Coast-to-Coast Disney 2011 Trip Report: Mme. & M. Bricker's Zany Holiday

Preface:

Welcome back to another Bricker trip report. This time, we’re telling the tale of our April/May 2011 Coast-to-Coast Walt Disney World and Disneyland trip! In these pages, we will share laughs, spin yarns, suspend disbelief, and perform miracles! Well, maybe not the last item on that list, unless you count convincing people to read this report as a miracle! Join us as we travel from Indianapolis to California to Indianapolis to Florida (and possibly back to Indianapolis!) as we share our experiences: dining in Club 33, Napa Rose, California Grill, and Flying Fish; competing in D23’s Great Disney Scavenger Hunt; conducting research; experiencing D23’s Destination D Celebration of WDW’s 40th; and, of course, taking a ridiculous amount of photos!

This trip report will be cross-posted from DisneyTouristBlog.com ("DTB"). I will most likely post updates a little earlier over there and they'll be easier to browse without comments in between my posts, so if you want to read ahead or without comments between posts, check out the DTB! If you enjoy the comments of others, read here!

In any case we hope you enjoy reading this trip report - on with the show!

Table of Contents:

Part I: From Earth to the Golden State - The Race Against the Clock to Make it to Disneyland Before Park Closing
Part II: TBD

The Cast:

Starring - Tom and Sarah Bricker, lifelong Walt Disney World fans; engaged at the Polynesian in 2007, married in 2010 and honeymooned at BoardWalk thereafter. In addition to their day jobs, Tom works for TouringPlans.com and is a photographer for the Unofficial Guide travel series, while Sarah works on their fledgling DisneyTouristBlog.com and generally keeps Tom in line and on task. They recently discovered Walt’s original park, and are now committed to exploring the other worldwide Disney parks. “2012: Tokyo or Bust!”




Guest Appearances - The Works and Work-to-be (Henry Work and his parents, and his fiancee, Kate), Nick B., J.L. Knopp, and many others!


The Trips:


Dates:
Disneyland Resort - Late April & Early May, 2011
Walt Disney World Resort - Early/Mid May, 2011

Accommodations
Desert Inn & Suites, Anaheim
The Luxurious All Star Movies Resort, Walt Disney World

Disneyland Dining

Hungry Bear Restaurant - Critter Country
Napa Rose - Grand Californian Resort
Celebration Roundup & BBQ - Frontierland
Club 33 - New Orleans Square
Rancho del Zocalo - Frontierland
Redd Rockett’s Pizza Port - Tomorrowland
Tomorrowland Terrace - Tomorrowland
Bur-r-r Bank Ice Cream - Paradise Pier
Wine Country Trattoria - Golden State
The Cove Bar - Paradise Pier

Walt Disney World Dining
Sunshine Seasons - The Land Pavilion
Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe - Tomorrowland
Sanaa - Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge (Kidani Village)
California Grill - Disney’s Contemporary Resort
Mizner's Lounge - Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
Tortuga Tavern - Adventureland
Flying Fish Cafe - Disney’s BoardWalk Inn
- Disney’s Yacht Club Resort
Kringla Bakeri og Cafe - Norway
La Cantina de San Angel - Mexico
Studios Catering Company - Backlot


Exciting Links!

Disney Tourist Blog - Our personal website where we post trip reports, Disney dining reviews, Disney product reviews, special/private event reviews, and a whole host of other random Disney musings!

Tom's Blogging on TouringPlans.com - An index of Tom's weekly blog posts for TouringPlans.com; get a further glimpse into his thoughts regarding all things Disney...if you dare!

Where to Buy Sarah's Attire - If you've ever wondered where Sarah purchases her dresses and other attire (and apparently, a lot of readers have), this is the link for you!

Tom's Twitter - Don't believe the incredibly verbose Tom can limit his thoughts to 140 characters? Then check out his Twitter stream!

Tom's Flickr - Tom posts a Disney photo here at least 5 days per week. Some of them are sort of neat.

Like Tom's Photography on Facebook!
- Just in case you can't get enough of dat "social media" stuff...

