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First Disneyland Visit Trip Report! (7/21/13 - 7/27/13)
- Thread starter TuffyCatt
- Start date
Thank you! Yeah, the terrace was definitely a lucky find!
We were there from the 25th to the 31st.
Cool! Who knows, we might have seen each other!
It was definitely busy, but it was a fun time to be there because there seemed to be so much going on! Hope your trip was as fun as ours!
Day 3, Part 6!
After a brief walk through Downtown Disney we were back at the Grand Californian. Dad took a break in the room, while Mom and I decided to spend some time at the pool. We don’t often have a lot of pool time during our WDW trips (plus we often go in January, and even in Florida it can get a little chilly), so it was really nice to have a chance to take advantage of the nice pool. We even took a trip down the Redwood pool slide, which was a lot of fun! At least while we were there it could be a little hard to find a good lounge chair in the afternoon since it was a little crowded. But once you got a chair, man were they comfortable! The pools themselves were also not overcrowded and the swimming was really nice.
After we were nice and rested and got cleaned up, we were ready to head back into Disneyland a little around 5:30 pm. Once we got onto Mainstreet, we saw that it wasn’t too terribly long until the Flag Retreat ceremony. This is yet another thing we’ve never gotten to see when we’ve been running around WDW, so we decided to stay put and check it out. We found a seat and enjoyed the sunshine and Mom took a quick look around the Emporium.
At 6 pm, the Disneyland All-American College Band got the flag retreat started.
The flag retreat was really nice. The band played several songs and the Dapper Dans sang as well. They also took a moment to recognize any members who were present of different military branches. Is the flag retreat something that’s been around since the park’s beginning? It just felt very Walt Disney-ish and patriotic, it was cool. My parents enjoyed the flag retreat too and it was a great way to come back into the park.
After the flag retreat, we were starting to feel hungry again, so we wandered the park without any particular plan besides finding someplace that looked good to eat. We made our way through Frontierland, deciding that the offerings at the Golden Horseshoe didn’t look like what we wanted and that as good as Rancho del Zocalo looked, we had recently had delicious Mexican food at Tortilla Joes. We eventually walked by River Belle Terrace, thought that the menu looked good, so in we went.
Things weren’t too busy in River Belle Terrace and the cast member who took our orders at the counter was really nice and asked us how our first visit was going, since Mom and I were wearing our newly acquired pins. She was also really accommodating for making Mom’s salad with the dressing on the side. It was interesting to me that all of the counter service salads that I got at Disneyland already had dressing on them. I’m so used to fast food type salads having the dressing on the side that for my first salad I got at Redd Rockett’s Pizza Port I put extra dressing on because I didn’t realize the dressing was already there. This time I had learned!
We really liked our dinner at River Belle Terrace, it was the perfect lighter meal after our delicious Carnation Café lunch. Mom and I got the Plantation Roast New York Salad and Dad got the River Belle’s Roast New York Sandwich. All very tasty!
We started by sitting indoors, but it was very noisy in there and we couldn’t really hear ourselves talk. So we moved outside to sit on the patio, which in the evening was really, really nice. If I haven’t mentioned it already, I was a fan of California’s July weather!
After dinner, we continued our nice, slow-paced evening by checking out Tarzan’s tree house. I like the Swiss Family Robinson tree house at the Magic Kingdom and I’m glad they still have the original, but I also love Disney’s Tarzan, so now I can have both!
Tarzan's Treehouse by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
Welcome! by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
View of Adventureland from Tarzan's Treehouse by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
Rivers of America and the closed Big Thunder Mountain by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
More treehouse by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
Mom having and encounter with Sabor by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
I love the above picture. We didn’t realize that the figure of Sabor the leopard would roar intermittently, quite loudly and unexpectedly. So I got Mom to pose for a picture, and of course right as I was taking the picture, it let out a very loud roar! Haha! 
Kala and baby Tarzan by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
More of the story by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
Another evening view from the treehouse by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
Tarzan and Jane, complete with creepy Tarzan reflection in the mirror by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
Dad likes the old phonograph by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
The walk through was fun, and at the end we looked at some of the interactive things in the play area. My Tarzan yell at the echo tube was pretty good if I do say so myself!
After enjoying the Tarzan area, we thought we’d check out Pirates of the Caribbean since we still hadn’t managed to ride it yet. Unfortunately, when we got over to New Orleans Square, Pirates was temporarily closed. Boo. So we decided to do the next best thing and ride the Haunted Mansion, especially since Mom had missed it when dad and I rode the day before. We were excited to find that there was only a 13 minute wait (haha) listed for the stand-by line.
After we got inside the building and through the stretching room, wouldn’t you know it that the line stopped moving. They seemed to be having some brief technical difficulties. While waiting, I had fun playing around with my camera in the attraction’s dark show-lighting.
3D Busts by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
Spooky lights by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
Cool bat railing by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
One of my favorite things about the Haunted Mansion queue at WDW is that if you feel the wallpaper in the queue, the black accents are actual velvet. I mean, how many people (besides me) touch the wallpaper in the Haunted Mansion queue to find that out? And it’s too dark to really tell that, that’s why I ended up touching the wallpaper in the first place to check! It’s one of those cool little plusses in a Disney park that I don’t think would be noticed by a lot of guests. Anyway, there is not as easy access to the wallpaper in the Disneyland queue. However, thanks to the wait, we found a spot where the wall is close – and yes! It’s the same wallpaper! More than any of you ever wanted to know about Haunted Mansion wallpaper, but it made me happy.
The time that the ride was down was probably only about 10 minutes. We all enjoyed the ride, and this time we got a new ghost to follow us home!
We got off Haunted Mansion and decided to check on Pirates again. It was open! It looked like it had just reopened because it was pretty empty and people were rushing in, so in we went! The line split off to two sides, and everyone was rushing into one side, where a line was starting to form. We were confused as to why everyone was ignoring the completely empty other side, so we went in that direction. Well, I guess when we went to that side people realized that it was an option, so a bunch of people started to hop over the railings to that side, and right in front of us. I’m usually not a very aggressive line person, but this got me pretty annoyed, because there was practically no line and all these people had to do was follow the normal course of the line and get behind us and they wouldn’t have much of a wait. But no, they had to hop over the railings to get in front of us like their lives depended on it. Anyway, I was like “Come on, guys!” to them as the leapt over the railing right by us, and was pleased to find that a good number of them were reasonable and let us pass in front of them. One thing I did notice at Disneyland was that when a ride has been closed and it reopened and there was no line, people would run through the line like if they don’t hurry, the line is going to get long again. It was a little weird.
Anyway, line issues aside, there was really no wait at all, and I was overly excited when we got placed in the first row of our boat. Disneyland’s Pirates was amazing. My dad didn’t realize how different it would be from WDW’s and as we went through the much longer beginning, he said he was worried that we wouldn’t ever get to the scenes that we’re used to in WDW. We were also surprised by how much bigger the drops were that take the ride underground, and we were slightly distressed to find that being in the front row meant that we got a little bit of a splash (after our soaking on Splash Mountain the day before, we really did not want to get wet on a ride again). Anyway, I liked all the additional scenes at the beginning and it was cool to float by the Blue Bayou where we had eaten the day before. I also really liked the additional scenes at the end with the town on fire and the pirates having their gun fight around all the gun powder. One difference I noticed about Disneyland’s Pirates is that the show lighting is a bit dimmer than WDW’s. This was the only aspect in which I thought it suffered – it made it a little harder to appreciate some of the little details that I knew were still there but which I can see a lot better in WDW.
After a fun ride on Pirates, it was starting to get a little dark. Our main goal for the night was to see the second show of Fantasmic, so we wanted to hang around the New Orleans Square area until the first show was over. I also really wanted beignets and a mint julep, and we were starting to feel like dessert would be a delicious idea. I wasn’t exactly sure where to get them though, so we began to explore the New Orleans square area. It’s so beautifully themed, and there’s nothing at Magic Kingdom even remotely like it.
We enjoyed exploring some of the nooks and crannies of New Orleans Square. Since the Limited Time Magic theme for the week we were there was “Christmas in July” we made sure to take a look in the Christmas Shop to see if there was anything of interest. The Mickey ear hat ornaments were cool, but I really wanted a general Disneyland ornament, not one based on a specific ride or character, and a Disneyland ornament was surprisingly difficult to find. After a little bit of exploring, we still weren’t quite sure where to get beignets, so we headed into the French Market to ask. Little did we know that the Mint Julep bar was literally just around the corner and the nice cast member at the French Market was more than happy to point us in the right direction.
At the Mint Julep bar, we got a six pack of the Mickey beignets, I ordered a mint julep, and my dad got a mocha. It was all really delicious, and definitely one of my favorite snacks that we got during our Disneyland trip. The beignets were warm and fresh and served in a paper bag with copious powdered sugar. The mint julep was sweet and refreshing and was a really nice complement to the beignets. We sat at one of the tables outside the French Market and enjoyed our treat as the first showing of Fantasmic started.
Once we were finished I decided I would like a little distance between us and the first showing of Fantasmic just so as not to spoil it. We headed into Adventureland to kill a little time. We checked Jungle Cruise, but the line was too long for us to be done by the time the Fantasmic show was over. We ended up just browsing around the shops across from Jungle Cruise and Indiana Jones. I believe this is the night that dad got some advice from Shrunken Ned, Adventureland’s own witch doctor. Dad was presented with a card with Shrunken Ned’s advice for good health which included eating an all cabbage diet among various other things. Dad and I got a lot of amusement from this fun little fixture in the Adventureland Bazaar.
