DisneyDarlingness
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- May 22, 2005
DH (grad student) and I (law student) have just returned from lovely SoCal (79 degrees at 9:30 am this morning!!! Weather so beautiful I hunger for it!)to Boston, where it's currently raining and 40 degrees. We can't wait to move back (I'm originally from SoCal), but visits to my parents twice a year (and to DL!) will have to do for now.
Our DL fun started several days before we actually went to the park for our 1 fun-filled day of rides and fireworks, with trips to DTD. AND--this is the exciting part--I discovered the shopping pass for the first time, despite having lived in SoCal all my life and having been to DL many many times. I desperately wanted those golden ears, and needed adult sizes (what can I say? DH has girthy head, topped with thick luxuriant hair) but they had sold out everywhere except inside the park. I searched DTD, all the hotel gift shops (great places to find stuff that's sold out at World of Disney), and finally went to the newsstand that's part inside and part outside the park, next to guest services. The lady there told me to ask for a shopping pass at guest services, and explained that it was a 1-hour pass to go inside, without paying for admission, for shopping purposes. I got one from the CM, who simply took a credit card imprint and stamped our left hands and gave us 2 passes--I was ECSTATIC!!! I hadn't expected to enter the park that day (5/17/05) and there we were at last!!! Oh, it was beautiful--warm and sunny by that time (a little cloudy in the morning though)--and there were tons of people walking around. The Mad Hatter in Fantasyland was really a mad house--but we noticed the ride lines and posted wait times didn't seem longer than 20-30 mins anywhere. I grabbed 2 pairs of golden ears (but didn't get our names on the back--I've never really been into that. Apparently, nicknames aren't allowed--only biological names) and dashed out, triumphant. We went quickly through the Emporium on Main St. before leaving, to make sure we turned in our passes before the 1 hour was up. Good thing we left a 10 minute margin for error, because the guest services line was longish when we got back and we had to wait to return our passes.
So, the next day, we woke up early--I was so excited I beat the alarm--and got inside the park at around 10:30. I know, not on hand for actual opening, as I had hoped, but I hate to rush in the mornings while on vacation. It wasn't too crowded getting into the parking lot or onto the tram, and inside it didn't seem as crowded as the previous day. But we knew it would fill up in the afternoon (and it did). We went immediately for Astroblasters, as planned, and the wait was only 5 mins--we rode twice. I was soundly beaten by DH both times, despite my prior declarations of certain victory. Must work on marksmanship. DH thought it was brilliant, the way the ride loaded up like Haunted Mansion, or like a ski lift--it really kept the line moving quickly.
Next we headed for the Matterhorn, as it was near by and it had been our favorite ride of the day when we went last year (during the massive refurbishments), when we rode at night with the fireworks lighting up the sky as we spiraled in and out of the mountain--now THAT was cool. Well the line was again, pretty short, about 20 mins or less--and it somehow seemed more intense this time. The abominable snowman totally scared me! It was definitely fun (although DH and I were both like, 'huh, that seemed jerkier than last time!')
After that, DH and I are a little confused as to where we went--it's all blurred together in a haze of joy. We think we went to a couple of the Fantasyland rides, including Alice and the refurbished Snow White. Snow White was always one of the scarier Fantasyland darkrides to me, although maybe my memory exaggerates the fright. Anyway I wouldn't want to go alone in the mining cart. But Alice I love--there was a cute little bird's nest inside one of the tall open petaled flowers on the outside, by the ride tracks. We were lucky and avoided both the drab green and the drab beige colored caterpillars--for some reason I often end up in the ride vehicle I hope to avoid most (like Grumpy on Snow White--no offense to Grumpy fans but I just don't feel Grumpy at DL!) and got a pink one
Snow White we got on right away, but Alice had a 15-20 minute wait.
Then we went to Indiana Jones (DH's favorite!), where the posted wait time was 35 mins. It's not really that long, but we figured we'd fast pass it anyway, since we could, and went for the Jungle Cruise. I'd heard a lot about the new script and stuff so wanted to try it, although I hadn't been on it for like 10 years. Our boat captain, Jack, was excellent--very smooth, perfectly audible, and not overly deadpan or overly gimmicky. DH liked the new bits that I pointed out (he'd never been on it before). I appreciated the fact that none of the various characters you encounter were referred to as "natives" (or worse).
