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

WDWFigment · Jun 29, 2011

mouselvrmom said:
I said in a roundabout way...I was watching a marathon one night on the syfy channel around 1 am when I couldn't sleep because I was so huge and uncomfortable. I happened to see the space one with Roddy McDowell in it. As I was watching the credits, I thought that Roddy sounded like a nice nickname. So I went to the baby names book to find a name that would fit it. I found Roderick (which I'm sure is McDowell's full name since it's an Old English name). Since I went into labor a few days later, that's the name we went with. I don't know if he's lucky I saw that or not....if I hadn't, he would have been named Vladimir. :lol:

People Are Alike All Over? I would agree that Roddy is a better name than Vladimir!

barrettismyhero said:
Seeing the pictures of the Lilly Belle is something I can really appreciate.. I'm a huge railroad buff so seeing how great of shape its in makes me soo happy.

It's great to see anything vintage railroad equipment that is in great restored shape.. There's so much that I wish never found the torches.

No kidding with regard to the torches. The Lilly Belle is definitely in pristine condition. They did some great work to that car! Hopefully we'll see a resurgence in WDW management a la Matt Ouimet-era DLR!

WDWFigment · Jun 29, 2011

Much like the Lilly Belle, it appeared as if it had remained in pristine condition since 1967. Right then, I knew the ambiance alone would justify the cost of the experience. I cannot fully stress how important it is to view this restaurant as an experience and not a meal. If you’re considering dining at Club 33 and you don’t really care about Disney history, don’t.

Immediately visible in the lobby is the most impressive piece of Club 33 lore, the French Lift. These lifts were frequently used in the late 1800's, but are now quite rare. They were similarly rare when Club 33 was being constructed. When shopping in France with his wife, Lillian, Walt spotted a French Lift he immediately had to have in an older hotel. He tried to purchase the elevator, but the hotel would not sell the elevator (uhh...did they not recognize Walt FREAKIN’ Disney?! They should have given the thing to him, along with any other elevator in the premises, even if he didn’t request them!), so Walt had artists and engineers (Imagineers) visit the hotel to study the lift so that they could replicate the lift with necessary modernizations. If you dine at Club 33, you’d be remiss if you didn’t take the lift.

As you step out of the elevator, you begin to notice all of the exquisite details that give Club 33 such a rich history. Our table was ready, so we would have to soak in these details later.

The lights were low and uneven, and the dining room was a veritable sea of burgundy. These conditions made photographs especially difficult. On top of that, my go-to lens for such occasions, the Sigma 30mm f/1.4, had broken earlier in the trip. My next fastest lens, the Nikon 50mm f/1.8 had too much ‘zoom’ for such confined spaces, so I’d be forced to use the ultra-wide angle and fisheye lenses almost entirely. This was really disappointing, as the results with these two lenses aren’t nearly as good as what I could have accomplished with the Sigma 30. I toyed with the idea of converting all of the photos here to black and white, as I think they’d look better that way due to the harsh lighting and the overwhelming burgundy, but ultimately decided to retain color in most to convey the appearance of the restaurant as accurately as I could. C’est la vie.

As we wanted to see Fantasmic! from the balcony when we made our reservations, we went for dinner. Unfortunately, Fantasmic! was not showing on this particular night, as work had begun in the Rivers of America for the Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides World Premiere.

Almost immediately after sitting down, we got right back up to take photos with the last bit of daylight that was quickly fading into the distance. The view over New Orleans Square was nice, but definitely left something to be desired with the POTC4 construction taking place. It was quite impressive, nonetheless.

After we finished taking photos, we started our dinner with drinks. A meal at Club 33 is the only way you’ll ever (within the park rules, at least) consume alcohol in Disneyland, so we were not going to pass up this opportunity. Not really knowing what to order (the beer list didn’t sound appealing), I opted for a gin and tonic. Given the surroundings, I wanted a drink that seemed like it was straight off of the set from Mad Men. I realized I don’t really have a taste for gin and tonic, but it seemed fairly good. Had a kick to it but the alcohol wasn’t overpowering. More importantly, it made me feel dapper as I held it up to the light and furrowed my brow, so it had accomplished its task.

WDWFigment · Jun 29, 2011

For dinner, we had two options, a seasonal five-course prix fixe menu and an a la carte appetizer and entrée menu. Everyone at our table chose the a la carte menu, which required spending the cost of a one-day park ticket. This requirement is almost laughable, as each of our meals easily exceeded twice the cost of a one-day park ticket. Sarah and I ordered the same appetizer, the crab cake.

