The Big Kahuna Family's Welcome Home **Updated 6/6** COMPLETE! - Page 8 - PassPorter - A Community of Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel Forums
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There are other changes as well.
Why? Well, the world has changed. And change with it, we must. The lyrics to "We Go On" for IllumiNations say it best:
We go on to the joy and through the tears
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Moving on with the current of the years.
We go on
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To a new day, we go on.
It's time to move on and move forward.
PassPorter is a small business, and for many years it supported our family. But the world changed, print books took a backseat to the Internet, and for a long time now it has been unable to make ends meet. We've had to find new ways to support our family, which means new careers and less and less time available to devote to our first baby, PassPorter.
But eventually, we must move on and move forward. It is the right thing to do.
So we are retiring this newsletter, as we simply cannot keep up with it. Many thanks to Mouse Fan Travel who supported it all these years, to All Ears and MousePlanet who helped us with news, to our many article contributors, and -- most importantly -- to Sara Varney who edited our newsletter so wonderfully for years and years.
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So we encourage you to stay in touch with us and your fellow community members wherever works best for you!
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This is facinating! I really never expected to hear this, but on the other hand with all the changes, I am not sure WDW DD has much of a vibe at all right now.
I can' wait to get back to DL to ride Indiana Jones (not there in 1972 ) and to experience POTC there again. I was so facinated by the restaurant when I rode it, but we did not have time then to eat there.
DD at DL has a really nice flow to it - we could just hang out here all weekend!
We can't wait to write about Indy. I will say this much - my favorite ride on the planet - WOO HOO!
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Great update! Sounds like you had a nice time in DTD and DL! I agree with you about POTC! The one in DL wins over WDW's version! DH & DS couldn't believe the difference between the two. Can't wait to hear more
Thank you! How cool to see the reactions from your family.
Quote:
Originally Posted by NanaTink
Just started your tr...and read it straight through! Sounds like you had a good time so far! Sorry to hear about the Big Kahuna Family suite problems...the setup sounds a bit odd as well!
I'm gathering "intel" for our two-day August stay. Can't wait to read more! I've already put 'must do's' on the list...I'm afraid we will run out of time!
More, please!
This was a fun scouting trip - so much we couldn't do but that we hope to do on future trips - hoping to try each resort, although I stayed at DL Hotel years ago.
Where were we? Oh yes, we just finished the Winnie the Pooh ride. By now we decided it was time for a Dole Whip so we headed back to Adventureland.
Note: it was so great to spend time to/fro New Orleans Square – one of our favorite lands in Disneyland and one that WDW doesn’t have. We had planned to spend more time there dining/snacking but once we discovered Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen and the surrounding authentic New Orleans atmosphere, we spent more of our time at DD. One night there was a fabulous blues musician performing between the Jazz Kitchen and the House of Blues. Later, we wished we had picked up one of his CDs.
Anyway, back to Adventureland and the Dole Whip at Tiki Birds. At DL it's located right at the Tiki Birds attraction – one side open to those already inside the outside portion of the attraction and the other side open to those passing by. We were of the latter and the line was long, but we were soon enjoying our Dole Whip Floats.
Note: The last time we were at Disneyland, they only had Dole Whips and since then we had become accustomed to enjoying a Dole Whip Float at WDW. Thinking we would have to settle for just a Dole Whip (such a sacrifice), we were happy to learn Disneyland also has Dole Whip Floats now. Also, no need to walk past the spitting camel Aladdin ride because DL doesn't have that - yay!
The Tiki Birds attraction is located right inside Adventureland off of Main Street and while we were standing there slurping on our DWF, we decided we’d like to walk over to Frontierland. Well, Rich nostalgically remembered the big gates to the Frontierland entrance also off Main Street just around the corner, so instead of taking the shortcut, we decided to exit Adventureland and then come back in Frontierland so we could walk underneath the big official gates. LOL.
We wandered around Frontierland and then sat down at El Rancho del Zocalo - the new rehabbed area combining the old “Casa de Fritos” food court and the Big Thunder Barbecue.
Note: I was quite partial to the old Casa de Fritos and I was wondering how I would like this rehab, but it was just fine. There’s still plenty of outdoor seating providing awesome atmosphere after dark, snacking, and listening to the crowd screaming on Big Thunder Mountain – man I love this spot! You can hear the faux dancehall crowd in the old "Wild West" facade (from the old “Rainbow Caverns Mine Train”) as Big Thunder comes back to the loading area. We didn't get a chance to try the food this trip but it's probably just as tasty as ever - next trip we'll find out for sure.
