Post by Bryant "MegaDisney" McVey on Jun 19, 2014 0:02:10 GMT
Day Four - Saturday July 6, 2002
Starring:
Bryant AKA MegaDisney
Scott AKA ParadisePinocchio
Up and at 'em....
We slept in a little later this morning, both of us running on empty after 3 days of non-stop fun!
We headed straight to Disneyland to have breakfast at the Carnation Cafe. I had the Croissant Benedict, and an iced mocha, and Scott had a traditional breakfast. This is by far my favorite breakfast spot at DLR.
After breakfast we headed through New Orleans Square and got a FastPass for Splash Mountain, then hit the Mansion again. After that we headed over to Toontown to meet Mickey, and have our photo taken. I actually had never seen the line so long to meet Mickey. We waited about 20 min. then were ushered in to say hello to the Big Cheese himself.
After our brush with fame, we had a while till our FastPass for Splash, so we decided to jump aboard the Disneyland Railroad to save the walk to Critter Country. I always enjoy the train; it is one of my fondest memories as a child, as it was one of the few attractions that my Great Grandparents could ride. I used to like to sit between them; cuz the Dinosaurs always scared me a little. (Prepare for a rant) O.K. what part of "No Flash Photography" do people not understand? During both the Grand Canyon and Primeval World dioramas, there must have been 20 flashes; even after the conductor made an announcement telling people they were wasting their film. Sheesh! After traveling from Main Street USA, to the wilds of the African Jungles, we arrived at the station in New Orleans Square for our final Splash of the trip. Did I mention how much I love this ride?
We decided to bid the Happiest Place on Earth adieu for the rest of the afternoon and head over to California Adventure!
California Dreamin'
We got a FastPass for Soarin' Over California, a ticket to 1:30 Blast! Show, and headed to Paradise Pier. We rode Screamin' two times in a row, with only a 10-15 min wait. We then headed over to the Hollywood Pictures Backlot to see Blast! This would be our last time to see the show, which we both love, as it is leaving DCA after Labor Day. The show was incredible as usual.
After Blast! we noticed that a show of Who Wants to be a Millionaire? PLAY IT! Was just starting, so we headed in there. Neither of us made it into the hot seat, never the less we enjoyed the show. I will make it back into the hot seat before this attraction is pulled (he says crossing his fingers)!!!
It was an extremely hot day, and we had about 45 minutes till our FastPass for Soarin' so we decided to head inside the Animation Exhibit to cool off. Where did the couches go??? They only had one, and we sat and watched the incredible montage of Disney Movie clips, art, and music for about 20 minutes then headed into the Beast's Library to find out which Disney character we were. If I remember correctly I was Mushu and I can't remember who Scott was (Scott?).
Next up was our fantastic hang gliding adventure over California. We waited for B1, best seat in the house! This is my Favorite DCA attraction. We sat next to a family that had never been on it, which is the best way to experience this attraction on repeat visits.
We split up for a while after this; I went to Paradise Pier to get a corn dog, where else but Corn Dog Castle. It is set up in a little "travel trailer" and is THE best corn dog in the universe!!! Scott went to do some shopping. I only had a corn dog for lunch because we had major dinner and desert plans.
Corn Dogs....AUHHAANAAAMMMMM
I must say that Corn Dog Castle is the BEST! I had a regular Corn Dog and it was HUGE!!! I like the roadside food trailer look of this place. I grabbed a seat and watched families ride Jumpin' Jellyfish. This one of the two attractions at DCA that I have never been on, the other being King Tritons Carousel. This is such a cute attraction. The smaller children were having a great time. Maybe if I am ever out here with my nieces and nephews I will have an excuse to ride this. There is something creepy about a 35-year-old man on a kiddies ride without kids!
Fliks "Fun" Fair?
Scott radioed and we decided to meet up at the Hollywood pictures Backlot entrance to finally get into see Fliks Fun Fair for the AP previews. There was a line out of the area, but the wait was only a few minutes. My first impression of the area was "COOL! Why didn't they build neat stuff like this when I was little?" We jumped right in line for Fliks Flyers. WARNING RANT COMING: Why don't Parents supervise their children? Would anyone let their child rip, dig and tear up their yard at home?? We watched a group of 3 kids demolish the plants while waiting for the ride. This area just opened, and these kids are ripping leaves and flowers off of plants and running through the landscaped area around the queue. I SOOO wanted to say something to them or their parents, but amused myself by giving both the parents and the kids dirty looks. The ride is really cute, short but cute, and they did a good job (again) of theming an off the shelf ride to fit the area. Next up was Francis' Lady Bug Boogie, the line was long, but we hung in there and waited. WAAAY too short, but fun, especially when you figure out how to spin it! We would have never waited, but because this was a whole new area of the park we wanted to try everything, but, after the long waits and the over-abundance of children in the area (Go Figure!) We decided to skip the rest of the lines and rides, head back to the Paradise Pier Hotel and get cleaned up for dinner.
Act your AGE!
We had priority seating scheduled for 7 p.m. at Hook's Point. After dressing for dinner (got to love resort casual dress!), we headed down to the Lost Bar, had a cool drink, and waited for our reservation.
I always enjoy Hook's Point. I love the seared tuna, and Scott always finds a good steak or pasta on the menu. They have a great wine list, so we shared a bottle of Cabernet. There was a table of two older couples seated next to us. They were having a great time. During dinner they must have had 3 bottles of wine, and were having a great time giving the waiter grief (in a good natured fun way) and talking about their time at the resort. We even overheard them talking about "breaking the rules" at the resort a couple of times. They realized how loud they were being and that we had heard the whole conversation. It was great fun teasing them about it, and we even started to refer to them as the "Elderly delinquents."
I think that it is so neat to see how different generations can enjoy the resort. How cool is it that at the same parks where a 3 year old can meet Mickey, fly in a pirate ship to Neverland, and experience the Disney magic for the first time, is the same place were a 60 something couple can relive their childhood, enjoy a romantic stroll through "New Orleans", then enjoy a nice sit down dinner, and a few bottles of wine with friends? I JUST LOVE THIS PLACE!
Fantastical Fabulous Fantasmic!
We headed back through DtD shopping along the way as we made our way back over to Disneyland for our Fantasmic Balcony Seating.
We had a little while before checking in for the show, so we browsed around the Disney Gallery. The Print on Demand thing is very cool!
We checked in and were seated for Fantasmic! Time to hit the Dessert Buffet! They had cheesecake, chocolate mousse cake, fruit skewers, petit fours, and crème Brule. MMMMMMM We had great seats, and there was no annoying flash photography this time. Fantasmic! At Disneyland is so much better than the show at WDW. I just love this show, and there is no beating the VIP Balcony!
After the show we were herded out of NOS and hit Indiana Jones on our way over to Tomorrowland to ride Space Mountain. We were seated in the second row on Indy. There was a tween with a flashlight in the back row that kept shining his flashlight into all the dark areas of the ride and ruining the effects for the rest of us. I turned around and in the LOUDEST voice I could manage screamed, "Turn that flashlight OFF!" Well needless to say, the light went out.
The crowds in the Hub were unbelievable, but we finally made it over to Space and walked right on! No music, so I was a little disappointed.
After Space we both realized that the weekend was taking its toll on us. What a fantastic way to celebrate the birth of our nation!
We headed back to the Monorail to ride to DtD. We got on the first one into the station, and I think I even fell asleep a little on the ride.
We hit the Lost Bar for a nightcap then back to the room. Tomorrow is our last day.
Starring:
Bryant AKA MegaDisney
Scott AKA ParadisePinocchio
Up and at 'em....
We slept in a little later this morning, both of us running on empty after 3 days of non-stop fun!
We headed straight to Disneyland to have breakfast at the Carnation Cafe. I had the Croissant Benedict, and an iced mocha, and Scott had a traditional breakfast. This is by far my favorite breakfast spot at DLR.
After breakfast we headed through New Orleans Square and got a FastPass for Splash Mountain, then hit the Mansion again. After that we headed over to Toontown to meet Mickey, and have our photo taken. I actually had never seen the line so long to meet Mickey. We waited about 20 min. then were ushered in to say hello to the Big Cheese himself.
After our brush with fame, we had a while till our FastPass for Splash, so we decided to jump aboard the Disneyland Railroad to save the walk to Critter Country. I always enjoy the train; it is one of my fondest memories as a child, as it was one of the few attractions that my Great Grandparents could ride. I used to like to sit between them; cuz the Dinosaurs always scared me a little. (Prepare for a rant) O.K. what part of "No Flash Photography" do people not understand? During both the Grand Canyon and Primeval World dioramas, there must have been 20 flashes; even after the conductor made an announcement telling people they were wasting their film. Sheesh! After traveling from Main Street USA, to the wilds of the African Jungles, we arrived at the station in New Orleans Square for our final Splash of the trip. Did I mention how much I love this ride?
We decided to bid the Happiest Place on Earth adieu for the rest of the afternoon and head over to California Adventure!
California Dreamin'
We got a FastPass for Soarin' Over California, a ticket to 1:30 Blast! Show, and headed to Paradise Pier. We rode Screamin' two times in a row, with only a 10-15 min wait. We then headed over to the Hollywood Pictures Backlot to see Blast! This would be our last time to see the show, which we both love, as it is leaving DCA after Labor Day. The show was incredible as usual.
After Blast! we noticed that a show of Who Wants to be a Millionaire? PLAY IT! Was just starting, so we headed in there. Neither of us made it into the hot seat, never the less we enjoyed the show. I will make it back into the hot seat before this attraction is pulled (he says crossing his fingers)!!!
It was an extremely hot day, and we had about 45 minutes till our FastPass for Soarin' so we decided to head inside the Animation Exhibit to cool off. Where did the couches go??? They only had one, and we sat and watched the incredible montage of Disney Movie clips, art, and music for about 20 minutes then headed into the Beast's Library to find out which Disney character we were. If I remember correctly I was Mushu and I can't remember who Scott was (Scott?).
