“That’s just a weird thing to be happy about”: A Backstage Magic ABD TR! UPDATED 11/24 X3 & COMPLETE

[SimplyGoofy]

What a full morning! I could hardly believe it when you said something about lunch... I thought, "they toured all of those things before lunch?!"

The pictures from the Legends building are some of my favorites. I love seeing the dwarves worked into the building and it's awesome that you got to get a picture SO CLOSE to the Walt and Mickey statue.

What a fun start to your day!

 

[HomeSweetDisney]

I am just loving this TR! Sorry for my lack of comments but please know I am following along - I sliced my hand while cutting veggies and needed stitches & it's still uncomfortable to type. But I am definitely reading along and enjoying it so much!
I can't wait to read more!

 

[dolewhipdreams]

Wait is the another reason to post pics?

Exactly!!

Girl shopping before food all the time and always! Unless you get Hangry then i don't recommend

But sometimes the shopping version of hangry can be just as rough hahaha

What a full morning! I could hardly believe it when you said something about lunch... I thought, "they toured all of those things before lunch?!"

Right?? This day was sooo full, it's weird thinking back on it and remember how much we stuffed into it.

The pictures from the Legends building are some of my favorites. I love seeing the dwarves worked into the building and it's awesome that you got to get a picture SO CLOSE to the Walt and Mickey statue.

It's such an iconic building, and so perfect! And the courtyard in front is beautiful, with the Partners and Legends statues!

I am just loving this TR! Sorry for my lack of comments but please know I am following along - I sliced my hand while cutting veggies and needed stitches & it's still uncomfortable to type. But I am definitely reading along and enjoying it so much!
I can't wait to read more!

Oh no! I've done that before, too. I'm just saying ice cream has never hurt me like that...

 

[DLo]

Oh the suspense is killing me ! What a jam packed start to the day. I love your photo shoots . And your hair looks amazing in that picture !
It wasn’t more ice cream but fro yo us close for another dessert win

 

[pkondz]

Our call time this morning was slightly later than the day before, but since we were switching hotels our bags had to be ready to go by 7am.

Sleep in! But make sure you're ready early.

I messed up my eyeliner and had to do it all over again (typical).

I feel you. I do that all the time.

I ended up flossing on the bus, while we watched more of the Muppet Movie. I know you’re all really here for the dental play-by-play so I don’t want to disappoint by leaving out any of the details.

Thanks! This is the kind of details that keeps me coming back for more!
You deserve a plaque for this kind of writing! Oops! Maybe "plaque" isn't the best word to use, here.

Pirates of the Caribbean, Tangled, and many Marvel soundtracks were all dubbed there,

Really! Huh!

it’s also a building inside of a building, which reduces sound infiltration from outside.

Makes sense... and totally interesting!

[Full disclosure: I'm only posting this one because I just really like how cool my hair looks from the back]

[Full disclosure: your hair looks really cool from the back]

Naturally, there are Mickeys everywhere at the Studios.

Mickeys? At a Disney place?

The next stop was really adorable. It’s a tribute to Pluto called Pluto’s Corner. The best part is the paw prints by the fire hydrant, where there are only three prints because the other leg is…well, you know.

I love that!!!!

We also passed by a screening theater, which I can only assume is full of screens.

this is the building where so many of our favorite classic Disney animations were created.

One was the selection of cells from the Little Mermaid, since Ariel and I are somewhat (distantly) related.

Then we are too, since she and I are practically engaged.

I also grabbed a photo of some cells from The Hunchback of Notre Dame, which is one of my all time favorite Disney movies and is also one of the most underrated in the Disney catalog.

I agree with you. I think it maybe was a bit of a hard sell for the Littles, which is why it doesn't get as many accolades as other kid friendlier movies get.

Finally, we found a Steamboat Willie mosaic (not sure if mosaic is the correct term technically but it was Willie in the tiles) and since Jon was Disneybounding as S.W. I thought a picture was in order.

The Archives are (is?) where they keep pretty much every Disney creation backed up to use as research for future projects. I was so excited to go in and see it all! So I was a little bummed to go in and see that it’s really just one room with a bunch of books behind glass cases and some pieces from the parks. Most of the archives are actually offsite in another location.

Well... poop.

which included some fun stuff like the redhead from POTC

OMG! Did you tell them to put her back? That they'd made a serious mistake, but it wasn't too late to change?

Before we switched places with the other group there was one last thing to see- this little beauty:

I knew what that was the second I saw the photo.

They even had some scenes from Snow White left in the panes so you could see how the effect worked

How cool is that?!?!?

