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

WDWFigment · Jun 20, 2011

After that traumatizing experience, we dismissed anything else in a bug’s land out of hand. It’s a neat land, I suppose, but it seems everything follows the formula of the least complicated Fantasyland attractions (and that’s really saying something, since Fantasyland attractions as a whole aren’t complex at all). On top of that, while Fantasyland attractions like Casey Jr. and Storybook Land Canals have an endearing quality about them, it seems like a bug’s land attractions are missing that.

We then strolled over to Paradise Pier. When we visited last year, I attempted to convince Sarah to try the Silly Symphony Swings, California Golden Zephyr, and perhaps the Maliboomer. It might have been the last one that really made her skittish about the three attractions, but I’m not really sure. Ultimately, our decision to see Aladdin twice really hindered our ability to do a lot of other attractions, so we didn’t end up making an effort to hit these. Even if I were to have made this effort, however, Sarah wouldn’t have done it. Even on this trip, Sarah initially said no to the idea of the Zephyr and the Swings. Henry, in his infinite wisdom, was able to convince Sarah to take a spin on both.

Perhaps he used a better strategy. Perhaps she wanted to appear brave. I will never know. Rather than suggesting the most thrilling attraction first (as I may have done with the Maliboomer), he suggested the more tame of the two, the Zephyr. It’s a good thing we experienced it then, as I only saw it operational for another half-hour, then never again on our trip.

The Zephyr was cool. Tame for the most part and mostly interesting for the view. I really wish we would have ridden it at night to see all of the lights on the attraction. I respect Disney for going out to get something historically accurate to the period, but I can never understand the sense in building attractions that are operationally dependent upon the weather.

She was brave for us, so we let Sarah pick the next attraction. Much to no one’s surprise, she chose Jumpin’ Jellyfish. This was something she wanted me to do last year, and I scoffed at the idea. Now I know why. Jumpin’ Jellyfish probably wouldn’t be exciting to many 4 year olds. I will grant it this, though: it has a nice, vibrant color palette and offers great views of the Pier. Plus, it was a walk-on.

After we endured the Slow-Motion-Upward-Movin’ Jellyfish (as the attraction should be called), Sarah owed it to us to do Silly Symphony Swings. This would prove a more difficult sell for Henry. The free hanging nature of the attraction did not appeal to Sarah, but she begrudgingly agreed to ride, anyway.

WDWFigment · Jun 20, 2011

Guess what? She loved it! From the outset, I thought it was a pretty shallow attraction, and I wasn’t sure that the change from the Orange Stinger to the Swings was that substantial. Ostensibly, both are amusement park attractions, one is just dressed in a slightly different manner. Silly Symphony Swings may be an amusement park attraction, but it’s an incredibly well-done one. The narration is wonderful, the art scenes on the top of the gazebo roof are captivating, and the gazebo itself is ornate. Oh, and the music, well, the music is absolutely fantastic. For what it is, Silly Symphony Swings is a 5 star attraction in my book. No, it’s not a brilliant E-Ticket with an amazing queue and post-show, but not everything needs to be. Dumbo is a highly regarded Disneyland classic, and Silly Symphony Swings is certainly more “advanced” than Dumbo. In sum, I did a 180 with regard to my stance on Silly Symphony Swings. I love it now.

Carsland what?! Bayside Brews is the next big DCA E-Ticket.

After the Swings, we started discussing lunch, and decided to head to Taste Pilot’s Grill, which was previously my favorite DLR Quick Service restaurant, for a meal there. Unfortunately, the amazing Aviator Chicken sandwich that I had loved so much on our last trip was gone! Ditto the waffle fries! The two things that appealed to me on the menu last time had both been removed. It was as if Disney was specifically punishing me for some reason. Luckily, the menu didn’t appeal to Sarah or Henry either, so I wasn’t forced to eat at the place I so adamantly recommended.

switts · Jun 20, 2011

keeping me going on another wonderfully boring day at work.

