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Thread: Five "Who Enter This Happy Place" [Day Trips 2013]

  1. #126
    Quote Originally Posted by josephfive View Post
    I like this trip report -- it's real life. Sometimes things happen and we just aren't "feelin it". Glad you toughed it out for the sake of your family and can see the silver lining in that DW you made DW happy.

    BTW, it' irks me when I can't park where I like to park. Also my kids used to have favorite spots to park in and it was almost like an omen if we got a bad spot.
    Parking at M&F used to be a no brainer. Now it's like an obstacle course. 3 nights ago they were once again routing all non-5 freeway traffic to Toy Story. Fool me twice shame on me ... instead of making the u turn @ Ball Road to head from N to S on Disneyland Dr., I continued up Disneyland Drive another quarter mile to make the u turn. This way I could join the I-5 traffic approaching the parking structure. Voila.
    What's up w/ Mickey and Friends lately? who knows?


    Quote Originally Posted by candles71 View Post
    When I read it last night, I almost told you to suck it up. But someone extended some Disney magic to me this morning and I am in a better mood.
    Sorry your day wasn't optimal.
    I wouldn't have resented that sort of feedback at all. In fact I need it.


    Quote Originally Posted by letshavefun View Post
    I like the picture of the family with all the different meal. Every one looks so happy, kinda worth trekking all over the park huh I agree with DW the fried green tomato sandwich is a must do for me too.
    Thanks. It is a nice sandwich. To expedite park storming and get on a ton of rides, DW and I used to settle for eating where the kids preferred. Not so much anymore. It's one of the ways our trips have evolved. We're not afraid to stop to eat something we like even if it takes twice as long.


    Quote Originally Posted by MadasaHatter View Post
    Great trip report! I love the pics. Your story about how you and your wife had two different trips makes me wonder what two trip reports side by side would look like.
    Thanks Mad A.a. Hatter. You're right in so many ways. For example her report would probably start w/ "First of all let me say I love the 9am start and not having to get up at o-dark-thirty to get to the resort" while mine is more like "What the heck ? Why isn't the park open at 8?!"
    Your attention, please. The Disneyland Limited now leaving for a grand circle tour of the Magic Kingdom. Aboaaard!

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  3. #127

    Trip 41: Nov. 24, 2013. 7 to midnight.

    If any of us didn't already feel the holiday season in swing, by the end of this night we did. The trees, wreaths, lights, decor, red, green. This is one of the best of all Christmas places. One other thing: to whomever invented the week-long Thanksgiving Break (not too long ago we only had Thurs.-Fri. off), well you sir or madam, are a genius. In your honor we kick off Thanksgiving week w/ a 'til-midnight DLR jaunt.

    Coincidentally young Walt and I once again exited the Mater's queue after waiting in it 10 minutes, but this time it wasn't because he was being defiant and insolent. The CM came on the PA and said they were shutting down 1 of the 2 yards and doing so may increase our wait time. Nice euphemism. Like Biff in Back to the Future, I said to young Walt "Let's make like a tree, and get outta here." One of these days we're going to get in line for Mater's and actually stay in it.

    Kim's mom came along tonight. She apparently had a lot of shopping to accomplish. And here I thought she just really enjoyed my and her grandkids' company. The only return I was more happy to see than the Christmas decorations was that of King Arthur's Carrousel. This fall it's been tented an extended period and the sight of it covered was quite unsettling to me and, in a weird way, made me anxious .... like I wanted to get outta FantasyLand as fast as possible each time I saw it. When we crossed the bridge tonight I breathed a sigh as I saw it there in all its glory. It's back. FantasyLand is back. All is well.



    photos

    rides

    Your attention, please. The Disneyland Limited now leaving for a grand circle tour of the Magic Kingdom. Aboaaard!

  4. #128

    Trip 42: November 28, 2013. 8 to 11:30.

