The Twist My Arm Trip-Spring Break 2005-COMPLETE 11/9 About This Page:

[infinity&beyond]

What a great start to your report! I was there the same time you were, and I loved seeing Mickey climbing the Matterhorn. La Brea Bakery is a favorite of mine, too. I'm impressed with how many attractions you were able to visit in spite of the crowds.

[loobyoxlip]

[ QUOTE ]
It was Mickey climbing the Matterhorn. I’ve seen the mountain climbers lots of times, but never MICKEY actually climbing. Minnie and Goofy were up there too, and there was a cute little show that ended with Mickey planting a 50th flag at the top.

[/ QUOTE ]

That is SO cool! Thank you for starting your TR - I've been waiting for it! What hotel did you stay at again?

[dsnytina]

Can't wait to read more...I think you are very brave for traveling with another family!
Tina

[zacksmom_1993]

Sounds like a great first day in spite of the crowds and iffy weather! I know what you mean about the swimming with the kids. I how Disney-son crashes after some time in the pool. Can't wait to hear about more of your adventures!

Karen

[Tink and co.]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
It was Mickey climbing the Matterhorn. I’ve seen the mountain climbers lots of times, but never MICKEY actually climbing. Minnie and Goofy were up there too, and there was a cute little show that ended with Mickey planting a 50th flag at the top.

[/ QUOTE ]

That is SO cool! Thank you for starting your TR - I've been waiting for it! What hotel did you stay at again?

[/ QUOTE ]We stayed at the Tropicana Inn and Suites, and it was pretty "sweet." Nice room, great location, and the best stocked mini mart I've ever seen! I tried to get a room at the Candy Cane on your recommendation (and I've seen it before, but it was booked). Oh! and the room was super-cheap, so more money for Mickey Bars and Dole Whips--I like both!

[Colexis Mom]

What a great start! More please

[Tink and co.]

Day 2—The longest day at the happiest place on earth!

Our wake up call came in at 5:30 and I was disappointed that Mickey did not wake me up! I guess I got spoiled at the Poly in November. I got up and hopped in the shower. When I got out, Zoie was up and getting dressed (part of my evil plan, I had set the alarm clock in the room to go off at 5:55, and I knew she wouldn’t sleep through it!). I rousted the other two out of bed and we were ready pretty quickly. I always pack my backpack, passporter pocket, and lay out everyone’s clothes the night before when we’re touring. It makes the day start out more smoothly. We were downstairs waiting to meet up with everyone else in a few minutes. The mini mart was just opening, so I popped in and bought a couple of water bottles. We walked across the street and found the shortest line and a few minutes later the other family met us as well.

While in line, we discussed our plan of attack, and decided Buzz should be first, since it was new (and it had a ridiculously long line yesterday). We went directly there and there was no wait! No surprise there, it was 7:04 AM!! Then we went to Astro Orbitor and everyone (except Penny and I) rode. There was only a 5 minute wait or so for it, the shortest I’d ever seen. Matterhorn was next, and Jack gave it a try this year! I was so proud of him. He liked it okay, except for Yeti, “but I don’t want to go again Mom.” No problem, I was just proud of him for trying!

Next, we ventured over to Indy (finally, I’d been trying to be patient!) and it was only a 30 minute wait. I had to do some convincing, but eventually talked everyone into just waiting in line to ride. I suggested that we get fastpasses for a second ride or something we hadn’t ridden yet, but rather than all twelve of us heading over…the big girls and the dad from the other family went to get them for a second ride on Indy. Well, the ride was incredible as usual, and Jack rode again. We went to check out Thunder Mountain and found a 25 minute wait, so hopped in line for that and Jack rode the entire ride without holding on! I got dubbed a weenie by the kids because I couldn’t do it without holding on. Did I mention that all the kids (except Leah and my own children) on the trip were all former students of mine? So, they had fun teasing me.