WDWFigment · Jun 21, 2011

^Glad to help! Time for more:

Instead, we picked up FastPasses for California Screamin’, and then headed over to Disneyland where we decided to eat at the Big Thunder Ranch BBQ. Maybe it’s just because I was starving since I never got my ice cream, but this meal was nothing short of excellent. Well, I should say the meats were excellent.

In the fast-paced world of competitive all you can eat (or as Disney marketing spins it so as to carefully avoid advocating glutiny, “all you care to enjoy”) dining, I have learned one thing if I’ve learned anything: only eat the delicious meats. Don’t fill up on breads, salads, potatoes, or even cola. Just stick to the basic food group: meat. Within the meat food group, cow-based meats take precedence, pigs are second-priority, then fish, and finally poultry.

Oddly enough, the chicken here actually was better than the ribs! It was slightly more tender and moist, and the herb-based seasoning used was an excellent choice. Because of this, I deviated from my own rules, consuming as much of it as I could, while still respecting the fact that Sarah and Henry wanted to eat meat, too. Our service was fairly prompt, with only one delay in bringing us a new bucket of meat.

We stuck around here for a decent amount of time, but not to the point where we overstayed our welcome or tried to stretch two meals out of it. We were seated near the back of the restaurant, and because of that, didn’t pay too much attention to the performers near the front. From what I could surmise, their performances were more aimed at families and little kids, so I’m not too upset that we missed it. It was still nice “background music,” for lack of a better term, while we conversed with one another.

WDWFigment · Jun 21, 2011

As we were leaving, Henry pointed out some areas in Frontierland that were the remnants of Mine Train Through Nature’s Wonderland. While I love Big Thunder, I really wish Mine Train were still around. The photos I’ve seen of it in the Disneyland books I’ve purchased all make it look really cool, and it’s nice to have attractions that are different between Disneyland and the Magic Kingdom. It's nice that the remnants of Mine Train aren't eyesores like the remnants from past attractions often found at the other stateside Magic Kingdom. Just enough to give a nod and a tip of the cap to the past. Plus, they add intrigue.

Our next stop was this goat farm within Big Thunder Ranch as Sarah has this odd fascination with goats. Don’t ask me why. I think the things are ugly and stinky. Plus I’m skeptical of anything that tries to eat my clothing. Luckily we only spent a few minutes there. I must admit that it is neat that Disneyland is still able to have goats in the park.

As we made our way to the front of the park to use our Space Mountain FastPasses, we decided to cut through Fantasyland to visit a couple of shops and see the Wishing Well. The name of the shop escapes me now, but the shop nearest the Castle with armor outside that sells odd expensive non-Disney items. I was a bit surprised that this shop still existed. When we went inside, it was absolutely dead, and I can’t imagine the shop sells much. You would think this would be valuable retail real estate given its location in Fantasyland. Again, it’s very cool that Disney leaves this as a unique shop, though!

WDWFigment · Jun 21, 2011

Next up was Snow White Grotto and the Wishing Well. This was another thing we didn’t see last time, and although it seems insignificant, after learning some of its history (Snow White is roughly the same size as the Dwarfs, so forced perspective is used, they were a gift to Walt from Italy, etc.) I was really excited to see them. Hearing the singing in the Well completed the experience. Disney should send TDO executives out to Disneyland for a day, and just have the walk the park taking notes.

I grabbed a few photos of the Castle as this was a perspective I hadn’t shot before, and we then headed to Space Mountain and rode that.

I asked Henry about the escalators to the second floor, and whether those used to be outside (I had a lot of questions like this after seeing photos from the 70s and 80s in the books I purchased), he wasn’t sure, so I would continue my quest for this information later. It was interesting to snoop around looking at how Disneyland had evolved and changed over the years. I think Tomorrowland is a prime example of how Disneyland has changed without properly removing remnants of the past. Junk from past attractions and retail space just sits around, completely unnecessarily, and in plain view.

After Space Mountain, we headed towards Buzz Lightyear’s Astro Blasters. Along the way, Henry noticed the Star Tours mural had been updated since yesterday. Since we were working on a site tracking the Star Tours 2 updates and progress called StarTours2Live.com, we stopped and got some photos, and transmitted them on for someone to post online.
The Cast Member at Astro Blasters told us the wait was about 15 minutes. Not too bad. At least, not too bad for an indoor queue. Unfortunately, it was midday, sunny, and about 10 minutes of the wait was in direct sunlight. Oh well.

