Post by Bryant "MegaDisney" McVey on Jun 12, 2014 23:30:37 GMT
All American Adventure: 7/3/02 - 7/7/02
Day Two - Thursday July 4, 2002
Starring:
Bryant AKA MegaDisney
Scott AKA ParadisePinocchio
With special guest appearances by:
Lori AKA Pongo
Bill AKA Lori's Husband
Jason AKA Lori's Son
Nancy AKA Lori's Neighbor
Christina Aguilera
Shaquille O'Neil
Wakey, wakey, wakey......
We got a wakeup call early, I believe around 7 a.m. and got around and headed to Hook's Point for breakfast. It is nice for breakfast because it is always quiet the food is good and not too bad on price. I had the children's French toast, 2 slices of French toast and Bacon or Sausage, Scott had and All American Breakfast was eggs, potatoes, bacon or sausage and toast. We were both excited about the day to come!
First thing we headed to the Monorail Station at DtD. There was hardly any wait, and we found out for security reasons they no longer allowed passengers in the front with the driver. Makes sense! Stay tuned because later I will tell you about a very special Monorail trip we got to make on Saturday!
On your mark, get set, GO!
First we grabbed a FastPass for Space Mountain then we headed directly to the Matterhorn (or as we called it all weekend SplatterHorn) we wanted to ride the Fantasyland side (my favorite), but the line was about 15 min, and the Tomorrowland side had no wait!! WOO HOO!
Then off to Space Mountain. The ride was, how shall I put this nicely, WHEN ARE THEY GONNA GET THE SOUNDTRACK OPERATING!!!! I mean there is ZILCH in Tomorrowland as far as I am concerned, except Space, and without the music it just isn't the same. I suppose the new ride vehicles will solve this. I have never been accused of being patient.
After our run on the bobsleds and the "Soundtrack-less" Space Adventure, we headed into Adventureland to get Fastpasses for Indiana Jones and then do single rider on Splash Mountain. Splash is my favorite ride in the park, the old America Sings characters bringing back childhood memories. I like the new seating, it gives me mine own personal space on the ride, and is an improvement IMHO. I REALLY, REALLY wish they would fix the photo preview and the Barnaby Owl animatronic at the end. But, I still think this ride RULES!
After that we immediately did the Haunted Mansion. It looks GREAT!!! We tried like heck to find the Hidden Jack, but both of our eyesight just couldn't find it. The sound has improved so much in this attraction, I find myself hearing snippets of characters voices I have never heard before, and the animatronic characters, and effects all work perfectly! Thumbs Up!
As we were leaving the HM, my cell phone rang, and it was Pongo! We had a lunch date with she and her family, and she was calling so we could firm up the plans. We found out she was just coming out of Pirates, so we met at the Rivers Of America! It was great to see her and Bill, Jason & Nancy! Lori was the first DIO member I ever met! I never miss a chance to meet up, ride some rides, and have a meal with them! We decided that we would meet at Rainforest Cafe at Noon, so Scott and I headed over to Big Thunder to get FastPasses, and they headed of for Tomorrowland!
We grabbed our FastPasses for Big Thunder, and headed over to Pirates, another favorite of mine. This is another classic that has been beautifully taken care of. We noticed one missing animatronic, but other than that this attraction still shines like the treasure that it is! I can't wait to see if they add anything to this for the 50th. I would love to see the storyline made clearer, and the "Flaming Skull" rumors about this ride sound really intriguing. The Castmember here was great; we were in line in front of some "overly enthusiastic" teens who were singing some very inappropriate (for Disneyland) Rap music. We very politely asked the CM if it was possible to be in a separate boat, and she was gracious enough to put us in the front row on the next boat.
