PDA

View Full Version : Trip report: Thursday, July 28



Kelly Ann
08-02-2005, 04:51 PM
Long, but no spoilers except for Space Mountain (that text is in white). We were a group of four adults and two children (11 and 10). Myself and one other adult had been to the park in the last few months; the other two adults hadn't been in 10-20 years, and neither of the boys had been there before, although both had been to WDW.

Myself and one other adult arrived a little after 7:00 AM (the rest of the group would join us later). We were escorted by security CM to picnic lockers to deposit our food. Weird, but okay. Then we queued with other guests not fortunate enough to have early entry.

At 8:00 we went immediately to SpaMtn for FP. FP return was at 9:00 – 10:00. Standby said 35 minutes, so we got in the Standby queue. Actual wait time was <9 minutes.

Then we did Star Tours (<10 minutes), Astro Blasters (5 minutes), waited for and met the rest of our group on the Tomorrowland side of the Matterhorn (<10 minutes) before heading back to SpaMtn to use our FP (<10 minutes) (there actually was no FP queue; I used the restrooms then walked quickly through the queue to catch up to my friend, who was waiting where the CM was taking FP tickets, just before you enter the SpaMtn building).

After that, we re-met our group and everyone went on HISTA while I took our entry tickets over to the westside and got FPs for Splash with a return time of 4:00 – 5:00 PM, then joined the cue for IJA. On my way across the hub I scoped out our spot for the evening parade & fireworks (thank you, phoenixfire2k5, your description and instructions were perfect).

IJA turned out to be the longest queue of the day at a under 28 minutes. The rest of the group caught up with me while the standby line was still outside the temple but it didn’t wind through the projector room and moved very quickly. We did Pirates and HM, each with a wait time of about 10 minutes. After that we got FPs for BTMR with a return time of 2:30 – 3:30. Then we had a walking lunch of turkey legs from the cart by BTMR as we headed to the 1:00 Snow White show.

I’d already seen the show so I walked back to the 50th anniversary exhibit on Main Street for some much-needed alone time. I barely had time to quickly peruse the exhibits (and make a short detour to surprise everyone with gold nametags) before heading back to the Wonderbra theater, but I really cherished that short time alone and I’m looking forward to seeing the film when I go back in a few months.

I queued for iasw and my group joined me when the Snow White show got out, but it was only about a 5-minute wait for iasw so I just stood there and let everyone pass me until they caught up with me. We headed over the BTMR but it had 101’d. Some of the group with kids decided to head back to nap at the hotel, so they gave us their SplMtn FPs and headed out of the park. Those of us who remained also needed a break (I have never worked so hard to ride so many attractions in such a short amount of time as I did that morning!) so we got in line for the train at the Toon Town station. Wait time was about 10 minutes, and everyone (except for me) napped as we rode around twice, disembarking in Tomorrowland for salads and pasta at Redd Rockets. After that we headed back to Splash for our FP return. We checked the ride board on the way. Splash was the longest wait at 120 minutes (!). We blew right past that huge queue and got on in just a few minutes with FP. Then we went back and rode again with the FPs the other people in our group had given us before they left the park. (I considered doing some magic by giving the two remaining FPs over to someone people waiting in that 2-hour standby queue, but it was so hot that I couldn’t resist getting wet again!)

At about 5:15 we went to the hub to pick out a bench for the evening parade and fireworks. We got there just in time to get our second choice bench, slightly on the east side of the castle, facing up Small World Way. The benches were filling up really fast so I was pretty happy. We had a slight obstruction of the Matterhorn by a tree, but it was only slight and otherwise the bench was ideal. Half the group stayed there while the rest of us trekked out to the picnic area lockers for a blanket and some food and other time-passers. When we got back, some of our group left to ride the Monorail, which they reported had the second-longest queue of the day at 25 minutes.

