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:
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!
"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
3 comments:
Wow!!!! Are you ever a great writer. I felt like I was having the same experience you were. Loved the story lines.
Love
Bamma
Love all the pictures from Blue Bayou! The ambience in there is so lovely. I wish we could fit it into our budget this trip.
One question. How is it that you hate the Splash Mountain drop so much, but can tolerate the POTC one? Lol. Maybe it's just cause that ride is so awesome, that the drop is worth it? Probably! :)
And I have to agree with the last commentor. You are a great writer!
Andrea - Easy really. The one on Pirates is itty bitty compared to the ones on Splash! That and I've kind of desensitized myself to it by going on that ride so many times. I'm not sure you can ever really desensitize yourself to the drops on Splash though! Another problem was that I knew going into POTC that there was a dark drop. Somebody failed to mention that to me with Splash. I knew the big one at the end, but not the others. I about had a heart attack!
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