A weekend trip: pre-trip questions and advice

jiminy.cricket · Jul 11, 2016

Part III: The Adventure Continues (through the evening)

The restaurant had virtually no wait and prices were reasonable. This was a welcome relief. I had a glass of wine with my salad and my stomach was starting to churn. I'm staying away from wines and acidic substances now; I think they upset my stomach.

Anyway, we headed back to the room where DF showered and packed and I just vegged out for a bit. We said our goodbyes and after a bit, I, though tired, headed back to the park to wander on my own and hopefully catch the fireworks. Alas, it was not to be. I did enjoy quiet times at the Main Street Disney Gallery, Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln (reminiscent of The American Adventure at Epcot), and along the parade route during the infectious Paint the Night.

Still, the fireworks were again cancelled at the last minute due to the seasonal winds. I didn't mind. I was tired but I took advantage of spending as much time as I wanted on Main Street to catch some lovely nighttime shots:

After meandering Main Street and admiring the impressive and magical tableau displays of animated films in the Emporium windows, it was eventually time to leave the Kingdom of Dreams and enter Dreamland.

jiminy.cricket · Jul 11, 2016

Part IV: A Final Hurrah

The following day was my last chance to max out the magic and really soak every last experience in. I arrived at the gate relatively early, and despite the fact that it was a weekday, there was still quite a wait to get in!

It was a gorgeous California day and the line still moved at a reasonable pace, despite its length. It seemed a lot less crowded in the gate and I was lucky enough to hop on the top deck of a Main Street car for the very first time! Woo hoo! Check out the morning views! I was happy as a lark. I guess I don't actually know how happy larks are.

I just wanted to take advantage of everything but I first had to take another spin on Hyperspace Mountain since it was so incredible. Then, today was the day to conquer Fantasyland!

Alice, Mr. Toad, Pinocchio, Peter Pan, Sleeping Beauty Walkthrough, Canal Boats--I did it all, and everyone in line seemed cheerful and pleasant. I was impressed by the level of detail in the architecture of the Fantasyland facades added a few decades ago. I was hoping I didn't come off as creepy going solo. I'm just a Disney fan who's young at heart! I even couldn't resist the *sniff* carousel. I rode it twice. I loved the sound of the calliope playing Disney classics throughout Fantasyland. Being a solo rider, it wasn't difficult to find a horse which afforded me wonderful photo ops.

I was even able to munch on the famed corn dog with mustard and apples that didn't make my mouth itch (they usually do) while catching the Disneyland Band playing in front of the castle as Mickey and pals danced along. I love live music! I was so delightfully surprised that I was actually able to do every little thing that I had said I wanted to do!

At this point, I again felt I needed a break from the growing crowds and Disneyland in general (I know; how can I say that?). I actually decided to pick up a smoothie from Jamba Juice at Downtown Disney and explore the area. I also picked up some beignets from Ralph Brennan's, which I heard were pretty good. I think I would have been fine with one or two but I had a bag of six! I saved some of them for later as I strolled through Downtown Disney and past the great live entertainment. I'd been to the Grand Californian lobby the previous year but I wanted to see the Disneyland Hotel. It was a great escape! I even found some quiet areas alone on the grounds outside (I guess I'd been craving solitude), save for a couple of cats.

The final chapter is coming. :cry:

jiminy.cricket · Jul 12, 2016

I finally felt like I had room to breathe when I was out of the park. I explored the pool area and the three towers. I thought they were quite neat, but kept looking for something extra special that would justify the high rates. After chilling with the cat and ducks for a bit, I made my way back through Downtown Disney (security jokingly demanded that the beignets stay with them) toward Disneyland, that beacon of childhood joy and magic. It was more crowded now, but I wanted to take advantage of being there; I wanted to say goodbye. So, I wandered the park as the sun set and tried to capture as many memories as I could. I imagined Walt wandering the park as the sun set and through dusk as well. I don't know if he ever did. I rode the carousel one last time and was too tired to stick around for the parade or fireworks or crowds, so I bit the park farewell and stopped at Earl of Sandwich for a holiday sandwich. I accidentally took the long way back on my tired feet in the dark, winding through the grounds of the Disneyland Hotel, passing Paradise Pier, around a deserted Katella dodging a bicycle, passing all of the Good Neighbor hotels I'd read about online, passing costume-clad children and souvenir-laden tourists approaching their hotels or parking lots, passing the Anaheim Convention Center, and finally making my way back north on Harbor. I underestimated the length of the alternate route but it was a good walk. I realized on this tour of Anaheim that my hotel was in one of the best locations for Disneyland-goers. So I made it back, packed, had another beignet, and prepared for departure early in the morning. Super Shuttle arrived early the next morning and we were off to John Wayne. It was quiet and there was no line for security. It was refreshing not to be around crowds. I was a bit disappointed to leave and fly so far away but knew I had to be back in time for work. Here are my farewell photos from around the park and the top of Tarzan's Treehouse.