Betsy, Author at On the Go in MCO

Light Fixtures of New Fantasyland

I am a sucker for details and New Fantasyland doesn’t disappoint with the amazing new light fixtures throughout this section of the park! While I’ve said from the get go the thing I’ve most been looking forward to was Be Our Guest Restaurant, these architectural nuances are incredible. I will highlight some of my favorites here, but will also include the video montage of all 113 pictures I captured during my recent tour.

One of the things that most impressed me was how many different styles of light fixtures appeared in New Fantasyland and how each individual one seemed to perfectly reflect the theme of that particular location. For instance, the lights on the bridge to Be Our Guest restaurant, which is set in the Beast’s castle, are strong and masculine looking. They present a foreboding aura that both beckon you in with their light, but also warn you of the potential danger ahead.

Be Our Guest light fixture — Be Our Guest light

Be Our Guest chandelier light fixtures — Be Our Guest chandeliers

The light fixtures in and around Maurice’s cottage, where the Enchanted Tales with Belle attraction is housed, are full of whimsy and innovation, much like the man himself. Outside the cottage and in his workshop are some of the most creative uses of lighting to be found in New Fantasyland so far. Then, once you are transported to the Beast’s castle, the ornate details are showcased in the beautiful chandeliers, and of course with Lumiere.

Belle’s village and Gaston’s Tavern in particular provide more flair in their choices of light fixtures. To no one’s surprise, antlers are used in Gaston’s decorations throughout his tavern with several different styles of lighting, including a large chandelier, complete with coonskin cap. One of my favorite lights was actually found in the restroom in the village. It was a gorgeous orange hue and fit in with much of the wrought iron work in the surrounding area.

Gaston's Tavern light fixtures — Gaston’s Tavern

I think the area that I was most entranced with was Prince Eric’s castle and the queue for Under the Sea ~ Journey of the Little Mermaid. This is where my absolute favorite light fixtures were found. Everything is so incredibly well tied in with the nautical theme. Having lived twenty plus years of my life within ten minutes of either the Atlantic Ocean or the Gulf of Mexico, I’ve been constantly drawn to the water. The lights appear to have been kissed by either the bright orange of the sun or the soft blues and greens of the sea. I can appreciate so many elements that were incorporated in this attraction’s exterior and queue.

My favorite light in the Little Mermaid queue

Overall, I think the Imagineers have hit a home run with all of these intricate details. This is what Disney does best, sell the story in the details. There are even semi-permanent light fixtures sitting atop the construction walls that separate New Fantasyland from the work being done on the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train coaster. I am absolutely in love with these details. Is this area of the park directed at me? No. Will I be spending a great amount of time here? Not necessarily. However, I can appreciate it all in the grand scheme of things and will continue to see where this transformation takes one of my favorite parks. In the meantime though, I will be happy exploring the amazing expansion that we have been given at the Magic Kingdom.

httpv://youtu.be/OdEAMkdpSzs

Patriotism in the Parks – Hall of Presidents

Presidential Seal at the Hall of Presidents — Presidential Seal

In honor of Election Day this week, I thought it all together fitting and proper to continue the Patriotism in the Parks series with a look at the Hall of Presidents in the Magic Kingdom. This attraction focuses on the Presidents of the United States of America and the path to freedom through the American Revolutionary War. There is a ongoing joke that each election year the Imagineers at Walt Disney World secretly hope the incumbent wins so they don’t have to change the attraction to add a new president. I’d like to take a closer look at this classic Magic Kingdom attraction to highlight some features. If you are interested in my previous posts in the Patriotism in the Parks series you can read about Memorial Day and Flag Day.

Here is a video from the Disney Parks YouTube channel that talks about some of the technology and additions in the latest incarnation of the Hall of Presidents:

httpv://youtu.be/T1J4Wachgcw

This Magic Kingdom opening day attraction has been a favorite of mine for years. I love being able to sit and watch the story of our founding fathers in air conditioned comfort for a nice break of just over twenty minutes or so. My friends even tease me occasionally (every time) about reciting the Gettysburg Address along with Abraham Lincoln during the show. I blame my 9th grade English teacher Mr. Mullen for making us memorize and recite it in front of the class that year. Amongst our friends we also have a tradition of thanking President Millard Fillmore. Recently, I was engaged in an interesting conversation with the dead president via twitter. It was quite amusing! Apparently there is a bot that scans twitter for the name “Millard Fillmore” and tweets at people who mention him.