After finishing our Dole Whip Float, we tried our hand at the Shooting Gallery but we couldn’t figure out how to operate this one compared to the one at WDW (later we wondered if the left side coin is for left-handed shooters and the right side is for right-handed shooters. If so, we were doing the opposite.) You sharpshooters will have to let us know.
We took our favorite route past Big Thunder Mountain (love this ride at DL—haven’t ridden it since that fatal accident several years ago but may have to rethink that on future trip), past Big Thunder Ranch and through the back door to Fantasyland. We love Disneyland’s Fantasyland—especially at night. And, in the past, unlike WDW, jumping on rides during the parade was a great way to catch up on a bunch of rides. So, we headed for Storybook Land Canal Boats. Uh, what do you mean this ride is closing because of the fireworks? We headed for several more Fantasyland rides—closed and roped off for the parade. Yikes! This was one of the most frustrating things about the MK at WDW and now it’s caught on at DL. Help! This is not my Disneyland.
We noticed the Matterhorn was operating so we got in line for that. The line moved quickly and we were soon seated in our bobsled, each with our own seat. We had read that the Matterhorn was getting new seats and we were hoping it was so because these seats are very tight for two adults—unless one or both of you is quite small. I used to do the squeeze in my 20s, but, well, that’s been a while now. The Matterhorn was a blast! It had become the symbolic ride for returning to Disneyland so this ride was a must!
Because of the parade, there wasn’t much more we wanted to do in Fantasyland so we headed back to Adventureland to kill some time before our FP for Indy. We decided to go ahead and get in line for Indy but just as we did, the ride closed due to malfunction. We browsed the shops in Adventureland—love this place—especially after dark—and then we seemed to be surrounded by loud noises everywhere. The parade, Fantasmic, and the fireworks all seemed to be going off at the same time.
Note: After living two miles from the MK at WDW and listening to fireworks going off every single night, we hate fireworks! I know—it sounds like such an un-Disney thing to say. But my ears still ring after living that close to what sounded like gunfire going off outside our window every single night. The fireworks were perhaps exacerbated by the layout of the Townhome community, causing a ricocheting effect.
But by now we noticed Indy was back up and running and the line was short, so instead of waiting for our FP, we jumped in line. And what can I say other than this is the best ride on Planet Earth? Okay, so it’s my kind of ride. It touches the adventuresome spirit inside of me and it becomes the biggest thrill ever. Now Rich loves ToT because he loves that freefall feeling, but Indy gives me that big adventure experience (it is in "Adventureland" after all), which I much prefer. It’s just awesome.
Note: My back/tailbone area has been acting up since our last move and this ride really hit it where it hurts most. Without notice the muscles can start to spasm, sending shooting pain up and down my spine so I had to give an all-out effort to hold my back perfectly still—squeezing my stomach muscles as tightly as I could. Well, that worked—my back didn’t go out—but the muscles in my stomach killed me for about a week—I could barely sit up—it hurt so much. But it was worth it!! LOL!
By this time we were absolutely exhausted and we still had to walk all the way back to Paradise Pier (the monorail closed early tonight due to the fireworks). This is when you really want to stay at the Grand Californian—the location is perfect for everything. We gave our Indy FPs to a couple waiting in line and it we hiked back to the resort, up the slow elevator for 15 flights and crawled into bed. We knew then that we’d never make it back to DL early next morning before going to the beach.
Great update! What do you mean - fatal accident on BTMRR?!? I thought the ride was a lot more 'jerky' than the one at WDW, but I never imagined myself plummeting to my death! Yikes!!
Sounds like you tried to make the most of the night. almost everything in Fantasyland was shut down during all of the noise. I know exactly what you mean about living near fireworks! We live near an airport and, while its convenient, it gets old not being able to hear the television, the person you're talking to on the phone or even the person sitting next to you - especially in the summer when the windows are open!
Can't wait to hear how you make out tomorrow!! More please
Great update! What do you mean - fatal accident on BTMRR?!? I thought the ride was a lot more 'jerky' than the one at WDW, but I never imagined myself plummeting to my death! Yikes!!
The last time we rode BTMRR was at WDW and we thought it was jerky. LOL! Maybe they're both too jerky for our taste these days. The accident was several years ago but we've been hesitant to ride BTMRR anywhere - here's the link to the article on MousePlanet (DOSH cited improper installation of a guide wheel). But even if the problem was fixed, it kinda makes you think twice about a certain attraction. But it is one of my favorite rides - especially after dark.
The last time we rode BTMRR was at WDW and we thought it was jerky. LOL! Maybe they're both too jerky for our taste these days. The accident was several years ago but we've been hesitant to ride BTMRR anywhere - here's the link to the article on MousePlanet (DOSH cited improper installation of a guide wheel). But even if the problem was fixed, it kinda makes you think twice about a certain attraction. But it is one of my favorite rides - especially after dark.
