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View Full Version : Trip Report Part I (long) June 21 - June 28/05 (Multiple parts merged)



Craigster- diver
07-05-2005, 12:20 PM
Observations from a Disneyland Holiday

Airport Bus : A clean, safe and on-time way to get from LAX to Anaheim hotels and back again. Coaches are not well marked – they’re white with only 8x11 signs in the front window advising of the destination. I was expecting the busses with Disney resort graphics as we had 2 years ago – maybe they’re still around but I didn’t see one anywhere. Big sign on the inside front window “Drivers rely on tips to supplement their wages”…not at all subtle. Drivers were very professional and in all honesty earned the $10 tip each way…you couldn’t pay me to drive those freeways or on the streets around Disneyland. There may be cheaper ways to get from point A to B, but in looking at the state of some of those vans, I’ll pay a bit more and ride the clean coach anytime.

Best Western Park Place Inn : As advertised, it’s right across the street from the entrance to Disneyland. Found the front desk staff to be exceptionally polite and accommodating. Room was ready when we got there, and it was clean. Booked a “mini-suite” – which really means a slightly longer (deeper) than normal room with space just inside the door for a sofa bed (double sized), a coffee table and a lamp. The room is separated by a half-wall between the sofa bed and the other 2 queen sized beds. Mattresses were newer and quite firm, no sag stories to report from our experience. There was a Serta mattress trailer in the back parking lot, perhaps they were in the process of swapping out old mattresses for newer ones ?? Furniture is “hotel bamboo” style…not fancy but not Salvation Army reject either. There’s a big full room-width mirror on the back wall in front of a sink and full width countertop (with the coffee maker)…lots of room for toiletry essentials and maybe a small suitcase. Bathroom is only a tub/shower and toilet…and yes, the showerheads are low, but certainly not on your knees to wash your hair low (I’m 6’ and had no problems, but did have to duck a bit). Lots of hot water. We had room #249 on the backside of the hotel, and found it very quiet. There’s no in-room safe, but the front desk will hook you up with a safe-deposit box at no charge (it’s big enough for passports, travelers’ checks, airline tickets….etc). If the front desk has brought in cash they’ll be happy to cash travelers’ checks. The pool is small (stated capacity 21 persons) and ranges from 3 to 6 feet deep. The kids had lots of fun splashing and jumping in “no diving allowed”, but I wouldn’t suggest it for lap swimming. The hot tub has a posted capacity of 8 or so, and was hot, and clean. I don’t know about economy (we just picked the hotel as part of a package), but the close proximity to Disneyland was much appreciated. The staff were polite and friendly, the rooms were clean and quiet, the beds were comfy, the pool was a welcome retreat from the hustle and bustle across the street. I would stay here again.

Captain Kidd’s Restaurant : Adjacent to the BWPPI, and the place where the “free” continental breakfast is served for guests of the BWPPI (the continental is served upstairs, downstairs is the main restaurant space). Continental breakfast for those who don’t know, doesn’t imply that all the food on the continent is available or cooked to your pleasure, it means pastry – cereal – juice – tea – coffee – fruit. Since we weren’t expecting the Ritz breakfast buffet, we weren’t disappointed. We did hit the continental breakfast each day (one exception….later) and found the choice of danish pastry / muffin / Corn Flakes / Raisin Bran / apple juice / orange juice / milk / tea / coffee / oranges / apples was exactly what we’d expected…and it saved us on average $30 per day by not having to buy breakfast elsewhere. You could have as much breakfast as you wanted, we found that a bowl of cereal, a danish, an apple and a couple of orange juices was more than I’d normally eat at home and more than enough to get to lunch. Alternate to the continental breakfast, hotel guests could opt for a strawberry pancake platter at the “sit down” restaurant section. We tried the pancakes once….only once…..we wondered why pancakes would be served with a steak knife, until we tried cutting them, a chain saw would have been more appropriate. Drinks are not included in the pancake platter (3 medium sized pancakes). We also tried the dinner buffet once, the night we arrived in Anaheim…..we weren’t impressed and decided that there must be a better option (too much fried stuff, too many kids’ hands in the food…ick). Advice : go for the continental breakfast if staying at the BWPPI, but otherwise pass on the Captain Kidd’s experience. Mimi’s Café is only 2 blocks down the street……

