Trip Report Part VI

Innovation and Invention
Anyone who knows anything about me knows that I am not a very big thrill seeker, especially in the form of roller coasters or simulators and what not. It's a big part of why, outside of Disneyland, I'm not a huge fan of amusement parks and the lot. I don't go to Disneyland for the rides (although there are many that I absolutely love), I go because of the experience. Is it surprising to anyone that I don't tend to make the venture into Tomorrowland all that often? Easily the two biggest attractions in this corner of Disneyland are Space Mountain and Star Tours. So we have a roller coaster and a simulator ride? Methinks they are not on my agenda. Ever. Or at least they were up until the new Nemo subs opened up replacing the space that used to be 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea back in 2007, which is a ride that I would venture over to see if it wasn't for lines that would go on for well over an hour.

OK, so my point is this: I don't spend a lot of time in Tomorrowland.

I've literally been on two rides in Tomorrowland to date: Atuopia and the Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage and that is it. The whole theme of this years Disneyland trips (both this one and the one back in March) was all about trying new things. So guess where we were headed next? Not that there was any way she was going to get me on Star Tours, and Space Mountain was a no-go no matter what since it was closed while they installed a new Halloween theme for this years festivities. But there were a couple of things I could still try for the first time. Like the Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters!


How can I best describe the Astro Blasters? It's like one bug, moving video game. You get into your Star Cruisers and you shoot at little targets with your hand held laser guns and you get points for every enemy target that you hit. It was an absolute blast and with a short wait time of 5 minutes while we were there, it was definitely worth it. And since it has the FastPass option I'd even give it another go during a busier season.

Let me just say that I totally kicked Andrea's butt at this one!


It felt pretty good. Games like those have never really been my strong suit, but what the hey.

And then of course there's Innoventions, which is even harder to describe than the Astro Blasters. It's not a ride, but more of a walk-through exploration kind of thing. Upon entering you play this little game show sponsored by ABC (total product plug, but what else do you expect) before you get the opportunity to explore the Elias family Dream Home, which is riddled with all kinds of high-tech digital technology. Out of all the rooms we really only discovered the full potential in one, thanks to the help of one of your friendly neighborhood cast member. It was the daughters bedroom equipped with a crazy magic mirror that lets you 'try' on clothes without actually having to put them on. It as pretty funny actually. And I loved changing the posters on the wall. I had me some fun doing some silly dancing all thanks to the poster of the dancer that us we when we went in there. Every room had something fun to discover and play with. But you have to keep in mind, the entire thing is a big old ad for Microsoft, HP, and all of the other companies involved. Again, what else do you expect these days?

The second floor didn't house too much interest for me. There were a lot of video games and what not. The only thing that I may have liked to see, but didn't think of because I was exhausted and ready to head back to the hotel at that point, was the ASIMO presentation.

But here are a few photos of the fun we had:








And thus ended my first day at Disneyland. Between the few hours of sleep, the loooooooong drive, and a day spent in the hot sun had me pretty sleepy at close to 7. No way was I going to be able to make it until park closing at 8 p.m. and still be able to make the walk back to the hotel before I actually fell asleep. I don't think sleepwalking along Harbor Blvd. would be that great of an idea. So Andrea and I parted ways at Innoventions so she could have the fun she wanted while I made plans to go catch some zzzzz's.

Coming up: Day 2 begins with a Royal Breakfast.

Trip Report Part V

I can sing like the birdies sing
If there is one thing I have finally realized about this trip to Disneyland, it's that I tend to stick to one area at a time. Maybe it's a morning in this Adventureland and a night in Tomorrowland. Maybe it's one day in New Orleans Square, and another day in Fantasyland. Usually my tradition is to just bounce back and forth on a whim once I decide I want to do something and then choose to do something entirely different, not to mention that I usually stick to Disneyland for full days and give one full day to dedicate to California Adventure. But that's really how the majority of Tuesday went. We pretty much hung around the entire left-hand side of Disneyland with Adventureland, New Orleans Square, and Critter Country. How is it that we did not even set foot inside Sleeping Beauty's Castle and Fantasyland?

But it isn't all that we did on our first day. But I'm getting ahead of myself here. So let's take a couple of steps backwards.