After browsing the wares in Adventureland and getting some sage witch doctor advice, we ended up just hanging out behind the River Belle Terrace until the first Fantasmic show ended. After we heard the first show’s explosive finale, we headed back out towards the Rivers of America to see if we could secure a spot for the second show. For the most part, everyone from the first show was starting to leave, so we just wiggled our way in to the front of the viewing area. When we got towards the middle, there was a small group packing up their blanket and their other belongings right along the fence at the front. We waited just behind them, and as soon as they had moved out, we just sat down where they had been. And that was how we got really great seats for Fantasmic!
We didn’t realize that the viewing area for Fantasmic also has a good view of the Magical fireworks show over the Rivers of America, so that was a pleasant surprise as we waited for the show to start. We knew we still wanted to catch the fireworks from in front of the castle on another night, but in my opinion you can never see the fireworks too many times! Overall, our wait for Fantasmic was just about an hour, which wasn’t bad at all considering our excellent view. The one thing I will give WDW’s Fantasmic is that the seats are really nice for when you have a bit of a wait for the show to start. It got just a bit uncomfortable sitting on the ground for that long a period of time, especially since things are so packed and there isn’t really any room to stretch out. I don’t envy the people who camped out for multiple hours for the first show.
At 10:30 the show got started! Definitely superior to WDW’s Fantasmic. The Peter Pan scene on the Columbia is just absolutely spectacular – amazing! And Disneyland’s dragon is just awe inspiring. I even got a teensy bit teary at the finale with all the characters on the Mark Twain. Overall it was a wonderful show and I’m so happy that I got to see Disneyland’s version. I don’t quite understand the people who say they just can’t watch WDW’s version any more after seeing Disneyland’s. While Disneyland’s is definitely better, the spirit of the shows is very much the same and I feel like even getting a slightly inferior taste of it at WDW would still be worth it, especially if it’s going to be a while before I can get to Disneyland again. But that’s just my thought – I love the music, the finale, and the spectacle of the thing, and you still get a lot of that at WDW. We enjoyed our front row spot for the show – we were so close to all the characters and boats to the water! My mom said that being that close meant that we got a little more mist than she would have liked, though. Sorry I don’t have any pictures – like World of Color I decided to put the camera away and just take in the show.
After Fantasmic, we were ready to call it a day. It had been a wonderful (and very full!) day exploring Disneyland, and we were looking forward to exploring California Adventure bright and early again tomorrow. Out we went through the bright and crowded Mainstreet and back to the Grand Californian for a good night’s sleep.
Coming up: Day 4 and more adventures at California Adventure!
After a brief walk through Downtown Disney we were back at the Grand Californian. Dad took a break in the room, while Mom and I decided to spend some time at the pool. We don’t often have a lot of pool time during our WDW trips (plus we often go in January, and even in Florida it can get a little chilly), so it was really nice to have a chance to take advantage of the nice pool. We even took a trip down the Redwood pool slide, which was a lot of fun! At least while we were there it could be a little hard to find a good lounge chair in the afternoon since it was a little crowded. But once you got a chair, man were they comfortable! The pools themselves were also not overcrowded and the swimming was really nice.
After we were nice and rested and got cleaned up, we were ready to head back into Disneyland a little around 5:30 pm. Once we got onto Mainstreet, we saw that it wasn’t too terribly long until the Flag Retreat ceremony. This is yet another thing we’ve never gotten to see when we’ve been running around WDW, so we decided to stay put and check it out. We found a seat and enjoyed the sunshine and Mom took a quick look around the Emporium.
At 6 pm, the Disneyland All-American College Band got the flag retreat started.
The flag retreat was really nice. The band played several songs and the Dapper Dans sang as well. They also took a moment to recognize any members who were present of different military branches. Is the flag retreat something that’s been around since the park’s beginning? It just felt very Walt Disney-ish and patriotic, it was cool. My parents enjoyed the flag retreat too and it was a great way to come back into the park.
After the flag retreat, we were starting to feel hungry again, so we wandered the park without any particular plan besides finding someplace that looked good to eat. We made our way through Frontierland, deciding that the offerings at the Golden Horseshoe didn’t look like what we wanted and that as good as Rancho del Zocalo looked, we had recently had delicious Mexican food at Tortilla Joes. We eventually walked by River Belle Terrace, thought that the menu looked good, so in we went.
Things weren’t too busy in River Belle Terrace and the cast member who took our orders at the counter was really nice and asked us how our first visit was going, since Mom and I were wearing our newly acquired pins. She was also really accommodating for making Mom’s salad with the dressing on the side. It was interesting to me that all of the counter service salads that I got at Disneyland already had dressing on them. I’m so used to fast food type salads having the dressing on the side that for my first salad I got at Redd Rockett’s Pizza Port I put extra dressing on because I didn’t realize the dressing was already there. This time I had learned!
We really liked our dinner at River Belle Terrace, it was the perfect lighter meal after our delicious Carnation Café lunch. Mom and I got the Plantation Roast New York Salad and Dad got the River Belle’s Roast New York Sandwich. All very tasty!
We started by sitting indoors, but it was very noisy in there and we couldn’t really hear ourselves talk. So we moved outside to sit on the patio, which in the evening was really, really nice. If I haven’t mentioned it already, I was a fan of California’s July weather!
After dinner, we continued our nice, slow-paced evening by checking out Tarzan’s tree house. I like the Swiss Family Robinson tree house at the Magic Kingdom and I’m glad they still have the original, but I also love Disney’s Tarzan, so now I can have both!
Tarzan's Treehouse by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
Welcome! by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
View of Adventureland from Tarzan's Treehouse by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
Rivers of America and the closed Big Thunder Mountain by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
More treehouse by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
Mom having and encounter with Sabor by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
Kala and baby Tarzan by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
More of the story by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
Another evening view from the treehouse by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
Tarzan and Jane, complete with creepy Tarzan reflection in the mirror by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
Dad likes the old phonograph by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
After enjoying the Tarzan area, we thought we’d check out Pirates of the Caribbean since we still hadn’t managed to ride it yet. Unfortunately, when we got over to New Orleans Square, Pirates was temporarily closed. Boo. So we decided to do the next best thing and ride the Haunted Mansion, especially since Mom had missed it when dad and I rode the day before. We were excited to find that there was only a 13 minute wait (haha) listed for the stand-by line.
After we got inside the building and through the stretching room, wouldn’t you know it that the line stopped moving. They seemed to be having some brief technical difficulties. While waiting, I had fun playing around with my camera in the attraction’s dark show-lighting.
3D Busts by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
Spooky lights by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
Cool bat railing by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
The time that the ride was down was probably only about 10 minutes. We all enjoyed the ride, and this time we got a new ghost to follow us home!
We got off Haunted Mansion and decided to check on Pirates again. It was open! It looked like it had just reopened because it was pretty empty and people were rushing in, so in we went! The line split off to two sides, and everyone was rushing into one side, where a line was starting to form. We were confused as to why everyone was ignoring the completely empty other side, so we went in that direction. Well, I guess when we went to that side people realized that it was an option, so a bunch of people started to hop over the railings to that side, and right in front of us. I’m usually not a very aggressive line person, but this got me pretty annoyed, because there was practically no line and all these people had to do was follow the normal course of the line and get behind us and they wouldn’t have much of a wait. But no, they had to hop over the railings to get in front of us like their lives depended on it. Anyway, I was like “Come on, guys!” to them as the leapt over the railing right by us, and was pleased to find that a good number of them were reasonable and let us pass in front of them. One thing I did notice at Disneyland was that when a ride has been closed and it reopened and there was no line, people would run through the line like if they don’t hurry, the line is going to get long again. It was a little weird.
Anyway, line issues aside, there was really no wait at all, and I was overly excited when we got placed in the first row of our boat. Disneyland’s Pirates was amazing. My dad didn’t realize how different it would be from WDW’s and as we went through the much longer beginning, he said he was worried that we wouldn’t ever get to the scenes that we’re used to in WDW. We were also surprised by how much bigger the drops were that take the ride underground, and we were slightly distressed to find that being in the front row meant that we got a little bit of a splash (after our soaking on Splash Mountain the day before, we really did not want to get wet on a ride again). Anyway, I liked all the additional scenes at the beginning and it was cool to float by the Blue Bayou where we had eaten the day before. I also really liked the additional scenes at the end with the town on fire and the pirates having their gun fight around all the gun powder. One difference I noticed about Disneyland’s Pirates is that the show lighting is a bit dimmer than WDW’s. This was the only aspect in which I thought it suffered – it made it a little harder to appreciate some of the little details that I knew were still there but which I can see a lot better in WDW.
After a fun ride on Pirates, it was starting to get a little dark. Our main goal for the night was to see the second show of Fantasmic, so we wanted to hang around the New Orleans Square area until the first show was over. I also really wanted beignets and a mint julep, and we were starting to feel like dessert would be a delicious idea. I wasn’t exactly sure where to get them though, so we began to explore the New Orleans square area. It’s so beautifully themed, and there’s nothing at Magic Kingdom even remotely like it.
We enjoyed exploring some of the nooks and crannies of New Orleans Square. Since the Limited Time Magic theme for the week we were there was “Christmas in July” we made sure to take a look in the Christmas Shop to see if there was anything of interest. The Mickey ear hat ornaments were cool, but I really wanted a general Disneyland ornament, not one based on a specific ride or character, and a Disneyland ornament was surprisingly difficult to find. After a little bit of exploring, we still weren’t quite sure where to get beignets, so we headed into the French Market to ask. Little did we know that the Mint Julep bar was literally just around the corner and the nice cast member at the French Market was more than happy to point us in the right direction.