Next up was our fantastic hang gliding adventure over California. We waited for B1, best seat in the house! This is my Favorite DCA attraction. We sat next to a family that had never been on it, which is the best way to experience this attraction on repeat visits.
We split up for a while after this; I went to Paradise Pier to get a corn dog, where else but Corn Dog Castle. It is set up in a little "travel trailer" and is THE best corn dog in the universe!!! Scott went to do some shopping. I only had a corn dog for lunch because we had major dinner and desert plans.
Corn Dogs....AUHHAANAAAMMMMM
I must say that Corn Dog Castle is the BEST! I had a regular Corn Dog and it was HUGE!!! I like the roadside food trailer look of this place. I grabbed a seat and watched families ride Jumpin' Jellyfish. This one of the two attractions at DCA that I have never been on, the other being King Tritons Carousel. This is such a cute attraction. The smaller children were having a great time. Maybe if I am ever out here with my nieces and nephews I will have an excuse to ride this. There is something creepy about a 35-year-old man on a kiddies ride without kids!
Fliks "Fun" Fair?
Scott radioed and we decided to meet up at the Hollywood pictures Backlot entrance to finally get into see Fliks Fun Fair for the AP previews. There was a line out of the area, but the wait was only a few minutes. My first impression of the area was "COOL! Why didn't they build neat stuff like this when I was little?" We jumped right in line for Fliks Flyers. WARNING RANT COMING: Why don't Parents supervise their children? Would anyone let their child rip, dig and tear up their yard at home?? We watched a group of 3 kids demolish the plants while waiting for the ride. This area just opened, and these kids are ripping leaves and flowers off of plants and running through the landscaped area around the queue. I SOOO wanted to say something to them or their parents, but amused myself by giving both the parents and the kids dirty looks. The ride is really cute, short but cute, and they did a good job (again) of theming an off the shelf ride to fit the area. Next up was Francis' Lady Bug Boogie, the line was long, but we hung in there and waited. WAAAY too short, but fun, especially when you figure out how to spin it! We would have never waited, but because this was a whole new area of the park we wanted to try everything, but, after the long waits and the over-abundance of children in the area (Go Figure!) We decided to skip the rest of the lines and rides, head back to the Paradise Pier Hotel and get cleaned up for dinner.
Act your AGE!
We had priority seating scheduled for 7 p.m. at Hook's Point. After dressing for dinner (got to love resort casual dress!), we headed down to the Lost Bar, had a cool drink, and waited for our reservation.
I always enjoy Hook's Point. I love the seared tuna, and Scott always finds a good steak or pasta on the menu. They have a great wine list, so we shared a bottle of Cabernet. There was a table of two older couples seated next to us. They were having a great time. During dinner they must have had 3 bottles of wine, and were having a great time giving the waiter grief (in a good natured fun way) and talking about their time at the resort. We even overheard them talking about "breaking the rules" at the resort a couple of times. They realized how loud they were being and that we had heard the whole conversation. It was great fun teasing them about it, and we even started to refer to them as the "Elderly delinquents."
I think that it is so neat to see how different generations can enjoy the resort. How cool is it that at the same parks where a 3 year old can meet Mickey, fly in a pirate ship to Neverland, and experience the Disney magic for the first time, is the same place were a 60 something couple can relive their childhood, enjoy a romantic stroll through "New Orleans", then enjoy a nice sit down dinner, and a few bottles of wine with friends? I JUST LOVE THIS PLACE!
Fantastical Fabulous Fantasmic!
We headed back through DtD shopping along the way as we made our way back over to Disneyland for our Fantasmic Balcony Seating.
We had a little while before checking in for the show, so we browsed around the Disney Gallery. The Print on Demand thing is very cool!
We checked in and were seated for Fantasmic! Time to hit the Dessert Buffet! They had cheesecake, chocolate mousse cake, fruit skewers, petit fours, and crème Brule. MMMMMMM We had great seats, and there was no annoying flash photography this time. Fantasmic! At Disneyland is so much better than the show at WDW. I just love this show, and there is no beating the VIP Balcony!
After the show we were herded out of NOS and hit Indiana Jones on our way over to Tomorrowland to ride Space Mountain. We were seated in the second row on Indy. There was a tween with a flashlight in the back row that kept shining his flashlight into all the dark areas of the ride and ruining the effects for the rest of us. I turned around and in the LOUDEST voice I could manage screamed, "Turn that flashlight OFF!" Well needless to say, the light went out.
The crowds in the Hub were unbelievable, but we finally made it over to Space and walked right on! No music, so I was a little disappointed.
After Space we both realized that the weekend was taking its toll on us. What a fantastic way to celebrate the birth of our nation!
We headed back to the Monorail to ride to DtD. We got on the first one into the station, and I think I even fell asleep a little on the ride.
We hit the Lost Bar for a nightcap then back to the room. Tomorrow is our last day.
