December 2-12, 2007 (Grand Californian Hotel) - First Trip to Disneyland for an Early Christmas & Dose of Disney Magic **Updated 10/30** COMPLETE About This Page:

[DyanKJ130]

WOW! Sounds like Wally World was a lot of fun!! Totally your rollercoaster photos - they have a very artsy feel to them! Looking forward to more

[Grammy Grumpy]

Wow, those are some awesome coasters! I for one would never experience ANY OF THEM, but glad you guys had such a great time.

[PrincessSharon]

Don't know how I missed your latest update. I'm glad you had fun at Wally World. I've been there, but a long time ago, when the park looked more like it did in the film. Sounds like fun, though! Looking forward to hearing about your day at Knott's Berry Farm (and hearing how much it's changed since I've been there).

[All Ears]

Fantastic report! I am sooo enjoying it!

[Big Sister]

Originally Posted by Meggera

First of all, I am shocked that Australia doesn't have great coaster-laden theme parks. I had no idea. There are too many in the States to even begin mentioning, and we all of them. I am so glad you got to experience a Six Flags park. I grew up going to Six Flags over Georgia in Atlanta. I plan on going to the two Six Flags parks that are in Texas since I have just moved here.

Second, I am so glad you enjoyed those coasters. I love riding new ones and always get so excited to go to a new park. It is rare that I ride one that I never have to ride again. We rode a brand new one at Kings Dominion in Doswell, VA, and I thought it would never end. Maybe I struggled with it because I was getting a headache? I don't know. But, I was happy to get off. I have ridden the standing coaster at Kings Dominion. I always made sure I was in the front row. If I wasn't, I tended to hit my head on the shoulder harness, and it hurt like crazy.

Third, I can't wait to hear about your time at Knott's Berry Farm. Hurry back soon!

I can count the number of themeparks Australia has, on the one hand! First, there's Dreamworld and Warner Bros Movie World up on the Gold Coast in Queensland, then Luna Parks both in Sydney and Melbourne ... and that's it! (I haven't included the water parks, as they don't count as themeparks in my books ) From this list, I've only ever been to Movie World the one time. I think Australia's lack of themeparks helps me find my experiences at America's huge themeparks that much more exciting and special .

From memory, when I went to Movie World way back in 2003, there was only four main rides for adults (2 rollercoasters: Scooby-Doo Spooky Coaster and Lethal Weapon ; 1 flume ride: Wild West Falls ; and, a motion simulator ride: Batman Adventure.) Out of that list, only the Scooby-Doo Spooky Coaster has stuck in my mind from riding it that one and only time, as it was absolutely FANTASTIC! The Scooby-Doo Spooky Coaster is a large scale crazy mouse rollercoaster in the dark. There's lots of smoke and pulsing lime green strobe/laser type lights, which sometimes light up the tracks, shocking you into realising just how high up you are on the skinny little tracks - I can still remember one of those scenes now! The most memorable part of the ride though, was getting a fleeting glance of an upcoming big drop, and suddenly having our car spin around and shoot down the drop backwards. I love this ride - it's a real blast! There's also a nice walk through entrance to this attraction, but I can't remember enough of it to comment any further.

I remember the Lethal Weapon rollercoaster on and off over time, for the main reason I had to go on it myself while my friends waited for me on the viewing platform, as they had declined to ride due to its extreme factor. The best way I can describe Lethal Weapon, is a smaller and less extreme version of Scream at Wally World (floorless chairs which are sent wizzing around a loopy track.) I didn't purchase the souvenir photo, as all you could see was my right leg and foot.

I didn't remember the Wild West Falls at all until I came across the photo of it just the other weekend. I felt bad for not remember it till now. At least as soon as I set eyes on the photo, I was reminded of how fantastic the drop was (though I can't remember the pre-drop part of the ride.) One of my friends and I rode it a couple of times in a row, while our other friend waited below (the reason why will be explained later.)