At the Mint Julep bar, we got a six pack of the Mickey beignets, I ordered a mint julep, and my dad got a mocha. It was all really delicious, and definitely one of my favorite snacks that we got during our Disneyland trip. The beignets were warm and fresh and served in a paper bag with copious powdered sugar. The mint julep was sweet and refreshing and was a really nice complement to the beignets. We sat at one of the tables outside the French Market and enjoyed our treat as the first showing of Fantasmic started.
Once we were finished I decided I would like a little distance between us and the first showing of Fantasmic just so as not to spoil it. We headed into Adventureland to kill a little time. We checked Jungle Cruise, but the line was too long for us to be done by the time the Fantasmic show was over. We ended up just browsing around the shops across from Jungle Cruise and Indiana Jones. I believe this is the night that dad got some advice from Shrunken Ned, Adventureland’s own witch doctor. Dad was presented with a card with Shrunken Ned’s advice for good health which included eating an all cabbage diet among various other things. Dad and I got a lot of amusement from this fun little fixture in the Adventureland Bazaar.
After browsing the wares in Adventureland and getting some sage witch doctor advice, we ended up just hanging out behind the River Belle Terrace until the first Fantasmic show ended. After we heard the first show’s explosive finale, we headed back out towards the Rivers of America to see if we could secure a spot for the second show. For the most part, everyone from the first show was starting to leave, so we just wiggled our way in to the front of the viewing area. When we got towards the middle, there was a small group packing up their blanket and their other belongings right along the fence at the front. We waited just behind them, and as soon as they had moved out, we just sat down where they had been. And that was how we got really great seats for Fantasmic!
We didn’t realize that the viewing area for Fantasmic also has a good view of the Magical fireworks show over the Rivers of America, so that was a pleasant surprise as we waited for the show to start. We knew we still wanted to catch the fireworks from in front of the castle on another night, but in my opinion you can never see the fireworks too many times! Overall, our wait for Fantasmic was just about an hour, which wasn’t bad at all considering our excellent view. The one thing I will give WDW’s Fantasmic is that the seats are really nice for when you have a bit of a wait for the show to start. It got just a bit uncomfortable sitting on the ground for that long a period of time, especially since things are so packed and there isn’t really any room to stretch out. I don’t envy the people who camped out for multiple hours for the first show.
At 10:30 the show got started! Definitely superior to WDW’s Fantasmic. The Peter Pan scene on the Columbia is just absolutely spectacular – amazing! And Disneyland’s dragon is just awe inspiring. I even got a teensy bit teary at the finale with all the characters on the Mark Twain. Overall it was a wonderful show and I’m so happy that I got to see Disneyland’s version. I don’t quite understand the people who say they just can’t watch WDW’s version any more after seeing Disneyland’s. While Disneyland’s is definitely better, the spirit of the shows is very much the same and I feel like even getting a slightly inferior taste of it at WDW would still be worth it, especially if it’s going to be a while before I can get to Disneyland again. But that’s just my thought – I love the music, the finale, and the spectacle of the thing, and you still get a lot of that at WDW. We enjoyed our front row spot for the show – we were so close to all the characters and boats to the water! My mom said that being that close meant that we got a little more mist than she would have liked, though. Sorry I don’t have any pictures – like World of Color I decided to put the camera away and just take in the show.
After Fantasmic, we were ready to call it a day. It had been a wonderful (and very full!) day exploring Disneyland, and we were looking forward to exploring California Adventure bright and early again tomorrow. Out we went through the bright and crowded Mainstreet and back to the Grand Californian for a good night’s sleep.
Coming up: Day 4 and more adventures at California Adventure!
Californian Elitist
Well-Known Member
I haven't eaten at River Belle Terrace since I was a little girl. Looks like I need to head back there!
I hated, and still hate, passing by Sabor in the treehouse. Every time I do, I have to cover my ears haha. He's scary.
Love Shrunken Ned's good health advice!
I hated, and still hate, passing by Sabor in the treehouse. Every time I do, I have to cover my ears haha. He's scary.
Love Shrunken Ned's good health advice!
Day 4 (7/24/13), Part 1
We had had two pretty wonderful days at the Disneyland Resort so far, and we were really enjoying our first visit to the other coast’s Disney Park. By day 3, we knew it was time for us to take it a little easier and not do such a commando approach to the parks. But that didn’t mean we weren’t still going to take advantage of hitting the parks early!
On Wednesday, we were still up bright and early at 5:30 so we could head over to DCA’s early entry at 7 am once again. We just love being there at park opening and being able to hit so many rides in a short time, we can’t help ourselves! Today we decided we were going to have a later in-park breakfast, so we just had the necessary coffee and tea in our room before heading out.
We got to the bag check area pretty early and we were rather close to the front of that line. While we were waiting for them to open up the bag check, we met a nice family from Toronto who was also visiting DLR for the first time. Also, like us, they were WDW regulars. They had arrived yesterday and had done one of the guided tours of the park, but this was going to be their first full day. We had fun chatting with them about some of the things we had enjoyed so far and how they compared to WDW.
They didn’t wait until quite so last minute today to start letting people through the bag check. We headed over to the gate and still had about 15 minutes before the park opened officially. Our plan was, like pretty much everyone else, to get a ride in on RSR before it got super crowded for the day. We were excited that we would get to test out the “wide-right” strategy this time since we wouldn’t be worrying about exchanging our WDW tickets this time.
At 7 am, the chosen family counted us down, and off we went! We had been right at the gate, and walked briskly into the park, while several families took off with a sprint. People can be a little crazy. Anyway, despite refusing to run (for multiple reasons), we were still pretty close to the front of the opening crowd when we reached Carsland. I had no clue when “wide-right” applied, so I just kept us to the right pretty much from the time we entered the gate onward.
Once we were right near the entrance to Carsland, we were held by some cast members with a rope cleverly themed like a gas hose. Lightening McQueen and Mater were there to welcome us to Carsland! The whole atmosphere was pretty fun, and I have to give the CMs huge credit for keeping us crazy people under control.
After being held at the entrance to Carsland for a minute, we began a very nice, slow controlled walk into Carsland. We were as far to the right as we could possibly get (the CMs wisely advised us to stay on the Carsland blacktop, or we’d be running into trashcans and light posts). When we got close to the end of the street, the CMs began to shout “If you’re planning on riding Radiator Springs Racers, please start forming a single file line to the right.” Ahhh, so that’s why it’s wide-right! I’m not exactly sure why they do it this way, but there was then a bit of a crazy shuffle as everyone frantically started to form a line on the right side of the rope. But since we were already there, we didn’t have to do anything and there we were right near the front of the line. Nice!
Anyway, after this fun little procession, we reached RSR, and our family was the second or third one in. We zipped through the line, and we happened to be put in the very first car of the day. Yay!
Empty Cars, ready to go! by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
First passengers of the day! by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
Mom and Dad are excited! by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
So am I! by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
Guido and Luigi getting us ready to race by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
I don’t really have much to compare it to, but this ride is nice in the early morning. The sun’s coming up, the air is nice and cool, and starting that first little quiet part of the ride through the lovely scenery is such an amazing way to start the day. Our RSR ride on Wednesday morning was the only one I remember where they had the mist turned on during the racing portion at the end. This was a neat little special effect, but we were so surprised by it that we completely missed when we went through the finish line. But we won again! Hooray!
After our trip through RSR, we wanted to hit the other Carsland attractions which we had skipped on Monday. We started with Luigi’s flying tires. There was pretty much no one there and we got on right away. I knew this ride was like the old Disneyland’s flying saucer’s attraction, but it’s such a unique set-up that we didn’t quite know what to expect. The CM recommended that we each take our own saucer if we wanted to go faster, so that’s what we did.
I really liked this ride, although this was the only time we rode it on our trip. I imagine this is what it would be like to be on a giant air hockey table. Being the only person in the “tire” is definitely the way to go. I found that once I was able to get away from the crowd of other tires, I was able to zip around pretty fast just by leaning forward a little…and of course crash into other people at high speeds occasionally just for fun! Anyway, it’s a unique spin on bumper cars and I have to give the folks at Disney credit for bringing back a pretty cool classic attraction in a new way.
Next it was time for Mater’s Junk Yard Jamboree. Again, almost no one was here so we hopped right on. I REALLY liked this ride. It’s like a combination of several different classic amusement park spinner rides – you have the spinning around of a Scrambler type attraction but then the swinging on the curves like the really classic Whip attractions. So much fun! And then they have the added element in that your car actually switches tracks throughout the ride, so it’s like the cars really are square dancing all around the floor. Combine this with Mater’s wonderful, catchy singing, and I thought this ride was ingenious.
Mater's Junkyard Jamboree by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
Morning in Carsland by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
Entrance to Tow Mater's Junk Yard Jamboree by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
Tractor petting zoo! by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
I thought the little “Mater’s Petting Zoo” outside the ride was particularly wonderful!
After thoroughly enjoying Carsland, we knew we wanted to hit Paradise Pier again before the extra hour was up. We just couldn’t get over the no wait for Toy Story Mania. This is one of my mom’s favorites and it was so great to be able to ride it multiple times without any lines or hassle to get fast passes. Our shooting skills were getting a little bit better too, and this time I managed to get a score over 100,000 (although my accuracy was still terrible!). After Toy Story, Dad and I also did California Screamin’ again.