The attraction is worth it; it’s something we love at Walt Disney World, and is without a doubt better at Disneyland. Having free reign with the laser gun is a big plus, and the targets just look nicer. Additionally, I haven’t learned all of the secret high point targets at Disneyland, so the attraction is still quite challenging. At WDW, I can max out my gun about every other time we ride.

mouselvrmom · Jun 22, 2011

Awesome pictures as always, Tom!

We love Disneyland, even though WDW is home to us, so it is great to see it through your lens!

WDWFigment · Jun 22, 2011

^Thanks! We feel the same way about DLR v. WDW (at least I do; I think Sarah is beginning to prefer DLR).

It was then back to DCA where we started with some Monsters, Inc.. As I was carrying on about the excellence of this attraction and stating that it’s underrated, I learned something that shocked and disgusted me: Henry does not like the ride. This coming from the same man who enjoys the Chew Chew Train. He explained that he thought the attraction was weak because the characters don’t have articulated mouths and because they’re fairly simply AAs. This coming from the same man who enjoys the Chew Chew Train. (I feel I should add this a couple more times for emphasis.)

I don’t get it. I think Randall is fairly advanced, and the Mike and Sulley AAs look good for the most part. Yeah, maybe these aren’t as advanced as the Pirate Auctioneer in POTC, but they’re not too shabby. And the ride is leagues above the Chew Chew Train.

After that, we noticed almost no line at the Cars Meet & Greet, and even though we “met” them last year, it was against a different backdrop. Although meeting these stationary cars isn’t as satisfying as meeting a living character, it’s still fun, especially without a line. This is one of the huge benefits of Disneyland. People seem to be indifferent to meet and greet characters. I wish more people were “too cool” for meet and greets in Florida! I will gladly concede that I’m an uncool dork if it means having to spend less time in line to meet my favorite characters!

After this, we headed onto the Pier where I spotted some ice cream! Although it was nothing more than regular swirl soft-serve ice cream, this was a huge victory. I don’t normally eat ice cream when we’re not on vacation, so it was a great treat. Much like I never have Coke when we’re not on vacation, so I can justify drinking 32 ounces of the stuff at 10 am in the morning. Yeah, odd to consider these things “special vacation treats,” I know.

Obviously the most pragmatic thing to do after eating a large ice cream cone is to ride California Screamin’, so that’s what we did next. We came this close to convincing Sarah to ride, but she figured she would be sick the rest of the day, so it just wasn’t worth it. While in the queue, we noticed a patch of sand behind the coaster. Henry assumed it was just leftover dirt from construction. Given a half broken fence and some wild beach grass also back in the area, I think it’s intentional theming. Quite possibly the most half-hearted theming I’ve ever seen, but theming nonetheless.

Most would probably view the new barker lines recorded by Neil Patrick Harris as only minor gains. I am a huge fan of his work (it’s legen-wait for it-DARY!) so I was quite impressed by the new lines. Again, it’s the little things like this that makes a huge difference. Screamin’ remains one of my favorite coasters, and for a simple coaster, it works surprisingly well. I think I might be a little too high on Paradise Pier, but I really love the place.

Yes, I took a photo of myself while riding on Cali Screamin'. I'm just that cool/stupid.

It was mid-afternoon, and at this point, I think the heat had gotten to us all a bit, although I’m going to claim that it was partially the tranquil ambiance of Paradise Pier lulling us into a deep state of relaxation. Relaxed and hot, there was but one place for us to hit: the Cove Bar.

Sarah and I have done the drinking around the world thing at EPCOT a couple of times now, and I see it as sort of a double-edged sword. It’s a lot of fun, and vacationing is about fun. Conversely, when we’re doing it, it seems we spend less time hitting attractions, and don’t do things as efficiently. Plus, it seems we could always go to a bar at home (although I’ve never had as much fun at a bar as I have drinking around the world). Another advantage, I think, is that it gives you a chance to soak up the ambiance of the park as you stroll around enjoying your drink, rather than running from attraction to attraction with blinders on.