It wasn't a ride, but across from the Wild West Falls, was the Harry Potter Movie Magic Experience. I absolutely the Harry Potter movies and books, so there was no way I was missing out on this attraction. Having said that, I can't really remember much about this attraction . I know we were walked through in groups, down Diagon Alley and a portion of the Forbidden Forest, and there was a skerrick of interaction in the way our guide got a child in our group to say a spell, causing an upstairs window to fly open, but that's about it. Still, I was so excited when I came across the photos I took (how corny are the sets by today's standards?! ) I think a lot of my excitement in relation to these photos, now stems from the knowledge of the upcoming Wizarding World of Harry Potter opening up at Universal Studios, Orlando, in a couple of years time. I simply cannot WAIT to see how that park evolves (it's really frustrating how there's hardly any info around about it at the moment), and are just SO looking forward to visiting it!

As for the Batman ride in this park, I wasn't impressed with it , especially after all the hype it received, and nothing about it sticks in my mind.

One rollercoaster and one of those really fast up-and-down rides have been added to this park since my one-and-only visit.

After a bit of research so I'd know what I was talking about , Dreamworld appears to be Australia's best themepark (I've never been there, but would to go.) It currently has six thrill rides, a lot of family rides (including the mandatory, in my books, river rapids and log flume rides), as well as a lot of other attractions and a wildlife park attached, which includes Tiger Island.

Luna Park (I'll be referring to the Sydney one) has more your kind of amusement fair type rides than your typical themepark rides mainly due to noise pollution and complaints from nearby residents. One of Luna Park's main draws, the Big Dipper, was actually the cause for the park being closed down for a couple of years due to noise complaints! The Big Dipper is now operating as Cyclone in Dreamworld, and is Australia's tallest rollercoaster. The only rollercoaster I can see that Luna Park has now, is a crazy mouse one.

I'd love to experience Dreamworld and Luna Park for the first time ever, as well as re-visit Movie World. I had trips to Sydney and Queensland planned for this year, but one of my brothers, Kib, couldn't make it due to his job, so I decided not to go for the time being. When Kib was able to make it a few months later, I was no longer able to afford it due to helping him and another bro out with car payments. So that has put those plans to rest for the time being.

One park not on the list in the first paragraph, is one I've visited many times before, but is no longer in operation - Wonderland up in Sydney. It was the first themepark I'd ever gone to.

Each time I visited, the park had gotten smaller and smaller due to sections of it being closed down , but I still enjoyed myself whenever I went there - at least the two main draws for me were in operation on my very last visit.

The first big draw was the Beast - the tallest wooden rollercoaster in the Southern Hemisphere.

Don't you just love the disappointed look on the boy's face behind my friend? I think it's so funny - as if he's not impressed with the coaster at all! LOL!

The second big draw for me, was the Demon - a fantastic boomerang rollercoaster! I was happy to discover that Demon is now operating as Zoomerang at Alabama Adventure Themepark, as it's such a great ride (and the one that turned my friend off rollercoasters for life - I'll never forget her screaming, "I hate you!", mid flight!)

Space Probe was another major ride of the park - one of those straight up-and-down rides. I was absolutely terrified of it, and only went on it during my first ever park visit (and couldn't walk properly when I got off it and had to sit on the nearest boulder outside the exit, with my friend laughing at me.)

I also loved how there was a wildlife park tacked on to the themepark, which I enjoyed visiting also. The last I heard, the deserted themepark was being used as an army training ground, but that was a long time ago now. I remember someone reporting how it seemed like a ghost town, and that the Coke machines still worked.

So Meggera - I really look forward to hearing about your visits to the two Six Flags parks in your new hometown! How lucky are you to have them right there on your doorstep?! I can totally understand your excitement at visiting a themepark you've never been to before, and the thought of all the new rides you've yet to experience - it's all so exciting!

[Big Sister]

Originally Posted by chezp

Wow, those are some serious coasters! I don't think I've ever read a trip report that included a visit to that park before, so it's been fascinating to see it for the first time.

I'm glad I've been able to bring the park to light for you!

Thinking of you on your magnificent holiday - I'm sure you'll be having a great time!

[Big Sister]

Originally Posted by Colexis Mom

What a great day!!

We were really pleased with it too (though would have LOVED more time at Wally World, to fit in more rides and take some night shots to capture the Christmas glow.)

[Big Sister]

Originally Posted by Two4Disney

Just popped in to catch up. Wonderful, wonderful pics! They really add to the report. And I haven't been to "Wally World" in YEARS! Only rode Colossus once - and that was enough for me.

