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

[Raeven]

Just got caught up and now I'm following along!

So who are we? We are Jon & Ann, two childless millennials who like to ruin Disney parks for families with children by our presence and willingness to have fun.

I love it

Our very FIRST ABD, which we took July 14-19 of this year, plus some of the fun stuff we did before and after the official ABD.

Ooo if I ever take an ABD, I think I'd want to take this one.

the sinking realization that I had forgotten to pack any lipstick.

Oh no I'd be upset too! I always bring a bunch of lipstick...and then don't even end up using half of it but it's nice to have the option.

You know how some drivers take their cues from the passengers on whether or not they’re interested in conversation? Johnny wasn’t one of those drivers. He talked the whooooole time. And it was like an hour long drive.

Ah, we had one of those on our last trip, it was torture.

He talked about his kids, he talked about religion, he talked about addiction, he told us how he used to drive for a super rich guy who picked up a side chick then got addicted to drugs and now he’s homeless.

Our guy ranted about politics and what constitutes a proper pizza for awhile

[It has a black bedsheet tacked over its bedroom windows and gets mad when you call it emo]

It's not just a phase, it's who I am!

“Forgive me Frank, for I have sinned.” He then promptly stood up, put the photo away and sat back down to play. All without missing a beat or looking around.

They had a 90s room going which was absolutely everything.

I love it!

It was a pretty quick walkthrough but not at all busy and I’m definitely glad that we had a chance to finally visit a Madame Tussauds.

Madame Tussauds is so much fun! We've only been to the ones in NYC and Orlando, but the Orlando one is pretty cool.

 

[dolewhipdreams]

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

No I did not... I had a 50/50 chance so I took a shot. Did I shoot wrong? Do you not always carry extra pants??

 

[dolewhipdreams]

Just got caught up and now I'm following along!

Ooo if I ever take an ABD, I think I'd want to take this one.

It is indescribably amazing and I hope you get to do it!

I always bring a bunch of lipstick...and then don't even end up using half of it

SAME! But I can't not have any with me!

It's not just a phase, it's who I am!

 

[pkondz]

No I did not... I had a 50/50 chance so I took a shot. Did I shoot wrong? Do you not always carry extra pants??

I had one pair of shorts. It was a quick trip. I spilled red shave ice on them so I either looked like the victim of an attempted murder... or I had a very bad period breakthrough. But I only had to wear that for a couple more days.

Yes... days...

 

[Sully321]

Loving the journey, thank you for sharing.

 

[dolewhipdreams]

Loving the journey, thank you for sharing.

Thanks for following along!

 

[dolewhipdreams]

Happy Birthday Disneyland!

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.

Today was going to be extra EXTRA special. Not only was it our Disneyland day, but it just so happened to line up that our Disneyland day was on Disneyland’s 64th birthday! It was so cool to think about how all the amazing stuff we got to do was made even more special because of the date.

Our guides had also told us that they heard from their VIP guide friends that there were LOTS of VIPs scheduled for the birthday so if we wanted to chance a celebrity sighting that we should look out for the plaids and see who they’re with (and they told us again to stay cool). So would today finally be the day we see a (non-Imagineering) celebrity?? Stay tuned…

Even though we left the park early (by our standards, anyway), 6:30am rolled around pretty quick. When planning my outfits for the trip I thought I would wear my Star Wars outfit, but I really wanted to do my hair and my makeup and look extra cute. With a 6:30 call time I knew that was NOT going to happen.

Anyway we met at the vahse promptly at 6:30. Well, most of us did. We found out there were a few people who didn’t want to get up that early and would rather sleep. I know that I’m one of the crazier Disney fans (I mean I’m on this board writing this TR, after all), but the earlier call time was so that we could do the special stuff. And special stuff is what I paid for (although I’m pretty sure none of the people who slept in paid for the trip themselves. But maybe I’m just being judgmental).

Anyway we met so early because we had the awesome opportunity to be the first guests in Disneyland for the day! We met our special CM who would be the key to all of our special backstage access. And I’m the horrible person that forgot to write his name down. But he was great. 10/10 would recommend.