We stopped for a tasty snack--bacon wrapped asparagus at the Bengal BBQ (our fave!) and a shared frozen mocha--then did the Tikki Room, which is something else I hadn't seen for 10 years and that DH has never seen. It was nice, air conditioned--probably not a must-see for us though. Sadly, the Dole Whip machine was still out of commission at this point. I was especially sad because the Dole Whip stand had been closed for the Tikki Room refurb last time, and the day before I had found out it was broken (while in the park on the shopping pass) and had hoped for it to be fixed by now.
But we went off to Pirates, which was fun as usual. Definitely wetter than before! The line was longer than I'm used to (but I've usually gone off-season mid-week), probably 25 mins (and this was probably around 1 pm). We returned to Indy to use our fast passes, but it was temporarily shut down--we figured it'd be up and running again soon though. We headed to Haunted Mansion, where there was no line at all, so we didn't see the headstones, but just waltzed right into the stretching room. It surprised me that there had been a longer-than-expected line for Pirates but no line for HM, as I always thought the two rides were comparably popular.
There was a little more time before our 2:30 PS at Blue Bayou (my first time EVER at BB!!) so we decided to give Splash Mountain a try, since it was pretty hot. The line was 50 mins long, the longest I'd seen (and I'd overheard other ppl mentioning that the longest line was, indeed, at Splash) so we fast passed it and went to Winnie the Pooh instead. I'm a big big heffalump fan and I just love the little heffabees that are poised on the beehive ride vehicles. It was cute--and we both smiled a lot, especially when we passed the actively buzzing beehive as we exited the vehicle. We had to stop at Pooh's corner afterwards, where I considered buying a little beanbag heffabee (as a friend for our own little Heffy at home) but instead bought a Tigger Tail and a smore's marshmallow stick. I know, I know, right before lunch isn't a great time, but I'd read about those Tigger Tails (probably saw them before but never actually tried one) and so I couldn't resist. DH and I were both surprised that the outer candy coating was orange flavored--we expected it just taste like white chocolate. It was good, but not my absolute must-have.
And then, it was time for our first ever Blue Bayou experience! We went back to New Orleans Square, and after an initial mix-up with our 2:30 PS (apparently it was only supposed to be about 10 mins after we checked in that we were to be seated, but 45 mins later we were still waiting...DH got concerned when he started seeing ppl who had arrived after us be seated before us, even large parties of 11, and also other parties of 2...I was not as alert and didn't notice who came before or after us till 30 mins had gone by, so asked the lady I had checked in with, who assured me that we weren't lost in the system, when in fact it turned out we were...but another CM fixed things up right, so it was fine despite my momentary panic and disgruntlement...lesson learned: be persistent and thorough in PS follow-up!) we were seated at 3:30. I had told the hostess who seated us about the mix-up, and asked if it was possible to be served more quickly (we had perused the menu while waiting and had decided on our meals--the monte cristo without question for me, crab cakes for him). She let our waiter know, and he assured us he'd put the order in right away, and emphasized that we shouldn't worry or let it ruin our lunch, as our fast passes wouldn't expire. Mostly I was concerned that the weather would cool down too much for my taste to be wet after Splash Mtn, and that time was going by quickly (especially since the park closed at 9 pm). Seriously, not 2 minutes after our waiter took our order, he returned with the entrees. It was AMAZING. The most efficient, prompt service I've ever received at any dining establishment. We wondered afterward how it was done so quickly--maybe they just took whatever crab cakes or monte cristos they saw on the counter, even if it was originally intended for someone else?! I loved the monte cristo--the batter was so delicate and golden and hot and fresh--and the cheese was good and melty. DH really liked the blackberry jam too. The pasta salad was good in an ordinary way and I was way too full to eat more than two bites of it. DH liked his crab cakes and ate every bite, although I thought it was a little fishy for my taste (but then, I'm not a big seafood fan, except for Legal Seafood). Unfortunately, I can't recall our fabulous waiter's name--he was filling in for our 'real' waitress, who was at lunch--but we tried to show our appreciation with a generous tip and brief written thanks on the receipt. I was super impressed with the food and service (despite reading some lukewarm reviews about the service online). DH suggested that the vastly efficient service had probably almost made up the time we lost while waiting to be seated.
We were both feeling pretty full after this--but decided to brave Indy anyway, since it was running, and who knows when it might go out again? Off we went--into the chamber of riches--and it was a rollicking good time, as always. Fast pass was great! I usually don't need to use it, and forgot how great it feels to zoom by the stand-by line (probably 45 mins) and get on the ride in a mere 7 mins or so.