Unlike many crab cakes that are composed primarily of filler, these crab cakes are almost completely crab. The “other stuff” is there, presumably, just to hold them together and give them some additional flavor. The sauce was rich and creamy, which was the perfect compliment to the lump crab meat. The sauce definitely provided a good balance to the flavor and made the already moist crab cakes (few things are worse than a dry crab cake) even more succulent.

For the main course, we again both ordered the same thing, the Chateaubriand. We had heard from Club 33 members on the Lilly Belle that the Chateaubriand was to die for, and it looked to be one of the best options on the menu, so we opted for it. Upon seeing it, we had high expectations. It was a thick cut, dosed in a Cabernet reduction and beautifully garnished with mashed potatoes and baby tomatoes. Unfortunately, looks can be deceiving.

The filet did not cut easily, our first sign that something was amiss. It was not all that tender and not especially flavorful. Likewise, the potatoes tasted as if they were prepared from a box. The Cabernet reduction was the one star of the meal, and it was excellent and would have weaved together with a superior piece of meat, say the filet I had earlier in the trip at Napa Rose, most excellently. The Chateaubriand was by no means terrible, but I would probably place it in the bottom 10% of all $40+ plates of food I have had in my life. I was somewhat hopeful that maybe my specific cut was an anomaly, but no one at our table was overly-positive about their meal. It was still good, just not nearly what I expected after all of the hype and given the $47 price.

Here are the entrees the Works ordered:

Dessert was next, and while my selections for the appetizer and entree were clear almost immediately upon seeing the menu, dessert presented more of a dilemma. Many of the choices sounded great; I needed to choose carefully as this was Club 33’s last chance at redeeming itself for the sub-par entree.

Perhaps it was the delightfully strong gin and tonic setting in, but the Mascarpone Lemon Cheese Cake and a Banana's Foster's Caramel Reduction really hit the spot. Rich and decadent, with an exquisite presentation, the two “sides” of the dessert contrasted each other well, without being too stark. A very imaginative dessert, to be sure, and an excellent conclusion to the meal.

Another dessert:

With regard to the food specifically, even though the drinks were good, the appetizer was great and the dessert was great, the sub-par entree really impacted the ultimate score I’d give the cuisine (a B-). Similarly, our service was poor, as our waiter seemed pre-occupied throughout the meal. I’m not sure if this was because we weren’t actual members or what, but it also impacts that score a bit.

I earlier alluded to the fact that the Chateaubriand, purportedly one of the top menu items, was a sub-par item for this tier of restaurant. As I said at the outset, Club 33 is not a restaurant, it is the ultimate Disney fan experience, which happens to include a meal. Club 33 is not the most-sought after and elusive experience for Disney fans, with a closed waiting list because of its reputation as an exceptional restaurant. If you want to dine at an exceptional restaurant at Disneyland, you should be heading across the Esplanade to Napa Rose. There’s no waiting list there, the food is easily twice as good, and the prices are substantially less.

No, Club 33 is the Disney Holy Grail because of its history and exclusiveness. There is truly nothing else like it in the Disney universe. You don’t eat there because of the food, you eat there because of the ambiance.

fmingo36 · Jun 29, 2011

Lilly Belle question

Tom,

How were you able to obtain ticket to ride the Lilly Belle? I've done a few internet searches and can't find a clear cut answer.
I woud love to share this experience with my family when we visit in Aug.
This trip will probably be my only chance at visiting DL and I want to make sure that I don't miss a thing.

Thanks!

Boomdog15 · Jun 29, 2011

Tom,

Your trip reports are awesome, sense of humor is spot on, wife is beautiful, and photos are out of this world!

WDWFigment · Jun 30, 2011

fmingo36 said:
Tom,

How were you able to obtain ticket to ride the Lilly Belle? I've done a few internet searches and can't find a clear cut answer.
I woud love to share this experience with my family when we visit in Aug.
This trip will probably be my only chance at visiting DL and I want to make sure that I don't miss a thing.

Thanks!

Go to City Hall first thing in the morning and ask about riding the Lilly Belle. They might tell you it's not open to the general public, or isn't operating that day. If they say it's not open to the general public, try asking someone at the train station or try another day.