We had a really good time chatting with the folks around us. A woman sitting next to us had been at Disneyland just three weeks after its opening in 1955. She said she was 13 at the time and completely unimpressed – lol – but talking to her was some nice magic. The people in our group who had gone to the hotel phoned to stay they were going to stay there for a while and skip the parade, so we gave the space around us we’d been saving for them to the people we’d been chatting with.

There was a group seated on the sidewalk in front of us with a stroller and they argued with the CMs and refused to collapse it each time a CM walked by. Tensions were rising a bit until finally someone in our group just suggested they roll the uncollapsed stroller back by us where we could see over it and it wouldn’t obstruct anyone’s view, which solved the problem. Aside from the usual general crankiness of parents and kids after a long, hot, crowded day, that was really the only problem we heard or saw in our vicinity the entire time we were waiting for the parade and fireworks. Considering the crowd, I was grateful for that. Even the smokers seemed to be elsewhere that evening.

The parade was nice, not spectacular, but very nice, and the performers did an excellent job. I was glad we were not sitting on the east side of the street – those poor people were really baking in the sun, with no shade. After the parade, most of the guests on the sidewalk and all the guests on the benches in our area remained to save seats for the fireworks. We had a dark blue blanket thrown over the bench and that visual aid really helped us keep “our” bench even when our group thinned out to get snacks or use the restroom.

Guests were still able to squeeze into one or two places to sit on the street in front of the castle for the fireworks right up until about 8:00 PM. When the rest of our group joined us around 8:30, they had considerable difficulty making it back to the benches because the crowds were so thick.

At about 9:10 they began torturing us with “may be delayed” announcements while we fearfully watched the sky for the test balloon. The castle was so beautiful, though, and I was having a marvelous time just sitting and looking at it with my friends (especially since we were all so comfortable on that bench). The kids in our group who’d gone back for a nap at the hotel were all refreshed and we were having a pretty good time. Sure enough, the test balloon went up and a few in our group declared at that point that the show would be cancelled, but I was still hopeful. We broke out some bubbles and transformed three bored little Japanese girls in front of us into the CUTEST giggly, wiggly, happily shrieking kids you’ve ever seen. It turned an excruciating wait into one of the most magical times of the day.

Finally they announced the cancellation. I was sad, but after reading the posts here about previous cancellations, I was ready for it (I haven’t seen it yet, but I’ll see it later). I had coached my group as to where and when to go to make the 10:30 Fantasmic! show, so as soon as the cancellation was announced I sprang up and dashed ahead of them to secure seats. After some clever dodging, during which I used a new shortcut I’d discovered earlier in the day - and nearly ran into a nun - I secured seats on the ground just a few rows back from the river’s edge, right in line with the mixing console. Unfortunately, I had nothing but my jacket to hold the area, which was filling up very quickly. Many of the guests were disgruntled about the fireworks cancellation and were no longer in a cheery mood. When I politely asked one to not sit on my jacket, he yelled, “No one is sitting here, so I’M sitting here!” Ah. Okay, then.

I stayed in touch with my group on the cell phone, directing them through the crowd and holding our lit sign (see below) as high as I could. They got there after the area had completely filled and they barely had enough room to sit, but we made it. The show was wonderful as usual (I don’t usually sit that close!) and aside from a few mistakes that only an AP would notice, it went off beautifully.

After the show we used our BTMR FPs from when it had 101’d earlier. The CM at the FP queue entrance nearly convinced us we couldn’t return with the FP just because the ride had 101’d earlier – she was so earnest she really had us going for a minute! I was glad to see a CM with a sense of humor so late in the day. The FPs weren’t really necessary, the standby queue said 20 minutes but again it was less than 10, so when we got off, we got right back on in the standby queue. Then we headed over to Splash for another a near walk-on. We got off and half the group went back on while the other half rode Pooh. After that it was past midnight, so we started slowly, reluctantly meandering towards the front entrance. Lots of lingering and photos, a very satisfying end to the day.