Quick spin on Indy using our FastPasses was next! I got to push the bamboo stalk holding up the spiked room's ceiling, and got it to release. But no one was startled. Oh well, maybe next time Indy is great! I love finding the skeleton wearing Mickey ears and love the ending, I always yell! (Well o.k., I admit it, I scream)
Perfect timing for our Big Thunder FastPass! We headed over there. Someone had posted that the safety spiel here had become a monotone boring spiel; to me it was changed, but still had all the pep and "westerness" it always did. They added the Spanish version, which was needed. Big Thunder was as usual, exhilarating! I don't see anything new on this that explains the extended downtime, but the ride looks and operates great!
A quick glance at my watch revealed that we needed to head over to DtD to meet Lori and friends at Rainforest Cafe. We headed to the Monorail station, and using our resort hotel Express Pass, boarded the first Monorail out to DtD.
WOW! Let’s review: Monorail, Space Mountain, Matterhorn, Splash Mountain, Haunted Mansion, Big Thunder and Indiana Jones, and it isn't even noon yet!
L U N C H !!!!!!
We had quite a morning!! This was shaping up to be the best 4th of July EVER!!
We headed over to the Monorail and, using our handy dandy Resort Guest Express Pass, hopped aboard the first Monorail (Purple) and headed for DtD! On the ride through DCA, I was thinking how much I wish they had given us better views of the park. Inside DCA you get to look at a bunch of rooftops and air conditioning units. There are a few cool views, such as the Golden Gate Bridge, and the area near Soarin', but other than that, it is mostly the back of buildings.
We saw, and waved to, Lori and her husband Bill from the Monorail. They were sitting right out in front of the Rainforest Cafe. Jason and Nancy had already gotten us a table, so we all headed inside. I have given this place thumbs down in the Thumbs Post regarding this place, and I still am going to stick with that. While it is a really cool place, we have one right here in Phoenix, and I don't know of a large city in the U.S. that doesn't have one. We were seated in the same area as the last time I ate here, there is a cool star effect on the ceiling, although I could do without the "thunderstorms" The food is good, but nothing extraordinary. I had the BBQ chicken wrap, Scott had the chicken Caesar salad, Turkey wrap for Bill, Cobb Salad for Lori, and Pizza for Nancy, and ribs for Jason. Everyone was pleased with the meal, and the conversation and company couldn't be beat!
Fun in the Sun for EVERYONE
After lunch we all decided to head over to DCA to ride a few rides. We walked over to the Paradise Pier Entrance and cut through there! Lori, Nancy, Scott and I headed for the Maliboomer, while Bill and Jason hit the Orange Stinger. I can't believe how much this ride used to frighten Lori!! She is a pro at it now, and we all had great fun! Bill met us as we got off the ride and Lori stayed with Jason, while the rest of us went back around and rode it again. I showed Bill how to get Maximum air time on the ride! WOO HOO. Lunch was definitely shaken not stirred after two rounds of the Boomer!
We walked toward Mulholland Madness, where Scott and I got FastPasses. We said goodbye to the gang, and they headed off toward GRR. It was great to see my old friends again! Can't wait till December to see them again!
Scott and I headed to California Screamin'. We walked through the shops on the Boardwalk; this was a first for me. It is nice that they are like Main Street, in that you can wander from shop to shop inside the AC. They had a lot of cool Lilo and Stitch Merchandise.
When we got to Screamin' the Standby line was only about 15 min, so we got in line. When we got to the station, they assigned us to a row near the back, while we were waiting a train pulled into the station, and a Disney Host was waiting to meet the train. He spoke to someone in the second row, and shook his head yes. As everyone exited the two people in the second row switched seats with the people in the front row. It was obviously someone famous; we just couldn't see their face. It was a blonde girl with braided hair in a ball cap, with two friends and a rather large African American body guard. They were off again, and when we made it back into the station, they were long gone! There was no music on the ride, and that kind of bummed me out! Oh Well!
Our FastPass time for MM was upon us, so we headed over there. While waiting there was a girl climbing on the railing, I accidentally elbowed her in the mouth! I don't know who was more embarrassed, her or me!! As we neared the loading area, we noticed the "celeb" from earlier. Again, I didn't get a good look, but as luck would have it, her train was just coming into the station, as we approached the ride loader. It was Christina Aguilera! She exited the ride laughing with her friends, and looking like a big DCA fan!! Scott and I joked that we should follow her and sing Brittany songs.... O.K. I am evil, I admit it!!!!