​

Before we went in he let us know that there were still some overnight CMs in the park putting the finishing touches on before opening. We could take all the pictures we wanted as long as we didn’t take any of their vehicles. Because they didn’t have pickup trucks sitting on-turn-of-the-century thoroughfares.

We started in Town Square and just took a ton of photos. It’s seriously so cool to see an empty – like actually completely empty – park. I’ve been to DAH at the Magic Kingdom where we say it’s empty but we really mean there just aren’t as many people as normal. But here it was just us and some CMs.

​

The guides took plenty of photos of each family group before moving down Main Street and to the castle for more photos. But I’m pretty sure I stayed behind to take even more photos of Town Square. I’m so glad Jon has an abundance of patience. I spend so much time stalling to take pictures. But hey some of them turn out okay so to me it’s worth it.

​

I made it down to the castle eventually for even more photos, including a group photo with some birthday hats to celebrate the special occasion.

​

We completed our photo session (and of course I took longer than everyone else because I just kept taking pictures) and went on to breakfast at The Plaza. The Fairy Godmother was out front to greet us and since we were the first group in that morning we got the characters all to ourselves for a while.

​

And let me tell you, they were the absolute best character interactions I’ve ever had. First off the characters were so random. Here’s everyone who hung out with us: Geppetto, Captain Hook, Dale (but not Chip), Rafiki, Eeyore, Max, Minnie, and the aforementioned Fairy Godmother. That mix in itself should tell you how awesome the meal was.

Before I get into the antics, let me show off the food. It was a pretty standard character breakfast buffet. I don’t recall anything special about it but I love breakfast food so you don’t have to work too hard to impress me there. Although I was thinking about this TR and tried to take lots of photos of the spread.

​

Okay now onto the antics! The best interaction for sure was between Hook and Max, who pretended to get in fights most of the time. My favorite was when Max was inside and Hook was outside and they were making fun of each other through the window.

​

Max also tried to take my wedding ring to propose to Shannon at one point, but then we got over it and danced together while I sang I 2 I. It was amazing. Air guitars were involved.

​

I also have a note that Rafiki was messing with the mirrors, kind of just doing his own thing in front of them. It was so funny to watch.
I’m not sure what prompted this, but I do remember that Captain Hook picked his nose then wiped it on Jon. Classic Hook. Though he’s got to be careful to make sure he’s picking with the correct hand or there could be trouble…

​

Eeyore wandered over to us and was his usual sad but adorable self. We gave him a birthday hat to try to cheer him up but somehow it made him look even more sad. I know we saw Minnie at one point but I don’t think we had many interactions with her, which is weird since it’s technically her breakfast!

The meal ended and we all got commemorative buttons and made our way backstage.

Just when you thought the morning couldn’t get any more magical.

By the time we finished with breakfast the park had officially been open for about 30 minutes, so the crowds were starting to come in. We followed the Paddle of Power down through Adventureland and into the exit for Indiana Jones for our backstage adventure! (And of course there were no photos allowed backstage so just use your imagination)

Do you remember how I mentioned that the guides told us we would need close toed shoes? Well I guess it’s a rule that absolutely any time you go backstage you have to have close toed shoes on, which makes perfect sense. One story the guides told us was that sometimes when celebrities start having people chase them then they’re allowed to go backstage to get away from the crowds, but they make them put on close toed shoes.

So we walked down the exit and for the first time in my life I got to pass through one of the doors that said Cast Members Only. I swear the angels sang.

We headed into the maintenance bay for the ride, where we got to meet with one of the mechanics and take an up close look at the ride vehicle. The mechanic explained to us how maintenance works for the rides and a little bit about the hydraulic system for the vehicle. Then we got a chance to operate the hydraulics with this little joystick-like controller set up. You can make individual parts of the vehicle body move up and down, which creates a really wide range of motion.

Everyone got a chance to try it and since the back of the vehicle kind of looked like a mouth I decided to make it sing I Will Always Love You, much to Jon’s amusement. Then it was Jon’s turn. And he broke it.

Okay he didn’t actually break it, but it did stop working. Thankfully he was pretty much the last one to go so it didn’t really affect anyone.
After all that fun backstage there was only one thing left to do- ride the ride! So our guides led us back to the exit and we got to skip the line and ride it as a group.