Feeling very satisfied with our extra hour, it was now time to take a break and enjoy some breakfast. We decided to try out Flo’s for the first time. We cut through Pacific Warf to get back to Carsland because we had not been to see that entrance into Carsland yet. While the main entrance that lets you have the straight-shot view down the street is definitely great, this entrance gives you the best view of the beautiful rock-work around RSR.
We got to Flo’s for breakfast, and while there was a bit of a line, they did a great job of keeping things moving. This counter service spot is set up like the majority of the counter service spots in WDW – get in a single line, which flows into several cashiers. Place your order with the cashier, then step forward to the counter and wait for them to deliver your food. However, I will say that not all the spots at WDW have mastered doing this as efficiently as they do at Flo’s.
After we got our food, we sat over to the left so we had a little bit of a view of RSR. The breakfast was very good, and a nice change from the pastries we’d been having in the room the past two mornings. I got the French Toast, which is served with a salted caramel sauce and bananas. Mmmmmm! The salted caramel was really good and gave this dish a really unique flavor, very different from any other French toast I’ve ever had. It was very sweet, which was no problem for me, and while my mom liked the taste she had, thought it would have been too rich for her to have the whole thing. Dad had the Chicken Tamale breakfast – perfect for him since it gave him the excuse to have salsa and Tabasco sauce for breakfast! He really liked it and the taste of the tamale I had was yummy (and a stark contrast from my sweet French toast!). Mom is a lighter breakfast eater and had the seasonal fruit plate, which she said was good but pretty standard (always heavy on the melons and cantaloupe). I also got coffee. While the coffee made in our in room coffee pot had been doing its job, it was definitely nice to have a cup of something a little stronger – though I’m not sure what brand it is the park serves at its non-Starbucks locations. Whatever it was, it was good!
Dad with his chicken tamale breakfast by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
Mom's seasonal fruit plate - with yogurt and bran muffin by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
With my Brioche French Toast - with salted caramel sauce and bananas...yum! by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
Flo’s is a great counter service spot. The theming is fun, the food is good, and the CM’s are super efficient with clearing with your plates when you’re done. I know this is to keep guests flowing through the restaurant, but they do a really great job of keeping things clean and in order.
After our delicious breakfast, we enjoyed the scenery around Carsland a little more.
Watching Radiator Springs Racers by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
Mind your speed as you go by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
With our past three days going from around 5:30 am to about midnight each day, Mom knew that she wanted to take most of today off from the parks. However, she really wanted to see the Aladdin show, which didn’t have its first show until 11:40. We decided to just enjoy the sights and hit some of the smaller attractions for the rest of the morning.
Coming up: Bugs land, and more sights at DCA
We had had two pretty wonderful days at the Disneyland Resort so far, and we were really enjoying our first visit to the other coast’s Disney Park. By day 3, we knew it was time for us to take it a little easier and not do such a commando approach to the parks. But that didn’t mean we weren’t still going to take advantage of hitting the parks early!
On Wednesday, we were still up bright and early at 5:30 so we could head over to DCA’s early entry at 7 am once again. We just love being there at park opening and being able to hit so many rides in a short time, we can’t help ourselves! Today we decided we were going to have a later in-park breakfast, so we just had the necessary coffee and tea in our room before heading out.
We got to the bag check area pretty early and we were rather close to the front of that line. While we were waiting for them to open up the bag check, we met a nice family from Toronto who was also visiting DLR for the first time. Also, like us, they were WDW regulars. They had arrived yesterday and had done one of the guided tours of the park, but this was going to be their first full day. We had fun chatting with them about some of the things we had enjoyed so far and how they compared to WDW.
They didn’t wait until quite so last minute today to start letting people through the bag check. We headed over to the gate and still had about 15 minutes before the park opened officially. Our plan was, like pretty much everyone else, to get a ride in on RSR before it got super crowded for the day. We were excited that we would get to test out the “wide-right” strategy this time since we wouldn’t be worrying about exchanging our WDW tickets this time.
At 7 am, the chosen family counted us down, and off we went! We had been right at the gate, and walked briskly into the park, while several families took off with a sprint. People can be a little crazy. Anyway, despite refusing to run (for multiple reasons), we were still pretty close to the front of the opening crowd when we reached Carsland. I had no clue when “wide-right” applied, so I just kept us to the right pretty much from the time we entered the gate onward.
Once we were right near the entrance to Carsland, we were held by some cast members with a rope cleverly themed like a gas hose. Lightening McQueen and Mater were there to welcome us to Carsland! The whole atmosphere was pretty fun, and I have to give the CMs huge credit for keeping us crazy people under control.After being held at the entrance to Carsland for a minute, we began a very nice, slow controlled walk into Carsland. We were as far to the right as we could possibly get (the CMs wisely advised us to stay on the Carsland blacktop, or we’d be running into trashcans and light posts). When we got close to the end of the street, the CMs began to shout “If you’re planning on riding Radiator Springs Racers, please start forming a single file line to the right.” Ahhh, so that’s why it’s wide-right! I’m not exactly sure why they do it this way, but there was then a bit of a crazy shuffle as everyone frantically started to form a line on the right side of the rope. But since we were already there, we didn’t have to do anything and there we were right near the front of the line. Nice!
Anyway, after this fun little procession, we reached RSR, and our family was the second or third one in. We zipped through the line, and we happened to be put in the very first car of the day. Yay!
Empty Cars, ready to go! by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
First passengers of the day! by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
Mom and Dad are excited! by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
So am I! by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
Guido and Luigi getting us ready to race by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
After our trip through RSR, we wanted to hit the other Carsland attractions which we had skipped on Monday. We started with Luigi’s flying tires. There was pretty much no one there and we got on right away. I knew this ride was like the old Disneyland’s flying saucer’s attraction, but it’s such a unique set-up that we didn’t quite know what to expect. The CM recommended that we each take our own saucer if we wanted to go faster, so that’s what we did.
I really liked this ride, although this was the only time we rode it on our trip. I imagine this is what it would be like to be on a giant air hockey table. Being the only person in the “tire” is definitely the way to go. I found that once I was able to get away from the crowd of other tires, I was able to zip around pretty fast just by leaning forward a little…and of course crash into other people at high speeds occasionally just for fun! Anyway, it’s a unique spin on bumper cars and I have to give the folks at Disney credit for bringing back a pretty cool classic attraction in a new way.
Next it was time for Mater’s Junk Yard Jamboree. Again, almost no one was here so we hopped right on. I REALLY liked this ride. It’s like a combination of several different classic amusement park spinner rides – you have the spinning around of a Scrambler type attraction but then the swinging on the curves like the really classic Whip attractions. So much fun! And then they have the added element in that your car actually switches tracks throughout the ride, so it’s like the cars really are square dancing all around the floor. Combine this with Mater’s wonderful, catchy singing, and I thought this ride was ingenious.
Mater's Junkyard Jamboree by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
Morning in Carsland by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
Entrance to Tow Mater's Junk Yard Jamboree by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
Tractor petting zoo! by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
After thoroughly enjoying Carsland, we knew we wanted to hit Paradise Pier again before the extra hour was up. We just couldn’t get over the no wait for Toy Story Mania. This is one of my mom’s favorites and it was so great to be able to ride it multiple times without any lines or hassle to get fast passes. Our shooting skills were getting a little bit better too, and this time I managed to get a score over 100,000 (although my accuracy was still terrible!). After Toy Story, Dad and I also did California Screamin’ again.
Feeling very satisfied with our extra hour, it was now time to take a break and enjoy some breakfast. We decided to try out Flo’s for the first time. We cut through Pacific Warf to get back to Carsland because we had not been to see that entrance into Carsland yet. While the main entrance that lets you have the straight-shot view down the street is definitely great, this entrance gives you the best view of the beautiful rock-work around RSR.
We got to Flo’s for breakfast, and while there was a bit of a line, they did a great job of keeping things moving. This counter service spot is set up like the majority of the counter service spots in WDW – get in a single line, which flows into several cashiers. Place your order with the cashier, then step forward to the counter and wait for them to deliver your food. However, I will say that not all the spots at WDW have mastered doing this as efficiently as they do at Flo’s.
After we got our food, we sat over to the left so we had a little bit of a view of RSR. The breakfast was very good, and a nice change from the pastries we’d been having in the room the past two mornings. I got the French Toast, which is served with a salted caramel sauce and bananas. Mmmmmm! The salted caramel was really good and gave this dish a really unique flavor, very different from any other French toast I’ve ever had. It was very sweet, which was no problem for me, and while my mom liked the taste she had, thought it would have been too rich for her to have the whole thing. Dad had the Chicken Tamale breakfast – perfect for him since it gave him the excuse to have salsa and Tabasco sauce for breakfast! He really liked it and the taste of the tamale I had was yummy (and a stark contrast from my sweet French toast!). Mom is a lighter breakfast eater and had the seasonal fruit plate, which she said was good but pretty standard (always heavy on the melons and cantaloupe). I also got coffee. While the coffee made in our in room coffee pot had been doing its job, it was definitely nice to have a cup of something a little stronger – though I’m not sure what brand it is the park serves at its non-Starbucks locations. Whatever it was, it was good!
Dad with his chicken tamale breakfast by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
Mom's seasonal fruit plate - with yogurt and bran muffin by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
With my Brioche French Toast - with salted caramel sauce and bananas...yum! by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
After our delicious breakfast, we enjoyed the scenery around Carsland a little more.
Watching Radiator Springs Racers by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
Mind your speed as you go by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
Coming up: Bugs land, and more sights at DCA
Day 4, Part 2!