I was really glad to see the park looking good, attractions functioning well, animations working (I spotted one on iasw that was broken but that was it for the entire day). I was astonished we were able to ride as much as we did and with relatively little wait time. There was only one disappointment, and that was Space Mountain:

WHY DID THEY GET RID OF DICK DALE? What is with the ABC movie-of-the-week underscoring? We had DICK DALE! What were they thinking?! Space was my favourite ride! The surf guitar made it unique and cool. Now it’s just another rollercoaster in the dark. The rest of the changes weren’t all that interesting, but none was as disappointing as the music. I’ll give it time to grow on me, but I’m completely crushed. Why, why, why did they do it?!


Things I was really glad I’d brought with me:

- Sign . This was a piece of white tagboard with the family’s surname written on it in block red letters. It was VERY helpful in finding each other when we’d separated. We used it so many times: in crowds, queues, seating for dining areas, and viewing areas. Sometimes people can be standing just about right in front of you while you’re talking to them on a cell phone and still can’t find you in a crowd. At night, we used a small flashlight to light the sign (I don’t do this during shows, obviously). It was so effective that guests around us asked to borrow it so members of their party could find THEM. Heh.

- Umbrella. This was key to not getting sunburned. You do have to be careful not to poke other guests, especially in queues, where you tend to crowd together more closely than in walkways. It was a real bonus to have in queues where there isn’t much shade, like HM and iasw. (A guest in the iasw queue offered me $50 for my umbrella, and that was a short queue!) I only saw two or three other people using umbrellas the entire day we were in the park. Tip: a light-coloured umbrella is cooler than a dark blue or black one. $6 at Wal-Mart.

- Hand-held battery-operated fan. Bliss when it was hot. $1 at Wal-Mart. The only mistake I made was not buying one for everyone in our group (especially at that price) – mine ended up being passed around a lot!

- Water bottle. Can be refilled with chilled water at the water fountains for free. “Pee clear, pee often,” is my motto.

- Sit pad. This was a small square just big enough for my backside, cut out of a Z-rest (http://www.e-mot.co.jp/image/cas_b/p17-04zrest_seat.jpg) (an ultralight backpacking sleeping pad). It is extremely lightweight and had a natural crease down the middle, so I just folded it and put it in the back of my shoulder bag. A Z-rest isn’t cheap but you can cut pads for an entire family or more out of one Z-rest, and they last forever. They are so easy to fold and lightweight that they can even fit in fanny packs, and kids can carry their own. This got passed around our group a lot, too.

- My winning combination for blister-free and contented feet: foot spray (like dancers use, usually an antiseptic/antiperspirant combination), sockliners, Ouch Pouches (http://www.thecostumer.com/upload/ouchpouch.com.jpg), and hiking socks – plus a spare pair of socks for a change, midday.

- Shoulder bag. Just before we left for the park, I found the ultimate Disneyland bag (at least for me): it’s an Eastsport Daisy Chain Front PocktGearBag (http://www.eastsport.com/backtoschool2005/details.asp?styleno=318190). The main compartment holds an umbrella, water bottle, makeup, sunscreen, sit pad, sunglasses case, and snacks. The outside front compartment holds your tickets, handheld fan, handiwipes (or hand sanitizer), small first aid kit, and flashlight. There’s a back compartment for your DL Today brochure (I even carried a book there) and a side one for your cell phone. A zippered pocket in the main compartment holds your money. You just loop the strap over the opposite shoulder when you’re on rides and it stays loyally by your side, even during the goat trick on BTMR. All this in an 8 ½” x 3 1/2” x 10” bag. It was perfect! $7 at Wal-Mart (I bought two)!

- A group where 1) both kids were tall enough to go on whatever they wanted, and 2) all of the adults, even those who hadn’t been to the park in one or two decades, were interested in riding anything once. After that if they decided it was too steep or two wild or whatever, they declined to go on again, but they had a real “I’m game for anything” attitude. Both of those factors eliminated arguments; I just asked what they wanted to go on next then found a way to make it happen. It helped make for a really nice day.