WOW! That's scary! I wonder if I would have ridden it had I read that prior to our trip, although it does look like its been about 4 years now since the last incident! Hopefully, all of the issues have been permanently resolved.
WOW! That's scary! I wonder if I would have ridden it had I read that prior to our trip, although it does look like its been about 4 years now since the last incident! Hopefully, all of the issues have been permanently resolved.
I wasn't sure if I should mention it but it's been holding me back from riding it. Would love to get back on it.
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We are beach lovers and the one downside to living in the desert is we don’t have an ocean. So on our DL trips we must try to squeeze in a beach day. But, first, back to Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen (Express) for more beignets and chicory coffee. Woo hoo!
On the elevator ride down from our room on the 15th floor we overheard what seemed to be a conversation between a free-spirited dad, complete with earring and male partner, and his teen-age daughter. She, being the more conservative one, was complaining that her dad let her wear “pleather” for her school pictures. The dad looked at us and laughingly said, “I’ll pay for your therapy.” The daughter continued to complain about her liberal childhood and the partner laughed and said, “Hey, this is supposed to be the Happy Place.” We laughed along with them and they looked relieved.
We found this to be true throughout our stay. Parents seemed especially conscious of their children’s behavior (for the most part) and seemed relieved when we smiled at the kids or gave them special attention. We were really surprised by this. And, at DL, we weren’t so overrun with those double strollers like we were at WDW--another nice surprise. We also noticed more little girls were dressed up like Minnie Mouse in her red dress () instead of so many princesses. But the kids are really cute and it's great seeing them having so much fun!
Anyway, it was a beautiful morning and not too hot yet so we walked to Downtown Disney from Paradise Pier--it’s a lovely walk in the morning when you’re fresh. Downtown Disney was peacefully quiet at this time of day, which was after park opening. DD can be quite busy because it's the main thoroughfare to the parks from all resorts--although not the GC so much.
When we arrived, the Kitchen Express was having some A/C leaking problems (the theme of this trip) so we had to go in the other door and place our order. Everybody we ran into was very nice. We grabbed a table underneath cover this time and these tables were much better at handling powdered sugar running amok. LOL. Not as much powdered sugar landed on our clothing. I used to say I wanted to live at New Orleans Square--now I’d be happy to live at Ralph Brennan’s.
While I didn’t enjoy working at WDW, I’m seriously thinking that when we retire, we’ll sell the house, get an RV, park it down the street from DL at one of the RV parks and get a part-time retirement job somewhere at DLR. Hee, hee! Have I changed my tune.
We found this to be true throughout our stay. Parents seemed especially conscious of their children’s behavior (for the most part) and seemed relieved when we smiled at the kids or gave them special attention. We were really surprised by this. And, at DL, we weren’t so overrun with those double strollers like we were at WDW--another nice surprise. We also noticed more little girls were dressed up like Minnie Mouse in her red dress () instead of so many princesses. But the kids are really cute and it's great seeing them having so much fun!
You know, now that you mention it, I would have to agree! Looking back on things, I don't remember a sea of strollers or extremely poor behavior on any child's (or parent's) part. I wonder why Maybe because the trips to DL tend to be a little shorter than a trip to WDW, which wouldn't give as much time to build up that tired crankiness?? Who knows! Interesting point, though.
Great update!! Sounds like you had a nice leisurely time walking through DD, with a decadent breakfast. Can't wait to hear more
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) and to experience POTC there again. I was so facinated by the restaurant when I rode it, but we did not have time then to eat there.
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Dole Whip Floats!!
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The Matterhorn was a blast! It had become the symbolic ride for returning to Disneyland so this ride was a must!
Okay, so it’s my kind of ride. It touches the adventuresome spirit inside of me and it becomes the biggest thrill ever. Now Rich loves ToT because he loves that freefall feeling, but Indy gives me that big adventure experience (it is in "Adventureland" after all), which I much prefer. It’s just awesome.
almost everything in Fantasyland was shut down during all of the noise. I know exactly what you mean about living near fireworks! We live near an airport and, while its convenient, it gets old not being able to hear the television, the person you're talking to on the phone or even the person sitting next to you - especially in the summer when the windows are open!
Can't wait to hear about the beach 
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) instead of so many princesses. But the kids are really cute and it's great seeing them having so much fun!
Maybe because the trips to DL tend to be a little shorter than a trip to WDW, which wouldn't give as much time to build up that tired crankiness?? Who knows! Interesting point, though. 
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