By this time, it was around 4:20 and Splash Mtn was next. I hoped it wouldn't be too breezy to be wet (I get cold easily), but I hadn't been on Splash in a while (I never go on it when we're there in December on winter break) and really wanted to do it. It was really vibrant and colorful--lotsa fun, especially the music--and the family sharing our log were really enthusiastic about it too, which always increases our own enjoyment Well we got wetter than I remembered on the first dip, but I avoided any severe splashing on the big fall. DH and I sat at the back and he said I blocked him from a lot of the water; I said the lady in front of me blocked me from a lot of the water! She seemed to be dripping fairly well when we exited--and when we stopped to look at the pictures, I was like, "where am I??" Then DH pointed to a photo and said, "oh no, darling! you're behind the woman who was sitting in front of you and she's blocking you so it looks like she's wearing your golden ears!" I looked, and there he was, sitting in the back with his eyes tightly shut, then in front of him was the lady who'd been in front of me, apparently wearing mouse ears. I laughed and laughed--and am laughing now remembering it--everyone who'd been in the log was in the photo but me! Well, being short has its advantages too
Next we trekked over to ToonTown, which I thought would close at 5 or 6 pm, as it did last time, but it turned out to be open till 7:30. I hadn't been there in several years, and of course DH had never been either--and it was like rediscovering it. The theming there is so fun and cute!! I pressed a few buttons at the post office bldg, we went to Donald's boat, but decided to avoid bustling Mickey's house (although I kind of wanted to see the house, even though I had no real desire to meet Mickey). We thought about Roger's Cartoon Spin but then decided against it because of the line (probably 30 mins tops)--something that I want to do next time. It's a fantasyland type ride, isn't it? or it is like bumper cars? I can't remember, although I feel like I've been on it before.
Then we tried to do Mr. Toad, but it broke down while we were in line. So we headed to Big Thunder Mtn RR, which was really fast and fun! We had gone by earlier to find it not operating, but this time it was running and the line was about 15 mins. By this time in the afternoon (5ish) the park looked pretty full, ppl-wise, but not ride-line-wise. I noticed the animals along the RR tracks, but DH was mostly occupied in not squishing me and missed the nice touches (like the rattlesnakes and coyotes and such). It was so funny--at one point on a big curve I really think I was crammed into about 1/58 of the vehicle seat with DH saying things like 'oh my, what acceleration...'.
Afterwards, I was feeling a little colder (see? I told you I get cold easily! living in Boston--so difficult!) so we started making our way back to the lockers to get my jacket. En route, we saw a longish line at the Dole Whip stand. DH said, 'you can get in line while I check to see if they have Dole Whips.' so i did and he did and guess what??? they had them!!!! I was like, 'did you actually see the machine spinning?' and DH said well, he'd seen the CM standing in front of the machine and seen ppl walking away with what looked like soft serve in cups...I totally leaped for joy and punched the air with clenched fists. Okay maybe no punching but definitely there was leaping. Finally!!! I had given up on the Dole Whip for the day, but now I wasn't planning on getting out of line until I had one. I just love how it's mysteriously not dairy-tasting--if anyone knows what's actually in it, I'd love to find out. Is there, or isn't there, dairy in the Dole Whip? I guess I could've asked the CM, but she was working so hard to serve both the line inside the Tikki Room waiting area and the outside line, and putting in more mix, and working the cash register, I felt really bad for her and also was too excited to get the Dole Whip to ask. The line did move slowly, but of course it wasn't the CM's fault--I just wonder why Disney doesn't seize the opportunity to make more money off the Dole Whip by offering it in more locations or at least putting another employee or machine in there. DH suggested that limiting its availability to just the one location makes it an extra special treat, but I was thinking that the ppl who really like Dole Whips wouldn't stop liking them just because they're easier to get! At least I would continue to adore those tasty Dole Whips. Anyway, we finally got them, after about 30-35 mins (the longest we'd waited for anything, other than our Blue Bayou lunch!) we sat on a bench near the Carnation plaza (I forget its real name) and really savored those Dole Whips (DH had a float).
We wanted to get to the lockers before the parade cut us off, so I was still working on my Dole Whip when we set off--I was momentarily detained by fascinating store merchandise along the way (as always happens to me!) but eventually we got to the lockers. When we came back out, the parade was just hitting Main St., and although I usually don't stop to watch parades, I'd heard the hype for this one, and the first floats caught my eye. We ended up watching all the floats behind the throngs of ppl. It was neat--not something I need to see again, but good.