 

[pkondz]

Alright so last you saw us we just wrapped up looking through the archives and learning about the multiplane camera.

… and insisting they put Red back in POTC. Yes, I remember.

[I waved at Bob but I don’t think he saw me from all the way up there]

He did. But you turned before he had a chance to wave back.

The structure is all supported internally so that there is no stress on the statues.

Probably a good idea. They'd get tired, eventually.

After a short spiel we were free to go and browse through all the Legends plaques and take as many photos as we wanted. Which for me was very, very many. Enjoy.

Thanks!

[Look my hands are the same size as Alan Menken's!]

Twinsies!

After regrouping, the guides led us down into ‘the morgue’ toward Ink and Paint. The morgue is an underground storage area/tunnel that links some of the buildings. The guides said that random stuff gets put down there and occasionally someone will find something really cool! I remember that they told of a particular item that was neat that someone found down there but, alas, I did not write it down. So you’ll just have to use your imagination.

okay... I imagine it was a dead body. Probably some long forgotten CM.

A super cute thing happened in the morgue (how many times will I have the chance to say something like that?),

because the only two kids on the trip had become fast friends and were holding hands while walking down the hall. It was absolutely precious and there were awws all around.

Awww....

When Ink and Paint was an actual thing, though, it was entirely comprised of women because women were considered to have a steadier hand.

I did know that...

They referred to it as the Nunnery.

… but didn't know that!

Anyway, we learned that Sound Stage 2 is where both Mary Poppins and Princess Diaries were filmed and so they call it the Julie Andrews stage, which I absolutely love.

Me too!

They also told us that Mary Poppins was filmed 100% inside the stage. A google search has confirmed that information. Now I need to watch it again to see if I can tell if it was filmed inside or not because I definitely remember watching it and not thinking “Oh wow that looks like it’s all inside.”

Really!
Actually... now that I think of it... I'm not surprised.

The Mark Twain Riverboat was also assembled in a sound stage.

Good Lord! I wonder why on Earth would they do that!?!?

While in the stores we found some cute Steamboat Willie and vintage Minnie plushes and we asked a CM to take our photo since that’s who we were Disneybounding as that day.

Perfect.

#forky4life #iamtrash

[This super cute print was in the bathroom. How perfect??]

It is!

 

[missangelalexis]

Exploring the Studios sounds amazing and the Legends Courtyard is beautiful!!

Love the pic of you two with your Disneybound counterparts!!

What a busy and fun morning!!

 

[dolewhipdreams]

Oh the suspense is killing me ! What a jam packed start to the day. I love your photo shoots . And your hair looks amazing in that picture !
It wasn’t more ice cream but fro yo us close for another dessert win

There was sooo much packed in to that morning! When we were eating lunch it was so weird to think that the day wasn't even halfway through and we had done so much already.

Exploring the Studios sounds amazing and the Legends Courtyard is beautiful!!

Love the pic of you two with your Disneybound counterparts!!

What a busy and fun morning!!

Thanks and yes, it was super fun! And somehow our day was going to get even better

 

[dolewhipdreams]

I feel you. I do that all the time.

Thank you for sharing in my pain. The perfect wing is just so elusive sometimes...

Thanks! This is the kind of details that keeps me coming back for more!
You deserve a plaque for this kind of writing! Oops! Maybe "plaque" isn't the best word to use, here.

Ironically the one issue I don't have with my teeth right now is plaque. Because I brush them. Aaalll the time.

Mickeys? At a Disney place?

Color me surprised, right??

I think it maybe was a bit of a hard sell for the Littles, which is why it doesn't get as many accolades as other kid friendlier movies get.

It came out when I was four and it's the first movie I remember seeing in a theater. I begged my dad to take me back and he did. Three more times. So I guess I wasn't like the other littles?

That they'd made a serious mistake, but it wasn't too late to change?

I'm actually a fan of pirate Redd....

How cool is that?!?!?

Seriously amazing. It really helps illustrate (ba dum tss) how the camera worked when you got to see the different layers of the animation stacked up like that.

Probably a good idea. They'd get tired, eventually.

Well you'd think with seven of them they would be able to last...

Good Lord! I wonder why on Earth would they do that!?!?

I feel like this is one of those things that the guide explained to us and I just forgot to write down. All I managed to remember was that it was built there, but not why. My bad.

 

[pkondz]

Thank you for sharing in my pain. The perfect wing is just so elusive sometimes...

The card trick is quick in a pinch (I despise the connect the dots method), but nothing beats the tape method.