Kathy

- I think it's important to include photos for the readers' enjoyment so that they can actually see what you're talking about . The photos also help break up the text, and make reading a long entry less daunting for some people .

Glad to hear you've been to Wally World yourself . I'm very glad to hear that you went on Colossus , even if it was only for that one time and never again

[Big Sister]

Originally Posted by DyanKJ130

WOW! Sounds like Wally World was a lot of fun!! Totally your rollercoaster photos - they have a very artsy feel to them! Looking forward to more

, Wally World certainly was a lot of fun - we can't wait to go back! So glad to hear you loved my brother's coaster pics! I'm looking forward to sharing the ones he took at Knott's.

[Big Sister]

Originally Posted by Grammy Grumpy

Wow, those are some awesome coasters! I for one would never experience ANY OF THEM, but glad you guys had such a great time.

We rode as many as we could on behalf of all those who never will Hopefully our report and photos will help you experience them in a less extreme fashion

your signature photo - the dolphin is absolutely gorgeous!

[Big Sister]

Originally Posted by PrincessSharon

Don't know how I missed your latest update. I'm glad you had fun at Wally World. I've been there, but a long time ago, when the park looked more like it did in the film. Sounds like fun, though! Looking forward to hearing about your day at Knott's Berry Farm (and hearing how much it's changed since I've been there).

If you last went to Wally World when it actually resembled the park in National Lampoon's Vacation, then I can say with a high degree of certainty that it has changed big time, and that a visit for you has been long overdue! Proceed to Valencia at once!

Looking forward to hearing how Knott's has changed since your last visit, after I post my entry up.

[Big Sister]

Originally Posted by All Ears

Fantastic report! I am sooo enjoying it!

so much for that - I'm really glad to hear it!

[Big Sister]

9TH ENTRY: KNOTT'S BERRY FARM

MONDAY, 10 DECEMBER 2007

WHY were we getting up at 6am for the second morning in a row? Because we were going to Knott's Berry Farm! (My previous entry may have given that away ) It was worrying me how automatically health conscious we were becoming, as we both had fruit and juice to start the day off with for the second time in a row! Thankfully, our healthy eating practices went rapidly downhill as the day went on, which was a relief - we were on holiday, after all!

We were down at the bus stop at the usual time of 8.25am, where the Magical Express came and took us to the Anaheim Tourist Centre. Here, we picked up our park tickets and transferred to a Knott's branded bus. Nest and I sat way up the back, where we could hear quite clearly the group sitting right up the front talk about tattoos, their trip to Mexico, and their plans to go to the Medieval Times Dinner and Tournament later that night.

It didn't take long at all to arrive at Knott's. We were dropped off just up the road from the California Marketplace outside Knott's, where we spent a good half hour browsing while waiting for the park to open. I loved these shops, especially the Market Place Emporium - they stocked a mixture of craft items and lovely olde worlde gifts. Most excitingly of all though, was their Christmas section - the items were all so beautiful, festive, and sparkling! I found it impossible to choose just one keepsake as a memento, so I resisted temptation and came out with nothing (it was either that, or go nuts and buy everything, which wouldn't have been good for the remainder of our holiday budget! )

Another fantastic store in the California Marketplace, was Virginia's Gift Shop - it stocked a wide variety of t-shirts, some great magnets, and the all important rack of postcards. Nest and I vowed to return for purchasing purposes on our way back to the bus later that evening.

After giving the shops in the California Marketplace a quick, yet thorough, once over, Nest and I then went to wait at the gates of the park for them to open, taking in the wonderful Christmas tree nearby.

Also during our brief wait, you could see one lone person testing out the Silver Bullet coaster, which increased our excitement and yearning to enter. By that time, a crowd not overwhelming in its size, had amassed, and the loudspeakers at the entrance crackled to life, welcoming us to the park, and announced that the American National Anthem was going to be played before the gates opened. Nest and I weren't sure what to do with ourselves during these few minutes, so we shifted ourselves to face the American flag like the rest of the crowd had done, and stood in a respectful silence.