After this we went on the Mark Twain, Pirates, and the Haunted Mansion. None of which had a very long wait. It was as if we were charmed. We’d get in line, and it wouldn’t be too long, and then turn around, and the waiting time had doubled. Jack normally won’t ride Pirates without some tears, or the Haunted Mansion, but he enjoyed both of them, except for the drops in Pirates. He turned into a tiny tour guide and pointed out hidden Mickeys and other little known tidbits to Penny, whom he insisted on riding with. Apparently, I talk about this stuff a lot and he listens! I’m glad someone listens to me!

At this point, the tag along family started complaining about our dinner plans for the Blue Bayou (well, excuse me but you weren’t invited anyway!), it was too late, too expensive, etc. They wanted to see if we could eat lunch there instead, so the mom went and was able to get a PS for 4:10 for all of us. The dinner menu starts at 4:00, but I kept my mouth shut, and she was happy, and I didn’t care as long as I ate there. She wanted me to call and cancel our original 8:10 PS, but I didn’t. I said I’d do it later when we stopped somewhere or were waiting in line.

We sent the dad (okay, he was rather useful!) to get fastpasses for Splash, and then we made our way back to Tomorrowland to ride Star Tours as it hadn’t been open in the morning. The kids all started to complain of hunger while we waited in line. It was now 11:00 AM and we’d been on the go with only a cereal bar for breakfast, so it was decided a good time to eat. I suggested Redd Rockett’s, and we made our way in and had a terrific meal. We all ordered different things and shared. The kids all sat at one table and the grown ups at another. I had the cheese pizza and tried the chicken fusilli pasta and green salad, and yum!!! Everyone was now refreshed and it was time to snag another fastpass! So, with some discussion, we sent the dad off again for fastpasses to Autopia. Then we went to Honey, I Shrunk the Audience which everyone enjoyed (I kept my feet in my lap! I do not like the mice!).

Hey, let’s cross the park again! Time to make our way back to Splash Mountain, where we used our fastpasses. Jack wouldn’t go, so I asked for a kid switch, so the second time around, four of us could go. I was Queen Weenie again for wearing my poncho on the ride. But I was dry and everyone else was wet! When I came off the ride, Jack was asleep on the bench. I had to wake him up to go on Winnie the Pooh. We stopped for honey popcorn, but had to settle for regular, as the honey type was not ready yet. We decided to ride the train over to watch the Snow White show and ride It’s a Small World. When we got to the line it was ridiculously long, so we started walking.

It was only an hour until our PS time and no one was hungry, so we discussed and stopped to add 4 people to the original 8:10 time. The hostess was gracious, and it was no problem. After the show (terrific, except for the complaints of the tag-alongs, pretending to snore and everything! Can you tell I was really tired of these folks?) and Small World (which looked great, everything was fresh and new-looking), Katie was getting really cold from getting so wet on Splash. So we boarded the train to ride around to Main Street, made plans to meet the tag-alongs in front the Blue Bayou at 8:00. We went to our room and put on jeans and sweatshirts and were back at the gates in a few minutes where we strolled Main Street with all the twinkling lights. It was just beautiful. We had all really needed a break from the other group. They never wanted to shop or greet characters, and they deemed nearly everything a “baby ride.” The kids spent some of their money. Jack bought a self-inflating whoopee cushion which would prove pretty amusing later on. I love Main Street at night. We saw the last character celebration heading down the street. It was pretty cute, sort of like a mini parade.

We eventually made our way towards Pirates of the Carribean where Jack decided he didn’t want to do it again, so he and I bought some post cards and watched the caricature artists, and then checked in for our PS.
Next Up---MMM, delicious and Fantasmic!

[Fantasmic! kid]

Another great update! I can't wait to hear about Fantasmic!

[Colexis Mom]

What a great day you're having More please

[dsnytina]

Can't wait to hear how you ditch the tag-alongs!

[snoozy]

I wish I was there right now, minus the complainers. There is nothing worst then complainers at Disneyland or anywhere for that matter. Usually the only people we meet at DL are my sister and her family, and my best friend, they all do DL like we do so we never encounter complainers.

[MAria R]

Just catching up with your report, can't wait to read more.