Sarah's Favorite Dachshund Breeder - Sarah says we can't link to this one, because she doesn't want you all stealing the "choice" puppies. Oops, sorry!

Past Trip Reports:

Engagement Report
August 2008
November/December 2008
August 2009
October 2009
Disneymoon 2010
Christmas 2010
 

WDWFigment

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
I had already begun to think about sending you message considering all of the work ive seen of yours i assumed you know your way around a camera haha

I know my way around Nikon cameras. Canon not so much, but I have a rough idea what models are pretty good.

I really hope this stays in Disneyland and doesn't start happening at Disney World..I would sooo upset :(

I think it all depends upon guest reaction to it out West. California is generally more ‘chic’ than Florida, so maybe it won’t come to WDW no matter what.

Great TR as usual. We are currently trying to book a trip to the Land. Great pictures as usual, especially those IR shots.

Glad you liked the IR shots!

Hey Tom,
As usual... great trip report so far. And awesome pictures! My wife and are both reading and enjoying this trip report this week while we're at work, and it's making up both look forward to our upcoming 5 night 5 year anniversary trip to WDW even more!

I have to admit, it's largely because of your pictures that are sprinkled through these wdwmagic forums that I have really tried to learn as much as I can about my Canon DSLR camera, how to get the best and most creative pictures, and how to get better pictures at night/low light situations. (You may remember I've asked you before in some other forums about some of your pics, lenses, settings etc...) So to me, you've given me something to shoot for and some really good ideas for pictures, but to my wife it's your fault I had to go out and buy the Canon f1.8 lens! ;) But she's from Michigan and her name is also Sarah, so she's cool LOL :lol:

Speaking of that lens, after playing around with it at home for a few days, I took it on Pirates and I was able to get some really clear pictures while on the ride, something I could NEVER do with my kit lens.

Not to ramble on... but it was on that day trip that she swore she saw you and your wife from the monorail, in the moring, walking from Magic Kingdom towards the Contemporay! She saw you were wearing a red polo, and she saw Sarah wearing a big hat and a sundress... but it wasn't until she said "they were each carrying h u g e cameras" that we knew it was you guys! Small World huh?

Anyways.... thanks for always posting your pictures, they are stunning, amazing and inspriring.

And we can't wait to read the rest of the report! Take care!

Jesse

If you saw people who looked like us walking to or from the Contemporary, it most likely was us. We were there for the Destination D conference.

As for making you spend more money on photo gear, I get this a lot. After I was on the BetaMouse podcast discussing photography, I met at least 10 people in December who told me that they bought a DSLR because of me. So if I met that many people in a single trip who bought a DSLR because of me, I’m sure the overall number is far greater than that. Add in lenses and other accessories, and I’ve probably stimulated the economy a decent amount!

Now, if only Nikon would catch wind of this and decide that getting me to do some product placement might be in its best interests. Seriously guys, if you’re reading this, I’m not above selling out and giving you some glowing reviews. Same goes for you, Canon. If you want to send me a Canon 1Ds MKIV, I would make the switch to your products and endorse your company!!! ;)

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What ride was this bird waiting in line for?

Peter Pans Flight. hahaha

Actually, it’s a small world!

Really though, it’s in the queue for Tower of Terror.
 

WDWFigment

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
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There, we met up with Henry. I keep mentioning him offhand, assuming his celebrity has permeated the Disney landscape in such a manner that everyone knows who he is. For those who don't, he is the developer for TouringPlans.com (online home to the Unofficial Guide travel guide series), where he and I both work, and the host of BetaMouse podcast. I started out by exploring the bar, taking some photos. The coolest thing, by far, in the room was a series of Pixar wine bottles that some dude had scribbled on. I’m hardly a handwriting expert, but I suspect those scribblings were the signatures of John Lassetter. Some people view hollywood bimbos and drunken country music singers like celebrities, I view Imagineers and animators as celebrities. To each his own.

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For its impressive wine collection (every server is a sommelier), Napa Rose has a disappointing beer selection. Incredibly disappointing. There are a few decent beers on tap, but overall, nothing special. I wouldn’t have been disappointed if this were your garden variety Disney restaurant, but as one of the top restaurants in Anaheim, this beer list was unacceptable. It’s annoying that restaurants fail to realize that there are beer snobs out there just like there are wine snobs. Sorry, but Corona is not even comparable to a craft beer.