In any case, California Adventure doesn’t have anything comparable to World Showcase, but the Cove Bar was still a nice diversion. Like I’ve said multiple times, Paradise Pier has quickly become our favorite area of DCA. Sitting there at the Cove Bar really reinforced this. We could watch as everyone passed by, and gazing off at the Fun Wheel and other attractions over the Pier just put me in a good mood (as if being in Disneyland didn’t already have me there!).

Much like just about everywhere else, the beer selection here was subpar, so I decided to get a mixed drink. Since we were at the Pier and it felt like summer-time, I got something to fit the mood: a Zombie. The drink was excellent, not too feminine but it didn’t taste as if my breath could catch fire.

We also ordered some Lobster Nachos. These nachos were great at first, with the flavors of the lobster really adding a nice extra punch. Unfortunately, it was really windy, and by the time we finished half of the nachos, they were cold. (This was not the fault of the Cove Bar or its staff, obviously; they did a great job preparing the nachos.)

After ordering another drink, I borrowed Sarah’s camera from her to take some photos of the drinks. While taking the photos, I noticed I was never getting the rim of the glass in crisp focus. I took about 10 frames before realizing that it wasn’t me missing the focus. I took the lens off the camera to discover that one of the aperture blades of the lens had gotten stuck! This really stunk, because Sarah’s camera and this lens (Sigma 30mm f/1.4) were what we had been using for most of the photos of us, and it was now unusable.

I heckled her about breaking the lens (after reviewing the photos and determining the problem first occurred a couple of hours prior but just wasn’t as noticeable except on the extreme closeup photos, I realized it wasn’t actually her fault) until reality set in that I had now had around $400 worth of photo gear broken on this trip (I don’t think I mentioned it, but I dropped and broke my expensive ND filter after Remember... the previous night). Hopefully the photos are worth it!

After spending a while at the Cove Bar, we headed over to Wine Country Trattoria. Like I said, this was to be a relaxed day. We had a couple of drinks there as we gazed off at the Carsland construction in the distance. We discussed Carsland for a while, wondering if it could become Lassetter’s folly as Disneyland Paris was Eisner’s. While I think it’s going to be a great addition to California Adventure, I think it could. It seems Lassetter has a personal interest in the project, and I wonder if those within Pixar connected to the project are letting their personal interest cloud their business judgment. It will have to generate a lot of revenue to recoup the investment, and it’s questionable as to one land in the park can do that. Conversely, I said, it might be what pushes Disneyland over the top to make it a tourist destination on par with Walt Disney World. In that case, it’s a brilliant move. Either way, it’s good to see someone finally taking risks again instead of just playing it safe because “safe” is the best way to protect their jobs. I have a respect for Eisner (mostly in his early years) for being ambitious and taking on projects based on his intuition rather than the artificially “vetted” numbers provided to him by the bean counters that now seem to dictate when projects get done.

mouselvrmom · Jun 22, 2011

Totally agree with the sentiment about wishing more Fl visitors were too cool for character lines! Although my kids are starting to feel that way, and I wish THEY weren't! :lol:

Sorry Sarah broke her lens! Pictures still look good though!

WDWFigment · Jun 22, 2011

The view from up here was great, and I can see this place being a hidden gem of California Adventure (for us at least) as it offers great views, no crowds, and a great relaxed ambiance. California Adventure may not be the World Showcase, but I can see these relaxed afternoon strolls around the various restaurants becoming a staple of our trips. We had a great time doing this.

When we finished enjoying the view from the Terrace, we headed, where else, but to Silly Symphony Swings again. This time, at Sarah’s insistence. By this time, we each had consumed a few drinks over the course of the past couple hours at the Cove Bar and Wine Country Trattoria, so we had that gleeful, “strollin’ along the boardwalk on a California sunny day”

WDWFigment · Jun 22, 2011

After that, we did some more wandering, heading over to Golden State to see what the standby wait for Grizzly River Run was. Too long for our liking, so we continued wandering, through Condor Flats, where the wait for Soarin’ was also too long, until we finally arrived at the Hollywood Pictures Backlot.