Mimi’s Café : A beacon of service and tasty food in a sea of overpriced blah and bland. We found the portions huge, the service fast, and the prices reasonable (family of 4 never more than $35 including tip…2 kids ordering from the kids’ menu & 2 parents having a sandwich/burger, everyone drinking the wonderful strawberry lemonade). Found that you can call in a reservation, and can call ahead for take out. Mimi’s is about 2 blocks to the left of the BWPPI (if facing the hotel) past McDonald’s (there were a few tense moments passing McD’s when the kids didn’t want to walk the remaining half block, but they later agreed it was well worth it !!). We ate lunch and dinner here, and would recommend it to everyone !!!

McDonald’s : only getting a point to itself because it’s there (between Mimi’s and BWPPI), because the prices look “normal” for McD’s, and because they were serving “Dippin’ Dots” as my wife had seen / heard about on Oprah (not available in Canada…or at least not our part of Canada). As anticipated…under whelmed by both McD’s and Dippin’ Dots.

Water : Although this may be a strange topic to have to itself, for travelers not familiar with Anaheim water taste, it’s an important consideration. Tap water and water from drinking fountains is not filtered or altered in any way, and tastes like a baby’s diaper smells – at least compared to the water here in good ol’ Victoria, BC. Not wanting to spend $4 for each bottled water in Disneyland, we brought individual water jugs from home expecting to fill them daily and sip for free. Found out that “manufactured” ice cubes lack the Anaheim taste (my kids called it the Anaheim Tingle – for the sensation left in your mouth after drinking tap water). We took to filling our water jugs with ice from the hotel ice maker at night, setting them in the fridge to thaw overnight, then we’d top each jug off with more ice in the morning. By the time anyone was thirsty, the ice had melted sufficiently and lacked the Anaheim tingle taste. Also….found that any of the Disney food service facilities would happily provide a cup of ice water or point a thirsty traveler to the cold water dispenser. Not a single CM suggested that we pony up and buy bottled water, and no-one batted an eye when my wife would duck into Pizza Port or the Mexican place by BTMRR for a fill up. Seems that those who seek will find water without a Disney price tag, or the Anaheim tingle.