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“Reluctantly” I ordered a Franziskaner Hefe-Weisses, a beer I had never tried. It was pretty good. Creamy and moderately thick, it had a nutty flavor, but more surprisingly, a pretty strong banana undertone to it. After a long day in the sun, one of these really hit the spot, and definitely “relaxed me” a little more than it typically might have.

The truncated beer list is about the only negative thing that could conceivably be said about the dinner.

The positives, and there are many positives, I could extol for quite some time. This restaurant was a last minute addition to our plans (3 days before the trip we decided to go) and even then, we only did our meal at the bar. We could have easily sat anywhere in the restaurant, because at this early hour (it was around 5 pm), the place was still pretty dead.

The I saw it on the menu, I instantly knew what I must order: the Grilled Filet of Angus Beef. Other things may have looked good, but it was like a spotlight from on high shined down on the menu when I first opened it, illuminating that item. Duck, salmon, sea bass--forget about it. I was ordering the Filet. Wait was the hardest part.

The dinner started out with our server bringing out a basket of breads, which included ciabatta, sourdough, olive, and cracker bread covered with parmesan cheese. While I fiddled with the camera trying to properly capture a photo of the bread, the wolves--I mean Sarah and Henry--menacingly growled in my ear as if to signify that they wouldn’t have much more patience, and would be gnawing on my shoulder or the bread in the immediate future. I cut the photo-session short, and let them begin devouring the breads. We were all fairly hungry at this point.

The bread was delicious, and that and conversing helped us pass the time until our food arrived. And arrived it did, quite quickly.

The light that shined on the Filet before became a beacon now. I don’t know how I mustered the ability to take photos of the steak rather than stab my steak into it and tear it apart like a madman, but I did. Bathed in Fire Roasted Chestnut Puree, Parsnip, Brussel Sprouts, and Cabernet Essence, I could tell by the presentation and aroma alone that I was in for a real treat.

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Then I took my knife to it, and it glide through like it was cutting through butter. Cooked to perfection, it was thinly seared on the outside and gradually turned more and more pink towards the center. Thick cut, flavorful, and juicy, the Filet was pure perfection. The puree and cabernet essence were the perfect compliments to the steak, and even the sprouts, something I probably wouldn’t give much thought to eating, were excellent. It was the best Filet I’ve had at any Disney restaurant, and probably one of the very best I’ve had in my life.

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Sarah had the Salmon, which was pretty good, at least from the taste I got. While I love fish, salmon is one of those things that can be colossally screwed up, but is difficult to truly prepare as a “wow” dish. It’s like a baseball player who bats second in the lineup and consistently hits singles and doubles, and has a .335 batting average. He may be more valuable to the team than the home run hitter batting clean-up who only sports a .225 average, but when that home run hitter smacks a 450 foot bomb, jaws drop throughout the stadium. The filet hit that home run (oh, and the bases were loaded), whereas the salmon “merely” stretched a double into a triple. Triples are great and all, but just aren’t the same. Perhaps all of the salmon aficionados out there will lambaste my unrefined “salmon-palate,” but that’s my take on it. I think Henry enjoyed whatever he had, too. It looked good, and I’m sure I asked him whether he liked it at one point (you know, to be polite), but I have no clue what he said now. Unquestionably, the star of the dinner was the Filet.

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We elected to skip dessert (Totally my fault--I am STILL kicking myself over this terrible decision, but I guess it gives us a reason to go back!), and took our drinks to the outdoor area to sit around a fire pit before finishing them.

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Once done, we decided to head up to the Disney Vacation Club observation deck to take a look at Paradise Pier. Sarah and I are DVC members, and we brought our DVC membership cards with us specifically with the goal of getting up there in mind. After flashing our cards and some sweet-talking, we accomplished our goal.