Ironically the one issue I don't have with my teeth right now is plaque. Because I brush them. Aaalll the time.

You deserve a plaque for that!

Color me surprised, right??

That would be puce.

It came out when I was four and it's the first movie I remember seeing in a theater. I begged my dad to take me back and he did. Three more times. So I guess I wasn't like the other littles?

You have to ask this question???

I'm actually a fan of pirate Redd....

I'm actually... not.
But... weirdly enough, I think she's a great character... I just don't want her there replacing a classic.

Seriously amazing. It really helps illustrate (ba dum tss)

Well you'd think with seven of them they would be able to last...

But they're little!

 

[dolewhipdreams]

The Mothership, the Holy Site, the Court of Miracles- Imagineering

By now I probably don’t need to give you the spoiler spiel but here it is anyway: every single thing in this update will be a spoiler. Every bit of it. If you don’t want to read spoilers but want to know how the visit went, know this: Imagineering alone made the price tag worth it for me. I can already see myself going on another Backstage Magic trip at some point just to return. If that’s all you needed to know, then skip the rest (but I really hope you don’t because something really cool happened while we were at Imagineering and I need my Dis community to share my excitement).

This update is going to be super text-heavy because guess what? You can’t take any photos inside of Imagineering. None at all. Our guides even told us it was probably best to leave our phones on the bus so we wouldn’t take them out by habit.

​

We got off the bus in front of a very non-descript office type building that didn’t really look any different from the surrounding buildings. Nothing at all like the monumental Studios campus. But sure enough, right there above the door was the most magical of all words- Imagineering.

Dave the Imagineer met us right outside and gave us his 30 second biography. Dave has been with the company for 40 years and started as a sweeper at Disneyland. He slowly made his way up into Imagineering and now works on the team that helps create the stories for attractions (I think that’s what he does now, it’s some kind of story creation).

Someone asked him if he was working on any projects that we knew about and he said he’s involved with the three new cruise ships. We asked if he could tell us anything about them he said, “Sure, I can tell you what they’re named!” ~insert squeals of joy from ½ the group~ “They’re called 5, 6, and 7.”

Womp womp.

Once we got inside we saw a very generic welcome video, then we started our tour. The first stop was a hallway covered in art, and quite a bit of it was painted directly onto the walls. Dave told us that at one point it was a plain old wall but they wanted to snazz it up, so Imagineers over the years have added their own pieces to it.

We passed one that was in comic form and it had a couple of rats in an office that was covered in memos and notes with ideas. One of them said: Things we can afford- parking lot. Things we can’t afford- attractions. And I just about died laughing. I sooo wish I could have taken a photo of it because the more you looked at it, the more hilarious things popped out from all the notes.

We stopped a little way down the hallway while Dave explained some of the bigger pieces. Quite suddenly, someone walked by, waved, and said “Hey guys.” (or something generic like that). I didn’t recognize him immediately but right after he passed I saw it. The earring.

Guys.

That was JOE. ROHDE.

To say I flipped out would be an understatement. I turned to the woman next to me and we just stared at each other with our mouths agape. There were exclamations of “Was that who I think it was?” “Was that Joe Rohde?” “Mom stop crying.” “Someone call an ambulance this lady fainted!”

JK about those last two.

Now, there are two small back stories that make this interaction even more entertaining.

The first is that the woman I was staring at was part of the couple that we went bowling with the previous night. We had both joked about how all we wanted on the trip was to see Joe Rohde. Literally that’s all we wanted. Everything else could be horrible and we would still have an amazing time. Hence the staring. Did we speak that into existence? Are we modern day Dis-prophets??

The next little bit of context was that earlier that day on the bus our guides had given us a little speech about how between the Studios, Imagineering, and some VIPs at the parks, we might run into celebrities. They told us to keep our cool and not to approach anyone but if they came over to us we could ask for a photo or something AS LONG AS WE WERE COOL.

We were so not cool.

While we were freaking out Shannon looked at us all in embarrassment and was like “Guys I told you to be cool!” You just can’t take us anywhere. Well, not anywhere where Joe Rohde is, apparently.

After the shock wore off, my new buddy and I looked at each other while we both wiped the tears from our eyes and our husbands looked on in disgust. Sorry guys, you picked us, celebrity freak outs and all.

Our next stop was the modeling area of Imagineering, where they work to take concept art and turn it into scale models, usually made out of foam or soft wood. They had a bunch of black curtains block stuff off so who knows what they were modeling back there! I was wracking my brains to think about upcoming projects that didn’t have many details out. There could be Marvel Campus stuff back there! Or things for the new ships! Or the new Epcot stuff! So many possibilities that I’ll never really know for sure.