Although we weren’t really interested in any of the rides there, we at least wanted to look at a bug's land, so we took a stroll through. The theming here was pretty fun.
I kind of wish we had ridden Heimlich’s Chew Chew train, it looked pretty cute. I mean, just look at that sign – it looks delicious!
Popsicle stick bench! by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
Some of the gang from a bug's life by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
Manny and Gypsy by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
Giant Cowboy Crunchies Box - when Pixar movie worlds collide! by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
Slim demonstrates his powers of camouflage by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
Grizzly Peak from a bug's land by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
I was mildly tempted by It’s Tough to Be a Bug – but truthfully I really don’t like this attraction at Animal Kingdom, except for getting to get a close look at the Tree of Life in the queue. The part where the bees “sting” you still traumatizes me, even though I must have been a young teenager the very first time I experienced it at Animal Kingdom. Blech. In the end, we skipped it since we didn’t feel the need to do a clone of an attraction we don’t really care for in the first place.
After exploring a bug’s land, we wandered back towards Buena Vista Street. We enjoyed a short visit with Mickey and Mr. Disney.
Our next stop was Hollywood Land, specifically to visit the Animation Building, which we hadn’t explored yet. On our way, Mom and Dad stopped to have their picture taken by this little fountain. It reminded my dad just a bit of a fountain in Morocco at Epcot, where Mom and Dad have had their picture taken many times over the years.
Coming up: exploring the Animation building, Aladdin, and more DCA!
Although we weren’t really interested in any of the rides there, we at least wanted to look at a bug's land, so we took a stroll through. The theming here was pretty fun.
I kind of wish we had ridden Heimlich’s Chew Chew train, it looked pretty cute. I mean, just look at that sign – it looks delicious!
Popsicle stick bench! by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
Some of the gang from a bug's life by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
Manny and Gypsy by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
Giant Cowboy Crunchies Box - when Pixar movie worlds collide! by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
Slim demonstrates his powers of camouflage by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
Grizzly Peak from a bug's land by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
After exploring a bug’s land, we wandered back towards Buena Vista Street. We enjoyed a short visit with Mickey and Mr. Disney.
Our next stop was Hollywood Land, specifically to visit the Animation Building, which we hadn’t explored yet. On our way, Mom and Dad stopped to have their picture taken by this little fountain. It reminded my dad just a bit of a fountain in Morocco at Epcot, where Mom and Dad have had their picture taken many times over the years.
Coming up: exploring the Animation building, Aladdin, and more DCA!
ajrwdwgirl
Premium Member
Love the Epcot Center tee shirts! I wore one recently to DL and got a lot of compliments, especially since it had Figment on it.
I loved wearing them in CA! Epcot Center pride!
My mom's yellow one is actually an original from the early 1980's - they apparently sold very durable t-shirts back in the day. Mine is not quite so vintage, but I still love it.
Thanks! Congrats on finishing school! I hope you all have an amazing trip - we really had a wonderful time. It's been a blast getting to relive it through the trip report!
Day 4, Part 3!
We continued into Hollywood Land, and before we made it to the Animation Building, we got drawn (haha) into the Art of Disney type store connected to it. I love these stores…they always instill dreams of me decorating a room in my apartment or home with cool Disney related art. Someday I will move somewhere that I’m not going to just move out of in a year or two, and I will start my Disney art collection!
Anyway, we had a lot of fun browsing through the different art pieces and figurines. Their paintings were displayed on these cool, stacked sliding walls, which kind of remind me a little of the stacked bookshelves in college libraries. The CM said we were free to move the different layers of walls to see the different paintings. She also said we were free to take pictures as long as we didn’t use flash. Here were a few of my favorites.
Belle with Cinderella's Castle (for some reason) by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
Belle and Beast by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
Eeyore! by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
Awesome stylized Lion King picture by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
Dr. Facilier! by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
Brave by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
They also had an artist there drawing sketches of characters which you could order. I took a glance through the book of different characters which you could pick from and it was incredibly comprehensive. They had characters from pretty much every movie, even the really obscure ones, it was cool. They also had several pictures of Figment from Epcot you could choose from, which was nice to see. Yet another thing I’ll probably want to spend money on someday!
While we were browsing, I kept hearing the music drifting from the Animation attraction next door, so after a little while, we made our way over there.
Outside the animation building, they have a list of characters they would be teaching at the Animation Academy during the day. Jack Skellington was coming up next, and we weren’t too interested in drawing the Pumpkin King, but they would be teaching the Cheshire Cat after that, so we decided to enjoy the rest of the building until that session started.
Stepping into the Animation Building, you enter what they call the “Animation Courtyard,” which is a huge room with these giant screens, showing a loop of different Disney animated pictures with a combination of clips and concept art set to music. I LOVED it in here. They have these comfy couches on the perimeter, and the scenes on the screens and the music are wonderful. We must have spent nearly a half hour just sitting there and watching – it was great.
After watching for a little while, I wandered over to the character close-up area. The main feature over here is a big Toy Story zoetrope made of sculptures created by a 3D printer. This thing is really cool.
Above is a picture of the still zoetrope. They would then start it spinning, and flash the lights around it very quickly, so the images your brain pick up makes it look like all the figures are moving. I took a video of it, which is below. It doesn’t work as well on video as it does in person, but you can get the idea. Also, a warning, if you’re anything like me the below video may make you a bit dizzy!
So awesome.
After enjoying the Animation Courtyard and the zoetrope, it was time to learn how to draw the Cheshire cat at the Animation Academy. We actually did the Animation Academy for the very first time at Hollywood Studios during our last visit, and enjoyed learning how to draw Carl Frederickson from Up. We had just as much fun here – it’s neat to learn some of the techniques of character drawing, even though none of us (except for maybe my mom) have any artistic skill. My dad lamented the fact that they don’t let you have an eraser. However, all our Cheshire cats looked pretty good, although pretty quirky.
With our complete Cheshire cat drawings in hand, we headed back to the Animation Courtyard. We hadn’t checked out the Sorcerer’s Workshop yet. They have several displays in here. The first room is full of old-fashioned zoetropes set up in various configurations. Then was the Beast’s library, which had a quiz (the same fun one you can take at Hollywood Studios) hosted by Lumiere and Cogsworth to figure out which character you are most like. I was pretty happy when I got matched with Rapunzel, although I’ve gotten Belle before at Hollywood Studios, which was the best. The Beast’s library is pretty cool because it has the enchanted rose and changes back and forth from the dark, cursed library, and the bright normal one.
After the Beast’s library is Ursula’s Grotto, where you can record your voice with different Disney clips. We had quite a lot of fun singing along to Hakuna Matata! The Sorcerer’s Workshop was a great little area, and it seemed like no one else seemed to know it was there since it was very empty. It was a nice, relaxing way to get away from the rush of the park outside.
There is also Turtle Talk with Crush in the Animation Building, which we skipped this time. I’ve enjoyed this attraction at Epcot before, so I wouldn’t have minded doing it here, but we decided to focus on unique stuff in CA for now.
After our tour through the Animation Building, we still had some time to kill before the first Aladdin show. We decided to check out the Boudin Bakery tour over at Pacific Wharf.
At the tour, we received a yummy, bite size sample of sourdough bread, and enjoyed learning a little about the process of bread making from Rosie O’Donnell and Colin Mochrie, who are clearly experts on the subject.
After the tour, we took a seat outside at the tables at Pacific Wharf, where we were able to watch the Mariachi Divas perform. Dad got a beer at the nearby Karl Strauss stand and we just sat and relaxed for a bit.
As much as we enjoy our crazy, run around, hit lots of rides method of theme parking, I equally like the times when we can take it slow and just enjoy being at a Disney park. This day was definitely one of those days, and I loved it.
At this point, we were getting closer to the start of the Aladdin show, so we got started back to Hollywood Land. By the time we got to the Hyperion Theater, they hadn’t started letting everyone in yet, but there was already a large crowd of people waiting outside. We got in the waiting area for the orchestra section. There was a bit of a wait, but before long we were let in and got a seat near the back center of the orchestra section.
The Hyperion Theater is a really beautiful theater! I’m a huge fan of musicals, and have been lucky enough to see some shows in New York and DC, and DCA’s Hyperion does a great job replicating those grand theaters on a theme park scale.
People have said it before, but I’ll reiterate – Disney’s Aladdin – A Musical Spectacular, is an amazing show. Wow. Just great talent, costumes, set pieces, special effects – these are the things that set Disney apart, and it shows that they still have it. The “Prince Ali” parade through the theater and the “Whole New World” Flying carpet scene were amazing. I also liked that they gave a song to Princess Jasmine. Genie was pretty great too – although some of his pop culture reference jokes felt a little corny and Disney channel-ish to me (if that makes sense), but the audience ate it up. I did enjoy that he referenced the still un-named Royal Baby, who had just been born two days before. Anyway, I’m so, so glad we had the chance to see this show, and if they ever decide to replace it, they had better take it seriously.
At this point, Mom was ready to start her break and head back to the hotel. I decided that I wanted more theme park time, and Dad decided he would stay with me. We went our separate ways to continue enjoying our day.
Coming up: Lunch at Flo’s and the wilderness must be explored! (Caw, caw – rawr!)