Next we decided go to Tomorrowland and we got in the line for Star Tours (20 mins, 7:40ish) but I knew that DH wasn't really into Star Tours. 'Are you sure you want to do Star Tours?' I asked. 'Well, I thought you liked it.' I assured him I'd been on it many times, and didn't really really have to go on it. 'Well, honestly, I think it's kind of boring actually.' So we got out of the Star Tours line and went over to Fantasyland to do more of those rides, which DH and I both love. We saw Mr. Toad was back up so we did that one (my personal favorite, along with Alice). AND we got the Mr. Toad car, and not Ratty like last time (although I have nothing personal against Rat as he is a true friend, but the word just has such negative connotations to me), narrowly escaping the Weasel car just behind us. It was overall a good day for getting ideal ride vehicles But here's a question: why are some of the cars called "Mr. Toad," while others are called "Toady"? Perhaps one refers to the ride or story title, and the other refers to the character?
Anyway, we tried Peter Pan next (DH's favorite!), despite the perpetually longish line (it looked about 30 mins to me) but found it had just been closed in preparation for the fireworks. The ppl currently in line would of course get to ride. I felt sad for DH, but he said he didn't feel too bad about missing it, even though he really loves flying over the sparking lights of London--he's good that way Since it was about 8 pm now, we decided to just do one last ride--Pinocchio--before staking out our spots on Main St. for the fireworks.
The fireworks I had heard the most about, out of all the posts and news concerning the 50th celebration. I was really expecting a lot, and after plopping down on the nicely warm pavement in the Hub next to a bunch of families with strollers, we settled in for a nice rest and wait. The time went by pretty quickly, actually (and I remember the waiting seeming to last forever when I was a kid!) and when it started, I was just astonished. I won't say too much here, as full details and video clips of the whole show can be found elsewhere online, but it completely lived up to all the hype. (Exceeding the hype would be near-impossible, so I don't think 'exceeding' applies, but in this case, it's certainly no disparagement of the show). Oh my gosh, it was suprising and beautiful and musical and sentimental and nostalgic, all in one eyes-skyward mouth-agape ball. DH afterwards admitted that he'd teared up more than once and had rippling goose bumps almost the whole time. I didn't tear up, but my heart definitely soared. Oh, it's really seriously not to be missed. And I took the excellent advice of others who had said (online) to be sure to position yourself in view of the Matterhorn as well as the full frontol view of the castle. That worked out well despite minor tree blockage in front of the Matterhorn.
I had already decided against buying the 2 disc Happiest Homecoming on Earth music (that apparently is available only inside DL, for about $25) but after the show, I asked the CMs in one of the Main St. stores where I could get the show soundtrack, and when they told me it was only on the 2 disc set and the 6 disc set, I bought the 2 disc set without hesitation. And it was WORTH it! We listened to both CDs several times the following few days, and it just makes you feel like you're in DL, and often, on an actual ride. Ooh I love it!
The fireworks ended the day, and the masses of ppl inching slowly out via Main St. cut down on shopping time. I didn't realize they always strictly close down all the shops exactly 1 hour after the park closes, so unfortunately dawdled at less-essential shops and never made it to the Emporium. BUT, I did manage to visit the Confectionary for a Mickey crisped rice treat, and I did find out about getting that Pirates attraction poster (the one that's on display in the little archway on the right, from the main entrace onto Main St.) at World of Disney (or the Disney Gallery), from a nice CM at Disneyana, even though it was already 10 mins after closing and we were lingering in the store.
It was really a happy day--and I still have all my purchases to look over and remind me of all the fun! I now have that cool blue retro watch (which makes me smile every time I see it in the mirror, especially at a short distance when the blue is really bright and fun), the dot magnets with the little retro ride icons (we've been dropping and breaking our magnets or finding them too weak to hold up our papers on the fridge), a Pluto pen and the golden mouse ears pen, the golden Dumbo pin, the golden Mr. Toad pin, a really fantastic Alice pin with a moveable cheshire cat and a moveable white rabbit (found it in the Fantasia hotel gift shop and didn't see it anywhere else, ever, on this whole trip, although it's an open edition), the cardboard-type silver license plate frame w/ the retro character icons, and I traded for a few excellent pins (including a baby pegasus from hercules, which I was told can only be gotten at WDW, a jessica rabbit (love her!) pin, and a cute round donald duck pin originally from the cruise line).AND we got that Pirates attraction poster at World of Disney--you can pick from a bunch of different posters on a computer screen and they print it out for you!
