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View Full Version : 10/06-10/08 Trip Report: Good Stuff and Bad Stuff



Monte Cristo
10-09-2005, 10:17 AM
The fiancee and I just got back from three fantastic days at DL. I'm not going to go detail by detail as I doubt ANYBODY is interested in that. So let's just break it down by catagory. We'll start with the bad news first.

Bad Stuff:

Holiday weekend crowds. Oh boy. When I scheduled this trip a few months ago, I did so without the knowledge that it fell on Columbus Day weekend. In fact, I specifically picked this weekend because I thought it would be quiet. Thursday was pretty good, Friday was not so good, and Saturday was awful. Now, when I say " awfu", that just means I stood in line far more than I was used to (we normally schedule our trips off-season). Lines for the most part where still manageable, but getting around the park took some patience.

The weather. Oh Lord how I hate So Cal's version of Fall. It was mid-80's and blisteringly sunny on Thursday and Friday. Saturday finally saw some overcast skies, which were greatly appreciated. However, hot, sunny weather really detracts from the "fall-sliding-into-the-holidays" vibe the park is going for right now. Even HMH lost some luster for me as it's tough to get into the spirit of it when you emerge from a Halloween WinterWonderland into a hot mid-day sun. We couldn't even bring ourselves to check out the ornament store or Department 56 as I can't get excited about Christmas items when I'm sweating. ;)

Getting back to HMH, I was really disappointed with how the weather affected my enjoyment of the attraction. Normally it's my fav and you can't keep me off it. This time I actually limited the number of times I rode it. The good news for me is we return for our annual holiday trip in December, and at that time I'm sure I'll be able to fully appreciate it.

The Parade Of Dreams. Sorry - not impressed. NEXT!

Star Tours is just...DONE. Over. Finished. They need to update or change ASAP. It looks so worn out, and when compared to even the cheap turborides offered at boardwalks, it fails miserably. As a Star Wars geek it bothers me that I could barely bring myself to ride it even once.

No ELP. It felt so wrong to be at the park and not see it at least once.

That's about it on the Bad stuff. Now onto...

The Good Stuff:

The park is BEAUTIFUL and all the attractions are running full steam ahead.

The new Buzz Lightyear ride is fantastic and a wonderful addition to TomorrowLand. It was nice to walk into that much-maligned area and see something worth riding over and over again. They did a fantastic job and it builds anticipation for the Subs.

The "new and improved" Jungle Cruise is just that. The added details may seem minor at first, but contribute greatly to enhancing an already great ride. If you haven't done so yet, you MUST take a tour at night. It's almost a different attraction.

Haunted Mansion Holiday. Yes, I know I was complaining about the weather affecting my enjoyment of it, but that doesn't change the fact that it's still a great attraction. I can't wait to see it again when the rest of the park is decked out for the holidays.

I have no idea if this is a new treat recently added or something I just never noticed before but DAMN - chocolate-covered pretzels with oreo cookie crumbs! Whomever came up with that is a friggin' genius. Also, the dark chocolate Non Pareils (or "snowcaps") are insidious.

Getting Deluxe Passes for the first time - NO MORE HAND STAMPS!! Woohoo!

Howard Johnson's. Great place to stay, and probably our fav non-Disney hotel in the area. The accomodations are comfortable, the walking distance is very manageable (about five minutes) and helpful when considering the amount of calories consumed. ;) The staff is so accomodating, and the amenities can't be beat for the price (FREE high-speed internet access). If you can't afford to stay at any of the DL hotels, or simply would rather spend your money on other things, Hojo's should be your first and only choice.

Pirates of the Carribean. It doesn't matter how many times I go on this attraction, that first drop is still as thrilling as the first time. Such a great set-up for the rest of the ride, and the rest of the park for that matter. It's not Disneyland for us until we step into that que and smell that water for the first time.

All in all, it was a great trip and serves as a nice appetizer for our longer holiday trip in December. Being that we're going back again in two months, we purposely didn't do a few things such as CA Adventure, Matterhorn, Space, or Indy. We also refrained from eating at Blue Bayou or buying any souvineers.