I wasn’t expecting much of a view up there, and we neither planned much time up there nor were we appropriately dressed for the deck (the sun was beginning to go down, it was windy, and all we had were short sleeves), so we didn’t stay up there too long. It really was a shame, because it offered a view of our land of perfect ambiance, Paradise Pier, during the most beautiful time of the day. The icing on the cake was that the Zephyr was actually operational (seriously, why build an attraction that seems to be able to run about 2% of the time?!), which made for some cool photos.

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fractal

Well-Known Member
Once again, great report and pictures!

It's funny how TSMM is only a 20-30 minute wait in DL.

As a subscriber to Tourning plans, I have to ask - how your work will be incorporated onto the site? Sounds pretty exciting and seems like a great fit.
 

HollyBelle

Well-Known Member
For someone who claims he isn't a "foodie," it sure is hard to tell! You've got me thinking a trip to the west coast won't be complete without a meal at Napa Rose!
 

DisneyFan1003

Active Member
Excellent report and fantastic photos...as always!

Had to laugh at your earlier comments about living in Indy....try central IL if you want to talk "boring"! :ROFLOL:

I am now officially "drooling" for a DLR trip!
 

WDWFigment

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Once again, great report and pictures!

It's funny how TSMM is only a 20-30 minute wait in DL.

As a subscriber to Tourning plans, I have to ask - how your work will be incorporated onto the site? Sounds pretty exciting and seems like a great fit.

I think TSMM pretty much always has a wait time in the 20-30 minute range out there, which is not too bad. Part of the reason is probably due to the lack of FastPass. Oddly enough, for this exact reason, we didn't do it more than once on our trip. A 30 minute wait is longer than what we're typically willing to do.

With regard to how my work is incorporated into TouringPlans.com, here is an example: http://touringplans.com/magic-kingdom/attractions/splash-mountain

Anything photo you see on that page is my doing. I'm also working to record HD video and photos of all the hotel rooms on property. In addition to that, I do a lot of things that you'll never see incorporated onto the site.

For someone who claims he isn't a "foodie," it sure is hard to tell! You've got me thinking a trip to the west coast won't be complete without a meal at Napa Rose!

My Disney restaurant-résumé is probably such that I am a foodie, I suppose.

A trip to Disneyland is definitely not complete without a stop at Napa Rose. I'm pretty sure it typically ranks up there as one of the top restaurants in SoCal, which is a pretty impressive feat. Our meals there were easily better than they were at the corporate and high-society membership-based Club 33, and they were much cheaper, too. We didn't eat at Steakhouse 55, but that's the only other restaurant at Disneyland, from what I understand, in the same league as Napa Rose.

Excellent report and fantastic photos...as always!

Had to laugh at your earlier comments about living in Indy....try central IL if you want to talk "boring"! :ROFLOL:

I am now officially "drooling" for a DLR trip!

As far as Indiana and Illinois go, I can't imagine living in cities other than Indianapolis and Chicago. I lived in Valparaiso, IN during my 7 years of schooling, and that wasn't so bad, but I was somewhat isolated from the realities of the town by being in the college-area. I wouldn't want to live in some random small town in either state!
 

xdan0920

Think for yourselfer
Awesome TR.

How good is Napa Rose? When I think back on my honeymoon out there, it is my number 1 memory. I think it a bit strange that my first memory is not walking into Walt's original park, but that food was so outrageous. The service was so great, I literally can not think of one negative thing to say. Not even a nit pick.

I can't wait to get back out to DL. Your awesome pictures are doing a great job of bringing me back in spirit though. Thanks.
 

Kev1417

Active Member
As other have mentioned simply amazing photography. I can spend hours just looking at the details in your shots.

quick question though. Do you haul your camera gear every day, all day at the parks? Or do you only take it for half a day or so and leave it in the room the other half? Seems like your back might be hurting by the end of the trip hauling it all day. Then again the shots are worth it and you never have to say "wish i had my camera".
 

WDWFigment

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
the food looks soooooo good. It makes me wanna have to make a trip across country sometime to eat there.

It might just be worth it. Of course, you could also visit Disneyland while in the neighborhood!

Awesome TR.

How good is Napa Rose? When I think back on my honeymoon out there, it is my number 1 memory. I think it a bit strange that my first memory is not walking into Walt's original park, but that food was so outrageous. The service was so great, I literally can not think of one negative thing to say. Not even a nit pick.