The show was inspired by the Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln attraction that debuted at the 1964-65 World’s Fair in New York City. The attraction then was installed at Disneyland in 1965. Later, changes were made and Lincoln was removed, but he has been back on Main Street U.S.A. since 2009. I was able to see this show for the first time a few months ago on my Disneyland trip, which you can read about here, and it was very interesting seeing elements lifted from both the Magic Kingdom’s Hall of Presidents and the American Adventure at Epcot.

Hall of Presidents features audio-animatronics of each of our 43 presidents as well as a film narrated by Academy Award winning actor Morgan Freeman. The film begins shortly after the American Revolution around the time of the Constitution in 1789 and goes up through present day. In between, much ground is covered from the two plus centuries of American history. Most prominently featured are segments about George Washington, Andrew Jackson, Abraham Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, Franklin Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy and Barack Obama.

Washington Crossing the Delaware in the Hall of Presidents — Washington Crossing the Delaware

George Washington in the Hall of Presidents — George Washington

Andrew Jackson at the Red Eagle Tavern in the Hall of Presidents — Andrew Jackson at the Red Eagle Tavern

Lincoln - Douglas Debates in the Hall of Presidents — Lincoln – Douglas Debates

Abraham Lincoln in the Hall of Presidents — Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln on the brink of Civil War in the Hall of Presidents — Abraham Lincoln on the brink of Civil War

Mr. Lincoln delivering the Gettysburg Address in the Hall of Presidents — Mr. Lincoln delivering the Gettysburg Address

Moving into the Industrial Era in the Hall of Presidents — Moving into the Industrial Era

Teddy Roosevelt in the Hall of Presidents — Teddy Roosevelt

FDR faces the Great Depression in the Hall of Presidents — FDR faces the Great Depression

JFK and the Washington Monument in the Hall of Presidents — JFK and the Washington Monument

Ronald Reagan addresses the Challenger Disaster in the Hall of Presidents — Ronald Reagan addresses the Challenger Disaster

George W. Bush post 9-11 in the Hall of Presidents — George W. Bush post 9-11

The Presidents of the United States of America in the Hall of Presidents — The Presidents of the United States of America

George Washington center stage in the Hall of Presidents — George Washington center stage

George Washington speaks in the Hall of Presidents — George Washington speaks

Barack Obama speaks in the Hall of Presidents — Barack Obama speaks

I love how this attraction highlights some of our greatest moments in history through montage in the video, but also doesn’t gloss over darker times in our past like the Civil War and Great Depression. This is a great snapshot of American history and always imbues me with a sense of pride and appreciation for what we have achieved in this great nation of ours. Do you have a favorite part of the Hall of Presidents? Do you have a favorite President? Have you cheered for Millard Fillmore? If not, what are you waiting for?

Guy Fawkes Day Celebration at Epcot November 5th

This coming Monday, November 5th, the UK pavilion at Epcot will celebrate Guy Fawkes Day. Like the festivities they have been featuring in some of the other World Showcase countries, the UK will play host to a celebration for guests to focus on a date important to the host pavilion. Similar festivities have been held in Canada, America and Mexico earlier this year.

From 11am – 5pm, guests are invited to take part in learning more about the holiday from UK Cast Members. Once they finish the discovery experience, guests will collect a certificate of completion and prizes from the Kidcot fun stop. The pavilion will also be decorated with penants and buntings in the colors of the flag.

Guy Fawkes Day focuses on an attempt to blow up the House of Parliament on November 5, 1605. It was an unsuccessful try to assassinate King James I. One of the conspirators who was to supply the gunpowder was Guy Fawkes. The celebration is also known in the UK as Bonfire or Fireworks Night.

I love how Epcot is adding these fun and educational activities to the countries of World Showcase. It gives those of us who frequent the parks pretty much weekly a chance to experience different things that keep it fresh and new. They are the little things that are great for kids young and old. I hope they keep coming up with innovative ways to illuminate the history and culture of the countries.