On entering the park, Nest and I headed to the right and straight on to Camp Snoopy. It was Camp Snoopy alone that attracted us to Knott's Berry Farm in the first place, which is kind of funny, as we don't follow the comic strips or anything like that - I think it's because Snoopy's an aesthetically pleasing character and all round cutie. Snoopy's Camp Store at the entrance of Camp Snoopy, had a very strong magnetic pull to it that immediately drew Nest and myself straight in - resistance was futile! Once inside, I experienced the same feeling I had had in the Market Place Emporium, and just wanted to go nuts and buy everything! The merchandise and gifts available in Snoopy's Camp Store were absolutely brilliant, to put it simply! There was just so many fun general and seasonal gifts inside it was absolutely fantastic! I knew we were going to have our work cut out for us when we went back later that evening after we had gone on all the rides, and had to choose between all the lovely Christmas decorations, soft toys, t-shirts, stationery, postcards, figurines, books, and DVDs.

The first ride of the day was Sierra Sidewinder, located across from Snoopy's Camp Store. The wait wasn't too bad, and we soon found ourselves sitting in a little round orange pod, which spun round and round on the track as we sped on our way around curves and down dips . It was an exciting experience, made even more-so by the webcam that had accompanied us. I thought the webcam was an absolutely brilliant idea , and was over the moon how Nest and I were able to buy a CD DVD of our experience afterwards. We love watching it every now-and-then, and having a laugh at our on-screen reactions .

All the travelling, window shopping, and one ride, had caused Nest to build up an appetite, so we stopped off at Lucy's Lunchbox for an early lunch. Nest had a small cheese pizza and a bottled water, and I had a hot dog with mustard and tomato sauce, as well as a bottle of water too. Lucy's Lunchbox was deserted of customers except for ourselves, so we had our pick of the seats (though unfortunately the upstairs seating area was roped off.) Nest went and bagsed us a table in the sunken dining area with Peanuts characters lining the walls, while I stayed near the counter and waited for our order to come through. While waiting, I heard a staff member complaining about not wanting to have to taste test pizza so early in the morning (some people have all the luck! )

Hunger holes momentarily plugged, Nest and I continued on our way. Montezooma's Revenge was the next ride in our sights. On our way to the entrance, Nest got side-tracked by a side-show stand, so we both stopped to have a go. It entailed fishing for ducks, by getting the loop of your rod through the loop on top of the plastic ducks' heads. By the time I had managed to catch one, Nest had caught three! Whatever was written on the bottom of our ducks, dictated what prizes we received, and we came away with four little fuzzy soft toy ducks with blue hair.

Montezooma's Revenge was a brief, yet adrenaline-charged, rush. It entailed a speedy run up to a big loop, and then going through it all again, backwards, yet just as fast (if not a bit more-so because of all the gathered momentum!), accompanied by a LOT of screaming on my part .

During my pre-trip research of the park, I had discovered that the Silver Bullet would not be operating for a period of time . Luckily, it would be reopening in time for the very end of our trip, allowing Nest and I to experience it after all, which was a big relief (especially after having missed two great rides at Wally World.) I'm glad I scheduled our visit to Knott's so that the Silver Bullet was operating, as it was an awesome ride! We sat in floorless chairs with our legs dangling and at the mercy of gravity as we flew around the mangled looking track consisting of numerous dips, curves and spiralling corkscrews . I was going to describe the Silver Bullet as a ride capable of taking your breath away, but then I remembered how a fellow rider gave me a run for the title of biggest screamer, so I'll have to retract that statement. Regardless of your breathing capabilities whilst on this ride, I rate it as not to be missed!

The Silver Bullet was a sign of the types of rides to come - ie. ones that made me scream my head off! The next ride of this type that we came across, was the Supreme Scream, a straight up-and-down drop ride. Either my eyes need testing, or the ride has a devious nature to it, as when I looked up at it from the ground to gauge just how much I was letting myself in for, it seriously didn't look all that tall! I realised my miscalculation when I found myself halfway to the moon! Then there was the false fall to contend with - honestly, how is a girl meant to know when to scream?! When the real fall came, it was totally unexpected and the shock of it left me speechless. Surprisingly, I did have my eyes open for most of this ride, and found the view to be pretty good, even if the direction we were facing was over suburbia and not the park.