For reasons that are beyond me, the thing about which Sarah was anticipating the most on this trip was elecTRONica. So excited, that the night before, she wanted to skip the fireworks for it. While I was loath to skip Remember... or World of Color, I reluctantly gave in, and agreed that this night could be elecTRONica night. I can’t really stand techno music, the loud club atmosphere, or dancing, so this seemed like a recipe for disaster.

Sarah wanted to experience this event from the time the portal opened to the time it closed, so we arrived plenty early. About an hour before it began, it fact. To kill some time, we went in the Animation building, where we saw some pretty cool little exhibits. I don’t know its proper name, but by far the coolest thing there was this spinning Toy Story claymation-type thing that combined strobe lights, spinning, and multiple variations of the same characters to create moving animation. It was absolutely awesome. I was enamored with this thing for at least 15 minutes. If not for Sarah and Henry wanting to move on, I probably would have stayed there even longer.

After playing around in here for a little while, we went back outside to the streets of the Hollywood Backlot. Some elecTRONica preview show was about to start, so we waited for that. Maybe this is because I’ve seen neither Tron nor Tron: Legacy, but this show was messed up. It was fun, and very entertaining, but it was ridiculously odd.

elecTRONica proceeded in pretty much the same fashion. Really odd, but really fun. At this point, elecTRONica isn’t really doing anything to promote the film; would Disney be better suited reverting to GlowFest? It seems that if you haven’t seen one of the Tron films, you might respond to elecTRONica the same way I did (except perhaps you’d dismiss it out of hand after seeing the initial oddness). I know Disney is all about synergy these days, but I don’t think the Tron movies have been the box office smashes necessary to make semi-permanent attractions out of them. From my experience, they don’t have accessible characters like more obscure films such as Song of the South to justify the films’ usage on the parks on that ground, either. (Stated differently: If you haven’t seen a Tron film, you probably think the Tron shtick is odd; if you haven’t seen Song of the South, you still probably will enjoy that film’s characters.)

All of that said, I thought Laserman was awesome. As were the ridiculously overpriced drinks. Looking around at everyone with the $11 drinks in their hands, it’s no wonder that Disney keeps these shows going! Unfortunately, I kept my camera in the bag for the duration of the evening so I could enjoy myself at the show. I wish I would have at least grabbed a couple photos of Laserman, but it sounds like I’ll have the chance the next time we’re out there with elecTRONica extended once again.

After elecTRONica was over, we headed to the California Zephyr to get some food, took our time eating there, and then headed out. We could have gone over to Disneyland for about 20 minutes before it would close, but we were pretty tired, buzzed, and not too keen on a repeat of the previous night’s encounter with security. Instead, we called it an “early” night.

WDWFigment · Jun 23, 2011

Okay, so not necessarily trip report related, but the biggest (type of) question I receive in these trip reports (now that I have the link to Sarah's dress information so that isn't #1!) is what type of camera I use, what lenses I recommend, etc. To save myself a great deal of time typing up individualized responses, I've created this page:

Tom Bricker's Camera & Photography Gear Buying Guide

Please let me know if there are any questions this doesn't answer. I plan on adding to this page based on questions people still have, as I want it to be a definitive buying guide.

Also, and not really related to a prominent question people ask (although some people do ask), but I've started selling prints and digital downloads.

Check out my Disney Print Store!

barrettismyhero · Jun 23, 2011

WDWFigment said:
Okay, so not necessarily trip report related, but the biggest (type of) question I receive in these trip reports (now that I have the link to Sarah's dress information so that isn't #1!) is what type of camera I use, what lenses I recommend, etc. To save myself a great deal of time typing up individualized responses, I've created this page:

Tom Bricker's Camera & Photography Gear Buying Guide

Please let me know if there are any questions this doesn't answer. I plan on adding to this page based on questions people still have, as I want it to be a definitive buying guide.