After our brush with fame, we decided it was time for adult refreshment! Next stop the Cove Bar
Man is it HOT!
On the way to the Cove Bar we decided to stop by GRR to cool off. We dropped our backpacks off at the free lockers to keep them dry, and headed to our whitewater adventure! We did single rider line without waiting at all! WOO HOO! I rode with some fun people. That is the thing that I like about Single rider, is that you get to experience the ride with new people every time! It is funny, when you are drifting round the corner to the lift hill, it is always a little uncomfortable with the strangers, but as soon as the leaky pipes on the lift hill start to get people wet, everyone seems to warm up to each other! I got absolutely drenched! I mean wetter than I EVER have. Scott got pretty darn wet himself! We headed towards the Cove Bar drenched to the skin!
Get this man a drink....
We found a sunny spot looking over the Bay, and got a table. Lisa was the bartender, and by the time we were done, we had proclaimed her a Goddess! The Margarita at Cove Bar is delicious. We sunned ourselves and warmed up with the ta-kill-ya. After drying off, we moved closer to the bar, and ordered a "brick" of Onions. It was like a square Awesome Blossom. I really enjoyed it. It came with several yummy dipping sauces. We watched the Eureka! Parade from the bar, which was a nice "different" vantage point. We planned on seeing the parade up close later in the weekend. At one point a man in his early 40's comes running up to us and (and I am not kidding), jumping up and down, informed us that Shaq was coming into the Avalon Cove restaurant. He was like a boy who had been waiting to see Mickey, and suddenly had. I was amazed at the reaction of some of the grown men in the bar. We sat at the bar and saw Shaq walk in with a large group; he headed downstairs to have dinner with his friends. From the orders coming up from the dining room, I would say that the Shaq Crew loves Apple Martini's! After a few more incredible Margarita Libations that Lisa was so masterfully serving up, we decided to head back to the hotel to clean up for our night at Disneyland.
Happy Birthday America!
After a hot shower and dry clothes, we both felt rejuvenated.
By now it was time to head to Walt Disney's Magic Kingdom to celebrate the birth of our Nation! A short walk later and we were at the DtD station for the Monorail. A quick trip aboard the Monorail, and we were in the park. No matter what anyone may say in their article about resort attendance that day, the park was absolutely packed to the gills! It was about 1:45 min to the show, so we decided to go ahead and camp out. We staked out a spot right in the middle of the end of Main Street for the Fireworks. (The best spot IMHO, but stay tuned for another "inside" tip about seeing Believe!) We both took turns getting snacks. Hot dog and Diet Coke from Coke Corner for me, and a couple of bottles of water for Scott. I struck up a conversation with a group in front of us about the show. We all agreed that Believe, there's Magic in the Stars, is THE BEST fireworks show in the universe!! The show was perfect, and the patriotic finale, brought a tear to everyone's eye! (I even jokingly snapped at one of the guys in the group in front of us, as I noticed him dabbing the tears from his eyes, "For Pete's sake, pull yourself together!) What a perfect way to end a 4th of July to remember! We were going to try and head into NOS to experience some attractions, but the crowd was unbearable, so we decided to head back to the Hotels and call it a night.
On Lori's recommendation, we decided to try out the Lemon Drops at The Hearthstone Lounge at the Grand Californian Hotel. But, by the time we got there, we forgot to order Lemon Drops and ordered the drink of the day, Margaritas! This lounge is very nice. We found two very comfortable leather chairs and sipped our Margaritas and enjoyed the atmosphere. I could sit there forever! It is like being in a well-appointed living room. The "munchies" they give you are tasty! It was a little expensive, but hey "we're on vacation!"
We then headed over to the Lost Bar to say "****o" to Ron, and have a final nightcap. By this time we were both what I like to call "theme park zombies" I could barely keep my eyes open, so we headed to PPH and called it a night.
