! It was a horrible sight. We walked away and headed over to the Hollywood Pictures Backlot to do Muppet Vision 3D. We first went into the Off the Page store to
look for the new Pirates of the Caribbean book by Jason Surrell, or the same author who did the Haunted Mansion book. No luck, there. We went to Muppet Vision 3D after and then left DCA.
Returning to Disneyland, we spotted Aladdin and the Genie next to the 50 floral display. I've seen Aladdin many times, but never the Genie! I took a picture on my regular camera and then we went into the park on the right side. It was still a little early to get on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, so we thought about checking on the lines for Pirates and Haunted Mansion. Before we got there, we stopped to watch Laughing Stock Co. outside of the Golden Horseshoe. I finally got to see it from beginning to end. It's a very funny
show! By the time the show ended, it was time to jump on Big Thunder Mountain and enjoy a decent roller coaster ride.
As we predicted, Pirates and Haunted Mansion were still jam-packed, so we took a walk back over to Critter Country to 'hop' onto Winnie The Pooh. It hardly ever is crowded and it's something to do. After that, we walked back to New Orleans Square and went upstairs into the Disney Gallery, still looking for that Pirates book. We stepped out on the balcony overlooking Tom Sawyer's Island and sat down for a bit to catch our breath. We were running out of ideas of what to do because of the crowds. I shrugged and suggested we explore Tom Sawyer's Island. That was something we haven't been to in AGES. The last raft to depart was at 4:30. We hopped on just before 4 and turned into two 9 year-olds again. The caves were a lot bigger when I was younger, either that or I got taller! With my sister on a bathroom break, I waited outside and talked to Mom on my cell phone, telling her how the day's been going.
We returned to New Orleans Square and decided to go eat at Pizza Port in Tomorrowland. On the way, we stopped in Adventureland to get a Fast Pass for Indiana Jones to return between 6:55 and 7:55. Next, we looked around the Bazaar and found an adorable Stitch figure. It was small with magnets in his hands and feet. Only $6 with tax. My sister bought him right away.
The hunger finally hit us and it was onto Pizza Port. I told my sister of a great, and inexpensive, way to eat. We bought one dish, one drink, and one cookie, and split it all. With my passport discount, it came to around $12 and change. While at the table, we played with the new Stitch toy, wrapping his magnetic hands and feet on a fork, the straw, and the cookie. So cute!
It was not quite 6 p.m. when we finished dinner. We went to walk around Tomorrowland, trying to find something to do before we could return to Space Mountain at 6:30. There was hardly a line for Star Tours, and it was something we hadn't done in awhile. As we got in line, the guy in front of us was going inside with a tiny newborn in his arms. The cast member went after him and said he couldn't ride with a baby. I shook my head in dismay. Some people don't think half the time!
After Star Tours, it was close to 6:30, so we went back over to Space Mountain. A line had formed for the Fast Pass of 6:30 and the cast members wouldn't let us in until it was time. Eventually, we were on and off the ride, love it as always, and then it was time to go back over to Indiana Jones.
By then it was dark and we had hoped the crowds would lessen. It only got worse. We took the path behind the Matterhorn and over to Fantasyland where I wanted to get a picture of It's A Small World all lit up. As we got there, all the lights went out and we were treated to some strange screen show bouncing off the building of the attraction. Music from the Nutcracker and Christmas themes danced around, giving my sister and I wide-eyed looks. After it ended, we clapped and I got my picture.
We got back over to Adventureland to jump on Indiana Jones. The Fast Pass got us to the boarding zone in no time. Afterward, we went to check on Pirates yet again. The line was STILL long. There was no point in checking on the Haunted Mansion. We heard the Disneyland Railroad train arriving at the New Orleans Square stop and went to hop on to reach Main Street.
Once there, we tried to find the Pirates book, but with no luck. None of the stores had it. We went outside near the fruit stand and bought a Coke for me to drink on the way home. I sometimes get tired behind the wheel. I took a picture of the lit-up Christmas tree before we left for home.