Since this had so many photos I'm going to break and do a part 2 to this update!

 

[dolewhipdreams]

That was the end of the backstage time for that morning, but we still had some fun to have as a group. We split back up into our two small groups and our group went over to the Matterhorn, where we got to skip the line again. I’m really glad that this was one of the skip-the-line rides because I actually don’t like the Matterhorn that much because of how bumpy it is, but I feel like we have to ride it at least once a trip. This way we didn’t have to waste any time in line! And it was just as bumpy as I remember.

[Crazed Matterhorn selfie]​

Then we went down the way for a spin on everyone’s favorite flying pirate ships (skipping the line, of course). I forgot how short Peter Pan is but it’s such a cute ride.

[Crazed Peter Pan selfie]​

Our next couple of stops were photo ops: one in the car in front of Mr Toad’s Wild Ride and then one at the Sword in the Stone. We had a lot of fun with both, obviously.

​

When we finished with the photos we still had some time before our next activity so we went for a ride on King Arthur’s Carrousel. Wow, I’ve never ridden carousels so many times in so few days before. I was getting dizzy.

[Crazed carouselfie]

​

Our next stop was another super special one. As part of the Backstage Magic trip you get to visit Walt’s apartment above the fire station. Since the apartment is so small we stayed in our small groups and luckily our group was the one that got to go up first! We met with our VIP guide for the apartment tour (yet another name I didn’t write down, curses!) who mentioned that she had been at the park when Walt was still around. How many people can say that??

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The tour didn’t take long since it’s such a small apartment, only 500 square feet. It’s pretty much a studio, with the living room doubling as the bedroom with a kitchenette, and a bathroom and closet in the back. All the décor is very floral and it was giving me strong great-grandma vibes.

Our guide told us a little about the apartment, why it was built, etc. Everything was going fine until she reminded us that it was Disneyland’s birthday. We were all gathered around the window that looks over Town Square and she said, “Just imagine, 64 years ago today Walt was standing right here looking out there and watching his dreams come true.”

Oh man I lost it. That hadn’t even crossed my mind, but the magnitude of how absolutely special it was to be in Walt’s apartment on the anniversary of one of his greatest accomplishments was astounding. And naturally after she made us all cry we took pictures.

She was super specific about where she wanted us to stand for the photos to make sure that certain decorations were included. The lighting wasn’t amazing but I’m so glad we have a picture to remember that moment.

​

That concluded the tour and we switched places with the other group, who had spent some time over by Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln. We could either watch the show or look at the temporary 50th Anniversary Haunted Mansion exhibit. I browsed the exhibit for a couple moments (and got a photo with this birthday sign) but then I heard the Disneyland Band start up outside. I’m a sucker for a marching band so I went out to watch the show and reapplied sunscreen.

​

When the other group got done with the tour we gathered as one and went on to our last group activity of the morning, which was to meet Mickey Mouse! I was super surprised by this and so excited that we didn’t have to wait in line to meet Mickey on this trip (I don’t remember if he has FP here, I don’t think he does). And an even better surprise was that we got him in his Steamboat Willie outfit! Everyone got photos and then we were set loose on our own!

But remember, this is an ABD. So we didn’t have to go alone. Instead we went out into the wild equipped with 5 anytime FPs, plus an additional FP for Star Tours at 2pm which we could ride as a group. We also each got $25 dining cards to use for lunch and were told to meet later on for reserved viewing of the fireworks.

ABDs guys. I’m tellin ya.

By that time our breakfast had been worked off and we were ready for lunch and we knew exactly where we wanted to eat- the Little Red Wagon. It was corn dog time, baby.

All the tables were taken but luckily we found a bench to sit and eat. It was our first kind of chill moment all day so it was nice. But naturally I didn’t want to chill for too long because we had stuff to do! Plus I knew that our next stop was more sitting and eating so it’s not like it was anything strenuous.

[Crazed corndog selfie]
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As a lover of all things Dole whip (I know, you never would have guessed) it is no surprise that Tropical Hideaway was on my list of must-dos for the trip. We grabbed a raspberry pineapple loaded Dole whip to share and a Coke for me since I could tell I needed some more caffeine.
I don’t remember why, but Jon left for a few minutes so I sat and ate and listened to Rosita tell some punny jokes in the background.