We had just hung out with Winnie the Pooh, correct? Alright, good. After another leisurely stroll through New Orleans Square we decided to take another relaxing cruise through the jungle where, lo and behold, we were greeted by Skipper Sarah once more! What a silly little coink-e-dink, no?






Afterward, with the entrance to Indiana Jones right next door we decided why not just go ahead and use our Fast Passes that we had snatched up earlier? There was absolutely no reason not too. Sure, the stand by line was only about 35 minutes, but that was 35 minutes I didn't feel like wasting. Just to be clear though, Fast Passes don't mean that you get it right away. You just skip a huge portion of the stand by line which is quite substantial for a ride like Indiana Jones. From my photographers perspective I wish that we had gone through the stand by line at least once over the course of the week. The detail that goes into every area be it a bathroom, a stage, or a ride queue is just amazing and I have nothing to show of it. So sad, right? Our wait ended up being about 25 minutes, but that's still at least 10 minutes time we had to do something else. But it was a fast 25 minutes. We passed the time pulling on the ropes they warn you not to pull on (which still didn't make the ceiling start to drop) and what not.




Have I mentioned how much I absolutely love this ride? Especially when you're seated in the last row. For some reason you're just thrown around so much more back there that it makes it that much more exciting.

On our walk out of Adventureland, back towards Main Street, we got a little side tracked by a couple of things:

The first being The Enchanted Tiki Room. Even if you don't particularly like being serenaded by a bunch of audio-animatronic birds, you have to admit that the air conditioned attraction is a must-see during the middle of summer (or the tail end of it). It was only minutes to go until the next show so we wandered our selves into the Tiki Garden as the stories of the Hawaiian Gods came to a close. When the show finally began, wouln't you know I was right there singing along with the Glee club and all.




That second distraction (at least for me) was the appearance of Aladdin and Princess Jasmine right in front of the Oasis Theater where they used to have a little story time show that I actually enjoyed watching when I saw it back in 2007. They had a PhotoPass Photographer with them and I was all for jumping in that line for my first character photo of September 2009. This marks the first time I have ever seen Aladdin anywhere in the parks that wasn't up on stage, and Jasmine somewhere that wasn't the Princess Fantasy Faire over in Fantasyland. There was no way I could pass that opportunity up.


If by any chance you are thinking to yourself, "Where is Andrea?" right about now, I'm curious to know the answer myself. I had to go search for her, which led me to the drawbridge of Sleeping Beauty's Castle where I had no luck finding her. Maybe you can help? I searched high and low, you know you have to check in those pesky little cracks because we wouldn't want her to get lost in the compass rose, and she was nowhere to be found. Go figure.

Trip Report Part IV

Friends of the Hundred Acre Wood

A bear, however hard he tries, grows tubby without exercise.
- Winnie the Pooh
How fitting of an idea: after a wonderful lunch with a friend, enjoying a wonderful visit with our friends of the Hundred Acre Wood. You know (sing with me), "Pooh Bear, Winnie the Pooh Bear", and friends. Pooh, Eeyore and the bouncy, trouncy, flouncy, pouncy Tigger have the silliest little habit of hanging around to take photos during the better part of the day over in Critter Country, and that is just no something that you can easily pass up.






And wouldn't you know it, everyone's favorite "stuffed with fluff" bear has a ride to call his very own. I always keep forgetting that it's safely tucked away in Critter Country which feels so remote from the rest of the park because of the solitary access route as you pass by the Haunted Mansion. Then again, there is a very good reason why I usually avoid Critter Country at all costs and it's name is Splash Mountain! Let's just put it this way: I sucked it up and went for a splash back in March for the first time, and as far as I'm concerned it's a once in a lifetime kind of deal! There is absolutely no need to purposefully get too close to something that would literally make your hair go white in seconds.

But Winnie the Pooh is perfectly harmless in every way, and I can now add it to my list of 'have-riddens' at Disneyland.




I absolutely love that you get to enjoy the entire ride through your own personal beehive. The name of ours? Kanga, of course.