There were a couple of things that weren’t blocked off, though. One was a foam model of Galaxy’s Edge, which really wasn’t breaking news at that point since the land had been open at Disneyland for over a month. But they did have a small model of the Tokyo Disneyland expansion that has the new Beauty and the Beast section and that was super cool to see!

Up next was a visit to the sculpture room, which is where they store a lot of…sculptures (for such a creative group they really struggle with naming rooms). There was a lot of stuff by Blaine Gibson, who was a major sculptor for the Disney parks. We learned a little about the sculpting process and how it evolved from being entirely by hand to being a digital process. Dave also talked about the shift in animatronics from audio to pneumatic and hydraulic and on to electric, which is what most of the new ones are.

There was a random sculpture of a head that Dave had us guess who it was. After a few wrong guesses from others I said I thought it was Johnny Depp. I was right. I would know those eyes anywhere.

Then we got to see the marble Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs statues that were originally in Disneyland back by the wishing well. Dave told us a super funny story about how the story that John Hench tells is a lie. The Hench version is that an Italian sculptor wanted to teach his class about sculpting so they used Snow White and the dwarfs as inspiration. They liked them so much that they sent them to Disney as a gift to use in his new park.

Well, the Imagineering results have determined that is a lie. The statues were commissioned all along, and the reason that the Snow White statue is so short (she’s roughly the same size as the dwarfs) is that the sculptor misread the height.
And now you know.

After learning that amazing story we had a chance for the only photo op inside Imagineering! Our guides took a group picture and then some family photos while we got the chance to look around at all the sculptures in their cases. I found plenty I recognized, like several of Figment, some from the Jungle Cruise, etc.

​

The next stop on our tour was in a sound booth where they test sound mixes for attraction soundtracks and effects. This specific booth had a circular speaker setup and was built specifically to test the sound for circle vision films. The speakers are so high tech they can actually project the sound out to a specific distance so that you hear the right thing, at the right time, in the right place. Magic. Absolute witchcraft. I’m pretty sure I even said “We’re living in the future” out loud.

Jon, as an audio engineer and sound guy, was in heaven.

The experience got even better because we got to listen to the final soundtrack for Mystic Manor in Hong Kong Disneyland while watching a ride through video up on the screen. So it’s almost like we got to ride it! It made me pumped to actually ride the ride in person sometime (hopefully next year!) since the storyline is so different from any of the other Haunted Mansion-style rides.

Our final experience (before shopping) was a stop in the DISH. Please don’t ask me what DISH stands for, as I have completely forgotten. What it is, though, is an entire room that is a simulator. They choose an attraction/land/experience and project it up on the wall. Then you put on this hat (a bowler hat, in fact. Now I associate bowler hats with supreme power. I own several as a result.) and the simulator tracks your movement and lets you actually walk or ride through that experience!

First we wandered around the Magic Kingdom while everyone took turns being in charge (AKA wearing the bowler hat). Then we all gathered in the center and ‘rode’ Radiator Springs Racers, which was really neat (especially knowing we were going to the parks soon and could ride it for real).

When we finished with the ride Dave (or Shannon or Trevor, I don’t recall) handed out our pin of the day, which said Imagineering Magic on it.
Well, with all that out of the way there was only one thing left to do- visit Mickey’s of Glendale. I had already warned Jon (repeatedly) about how much I would most likely spend today between the Studios and MOG, so I didn’t feel too bad about going all out.

Luckily for him (and our bank account), there wasn’t as much stuff that I absolutely had to have. There was a lot of Aulani merch with Duffy and friends. I almost got a stuffed Gelatoni but I would rather wait until I visit the Asian parks and get one there. They also had a lot of Splash Mountain anniversary gear. Like a ton. So many shirts, pullovers, magnets, pins, etc. I (mistakenly) figured they would have all that in the parks so I didn’t get any of it, even though I really loved the shirt design and could definitely have gone for the crew neck sweatshirt.

Then there was some generic merchandise (not really sure what that means since my notes just said ‘generic merch’) and a lot of Imagineering clothing. I desperately wanted an Imagineering crew neck but they didn’t have any. They had a ton of business wear like button up shirts, cardigans, nice jackets, polos, etc, but none of it really struck me.