​

Oh, how was the loaded Dole whip, you ask? It fills my waking dreams. I have wandered in a raspberry pineapple daze all these months since last I tasted its sweet goodness, longing for the moment when I can taste the frozen delicacy upon my tongue once more.
So it was alright.

After saturating ourselves with corndogs and frozen pineapple dessert we thought it was about time to ride something. We had plenty of FPs so we went next door to use one on Jungle Cruise! And here all the DL vets laugh hysterically at our stupidity because Jungle Cruise does not have Fastpass at Disneyland, which I had completely forgotten.

That’s okay, we thought. We’ll go to Pirates and use one there instead.

Except that Pirates doesn’t have Fastpass either! The wait wasn’t terrible so we hopped in line. I tried to do dark ride photos for the first time (pretty sure I really annoyed the lady in front of me). I got a couple to turn out but I still need to practice more.

​

When we got out the JC line had gone down a little so we went back there and rode. I didn’t write anything down about the ride so I guess that means it was perfectly average.

By then it was getting on two o’clock so we moseyed over to Tomorrowland. Well I thought we moseyed but we must have scurried because we got there a little early. We walked around Tomorrowland to kill time and by the time we got back the FP window had opened up. There was only one other couple there at the time and we decided to ride with them (actually I’m pretty sure it was @TNjester and his wife!).

I don’t remember where our flight took us, but I specifically remember that it landed in Batuu. Which was completely perfect because our next stop was…Batuu! That’s right, it was finally time to make our way to the Black Spire Outpost.

 

[dolewhipdreams]

And to wrap up this update I'm just going to dump a bunch of photos from that morning that I couldn't find a good spot for in the TR. So enjoy Ann's Disneyland Photofest Vol. 1

​

 

[pkondz]

(and they told us again to stay cool).

Cause that worked out so well last time.

I really wanted to do my hair and my makeup and look extra cute. With a 6:30 call time I knew that was NOT going to happen.

So you skip the hair and makeup and settle for just extra cute. Got it.

We found out there were a few people who didn’t want to get up that early and would rather sleep.

I don't understand. You paid extra... to sleep? Do that at home!!

We could take all the pictures we wanted as long as we didn’t take any of their vehicles.

Huh. Interesting. Hadn't thought of that.

​

Whoa... Not just empty... but really empty!

By far my favourite photo of the entire update.

We completed our photo session (and of course I took longer than everyone else because I just kept taking pictures)

Good!

First off the characters were so random. Here’s everyone who hung out with us: Geppetto, Captain Hook, Dale (but not Chip), Rafiki, Eeyore, Max, Minnie, and the aforementioned Fairy Godmother. That mix in itself should tell you how awesome the meal was.

Wow! That's quite the eclectic mix!

The best interaction for sure was between Hook and Max, who pretended to get in fights most of the time.

My favorite was when Max was inside and Hook was outside and they were making fun of each other through the window.

Love that!

Air guitars were involved.

You're the coolest person I know.

Though he’s got to be careful to make sure he’s picking with the correct hand or there could be trouble…

Perfect!

​

awwww!!! This pic hit me in the feels.

We followed the Paddle of Power

The what?

One story the guides told us was that sometimes when celebrities start having people chase them then they’re allowed to go backstage to get away from the crowds, but they make them put on close toed shoes.

I'm kinda finding that hard to believe.
"I'm sorry Mr./Mrs. Major celebrity, but you have to put these boots on before you can escape the 3,000 paparazzi...

So we walked down the exit and for the first time in my life I got to pass through one of the doors that said Cast Members Only. I swear the angels sang.

Cool!

The mechanic explained to us how maintenance works for the rides and a little bit about the hydraulic system for the vehicle.

I'd be really interested in that.

Then it was Jon’s turn. And he broke it.

We split back up into our two small groups and our group went over to the Matterhorn

Still haven't been on it...

I actually don’t like the Matterhorn that much because of how bumpy it is

… and not sure if I wanna.

Not even a little bit excited????

