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View Full Version : Unplanned trip TR: 11/15/03



Andrew
11-15-2003, 12:24 AM
We had to be in town for a funeral. The service and internment were this morning. It wasn't exactly a happy day, and I kind of hesitated to bring up the idea of going to the park tonight. Luckily when I cautiously broached the subject, Jen was all for it. We ended up bringing along her father B and his wife L, and her son S and his wife M. M had never... ever... ever been to Disneyland. S had not been since the parking lot was the parking lot. B and L had been last year.

We were lucky enough to be able to meet up with our friends A and R as well (especially since A, a CM, was more than happy to use her three daily sign-ins, allowing our four guests to split the price of a single admission; Jennifer and I have PAPs). We met at the compass at 7:00 PM and tag-teamed through the gate.

Since M had never been to the park before, the more experienced of our group strategized on how to get her the most for her four hours (Disneyland closed at 11:00 PM tonight). We started by heading to New Orleans Square, to check on the Mansion standby line and figuring that all FASTPASSes would be gone for the night. As it turned out, we never needed a FP at all tonight! Mansion was a walk-on, even in the standby line. We were slightly held up when B decided he needed a churro... right outside the Mansion gate, and of course the CM minding the gate would not let him in with it.

We noticed the addition of three new ghosts in the moon over the doom-buggy boarding area. There were also hanging skeleton cutouts, kind of like large ornaments, all over the graveyard. Jen and I ended up with zombie gingerbread men and S and M had candycane snakes.

After we regrouped outside the Mansion, we went to see what the standby line for Pirates was like. Again, it was a walkon. It was very confusing, but we didn't stop to question but headed for the boarding area. Knowing the propensity of Pirates CMs to pack the rows with people, I jokingly said that if we said we were eight people, we'd probably get "rows 3 and 4". I did, and that's exactly what the CM said. I politely asked if we could have three rows instead and he gave us 1, 2, and 3. I noticed that the goat in the horse-man-goat scene was missing (the World of Motion animatronics) as well as the donkey next to the three singing pirates. Also there is a new dog (or probably a new skin) outside the jail cells. He's rather scruffy and not nearly as cute as the old one. The other thing we noticed was that the light which usually illuminates the talking parrot in the inner queue had apparently gone out. The parrot was chattering away as usual but was almost impossible to see.

Then it was time for dinner and being right there, we chose the French Market. I had the jambalaya, which with the addition of a couple of Tabasco packets (worth 3 points each :D ) was tasty as always. A had the "Chicken Six Feet Under" which I'd tried last year and not liked. I had a bite of hers and was not motivated to change my opinion.

After dinner we were going to head over to iasw to watch the fireworks and then ride iaswH. We were sidetracked by someone shouting "Let's ride Indy!" So we did. By now it's probably a given, but again... standby was a total walk-on. It's likely that Fantasmic starting had something to do with it this time. B drove and we got the Earthly Treasure door. I didn't notice any effects not working, and Sallah even had the correct "welcome back" message for us when we returned.

On our way out A discovered that she had left her hat at the French Market, so while the rest of us continued to the iasw viewing area, she and R went back for it. We made it to the viewing area just as the lights dimmed and the show started.

While I like the holiday fireworks show in general, I really wish they could pick another song. I've heard "Remember the Magic" too darn many times. I do love the snow, though, and we stayed to enjoy it after the fireworks ended before getting in line for iaswH. Here our luck thus far failed us, with a standby wait of about 20 minutes. Granted it could have been much worse; when we got off the ride, the standby line looked to be about an hour long.

iaswH was lovely as always this year. I looked for the special touches: bubbles, Stitch, peppermint smellitzers. They were all there. I am sure that the suggestion of opening the attraction "mostly done" and continuing to "plus" it over the next few days is essentially correct.

We walked into Fantasyland, through the Mad Hatter (S wanted to buy M a pink ears hat, but M was having none of it), noted that Toad was closed (which I would have known if I read our own DLR Updates (http://www.mouseplanet.com/parkupdates/dlr/dlr031111.htm#Rehabs) more carefully) and Pan had its usual hourlong line, and decided to give it a miss.

A and R had to go home at this point. It was enjoyable spending an all too rare evening with them, anyway. The rest of us went into Tomorrowland to ride Star Tours. Actually Jen and the rest went on Star Tours. I entered the Speeder and walked right out again through the open exit doors. I'm afraid one motion ride after dinner is enough for me. While I waited for the other five to exit I checked out the new construction wall in front of the CircleVision and NASA areas (Zapppop has posted a picture (http://mousepad.mouseplanet.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=22354) elsewhere in this forum of the new signs on the wall) and listened to the decidedly odd soundtrack in the Star Trader. I asked a CM if they sold it, but unfortunately they do not.