We were able to ride because we had Club 33 reservations. Without them, I'm not sure if we would have had difficulty getting into the car.

Good luck!

Boomdog15 said:
Tom,

Your trip reports are awesome, sense of humor is spot on, wife is beautiful, and photos are out of this world!

Ha, thanks! Glad you enjoy the reports!

WDWFigment · Jun 30, 2011

Thankfully, during the course of the meal, our waiter, Alistair (whose name I’m probably slaughtering with that spelling), offered to give us a post-dinner tour of the Club. We immediately and enthusiastically accepted his offer. Although I wanted to savor the experience as much as possible, this tour was in the back of my mind throughout dinner, and I was quite excited for the tour to arrive.

The tour was interesting, to say the least. By the time we were finished eating, the room of the restaurant where we were seated was fairly empty, with the exception of a couple of tables, meaning that our tour would not be rushed, nor would it interfere with other guests’ enjoyment of their meals.

Alistair mixed history of the restaurant with news and “facts” about the parks. I use air-quotes around facts because many of these facts were far from facts. An example of such a fact was his description of the Carthay Circle Theater (or as he called it, “Carthaway”) replica being built at DCA that had it housing a Snow White attraction that, to the best of my knowledge, is not being built). Because I know many of the information he presented to us regarding the Parks was incorrect, I am hesitant to transcribe the facts that I cannot verify concerning Club 33, as I don’t want to perpetuate even more misinformation about the Club, Wikipedia style!

That said, here’s my capsule account of the tour, including the information I have been able to verify as accurate. After leaving the main dining room, where we were seated, our tour proceeded to the room that’s known informally as the Trophy Room.

Over the years, this room has changed, with animal heads and other once-living creatures removed from the years gradually as Disney attempted to distance itself from sport-hunts. The references to hunting are now more subtle, with memorabilia, art, and masks displacing some of the actual trophy heads.

Some remnants of the previous decor remain. An Audio Animatronic vulture that once entertained diners still sits perched in the upper corner of the room under the door, and microphones/speakers that were once used for the vulture’s interactive “show” can be found in the light fixtures hanging about tables.

The Trophy Room is smaller than the main dining room, and appears set for parties and visiting dignitaries who demand privacy from the rest of high society (although when we were there, I was surprised at how many of the patrons appeared to be “regular folk” just like our party; there were few patrons who seemed as if they were part of the pantheon of Southern California’s elite). If Teddy Roosevelt ever ate at Club 33, this is the room I imagine him utilizing. It oozed of restrained and refined manliness, yet I can’t help but imagine the place becoming a rowdy bastion of ‘stories from the hunt’ of an African hunting expedition amongst the elite after the liquor began flowing. Perhaps I let my imagination get the best of me. It definitely has a cozier feel, but is equally as ornate and well-appointed as the main dining room.

Leaving the Trophy Room and continuing down the hall, we encountered one of the Club’s more famous pieces of decor: a phone booth. This functional phone booth is quite ornate, with its bevelled glass windows and flawless oak panels is actually a prop from the 1960’s film, “The Happiest Millionaire,” which is one of the last films Walt Disney personally touched.

In the same vicinity is another movie prop, and arguably the Cub’s most famous piece: an ornate walnut table with white marble top. It was used in the legendary 1964 Disney film, “Mary Poppins.”

Of course no tour is complete with a stop in...the lady’s restroom...yeah, I don’t know what to say about this one. Sarah took photos of the restroom, and it’s pretty luxurious for what it is. Sorry if these photos offend your sensibilities, but I thought they were pretty interesting.

Moving along with the “normal” tour, one of the highlights of the restaurant is probably the piano just past the Gallery and across from the bar. Seemingly innocuous and no more refined than your average piano (at least to my untrained eyes), the inside of the lid features a meticulous painting of 19th century New Orleans Harbor.

fmingo36 · Jun 30, 2011

Wow!
Thanks for all these great photos & information of Club 33. Since most of us "common folk" will never get a chance to experience it, we'll just have to live vicariously through your photos. :king:

WDWFigment · Jul 1, 2011

^Glad you're enjoying!

...

Sadly, as implied above, Walt Disney never lived to dine at Club 33. Around the time of Disneyland’s 50th Anniversary, the Club had a painting commissioned of Walt dining at the restaurant. The painting now hangs in the restaurant, and features Walt at a window table, with the Mark Twain Riverboat outside, sipping a cup of coffee as he reads the paper. As far as art goes, this is probably the only piece I have ever seen that actually gave me chills. It is truly a moving piece of art.