Disneyland :
*** Security – people move quite quickly through the promenade check points. CM’s are courteous and appreciate people removing bags / packs / pouches in advance and having them open for inspection. Not entirely sure what they’re looking for…..I suppose like all things post 9-11 it’s the illusion of real security that counts, not the reality of the security….’nuff said. Important note : Downtown Disney is OUTSIDE the secure area…if you leave DL or DCA and go to DD you’ll have to come back through a security checkpoint and have your bags re-searched. Not a big deal but I was surprised by the need to be “processed” again going back to DL after a walk to the Lego store in DD.
*** Food – we didn’t experience much of the headache we’d anticipated from reading food service threads in this forum. We did notice that the coffee shops along Main Street USA were under staffed at certain points of the day, but being Canadian, we just smiled and went along with the line. What seems to bog things down the most….coffee drinkers…..those of you who want a low-fat, no-foam, decaf, latte rather than a cup of coffee are to blame for slow moving lines in pastry / muffin / coffee venues – I’m not one of you so I can vent a little here. Prices for snacks and “impulse” eating seem high, so if you’re budget conscious avoid snacking – or bring your own. We found that a pouch full of granola bars and fruit leathers (all brought from home) each morning fought off the urge to snack-spend ourselves into the poor house. Meals (ate at Pizza Port one day and “that Mexican place by BTMRR another) seemed reasonable with our family of 4 running around $35 for a meal in the park (no soda pop and no dessert)…compare to $35 at Mimi’s which included bottomless drinks, a dessert for each kid, and a tip. We did make reservations before we left for lunch at the Blue Bayou, and were seated promptly at our reservation time (didn’t get a waterside table, but we weren’t willing to wait….wound up mid-room – still able to enjoy the ambiance). Service was fast, and friendly. I had the jambalaya, wife had quarter chicken, kids had chicken strips and pasta from the kids’ menu. Wife had a Mint Julep…I didn’t like it….if I’d wanted mouthwash I’d have ordered mouthwash. Food was very tasty and served hot. Dessert….we shared the deep-fried cheesecake in caramel sauce, and decided that we should have discovered that particular item much sooner….very yummy !!!! Bill for the 4 of us was $70 including a $10 tip.
*** Rides – or attractions as many refer to them….Loved Buzz Lightyear’s Astro Blasters. Often we’d hit this first, do a couple runs through before the lines formed and would grab a fast-pass for later in the day. I don’t know how anyone can get scores of 200,000+ points……there doesn’t seem to be enough time in the ride to rack up those scores. We had a couple of rides interrupted by momentary shut downs, and quickly learned that the scoring and guns remain active…amassed our best scores those times….one of the few times in DL that you’d hope the ride shut down while you were on it. Space Mountain was closed…but we knew that going in. Still love Big Thunder. Finally rode Splash Mountain (twice), very cool….enjoyed the trip through the briar patch….the anticipation of getting soaked on the drop was worse than the actual dampening. Lines would build gradually through the day so we’d normally leave the park around 2pm and head back to the hotel for a swim and dinner out somewhere…return to the park about 6 or so and stay until closing. We’d usually run around in the morning getting as many fast passes as we could collect before our break time, and then we’d spend the evening fast-passing around and scooting into whatever rides looked to have short lines. We did notice that during fireworks, parades, and Fantasmic lines would thin down quite a bit…but because of the masses of people all in one place watching parades, fireworks, or Fantasmic moving from one area of the park to another was challenging…best to decide where you’d like to be stuck for an hour and make the best of what ever is closest. Won’t go into more details about rides here…..in 6 days (6 day park hoppers) we did everything in Disneyland.
*** Shows – Fantasmic – a must see. A helpful CM pointed out to us that the stairs between the upper and lower promenade (causeway) are roped off and become seating areas (and the non-seating area of the lower promenade is a no-stopping, no standing zone). We had perfect centre stage seats. If my brief description of the seating area we “found” isn’t clear….ask a Fantasmic CM (they’re the ones in the way-cool yellow Fantasmic jackets)….they start to mill around and set up at least a couple hours in advance of the shows. Remember – we saw this show twice, once from New Orleans’s Square looking over towards BTMRR and once from in front of the castle. I much prefer the castle show….more effects are visible and it’s just cooler. Again, had a friendly CM point us to a spot that would be roped off and create a private viewing area. Seems that if you ask nicely where the “choice” spots are (sometimes they’re not obvious unless you know the eventual traffic flow restrictions and roped off areas) they’re only too happy to show you. Character Parade – not too much different than 2 years ago….worth seeing once in a visit. Sleeping Beauty – a nice way to spend 30 minutes out of the heat of the day under the cover of the outdoor theatre, another once a visit experience.

Pin Trading : It took us a bit to catch on to the rules of the game. The kids had each got a "starter set" of trading pins from the travel agency and didn't know what to do to trade. We'd thought that only guests would trade, and didn't know how to approach someone to trade a starter pin for a 50th anniversary special edition pin...yeah, like that was going to happen. Found out that CM's wearing yellow pin lanyards are there to trade with. They can't refuse a trade unless the pin being traded is damaged or not tradeable, and they must be "official" Disney pins...no trading a Mickey Mouse for an Expo '86 pin. Approach a CM wearing the yellow lanyard (they're issued a lanyard with 10-12 pins when coming on duty and must return a lanyard with the same number of pins when coming off duty so there's no "freebies") and ask to trade....ask if they have any pins of special value...they'll tell you !! Kids got some limited edition pins, and eventually settled on a theme...son: Stich daughter: Tinker Bell (an underappreciated character in daughter's eyes). The pin trading became part of the day's adventures....the kids spent some (most) of their spending money on pins to augment their traded ones (keeping with the theme), and didn't whine (too much) about wanting the disposable trinkets (like spinning lights, lightsabers, mouse ears, etc). Even me and the Mrs. found that we'd be watching CM's for trading lanyards...hunting out the elusive "Stich as Elvis" my son desperately wanted to find. Cudos to Disney for making this pin trading "thing" a part of the adventure this year. (BTW --- we found that CM's in DCA had better pins to trade, and there were more CM's trading in DCA than DL some days.........your mileage may vary).