I was fortunate enough to participate in the Fourth of July celebration in America earlier this year and loved the trivia aspect of it as well as learning some new things. Have you ever taken part in any of these celebrations? Will you be around on Monday to celebrate Guy Fawkes Day and lift a pint in the UK?

iPad Used At The Carmel Café & Wine Bar For An Improved Dining Experience

Recently I went to Carmel Café & Wine Bar in Sarasota for a friend’s birthday lunch. It was my first time visiting the restaurant and was very pleasantly surprised by what I encountered. The aesthetics were nice and it was welcoming and comforting from when you enter. What I was most excited about after I walked in was seeing the stack of Apple iPads on a table by the hostess stand.

I immediately asked the hostess jokingly if we got iPads to play with during our meal. Surprisingly, she said we got one, but not to play with. She explained as she escorted us to our table that the iPads are used for ordering. The menus are all on there along with the ability to order.

I had a new toy to play with during lunch and couldn’t wait to explore the functionality! The menus were very clearly laid out and featured full color pictures as well as written descriptions of each menu item. You could swipe from right to left to select the next category from appetizers to entrees, beverages to dessert. You also have the ability to search from the menu at the top and quickly jump to the desired category instead of scrolling through them.

This was such an awesome experience! To be able to control your food and the timing and not have to depend on servers to come around was great. We first ordered our drinks, then appetizers, then when we were getting towards the end of our first course, we ordered our entrees. This made the process so much smoother and more fun than the typical dining experience. Service was prompt and the timing flowed much better instead of food being brought out before you were ready only to get cold, or long after you had finished your previous course.

Our server still stopped by periodically, but it felt like at natural times to see about water refills, instead of the often annoyance of a server coming too frequently or not frequently enough. This felt like we had more control over our meal and the experience was made more enjoyable by the technology Carmel Café brought to the table. We even had the ability to see our check as we added items to our order on the iPad.

On top of the amazing use of technology to ameliorate our meal, the food was excellent. There were tons of healthy options including gluten free and vegetarian menu options. I cannot wait to go back to Carmel Café again since this was such a pleasurable experience and the food was great! They even offer great specials like “After 5 at Carmel,” which feature $5.00 wines, small plates and martinis on weeknights from 5-7pm, Wine Wednesdays, and Prix Fixe Dinners for 2. In addition to the Sarasota restaurant, they have locations in Tampa and Clearwater.

I highly recommend Carmel Café and hope that some of this use of the iPad technology will spread to other restaurants and maybe even to our theme parks. I was recently listening to an episode of the Betamouse podcast from last year and they talked about their desire to see something of this nature at Walt Disney World. I would love to see this come to fruition in the near future whether by iPad or even your own smartphone. Like they say in Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress at the Magic Kingdom, “What will they think up next? … Who know? We’ve got a whole new century waiting for us out there.”

If you are interested in learning more about how Carmel Café uses Apple technology to improve the dining experience, check out this video here on Apple’s website.

Grilled Lemon Chicken & Artichoke description

Grilled Lemon Chicken & Artichoke flatbread

Halloween Happenings at Walt Disney World Resorts

Halloween is almost here! The pumpkins have been carved, candy is ready to be distributed, costumes are laid out and the kids are ready (us big kids too). What if you aren’t home for Halloween, but are fortunate enough to be at Walt Disney World for this awesome time of year? The first thought is of course to try to attend Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party (my favorite special event of the year) at the Magic Kingdom, but what if you’ve already done that or don’t feel like spending money for a ticket? I’ve got some suggestions of great things to do at resorts where you can have a ton of fun!

In the past I have visited both Downtown Disney and the Boardwalk to trick or treat on Halloween when I didn’t have a ticket to Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party. This year Walt Disney World is mixing up their locations and offering some spooky activities for kids of all ages at select resorts for registered guests of those resorts. On October 30th, Bay Lake Tower and Disney’s Contemporary Resort will both offer a variety of games, arts and crafts and trick or treat trails! Fort Wilderness also gets in on the Halloween fun a day early even with a pet costume parade.

Halloween adds the Grand Floridian, Polynesian, Wilderness Lodge and Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa to the list of resorts participating in the special activities. Each one offers their own spin on both individual and group activities, but all the resorts share one thing at the end of the night: Halloween themed movies! Tuesday night, Bay Lake Tower and the Contemporary will show Spooky Buddies at 8pm and Fort Wilderness will have The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad at 8:40pm followed by The Haunted Mansion. Wednesday BLT and the Contemporary will show Something Wicked This Way Comes at 8pm, Fort Wilderness will show Hocus Pocus at 8:40pm. The Grand Floridian and Polynesian will have The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad at 7:30pm followed by Hocus Pocus, and Wilderness Lodge will have Hocus Pocus at 8pm. Saratoga Springs will have a Spooky Viewer’s Choice movie at 8pm.