At the end of the tour, in typical Disney fashion there was, of course, a gift shop! (This joke is so tired now, but what the heck.) Contrasting typical Disney fashion was that there was no counter or cash register nearby or any other means of knowing how to make a purchase. Rather, you simply loitered around a glass case, and sooner or later, a Cast Member would ask you what you’d like to purchase. It was almost as if the case was daring you to buy something, and waiting around a bit before being able to make a purchase was like even deeper initiation into “The Club.” If gift shops (or cases, in this case) could talk, this one would say, “I don’t need a person hawking goods bearing the exquisite logo of this Club. I’m cool, you know that, I know that. You want to buy me--you’ll wait around until we’re good and ready to sell something to you.”

I was going to purchase Club 33 ears, but ultimately opted against them once I saw them. Sarah purchased a baseball hat. There were something interesting items, most noteworthy the class ring style men’s rings. However, most of the items were stock print-shop clothing with the “33” logo emblazoned on them. Definitely nothing imaginative, and not what I expected for such an exclusive club. I have heard that they once sold prints of the Walt painting I mentioned earlier. Had that been available, I think I would have purchased it regardless of the price tag.

Keeping in mind my lukewarm review of the meal itself, I would give our experience at Club 33 a 10/10. (Click here for my full review of Club 33, which is a variation of what's present here.) If ever a restaurant deserved a mantra of, “come for the food, stay for the experience,” it is Club 33. Our hours there will likely go down as some of the best ever in any Disney park, and if we ever have the opportunity to go back, we will in an instant.

After the Cast Member returned with Sarah’s hat, we slowly made our way down the stairs and to the exit. We knew this time would come, but we were in no way prepared for it. Some kids dream of camping out in the Swiss Family Treehouse overnight, I think my dream place to stay the night would be in Club 33/the Disney Gallery.

As the door slowly closed behind us, we turned back for our last peak inside the Club. Right around the time we headed into New Orleans Square, the food comas set in. We still had a little bit of time left until the park closed, so we set out to hit a few attractions before closing. By this time, I was so drowsy that I barely even remember what we did. I know we hit Pirates of the Caribbean and Haunted Mansion, and I think that was it.

I had been playing message-tag with Hilger, a fellow photographer and Nikon shooter. We had planned on meeting up with him the previous night, but our fun time at elecTRONica sort of nixed those plans. Instead, we met briefly with he and his girlfriend before continuing on to take some photos in Fantasyland.

We started a few minutes before the park closed, as the previous two nights had been busts photo-wise, and I wanted to get as many shots as possible before calling it a night.

I made quick work of Fantasyland, shooting the exteriors of Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride, Pinocchio’s Daring Journey, Peter Pan’s Flight, and King Arthur’s Carrousel before moving on to the Castle.

Since I had a jacket and khakis on, I thought it might be cool to recreate the classic shot of Walt walking through the back of the Castle into an empty Fantasyland. I was a bit concerned that this would seem a bit conceited, as if I were comparing myself to Walt Disney, but I’m sure many people have tried this shot, and they all did it in the name of fun. That was also the reason I was doing it--for the record, about the only thing Walt Disney and I have in common is legendary mustaches. (Okay, I don’t have a mustache, but I’m betting I could grow a killer one!)

After this shot and a similar shot of the same scene with Sarah in it, I was struggling for ideas. For some reason, I decided to have her stand by a gift shop window for what ended up being, by all accounts, a lousy idea and shot. I wouldn’t post it if not for the sake of the story, because right as I finished taking it, I heard, “you again,” from a familiar voice. The security guard from two nights’ prior.

He reiterated his, and City Hall’s, position that tripods weren’t allowed in the park, and I clarified that they weren’t allowed in busy thoroughfares. This exchange didn’t go on for too long, because at this point Sarah started to firmly let him have it. She wasn’t rude, but she wasn’t exactly polite, either. Like I said earlier, she feels the need to protect me. Based on my encounter with this @$#%$#*&^# the previous night, I knew this would take us nowhere positive.