I can't wait to get back out to DL. Your awesome pictures are doing a great job of bringing me back in spirit though. Thanks.

We will be back to Napa Rose on our next trip for sure. In fact, until we have a bad meal, I think we'll be heading there each trip. While we really like a lot of the WDW Signature Restaurants, Napa Rose is miles above anything we've had at WDW, with the exception of Victoria & Albert's.

If I had to rank domestic Disney dining, it'd go something like this:

1. Victoria & Albert's
2. Napa Rose

....


.....

......

Jiko, Flying Fish, etc.

In defense of Napa Rose, our meal there was less than half the price of our meal at V&A's, so I'm not quite sure you can compare the standard menu at Napa Rose to V&A. Maybe next time we'll try the Napa Rose chef's room.

Wow...Napa Rose! Looks and sounds incredible!

Hope you saw my comments a few pages back about your photography. Impressive as always!

I did--sorry that I forgot to respond! Thanks for the kind words!

As other have mentioned simply amazing photography. I can spend hours just looking at the details in your shots.

quick question though. Do you haul your camera gear every day, all day at the parks? Or do you only take it for half a day or so and leave it in the room the other half? Seems like your back might be hurting by the end of the trip hauling it all day. Then again the shots are worth it and you never have to say "wish i had my camera".

I always carry my camera, and I usually carry all of my lenses. Sometimes I'll leave one or two back at the room (really, I've only ever done this once--during the WDW Scavenger Hunt), but I usually carry it all. All told, the bag weighs a little under 30 pounds, so it is fairly heavy, but I deal with it.

...

Okay, time for another update!

The next morning, we called Henry and told him of our intention of doing an Ultimate Touring Plan (or at least a half day of one). We really didn’t want to adhere to the breakneck pace of one of the plans the entire day, so we figured doing it until we had a late-lunch would be a good option.

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Well, apparently when you do an Ultimate Touring Plan, you need to be at the rope, waiting for it to drop before anyone else. We didn’t mosey our way onto Main Street until 10 minutes before rope drop, and as such, we were pretty far back in the crowd.

On top of that, as we did rush our way to Fantasyland, I decided to make a couple of “quick” stops for photos. I don’t think Henry and Sarah were amused by this, as it pretty much crippled our changes of doing Peter Pan’s Flight while it was still a walk-on. Instead of building a second Dumbo, maybe they need to build a second Flight for Pan!

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In lieu of PPF, we hit Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride. In our last trip report, I really lambasted this attraction, but I think it’s slowly growing on me. I’m sort of torn, actually. the facade of the building is beautiful, the ride vehicles are really cool, and the story of the attraction is unique, but the execution is sub-par, and that's putting it lightly. The substance of the attraction is moving cut outs. That's it. I am not one who demands cutting edge technology in every new attraction. In fact, I think the tech-first, story later approach often actually works to the detriment of attractions. However, that works in the other direction, too. Toad is dated to the point that it detracts from the story. In my mind, it's the antithesis of “Disney Details” we all foam over.

Although the ride has grown on me since the first time we rode it together last August (after exiting, I asked: "That's the attraction so many Walt Disney World fans mourn so loudly? That sucked!" (I do realize the WDW version was quite different, but certainly not different-enough to be so highly regarded in retrospect)), I still think it's an example of an attraction that is overrated because of the nostalgia people hold for the attraction. Nostalgia for treasured and departed high quality attractions, like Journey into Imagination and the other rich and lengthy EPCOT Center omnimovers, is one thing. Nostalgia for cheaply constructed or state fair caliber productions is another. At least to the extent that we expect said nostalgia to be enough to keep the attraction in the ever-changing and progressing theme parks.

Still, Toad is an undeniable classic, and a ride that would never be built today. I love a good irreverent attraction, and what’s more irreverent than a bartender and hell in Fantasyland?! Isn’t that worth something? I think so, and maybe the compromise here is taking Toad under the knife and giving it the kind of plussing Disneyland’s Snow White recently received: some new effects, new details, and some TLC. I’m not talking about totally re-imagineering the attraction, or adding ridiculous touch-screens, but just doing a few little things. I really think they might go a long way.

After Toad, we quickly rolled on to Alice in Wonderland. It may utilize little technical advances over Toad, but for whatever reason, I think Alice in Wonderland is far superior. It seems most of the scenes have more depth, and this makes a huge difference to me. It could all be in my head, but I definitely prefer it, and I’m far from a fan of Alice in Wonderland. One thing I didn’t even realize about this attraction until Henry pointed it out was the concrete added to the outside area recently due to safety issues. I found some photos online upon returning, and I must say, this area of the attraction definitely looked far better before the concrete!

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Next up was the Matterhorn. This attraction is just plain good fun. When thinking about it, then thinking about Expedition Everest, I often wonder why Disney didn’t just bring the Matterhorn to Animal Kingdom, add a highly themed queue, and area where the ride slows down, and a couple of projections and used the rest of the money to fix other problems in AK. That park is in desperate need of additional attractions, and yet WDI spent tens of millions of dollars on an AA yeti figure that, even if it worked, would only be seen for a few seconds. That money would have been better spent elsewhere. Maybe I’m just saying this because I find the Matterhorn extremely enjoyable, but it’s one instance where I think low-tech works just fine (and would have worked at Animal Kingdom with a few modernizations to differentiate the attractions).

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Setting up for the shot, taking the shot, and the shot itself. The photo capturing the ball spinning was too blown to use, unfortunately.

It was fast approaching 10 am, so we grabbed some Space Mountain FastPasses for later so we could get over to DCA in time for its opening. Disneyland was already getting crowded, so we decided to just cut our losses there.

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Even though we got there right at opening, we decided to get some food before doing anything else. Probably not the most logical use of touring time, but we (and by we I mean Sarah and Henry) were hungry. I was fine with this decision, because I had discovered that I was “in the zone” with my photography earlier that morning, so I was looking forward to the opportunity to grabbing some shots before I left the zone and started taking a bunch of crappy photos.

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meganw1985

Active Member
Tom,
Not to interrupt your fantabulous trip report, but I am wondering what you would suggest in my dilemma. I am contemplating buying a DSLR this summer (wish I would have before my honeymoon, but I digress). I am by NO means a photographer. My mom has that department, but she also has the use of all the photography equipment at her school. What would be a good "starter" camera? Brand, etc. Just curious as to what you recommend, as all of your pictures are always so amazing.
 

mrerk

Well-Known Member
I know my way around Nikon cameras. Canon not so much, but I have a rough idea what models are pretty good.


Tom,

I know you are a Nikon guy, but what do you think of the Canon 60D?

As to the beer situation at DLR: Does DCA still have the Karl Strauss stand? I seem to remember a couple of the varities there being pretty tasty.
 

WDWFigment

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Tom,
Not to interrupt your fantabulous trip report, but I am wondering what you would suggest in my dilemma. I am contemplating buying a DSLR this summer (wish I would have before my honeymoon, but I digress). I am by NO means a photographer. My mom has that department, but she also has the use of all the photography equipment at her school. What would be a good "starter" camera? Brand, etc. Just curious as to what you recommend, as all of your pictures are always so amazing.

My bet is her school uses one brand of equipment, so I would find out what that is, and whether the stuff you can use is nice. If it is, you might just want to buy that brand of camera. If you buy a different brand, the lenses at her school won't work with your camera.

Other than that, just go to the store and find out what camera feels best in your hands. Nikon and Canon are neck and neck, and even the "lesser" brands are putting out great products these days.

Tom,

I know you are a Nikon guy, but what do you think of the Canon 60D?

As to the beer situation at DLR: Does DCA still have the Karl Strauss stand? I seem to remember a couple of the varities there being pretty tasty.

I've heard nothing but good things about the Canon 60D. It is the Canon equivalent of the camera that I use, the Nikon D7000. Also check out the Canon T3i (step below the 60D) and Canon 7D (step above) to see how those compare to it for your purposes.

The Karl Strauss stand is still there and it serves some good beers! More on that to come...
 

WDWFigment

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
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Since I knew I had some time before we’d be riding any attractions, I got out my infrared camera and carried it in my other hand. With a camera in each hand, I could feel some stares from people who wondered what I was doing. Usually I only get these looks with one of my larger lenses mounted, but I guess using two DSLRs raises the question, “is he photographing someone famous?!” too. How sad they would be if they realized I was just photographing palm trees and stuff!

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WDWFigment

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
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Obviously, since I had a camera in each hand, I took a lot of similar shots with each of the cameras. Each, however, do have subtle differences that you can spot.

After making some progress in the Golden State area, specifically Condor Flats, I headed back to the California Zephyr where, I thought, Sarah and Henry had ordered some ice cream. I was quite pleased with this development, as I recognize any time as a good time to eat ice cream. Much to my dismay, they had ordered non-ice cream food stuffs from the bakery inside the Zephyr. All of that thinking about ice cream got me in the mood for ice cream, so I decided to order some. Come to find out, Bur-r-r Bank Ice Cream wasn’t open yet! Heresy! My opinion of California Adventure instantly plummeted with that little misstep.

Somehow, I endured. I ordered a large Coke, and we made our way onward, first picking up Tower of Terror FastPasses, and taking a couple of photos outside the Tower. One of the biggest benefits of having someone else along with us is that we can actually get photos with both of us in the shot. Normally, for daytime shots at least, it’s just one or the other of us.

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We then headed over to a bug’s land, where we rode Heimlech’s Chew Chew Train. Henry insisted that we do this attraction, saying that we should give it a chance, and that it was neat.

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We shouldn’t have. It wasn’t. I almost feel bad putting it out there in public that he admitted to liking this attraction, because it should be embarrassing for him, but I feel compelled to report it. I may be overly optimistic about a lot of things in DCA, but that attraction is not one of them. It’s just odd.

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The face of pure bliss, as he enjoys his favorite attraction!

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DiPSU224

Member
I've been waiting for some free time to check out the latest of the famous Tom and Sarah trip reports! Finally got some this morning and am loving it!

Fabulous photos as usual. You're killing me with all this delicious Disneyland photography. I have the itch to get there so badly and it's gotten a bit worse in the past few months. I was researching a small trip in September and apparently airfare for 2 from Philly to CA is like $1200 on Southwest. Can that be right?! Sigh. Guess it's not in the cards for us at this time.

Looks like you guys were having a great time. Can't wait to see more!
 

armyfamilyof5

Well-Known Member
What happened with your Club33 reservations? You're killing me, I must know! The two of you make the most adorable couple, I loved Sarah's dress matching the stripes in your shirt, so cute!
 

Disneyfalcon

Well-Known Member
Oh my word I love that picture of the Golden Zephyrs!! I have got to get back up to the observation deck at night!

Great report so far!!
 

WDWFigment

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
I've been waiting for some free time to check out the latest of the famous Tom and Sarah trip reports! Finally got some this morning and am loving it!

Fabulous photos as usual. You're killing me with all this delicious Disneyland photography. I have the itch to get there so badly and it's gotten a bit worse in the past few months. I was researching a small trip in September and apparently airfare for 2 from Philly to CA is like $1200 on Southwest. Can that be right?! Sigh. Guess it's not in the cards for us at this time.

Looks like you guys were having a great time. Can't wait to see more!

While it is more expensive to fly to CA (at least from Indy), it shouldn't be that expensive! I think we've paid around $300 round-trip for our flights. Never direct, but still, $300 isn't too bad. Might be a bit more from Philly, but $600?! You can get international flights for that!

What happened with your Club33 reservations? You're killing me, I must know! The two of you make the most adorable couple, I loved Sarah's dress matching the stripes in your shirt, so cute!

You will just have to read on to find out about the Club 33 reservations... ;)

Oh my word I love that picture of the Golden Zephyrs!! I have got to get back up to the observation deck at night!

Great report so far!!

I was really pleased that we got up there, thanks for the suggestion. I wish we would have spent more time up there, but it was cold, and there were only so many photo-options (although NOW, of course, I have several more ideas than I did then!).
 

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