I love Disneyland--and I really love SoCal. Can't wait to move back and become an AP holder!!
Thanks for reading!
Our DL fun started several days before we actually went to the park for our 1 fun-filled day of rides and fireworks, with trips to DTD. AND--this is the exciting part--I discovered the shopping pass for the first time, despite having lived in SoCal all my life and having been to DL many many times. I desperately wanted those golden ears, and needed adult sizes (what can I say? DH has girthy head, topped with thick luxuriant hair) but they had sold out everywhere except inside the park. I searched DTD, all the hotel gift shops (great places to find stuff that's sold out at World of Disney), and finally went to the newsstand that's part inside and part outside the park, next to guest services. The lady there told me to ask for a shopping pass at guest services, and explained that it was a 1-hour pass to go inside, without paying for admission, for shopping purposes. I got one from the CM, who simply took a credit card imprint and stamped our left hands and gave us 2 passes--I was ECSTATIC!!! I hadn't expected to enter the park that day (5/17/05) and there we were at last!!! Oh, it was beautiful--warm and sunny by that time (a little cloudy in the morning though)--and there were tons of people walking around. The Mad Hatter in Fantasyland was really a mad house--but we noticed the ride lines and posted wait times didn't seem longer than 20-30 mins anywhere. I grabbed 2 pairs of golden ears (but didn't get our names on the back--I've never really been into that. Apparently, nicknames aren't allowed--only biological names) and dashed out, triumphant. We went quickly through the Emporium on Main St. before leaving, to make sure we turned in our passes before the 1 hour was up. Good thing we left a 10 minute margin for error, because the guest services line was longish when we got back and we had to wait to return our passes.
So, the next day, we woke up early--I was so excited I beat the alarm--and got inside the park at around 10:30. I know, not on hand for actual opening, as I had hoped, but I hate to rush in the mornings while on vacation. It wasn't too crowded getting into the parking lot or onto the tram, and inside it didn't seem as crowded as the previous day. But we knew it would fill up in the afternoon (and it did). We went immediately for Astroblasters, as planned, and the wait was only 5 mins--we rode twice. I was soundly beaten by DH both times, despite my prior declarations of certain victory. Must work on marksmanship. DH thought it was brilliant, the way the ride loaded up like Haunted Mansion, or like a ski lift--it really kept the line moving quickly.
Next we headed for the Matterhorn, as it was near by and it had been our favorite ride of the day when we went last year (during the massive refurbishments), when we rode at night with the fireworks lighting up the sky as we spiraled in and out of the mountain--now THAT was cool. Well the line was again, pretty short, about 20 mins or less--and it somehow seemed more intense this time. The abominable snowman totally scared me! It was definitely fun (although DH and I were both like, 'huh, that seemed jerkier than last time!')
After that, DH and I are a little confused as to where we went--it's all blurred together in a haze of joy. We think we went to a couple of the Fantasyland rides, including Alice and the refurbished Snow White. Snow White was always one of the scarier Fantasyland darkrides to me, although maybe my memory exaggerates the fright. Anyway I wouldn't want to go alone in the mining cart. But Alice I love--there was a cute little bird's nest inside one of the tall open petaled flowers on the outside, by the ride tracks. We were lucky and avoided both the drab green and the drab beige colored caterpillars--for some reason I often end up in the ride vehicle I hope to avoid most (like Grumpy on Snow White--no offense to Grumpy fans but I just don't feel Grumpy at DL!) and got a pink one
Snow White we got on right away, but Alice had a 15-20 minute wait.Then we went to Indiana Jones (DH's favorite!), where the posted wait time was 35 mins. It's not really that long, but we figured we'd fast pass it anyway, since we could, and went for the Jungle Cruise. I'd heard a lot about the new script and stuff so wanted to try it, although I hadn't been on it for like 10 years. Our boat captain, Jack, was excellent--very smooth, perfectly audible, and not overly deadpan or overly gimmicky. DH liked the new bits that I pointed out (he'd never been on it before). I appreciated the fact that none of the various characters you encounter were referred to as "natives" (or worse).
We stopped for a tasty snack--bacon wrapped asparagus at the Bengal BBQ (our fave!) and a shared frozen mocha--then did the Tikki Room, which is something else I hadn't seen for 10 years and that DH has never seen. It was nice, air conditioned--probably not a must-see for us though. Sadly, the Dole Whip machine was still out of commission at this point. I was especially sad because the Dole Whip stand had been closed for the Tikki Room refurb last time, and the day before I had found out it was broken (while in the park on the shopping pass) and had hoped for it to be fixed by now.