I quickly stopped Sarah, and told the security guard we’d head to Main Street. Before we left, I told him that I had been coming to the Disney theme parks all of my life, and I had never felt unwelcome or humiliated until the encounter I had with him two nights earlier. I thought I possibly gotten through to him because he wouldn’t even make eye contact with me, but Sarah said she heard him laughing as we walked away. I would post the guy’s name and description on here, but I will be the bigger man. It’s seriously taking all the restraint I have, though, as just thinking about this gets my blood boiling again.

It was still only around 12:15 am at this point, and the Main Street shops were open until 1 am, so we wandered around Main Street. Sarah made friends with some people in rocking chairs, and I wandered around, just soaking in the ambiance. It was actually a new and unique experience to just walk around the empty Main Street just soaking in the atmosphere without taking (many ) photos.

Finally, when the clock hit 1 am, we headed out. Not even the setback with security could wipe the smiles off of our faces as we walked out the gates. A wonderful day in the parks followed by an amazing evening at Club 33 topped off with a nice stroll around Main Street, USA. It was like cake on top of cake, on top of MORE CAKE!

Disneygal1 · Jul 1, 2011

Don't you just hate rude cast members? It's so non-disney. I rarely run into rude cast members, but when I do, it's very upsetting. Hopefully you won't run in it to him again. Although, that was your second time. Other than that, your tr is awesome as usual. I can't wait for more!

barrettismyhero · Jul 1, 2011

I ended up taking your advice on the D3000..

Needless to say I'm very happy with the initial results!

todd23 · Jul 4, 2011

Tom...first of all, great trip report. My wife and I love reading along and thoroughly enjoy it everytime you and Sarah make a trip to a Disney theme park.

Now, the real reason for my post. You go through all this detail on Club 33, but I don't think you ever mentioned how/why (unless we missed it!) you had the privilege of dining there.

We're looking forward to the rest of this trip report and any others that will follow in the future.

Fashionista007 · Jul 4, 2011

I am loving your TR as always! Yeah for the Chappelle's Show and Twilight Zone references! Twilight Zone is near and dear to my heart and it was something I shared with my (now deceased) Grandfather. ToT opened when I was about 12 and I started to watch Twilight Zone on the SciFi channel (not to be confused with the now lame syfy channel). Little 12 year old me proceeded to tape (yes tape with a VCR) every single episode. I can remember sitting there with the remote so I could stop recording during commercials. Then I proceeded to print out each episode synopsis and I catalogued which episodes were on which tape. Power Nerd!! Now nearly 20 years later I can just stream every episode to my many multimedia devices on Netflix. That's Progress!

I met Henry Work during Star Wars Weekends and we talked a little bidness

He and I are both web/software developers and I hope to work with you all at Touring Plans. I have an idea in the works dealing with next gen trip reporting. Stay tuned!

It has always been my dream to visit each Disney park but I still keep going exclusively to WDW! After our wedding (Wedding Pavilion 9/27/2011!) we're thinking of moving to FL. I guess if we live near WDW we should vacation at DLR! And I'm with you on Tokyo...that's next on our list as well.

I can't wait to read more! :wave:

ColoradoDWFan · Jul 6, 2011

Great trip report, Tom.

What are your thoughts on the Desert Palm hotel? I will be staying in one of their suites this coming September with my wife and 2 year old. Haven't been to Disneyland in over 15 years and don't have a good idea of where things are any more.

Thanks in advance.

sweetpee_1993 · Jul 6, 2011

Ooohh...2 updates to catch up on!

All good stuff as usual. I don't think you know how to take a crappy pic, Tom. LOL!

Loved every last detail.

Club 33....very cool that you scored a meal there. You're right we all dream of it. What self-respecting Disney fanatic wouldn't? **sigh** I'll just keep telling myself that some things are better left to daydreams.

This is totally off the top of my head, I have no idea really, but I think I might have read that if you take a particular tour at Disneyland you get to see or ride in the Lilly Bell train car. I want to say it's 'Walk in Walt's Footsteps' or something similar. Again, I have not looked for the info. I think I read where someone on another site said they had done it or recommended it because they thought it was an included element. Just thought I'd put it out there.

The rude security guy...sheesh. Did ya ask him what his schedule was so you could come get your pics when the park is free of pompous jerks who take themselves entirely too seriously? I think Sarah just gained another few ticks on the cool-meter (if that's possible..LOL) for fussing at the guy on your behalf. I'm pretty particular about who treads on my territory, too. :lol:

You know the drill: can't wait for more. Bring it! I'll catch up again eventually! :wave:

WDWFigment · Jul 10, 2011

^Sorry I haven't responded to all of the comments above. It's been a BUSY week. I'll get to them tomorrow morning. For now, here's another update.