[loobyoxlip]

Love it!!! Funny about Pirates, last year Jalen cried and hid on me the entire time - this year he has dubbed it one of his favorites! More, please! I love reading others DL reports.

[Tink and co.]

Day 2---Continued

At some point during this very long day, we rode Autopia and hopped on Indy and Thunder Mountain again. I also remember the kids riding the teacups. Somehow those got left out!

Anywho---I had checked in for our PS at Blue Bayou and a few minutes later, the tagalongs came off of Pirates, and then a few minutes later, the rest of our party. We were told that we’d be seated at 2 tables next to each other which such a large party, but when we were seated, we were all at one really long table. Everyone took their seats, and the kids all sat on the side facing the water. Who says kids aren’t smarter than adults?! None of us figured it out until after dinner!

No sooner had we sat down, and the tagalongs were complaining about the price of things, but no one acknowledged their complaints, so they stopped! I ordered the prime rib which was incredible, and about the size of a small roast. The potatoes (kind of like augratin) were so yummy. My favorite was the vegetarian jambalaya. Mmmm...I’m getting hungry just thinking about it. Janet had salmon, and Penny tried the Cajun spiced tri tip. We all split an order of calamari (except me, I’m a seafood weenie). The kids really liked it. The girls all had the kid’s meal pasta, and Jack had mini corn dogs (I swear you can’t take the kid anywhere!). It was a most delicious and relaxing meal. I’d never eaten dinner there before (I’d only had the Monte Cristo for lunch.), and it was well worth it.

We heard the fireworks go off while we were eating, and the first showing of Fantasmic! When we emerged from the restaurant, the crowd was just starting to move. It was ugly. We somehow made it over to Thunder Mountain again and took a spin. After that I said I’d stake out a spot for Fantasmic! So, Janet and I started talking with cast members to get some opinions on where to sit. I’d never been to the second showing before, and had no idea I’d have a choice! Woo Hoo! We found a superb spot on the second teir up from the river. There were some people standing up in front of us, but it was marked as a sitting only area, and we were assured by the cast members standing there that everyone in the area would be sitting when the show started.

One man directly in front of us refused to sit down when asked and the cast member went to get security. Security never came, but a supervisor did. The guy got really belligerent with the supervisor who was a tiny little woman, so nothing happened. The cast member told all of us to stand up so that we could see as well. I really thought they should have moved the guy. His behavior was uncalled for, and I expected Disney staff to stand by their rules. And there was plenty of standing area, there were thousands fewer in the crowd for the second show. Anyway, the kids couldn’t see over the guy and just kept getting closer and closer to him. He was pretty well surrounded. That would scare most people off! Jack had been lovingly holding his new whoopee cushion all evening, and was letting some rip with it. The guy kept turning around and looking at Jack. I don’t think he ever realized it was a whoopee cushion and not the real thing! Too bad they didn’t smell…
Ah, well Fantasmic! was wonderful as usual, and brought tears to my eyes. It’s just so incredible. A large part of the story and the pachyderm portion (which I really like), and the pirate ship were missing when we saw it at MGM. The Disneyland production is just so much better. Although, I wouldn’t mind it if they added Pocahontas at Disneyland. It’s one of my favorites. I like how they actually use the Mark Twain for the show at Disneyland as well. The little boat they used at MGM just wasn’t right, and there weren’t very many characters on it. I do like the seating there though!

The show left us all energized and rejuvenated (not really, but the line was so short!), so we were off to Indy for one last ride. I’m sure it’s faster at night! We then headed back to the hotel where we made our plans to meet Janet, Penny, and the girls at 9:00 AM, and the tagalongs would meet with us at 9:15 at the gate. Tomorrow was time for California Adventure, and my first spin on California Screamin’. Would I actually ride it?

The kids tumbled into bed, and after I laid everything out for the next day (I really missed dad at this time of day!) I did too. It was about 1:00 AM. How many hours of Disneyland fun?! I’d already made a mental note that we’d split from the group on our next Disneyland day. We wanted to see characters and spend some time in Fantasyland and Toontown.