To be continued……California Adventure…….

shawnarae
07-05-2005, 12:49 PM
I like your report...very detailed :) Please go on..............

TowerofTerror
07-05-2005, 01:01 PM
AWESOME trip report. looks like you had a great time there

disney jones
07-05-2005, 04:46 PM
what a nice detailed report - thanks for taking the time to do this.

SilverStyle
07-05-2005, 07:27 PM
Nice you had. Pin trading is fun, myself and some of my fellow CMs have more then 10 pins on our lanyard. These lanyards are checked out to us, which means we can take home. Some of us have more then 30 of these pins on them. Some include, our own pins. What I hate is trading for the fake pins people try to pull off.

rentayenta
07-05-2005, 07:38 PM
Terrific report! I can't wait to read the rest. :)

Shortiemetoo
07-05-2005, 09:04 PM
Great trip report!! Looking forward to more!! I also love to pin trade and don't trade with sedesma pins but bring them to give to kids who trade pins. They always get excited when I give them a pin...its so cute!!

adriennek
07-05-2005, 10:07 PM
". Wife had a Mint Julep…I didn’t like it….if I’d wanted mouthwash I’d have ordered mouthwash"

THANK YOU. Exactly.

Adrienne

Craigster- diver
07-06-2005, 02:20 PM
Trip Report – Continued
June 21 – 28, 2005

Disney’s California Adventure

I really like this park. No, it’s not a “theme” park in the traditional “Disney” kind of way, but it is full of things to do and ways to spend time with the family. We found it nowhere as busy as Disneyland, but still it adheres to the Disney concept…clean, fun, entertaining, and a place for the family to laugh and play together. I don’t think I could devote much more than a day and half, maybe two days, to this park I certainly wouldn’t want to miss it….unless….my kids were of the very young variety.

Rides : Ranging from the death defying (Maliboomer, Tower of Terror) to the tranquil (most anything in Bug’s Land), and serene (Soarin’ over California) you’ll find something for most every member of the family. Our family had rushed through DCA 2 years ago and we really didn’t get to experience many rides (in fact, I think we only experienced Soarin’ and Grizzly River Run, and a Muppet 3-D movie). This trip we were determined experience everything. We found lines almost non-existent for rides other than Soarin’ and Grizzly River (both offer fastpass). I rode the more “adventurous” rides at the insistence of my daughter (9), who was determined that Daddy should get over his fear of heights this trip. It was fun being each other’s encourager. Daughter would look over at me with big “cow eyes” moments before a “launch” and say “Daddy, I’ve got a bad feeling about this…”, we’d laugh and say “see ya later” just as the ride took off. Wouldn’t have missed these moments for the world !!

California Screamin’ (roller coaster) : Lines were around 20-30 minutes at peak times (also fast pass enabled, but why bother with such short waits). Speaking as a definite “non-roller coaster” person (terrified of heights and particularly of falling from heights) I was very pleasantly surprised by the “tame” ride on this coaster…yes, there are a couple of good hills and drops to deal with, and there is a small (comparably) upside down loop too, but once I’d learned the “trick” to riding a coaster (note below) I really enjoyed this ride. I’m not sure of the mechanics or physics by which the cars are shot at the ride from the launch station in the lake (pond??), I suspect electro-magnetic propulsion (no noticeable air pressure “hiss”) and no mechanical slingshot device. Each time I rode this coaster I was impressed by the force of the launch (do keep your heads facing forward) and the apparent lack of power assist needed to get the cars up over the first hill. The loop happens so quickly you really don’t realize it’s happened.