But don’t worry, I still bought way too much stuff. My favorite purchase was this super nerdy pen. It says Imagineering on it and it also has a built-in measuring grid and a level. How cool is that? Here’s all the other stuff we walked away with:

[A big part of their merch when we were there was their Pride collection, since Pride month had just ended. So lots of rainbows and bright colors.]​

Surprisingly, we finished shopping a little early and had some time to hang out in the main hangout area, which is absolutely beautiful. There are decorative pools and fountains and plants. There’s ping pong and some cabana-looking things and lots of tables with umbrellas. There’s even a bowling alley. I strolled around and imagined what it would be like to work there.

Before we left I asked Shannon if she was allowed to take a picture of this sign because I loved it so much. She very graciously did so. And now I want one for my house, but with the appropriate distances.

​

And with that I’ll leave you until the next installment, which should have many more photos than this one because after Imagineering we left for Disneyland!

 

[dolewhipdreams]

The Happiest Bus On Earth

Hey guys! So remember that I will be spoiling many surprises about the Backstage Magic ABD in this TR. I’m going to do my best to change the text to alert you that something is considered spoiler-y (meaning it’s not information that’s readily shared by ABD or just generally known). So if you see the text change to THIS COLOR, that’s a SPOILER. So if you want to avoid spoilers, skip over until it goes back to the main color. But just a warning that I may forget to mark something or might consider some information not a spoiler that actually might be, so read with caution if you are trying to avoid spoilers.

This chapter has far fewer spoilers than the previous two, but I do go into detail around some of the extra ABD magic that the guides had in store for us. I’ll do my best to make sure that ends up in blue so you can skip if you so desire.

Eventually it was time to get back on the bus, where to our delight we found that they had replenished the snack baskets! I took a few things since I was feeling hungry and we settled in for the longest drive of the trip.

I know you’re all just on the edge of your seats wondering how I managed to eat a snack on a bus while wearing Invisalign. Well I’ll let you in on something I discovered that has changed my life. Colgate Wisps. They’re tiny toothbrush-like things that have a bit of toothpaste sealed into the brush. All you do is bite down on it and it releases. There’s no water or spitting required (although the toothpaste tastes like death) since it’s safe to swallow. So if I’m ever in a place where I can’t get to a bathroom to brush my teeth I just pop one of these out, do a rinse with some water and I’m good to go!

As we pulled out of Imagineering our guides told us a little bit of info about SWGE, most of which we already knew. They told us about what needed reservations for Oga’s and Savi’s (and that they would help us get them if we had any trouble) and suggested that we use our free time the following day to explore Batuu.

For such a long bus ride, entertainment is a must. This is 2019, after all. We cannot be expected to sit quietly with our thoughts as LA traffic passes us by. We had finished the Muppet Movie previously and we all voted that Trevor should choose the next movie. He picked Tangled, which is always a good choice. Such a good choice, in fact, that it led to my TR title.

We got to the part where Flynn sneaks into the tower and Rapunzel ties him up in her closet. She repeatedly says “There’s a person in my closet!” and the little boy on the trip (who was sitting next to his new bff, the little girl on the trip) said “That’s just a weird thing to be happy about.” Which is hilarious and also very true.

I thought it was an appropriate TR title, not only because of its hilarity, but also because there were so many things on this trip that absolutely delighted us that a non-Disney fan (or even some super casual Disney fans) would think were really weird. Like tearing up looking at a bench next to a carousel, or getting special pins, or almost falling on the ground because some dude with a massive earring walked by.

A little over an hour later we pulled up in front of the Grand Californian, our home for the next couple of nights. Our guides told us that our rooms were all ready and they had checked us all in and that bell services would bring our luggage up to us (another reason why ABD is worth the price). We were given a time to meet in the lobby for dinner (by the vase. Pronounced vahse and not vayce, because vahse is fancier) and then let loose on our own.

[The vahse]
​

We went up to our room to wait for our luggage, which only took about 15-20 minutes, then we decided to go explore the resort since this was probably the only window of time we would have since we planned on spending as much time in the parks as possible. But before we left we had to soak up the view from our room, which was pretty great.

​

The pool area is really cool and quite large. I counted three pools and two hot tubs. They also have some pretty paths with nice landscaping and an outdoor fireplace nook. It was giving me strong Wilderness Lodge vibes, although the grounds were a lot less sprawling than WL. We chilled in the fireplace nook for a few minutes then headed toward the vahse to meet up with the group.

​

At the vahse the guides were handing out park tickets and even got celebration buttons for everyone! If there was a specific celebration (like our anniversary or a first time visitor) they got those kind of buttons. Everyone who didn’t have a celebration just got the green I’m celebrating buttons so everyone got a button.