I would love to be able to take part in some of these crafts like Monster Masks, Monster Mickey Tie Dye, Ghosts, Ghouls & Goblins Chalk Art, Pumpkin Decorating Contests, Creepy Crawly Crafts, and Decorate a Trick or Treat Tote. Also games like Ghoulish Guessing Contest, Totally to Die For Trivia, Spooky Scramble, Boo Bingo, and Disney Halloween Trivia sound like a blast! I really wish I was staying at one of these resorts next week so I could take advantage of all of these great offerings.

If you are a guest at any of these resorts I hope you enjoy these incredible sounding activities across the Walt Disney World resorts for Halloween. This is such a fun time of year to try out new special things to do at your resort that you maybe haven’t tried before. Please consult your resort activities guide or a recreation cast member for detailed descriptions, locations and times. Activities and times are subject to change without notice.

Also, feel free to visit our Facebook page to see some of our pictures from Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party this year. Looking to get more for your Halloween fix? Check out some of our previous posts about MNSSHP here, here, and here.

Storybook Circus Update

The other day, I was so excited to see some of the new elements in the Storybook Circus area of the New Fantasyland expansion in the Magic Kingdom. I had not looked at any pictures, so I had no preconceived notions and hadn’t really done any research about the Big Top Souvenirs, Pete’s Silly Sideshow and the new open seating and food areas. Like the other sections of New Fantasyland that have been revealed so far, my expectations have been far exceeded.

I only had a short time to explore, but I thoroughly enjoyed everything I saw. First, we explored the gift shop/snack location that is Big Top Souvenirs. This space is amazingly detailed and the Imagineers really did a great job bringing you into the whole circus theme. As you enter, you are greeted by Cast Members in circus costumes, welcoming you to play fun games like bean bag toss to knock over cans and juggling scarves. Awesome new merchandise themed around Storybook Circus as a whole and more specifically Dumbo, as well as general parks merchandise, are featured at the front of the shop.

The carpet is beautiful going from grass, to wooden planks, to the canvas of the circus tent. Circling the walls inside you find train cars from Casey Jr. themed after different animals like Tigers, Bears, Giraffes, Hippos, Hyenas, and even Penguins (where you can find the chilled bottle drinks). Above you, high up in the big top, you see rope ladders and trapezes. Not a detail was spared in the creation of this new shopping and snacking spot.

Food offerings are similar to what you can find on Main Street in the Bakery and Confectionery and focus on baked goods like cookies, cupcakes and caramel apples. You can also find specialty items like Caramel Corn Cupcakes, Caramel Corn and other circus themed treats. One of my favorite frozen drinks, glaciers, are available in blue raspberry, strawberry and lemonade. Many of these items can be used as snack credits if you are participating in the Disney Dining Plan. In additional to these fresh baked items and drinks, you can find your typical offerings of Minnie’s Bake Shop prepackaged goods and Goofy’s Candy Company sweets.

Fulfilling yet another meet and greet area, Pete’s Silly Sideshow, plays host to the opportunity to meet Daisy, Minnie, Donald and Goofy in their alter egos as circus performers. There are some great nods in this area to classic characters like Pete and to films like Melody Time. It is a different setup here with a large tent open with four queues coming out of the middle and the meet and greet areas in the four quadrants of the circular tent.

Adjacent to the two tents is another tent that is open on one side and acts as a mini guest relations location. Cast Members are on hand to answer guest questions, Fastpass machines for Dumbo and Barnstormer are now located here, and there is lots of seating with fans blowing down on the benches and seats to keep guests cool. This area was so neat with a great map of Storybook Circus, water fountains, height measurements for the rides in Storybook Circus, and while we were there it seemed really quiet. I can imagine sneaking away to relax in this tent on an evening to take respite from the crowds in other areas of the park.

Just between these three areas are some food carts with snacks like popcorn, churros, hot dogs, chips and drinks. Lots of tables and chairs circle this section of Storybook Circus, offering plenty of places to rest and relax while grabbing a quick bite between attractions. I love the brightly colors of the tables, and they even remind me of the Pixar ball.