I forgot how short Peter Pan is but it’s such a cute ride.

Love that ride. It's in my top... oh... 4-5.

These are great!!

As part of the Backstage Magic trip you get to visit Walt’s apartment above the fire station.

Whoa...

who mentioned that she had been at the park when Walt was still around. How many people can say that??

Not many anymore. He died over 50 years ago. Who works for more than 50 years at the same job???
(Disney people. That's who.)

“Just imagine, 64 years ago today Walt was standing right here looking out there and watching his dreams come true.”

Oh man I lost it.

Wow.

Instead we went out into the wild equipped with 5 anytime FPs, plus an additional FP for Star Tours at 2pm which we could ride as a group.

Score!

the Little Red Wagon. It was corn dog time, baby.

Dang it! I've had that on my list for years and still haven't!!!!

Holy crap!

We had plenty of FPs so we went next door to use one on Jungle Cruise! And here all the DL vets laugh hysterically at our stupidity because Jungle Cruise does not have Fastpass at Disneyland, which I had completely forgotten.

Well, I wouldn't have known, either...

That’s okay, we thought. We’ll go to Pirates and use one there instead.

Except that Pirates doesn’t have Fastpass either!

I got a couple to turn out but I still need to practice more.

Pretty good.
Dark + moving + on a boat! + probably not an ultrafast lens?... = tough shot.

So enjoy Ann's Disneyland Photofest Vol. 1

Thanks for those. I especially liked the very first one.

 

[dolewhipdreams]

Cause that worked out so well last time.

They must have amazingly short memories...

Whoa... Not just empty... but really empty!

Yeah. This isn't Disney After Hours or one hour after park closing "empty" where when you say empty you mean just slightly less full of the masses.

It was actually empty empty. Sooo cool.

By far my favourite photo of the entire update.

When else can you get a picture like that???

The what?

The Paddle of Power is the orange paddle that says Adventures by Disney that the guides hold up so that we know where we're going and so that the other people around us know that we are cooler than them.

I'm kinda finding that hard to believe.
"I'm sorry Mr./Mrs. Major celebrity, but you have to put these boots on before you can escape the 3,000 paparazzi...

I just imagine a shoe closet somewhere back there where the rich and famous can pick out their close toed shoes while they hide from the mob

… and not sure if I wanna.

It's rough and definitely not my favorite. I would have been okay not riding it at all but since we got to skip the line I figured why not

Not many anymore. He died over 50 years ago. Who works for more than 50 years at the same job???
(Disney people. That's who.)

I think she was a kid when he was still around so she didn't work there yet, just went to the parks a lot and then worked there. Or maybe she was a teen right when he died. IDK but it's cool!

Dang it! I've had that on my list for years and still haven't!!!!

They're The Best

Dark + moving + on a boat! + probably not an ultrafast lens?... = tough shot.

Yeah I don't remember my exact settings but it was like ISO 3600 or something at a 2.8 f stop and I think the fastest I could make my shutter and still get any kind of light was like 1/80. Without a full frame it's really tough!

 

[SimplyGoofy]

What an amazing morning! (Do I say that for every segment of your report? Probably... )

Thanks to some PPO breakfasts I've been in parks with very few people... but never with practically NO people! What amazing pictures! Your breakfast also looks great - it's like Crystal Palace on steroids with all those random characters!

Between seeing Walt's apartment (how incredible!) and all those anytime Fastpasses - what a great way to do Disneyland! I've been impressed with your trip thus far but I think it's this update that has me thinking... "I need to do this tour!" I'm not even one for tours but this whole lineup is fantastic!

I can't wait to see what else is in store.

 

[dolewhipdreams]

Do I say that for every segment of your report? Probably... )

Well every segment of the trip was amazing so that would make sense!

What amazing pictures

I took sooo many. I just kept thinking "Man when's the next time I'm going to be able to get this shot??"

Your breakfast also looks great - it's like Crystal Palace on steroids with all those random characters!

I've never been to Crystal Palace (Jon doesn't care for character meals) but yeah this breakfast was amazing. The food and the fun both!

I'm not even one for tours but this whole lineup is fantastic!