​

We walked as a group (behind the paddle of power, of course) out and around to the Disneyland entrance. I had no idea where dinner would be but the guides ended up taking us to French Market. Jon and I hadn’t been before so we were excited to try it out. We were able to get an entrée, drink, and dessert, and we both got the French dip sandwich with the dessert trio. We ate outside at a few tables nearby each other and just enjoyed the fact that we were back in a Disney park.

​

The food was great and we were glad that dinner this night was QS so we didn’t have to spend a lot of time sitting and eating, which meant more time for adventures!

[My first tooth brushing in Disneyland. Woohoo]​

Before splitting up, our guides told us they had some pixie dust for us in the form of a Fastpass for Haunted Mansion at 8pm, plus one anytime FP for the rest of the night, PLUS reserved seating for Fantasmic! Anyone who was interested could meet up and ride HM all together, or you could ride anytime within the normal 1 hour window. And obviously if you didn’t care, you didn’t have to ride.

We discussed our options and looked at wait times and it looked like we just had enough time to go meet Mickey and be back for the HM FP. Well if you’re familiar with DL then you know that Mickey is all the way at the VERY back of the park and by the time we walked all the way back there the wait time had gone up and we probably would have missed the group ride.

[Just because we didn't have time to meet Mickey didn't mean that I didn't have time to take pictures]

​

I wanted to meet Mickey because we were wearing Mickey-themed outfits (and I just wanted to get it out of the way), but we both agreed that it would be more special to ride HM with the group so we instead of waiting for the Mouse, we chose to use our anytime FP on Big Thunder.

​

I definitely prefer the DL version to WDW (although as of September the Disneyland Paris version is my very favorite ever and maybe my favorite Disney ride ever) and it was the perfect first ride for the trip.

Not only that, but we got done in time to meet up with the group to ride HM. There were enough of us that we got our own stretching room! It was a super fun ride and not because the ride itself was any different but there was just a fun energy around going in as a group and coming off and having a bunch of people to talk to about it. And this coming from an introvert.

​

There wasn’t a ton of time before Fantastmic! started so we just hung around and Jon got a cookie sandwich to munch on. When the time came to meet up for the show we went over to our approved meeting spot and were led to our reserved seating. They had a pretty big area roped off just for us and it was nice not to be jammed in around a bunch of sweaty strangers.

The view was nice and close and even though there was a little tent kind of in the way there was still enough room to see everything really well.

This was our first time seeing Fantastmic! During my first visit they were doing all the construction on Rivers of America for SWGE so it wasn’t running, and then on our previous visit we went during the off season and it wasn’t running either of the nights we were there. So we were absolutely excited to see this show that everyone raves about.

​

And oh man, add us to the list of ravers. It’s so cool!! I particularly enjoy the pirate ship and the dragon, which is far superior to the one in DHS. I loved it so much that I’m considering doing a dining package for it when I go back in November, just to be able to see it so well again. I definitely agree that the whole show is better than the one at DHS, but I still don’t dislike the DHS version. I mean they both feature Sorcerer Mickey and a dragon so they can’t be bad.

Although the park didn’t close immediately after the show, we decided to head back to the hotel to get some sleep because of our absolutely absurdly ridiculous call time of 6:30am the next morning.

6:30. In the morning. To be ready and presentable and downstairs. Sheesh the things I do for Disney.

As tiring as that sounds, the early start was completely worth the effort and you’ll find out why next time.

 

[DLo]

OMG Joe Rhode ! Love the story behind your title . If you hadn’t already , I think I am now totally convinced I want to do this trip. I have priced it out two prior times but never get past that point .

 

[pkondz]

The Mothership, the Holy Site, the Court of Miracles- Imagineering

Loving that title...

every single thing in this update will be a spoiler.

Holy smokes!

Imagineering alone made the price tag worth it for me.

Wow! And... not all that surprised.

something really cool happened while we were at Imagineering and I need my Dis community to share my excitement).

Oh boy!!

Our guides even told us it was probably best to leave our phones on the bus so we wouldn’t take them out by habit.

"When we came back, all our phones were filled with bus driver selfies."

​

Love that.

right there above the door was the most magical of all words- Imagineering.

Yusssssss...

I'd probably wet my pants right there.
Which is okay, since it would keep me from wetting them again at everything else you saw today.

Dave has been with the company for 40 years and started as a sweeper at Disneyland.

Whoa! Talk about climbing a ladder!

“Sure, I can tell you what they’re named!” ~insert squeals of joy from ½ the group~ “They’re called 5, 6, and 7.”

