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View Full Version : My Chowder of Doom Adventure



AlxVision360
01-10-2005, 10:10 PM
If you were at the park the evening of Wed, Dec 22 just prior to the holiday parade, you may have witnessed this peculiar adventure. He was an Indy Jones dress-alike carefully balancing a food tray with a couple of Clam Chowder meals on it. His first challenge was to traverse the perilous crowds of Adventureland. Then he had to navigate through the treacherous parade crowds of the Hub. Finally, he quickly snaked his way down the middle of Main Street to his base camp at the foot of the parade route.

OK, I'll admit it, it was me! My wife in a wheelchair and with our 4 kids there was no way I was going to deprive them of the prime spot they staked out on the parade route near Lincoln. It was up to me to hunt down dinner and haul it back to them on my own. My wife insisted on having Clam Chowder in a bread bowl, so I found myself waiting in line at the Cafe Orleans wondering how I was to going to get all that food half-way across the park! No boxes or doggie bags in sight, so I simply picked up the food tray and made a quick exit back towards Main Street. I figured if I wasn't supposed to do it, a kindly CM would stop me along the way. Actually, I did pass several CMs on my way back to the Main Street Plaza but no-one even batted an eye. Is this a frequent occurrance at DL? I certainly felt like some odd pre-parade entertainment that night. And it didn't end there, I made a 2nd trip back to Bengal BBQ for the rest of our meals. Thank goodness they come in those cardboard trays, not so darned conspicuous as a big orange food tray!

Anyway, I managed to make it back to the family shortly before the parade started and we all had a nice meal as we watched the parade go by. I'm also very glad our DL is a little more compact than the other Magic Kingdoms. Whew!

BTW, my deepest apologies to the CM who had to carry the tray from Main Street where I left it back to NOS.

Anyway, there's my embarassing story for the year. Thanks for the read.

disney jones
01-10-2005, 10:29 PM
Nice story. We were there that night too, but didn't see you.

I can appreciate cutting corners in the name of family. my balancing act consists of putting two girls on a Disneyland stroller rental made for one. My 3 yr old rides on the 'roof' a lot, while the 5 yr old rides below. Again, not an approved use of Disneyland rental strollers, but in over 20 visits in the last 6 months, i was only stopped and corrected once, by a unifromed Security Office on Main Street.

And after we figured out how to balance it the first month through the school of hard knocks, (the 5 yr old must remain below at all times while the 3 yr old is on top, otherwise it gets top-heavy and the 3 yr old takes a quick and immediate drop to the concrete below :eek: ), the rest of the year was a breeze!

[For the record, Sydney (3 yr old) only had face plants twice, complete with crying :crying: and dirty looks from the onlookers :mad: ] but no other mishaps, and she's fine and made many trips to DLR since! :)

5hr drive
01-11-2005, 05:19 AM
My wife has this "thing" about Redd Rockett's Chicken Fusilli. She has to have it within two hours of our entering the park for the first time on each of our trips in order to feel she is "home". (For me all it takes is the big drop on Splash Mountain but that is beside the point.) Anyways, not only is Redd Rockett's not my favorite food in the park, but I can't stand eating in the dining area there, absolutely the worst atmosphere in all of Disneyland. So, getting to the point, if you ever see a couple; she's got her Chicken Fusilli from RRPP, he's got his Bengal BBQ or Aunt Polly's Roast Chicken, but they're eating inside the Plaza Inn, stop by and say hello!!!

Surfingstitch
01-11-2005, 07:31 AM
I remember GF wanting to see the ELP. So stayed in a spot next to Bug's Land. I had to get food from Taste Pilot back to our spot. We had burgers and Chili Fries. We didn't have lid back then so I had to carry a tray with the food and two drinks. I was so glad that I didn't spill.

wallace4some
01-11-2005, 08:39 AM
Sounds perfectly normal to me because my hubby does the same balancing act so we are able to keep our good seats! :D

MrsG
01-11-2005, 09:53 AM
not only is Redd Rockett's not my favorite food in the park, but I can't stand eating in the dining area there, absolutely the worst atmosphere in all of Disneyland.
Thank you!

Surfingstitch
01-11-2005, 09:56 AM
Thank you!

It's the only place in the park where seating is not a problem.

Maybe because Space is still closed.

rentayenta
01-11-2005, 10:53 AM
Thanks for fun read :)

pisces
01-11-2005, 11:28 AM
That is a cute story. If I'd seen you, I'd have offered to help carry some of it.

It sort of reminds me of carrying my tray from the line at French Quarter.....to try to hunt for a table. Amazingly, there was always an empty table, with a lit candle waiting. Nevertheless, there was always a moment in between leaving the cash register, and carrying my full tray........wondering if I'd find a place, or if I'd simply be wandering around looking for a table, full tray, and everyone staring at me. I hate that feeling.

What is with the whole bread bowl thing? Sorry, I don't get the whole bread bowl. Just try asking anyone there for some clam chowder in a normal, real bowl........they look at you like you've got two heads !!!!

Pammer
01-11-2005, 11:47 AM
Last year we were at DCA...my hubby and in-laws wanted to eat at the Pacific Wharf Cafe. I'm a picky eater and prefer to eat elsewhere, although I will eat their turkey sandwich on occasion. Anyway, I went to Taste Pilot's Grill for a Cheddar Burger (yum!) and carried it and a drink on a tray all the way back to the PWC so we could eat together...whew! Also grateful that I didn't spill anything... ;)

disneyperson
01-11-2005, 01:47 PM
We often buy food from different places and end up eating at a third. No one seems to mind . The money all goes to DL in the end. As for bread bowls, we like them, but sometimes we ask for just the bread with nothing in it. We are alway given it but the price has varied from .50 to 1.99. Sometimes we get an empty bread bowl from one spot, a fruit bowl from a kiosk, and then eat at the Coca Cola Corner.

adriennek
01-11-2005, 02:30 PM
When we were at French Market on December 10 for dinner, I asked for a bowl of clam chowder without the bread bowl (Doc wanted it instead of a salad before dinner.) They said they would give it to use but charge us the same amount as if we'd ordered the bread bowl. No thanks.

Adrienne

Andrew
01-11-2005, 03:00 PM
That's what they've always done, as far as I know. The upside is that you get more soup.

jetkitten
01-12-2005, 07:09 AM
The chowder is pretty good there, I've had better but that could be said for anything they cook. You reminded me of when i had to walk from small world to main street with three turkey legs, thre sodas, AND chips. Then sit down for five minutes and watch the turkey stand open right next to us. Joy