...

The next morning was Sunday, and I was ready to rock and roll early. I knew Disneyland opened at 8 am, so I decided to get up around 6:45 so I could be to the turnstiles by 7:30. Sarah had no interest in getting up this early, so I headed out on my own. I arrived to baggage check at around 7:50. The line was already huge, and I thought, “oh well, I guess I won’t be one of the first people into Fantasyland.”

Then, I realized something. The line wasn’t moving. At all. Then I saw Cast Members coming around, handing out Times Guides and Park Maps. It’s been a while since I’ve used a park map (except at Animal Kingdom, where I still get lost after all these years), as I don’t want to look like a tourist. I picked one up, just the same, and come to find out, Disneyland didn’t open until 9 am!

This was one part embarrassing, ten parts awesome! I was a bit back in the bag check line, but overall, I wasn’t far back at all. When bag check finally started moving, our line proceeded quickly, and I quickly made my way to the far turnstiles, and was about the 20th person back. Then I realized there was a turnstile next to me that didn’t have any one lined up at it. I moved over to that turnstile, but unfortunately, right before I moved over, a family noticed the same thing, and also moved over.

Fear not, as this family was soon chosen as the “Family of the Day” (or something of that sort), and was ushered inside the turnstiles. There was a short show with them (this is one thing Walt Disney World does MUCH better--the Welcome Show is awesome) involved, but more importantly (to me at least!), I was now the first person in line at one of the turnstiles.

As soon as the clock struck the magic time, I was allowed to enter through the turnstile, and found myself about the second or third person heading up Main Street. Thanks to my brisk walking abilities, I quickly overtook first place. As Seabiscuit--err, I mean Tom--rounded the corner out of the tunnel he came into the straight-away up Main Street still in first! This didn’t make much of a difference, as there was enough space at the rope near the end of Main Street for about 20 people or so. I wanted to be in the center, though, and plus it was fun to be one of the very first people moving up Main Street (while pretending to be a racing-horse, apparently).

Once I was up at the rope, I had a field day. I changed lenses probably 7 times, trying to get the best shots I possibly could, and rethinking shots I had previously taken. Ironically-enough, one of the security guards came up to me and started talking about photography and even offered to take a photo of me with my camera. At first I think he was going to let me go on the other side of the rope, but right as I said yes, a couple other people said, “couple you take our photo after that,” and I figured he wouldn’t want to set a bad precedent by letting me go on the other side, so I just stood amongst the crowd while he took my photo. In retrospect, I wish I would have asked, the worst he could have said would have been no, and it would have been a cool photo. Oh well.

Time flew by, and it was soon time for rope-drop. The same “chosen ones” got to do a little performance here by counting down. It was neat.

Unsuprisingly, my ability to walk briskly is far superior to the families around me, and I was easily in first place again all the way to the hub. I had decided that I was going straight to Peter Pan’s Flight and coming back to take photos later, but as soon as I saw Partners, I couldn’t help myself--I just had to stop and take one shot.

I’m really glad I did, as the photo I took is one of my favorites from the trip. I quickly got back up, and resumed the “race.” There were now a few people ahead of me, but as we passed through the compass in front of the Castle, I shot up a gap between them and resumed first place.

Again, though, I couldn’t help myself. An empty Fantasyland was mine to photography and I couldn’t pass up that opportunity. I quickly snapped a couple of shots, then headed right towards Peter Pan’s Flight. I was the 3rd person to board (I walked right on just the same as I would if I were the 1st person to ride). It would have been awesome to have been the first person to ride, but the photos were definitely worth it, especially since all first place would have entailed would have been some nonsensical “bragging rights.”

WDWFigment · Jul 11, 2011

Disneygal1 said:
Don't you just hate rude cast members? It's so non-disney. I rarely run into rude cast members, but when I do, it's very upsetting. Hopefully you won't run in it to him again. Although, that was your second time. Other than that, your tr is awesome as usual. I can't wait for more!

That was the last time we had an encounter with him, although we did see him again in the park the next day at dusk. We were with another photographer who said the security guard looked him up and down, but I don’t think the guard even noticed me.

barrettismyhero said:
I ended up taking your advice on the D3000..

Needless to say I'm very happy with the initial results!