Xcelerator. That one work alone is enough to make me shudder! It's powder pink tracks looked so pretty against the unbroken blue sky, but that is most certainly where its innocence ended! I was so petrified of this ride, and felt myself going numb while waiting briefly in line to go on it, but still, part of me wouldn't let me back down. Xcelerator went from 0 to 82ks in just two seconds, and shot you so fast over the scariest hairpin curve I've ever seen, before bringing you back to your starting point via some far less stressful curves, all in twenty seconds! I didn't give this ride much of a chance, and kept my eyes shut for virtually the whole time (especially when I felt the power of it building up seconds before launch!) I made the same mistake as I did on Goliath, and opened my eyes for a split second, which just happened to coincide with the onset of the steep descent - simply great timing for my nerves!

Normally I wouldn't have bothered with the Sky Cabin, but because Nest wanted to go on it, go on it we did, and I'm so glad we did! The views waiting for us right up there, were simply magnificent! It was fantastic having a 360 degrees bird's eye view of our surroundings! Since we had just been on Xcelerator (which was taller than the Sky Cabin!), I was still fresh wary of heights, so was gripping onto the hand rails tightly while Nest snapped away with his camera. Now that I've seen for myself just how great views from a Sky Cabin can be, I'm never missing another one again ... just as long as they have hand rails inside!

I thought we had earnt ourselves a refreshment break after all this extreme activity, so we headed to the Log Ride Funnel Cake food counter. I've wanted to try funnel cakes ever since I saw a contestant on The Biggest Loser say that they were well and truly addicted to them, way back in 2005. I thought that they must be something special to be the cause of such an unbreakable addiction, but I wasn't able to test out my theory till now, seeing as we don't have funnel cakes in Australia. Nest and I got one to share between the two of us, in case we didn't like it. DER! What a mistake that turned out to be! At first bite, I was hooked - it was the most delicious snack I've ever tasted! Next time, it will most certainly be funnel cakes all round! (Though to be honest, I suppose I mustn't be greedy and admit that one between two is filling enough, as they are quite big.) We washed the yummy cake down with a cup of Knott's Famous Berry Punch, which was really nice in itself. We had consumed our snack at the seating area overlooking the kiddies ride, Wipeout, where many children and one adult were going around in circles at many angles, squealing with excitement. Before continuing on with our riding schedule, Nest and I had to spend quite some time dusting all the powdered sugar off our clothes - it stuck like glue.

Boomerang was situated to the left of where we had been sitting, so it made sense to head there next. I was screaming away on this ride (no surprise there!), while the two men sitting behind us laughed the entire time. When we were dragged up the first pole in preparation for the launch, I was glad that Nest and I were in the first row so that we wouldn't go up as high as all the others, especially as we just happened to be facing forwards. As we rocketed towards the many loops awaiting us, I was screaming at full capacity, which must've deafened everyone in the covered waiting area (I know my ears had been ringing for that same reason while we had been queuing.) For the second time that ride, I was glad that Nest and I were in the first row, as in preparation for the backwards run through the course, we were the first ones this time to be dragged up the pole. We ended up at such a high point moments before take-off, and I was so glad we didn't have to face the course head on! Despite all my screaming and height panicking, this is seriously a really fun ride!

I was SO taken with the dated decorations of this next attraction, that I can't help but come out and say upfront that the Log Ride, which is renamed Elf Mountain Christmas for the holiday season, is most certainly NOT to be missed! Before I found out about the decorative aspect of this ride, the fact that we'd be splashing around the course in a log made it a winner in my books. The loading area was decorated with fresh tinsel and giant coloured baubles - it wasn't until you had begun your journey and ventured into the mountain itself, that my love for all things corny and dated simply burst with appreciation! All the scenes (that I can remember) were non-animatronic, and many bits and pieces seemed to be constructed from polystyrene and wood, many pieces looking faded and a touch worse for wear. One particular scene (the kitchen, I think), seemed a bit sparse to me for a working Christmas kitchen. And lets not forget the poor, yet happy looking little elf welcoming us to the whole shebang - he seemed to be unintentionally losing his hair!

It was most certainly a far cry from the highly maintained wizardry of Disney's attractions, but because we weren't at a Disney park and therefore had no pre-conceived expectations, I wasn't disappointed in this instance. The ride part of this attraction was excellent - it was surprisingly fast (maybe so I wouldn't spot anymore elves losing their hair ) and very splashy. The final drop was great too, even if I did crash into the back of Nest when I couldn't hang on any longer (he was up the front and I was up the back of the log for balancing reasons, and we were sitting on a smooth plank inside it.)