Womp womp.

The first stop was a hallway covered in art, and quite a bit of it was painted directly onto the walls. Dave told us that at one point it was a plain old wall but they wanted to snazz it up, so Imagineers over the years have added their own pieces to it.

So cool!

One of them said: Things we can afford- parking lot. Things we can’t afford- attractions. And I just about died laughing.

Quite suddenly, someone walked by, waved, and said “Hey guys.” (or something generic like that). I didn’t recognize him immediately but right after he passed I saw it. The earring.

Guys.

That was JOE. ROHDE.

There were exclamations of “Was that who I think it was?” “Was that Joe Rohde?” “Mom stop crying.” “Someone call an ambulance this lady fainted!”

JK about those last two.

Oh, no. I totally believe the last two could've happened.

We had both joked about how all we wanted on the trip was to see Joe Rohde.

No way!

we could ask for a photo or something AS LONG AS WE WERE COOL.

We were so not cool.

I bet!

While we were freaking out Shannon looked at us all in embarrassment and was like “Guys I told you to be cool!” You just can’t take us anywhere.

They had a bunch of black curtains block stuff off so who knows what they were modeling back there!

Well, poop. How strong was the urge to just take a little peek?

But they did have a small model of the Tokyo Disneyland expansion that has the new Beauty and the Beast section and that was super cool to see!

Huh!

Up next was a visit to the sculpture room, which is where they store a lot of…sculptures (for such a creative group they really struggle with naming rooms).

They save their imaginations for the really good stuff.

Well, the Imagineering results have determined that is a lie. The statues were commissioned all along, and the reason that the Snow White statue is so short (she’s roughly the same size as the dwarfs) is that the sculptor misread the height.
And now you know.

Huh! And... a bit more believable, actually.

we got the chance to look around at all the sculptures in their cases. I found plenty I recognized, like several of Figment, some from the Jungle Cruise, etc.

Oh, for sure! Without even trying I saw a ton that I recognized!

The speakers are so high tech they can actually project the sound out to a specific distance so that you hear the right thing, at the right time, in the right place.

I didn't even know that was possible!

Jon, as an audio engineer and sound guy, was in heaven.

I bet!

Now I associate bowler hats with supreme power. I own several as a result.

I believe you. Both those statements.
This just seems right and just.

and the simulator tracks your movement and lets you actually walk or ride through that experience!

Fun!!!

But don’t worry, I still bought way too much stuff.

No. You? I'm shocked! Shocked!!

My favorite purchase was this super nerdy pen. It says Imagineering on it and it also has a built-in measuring grid and a level. How cool is that?

Very cool! I want.

There’s even a bowling alley.

I strolled around and imagined what it would be like to work there.

That's the first step.

And now I want one for my house, but with the appropriate distances.

Great idea! And so easy to do!

I know you’re all just on the edge of your seats wondering how I managed to eat a snack on a bus while wearing Invisalign.

Oh, yes. This was me:

Colgate Wisps. They’re tiny toothbrush-like things that have a bit of toothpaste sealed into the brush. All you do is bite down on it and it releases. There’s no water or spitting required (although the toothpaste tastes like death) since it’s safe to swallow. So if I’m ever in a place where I can’t get to a bathroom to brush my teeth I just pop one of these out, do a rinse with some water and I’m good to go!

Huh. Had to Google image to see. Even watched a video.

This is 2019, after all. We cannot be expected to sit quietly with our thoughts as LA traffic passes us by.

Heaven forbid! Sit with your own thoughts? What... are we back in the Stone Age????

We got to the part where Flynn sneaks into the tower and Rapunzel ties him up in her closet. She repeatedly says “There’s a person in my closet!” and the little boy on the trip (who was sitting next to his new bff, the little girl on the trip) said “That’s just a weird thing to be happy about.” Which is hilarious and also very true.

I love it!

Like tearing up looking at a bench next to a carousel, or getting special pins, or almost falling on the ground because some dude with a massive earring walked by.

So totally get this...

A little over an hour later we pulled up in front of the Grand Californian, our home for the next couple of nights.

oooohhhh… nice. I've been in the lobby and it's such a gorgeous hotel.

(by the vase. Pronounced vahse and not vayce, because vahse is fancier) and then let loose on our own.

This is pkondz's favourite word!
You can actually pronounce it three ways. vahze, vayce or vayze (sorry for changing your spelling. I just wanted to emphasize the 'z' sound)
And if you look up which pronounciation is correct (yes. I have.)… they all are!

Man, that's pretty.