We continued into Hollywood Land, and before we made it to the Animation Building, we got drawn (haha
) into the Art of Disney type store connected to it. I love these stores…they always instill dreams of me decorating a room in my apartment or home with cool Disney related art. Someday I will move somewhere that I’m not going to just move out of in a year or two, and I will start my Disney art collection!Anyway, we had a lot of fun browsing through the different art pieces and figurines. Their paintings were displayed on these cool, stacked sliding walls, which kind of remind me a little of the stacked bookshelves in college libraries. The CM said we were free to move the different layers of walls to see the different paintings. She also said we were free to take pictures as long as we didn’t use flash. Here were a few of my favorites.
Belle with Cinderella's Castle (for some reason) by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
Belle and Beast by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
Eeyore! by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
Awesome stylized Lion King picture by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
Dr. Facilier! by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
Brave by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
While we were browsing, I kept hearing the music drifting from the Animation attraction next door, so after a little while, we made our way over there.
Outside the animation building, they have a list of characters they would be teaching at the Animation Academy during the day. Jack Skellington was coming up next, and we weren’t too interested in drawing the Pumpkin King, but they would be teaching the Cheshire Cat after that, so we decided to enjoy the rest of the building until that session started.
Stepping into the Animation Building, you enter what they call the “Animation Courtyard,” which is a huge room with these giant screens, showing a loop of different Disney animated pictures with a combination of clips and concept art set to music. I LOVED it in here. They have these comfy couches on the perimeter, and the scenes on the screens and the music are wonderful. We must have spent nearly a half hour just sitting there and watching – it was great.
After watching for a little while, I wandered over to the character close-up area. The main feature over here is a big Toy Story zoetrope made of sculptures created by a 3D printer. This thing is really cool.
Above is a picture of the still zoetrope. They would then start it spinning, and flash the lights around it very quickly, so the images your brain pick up makes it look like all the figures are moving. I took a video of it, which is below. It doesn’t work as well on video as it does in person, but you can get the idea. Also, a warning, if you’re anything like me the below video may make you a bit dizzy!
So awesome.
After enjoying the Animation Courtyard and the zoetrope, it was time to learn how to draw the Cheshire cat at the Animation Academy. We actually did the Animation Academy for the very first time at Hollywood Studios during our last visit, and enjoyed learning how to draw Carl Frederickson from Up. We had just as much fun here – it’s neat to learn some of the techniques of character drawing, even though none of us (except for maybe my mom) have any artistic skill. My dad lamented the fact that they don’t let you have an eraser. However, all our Cheshire cats looked pretty good, although pretty quirky.
With our complete Cheshire cat drawings in hand, we headed back to the Animation Courtyard. We hadn’t checked out the Sorcerer’s Workshop yet. They have several displays in here. The first room is full of old-fashioned zoetropes set up in various configurations. Then was the Beast’s library, which had a quiz (the same fun one you can take at Hollywood Studios) hosted by Lumiere and Cogsworth to figure out which character you are most like. I was pretty happy when I got matched with Rapunzel, although I’ve gotten Belle before at Hollywood Studios, which was the best. The Beast’s library is pretty cool because it has the enchanted rose and changes back and forth from the dark, cursed library, and the bright normal one.
After the Beast’s library is Ursula’s Grotto, where you can record your voice with different Disney clips. We had quite a lot of fun singing along to Hakuna Matata! The Sorcerer’s Workshop was a great little area, and it seemed like no one else seemed to know it was there since it was very empty. It was a nice, relaxing way to get away from the rush of the park outside.
There is also Turtle Talk with Crush in the Animation Building, which we skipped this time. I’ve enjoyed this attraction at Epcot before, so I wouldn’t have minded doing it here, but we decided to focus on unique stuff in CA for now.
After our tour through the Animation Building, we still had some time to kill before the first Aladdin show. We decided to check out the Boudin Bakery tour over at Pacific Wharf.
At the tour, we received a yummy, bite size sample of sourdough bread, and enjoyed learning a little about the process of bread making from Rosie O’Donnell and Colin Mochrie, who are clearly experts on the subject.
After the tour, we took a seat outside at the tables at Pacific Wharf, where we were able to watch the Mariachi Divas perform. Dad got a beer at the nearby Karl Strauss stand and we just sat and relaxed for a bit.
As much as we enjoy our crazy, run around, hit lots of rides method of theme parking, I equally like the times when we can take it slow and just enjoy being at a Disney park. This day was definitely one of those days, and I loved it.
At this point, we were getting closer to the start of the Aladdin show, so we got started back to Hollywood Land. By the time we got to the Hyperion Theater, they hadn’t started letting everyone in yet, but there was already a large crowd of people waiting outside. We got in the waiting area for the orchestra section. There was a bit of a wait, but before long we were let in and got a seat near the back center of the orchestra section.
The Hyperion Theater is a really beautiful theater! I’m a huge fan of musicals, and have been lucky enough to see some shows in New York and DC, and DCA’s Hyperion does a great job replicating those grand theaters on a theme park scale.
People have said it before, but I’ll reiterate – Disney’s Aladdin – A Musical Spectacular, is an amazing show. Wow. Just great talent, costumes, set pieces, special effects – these are the things that set Disney apart, and it shows that they still have it. The “Prince Ali” parade through the theater and the “Whole New World” Flying carpet scene were amazing. I also liked that they gave a song to Princess Jasmine. Genie was pretty great too – although some of his pop culture reference jokes felt a little corny and Disney channel-ish to me (if that makes sense), but the audience ate it up. I did enjoy that he referenced the still un-named Royal Baby, who had just been born two days before. Anyway, I’m so, so glad we had the chance to see this show, and if they ever decide to replace it, they had better take it seriously.
At this point, Mom was ready to start her break and head back to the hotel. I decided that I wanted more theme park time, and Dad decided he would stay with me. We went our separate ways to continue enjoying our day.
Coming up: Lunch at Flo’s and the wilderness must be explored! (Caw, caw – rawr!)
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Californian Elitist
Well-Known Member
Animation Courtyard is my favorite hangout spot in DCA. I could most likely spend hours in there.
Love the updates!
Love the updates!
ajrwdwgirl
Premium Member
Didn't make it to the Animation area in June, now I think I missed out. Oh well, just a reason to go back!
Yeah, me too! I was excited when I found that people had filmed the full loop of film clips from the courtyard and put it on youtube.
Definitely! I'm already making lists in my head of things to do, places to eat, things to see...someday we'll go back, we're hooked now!
Texas84
Well-Known Member
Yeah, me too! I was excited when I found that people had filmed the full loop of film clips from the courtyard and put it on youtube.
Definitely! I'm already making lists in my head of things to do, places to eat, things to see...someday we'll go back, we're hooked now!
Another good tip. I missed that last year. Will have to check it out next week. Six more days!
Hey all! Sorry for the long breaks in between posts! I've started my job search so that's been keeping me a little bit busy. I also find that I enjoy doing the trip reports more if I don't try to do too much at once, and I want it to be fun! But I've been having a great time putting it together so far, and I've loved seeing everyone's comments!
With that being said, on we go!
Day 4, Part 4!
It was after noon at this point, and even though we weren’t terribly hungry after our late breakfast, I convinced Dad that we should go ahead and get lunch. We had reservations for dinner at Napa Rose this evening, so I didn’t want to wait and eat lunch too late and then not be hungry for our special dinner. I had really wanted to try the pies they have at Flo’s, so even though we had just been there for breakfast, we headed back on over for lunch.
Like breakfast, it was crowded at Flo’s, but the line was incredibly efficient and we got our food without much of a wait at all. I was also worried about finding a seat at such a popular counter service spot, but I think they do such a good job clearing the tables, that we had no trouble finding a spot. This time, we went to the right side of the restaurant, which is set up to be like Doc Hudson’s “Doctor’s Office.” The theming was really fun – everything you would expect from a doctor who’s patients are other cars, haha.
I’m not vegetarian, but at times when I’m not feeling particularly carnivorous, I love trying vegetarian entrees. So for lunch, I ordered the Veggie Tater Bake. This entrée came with the choice of a side, so I went for the pasta salad. The tater bake was very yummy, the bulgur wheat in it gives it an interesting consistency, but in a good way. Overall, it was the perfect “lighter” lunch that I was looking for. Flo’s also has a variety of lunch entrees for those of the meat-eating persuasion, including roast beef, turkey, and pork platters. Dad got the citrus turkey breast, with the roasted corn medley and peas and carrots as his two sides.
Dad with our lunch spread by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
My Veggie Tater Bake at Flo's by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
Dad's Citrus Turkey Breast at Flo's by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
And then, of course, there were the ugly crust pies. I had read about these when Carsland was still being built and developed, well before I even knew a trip to Disneyland was in the cards for us, and had been wanting one ever since. I mean, who wouldn’t want delicious little individual sized pies?! We got two pies to share. Without question, I had to try the chocolate mud pie, and I convinced Dad that we should also try the signature apple-cheddar.
Flo's Chocolate Mud Pie of awesomeness by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
Flo's Signature Apple Cheddar Pie by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
The chocolate mud pie was heaven – so rich and delicious! Mmm. The apple cheddar was good too, but maybe not as flavorful as I would have liked – the apple didn’t really stand out much. Maybe it suffered in contrast to the uber rich chocolate pie. Anyway, the crust was good and I did like the little pieces of cheddar baked in.
I really enjoyed our lunch at Flo’s. Maybe not the best counter service food you can find on property, but it was good and the classic Americana menu is really fun and just fits perfectly into Carsland’s Route 66 setting. I was completely stuffed after lunch, and just hoping that I would be hungry when it came time for dinner.