I wasn't sure how I would feel about a tour either since we like doing our own thing. But I'm coming around to the idea of tours, especially when they're led by ABD, because you get so much access to things you wouldn't normally and there's someone there to answer your questions and feed you information. It's amazing!

 

[pkondz]

They must have amazingly short memories...

They hire people with disabilities at Disney, you know.

When else can you get a picture like that???

I don't know!!!!

The Paddle of Power is the orange paddle that says Adventures by Disney that the guides hold up so that we know where we're going and so that the other people around us know that we are cooler than them.

Ohhh!!!

I just imagine a shoe closet somewhere back there where the rich and famous can pick out their close toed shoes while they hide from the mob

Next time, ask to see the hidden shoe closet.

It's rough and definitely not my favorite. I would have been okay not riding it at all but since we got to skip the line I figured why not

I'd have to decide on a day to day basis... risk it? Or not?

I think she was a kid when he was still around so she didn't work there yet, just went to the parks a lot and then worked there. Or maybe she was a teen right when he died. IDK but it's cool!

Still counts whether working there or not.

Yeah I don't remember my exact settings but it was like ISO 3600 or something at a 2.8 f stop and I think the fastest I could make my shutter and still get any kind of light was like 1/80. Without a full frame it's really tough!

So not a super fast lens, but a fairly fast one anyways. Fixed f2.8? Or tele? I keep pondering getting a full frame, but... it's another $3,000+. Just for the body. Ouch.

 

[dolewhipdreams]

So not a super fast lens, but a fairly fast one anyways. Fixed f2.8? Or tele? I keep pondering getting a full frame, but... it's another $3,000+. Just for the body. Ouch.

It's a zoom lens. I have a 35mm f1.8 prime but I don't use it that often. It probably would have been a better lens on that ride but I don't think I carried it that day. My normal lens is a 16-80mm f/2.8 so it's versatile enough that I don't usually carry a second lens. I'm also lazy and the idea of changing the lens annoys me.

 

[missangelalexis]

What an amazing day!! Those empty pics in the morning would be worth it alone- you took so many great ones!

I love the Plaza Inn breakfast- so many cool characters!

Ugh and getting to see Walt's apartment? So special!

 

[dolewhipdreams]

What an amazing day!! Those empty pics in the morning would be worth it alone- you took so many great ones!

I love the Plaza Inn breakfast- so many cool characters!

Ugh and getting to see Walt's apartment? So special!

It was so an awesome morning! From the empty park to an amazing breakfast to all the cool behind the scenes stuff... It's hard to pick which day I liked most between this one and Imagineering!

 

[pkondz]

My normal lens is a 16-80mm f/2.8 so it's versatile enough that I don't usually carry a second lens. I'm also lazy and the idea of changing the lens annoys me.

Nice lens!

 

[dolewhipdreams]

Bright suns, y’all

In all my planning I had intentionally avoided video or detailed photos from SWGE so that I could experience it all first hand. I tried to only learn and look at as much as it took to make a successful game plan. And wow. Guys it’s so cool.

[It's also very photogenic]​

I know by now that it’s not really breaking news to anyone but when we went it had been open less than two months. It still had that new ship smell.

We walked around and took it all in, noticing details and staring up in wonder. We didn’t have too much time to do that, though, because we had a reservation at Oga’s to make! It was time to get space crunk.

We checked in for our reservation and were handed a menu while we waited in line. I didn’t write down how long we had to wait but I feel like it was around 15 minutes, which was plenty of time to decide what we wanted. When we got called in we ended up at the bar. Well, we ended up near the bar. They were actually placing people two deep at the bar and they told us when we were ready to grab the bartenders attention and if we saw space at the actual bar open up then we could take it.

Not very Disney-like but okay.

At first I wasn’t sure how I felt about being at the bar because my feet would much rather have had us seated. But one unexpected upside to the bar was that it had the best lighting, because the bar itself is lit up.

​

When the bartender came over I asked them if I could please have a Yub Nub but in a regular glass, not the souvenir mug (which is a thing I ask for all the time at other Disney bars). But they told me that if I wanted that drink then I had to get the souvenir mug. But at $44 it was definitely not worth it (although I’ll admit I thought about it. But Jon gave me the look and I knew it would be best to decline). So instead I went with the Fuzzy Tauntaun and Jon got the Hyperdrive. There was another drink he wanted but they were out of it.