Also, and not really related to a prominent question people ask (although some people do ask), but I've started selling prints and digital downloads.

Check out my Disney Print Store!

Just in time too..

After seeing all of yours and Hollybelle's pictures I've decided I need a DSLR.

Looking like probably within a month or so of getting one.

switts · Jun 23, 2011

aww and i was hoping for a personal response...o wait I did get one and the site was very helpful I now have my wishlist all set...time to start saving for that new camera

Disneyfalcon · Jun 23, 2011

Oh my word, I totally agree about the claymation spinny thing! I could watch it for hours.

The pictures are definitely worth it, but I know that was painful!!

BoardwalkGlenn · Jun 23, 2011

WDWFigment said:
^ .

We also ordered some Lobster Nachos. These nachos were great at first, with the flavors of the lobster really adding a nice extra punch. Unfortunately, it was really windy, and by the time we finished half of the nachos, they were cold. (This was not the fault of the Cove Bar or its staff, obviously; they did a great job preparing the nachos.)

OMG! I love me some nachos and those Lobster Nachos look awesome!! Too bad the wind didn't blow some a little further east.

WDWFigment · Jun 25, 2011

barrettismyhero said:
Just in time too..

After seeing all of yours and Hollybelle's pictures I've decided I need a DSLR.

Looking like probably within a month or so of getting one.

switts said:
aww and i was hoping for a personal response...o wait I did get one and the site was very helpful I now have my wishlist all set...time to start saving for that new camera

Glad I could help!

Disneyfalcon said:
Oh my word, I totally agree about the claymation spinny thing! I could watch it for hours.

The pictures are definitely worth it, but I know that was painful!!

What was painful?

GlenAngl said:
OMG! I love me some nachos and those Lobster Nachos look awesome!! Too bad the wind didn't blow some a little further east.

They were very good! Make a trip to DCA!!!

Next installment:

The next morning was an 8 am park opening, and Sarah and Henry weren’t down for rope drop. I wasn’t going to miss it, though, so I got up bright and early. I was also a bit nervous about our Club 33 reservations having gotten “lost” or something, so the sooner I could verify them, the sooner I could rest easier.

Finding these reservations was easier said than done.

I knew I had to pick up tickets (and we absolutely needed these as our Deluxe APs were blocked out on this day and we did not want to spend $30 to purchase tickets), and figured this wasn’t at a ticketing window, so I started on the right side of Disneyland’s entrance, at what I thought was
Guest Relations. It turned out it either wasn’t, or it was, and still wasn’t the correct location. The Cast Member on that side directed me to the left side of the entrance, so I went over there. I noticed a sign said something about Club 33, so I figured I was in the right location.

When it was finally my turn, I informed the Cast Member that I had Club 33 reservations (or at least I hoped that I did!) and she told me that I needed to go over to California Adventure. At this point, I looked at the sign by the window, and it said the same thing about Club 33. I really wish I would have read that sign, as doing so would have saved me 10 minutes in line.

I went over to California Adventure’s Guest Services window, and fortunately, there was no line. I inquired about our reservations, and my heart sank.

I immediately sent messages to Sarah and Henry via Beluga, telling them news that we didn’t have Club 33 restaurants. Henry, almost instantaneously responded expressing his disappointment. A couple of minutes later, Sarah sent a message, that was nothing short of “freaking out.” I responded with a photo of the back of our complimentary Club 33 tickets. They were relived, to say the least.

Obviously we did have reservations. Perhaps I should have clarified above why my heart sank (it was a sinking of relief!

) and that the news I told Henry and Sarah wasn’t true. But hey, I’ve got to keep the suspense and entertainment value high in this thing somehow or another. If I don’t, I’m sure a lot of you will just scroll down to the Club 33 details! (Sorry, not in today’s update!)

Despite my aimless wandering from Guest Services location to Guests Services location, I still made it into the park prior to rope drop. We still had yet to do Peter Pan’s Flight at Disneyland, and I had a pretty good rope drop spot (plus there were no Magic Mornings!), so I figured I’d make that my first stop.