Note : My “coaster trick” : when going downhill pick a fixed point on the structure or on the ground immediately in front of you at the bottom of the hill and focus there….the mind forgets the hill and focuses only on closing the linear gap between where you are and the point you’re focusing on….it works for me ….your mileage may vary.

Maliboomer (180’ vertical shoot up then fall down) : Lines were non-existent during the 2 days we explored DCA. Daughter convinced me to do this ride despite my fear (OK, terror) of heights. The seats with the “sound barrier” shield (apparently not a barf-blocker, but a capitulation to the local noise abatement bylaws) hold you securely in place with over the shoulder locking padded frames but, the “manual emergency backup restraint” (a seat belt style buckle attaches the ride seat to the lower part of the shoulder restraint frame) leaves much to be desired…don’t know that it would hold things together in a pinch…probably I’m just paranoid. Shooting to the top happens so fast that the brain doesn’t get a chance to determine that what you’re doing is un-natural (read: stupid). Just as your brain catches up with your backside, and as you begin to say “that wasn’t so bad” and enjoy the spectacular view from up there, the downward trip begins. There was a second of “zero gravity” sensation as the chair falls out from under you, but you quickly realize that the laws of physics have not been suspended indefinitely and you begin to fall back to earth. The ride slows the descent and shoots you back up (not to the top again) a couple more times, by this time you’re comfortable and believe that you’ll live to see another day, and are more than likely really enjoying the view. The whole thing happens so fast that one ride really doesn’t do it justice. A definite “must do”….even for the terrified.

Tower of Terror (130’ elevator drop) : After the Maliboomer, this was a walk in the park. The simple fact that it’s inside makes for an easier go of things. Downside….it’s inside…so until you’re in the thick of things you really don’t know what to expect…hard to preview and anticipate what you haven’t been able to see yet. We fast passed onto this ride, and in doing so probably missed much of the ambience of the ride setting. I don’t want to give away the ride, but it is much tamer than one would believe from (a) its name – not much Terror involved, and (b) the hype – I wouldn’t wait much more than an hour to ride this…definitely a good use of a fast pass. I think this is a mental psych-you-out scare rather than a physical life-in-danger scare, this is why I saw little kids laughing and cheering in line and after the ride while the adults (who understand the underlying meaning of Terror) were ashen and shaking. Another “must do.”

Soarin’ Over California : Unless you’re prone to extremely sensitive motion sickness, everyone should either line up or fast pass this ride. The scenery is beautiful, they use “smell-o-vision” (check out the orange groves, and the forest odors), and it’s a different ride depending on where you’re seated. We rode it 3 times, and sat in each of the left – center – and right “gliders”. We noticed different things about the movie depending on where you sit…example, the skier face-planting, the rock climbers, and It’s a Small World are more noticeable if you’re viewing the movie at the optimal angle to see them. Well worth the price of admission.

Grizzly River Run : Yep…it’s a wet one…the signs don’t lie. Suggest hitting it first, to dry off in the sun afterwards. Seems that the riders adjacent to the raft entry / exit “doorways” get the worst of the water. Suggest that those not wanting to be baptized a la Disney ride on the “inside” seats and leave the doorway seats to the more adventuresome. We hit this at opening one morning, and my son and I both sitting in doorway seats got soaked…the wife and daughter sat more inside and were only slightly damp. This ride could benefit from more Disney magic along the ride path, it’s pretty plain, but as a water flume ride it’s pretty good. Another fast pass enabled ride.