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Both drinks were really good and the foam definitely made my lips tingle. I highly recommend it! I’m going to make a reservation for when I go back in November (Ann, remember to make a bet on whether or not you get this posted in time for November. Woohoo I did post it in time!) so I can try some more drinks, because nothing says classy lady that has her life together quite like drinking alone in a Star Wars bar.

After finishing up our drinks we walked around, taking pictures and videos and just kind of browsing. We listened to some of Rex’s sets and I’m so glad we stuck around because he ended up playing a remix of the song from the Cantina in A New Hope.

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We left Oga’s and then left SWGE altogether. We knew we would have most of our last day to come back and hang out so we wanted to take advantage of our FPs while we had them.

The best plan of action for us was to hop over to DCA (for the first time on this trip). First thing we did was go grab a paper FP for Guardians of the Galaxy, since our FPs didn’t count for that ride that day. FPs in hand we went back to Pixar Pier.

The last time we were at DCA it was still called Paradise Pier so it was really neat to see it all Pixar-ed up. I wasn’t super sure how I would feel about it since I loved the feel of Paradise Pier so much. All in all I don’t mind the Pixar. It makes it fun and colorful, which I’m all about.

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Our first ride at DCA was the Incredicoaster, which was fun! But mostly it was fun because it’s a thrilling roller coaster. I feel like the overlay could have been so much better. It just felt really slapped together. But hey I’ll take Disney coasters when I can get them.

Next we went right next door to ride TSMM. We went back and forth with who was in the lead. One round it would be me, then the next it would be Jon. It was really neck and neck but I pulled through in the final round and won!

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Floating on air from my victory, we left Pixar Pier and cruised on over to Radiator Springs to do a little racing. I love Radiator Springs so much. Not only is the ride incredible, but the theming is some of Disney’s best. It also brings back a lot of nostalgia for me because I remember watching Cars with my little brothers over and over again when they were young.

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After winning our race it was time to park hop once again (man I seriously love how easy it is to park hop, especially since you don’t have to go through security every time you do it), since we wanted to get a decent spot for the special birthday cavalcade they were doing that day.

But first I wanted to get a photo of my outfit and I thought in front of Ariel's Undersea Adventure would be thematically appropriate, but there was no good spot. So I just picked a spot and asked Jon to stand in my place so I could check the lighting. Doesn't he make a great test subject?

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When we got back over to DL we found a decent spot in the shade, on a walkway from the hub toward the Matterhorn. It would have been an amazing spot, had the parade been traveling the other way. As it was, with the sun where it was in the sky, all my photos are backlit. BUT that didn’t make the parades any less cool! Here are some highlights of the cavalcade:

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The cavalcade was pretty much just a bunch of characters and a lot of them were fairly rare. We didn’t realize that the cavalcade was going to stop in the hub and do a little performance thing, so we weren’t able to watch that since it was around the corner. Oh well!

After the cavalcade we stayed put because the final Mickey’s Soundsational Parade was going to start soon! I’d seen the parade once before but Jon never had. It’s not my favorite parade, but it’s a decent one as far as Disney parades go and it was cool to see the very last one.

As the parade was reaching us a CM darted out and took off running down the parade route. Like a full-on sprint, wither her radio pack bumping up and down. I have absolutely no idea what was going on but she was on. it.

When the parade came into view a little girl next to me pulled on her mom’s arm and said “Look Mama, a fiesta!” and it was probably the cutest thing ever.

Other than that, I don’t have any notes on the parade. If I remember correctly the family next to me kept sticking their phones out really far to get video, which naturally got in my shot. I think I was still able to take quite a few good ones. And since this was the very last Soundsational, I’ll go ahead and share way more here than any of you probably asked for or wanted. I'll post those all in a separate post so you can ignore them if you don't enjoy parades or fun things in life.

When the parade/fiesta was finished we hopped parks once more because we were hungry again and we knew the only thing that would satisfy us were some carb-filled bread cones from the wonderful Cozy Cone Café. I got my favorite, the bacon mac and cheese, and Jon got chili cone queso. Both were delectable and this was the first time I was actually able to eat the whole thing. Mmm I can taste it now.

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While we were eating we got a text from Trevor that said some people from the group were meeting up later to ride some rides. But first we needed to help our favorite Guardians break out.

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As ugly as the ride building is, I absolutely love this ride. It’s so fun and thrilling and I can’t help but feel super happy when I come off of it, which I feel like is the end goal for any Disney attraction.

The group was meeting in Disneyland so we hopped again to meet up with them. As we walked through town square we were behind a really big group of high school students that kind of had the band kid look about them (as a former band kid, I feel like I’m allowed to describe other band kids as such).

The Disneyland Band came marching out in front of us and the band kids and they were playing Hey Baby, which I’m pretty sure every pep band in the world has to play in order to qualify as a pep band. Anyway, my suspicion that they were band kids was confirmed when one of them heard the song and said “Excuse me, what? Excuse me, WHAT?” and they all started singing along.

Now, granted, you don’t have to be a band kid to sing along to Hey Baby, but I stand by my assessment.

We got to the meeting spot just in time and there were a handful of others there. The wait for Buzz was pretty short so we decided to take a shot (get it? Because you shoot…lasers…) at defeating Zurg. Trevor used to be an attractions CM on the ride so he told us his tips and tricks, which I promptly put into practice to dominate Jon once again.

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Zurg defeated, we all realized we had at least one FP left so we decided to ride BTMRR. Trevor told us about The Goat Trick, which I had never previously heard of (those CMs coming in clutch, I tell ya). In case you are like I was and are ignorant of the goat trick, it is simple. At the top of one of the lifts there is a goat. Then you go down the hill and it’s one of those hills that curves. The trick is to keep your eye on the goat for as long as possible. It makes the drop feel weird since you are focused toward the center rather than the front.

And now you know.

As we were going down another drop that passed near a viewing area Trevor started yelling, “Mom, mom, mom, hey mom!” just to see how many people would turn to look.

That Trevor is a hoot, y’all. I don’t think I’ve ever laughed so much on BTMRR.

After the ride Trevor had to skedaddle so that he could get some stuff prepped for later. The group decided to split up and Jon and I went to use our final FP at iasw (I checked beforehand to confirm that it did indeed have FP). It’s such a lovely ride at DL, and so long. I like the outdoor parts near where you load and unload, and I love the Disney characters scattered throughout.

It wasn’t quite time for fireworks yet but there also wasn’t enough time to really do anything else so we headed toward our meetup spot for the fireworks, figuring we could just sit on the ground and chill for a little bit. Which is exactly what we did.

But the guides surprised us with some birthday cake Rice Krispie treats as a way to continue the birthday festivities. Birthday cake is one of my favorite flavors ever and I was STOKED, but I didn’t eat it right away because, ya know, braces.

Our fireworks spot was superb thanks to the magic of ABD. Just like for Fantasmic! we had a lot more space than we needed, which was perfect for dance parties (of which we had many). The show that night was Disneyland Forever, which was the show they created for the 60th birthday. Neither of us went during the 60th so it was a new show for us.

It’s a super fun show, with lots of music and fireworks. The coolest part is when Tink comes out because she actually stays out there for quite a while and even goes back and forth. Nemo also swam around up there for a bit.

I didn’t take too many pictures because I’m not good at fireworks photos and also if it’s my first time seeing something I would rather just enjoy it. So here’s what you get.

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The show was over but we weren’t quite finished for the night- we still had room for another snack. We decided to brave the crowds at Gibson Girl for some ice cream. Jon got a cookie sundae and I got a root beer float, which is quickly becoming my Main Street ice cream go-to. All the seating was taken so we squatted on the window ledge outside. I also took advantage and finally ate my Rice Krispie treat. Sooo delicious.

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With our tummies full the only thing left to do was drag our exhausted selves back to the hotel! It had been a long, full, and wonderful day celebrating 64 years of Disneyland magic.

 

[dolewhipdreams]

Ann's Disneyland Photofest Vol 2

[Punzie was cheezing it up for me. I love it]







































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