The pool area is really cool and quite large. I counted three pools and two hot tubs.

Oh! Wow, didn't know that.

That just looks so inviting.
But then again... we don't sit with our thoughts, so...

I had no idea where dinner would be but the guides ended up taking us to French Market.

Never eaten there (I've only been to DL twice.)

That French dip looks interesting. Is that deep fried onions on top?

[My first tooth brushing in Disneyland. Woohoo]

Oh, THANK GOD!!!!!!!!

Before splitting up, our guides told us they had some pixie dust for us in the form of a Fastpass for Haunted Mansion at 8pm, plus one anytime FP for the rest of the night, PLUS reserved seating for Fantasmic!

Very nice.

And obviously if you didn’t care, you didn’t have to ride.

...didn't...… care...……..

I definitely prefer the DL version to WDW (although as of September the Disneyland Paris version is my very favorite ever and maybe my favorite Disney ride ever)

Really!

There were enough of us that we got our own stretching room!

Nice.

This was our first time seeing Fantastmic!

You mean at DL? You'd seen it at DHS before, yes?

And oh man, add us to the list of ravers. It’s so cool!!

 

[SimplyGoofy]

What an excellent afternoon! That is amazing that you were in such close proximity to Joe Rohde - I would've been excited, too!

It seems perfect that after all the great things you saw all day that you ended your day at Disneyland. A group ride on Haunted Mansion sounds perfect!

 

[dolewhipdreams]

OMG Joe Rhode ! Love the story behind your title . If you hadn’t already , I think I am now totally convinced I want to do this trip. I have priced it out two prior times but never get past that point .

Mission accomplished

What an excellent afternoon! That is amazing that you were in such close proximity to Joe Rohde - I would've been excited, too!

It seems perfect that after all the great things you saw all day that you ended your day at Disneyland. A group ride on Haunted Mansion sounds perfect!

It felt like a dream!

 

[dolewhipdreams]

Loving that title...

Why thank you. It took me several tries to get a combination of accolades that I liked.

Wow! And... not all that surprised.

It's also the #1 reason why I even started looking at the trip anyway!

"When we came back, all our phones were filled with bus driver selfies."

Which is okay, since it would keep me from wetting them again at everything else you saw today.

Good thing you always carry extra pants for the unexpected excitement-induced accident

Oh, no. I totally believe the last two could've happened.

I'm not saying we were close...but we were pretty close.

How strong was the urge to just take a little peek?

So, so strong. If I wasn't scared that I would never be allowed back onto any Disney property anywhere ever then it probably would have been even stronger.

I didn't even know that was possible!

You and me both, brother!

Very cool! I want.

I use it very sparingly, but I keep it out at my desk to look at. I've had to remove it from the hands of those who thought it was an acceptable pen to borrow.

Dolts.

That just looks so inviting.
But then again... we don't sit with our thoughts, so...

Yeah but the wifi reaches so we can sit with our instagrams

Is that deep fried onions on top?

Yep!

...didn't...… care...……..

That was probably directed at the same people who chose to sleep in the next morning rather than enjoy some of our special ABD magic... (spoiler alert)

Really!

It's incredible. I will describe it in great detail when I finally get around to starting my DLP report.

You mean at DL? You'd seen it at DHS before, yes?

Yeah, I've seen the DHS one several times but this was my first at DL!

 

[missangelalexis]

Your time at Imagineering sounds amazing!! And getting to see Joe Rhode- eeep!!

Haha great story behind your TR title!

Sounds like such a fun time in the park!

What a fantastic day

 

[dolewhipdreams]

Your time at Imagineering sounds amazing!! And getting to see Joe Rhode- eeep!!

Haha great story behind your TR title!

Sounds like such a fun time in the park!

What a fantastic day

It was seriously the best day! Like how did we fit all of that into one day?? But honestly if seeing Joe Rohde was the only thing we accomplished all day I would still say it was the best day

 

[pkondz]

It's also the #1 reason why I even started looking at the trip anyway!

I'm sure it was!

Good thing you always carry extra pants for the unexpected excitement-induced accident

Um... we haven't known each other that long, so... not sure...
Did you read my Hawaii TR???

So, so strong. If I wasn't scared that I would never be allowed back onto any Disney property anywhere ever then it probably would have been even stronger.

Not a bit surprised.

I use it very sparingly, but I keep it out at my desk to look at. I've had to remove it from the hands of those who thought it was an acceptable pen to borrow.

Dolts.

How dare they!?!?

Yeah but the wifi reaches so we can sit with our instagrams