Coming up Day Three: You Play, You Pay
Day Two - Thursday July 4, 2002
Starring:
Bryant AKA MegaDisney
Scott AKA ParadisePinocchio
With special guest appearances by:
Lori AKA Pongo
Bill AKA Lori's Husband
Jason AKA Lori's Son
Nancy AKA Lori's Neighbor
Christina Aguilera
Shaquille O'Neil
Wakey, wakey, wakey......
We got a wakeup call early, I believe around 7 a.m. and got around and headed to Hook's Point for breakfast. It is nice for breakfast because it is always quiet the food is good and not too bad on price. I had the children's French toast, 2 slices of French toast and Bacon or Sausage, Scott had and All American Breakfast was eggs, potatoes, bacon or sausage and toast. We were both excited about the day to come!
First thing we headed to the Monorail Station at DtD. There was hardly any wait, and we found out for security reasons they no longer allowed passengers in the front with the driver. Makes sense! Stay tuned because later I will tell you about a very special Monorail trip we got to make on Saturday!
On your mark, get set, GO!
First we grabbed a FastPass for Space Mountain then we headed directly to the Matterhorn (or as we called it all weekend SplatterHorn) we wanted to ride the Fantasyland side (my favorite), but the line was about 15 min, and the Tomorrowland side had no wait!! WOO HOO!
Then off to Space Mountain. The ride was, how shall I put this nicely, WHEN ARE THEY GONNA GET THE SOUNDTRACK OPERATING!!!! I mean there is ZILCH in Tomorrowland as far as I am concerned, except Space, and without the music it just isn't the same. I suppose the new ride vehicles will solve this. I have never been accused of being patient.
After our run on the bobsleds and the "Soundtrack-less" Space Adventure, we headed into Adventureland to get Fastpasses for Indiana Jones and then do single rider on Splash Mountain. Splash is my favorite ride in the park, the old America Sings characters bringing back childhood memories. I like the new seating, it gives me mine own personal space on the ride, and is an improvement IMHO. I REALLY, REALLY wish they would fix the photo preview and the Barnaby Owl animatronic at the end. But, I still think this ride RULES!
After that we immediately did the Haunted Mansion. It looks GREAT!!! We tried like heck to find the Hidden Jack, but both of our eyesight just couldn't find it. The sound has improved so much in this attraction, I find myself hearing snippets of characters voices I have never heard before, and the animatronic characters, and effects all work perfectly! Thumbs Up!
As we were leaving the HM, my cell phone rang, and it was Pongo! We had a lunch date with she and her family, and she was calling so we could firm up the plans. We found out she was just coming out of Pirates, so we met at the Rivers Of America! It was great to see her and Bill, Jason & Nancy! Lori was the first DIO member I ever met! I never miss a chance to meet up, ride some rides, and have a meal with them! We decided that we would meet at Rainforest Cafe at Noon, so Scott and I headed over to Big Thunder to get FastPasses, and they headed of for Tomorrowland!
We grabbed our FastPasses for Big Thunder, and headed over to Pirates, another favorite of mine. This is another classic that has been beautifully taken care of. We noticed one missing animatronic, but other than that this attraction still shines like the treasure that it is! I can't wait to see if they add anything to this for the 50th. I would love to see the storyline made clearer, and the "Flaming Skull" rumors about this ride sound really intriguing. The Castmember here was great; we were in line in front of some "overly enthusiastic" teens who were singing some very inappropriate (for Disneyland) Rap music. We very politely asked the CM if it was possible to be in a separate boat, and she was gracious enough to put us in the front row on the next boat.
Quick spin on Indy using our FastPasses was next! I got to push the bamboo stalk holding up the spiked room's ceiling, and got it to release. But no one was startled. Oh well, maybe next time Indy is great! I love finding the skeleton wearing Mickey ears and love the ending, I always yell! (Well o.k., I admit it, I scream)
Perfect timing for our Big Thunder FastPass! We headed over there. Someone had posted that the safety spiel here had become a monotone boring spiel; to me it was changed, but still had all the pep and "westerness" it always did. They added the Spanish version, which was needed. Big Thunder was as usual, exhilarating! I don't see anything new on this that explains the extended downtime, but the ride looks and operates great!
A quick glance at my watch revealed that we needed to head over to DtD to meet Lori and friends at Rainforest Cafe. We headed to the Monorail station, and using our resort hotel Express Pass, boarded the first Monorail out to DtD.
WOW! Let’s review: Monorail, Space Mountain, Matterhorn, Splash Mountain, Haunted Mansion, Big Thunder and Indiana Jones, and it isn't even noon yet!
L U N C H !!!!!!
We had quite a morning!! This was shaping up to be the best 4th of July EVER!!
We headed over to the Monorail and, using our handy dandy Resort Guest Express Pass, hopped aboard the first Monorail (Purple) and headed for DtD! On the ride through DCA, I was thinking how much I wish they had given us better views of the park. Inside DCA you get to look at a bunch of rooftops and air conditioning units. There are a few cool views, such as the Golden Gate Bridge, and the area near Soarin', but other than that, it is mostly the back of buildings.
We saw, and waved to, Lori and her husband Bill from the Monorail. They were sitting right out in front of the Rainforest Cafe. Jason and Nancy had already gotten us a table, so we all headed inside. I have given this place thumbs down in the Thumbs Post regarding this place, and I still am going to stick with that. While it is a really cool place, we have one right here in Phoenix, and I don't know of a large city in the U.S. that doesn't have one. We were seated in the same area as the last time I ate here, there is a cool star effect on the ceiling, although I could do without the "thunderstorms" The food is good, but nothing extraordinary. I had the BBQ chicken wrap, Scott had the chicken Caesar salad, Turkey wrap for Bill, Cobb Salad for Lori, and Pizza for Nancy, and ribs for Jason. Everyone was pleased with the meal, and the conversation and company couldn't be beat!
Fun in the Sun for EVERYONE
After lunch we all decided to head over to DCA to ride a few rides. We walked over to the Paradise Pier Entrance and cut through there! Lori, Nancy, Scott and I headed for the Maliboomer, while Bill and Jason hit the Orange Stinger. I can't believe how much this ride used to frighten Lori!! She is a pro at it now, and we all had great fun! Bill met us as we got off the ride and Lori stayed with Jason, while the rest of us went back around and rode it again. I showed Bill how to get Maximum air time on the ride! WOO HOO. Lunch was definitely shaken not stirred after two rounds of the Boomer!
We walked toward Mulholland Madness, where Scott and I got FastPasses. We said goodbye to the gang, and they headed off toward GRR. It was great to see my old friends again! Can't wait till December to see them again!
Scott and I headed to California Screamin'. We walked through the shops on the Boardwalk; this was a first for me. It is nice that they are like Main Street, in that you can wander from shop to shop inside the AC. They had a lot of cool Lilo and Stitch Merchandise.
When we got to Screamin' the Standby line was only about 15 min, so we got in line. When we got to the station, they assigned us to a row near the back, while we were waiting a train pulled into the station, and a Disney Host was waiting to meet the train. He spoke to someone in the second row, and shook his head yes. As everyone exited the two people in the second row switched seats with the people in the front row. It was obviously someone famous; we just couldn't see their face. It was a blonde girl with braided hair in a ball cap, with two friends and a rather large African American body guard. They were off again, and when we made it back into the station, they were long gone! There was no music on the ride, and that kind of bummed me out! Oh Well!
Our FastPass time for MM was upon us, so we headed over there. While waiting there was a girl climbing on the railing, I accidentally elbowed her in the mouth! I don't know who was more embarrassed, her or me!! As we neared the loading area, we noticed the "celeb" from earlier. Again, I didn't get a good look, but as luck would have it, her train was just coming into the station, as we approached the ride loader. It was Christina Aguilera! She exited the ride laughing with her friends, and looking like a big DCA fan!! Scott and I joked that we should follow her and sing Brittany songs.... O.K. I am evil, I admit it!!!!
After our brush with fame, we decided it was time for adult refreshment! Next stop the Cove Bar
Man is it HOT!
On the way to the Cove Bar we decided to stop by GRR to cool off. We dropped our backpacks off at the free lockers to keep them dry, and headed to our whitewater adventure! We did single rider line without waiting at all! WOO HOO! I rode with some fun people. That is the thing that I like about Single rider, is that you get to experience the ride with new people every time! It is funny, when you are drifting round the corner to the lift hill, it is always a little uncomfortable with the strangers, but as soon as the leaky pipes on the lift hill start to get people wet, everyone seems to warm up to each other! I got absolutely drenched! I mean wetter than I EVER have. Scott got pretty darn wet himself! We headed towards the Cove Bar drenched to the skin!
Get this man a drink....
We found a sunny spot looking over the Bay, and got a table. Lisa was the bartender, and by the time we were done, we had proclaimed her a Goddess! The Margarita at Cove Bar is delicious. We sunned ourselves and warmed up with the ta-kill-ya. After drying off, we moved closer to the bar, and ordered a "brick" of Onions. It was like a square Awesome Blossom. I really enjoyed it. It came with several yummy dipping sauces. We watched the Eureka! Parade from the bar, which was a nice "different" vantage point. We planned on seeing the parade up close later in the weekend. At one point a man in his early 40's comes running up to us and (and I am not kidding), jumping up and down, informed us that Shaq was coming into the Avalon Cove restaurant. He was like a boy who had been waiting to see Mickey, and suddenly had. I was amazed at the reaction of some of the grown men in the bar. We sat at the bar and saw Shaq walk in with a large group; he headed downstairs to have dinner with his friends. From the orders coming up from the dining room, I would say that the Shaq Crew loves Apple Martini's! After a few more incredible Margarita Libations that Lisa was so masterfully serving up, we decided to head back to the hotel to clean up for our night at Disneyland.
Happy Birthday America!
After a hot shower and dry clothes, we both felt rejuvenated.
By now it was time to head to Walt Disney's Magic Kingdom to celebrate the birth of our Nation! A short walk later and we were at the DtD station for the Monorail. A quick trip aboard the Monorail, and we were in the park. No matter what anyone may say in their article about resort attendance that day, the park was absolutely packed to the gills! It was about 1:45 min to the show, so we decided to go ahead and camp out. We staked out a spot right in the middle of the end of Main Street for the Fireworks. (The best spot IMHO, but stay tuned for another "inside" tip about seeing Believe!) We both took turns getting snacks. Hot dog and Diet Coke from Coke Corner for me, and a couple of bottles of water for Scott. I struck up a conversation with a group in front of us about the show. We all agreed that Believe, there's Magic in the Stars, is THE BEST fireworks show in the universe!! The show was perfect, and the patriotic finale, brought a tear to everyone's eye! (I even jokingly snapped at one of the guys in the group in front of us, as I noticed him dabbing the tears from his eyes, "For Pete's sake, pull yourself together!) What a perfect way to end a 4th of July to remember! We were going to try and head into NOS to experience some attractions, but the crowd was unbearable, so we decided to head back to the Hotels and call it a night.
On Lori's recommendation, we decided to try out the Lemon Drops at The Hearthstone Lounge at the Grand Californian Hotel. But, by the time we got there, we forgot to order Lemon Drops and ordered the drink of the day, Margaritas! This lounge is very nice. We found two very comfortable leather chairs and sipped our Margaritas and enjoyed the atmosphere. I could sit there forever! It is like being in a well-appointed living room. The "munchies" they give you are tasty! It was a little expensive, but hey "we're on vacation!"
We then headed over to the Lost Bar to say "****o" to Ron, and have a final nightcap. By this time we were both what I like to call "theme park zombies" I could barely keep my eyes open, so we headed to PPH and called it a night.
Coming up Day Three: You Play, You Pay