All in all, I am so excited for the rest of New Fantasyland after seeing Storybook Circus. The attention to detail is beautiful and really plays into the circus theme very well. I look forward to what is in store with the rest of the work that is being done in this new section of the park. Have you seen the Storybook Circus’ newest additions yet? What are you most looking forward to seeing in person?

Art of Animation Resort – New Favorite Details

Art of Animation Resort – New Favorite Details

This past weekend I had the pleasure to stay at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort for the second time and enjoy some of the amazing details. I thought I’d share some of my favorite new things since I was able to explore the Lion King and Little Mermaid sections for the first time. I cannot wait to go back and stay in each of these new sections of the resort! This is now cemented as my favorite of the Value Resorts at Walt Disney World. The theming is absolutely incredible! In case you missed them, go back and take a look at our previous posts about the Finding Nemo, Cars section and Landscape of Flavors.

If you aren’t familiar with the Art of Animation Resort it is amazingly designed, and the more you return to the Art of Animation Resort the more details you’ll notice and love!, it is divided into four themes. Finding Nemo, Cars, and the Lion King make up seven of the resort’s ten accommodations buildings with family suites. I had previously stayed in the Finding Nemo section back in May and visited the Cars section before it was officially opened several weeks later. The Lion King section opened in July, but I hadn’t yet had the opportunity to visit. Standard rooms make up the other three buildings in the Little Mermaid section.

Since I was staying there I thought I would take half an hour or so to explore the resort to see some of the magic the Imagineers created at this awesome new resort. Here, I’d like to highlight just a few of my favorite pictures from the other day.

I love how well each of the character’s personalities were captured in the sculptures. The landscaping is immaculate and perfectly suits the theme of each section of the resort. You feel immersed in the jungle while walking through the winding paths of the Lion King. The palm trees sway, almost as if moved by an underwater current in the Little Mermaid area. I know I’ve said it before, but this is my favorite of the value resorts. The amount of time and energy the Imagineers must have put into this resort is mindboggling.

One of the best things is how the Art of Animation Resort is amazingly designed, and the more you return to the Art of Animation Resort the more details you’ll notice and love! really is the focus of the resort. You can see the beauty in things like the larger than life characters featured above. Also, great detail is put into little things like signs around the resort. The Cars section, where I was staying this trip, is my favorite to visit at night. The neon around Route 66, the Cozy Cone and the Wheel Well Motel just bring this area to life with retro Americana goodness. I especially love the nods to the Rotary Club, Knights of Columbus, etc. with the Cars parodies. Also, if you get a chance, check out all the bumper stickers on my favorite character Fillmore. Lot’s of great inside jokes can be found all around him.

I highly recommend that anyone who has an extra hour or two on a day they don’t necessarily want to go to the parks that they go explore Disney’s Art of Animation Resort. There are so many details to explore throughout the resort’s common areas, plus it offers one of, if not the best counter service locations at a resort. I hope you all get the opportunity to stay here, or at least visit someday. If you’ve been, what are some of your favorite details?

Joe’s Crab Shack Lunch and Learn

Recently I visited Joe’s Crab Shack on International Drive, one of five in the Orlando area, for a Lunch and Learn about some of their great offerings. I was fortunate enough to experience this great luncheon with a handful of others to taste many of the menu items. Joe’s Crab Shack was founded in 1991 in Houston and now has over a hundred locations in more than 30 states.Their menu features great seafood from Alaska, New England and the Gulf Coast.

The lunch was hosted by Chef George, who had come in from Texas just for this event. As he introduced each item samples were brought out for us to try. First we tried the Gulf shrimp first, both hot and cold, served with Old Bay seasoning, ready to peel. These were amazing! I loved these. I had a slight preference for them chilled as opposed to warm, but both were great.

Before we tasted the food, Chef George made sure he let us know the best way to approach each type of seafood. For instance, I learned that snow crab is sweet and mild and their crab legs can be opened using a zipper. The also sweet king crab can also be opened using the zipper, but the more mild Dungeness crab legs need to use a cracker. We each had an opportunity to try the different kinds of crab that are the stars of most of the Steampots on the menu. Different crab appetizers and entrees make up half of the entire menu at Joe’s. Don’t worry, even if seafood isn’t your thing, they have plenty of items like steak, pasta, chicken and burgers as well as salads for the vegetarians.