After lunch we walked around Carsland for a bit to take pictures and explore some of the smaller spots we hadn’t seen yet. We went into Radiator Spring’s Curios, which has a unique spread of Carsland related merchandise. I was almost tempted by the vintage looking postcards, but resisted.
A bustling mid-afternoon in Carsland by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
Radiator Springs Curios by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
The outside of Flo's V8 Cafe by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
The Cozy Cone Motel by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
Always loved seeing this guy rolling down the street by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
Orange cones, blue sky by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
After exploring Carsland for a bit, I let Dad know that I wanted to at least peak into the Blue Sky Cellar. Their current exhibit was about the new Fantasy Faire, not terribly exciting, but I love seeing miniatures and such, so wanted to have a look. Dad decided to come along. Looking at the day’s schedule, the Pixar Play Parade was not too far off, and the Blue Sky Cellar was right along the parade route, so that would put us in the perfect spot.
We actually had a bit of trouble finding the entrance to the Blue Sky Cellar – I knew I had seen it when walking around the park before, but we had trouble finding it again. I think we didn’t go far enough around the “circle” of this area to find it again, and ended up just walking through the entrance of Wine Country Trattoria to get there. I had the same problem with the circle around the Matterhorn next door in Disneyland – I was always getting lost, haha. So weird to be in a Disney Park and not know my way around!
Anyway, we finally got there and enjoyed browsing around the little exhibit about the development of Fantasy Faire. I apparently was so into it that while looking at the miniature, I managed to bump my head against the glass. Hahaha. They also had a nice video showing continuously about Fantasy Faire and Mickey and the Magical Map. Finally they had touch screens with a little Disney history quiz, which was fun. I also learned that they had a little Clopin Festival of Fools crank music box at Fantasy Faire that I had completely missed while over there before, so knew I would have to check that out next time I was next door.
It was nice to have a nice little air conditioned retreat because it had become a very sunny summer day outside. Also, is it just me, or does it actually smell like a wine cellar in there? Do they pump in amazing wine smell, or was I just so carried away by the atmosphere that I imagined it?
Before long, we were coming up on time for the Pixar Play Parade, so we hurried out to find a spot along the parade route.
Coming Up: Pixar Play Parade, and Exploring the Wilderness!
With that being said, on we go!
Day 4, Part 4!
It was after noon at this point, and even though we weren’t terribly hungry after our late breakfast, I convinced Dad that we should go ahead and get lunch. We had reservations for dinner at Napa Rose this evening, so I didn’t want to wait and eat lunch too late and then not be hungry for our special dinner. I had really wanted to try the pies they have at Flo’s, so even though we had just been there for breakfast, we headed back on over for lunch.
Like breakfast, it was crowded at Flo’s, but the line was incredibly efficient and we got our food without much of a wait at all. I was also worried about finding a seat at such a popular counter service spot, but I think they do such a good job clearing the tables, that we had no trouble finding a spot. This time, we went to the right side of the restaurant, which is set up to be like Doc Hudson’s “Doctor’s Office.” The theming was really fun – everything you would expect from a doctor who’s patients are other cars, haha.
I’m not vegetarian, but at times when I’m not feeling particularly carnivorous, I love trying vegetarian entrees. So for lunch, I ordered the Veggie Tater Bake. This entrée came with the choice of a side, so I went for the pasta salad. The tater bake was very yummy, the bulgur wheat in it gives it an interesting consistency, but in a good way. Overall, it was the perfect “lighter” lunch that I was looking for. Flo’s also has a variety of lunch entrees for those of the meat-eating persuasion, including roast beef, turkey, and pork platters. Dad got the citrus turkey breast, with the roasted corn medley and peas and carrots as his two sides.
Dad with our lunch spread by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
My Veggie Tater Bake at Flo's by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
Dad's Citrus Turkey Breast at Flo's by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
Flo's Chocolate Mud Pie of awesomeness by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
Flo's Signature Apple Cheddar Pie by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
I really enjoyed our lunch at Flo’s. Maybe not the best counter service food you can find on property, but it was good and the classic Americana menu is really fun and just fits perfectly into Carsland’s Route 66 setting. I was completely stuffed after lunch, and just hoping that I would be hungry when it came time for dinner.
After lunch we walked around Carsland for a bit to take pictures and explore some of the smaller spots we hadn’t seen yet. We went into Radiator Spring’s Curios, which has a unique spread of Carsland related merchandise. I was almost tempted by the vintage looking postcards, but resisted.
A bustling mid-afternoon in Carsland by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
Radiator Springs Curios by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
The outside of Flo's V8 Cafe by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
The Cozy Cone Motel by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
Always loved seeing this guy rolling down the street by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
Orange cones, blue sky by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
We actually had a bit of trouble finding the entrance to the Blue Sky Cellar – I knew I had seen it when walking around the park before, but we had trouble finding it again. I think we didn’t go far enough around the “circle” of this area to find it again, and ended up just walking through the entrance of Wine Country Trattoria to get there. I had the same problem with the circle around the Matterhorn next door in Disneyland – I was always getting lost, haha. So weird to be in a Disney Park and not know my way around!
Anyway, we finally got there and enjoyed browsing around the little exhibit about the development of Fantasy Faire. I apparently was so into it that while looking at the miniature, I managed to bump my head against the glass. Hahaha.
They also had a nice video showing continuously about Fantasy Faire and Mickey and the Magical Map. Finally they had touch screens with a little Disney history quiz, which was fun. I also learned that they had a little Clopin Festival of Fools crank music box at Fantasy Faire that I had completely missed while over there before, so knew I would have to check that out next time I was next door.It was nice to have a nice little air conditioned retreat because it had become a very sunny summer day outside. Also, is it just me, or does it actually smell like a wine cellar in there? Do they pump in amazing wine smell, or was I just so carried away by the atmosphere that I imagined it?
Before long, we were coming up on time for the Pixar Play Parade, so we hurried out to find a spot along the parade route.
Coming Up: Pixar Play Parade, and Exploring the Wilderness!
Day 4, Part 5!!
Dad and I hurried out of Blue Sky Cellar and got a place along the wall of the wine country area to wait for the Pixar Play Parade. Even though the humidity in CA is vastly improved from our east coast home, we found that when the morning clouds cleared, it became quite sunny in the afternoons, making it pretty hot. Unfortunately the spot we got for the parade didn’t have much cover, so while we waited, out came the sunscreen!
Before long the parade had made it to our spot. I’m a fan of parades, and again, it was so, so nice to see something new, since I feel like WDW’s have been running forever. I liked Soundsational over at Disneyland at bit better (classic characters always win in my book), but the Pixar Parade was still plenty of fun. They have bubbles coming from towers all along the parade route, and I actually really liked the water squirting from the floats as they went past, especially with it being in the middle of the afternoon. It added some fun, not really knowing if you were going to get hit or not! I know some people aren’t a fan of the water, though, especially when they’re trying to take pictures with nicer camera equipment.
Roz is all dressed up for Monsters University by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
Squishy and Art from Monsters U by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
Sulley! by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
And Mike of course! by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
The Incredibles on nifty hover things by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
Violet by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
Dory! (reminds me of the puppets from Finding Nemo the Musical at Animal Kingdom) by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
Heimlich! by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
Bug's life float by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
Watch out or the aliens will get you with their water guns! by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
Buzz Lightyear to the rescue! by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
Potato Head has the crazy eyes by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
Woody (my favorite!), Jessie, and some crazy acrobatics! by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
Slinky Dog says See ya! by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
Coming up: Afternoon in Paradise! (….Pier!)
Dad and I hurried out of Blue Sky Cellar and got a place along the wall of the wine country area to wait for the Pixar Play Parade. Even though the humidity in CA is vastly improved from our east coast home, we found that when the morning clouds cleared, it became quite sunny in the afternoons, making it pretty hot. Unfortunately the spot we got for the parade didn’t have much cover, so while we waited, out came the sunscreen!
Before long the parade had made it to our spot. I’m a fan of parades, and again, it was so, so nice to see something new, since I feel like WDW’s have been running forever. I liked Soundsational over at Disneyland at bit better (classic characters always win in my book), but the Pixar Parade was still plenty of fun. They have bubbles coming from towers all along the parade route, and I actually really liked the water squirting from the floats as they went past, especially with it being in the middle of the afternoon. It added some fun, not really knowing if you were going to get hit or not!
I know some people aren’t a fan of the water, though, especially when they’re trying to take pictures with nicer camera equipment.Roz is all dressed up for Monsters University by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
Squishy and Art from Monsters U by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
Sulley! by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
And Mike of course! by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
The Incredibles on nifty hover things by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
Violet by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
Dory! (reminds me of the puppets from Finding Nemo the Musical at Animal Kingdom) by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
Heimlich! by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
Bug's life float by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
Watch out or the aliens will get you with their water guns! by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
Buzz Lightyear to the rescue! by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
Potato Head has the crazy eyes by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
Woody (my favorite!), Jessie, and some crazy acrobatics! by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
Slinky Dog says See ya! by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
Day 4, Part 6!!!
After the parade, Dad and I decided to head over to Paradise Pier. While we had done all the major rides over here (most multiple times!), we hadn’t hit any of the smaller rides. While I can do a Wave Swinger and a Wild Mouse coaster anywhere, I still like these kinds of rides, so since we had the time, I really wanted to ride them too. I grew up at amusement parks, so these kinds of rides are nostalgic for me as well, so they’re always fun. I’ve looked at pictures of the Maliboomer, and while it was an eyesore and definitely not unique to Disney at all, I have to admit it really looked fun! I’ll have to head back to my local amusement parks to get another dose of rides like that.