But we went off to Pirates, which was fun as usual. Definitely wetter than before! The line was longer than I'm used to (but I've usually gone off-season mid-week), probably 25 mins (and this was probably around 1 pm). We returned to Indy to use our fast passes, but it was temporarily shut down--we figured it'd be up and running again soon though. We headed to Haunted Mansion, where there was no line at all, so we didn't see the headstones, but just waltzed right into the stretching room. It surprised me that there had been a longer-than-expected line for Pirates but no line for HM, as I always thought the two rides were comparably popular.
There was a little more time before our 2:30 PS at Blue Bayou (my first time EVER at BB!!) so we decided to give Splash Mountain a try, since it was pretty hot. The line was 50 mins long, the longest I'd seen (and I'd overheard other ppl mentioning that the longest line was, indeed, at Splash) so we fast passed it and went to Winnie the Pooh instead. I'm a big big heffalump fan and I just love the little heffabees that are poised on the beehive ride vehicles. It was cute--and we both smiled a lot, especially when we passed the actively buzzing beehive as we exited the vehicle. We had to stop at Pooh's corner afterwards, where I considered buying a little beanbag heffabee (as a friend for our own little Heffy at home) but instead bought a Tigger Tail and a smore's marshmallow stick. I know, I know, right before lunch isn't a great time, but I'd read about those Tigger Tails (probably saw them before but never actually tried one) and so I couldn't resist. DH and I were both surprised that the outer candy coating was orange flavored--we expected it just taste like white chocolate. It was good, but not my absolute must-have.
And then, it was time for our first ever Blue Bayou experience! We went back to New Orleans Square, and after an initial mix-up with our 2:30 PS (apparently it was only supposed to be about 10 mins after we checked in that we were to be seated, but 45 mins later we were still waiting...DH got concerned when he started seeing ppl who had arrived after us be seated before us, even large parties of 11, and also other parties of 2...I was not as alert and didn't notice who came before or after us till 30 mins had gone by, so asked the lady I had checked in with, who assured me that we weren't lost in the system, when in fact it turned out we were...but another CM fixed things up right, so it was fine despite my momentary panic and disgruntlement...lesson learned: be persistent and thorough in PS follow-up!) we were seated at 3:30. I had told the hostess who seated us about the mix-up, and asked if it was possible to be served more quickly (we had perused the menu while waiting and had decided on our meals--the monte cristo without question for me, crab cakes for him). She let our waiter know, and he assured us he'd put the order in right away, and emphasized that we shouldn't worry or let it ruin our lunch, as our fast passes wouldn't expire. Mostly I was concerned that the weather would cool down too much for my taste to be wet after Splash Mtn, and that time was going by quickly (especially since the park closed at 9 pm). Seriously, not 2 minutes after our waiter took our order, he returned with the entrees. It was AMAZING. The most efficient, prompt service I've ever received at any dining establishment. We wondered afterward how it was done so quickly--maybe they just took whatever crab cakes or monte cristos they saw on the counter, even if it was originally intended for someone else?! I loved the monte cristo--the batter was so delicate and golden and hot and fresh--and the cheese was good and melty. DH really liked the blackberry jam too. The pasta salad was good in an ordinary way and I was way too full to eat more than two bites of it. DH liked his crab cakes and ate every bite, although I thought it was a little fishy for my taste (but then, I'm not a big seafood fan, except for Legal Seafood). Unfortunately, I can't recall our fabulous waiter's name--he was filling in for our 'real' waitress, who was at lunch--but we tried to show our appreciation with a generous tip and brief written thanks on the receipt. I was super impressed with the food and service (despite reading some lukewarm reviews about the service online). DH suggested that the vastly efficient service had probably almost made up the time we lost while waiting to be seated.
We were both feeling pretty full after this--but decided to brave Indy anyway, since it was running, and who knows when it might go out again? Off we went--into the chamber of riches--and it was a rollicking good time, as always. Fast pass was great! I usually don't need to use it, and forgot how great it feels to zoom by the stand-by line (probably 45 mins) and get on the ride in a mere 7 mins or so.