Seeing as we were a bit wet by this stage, we thought we may as well get ourselves totally drenched on Perilous Plunge while the sun was still shining strong. Despite the height factor, I absolutely LOVED this ride! I remember being a bit edgy once we had reached the top and were travelling around the short track leading to the drop though, as the turns were so jerky and there were no visible preventative measures to stop us from going over the edge. I simply loved whooshing down the falls though, and for the first time ever on such a tall ride, I wanted to keep my eyes open on the way down, but couldn't, as water was splashing everywhere. Everyone got totally drenched and was laughing. Nest and I stuck around afterwards to take photos and videos of future riders.

Riptide looked fun, but it was a different story once you were on it yourself. Even though it didn't go up nearly as high as most of the rides we had been on this holiday, there was still a lot of bracing yourself and genuine screaming going on. Riptide consisted of what looked like a long row of chairs all joined together, and hoisted up at various levels while spinning round and round and round, backwards and forwards, at various speeds . The most uneasy moment was when the machine held us high up in the air, horizontally and face down, just out of reach of some jumping fountains, for 15 seconds (was I counting or something?! ) Even though I knew it wouldn't happen, at the same time I was so worried our safety harnesses were going to give way and we'd go plummeting down into the fountain below.

The time had come, we decided, to subject ourselves to the experience that was Ghostrider - it had looked so awesome from atop the Sky Cabin . Ghostrider is a wooden rollercoaster absolutely monstrous in size, with loads of track to it, and one particular drop over 100 foot in length! The ride itself is unbelievably jolty (almost verging on painful), and has such a powerful force to it, that I was constantly squashing Nest up against the side of our car, no matter how hard I tried not to. The rush we got from this ride was so addictive, that as soon as we got off, we raced round to the entrance and joined the queue again! Ghostrider by far is my most favourite ride at Knott's, and I definitely rate it as not to be missed!

Once we had gone on Ghostrider, we realised with horror that we had gone on all the rides (or so we thought at the time), so turned our attention to the shops and games. I had the park map with me, so can't understand how I managed to overlook some great-sounding rides for! I was SO disappointed in myself! The ride I was most disappointed in missing out on, was Bigfoot Rapids. I first spotted it on exiting the Mystery Lodge Store, where Nest had purchased a realistic looking wind-up squirrel. Unfortunately, our ride discovery coincided with the cool onset of the evening, and since the ride involved the possibility of getting quite wet, commonsense told us to leave it for our next visit (whenever that my be, especially with the current poor exchange rate.)

Bandit Bob's Arcade was located opposite Ghostrider, and Nest spent quite some time in there while I rested my feet on a bench outside. Nest is so addicted to skill tester type machines, and was awarded with two Christmas soft toys that rattled (a snowman and reindeer), for his perseverance. When I had had enough of a rest and went in to check things out, I ended up getting hooked myself. With Nest's direction, I won myself a plush Wish Bear from the skill tester machine.

Another game we were drawn into, was over at Boogie Woogie Games. What we had to do, was aim and shoot water into a spinning hole in front of us for about a minute. Whoever had the most water in their container after that time, was the winner. Nest came away from Boogie Woogie Games, the proud owner of a plush middle-sized patchwork snake.

Ghost Town was a great place for shops not found easily elsewhere. Nest and I went into each and every one for a good look around, buying a selection of gifts and souvenirs from the General Store, Kids Korral Porch, and the Glass Blower.

Nest collecting special coins, so when we came across an outside stall where you could choose your own designs and watch while the specialist pressed it on for you using traditional old-fashioned methods, Nest was in amongst it (in his own quiet way) exploring all options. I liked the way the specialist explained the meaning behind the designs Nest had chosen (Dragon's Castle: mythical image that inspires our flights of fancy; and, Chumash Spirit Being: vision of a spirit - an ancient symbol), and then took him through the steps involved in getting the coin to the finished product (ie. dropping a massive weight on the coin and design sheet from a good height after shouting a very loud warning. I later found out this contraption was called a drop hammer.) Nest came away with a bronze coin displaying his chosen designs, and some leaflets containing further information, designs, and mail order options.