We hit Jumpin’ Jellyfish first. My Dad made fun of it for being so tame, but I will say there is a little “stomach drop” feeling at the top, so I enjoyed it. Plus the view of Paradise Pier was cool.
Next we headed over to Silly Symphony Swings. I like classic Disney cartoons, so I thought the idea behind this ride’s remake was pretty fun. It was a typical wave swinger, but you can’t beat the view and the classical musical accompaniment! I also found that if you look at the center while you’re riding, it gave me the illusion of being caught up in the whirlwind with the characters. At least that worked for me!
Silly Symphony Swings by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
The top panels act as a zoetrope of sorts by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
After Silly Symphony Swings, we grabbed a soda to share at the snack stand nearby and continued to enjoy our sunny afternoon in paradise. We took a stroll around the pier and ended up at King Triton’s Carousel. Dad loves old carousels, and obviously this is not one, but he did like that they at least pretended that it had a classic band organ over on the side.
Dad says Niiiiiice green whale! by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
My interesting fish steed by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
Dad's colorful whale by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
The carousel's band organ by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
King Triton is very excited to welcome you on his ride by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
We realized after the carousel that we kept forgetting about Goofy’s Sky School. I checked the times app on my phone, and it looked like it had a pretty lengthy line, but the single rider line was under 10 minutes. We decided to give it a try, and wandered back to the other side of the pier.
The single rider line was indeed very short, even though the stand-by was something like 40 minutes. On we went! I got seated in the back of a car with a nice older family from Australia. However, they apparently found Goofy’s Sky School to be quite thrilling, and expressed this with some rather strong language throughout the ride. It made the whole thing incredibly hilarious!
Dad and I finished up our tour of Paradise Pier by riding Little Mermaid again. Even though it was the middle of the afternoon, still less than 10 minutes to get on! Awesome!
It was such a beautiful afternoon, and we were just taking in the day. Goofy showed up for his water concert again, and we took a spot by Ariel’s Grotto to watch.
Beautiful California day by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
From our vantage point, I had fun watching Tuxedo Goofy mingle with the crowd after the concert. I watched him all the way back to his secret exit point under the bridge. It was kind of funny to see him disappear under there.
We still had a little time before we had to head back to the room to get ready for dinner. Since the entrance to Grand Californian is over in the Grizzly Peak area, we decided to finish up our California Adventuring for the day at the Redwood Creek Challenge Trail. On our way we found that on the circular path in this area there are some spots near the waterfalls which provide some scenic overlooks of the Grizzly River Run ride. We had fun watching the boats careen down the hills and watching some kids who had found a spot on the path where they could stand and get completely drenched by the boats. We don’t really care for getting soaked on rides, but we kept saying that it would be easy enough to ride Grizzly River Run and then walk right back to our hotel room at the Grand Californian to change. We unfortunately never got around to doing that for some reason.
Anyway, after this brief detour, we made our way to the Redwood Creek Challenge Trail. This area is really fun and themed like a Wilderness Explorer Camp area that Russell from Up would go to. There is a map listing different activities you can accomplish to get your Wilderness Explorer “badges,” but dad and I elected for some more spontaneous exploration. There were lots of little corners and hideaways to explore, lots of things to climb, netted rope areas to climb around on (I forgot how much fun these are!), and even a mini zip line thing. I could’ve spent hours here when I was a kid.
Redwood Creek Challenge Trail by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
In one of the many look-out cabins by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
We're in the back yard of the Grand Californian! by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
Reminds me of first year veterinary anatomy class by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
After we climbed around and explored for a while, they were getting ready to have their last Senior Wilderness Explorer Ceremony for the day. Since Dad and I are perpetual kids at heart, we decided to go.
The little presentation was super adorable and featured Russell and even a brief appearance by the bird Kevin. I was really, really hoping Dug would show up too, because he’s awesome, but no such luck this time. After the show, everyone lines up to get their Senior Wilderness Explorer Badge and take their picture with Russell. If you are a pair of awkward adults who just came to watch the show for fun, they make it difficult for you to exit without waiting in line for Russell, even though there’s a perfectly good exit on the other side of the stage. Thankfully, the cast member who told us we couldn’t use that exit saw our disappointed faces when we went to stand back in line, and said we could leave, we just had to find a way past everyone crowding around Russell. Eventually we made it out unscathed!
It was pretty late in the afternoon at this point, and we decided we better head back to the Grand Californian. We had dinner reservations at Napa Rose at 7, and needed a little time to make ourselves presentable for dinner. It was just a quick walk back to the Grand Californian’s DCA Entrance. This had been a really fun day for me – full of the little things that I really enjoy about being at a Disney Park. And now we had a delicious dinner to look forward to!
Coming Up: A lovely evening at Napa Rose
After the parade, Dad and I decided to head over to Paradise Pier. While we had done all the major rides over here (most multiple times!), we hadn’t hit any of the smaller rides. While I can do a Wave Swinger and a Wild Mouse coaster anywhere, I still like these kinds of rides, so since we had the time, I really wanted to ride them too. I grew up at amusement parks, so these kinds of rides are nostalgic for me as well, so they’re always fun. I’ve looked at pictures of the Maliboomer, and while it was an eyesore and definitely not unique to Disney at all, I have to admit it really looked fun! I’ll have to head back to my local amusement parks to get another dose of rides like that.
We hit Jumpin’ Jellyfish first. My Dad made fun of it for being so tame, but I will say there is a little “stomach drop” feeling at the top, so I enjoyed it. Plus the view of Paradise Pier was cool.
Next we headed over to Silly Symphony Swings. I like classic Disney cartoons, so I thought the idea behind this ride’s remake was pretty fun. It was a typical wave swinger, but you can’t beat the view and the classical musical accompaniment! I also found that if you look at the center while you’re riding, it gave me the illusion of being caught up in the whirlwind with the characters. At least that worked for me!
Silly Symphony Swings by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
The top panels act as a zoetrope of sorts by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
Dad says Niiiiiice green whale! by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
My interesting fish steed by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
Dad's colorful whale by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
The carousel's band organ by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
King Triton is very excited to welcome you on his ride by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
The single rider line was indeed very short, even though the stand-by was something like 40 minutes. On we went! I got seated in the back of a car with a nice older family from Australia. However, they apparently found Goofy’s Sky School to be quite thrilling, and expressed this with some rather strong language throughout the ride. It made the whole thing incredibly hilarious!
Dad and I finished up our tour of Paradise Pier by riding Little Mermaid again. Even though it was the middle of the afternoon, still less than 10 minutes to get on! Awesome!
It was such a beautiful afternoon, and we were just taking in the day. Goofy showed up for his water concert again, and we took a spot by Ariel’s Grotto to watch.
Beautiful California day by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
From our vantage point, I had fun watching Tuxedo Goofy mingle with the crowd after the concert. I watched him all the way back to his secret exit point under the bridge. It was kind of funny to see him disappear under there.
We still had a little time before we had to head back to the room to get ready for dinner. Since the entrance to Grand Californian is over in the Grizzly Peak area, we decided to finish up our California Adventuring for the day at the Redwood Creek Challenge Trail. On our way we found that on the circular path in this area there are some spots near the waterfalls which provide some scenic overlooks of the Grizzly River Run ride. We had fun watching the boats careen down the hills and watching some kids who had found a spot on the path where they could stand and get completely drenched by the boats. We don’t really care for getting soaked on rides, but we kept saying that it would be easy enough to ride Grizzly River Run and then walk right back to our hotel room at the Grand Californian to change. We unfortunately never got around to doing that for some reason.
Anyway, after this brief detour, we made our way to the Redwood Creek Challenge Trail. This area is really fun and themed like a Wilderness Explorer Camp area that Russell from Up would go to. There is a map listing different activities you can accomplish to get your Wilderness Explorer “badges,” but dad and I elected for some more spontaneous exploration. There were lots of little corners and hideaways to explore, lots of things to climb, netted rope areas to climb around on (I forgot how much fun these are!), and even a mini zip line thing. I could’ve spent hours here when I was a kid.
Redwood Creek Challenge Trail by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
In one of the many look-out cabins by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
We're in the back yard of the Grand Californian! by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
Reminds me of first year veterinary anatomy class by Tuffy Catt, on Flickr
The little presentation was super adorable and featured Russell and even a brief appearance by the bird Kevin. I was really, really hoping Dug would show up too, because he’s awesome, but no such luck this time. After the show, everyone lines up to get their Senior Wilderness Explorer Badge and take their picture with Russell. If you are a pair of awkward adults who just came to watch the show for fun, they make it difficult for you to exit without waiting in line for Russell, even though there’s a perfectly good exit on the other side of the stage. Thankfully, the cast member who told us we couldn’t use that exit saw our disappointed faces when we went to stand back in line, and said we could leave, we just had to find a way past everyone crowding around Russell. Eventually we made it out unscathed!
It was pretty late in the afternoon at this point, and we decided we better head back to the Grand Californian. We had dinner reservations at Napa Rose at 7, and needed a little time to make ourselves presentable for dinner. It was just a quick walk back to the Grand Californian’s DCA Entrance. This had been a really fun day for me – full of the little things that I really enjoy about being at a Disney Park. And now we had a delicious dinner to look forward to!
Coming Up: A lovely evening at Napa Rose
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FutureWorld1982
Well-Known Member
I absolutely agree with you. If I wasn't so excited to see the parks for the first time during my last visit, I would have easily spent two hours just in that spot. Truly great. Much, MUCH better than our Magic of Disney Animation.