Other notable attractions : The kids really liked “Orange Stinger” and “Golden Zephyr”…although since the vehicles are silver we weren’t sure what the golden part was ?? Wife and I passed on both these rides. The Muppet-Vision 3-D show is really worth while as a sit down and rest in an air conditioned theatre kind of way…and it’s always great to see Kermit (not particularly Disney, but then neither are R2D2 or C3PO and noone seems to mind them hanging around Star Tours). Mulholland Madness is cute in a roller-coaster kind of way. I wouldn’t wait in line much more than 20 min for this, and wouldn’t “waste” a fast pass opportunity here either. It’s a great ride (more corners than ups and downs), but it lacks the excitement of Screamin’. My 7yo son discovered the “single rider” route and rode this 7 consecutive times while daughter and I went over to Screamin’ (again). The Sun Wheel (ferris wheel) offers 2 ride options – one for the adventurous, and one for me. The view from the top is spectacular and it’s a nice place to get a moment’s peace and quiet. Check out the “world’s only SCUBA certified” ferris wheel from a vantage point across the lake…you’ll see what I mean. Jumpin' Jellyfish takes the extreme thrill of the Maliboomer and reduces it to a coward's (or a child's) level. My 7yo son refused the Maliboomer, but came out smilling and proud that he'd ridden "Jellyfish" since it was "just like 'boomer, but not as scary" (an understatement, but true). It's a Bug's Life, a 3-D movie / show in Bug's Land is clever and perhaps the only attraction in Bug's Land that anyone over the age of 4 should be subjected to while visiting DCA. If you have an unusual fear of spiders....just remember you're in Disneyland....happy thoughts---happy thoughts---

Non-Rides :

Brother Bear Ceremony : not really sure why this show exists, other than as a poor attempt to placate the native population or to try and get some more mileage out of the Brother Bear movie souvenirs at the gift shop (I suspect the latter, not the former). The “ceremony” is poorly scripted and despite an honest attempt by the solo CM actor to make something of this farce, the main objective for kids was a chance to interact with the “bears” at the end of the show. I definitely would not suggest sitting in the sun waiting for this one, but if you were in the general vicinity of the stage at show time and were looking for a place to get out of the sun, this might be a consideration.

Redwood Creek Challenge is DCA’s answer to Tom Sawyer’s Island. There are lots of things for the young, small, and energetic to climb and swing on (and burn off some of that bottomless pool of energy they seem to have). There are lots of benches and seats for the grown ups to rest and recuperate while sitting down.

The Aladdin show at the Hyperion Theatre is a must see. Suggest you sit in the Mezzanine or Balcony levels in order to best take advantage of the flying carpet effects. I don’t think there’s a bad seat in the house (particularly in the Mezz) and don’t be scared off if the lines look daunting…there are lots of seats and this show is very well done. Seems they script in some current events as “comedic elements” here and there….bravo !!

Boardwalk Games : a few boardwalk styled “take the sucker’s money” games seem to fit into the theme, but at the same time seem to violate the spirit of things Disney. The kids wanted to try something, so we found an “everyone wins a prize” booth (the fishing game) and the kids each “won” a stuffed toy fish. Other games are more competitive (playing against other visitors) or more “stacked against you” (knock over a brick wall with a Nerf basketball…but perhaps I’m too cynical in my old age).

Boudin Bakery and Mission Tortilla Factory Tours : Take the bakery tour (they make all the sourdough bread bowls and buns for the DLR here) and enjoy the free sample. The tortilla “tour” really isn’t much other than a chance to get a free tortilla….definitely not worth waiting for.

Meals : There’s a McDonald’s cleverly disguised as a Disney restaurant on the backside of Paradise Pier….it’s called “Burger Invasion”. Prices and menu look to be the same as the McD’s outside of the park. We didn’t experience Ariel’s Grotto…..didn’t look busy. We did find the service at the hot-dog place (Award-Weiners) slow and prices were typical Disney. Best meal inside of DCA was at Pacific Warf Café (salad in a sourdough bowl) and Cocina Cucamonga (Mexican) was a close second. There was a draft beer cart in the seating area near the Cucamonga, and as I recall they had 4 beers on tap….nice touch. Saw, but didn’t get to try, Rita’s Baja Blenders….a margarita stand near Pacific Warf. In case you hadn’t guessed, DCA is the only place to get an “adult” drink. FWIW – when we were there the Chinese food place on Paradise Pier was closed…don’t know for how long or why….if your heart is set on Chinese a la Disney, check with someone first before going over.