But the fun doesn't stop there. Anyone with a sweet tooth (and we all know this includes me) has got to stop by Pooh's Corner, no questions asked. I wouldn't know what to do with myself if I could just walk in and start picking what special treats I wanted to try. I behaved myself on this occasion, however, knowing full well that I would regret any rash decision to start indulging in the sweets full speed ahead. I could look, but I just couldn't touch. I'm getting teary-eyed just thinking about it. And as you'll see, Halloween at Disneyland really is just around the corner!







Talk about a delicious afternoon!

Coming up: A final tour through Adventureland.

Trip Report Part III

A Date with Pirates
Under normal circumstances any other time during the year that little run through of the Haunted Mansion would have been third in line, following another fan favorite (and favorite of ours). I'm sure somebody could take a stab at guessing which attraction I'm talking about. Here's a hint for you:

Yo Ho Yo Ho
A Pirate's life for me
I'm sure you guessed that I'm talking about a ride based off the Veggie Tales "The Pirates Who Don't do Anything". Am I right?

No, I suppose that answer wouldn't be correct after all. Of course I am talking about the ride turned three-peat of the film industry, Pirates of the Caribbean!

"Psst! Avast there! It be too late to alter course, mateys... and there be plundering pirates lurking in every cove, waitin' to board. Sit closer together, and keep your ruddy hands inboard. That be the best way to repel boarders. And mark well me words, mateys... dead men tell no tales!"

"Ye come seekin' adventure and salty ol' pirates, aye? Sure ye come to the proper place. But keep a weather eye open, mates, and hold on tight, with both hands if you please... there be squalls ahead, and Davey Jones waiting for them what don't obey..."
It never gets old saying this, but the ride just keeps getting better and better. I couldn't begin to guess how many times I have crossed those waters but I still love it now as much as I did so many years ago. If there is any justice in the world the excitement will never go away.

In a wonderful display of perfect timing, we found ourselves exiting the ride just as we needed to check in right next door at the entrance to our favorite place to eat in the park: the Blue Bayou (although now that she has dined at the exclusive Club 33 it may just be Andrea's second favorite).


We needed to be there early to check in to be sure that we got our beloved water side tables, and we're glad that we were. Between the time that we got there and the time hat they started letting us into the lobby to be seated I can't even tell you how many more parties showed up. And of course everyone is trying to tell the Hostesses that they have an early 'reservation' and they should be at the head of the line, but we all had the same time so the little argument would get them nowhere.

The wait wasn't bad however. It was still a good 20 or 30 minutes before our priority seating time (which is Disneyland speak for reservations, but it's not quite the same) but we managed to find some entertainment for ourselves. Andrea and I took turns going in and out of the shops and even found some roaming and performing pirates!






By the time we were actually seated we were the third party in to get a table. I'm very happy that we chose to do an early lunch because they always fill the water side tables first so we got our water side table no problem. I've always loved the ambiance of the restaurant but those tables only add to the experience. You really feel as though you are eating outdoors at nighttime. And if you didn't already know this the restaurant is inside of the Pirates of the Caribbean ride and you actually pass by the dining area not long after you launch from the loading docks. It's not as though the ride is passing directly next to everyone trying to enjoy a nice meal, but they are there. Because it is so dark it can be tricky to get photos from inside the restaurant without flash (which you don't want to use too much since it will likely blind everyone seating near you), but I did my best.






And just in case you were wondering, I ordered the same thing that I order wherever I go: the salmon. And their Blackened-Cajun Salmon is almost as to-die-for as that Mediterranean Salmon I had back in Texas this summer that I have been craving ever since. I just wish I could have eaten the whole thing but I was so hungry I had already stuffed my little face with the salad before we even got to our entrees. But it was delicious nonetheless. And it being my birthday and all, we even got a little extra treat in the form of a delicious little chocolate mousse desert.


Yes, that is a birthday candle in my iced tea!






It was a great lunch and put us in an even better mood for the rest of the afternoon. I don't know how happy we would have been with each other after such a long morning if we hadn't decided to add this meal into the mix for our first day.

Coming up: We meet Winnie the Pooh & Friends

Trip Report Part II

Here you leave today
And enter the world
of yesterday, tomorrow
and fantasy
- Walt Disney
Our first day in the park was just amazing, and a much better all-around experience than we had on our first day back in March. If you haven't heard me tell you the tale of what went down on that not-so-Magical day, you'll have to keep waiting. That is a story for another day.