Awesome! Can’t wait to see your work with it in a trip report soon(?)

todd23 said:
Tom...first of all, great trip report. My wife and I love reading along and thoroughly enjoy it everytime you and Sarah make a trip to a Disney theme park.

Now, the real reason for my post. You go through all this detail on Club 33, but I don't think you ever mentioned how/why (unless we missed it!) you had the privilege of dining there.

We're looking forward to the rest of this trip report and any others that will follow in the future.

No, I didn’t mention how/why we managed to dine there. Unfortunately, I can’t say. Sorry.

Hope you enjoy the rest of the TR to come. I’ve already written most of it (and obviously experienced all of it!), and I think it’s pretty good!

Fashionista007 said:
I am loving your TR as always! Yeah for the Chappelle's Show and Twilight Zone references! Twilight Zone is near and dear to my heart and it was something I shared with my (now deceased) Grandfather. ToT opened when I was about 12 and I started to watch Twilight Zone on the SciFi channel (not to be confused with the now lame syfy channel). Little 12 year old me proceeded to tape (yes tape with a VCR) every single episode. I can remember sitting there with the remote so I could stop recording during commercials. Then I proceeded to print out each episode synopsis and I catalogued which episodes were on which tape. Power Nerd!! Now nearly 20 years later I can just stream every episode to my many multimedia devices on Netflix. That's Progress!

I met Henry Work during Star Wars Weekends and we talked a little bidness He and I are both web/software developers and I hope to work with you all at Touring Plans. I have an idea in the works dealing with next gen trip reporting. Stay tuned!

It has always been my dream to visit each Disney park but I still keep going exclusively to WDW! After our wedding (Wedding Pavilion 9/27/2011!) we're thinking of moving to FL. I guess if we live near WDW we should vacation at DLR! And I'm with you on Tokyo...that's next on our list as well.

I can't wait to read more! :wave:

The SciFi channel was awesome back in the day. I remember watching the Twilight Zone at noon and midnight during the summer, and Alfred Hitchock Presents at 1 pm. Those were the days. I have no idea why they changed it to SyFy. An ill-conceived effort to be hip?

You met Henry? I’m sorry... Just kidding, Henry and I are good friends (if not, it would have been odd to tour with him for several days at Disneyland and WDW). The trip reporting idea sounds interesting!

It’s definitely worth it to visit Disneyland at least–I know I keep repeating that, but it bears repeating. It’s hard to stray from WDW, but it’s so worth doing.

ColoradoDWFan said:
Great trip report, Tom.

What are your thoughts on the Desert Palm hotel? I will be staying in one of their suites this coming September with my wife and 2 year old. Haven't been to Disneyland in over 15 years and don't have a good idea of where things are any more.

Thanks in advance.

We stayed at the Desert Inn Hotel, and for the price and location, it was great. Don’t go in expecting some lavish resort, because that, it is not!

sweetpee_1993 said:
Ooohh...2 updates to catch up on!

All good stuff as usual. I don't think you know how to take a crappy pic, Tom. LOL!

Loved every last detail.

Club 33....very cool that you scored a meal there. You're right we all dream of it. What self-respecting Disney fanatic wouldn't? **sigh** I'll just keep telling myself that some things are better left to daydreams.

This is totally off the top of my head, I have no idea really, but I think I might have read that if you take a particular tour at Disneyland you get to see or ride in the Lilly Bell train car. I want to say it's 'Walk in Walt's Footsteps' or something similar. Again, I have not looked for the info. I think I read where someone on another site said they had done it or recommended it because they thought it was an included element. Just thought I'd put it out there.

The rude security guy...sheesh. Did ya ask him what his schedule was so you could come get your pics when the park is free of pompous jerks who take themselves entirely too seriously? I think Sarah just gained another few ticks on the cool-meter (if that's possible..LOL) for fussing at the guy on your behalf. I'm pretty particular about who treads on my territory, too. :lol:

You know the drill: can't wait for more. Bring it! I'll catch up again eventually! :wave:

I’ve since been informed that the Lilly Belle can be experienced by anyone, but it can be difficult. The best bet is going first thing to City Hall and seeing if there’s “availability” that day.

It worries me a bit that I had two encounters with security (albeit the same security guard) on the same trip, but I’m hoping it’s just a fluke. I don’t know if I want to hedge my bets on that, though, so we might try to get a press pass for our next trip. The trade-off with doing that is that I probably couldn't take photos of us late at night/early in the morning.