When we regrouped outside the Star Trader, it was close to park closing, so we meandered back to Main Street. We stopped in the Candy Palace and bought some peanut brittle and pretzels, then went over to Disneyana where I bought the new E-Ticket (featuring Adventure Thru Inner Space!). I had a quick look at the new music system in 20th Century, but was rather underimpressed. Most of what they are offering I already have on Disneyland Forever CDs, and I guess I'm not that interested in the rest.

Then it was time to leave Walt's Magic Kingdom.

We detoured on our way to the tram through World of Disney, to see if they had any of the HMH CD. Apparently the entire park is sold out, with the exception of three in the window of 20th Century Music, which the CM would not sell us. WoD is also sold out, by the way.

And that was it! A very enjoyable four hour visit to the Happiest (or Merriest) Place On Earth was over. We headed back to our respective hotels and Jen and I will be driving home tomorrow. This was an unexpected visit, as I noted above, and though I regret the necessity I am happy we were able to make it into the park. We were not planning on being at Disneyland again until January, so this was a nice little extra.

The Mint Julep award, given to a member of the party who sees someone he or she knows but did not know was going to be in the park, goes to me, who spotted FEJ outside iaswH after the fireworks.

Acronym check:
CM - Cast Member
PAP - Premium Annual Passport
FP - FASTPASS
iasw - "it's a small world"
iaswH - "it's a small world" Holiday
HMH - Haunted Mansion Holiday
WoD - World of Disney

Andrew
11-15-2003, 06:46 PM
Something I forgot to include: Most of the Main Street decorations are up, including the traditional giant Christmas tree. Except that it's a plastic tree.

Doesn't Disneyland usually have a "real" tree?

Not Afraid
11-15-2003, 08:24 PM
Originally posted by Andrew
Something I forgot to include: Most of the Main Street decorations are up, including the traditional giant Christmas tree. Except that it's a plastic tree.

Doesn't Disneyland usually have a "real" tree?


I was appaled by the plastic branches. With the green trees, Disney usually adds fresh live branches to fill in the existing live tree. This year it seems they used plastic branches to fill in the live tree.

Ewwww, now that I think about it, maybe it's a fake tree filled in with live branches.:mad:

Whatever it is, it didn't smell the first few days either. A couple of days later, they had the christmas tree scent going strong.




BTW. I told Fej he was spotted.:D

HBTiggerFan
11-15-2003, 08:51 PM
I swore it was a real tree :confused:. Last Sunday Zapp and I were really close to the tree, poked around and (yes, it's bad) but pulled off a little piece of pine. I swore it was real (maybe it was just part of a branch).

Not Afraid
11-15-2003, 08:52 PM
There ARE live branches. But there are lots of plastic ones too.

AVP
11-15-2003, 08:58 PM
I looked pretty closely at the tree this year, and I don't remember seeing any plastic enhancements. However, the tree is sprayed with a green-colored flame retardant that makes it look like it's plastic. If you look at the needles, you'll often see two or three pretty much glued together by the goop.

The goop also keeps the tree from smelling as strongly as it otherwise would. The scent you smell comes from the "presents" under the tree - a few of them blow the fragrance into Town Square.

AVP

MrTomMorrow
11-15-2003, 11:44 PM
Thanks for the trip report!

What's wrong with a fake tree? It would be more environmentally friendly to have one of those instead of cutting down a live tree.

Andrew
11-16-2003, 12:04 AM
Originally posted by MrTomMorrow
What's wrong with a fake tree? It would be more environmentally friendly to have one of those instead of cutting down a live tree.

I actually agree with you, and in fact we have a fake tree at home. For some reason I expected Disney to have a real one, though. It seems (from responses) that it is in fact a real tree, but with fake branches filling in bare spots.

CoasterMatt
11-16-2003, 05:35 AM
Originally posted by Andrew
It seems (from responses) that it is in fact a real tree, but with fake branches filling in bare spots.

Kind of like Michael Eisner's "hairdo" :p

Lani
11-16-2003, 10:49 PM
Originally posted by Andrew
Jennifer and I have PAPs.Hey, that's cool! When did you guys get new PAPs?

MrTomMorrow
11-16-2003, 11:18 PM
Is "PAPs" referring to Premium Annual Passes?

Andrew
11-17-2003, 09:26 AM
Originally posted by MrTomMorrow
Is "PAPs" referring to Premium Annual Passes?

Yes:
Acronym check:
PAP - Premium Annual Passport


Originally posted by Lani

Originally posted by Andrew
Jennifer and I have PAPs.
Hey, that's cool! When did you guys get new PAPs?

In July.