Next up—Chili and a tummy ache

[Tink and co.]

Day 2---Continued

At some point during this very long day, we rode Autopia and hopped on Indy and Thunder Mountain again. I also remember the kids riding the teacups. Somehow those got left out!

Anywho---I had checked in for our PS at Blue Bayou and a few minutes later, the tagalongs came off of Pirates, and then a few minutes later, the rest of our party. We were told that we’d be seated at 2 tables next to each other which such a large party, but when we were seated, we were all at one really long table. Everyone took their seats, and the kids all sat on the side facing the water. Who says kids aren’t smarter than adults?! None of us figured it out until after dinner!

No sooner had we sat down, and the tagalongs were complaining about the price of things, but no one acknowledged their complaints, so they stopped! I ordered the prime rib which was incredible, and about the size of a small roast. The potatoes (kind of like augratin) were so yummy. My favorite was the vegetarian jambalaya. Mmmm...I’m getting hungry just thinking about it. Janet had salmon, and Penny tried the Cajun spiced tri tip. We all split an order of calamari (except me, I’m a seafood weenie). The kids really liked it. The girls all had the kid’s meal pasta, and Jack had mini corn dogs (I swear you can’t take the kid anywhere!). It was a most delicious and relaxing meal. I’d never eaten dinner there before (I’d only had the Monte Cristo for lunch.), and it was well worth it.

We heard the fireworks go off while we were eating, and the first showing of Fantasmic! When we emerged from the restaurant, the crowd was just starting to move. It was ugly. We somehow made it over to Thunder Mountain again and took a spin. After that I said I’d stake out a spot for Fantasmic! So, Janet and I started talking with cast members to get some opinions on where to sit. I’d never been to the second showing before, and had no idea I’d have a choice! Woo Hoo! We found a superb spot on the second teir up from the river. There were some people standing up in front of us, but it was marked as a sitting only area, and we were assured by the cast members standing there that everyone in the area would be sitting when the show started.

One man directly in front of us refused to sit down when asked and the cast member went to get security. Security never came, but a supervisor did. The guy got really belligerent with the supervisor who was a tiny little woman, so nothing happened. The cast member told all of us to stand up so that we could see as well. I really thought they should have moved the guy. His behavior was uncalled for, and I expected Disney staff to stand by their rules. And there was plenty of standing area, there were thousands fewer in the crowd for the second show. Anyway, the kids couldn’t see over the guy and just kept getting closer and closer to him. He was pretty well surrounded. That would scare most people off! Jack had been lovingly holding his new whoopee cushion all evening, and was letting some rip with it. The guy kept turning around and looking at Jack. I don’t think he ever realized it was a whoopee cushion and not the real thing! Too bad they didn’t smell…
Ah, well Fantasmic! was wonderful as usual, and brought tears to my eyes. It’s just so incredible. A large part of the story and the pachyderm portion (which I really like), and the pirate ship were missing when we saw it at MGM. The Disneyland production is just so much better. Although, I wouldn’t mind it if they added Pocahontas at Disneyland. It’s one of my favorites. I like how they actually use the Mark Twain for the show at Disneyland as well. The little boat they used at MGM just wasn’t right, and there weren’t very many characters on it. I do like the seating there though!

The show left us all energized and rejuvenated (not really, but the line was so short!), so we were off to Indy for one last ride. I’m sure it’s faster at night! We then headed back to the hotel where we made our plans to meet Janet, Penny, and the girls at 9:00 AM, and the tagalongs would meet with us at 9:15 at the gate. Tomorrow was time for California Adventure, and my first spin on California Screamin’. Would I actually ride it?

The kids tumbled into bed, and after I laid everything out for the next day (I really missed dad at this time of day!) I did too. It was about 1:00 AM. How many hours of Disneyland fun?! I’d already made a mental note that we’d split from the group on our next Disneyland day. We wanted to see characters and spend some time in Fantasyland and Toontown.

Next up—Chili and a tummy ache