By this time, it was around 4:20 and Splash Mtn was next. I hoped it wouldn't be too breezy to be wet (I get cold easily), but I hadn't been on Splash in a while (I never go on it when we're there in December on winter break) and really wanted to do it. It was really vibrant and colorful--lotsa fun, especially the music--and the family sharing our log were really enthusiastic about it too, which always increases our own enjoyment
Well we got wetter than I remembered on the first dip, but I avoided any severe splashing on the big fall. DH and I sat at the back and he said I blocked him from a lot of the water; I said the lady in front of me blocked me from a lot of the water! She seemed to be dripping fairly well when we exited--and when we stopped to look at the pictures, I was like, "where am I??" Then DH pointed to a photo and said, "oh no, darling! you're behind the woman who was sitting in front of you and she's blocking you so it looks like she's wearing your golden ears!" I looked, and there he was, sitting in the back with his eyes tightly shut, then in front of him was the lady who'd been in front of me, apparently wearing mouse ears. I laughed and laughed--and am laughing now remembering it--everyone who'd been in the log was in the photo but me! Well, being short has its advantages too Next we trekked over to ToonTown, which I thought would close at 5 or 6 pm, as it did last time, but it turned out to be open till 7:30. I hadn't been there in several years, and of course DH had never been either--and it was like rediscovering it. The theming there is so fun and cute!! I pressed a few buttons at the post office bldg, we went to Donald's boat, but decided to avoid bustling Mickey's house (although I kind of wanted to see the house, even though I had no real desire to meet Mickey). We thought about Roger's Cartoon Spin but then decided against it because of the line (probably 30 mins tops)--something that I want to do next time. It's a fantasyland type ride, isn't it? or it is like bumper cars? I can't remember, although I feel like I've been on it before.
Then we tried to do Mr. Toad, but it broke down while we were in line. So we headed to Big Thunder Mtn RR, which was really fast and fun! We had gone by earlier to find it not operating, but this time it was running and the line was about 15 mins. By this time in the afternoon (5ish) the park looked pretty full, ppl-wise, but not ride-line-wise. I noticed the animals along the RR tracks, but DH was mostly occupied in not squishing me and missed the nice touches (like the rattlesnakes and coyotes and such). It was so funny--at one point on a big curve I really think I was crammed into about 1/58 of the vehicle seat with DH saying things like 'oh my, what acceleration...'.
Afterwards, I was feeling a little colder (see? I told you I get cold easily! living in Boston--so difficult!) so we started making our way back to the lockers to get my jacket. En route, we saw a longish line at the Dole Whip stand. DH said, 'you can get in line while I check to see if they have Dole Whips.' so i did and he did and guess what??? they had them!!!! I was like, 'did you actually see the machine spinning?' and DH said well, he'd seen the CM standing in front of the machine and seen ppl walking away with what looked like soft serve in cups...I totally leaped for joy and punched the air with clenched fists. Okay maybe no punching but definitely there was leaping. Finally!!! I had given up on the Dole Whip for the day, but now I wasn't planning on getting out of line until I had one. I just love how it's mysteriously not dairy-tasting--if anyone knows what's actually in it, I'd love to find out. Is there, or isn't there, dairy in the Dole Whip? I guess I could've asked the CM, but she was working so hard to serve both the line inside the Tikki Room waiting area and the outside line, and putting in more mix, and working the cash register, I felt really bad for her and also was too excited to get the Dole Whip to ask. The line did move slowly, but of course it wasn't the CM's fault--I just wonder why Disney doesn't seize the opportunity to make more money off the Dole Whip by offering it in more locations or at least putting another employee or machine in there. DH suggested that limiting its availability to just the one location makes it an extra special treat, but I was thinking that the ppl who really like Dole Whips wouldn't stop liking them just because they're easier to get! At least I would continue to adore those tasty Dole Whips. Anyway, we finally got them, after about 30-35 mins (the longest we'd waited for anything, other than our Blue Bayou lunch!) we sat on a bench near the Carnation plaza (I forget its real name) and really savored those Dole Whips (DH had a float).
We wanted to get to the lockers before the parade cut us off, so I was still working on my Dole Whip when we set off--I was momentarily detained by fascinating store merchandise along the way (as always happens to me!) but eventually we got to the lockers. When we came back out, the parade was just hitting Main St., and although I usually don't stop to watch parades, I'd heard the hype for this one, and the first floats caught my eye. We ended up watching all the floats behind the throngs of ppl. It was neat--not something I need to see again, but good.