Of course, once I finally did start briskly walking up Main Street, I could help but stop at Partners for a couple of quick photos. That set me back at least 2 minutes, which in rope drop time, is an eternity. By the time I got to Peter Pan’s Flight, I had to wait 10 minutes. I probably should have taken the photos after PPF. Oh well.

Peter Pan’s Flight was interesting, but not altogether that much better than WDW’s. At first, I was blown away by it, and even when we left Disneyland I was still touting it as the superior of the two Peter Pan’s Flights. However, after riding WDW’s the next week, I realized that Disneyland’s was missing certain effects (the moving cars in London) and some scenes were different, so ultimately I deemed it a bit of a wash, with Disneyland perhaps having the slight edge. With how popular this attraction is, I am shocked that Disney doesn’t do a little to plus it on each coast. I think it could be substantially better with some minor changes. These changes might help justify the crazy wait a bit, too. Of course, there’s the mantra, if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it, to counter that.

Ironically, given all of my belly-aching about it, I rode Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride next. Like I said above, it is definitely growing on me. Maybe by next trip, I’ll be making shirts that read, “Toad 4 Prez.” I guess anything is possible.

After this was a pretty weird experience, to be perfectly frank. I queued up for the Teacups when I saw the sun peaking over the trees and lighting up the attraction. I knew it would give me the perfect opportunity to capture a photo I had envisioned prior to the trip, so I got in line. Once I got the photo, I figured what the heck, and decided to ride.

As a male by myself with a camera in Fantasyland, I was already a little concerned about how I might “appear.” That was magnified exponentially when I spontaneously decided to start taking photos of myself as I spun the teacup around. Can you imagine being in line for the attraction and seeing some guy spinning a teacup with one hand and holding a DSLR as far away from his body as possible as he tried to take a picture of just himself? It feels a bit odd when I try to do self-portraits of Sarah and me with the unwieldy DSLR, now imagine adding a spinning teacup and being by myself to the equation. It was extremely awkward, to say the least.

Luckily, I survived. And, the memory the experience, as well as (what I think are) some cool photos will endure. So overall, it was well worth the embarrassment. I’ve seen other people do far odder things at Disney, so I’m not too concerned.

Since no one else had arrived yet, I decided to head over to Mermaid Lagoon (I don’t know if it was ever actually known as this, but it used to have mermaids in it, and I like the name, so...) and take some photos of the Finding Nemo subs and “Mine!” seagulls. I lucked out and managed to capture the monorail while I was in the area. Not bad given that I wasn’t really expecting it!

We then decided to make our way to Toontown, where Henry was telling me about all of the little easter eggs hidden in Tomorrowland. I was so amused by these (which are largely just sound effects and little sight gags), that we went all around Toontown trying to spot them all. This made me appreciate the land all the more, and made me question WDW’s now-defunct Toontown even more.

WDI 1998 · Jun 26, 2011

WDWFigment said:
As a male by myself with a camera in Fantasyland, I was already a little concerned about how I might “appear.” That was magnified exponentially when I spontaneously decided to start taking photos of myself as I spun the teacup around. Can you imagine being in line for the attraction and seeing some guy spinning a teacup with one hand and holding a DSLR as far away from his body as possible as he tried to take a picture of just himself? It feels a bit odd when I try to do self-portraits of Sarah and me with the unwieldy DSLR, now imagine adding a spinning teacup and being by myself to the equation. It was extremely awkward, to say the least.

Luckily, I survived. And, the memory the experience, as well as (what I think are) some cool photos will endure. So overall, it was well worth the embarrassment. I’ve seen other people do far odder things at Disney, so I’m not too concerned.[/img]

Mr. Bricker Sir, When will you stop?!? Not only do you have the best Disney Photos ever, now you have to top that off with taking them while moving in multipul directions at a fast speed? Do your talents have no bounds? Whats next taking pictures hanging upside down by your toes from one of the castle turrets in a high wind?