On our way back to Snoopy's Camp Store, we bumped into the beagle himself. I was so surprised when Nest agreed to have his photo taken with him - I was expecting a firm no, seeing as he wouldn't go near Spongebob at Universal, despite absolutely loving the cartoon.

I was surprised at how contained I was in Snoopy's Camp Store this second time around, despite still wanting virtually everything in it! I bought novelty pens and magic washcloths (always easy to transport in bulk, and fun to receive) for all my bros, a very special Christmas Snoopy figurine as a gift for my second youngest bro, Santa Woodstock Christmas lights for the whole family to enjoy, and a Snoopy and friends Christmas t-shirt for myself.

Time was getting on by this stage, and we still had our favourite outside store to visit, so we first went back to the souvenir photo processing booth to collect our Snoopy photo. The shot turned out great, and I absolutely love it - it's up on my desk at work to remind me of the good times, and make me motivated to work towards the good times ahead.

Near the photo booth, we discovered a row of pressed penny machines offering super cute Snoopy designs. I so wished we had found these machines at the beginning of the day, as we didn't have enough change on us that late in the day for a complete set, and we didn't have time to go back to Bandit Bob's Arcade to get some change. I had enough change on me for Nest to choose his two favourite Snoopy designs to add to his collection of Knott's Berry Farm pressed pennies.

6pm, the time we were required to be at the bus stop, was rapidly approaching, so we said our goodbyes to the park, and hurried out the gates and into Virginia's Gift Shop, the shop we wanted to re-visit from that morning. I bought a great brown t-shirt with a shiny copper Knott's coaster skyline on it, and a fun jam jar magnet done in the style of Andy Warhol's pop art, and Nest chose two funny t-shirts for himself.

When we came out of the shop, we had 15 minutes at our disposal. Nest announced he was , and I wanted to taste Mrs Knott's famous chicken I had read so much about, so we popped into Chicken-To-Go (Mrs Knott's Chicken Dinner Restaurant next door, had a queue which spilt out the front door and down the sidewalk - the chicken must be good if that's anything to go by!) There were a couple of people in front of us at Chicken-To-Go, and I knew we wouldn't make it in the 15 minutes we had left, so I got Nest to go up and make sure the bus didn't leave without me. To alleviate the stress of the situation, while waiting for our chicken order to be ready, I went next door to the Farm Bakery and bought a yummy thick chunky dark chocolate choc chip cookie for Nest and I to share (I must've been stressed if I bought one to share - usually I buy one each of these sorts of things, especially if they contain chocolate!)

As things would have it, it turned out we didn't need to rush, worry and stress after all, as we were the second party to arrive at the bus and board. I heard the teenage boys who got on ahead of us, lament that they ran for no reason - I silently agreed with them . It took everyone half-an-hour to turn up. Usually this would annoy me, but Nest and I had a secret mission of our own to keep us occupied . To avoid detection, we chose a seat right up the very back of the bus, where we shared a box of Mrs Knott's famous chicken and the dark chocolate choc chip cookie ... without making a mess. I can say without a moment's hesitation, that Mrs Knott's famous chicken is the nicest chicken I've ever tasted - it had a melt-in-your-mouth texture, and tasted absolutely delicious . I usually make a point of not eating chicken, as it more often than not makes me ill, but this time round I experienced no negative side-effects at all, which was great. The dark chocolate choc chip cookie was the perfect end to our secretive snack. My half of the cookie was yummier than expected, and really had me wishing that I'd bought more than one . I'm sure Nest thought the same thing about his half of the cookie.

When we did set off for our hotel, the bus driver took us through the suburbs instead of the brightly lit main streets like we were used to. Nest and I were the last to be dropped off, and because of the different way we had come, we didn't recognise our hotel when the bus stopped, so the bus driver had to come up and get us. I don't think it helped matters that he had stopped the bus at the gates of our hotel, instead of driving us up to the bright sparkly lights of the valet area. Due to the absence of the bright lights and double stained glass doors, we innocently informed him that this wasn't our hotel. When we looked out the windows of the bus to try and see where we were, all we could see were our own puzzled reflections looking back at us! With the bus driver insisting it was our hotel, and us insisting that it wasn't, I took a better look out the window. It was so dark where we had parked (unless it was the bright lights inside the bus messing with my night vision?!), that I couldn't see all that well. I simply cringed with embarrassment when my eyes came to rest on the familiar Grand Californian Hotel sign on the nearby brick wall . Luckily for us, the bus driver had been good-humoured throughout this misunderstanding, and we all had a good laugh afterwards . I made sure I didn't forget to tip him well as a result.