Parades :

Block Party Bash : the ultimate celebration of things Pixar. A must see. In fact, we saw it twice. Depending on where you sit inside a Block Party Bash Zone, you see a different part of the parade. The front of the parade is themed “Toy Story”, the middle section is themed “Monsters Inc.” and the end is themed “A Bug’s Life.” Very high energy, gets the crowd involved, good music, and a chance for the daughters out there to boogie with Boo. Of particular note, ahead of the main parade, as kind of a warm up act, the “little green soldiers” from Toy Story walk / march the parade route and do a warm up show in each of the Party Zones. Be sure to catch these guys !!! While some Disney puritans may not believe this parade, and these characters, have a place in a Disney venue the kids don’t stop to think about it and they’ll have an absolute blast !!!

Electrical Parade : a great way to close out a day at DCA. I can’t recall the original electrical parade when it was over at DL, but this sure seemed familiar !!! The music is enchanting and exciting, the floats and characters are all beautifully illuminated. A definite must see.

Overall impression : DCA is such a different experience from DL that the two shouldn’t be compared. For a non-Californian the theme is obvious and well presented. The rides are not crowded (for the most part), the staff seem to be more laid back and more approachable, there’s elbow room so the guests are more at ease, and it just “feels” more like being on vacation than DL (where you’re always on the watch for something, or trying to go against the crowd to get somewhere). I think the Disney people have a hidden gem in DCA. I doubt that DCA could “go out on it’s own” as a stand alone amusement park, but as an alternative to DL for someone wanting to remain within Disney’s magic world, I think it works very well. Personally, the memories of sharing terror and delight with my daughter were more than worth the price of admission (or the park hopper option—as the case may be).

Thanks for reading….
Craig

DangerMouse
07-06-2005, 02:30 PM
Wow Craig! That was an awesome report, and I agree with you 100% about DCA, it's an awesome alternative to DL and a great place to escape the crowds. You may have talked me into trying the Maliboomer next visit! :eek:

Craigster- diver
07-06-2005, 02:38 PM
You may have talked me into trying the Maliboomer next visit! :eek:

Then my evil plot to take over the world is progressing nicely....one mousey super-hero at a time !!

Craigster

disney jones
07-06-2005, 02:43 PM
Craig - wow - you've written the two best trip reports i've ever read on MP! nice job, epecially showing some love to DCA!

and the shields on the Maliboomer? - they're there in case your brains slip out your nose on the way up. ;)

DangerMouse
07-06-2005, 02:53 PM
Craig - wow - you've written the two best trip reports i've ever read on MP! nice job, epecially showing some love to DCA!

and the shields on the Maliboomer? - they're there in case your brains slip out your nose on the way up. ;)

Thanks Jones, just talked me right back out of it. :p

Shortiemetoo
07-06-2005, 03:03 PM
lol disney jones you are too funny!!! Great trip report and it is making me even more anxious for my trip in a few days!!! I also like DCA! Just don't expect it to be disneyland and it is great!!!

Crazy4DL
07-06-2005, 03:03 PM
Excellent and very enjoyable reports! thanks so much for taking your time to share with us! :) Glad you and your family had a great vacation.


I love your home town of Victoria, btw :)

scaeagles
07-06-2005, 03:07 PM
My family and I were there the exact same time - June 21 through 26. My trip report, if I posted one, would be -

"We had a nice time."

I admire your attention to detail.

Craigster- diver
07-06-2005, 03:16 PM
Craig - wow - you've written the two best trip reports i've ever read on MP! nice job, epecially showing some love to DCA!

/embarassed/ Thanks. Trip reports on scuba diving boards are usually great literary tomes....I've been writing scuba reports too long, and just fell into "what I know how to do" mode. /embarassed/

If "the Devil is in the detail" I suppose that makes me....hmm....

Craig

gerry
07-06-2005, 04:50 PM
Great report. I really enjoyed it. Thanks.

CindyH
07-07-2005, 10:35 AM
A very excellent trip report! I love reading details, and your sense of humor is great. Thanks again!

:cool: