Chapter 10 (attempt 2): Disney California Adventure : Tuesday May 12th
Even though DL will always be our truer love, everything seemed to go so well on this day that it was probably the best over all of our trip, even though no one moment really stood out as a top 5 event of our trip.
Today we decided that it was our best shot to start at DCA, because DL had magic morning and opened an hour earlier, that meant that morning crowds had a good shot of all being over there, with people coming to DCA in the afternoon, because once again, DL was closing at 7:30pm
We started, yet again with a hotel breakfast, good enough, and with enough food service sausage to build a veritable log cabin. We than hurried to the parks to meet our Disney angel
again, still not her real photo
because of timing and things we were a little later to the park than we meant to be, she was wonderful and since she knew what park we were headed to today, she went ahead and got in line, and saved us a spot.
We got in at 9:45 (the park opened at 10am that morning)
I rushed ahead, as much as I could to get RSR FP for our group before heading to Toy Story Midway Mania
(not my photo, but it was just like this) it was plenty crowded, CinderellaLove and 'C' stayed back to wait till the crowds died down.
they got some good photos and tried to ignore the crowd pressing in around them.
As the rope drop processional moved forward, I moved in the lump of people to the RSR FP area, I had a FP by 10:05, and it was already for the 11:35 hour. Not a problem for us at all, just shocking how fast those FP ran through.
On our way to TSMM we saw another photographer, so we stopped
and got our second (and sadly last) magic shot photo.
then we rushed to TSMM, this was new since our last visit, I had low expectations of it, I had been told it is like a longer version of Astro Blasters, which is true enough, but the themeing and game play on this are so much better,
'C' posed with a couple of the attraction posters.
since it was a first ride of the day we probably only had to wait about 15 or so minutes (I'm sure it would have been faster if we didn't stop for the FP and photo.
as I mentioned the ride was amazingly fun, and the technology was very impressive, here is my score:
I'm sure it is terrible, but it was better than either of their scores
, I probably would not have done as well if I were trying to instruct 'C' After mild debate (and a bathroom/drink break) 'C' and I headed to Mickey's Wheel of death (Mickey's fun Wheel, sliding gondolas)
'C' kept going on and on about how much he needed to go on the Tower of Terror, while CinderellaLove and myself have intentionally kept a very healthy distance from it, since it opened. I have rarely heard of people liking the Wheel of Death, but for some reason have wanted to ride on it since way back when it was the Sun Wheel. I've never been able to convince anyone to go on it with me. (CinderellaLove having had a near death experience on a lap bar only Farris wheel as a child)
I've herd of countless thrill seekers who swear they will never go on that ride again, and figured that if I told 'C' that this was a lot less scary than TOT he would not insist on riding that.
When we got on, we saw this:
I imagined that TOT discussion would end with this ride and a thoroughly shaken child.
No such luck. Neither he, nor I found the ride to be the least bit frightening or nauseating (perhaps they would not be necessary if there were no alcohol in the park) this only encouraged him further, as he was not even a little bothered by this legendarily frightening ride.
At least I found a new favorite ride at the park.
by now it was around 11:30 (I don't know where the time kept going on this trip) and our FP were coming up for RSR. We stopped at California Screamin' it only had a 25 minute wait, but we were all eager to return to cars land, and didn't want to miss our FP time, so we pulled a FP for Screamin' and went to RSR,
This time we got the ride photo
We made sure 'C' got to be the 'driver,' incidentally we won the race. (the night before it was so dark and crazy that we didn't figure out who won)
Since it was already noon, (and our lunch reservations were for 2) we got a quick snack at the Cozy Cone. 'C' got at cone shaped cookie, we got a regular pop-cone, and Doc's Wild Grape Tonic
Basically it is grape juice mixed with sprite, but the grape flavored foam was really fun on top, like a grape whipped cream!
because of how time had been moving for us, we decided that it would be smart to relocate to Hollywood Land until lunch, we went on the Monsters inc. ride and checked out Off the Page, (where I was sad to not find the disney park attraction poster pack, which I later was told was out of stock on the whole resort)
Suddenly somehow it was 2pm and time for our lunch.
The decorations were almost all up for the 60th. 'C' was very impressed by the grandeur of the restaurant. It makes him feel important to eat at fancy places. (me too I suppose) I really enjoyed the high level of theaming.
The frescoes really evoked the feel of Snow White, without being blatant, or childish.
Our World of Color menu was Prix Fixe, so our options were somewhat limited, I felt bad for 'C' who wanted to eat here so badly, the adult menu had a Burger, which his 'C's favorite food, but the child menu did not, and was not in our opinion, particularly child friendly.
He started with the Roasted Creamy Tomato Soup
CinderellaLove and I both had the Lemongrass Coconut Broth
we agreed that the tomato soup was very much like my homemade creamy tomato soup, but without garlic or fresh basil, and the Lemongrass Coconut Broth, was nearly the same taste as my homemade buttered yellow curry, just with pork and noodles instead of chicken and rice.
As I mentioned before, we were both very concerned that the food we ate out would be disappointing, finding that it tasted like homemade with fresh ingredients was a pleasant outcome.
For dinner 'C' had the seasonal fish, which was a lightly disappointing citrus crusted salmon. Flavorful, but a bit dry and too much salt in the rub.
(not exactly kid friendly, even if he did eat half of it)
CinderellaLove got the aforementioned burger
Which was a phenomenal burger and everything a fantastic burger should be, including hand made pickles (you can tell) and ripe heirloom tomatoes. She ended up sharing a lot of her fires with 'C' I got the short rib sandwich, which also came with fries. The fries were good, all of them crispy, but nothing particularly special. (I will perhaps forever miss the salt and pepper shoestrings from Award Weiners)
Also CinderellaLove and I ordered the Pomegranate Lemonade, (which I am convinced is the exact same thing as the 'Practically Perfect Punch' from Jolly Holiday since they pulled out an Odwalla bottle of Pomegranate Lemonade after we ordered that). CinderellaLove and I both thought it was WAY too strong, so we asked for it to be cut 50% with Sprite, which produced a very good combination.
As a rule we found that the service was rather lacking, but we were pleased that the waitress did come back one time to refill our drinks, and had a special pitcher of our drink blend just for us.
For dessert there were only two options, the Valrhona Milk Chocolate Crème Brûlée Tart
which CinderellaLove got, and the Meyer Lemon and Macadamia Nut Semifreddo
which I got, lemon being my favorite desert flavor.
'C' got a simple scoop of vanilla bean ice cream.
CinderellaLove and I had mixed feelings about the meal. The restaurant feels completely removed from the theme park experience. besides balloons, backpacks and patrons in tank tops, I might have believed we were eating in an exclusive Napa restaurant on a Friday evening. but the service was rather inattentive, and despite the quality, the prices still felt high. Since we paid with gift cards I left a cash tip. The meal cost more than $100 but I could not see leaving even a 15% tip, nor could I see how that is considered fair, (this person who must have had at least 6 tables in the hour she served us would stand to make $50-75 an hour in tips alone, and for disappointing service) I left $10 feeling both that I was cheated, and that if anyone knew I would be highly scorned.
When we left we headed to the Animation Academy, because that is where our angel works, and we hoped to catch her in action. She was said to be on rotation when we went, but sadly was not on staff for our session.
still, it was very fun and I was surprised how well our pictures turned out, especially 'C's considering that he is only 6 and has not tried drawing before this.
Alas, this left me in Hollywood Land, and out of excuses. 'C' still really wanted to go on the Tower of Terror.
as we walked to our execution... I mean the ride.... CinderellaLove backed out, with my permission, I don't know what I expected, but there seemed to be very little of the line in the building. 'C' loved the creepy ambiance and I held him up so he could watch the video. In short order we got to the elevator, we were both anxious as it moved around, showing the 'pre-show' and I was very surprised that it was over so quickly .
When I got off I told CinderellaLove that it only seemed that we dropped a few floors and nothing like what it looks from the outside. Still I was done, glad it was over and had no desire to ride it ever again. 'C' however declared that it was his absolutely favorite ride we had been on thus far.
Now it was nearly 4 and we really wanted to get on Grizzly River Run before it got too late for us to dry off. but just as we got to the spinning platform, we were told there was a problem with the ride, and it was shut down, and we had to leave.
we headed to little mermaid (since that was close and CinderellaLove and I have been interested in riding it since it was diagrammed on the DVD release years ago. (CinderellaLove and I were both glad they got rid of the creepy Woopi Emmy thing) then we headed back to the Raft ride.
apparently a group had been stuck on the up-ramp for over a half hour and one man in particular was stuck under the 'leaking pipe' for the whole time, unable to move, I couldn't believe his poor luck.
we waited about 10 more minutes in the area and saw the ride finally moving, people were getting free!
We rode it, and CinderellaLove was rather wet, she and 'C' got Ponchos and we walked on it again! It's my favorite ride in the park, so I was glad for the chance.
Then thoroughly soaked and quite foot weary, CinderellaLove waited in like for WOC, it was now 7pm, 'C' and I went to get Corn dogs for dinner, by way of Goofy's sky school. Which had a 20 minute wait.
I found the ride to be much more terrifying than TOT, it seemed that if I did not hold on tight I would be thrown from the car at every (and there were many) turn!
We than grabbed both a traditional corn dog and a Hot Link
The hot links are a little bigger.
And headed to meet CinderellaLove. The Hot Link was really spicy after more than a bite or 2, but we ate all of them both, shortly after, World of Color began.
I really tried to love it, everyone says it is the best, and better than Fantasmic! but I found it to be a 30 minute long commercial for Disney movies, if failed to tell any kind of a story that I could see, and made a big spectacle of Mufasa dieing in front of Simba with no resolution, just a change in movie clips.
The only part I really liked was the Jack Sparrow portion and the first use of flame throwers (which I was not told to anticipate) After WOC, we trudged back to the entrance to the park in a block of people, and made it back to our hotel to crash, grateful that the next day was our break day.