WDWFigment · Jul 11, 2011

After Pan, it was off to Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride. Yep, the second straight day I had gone on it by myself. I guess it really was growing on me. I think it’s one of those attractions I just really want to like, and with such a crazy premise/plot, I’ll come to like it more with each repeat riding. Knowing that, I’ve been trying to ride it as much as possible.

Following that, it was on to Alice in Wonderland. Like I’ve said in the past, I’m not a huge fan of the animated ‘classic’ (and certainly not the over-hyped Tim Burton version), but after loving the attraction so much, I think I want to give the movie a second chance. It just has so many rich characters that I feel it’s a movie I really am “missing.”

Thus far I had yet to wait a single minute in line, and that streak continued with Pinocchio's Daring Journey. The jury is still out on this one for me. There are some cool scenes and effects, and I really like Pinocchio, but it does feel dated. This is another one that could use a once-over by Baxter, to really return its luster to it.

Based on my experience with TouringPlans.com (gotta plug the employer!), I knew that the Storybook Land Canal Boats tend to get a longer line as the day goes on, and due to its poor capacity, the line is somewhat confounded. I thus decided to do this next, even though I knew Sarah might want to experience it later as it’s one of her favorite attractions in Fantasyland.

Our skipper (doubt that’s the proper name, but oh well) for the ride was awesome. He really got into the part, over-exaggerating his lines for dramatic emphasis. It would have been a bit over the top for the adult humor of the Jungle Cruise, but I still think some of the Jungle Cruise skippers should take lessons from him. There’s a fine line between “dry-monotone” and “dryly-phoning-it-in” and many of the Jungle Cruise skippers are on the wrong side of that line.

When we arrived at Cinderella’s Village, we saw something hilarious. Catzilla! Apparently a stray cat had decided to take a nap in the village, and was lying amongst some of the cottages. For whatever reason, I found (and still find) this absolutely hilarious. It cracks me up just thinking about. I only wish the skipper would have played this up, ad libbing some way of explaining the cat’s enormous size to the kids aboard our ship, but I’m sure Disney wouldn’t appreciate said deviation.

This was the first time I’d experienced Storybook Land during the day, and while not as majestic as at night, it’s no slouch during the day. I love that some newer movies have been incorporated into the attraction, and I hope it continues to be plussed as the years go on. Some purists will probably hang their heads in disbelief, but I think it’d be neat to see the house from Up floating magically somewhere in the Land. I’m probably alone in that sentiment, as I know Pixar, a wholly owned Disney entity, has no place in Disneyland. Ha.

When I departed Storybook Land, I got a message from Sarah that she was nearing the turnstiles. Not wanting to ride another attraction without her, I took a few infrared photos.

We then headed over to Casey Jr’s. This would be our first spin aboard the hilarious looking train, and I had high expectations, even after the Chew Chew debacle.

WDWFigment · Jul 11, 2011

My expectations were met, nay, were exceeded. Substantively, it’s pretty comparable to Chew Chew. A kiddie train, albeit with much cooler cars. However, that’s not the point. The way Casey Jr’s interacts with Fantasyland and the other modes of transportation/attractions in Disneyland really makes it a gem. I can only imagine back when the Peoplemover was running. How cool would it have been to see so many different transportation systems entwined?! Plus, there’s that catchy song for Casey Jr’s. It was definitely a fun little attraction, and one on which we could see ourselves relaxing in the future.

Next, it was time for it’s a small world. I’ve already written about this attraction at length in this report (and my last report), and I wish I had more to say, but unfortunately I don’t. Well, besides the fact that I cannot wait until we experience this at Christmas!!! I seriously think we’re going to hit 10+ rides on this in November. I cannot wait.

WDWFigment · Jul 11, 2011

We trekked on to Toontown, where we encountered our first line of the day, at Roger Rabbit’s Cartoon Spin. It was only a 10 minute wait, but with the way we (mostly me) had been tearing through attractions up until this point, it was a bit of a momentum killer. We both really wanted to be as efficient as possible this day, as we had relaxed and taken things slowly on the previous days.

Cartoon Spin was worth it, and is the type of Fantasyland-style dark ride I hope to see more of in the future. It’s interactive but not ‘in-your-face’ about it, and it has solid set design and production value. It’s unfortunate that it’s hidden way back in Toontown, as I have to admit that we have experienced it far too seldomly.

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

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