While Andrea was busy changing into something that wasn't sequin-color-contaminated, me and my own two legs walked along Harbor Blvd. just enjoying the sights and sounds that took me closer to Disneyland inch by inch, step by step. I'm a fast walker so I would venture a guess that the walk from the hotel to the park gates takes me just about 5 minutes (or longer if I decide to slow it down which is not very often). I am a speed-walking fiend I tell you!

Here's an awesome image that I found that shows you the very simple and straightforward walk from that I have made more times than I can count this year:


The best (and really the only entertaining) part about the walk is all the little hints that you are getting closer and closer to Disneyland. The lamp posts proudly display banners advertising the latest and greatest that Disneyland has to offer. Back in March they were the same "Celebrate Today" images that were used with this year's "What Will You Celebrate" promotion (that included the free admission on your birthday) and matched the park hoppers (a.k.a. tickets) we held in our hand. The lamp posts were sporting a different look this time around, advertising the D23 Expo that would be taking place at the Anaheim Convention Center from September 10th - 13th.


Do I really need to tell you that just seeing them put the spring right back in my step?

It would have been awesome to be able to attend the Expo. I keep in touch with a few people who went to different events throughout the weekend and it just seemed like so much fun, and there was so much Disney history to be found there, along with exciting new announcements (and a preview of The Princess & the Frog that I would have loved to see). Heck, Johnny Depp even made an appearance decked out in full Captain Jack Sparrow attire. You had better believe I would have done anything to be there if I could have. Did you know that they are making a 4th Pirates of the Caribbean movie? Well, you do now.

The most important part of the walk however, is when you reach that turning point and get ready to cross Harbor Blvd. (without getting hit by a swiftly moving vehicle, which is why we have traffic lights). For any Disney fanatic, this is a beautiful sight:


The plan was for me to get their first since I am the faster walker between the two of us and stake out spots in line to get ready for the glorious moment that they start letting non-Magic Morning regular entrance folks like ourselves in through those green gates with that wand waving sound that tells us we've been granted a Magical day (if you have no idea what I mean by Magical Morning, you will in due course, I promise you this). Of course if I had remembered that they start letting people onto Main Street en masse 30 minutes prior to the rope drop that will open up all of the different Lands of Disney we may have reworked our strategy somewhat. So I was into the parks before Andre managed to meet me there, which was all fine and dandy. I needed to swing by City Hall to get that all-important birthday badge to let everyone know exactly what I was celebrating!


Once my birthday badge (which sported my naickname, Jazz, because it's just so much fun) was securely in place and visible for all it was time to start off the real Disneyland adventure.

First we would venture into the world of yesterday and the 1950's exotic adventure of Adventureland! There I met up with Andre outside the entrance to the world famous Jungle Cruise. It's tradition that this ride always be our first stop. Always. And no matter how many times I have heard the jokes I think I will always love this ride. They are so full of cheese, but that's why we love it. Our Skipper wasn't the best that I've had, but she wasn't the worst either. But I was expecting a little more from her first cruise out on the day.






Shh! You're supposed to attack the next boat!!


There's old Trader Sam, head salesman of the area. Business has been shrinking lately, so this week only, Sam's offering a two-for-one special: two of his, for one of yours! Either way you slice, you always come out ahead.
Going back even further into yesterday, we made our way into what is hands down our favorite 'land' to just chill in: New Orleans Square. What is there in New Orleans Square that we don't love? Pirates of the Caribbean? Love it! Blue Bayou? Love it! Haunted Mansion? Love it! Do you know what else we love? The Jambalaya Jazz Band! And they certainly got a kick out of my beloved nickname. It would be a memorable one for Cast Members all over the park.


And let that photo just go to show you just how bright it was that morning. There was so much sunlight everywhere! We got some Mardi Gras beads out of the deal. I wish we could have stayed to watch them perform a little while longer because they're awesome, but we were on a mission to get our Haunted Mansion fix in before they closed it on the 10th for the Haunted Mansion Holiday that opens up just in time for the Halloween season.










Coming up: We have a lunch date on the Bayou