One of the good things arising from this embarrassment, was that I spotted where the Paradise Pier Hotel was, as Nest and I were having dinner there later that night . For some unknown reason, I thought the Paradise Pier Hotel was a long way off somewhere, so goodness knows where Nest and I would've ended up later that night if it weren't for that discovery! Nest and I went up to our room to get refreshed and put our feet up for a few moments, still laughing about how we had embarrassed ourselves. When we entered our room, not only did we find chocolate coins on our pillows, but a group photo of all our soft toys - it was such a wonderful surprise for both of us!

As I wasn't sure what time we'd be getting back from Knott's, I made our dinner reservation at the PCH Grill for as late as possible - I think it was for around 8pm. When the time came, Nest and I set out, excited at the thought of yet another new experience. I absolutely loved the brightly coloured decor of the PCH Grill, and how it had been decorated for Christmas. The Christmas decorations that drew my attention the most, where the cute gingerbread house, and a Christmas tree decorated with a tropical theme.

Our server, Denise, was really friendly, and soon Nest and I found ourselves tucking into a green dinner salad accompanied by no-jitos (mocktails). For our main course, Nest had a turkey burger with chips, and I had a three cheese pizza ... accompanied by yet more no-jitos (they were so nice!)

The piece de resistance and reason Nest and I had chosen to dine at the PCH Grill in the fist place, was because of a particular item on their dessert menu - the kitchen sink. The dessert was presented in a mock kitchen sink receptacle, and contained a mountain of chocolate and vanilla ice cream scoops with chocolate chip cookies wedged in-between, and covered in at least one can of whipped cream (mmmmmmmmmm, whipped cream! ) sprinkled with sprinkles and cherries, and topped off with a WHOLE block of chocolate! When Denise presented us with our dessert, she was accompanied by a handful of staff members who must've been on-hand to help with the opening of doors (and see what our reactions were.) Nest and I were absolutely ecstatic with our choice of dessert - it was soooooooooooo delicious (especially the cream! That was the first to go! )

As we finished off our dessert, I noticed how the tables around us were being set up for breakfast, and could just imagine all the families coming in the following morning for an exciting start to their day. Before leaving, I took some photos, and then we left for our hotel via the Paradise Pier's foyer to have a look at their Christmas tree - it was lovely.

Back in our hotel room, we settled down to watch Seinfeld. Unfortunately, I fell asleep mid-program , and woke with a start at 11.45pm, thinking of all the chores I still had to get done . It was so tempting to just roll over and go back to sleep, but I knew that was a big no no, as it would be more inconvenient to leave them until the following day.

Pushing my tiredness aside, my first urgent chore of the night was to clean up the accidentally broken glass in the bathroom. Luckily, all the bits of glass had fallen in the basin, so I carefully gathered it all up and wrapped it in thick layers of newspaper before safely disposing of it.

The worst chore of the night, HAD to be the MASSIVE load of washing crying out for attention. As we had scheduled the boring and depressing task of packing for the following night, there was no time like the present to tackle the task at hand. The one good thing about doing the washing at midnight, was that I had the laundry all to myself . This was a good thing, as I had to use so many of the washers and driers, and not all of them were working.

I got back to our room at 1.36am, had a shower, looked out the window out of habit into the deserted DCA Park, and then simply crashed into bed . Cutting out the late night chores, I so wish all Mondays could be this much fun!

****************
Please let me know if you see your photo in my post, and wish it to be removed.

[Big Sister]

I meant to say - I realise my photos are a little on the large side this time round - my online photo resizer wasn't working this arvo (and my little bro isn't here to help out.) If it poses a problem, I'll resize them as soon as the online tool's back up and available. Cheers

[Colexis Mom]

What a great time at KBF!! Love the pictures!! I don't think I could have gone on all those rides!! Too scary!! Dinner sounded great as well, and congrats on finishing the Kitchen Sink!! Another great day!!