Things I learned:

1. Bubbles cross all language and cultural barriers.

2. As someone else pointed out in another thread, playing tour guide is exhausting. After a while I learned to carefully time when I pointed things out because almost anything resulted in an extended flurry of picture-taking, regardless of where we were headed or when we were supposed to be there.

3. A watch with a chronometer and a pad of paper are useful things.

4. So are wall safes in hotel rooms.

5. CMs will address you by name when you’re wearing a nametag. I like this. (At least three guests asked me questions, thinking I was a CM with the nametag - not that I minded!)

6. Nineteen hours is a long time to go non-stop, even at Disneyland.

7. It is great being a tourist in your own town. I went places I hadn’t been in years: Walk of Fame, La Brea Tar Pits, etc. I had a lot of fun and got so caught up in things that I even took a photo of Ginger Rogers' star (I love Ginger Rogers).

8. The shops along Hollywood Blvd. have some good hats and shirts that say “Los Angeles” on them that I haven’t seen elsewhere (I love Los Angeles).

9. I have friends who own an empty apartment in Hong Kong (!!!).

10. Where the real Chinatown in L.A. is.

11. Where Little India is.

12. What my friend looks like in a sari.

13. Cell phones work better in the park than Motorola walkie-talkies. Too many other people had the same frequency on the walkie-talkies and we kept changing the frequency, but it didn’t help. I spent about 10 minutes in the IJA queue trying to explain to some guy that I’m not his dad in the Jungle Cruise queue (alternately amusing and annoying the other guests around me who had to listen to my one-sided conversation).

14. Tourists can be so cute when they’re all quiet and rapt attention. Obviously not all tourists are like that but when they are it’s like watching a child there for the first time - very sweet. That added much magic to my day.

(Sometimes that worked to my disadvantage, though: on IJA in the rolling ball room I was shouting my usual encouragement to Indy to jump into the jeep so we could save him. :D Unfortunately the ride paused a bit longer there than usual, so before the ball came out it went all still and quiet and I suddenly realized I was the only thing in the room making any noise. I was in the driver’s seat and I turned around to find ten people blinking at me in polite surprise [my friend sitting next to me had collapsed in silent laughter]. Even Indy was looking quietly down at me as if to say, “Who is this crazy woman?” I muttered something like, "Oh, everyone’s so quiet…” and sat mutely until the ride restarted. :p)

15. I don’t want to wash my clothes. Sweat and all, they do smell like Disneyland.

The most profound thing I learned that day was how much you miss when you’re just managing people on and off rides and shows all day, coordinating cell phones, walkie-talkies, times, FPs, tickets, finding people, phoning people, meeting people, etc. The first time I felt any magic was that afternoon when I was walking down Main Street to the 50th exhibits, by myself. It struck me how many, many tourists who only go in groups and then during the busiest times must experience the park in that harried way, missing so much of the magic. It really saddened me. (It possibly explains some of the people who don’t like Disneyland, though.)

Shortiemetoo
08-02-2005, 05:14 PM
Wow...what an awesome trip report!! What a wonderful day you gave your family!!! All I can say is WOW again!!!
I loved the idea about the white paper sir name sign! That would really help a LOT!! And shining a flash light on it at night would turn it into a real beacon!!!
You made a lot of peoples day that day!! You sound like an awesome tour guide!!! :D

disney jones
08-02-2005, 05:44 PM
nice report :D

what kind of food did you try to bring in that was flagged by Security?

Kelly Ann
08-02-2005, 05:48 PM
Bagels, goldfish crackers, peanut butter, and juice boxes. I posted about it in a separate thread here (http://mousepad.mouseplanet.com/showthread.php?t=45618). We were pretty surprised!

coronado_g
08-02-2005, 06:10 PM
I barely had time to quickly peruse the exhibits (and make a short detour to surprise everyone with gold nametags) before heading back to the Wonderbra theater

A terrific trip report but I do have a question - Where is the Wonderbra theater? And does it have uplifting show?