    Exiting Winnie the Pooh, I thought young Walt and I had about 2 more rides in us at 11:30 when the day came to an abrupt end. "Daddy, let's go home now." It's incredibly rare my kids say this at Disneyland so I offer no objection. When it's time to go, it's time to go. Walt knew what I've come to realize: we had a great morning, near perfect in fact. No problem calling it a day early.
    With just about a couple weeks left on these annual passes, there are many thoughts about what I won't and will miss; trips with Walt top the list of what I'll miss most. Walt is, in my opinion, at that perfect Disney park age. These outings with him - particularly the ones just him and me - are so incredible and more fun than I can describe. The pictures partly do it justice so I'll stop typing. This is what I'll miss:





    ... more pictures

    ride report

    Your attention, please. The Disneyland Limited now leaving for a grand circle tour of the Magic Kingdom. Aboaaard!

  5. #129

    Trip 43: December 1, 2013. 8 to 1:40.

    I'm juggling a few writing projects at once so this'll be short even though it was an eventful trip and I'd like to say more. (In the photo set there are over 40 pictures so there's that). Here's a Cliff's Notes version.
    -Toy Story Midway Mania. Enough said. Greatest ride of all time. Even with a toddler in your lap obstructing your play. It's a rarity we get on this, so it's worth noting.
    -Walt made up for lost opportunities by riding Mater twice.
    -Santa meet and greet was a big hit, as was Woody who hopped around on one leg when told he had a snake in his boot.
    -The lunch extravaganza continued. Nancy & Roy stayed true to their spots: Stagedoor Cafe & Pizza Port, while Kim and I branched out to Jolly Holiday for turkey on ciabatta (very good) and TomorrowLand Terrace for the chicken sandwich w/ avocado salsa (meh).
    -Two youngest quite enjoyed Princess Fantasy Faire and meet 'n greet.
    -Was a warm day, so much so that on the way outta the park to meet Kim and Walt at the car, two oldest and I made a curtain call over to Grizzly River Run. Screaming and laughter ensued.



    photo set

    ride report

    Your attention, please. The Disneyland Limited now leaving for a grand circle tour of the Magic Kingdom. Aboaaard!

  6. #130

    Trip 44: December 7, 2013. 7pm to midnight.

    What's better than riding Screamin'? Riding it twice of course. We went ahead and made it three times. Started with the front, then middle, then back. Then we lucked into boarding Symphony Swings just as they prepped to close it for WoC.

    By night's end it was quite chilly. I guess the weather kept the crowds away.
    One thing I noticed is near the end of Turtle Talk with Crush, now Dory makes a cameo along with a giant whale just in case any of us forgot about her, or the fact Finding Dory is due out eventually. Disney/Pixar being crazy like a fox.
    Another thing I noticed is how wet you can get on Matterhorn. That came as a surprise. Or perhaps it's always that way and the 40 degree temps made it an attention getter. And we loved us some it's a small world Holiday to cap the night.



    pics

    rides

    Your attention, please. The Disneyland Limited now leaving for a grand circle tour of the Magic Kingdom. Aboaaard!

  7. #131

    Trip 45: December 15, 2014. 9:30 to 7:30.

    This is the day we said goodbye to Billy Hill and the Hillbillies. Granted, people enjoy the music but I get just as much out of hearing Billy talk. He has about the driest sense of humor as anyone and I really get a kick out of it. He was going on about their favorite show in the history of Disneyland ("The Country Bear Jamboree") and how over the years the Billys attended hundreds of their shows, but the bears didn't once attend one of the Billys' shows. Billy said of the Country Bears' act: "They were superb. Over the years so consistent. Like machines. Always on." I laughed out loud but too often I feel like I'm the only one laughing. Oh well. The show was great, but I miss the intimacy of Golden Horseshoe ... such a completely different experience and so many memories (like our most epic show ever from one of the boxes beside the stage on Roy's seventh birthday). For the finale the country bears came on stage and danced:



    This is the first of three trips before our passes expire, and the kids and I put together a mini-bucket list for these annual passes. Billy Hill obviously topped it because even though we'll someday be back, indications are he probably won't. Surprisingly we'd not yet seen story time at Princess Fantasy Faire, so early in the day we attended Tangled. Excellent show; so good, in fact, our 2yo was asking to go back several days later. Next up on the list: Jedi Training Academy. Roy and Nancy both got picked. Walt was trying to get picked when the Jedi instructor reminded the audience this activity is for 4 year olds and up. Oops. Forgot that detail.
    The only thing I had hoped to accomplish, but didn't, was to get Walt in the wheelhouse of Mark Twain. On the other hand, we did ride The Disneyland Railroad roundtrip from NOS, which was the final event on the bucket list for today. 4 out of 5 for the day is not bad.