Seriously you are an inspiration to which I hope to be able to produce pictures half as nice as yours. Love the Trip Report. I look forward to reading the rest of it.

sweetpee_1993 · Jun 26, 2011

I've put off returning to your TR for a while hoping to save the bliss for a single, very large dose. You never disappoint, Tom. Thanks. :wave:

I thought of lots of little things to say but my memory on a lazy Sunday isn't cooperating at all.

I've never been to Napa Rose or DLR but I felt the need to comment on your beer selection observation. Yes. I, too, wish there were better beer selections at nicer establishments. I've tried to enjoy many different wines and champagne but just can't seem to get into it. They all come off yucky to me. But beer....the glory of the heavens has opened and I know that God loves me because he gave me beer. I love the stuff. I've adored it since I got my first taste as a cantankerous little character of a 4 year old climbing up in the laps of any sucker-of-a-male relative or friend to the family to 'cute' my way into a sip. I simply love the flavor. I enjoy different variations, textures, and tastes. Beer can be every bit as wonderfully diverse in it's offerings as wine is. And you can do things with beer to totally change it into even better concoctions! I don't understand why restaurants will gladly offer wine parings and not beer parings. I honestly believe there's a huge market being totally ignored by this oversight. I'd have eaten at Victoria & Albert's and/or California Grill long ago had they offered beer pairings. That would've appealed in a way that I wouldn't be able to resist.

WDWFigment said:

I had to pause in reading your report to comment on these pictures. I'm sure to you these are fun pictures of your gorgeous wife that are visually interesting because of their kinetic feel. True. However, can I just take a moment to offer you what another girl sees??? Sarah will totally get this, too. I see it in her eyes in these pictures.

Little girls like big twirly skirts. Little girls often will totally gauge the worth of a skirt by it's ability to twirl. As a grown woman (eek! No I'm not!) I often catch myself looking at costumes in Disney stage shows or parades, or even skirts and dresses in stores or on other chicks evaluating the overall twirl-factor. Let me tell you how this works. A girl puts on a new skirt then sways back and forth to feel the swish about her legs and it's fun. Of course, this is always best if done in front of a mirror. But then there's the twirl. There's nothing else in the world like puting on a twirly skirt and spinning. It starts out just a quick, 1-shot circle with a sudden stop to feel the skirt continue it's motion until it stops and swishes back. That's just the toe-in-the-water. This initial spin is but a mere test followed by a sigh or a giggle. If the skirt isn't so full and twirly it will only receive a sigh and that could very well be the only twirl it receives. But if the skirt is a good one, a really full and fun one, it shall be rewarded with giggles or a happy bounce with a squeal. That's when the fun really begins! It's time to spin and spin faster and faster, holding your arms out, looking down to see the skirt flare out as far as it will reach. This, for a girl, is bliss. I don't know why. It's just the twirly skirt thing.

Girls with long hair such as Sarah's and mine...the swings are another sort of twirl with our hair instead of a skirt. It's almost the same feeling. If I sit on a swing at a playground my first instinct is to free my hair if it's pulled up. I'll furiously work to get my swing to fly as high as I possibly can make it go with only one goal in mind: to hold on tight, stretch my legs straight out so my toes are pointing as far out as they can, and lean waaaaay back so the world is upside-down. With each forward swing I feel as if my hair is floating and soaring. It's like a delicate sheet on a clothes line blowing in the breeze. I can't find words to describe how it feels. It's almost ethereal, really. These are the things that make a girl feel like she is completely free of anything earthbound, enveloped only in the bliss of the moment.

These pictures made me think of that, Tom. I bet it's strange to think some random stranger reading your report and glancing over a few of your thousands of awesome pictures can be inspired to go on a little wander thru such trivial moments. I enjoyed it. Thank you. :wave:

I'll be back to soak up more of your report soon. I'm really enjoying it!

sweetpee_1993 · Jun 26, 2011

WDWFigment said:

I love this picture! Obviously you crouched down in front of a toon camera shop is cute all in itself...but then there's the 'One Way' sign with arrows pointing in both directions. Love that! I think Toon Town is one of the bigger things I'm looking forward to at DLR next year. I'm almost sad we aren't going this year!

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

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