The spoiler comments in white about Space Mountain were not visible and the only way to read them is to click on the right side 'reply' button and then scroll thru the post. Actually, I REALLY like the Space music that they have now. Although the previous was great, this one is absolutely breath-taking! At least, it was for me.

Kelly Ann
08-02-2005, 06:34 PM
Wonderbra = Fantasyland Theater.

You're not supposed to be able to see the SpaMtn spoilers unless you select/highlight them. (I didn't know how to make a black "spoilers" background, sorry about that.)

Earkid
08-02-2005, 06:52 PM
Thanks for sharing your trip report. Lots of good tips in there.

coronado_g
08-02-2005, 07:11 PM
Wonderbra = Fantasyland Theater.
LOL! Oh, that's a great one! I'll have to remember that.

Maus
08-02-2005, 07:26 PM
Kelly Ann, thanks for posting. This was a great report. I loved your Indy story it made me laugh out loud!

The Genii
08-02-2005, 07:29 PM
Superb trip report: better than some of the stuff I've read in guide books!

I don't miss Dick Dale in Space Mountain, and prefer the new music--it suits the Flying-Through-Space visual better (at least for me).

Can you explain the foot-care thing more precisely? How many pairs of socks were you wearing?

Kelly Ann
08-03-2005, 08:43 AM
Just one pair of socks, medium weight hiking socks. Underneath the socks I wore the Ouch Pouches, and under those I wore sockliners. Sockliners are really, really thin liners, sort of like foot underwear. They are made out of polypropolene, which is very good at wicking moisture away from your skin, reducing friction and odor, and helping prevent blisters. The brand I use is Fox River (http://www.foxsox.com/FoxRiver/SilverStream/Pages/fraCatalog.html?page=pgCategories.html).

So my foot prep goes like this:

1. Spray feet with Dr. Roth's Foot Spray (http://www.discountdance.com/frame_set.php3?mf=http://www.discountdance.com/dancewear/product_2014.html?&pid=2014&Shop=Style&TopCat=SHOE&cat=FOOTCARE&SID=7308766).
2. Put on sockliners.
3. Put on Ouch Pouches.
4. Put on socks.
5. Put on shoes.

Voilà! Contented feet, all day long. Contented feet make for a contented day at Disneyland.

I'm a long distance backpacker and no one is harder on their feet than us - except for ballerinas, so I looked to my dance background for extra foot comfort and that's where the Ouch Pouches came from.

The Genii
08-03-2005, 09:13 AM
Great! Thanks ... but what's an Ouch Pouch?

Kelly Ann
08-03-2005, 10:08 AM
These (http://www.thecostumer.com/upload/ouchpouch.com.jpg) are Ouch Pouches. Ballerinas use them to cushion their toes and forefoot when they do pointe (dance on their tiptoes). They're a gel cushion that pampers your toes. I really like them because they eliminate the rubbing that causes blisters, cushion the front part of your foot which gets repeatedly pounded when you do a lot of downhill walking (like when you're backpacking), and they also provide a cushion for my bunions. I don't have bad bunions but I can feel them after a long day of walking if I don't wear Ouch Pouches.

If the Ouch Pouches get dirty or stinky, you can just throw them in the wash. You can buy them online or at any dance store, they're usually about $17 per pair. Two pairs lasted my entire Appalachain Trail thruhike last year and that was some heavy-duty hiking, so they last a very long time.

disneyland addict13
08-03-2005, 11:08 AM
On Thursday night, my family camped out on the walkway that goes straight up to the back of the Partners statue and directly faces the castle. I'm not sure if you ever looked that way but we were a very large group with lots of blonde children (my cousins). Around 7:30 it was just my cousin and I holding the entire spot and we were playing cards. I get the impression that you were there by then so you might have seen us but probably not. We were so disappointed when they were cancelled but we camped out the next night and LOVED the fireworks.

Hakuna Makarla
08-03-2005, 11:38 AM
I loved this trip report, thank you so much Kelly for writing it :)