    Kim's mom joined us for the morning. When she was set to leave, Nancy and I weren't quite ready so Kim and the two boys headed home with her. Nancy and I got on 12 more rides in the afternoon/early evening including 4 trips on Space Mountain, 2 on Screamin', and a jaunt to Tom Sawyer's.

    Picture report

    Ride Report

    Your attention, please. The Disneyland Limited now leaving for a grand circle tour of the Magic Kingdom. Aboaaard!

  8. #132
    At home in the hills candles71's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    foresthill Ca

    You know, I'm not ready for your APs to expire. I live vicariously through you and Nancy. Glad you had some daddy/daughter time. Whistler is taking our girls (11 & 15), a girl cousin (12), and A's bff (11) to a Kings game tonight. Daddy daughter time is important.


  9. #133
    Quote Originally Posted by candles71 View Post
    You know, I'm not ready for your APs to expire. I live vicariously through you and Nancy. Glad you had some daddy/daughter time. Whistler is taking our girls (11 & 15), a girl cousin (12), and A's bff (11) to a Kings game tonight. Daddy daughter time is important.
    Thanks. We're a couple of kindred spirits, at least when it comes to Disneyland. Besides myself, there's but one family member who's always up for staying to midnight -or- rising at 6am for a park day -or- for putting in that rare 10 hour day at the park, and it's dear daughter.
    Your attention, please. The Disneyland Limited now leaving for a grand circle tour of the Magic Kingdom. Aboaaard!

  10. #134

    Trip 46: December 17, 2013. 3:30 to 8:00.

    On the topic of bucket list, this 2nd to final trip (on these AP's) to DLR was with a singular objective: Aladdin, A Musical Spectacular. As it happened we saw two additional performances: Pixar Play Parade (love it) and Muppet Vision in 3-D (could take it or leave it). In fact Play Parade caused us to miss entering Aladdin by mere seconds. And I mean that literally - we watched the parade right by the theater entrance, turned to enter the theater, and were 5 steps from the entrance when they cordoned it off. As a result we grabbed dinner at Taste Pilot's and played at Redwood Creek then returned to Hyperion Theater for the night's final Aladdin. The show was superb as always but nearly ended halfway through: the curtains came down because (presumably) they were having trouble getting the elephant through the door. From the first announcement it very much seemed the show was over at that point. Seconds later they announced there'd be a slight delay. Then the elephant entered with Al on it annnnnd, we're back, the show must and did go on.



    pictures

    rides

    Your attention, please. The Disneyland Limited now leaving for a grand circle tour of the Magic Kingdom. Aboaaard!

  11. #135

    Trip 47: December 20, 2013. 6 to 11.

    Last trip. Here goes. I could say it was anticlimactic or that we "went out with a whimper" or "limped in to the finish". But I won't. With all that was going on - coming off a full week of school into a Fri. night and just 36 hours prior to boarding a plane to Georgia to Christmas w/ family - we perhaps were not our full Disney selves for this jaunt. The cold nearly sucked whatever will was left right outta me. It would've been less than acceptable, though, to give in to the fatigue, preoccupation, and weather.

    Nicest part of it all was we were free of any agendas or checklists and so we just kind of ambled and took what the park offered. Somehow we missed Animation Academy by mere seconds; with a shrug of the shoulders we headed down to Sorcerer's Workshop instead. A little while later we stumbled upon the air hockey tables at Mad T Party (see, you find something new every time at DLR). And although there was no prior discussion or even mention of it, we met up at French Market just as Fantasmic! got underway and we stayed for the full show.

    Young Walt and I headed for the parking structure while Kim and two oldest stayed for one final whirl on Autopia to mark the last hurrah on these annual passes. Was a good year.



    rides

    photos

    Your attention, please. The Disneyland Limited now leaving for a grand circle tour of the Magic Kingdom. Aboaaard!

  12. #136
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Jul 2010
    Location
    puyallup washington

    Thanks for sharing, always love reading can't wait til next year

    Keep a cap on your radiator & a smile on your bumper

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