Next we decided go to Tomorrowland and we got in the line for Star Tours (20 mins, 7:40ish) but I knew that DH wasn't really into Star Tours. 'Are you sure you want to do Star Tours?' I asked. 'Well, I thought you liked it.' I assured him I'd been on it many times, and didn't really really have to go on it. 'Well, honestly, I think it's kind of boring actually.' So we got out of the Star Tours line and went over to Fantasyland to do more of those rides, which DH and I both love. We saw Mr. Toad was back up so we did that one (my personal favorite, along with Alice). AND we got the Mr. Toad car, and not Ratty like last time (although I have nothing personal against Rat as he is a true friend, but the word just has such negative connotations to me), narrowly escaping the Weasel car just behind us. It was overall a good day for getting ideal ride vehicles
But here's a question: why are some of the cars called "Mr. Toad," while others are called "Toady"? Perhaps one refers to the ride or story title, and the other refers to the character? Anyway, we tried Peter Pan next (DH's favorite!), despite the perpetually longish line (it looked about 30 mins to me) but found it had just been closed in preparation for the fireworks. The ppl currently in line would of course get to ride. I felt sad for DH, but he said he didn't feel too bad about missing it, even though he really loves flying over the sparking lights of London--he's good that way
Since it was about 8 pm now, we decided to just do one last ride--Pinocchio--before staking out our spots on Main St. for the fireworks. The fireworks I had heard the most about, out of all the posts and news concerning the 50th celebration. I was really expecting a lot, and after plopping down on the nicely warm pavement in the Hub next to a bunch of families with strollers, we settled in for a nice rest and wait. The time went by pretty quickly, actually (and I remember the waiting seeming to last forever when I was a kid!) and when it started, I was just astonished. I won't say too much here, as full details and video clips of the whole show can be found elsewhere online, but it completely lived up to all the hype. (Exceeding the hype would be near-impossible, so I don't think 'exceeding' applies, but in this case, it's certainly no disparagement of the show). Oh my gosh, it was suprising and beautiful and musical and sentimental and nostalgic, all in one eyes-skyward mouth-agape ball. DH afterwards admitted that he'd teared up more than once and had rippling goose bumps almost the whole time. I didn't tear up, but my heart definitely soared. Oh, it's really seriously not to be missed. And I took the excellent advice of others who had said (online) to be sure to position yourself in view of the Matterhorn as well as the full frontol view of the castle. That worked out well despite minor tree blockage in front of the Matterhorn.
I had already decided against buying the 2 disc Happiest Homecoming on Earth music (that apparently is available only inside DL, for about $25) but after the show, I asked the CMs in one of the Main St. stores where I could get the show soundtrack, and when they told me it was only on the 2 disc set and the 6 disc set, I bought the 2 disc set without hesitation. And it was WORTH it! We listened to both CDs several times the following few days, and it just makes you feel like you're in DL, and often, on an actual ride. Ooh I love it!
The fireworks ended the day, and the masses of ppl inching slowly out via Main St. cut down on shopping time. I didn't realize they always strictly close down all the shops exactly 1 hour after the park closes, so unfortunately dawdled at less-essential shops and never made it to the Emporium. BUT, I did manage to visit the Confectionary for a Mickey crisped rice treat, and I did find out about getting that Pirates attraction poster (the one that's on display in the little archway on the right, from the main entrace onto Main St.) at World of Disney (or the Disney Gallery), from a nice CM at Disneyana, even though it was already 10 mins after closing and we were lingering in the store.
It was really a happy day--and I still have all my purchases to look over and remind me of all the fun! I now have that cool blue retro watch (which makes me smile every time I see it in the mirror, especially at a short distance when the blue is really bright and fun), the dot magnets with the little retro ride icons (we've been dropping and breaking our magnets or finding them too weak to hold up our papers on the fridge), a Pluto pen and the golden mouse ears pen, the golden Dumbo pin, the golden Mr. Toad pin, a really fantastic Alice pin with a moveable cheshire cat and a moveable white rabbit (found it in the Fantasia hotel gift shop and didn't see it anywhere else, ever, on this whole trip, although it's an open edition), the cardboard-type silver license plate frame w/ the retro character icons, and I traded for a few excellent pins (including a baby pegasus from hercules, which I was told can only be gotten at WDW, a jessica rabbit (love her!) pin, and a cute round donald duck pin originally from the cruise line).AND we got that Pirates attraction poster at World of Disney--you can pick from a bunch of different posters on a computer screen and they print it out for you!
I love Disneyland--and I really love SoCal. Can't wait to move back and become an AP holder!!
Thanks for reading!