Chef George displaying the Bean Town Bake Steampot

The food was all incredible, and the luncheon was very informative. I have never been to Joe’s Crab Shack before, but have always been a huge fan of seafood, and I even learned some new things. For instance, a 1 1/4 lb. lobster only is about 90 calories. The kids’ menu was inspired by Chef George’s son and is color coded to make picking different options fun for the kids. Fun fact, one person’s job is just to shuck corn all day. Joe’s sells between 1 and 1.5 million crab legs each year. Crab legs are very low in calories and have the good kind of cholesterol.

After having tried a good portion of the menu items, we came to the consensus that the favorite was the Samuel Adams Steampot, which has snow crab, a pound of clams, lobster claws and smoked sausage that have all been steamed in Sam Adams. This was the most delicious thing that I tried hands down! Everything was fabulous, but the flavors complemented each other so well and the Sam Adams just married them all together perfectly. To finish up, we sampled some of the new drinks on the menu and then had the delectable Homemade Berry Cobbler for dessert.

I learned a lot about the variety of menu items Joe’s Crab Shack has to offer. The food and service were awesome and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend any and all of what I tried to anyone who enjoys seafood. I cannot wait to go back to Joe’s sometime soon and highly encourage you to go visit your nearest Joe’s Crab Shack soon. They even have a great playground area for kids and tons of outdoor seating and sometimes offer live entertainment. With lots of seating inside and out, Joe’s Crab Shack is a great venue for parties of all kinds and sizes. Check out Joe’s on your next visit to the Orlando area or find your nearest Joe’s here. Thank you to Joe’s for hosting such a great event and I look forward to visiting again soon!

Disneyland Trip Report – Betsy’s California Adventure – Part 3

We have arrived at the last installment of my Disneyland trip report. After I go through all the glorious details of my last two days in California, I will focus more on observations and reflections of the trip overall. If you missed parts 1 and 2, you can go back and revisit the first few days of my trip to DLR here and here respectively. Now, let’s keep moving forward!

Tuesday 8/7

I began my day at Disney California Adventure with a trip to the Hollywood Tower Hotel in the Twilight Zone Tower of Tower. The queue outside wasn’t quite as extensive or detailed as the version at DHS, but the lobby and pre-show were practically identical. One of the differences that I enjoyed was the lighting effect in the boiler room. The ride sequence is also slightly different and it seemed like your ascent and descent covered a greater overall distance since it even made my ears pop. I liked this version okay, but think I prefer the one in Florida a little better since you have the added fifth dimension sequence.

From here I cut through A Bug’s Land to Paradise Pier, getting my feet wet on the way in Princess Dot’s Puddle Park. I caught a part of the Phineas and Ferb’s Rockin’ Rollin’ dance party, which was great fun as a fan of the animated Disney Channel show. Prior to this day, I hadn’t really spent any time in Paradise Pier other than to ride California Screamin’ and to watch World of Color. I was looking forward to some of the classic looking boardwalk attractions more than others.

One of the rides that I wasn’t really familiar with prior to riding was Jumpin’ Jellyfish. This fun ride sits two guests in each section facing outward and you gently float up and down almost as if you were bouncing on top of jellyfish like Marlin and Dorie in Finding Nemo. I selected a seat facing Paradise Bay and had a great view, even catching glimpses of Cars Land while I was at the top. Next up were the Silly Symphony Swings, which I must admit looked a little sketchy to me at first, but I loved this ride! It was themed after the classic Mickey Mouse short the Band Concert and was a ton of fun.

View of the Fun Wheel of Death from Jumpin Jellyfish

At this time I went over to check the wait time on Goofy’s Sky School and it was posted at 30 minutes so I opted to get a Fast Pass to return later. Little did I realize, there was a single rider line that would have gotten me on within minutes. Oh well, lesson learned. That is one thing I noticed about DCA and DL is that they seem to have a lot more single rider lines than we have here in FL with just Test Track and Expedition Everest coming to mind.

I wandered along the water to check the wait time for Mickey’s Fun Wheel, and it was almost an hour so I opted to skip it and come back when more guests may be eating lunch. On the way to King Triton’s Carousel of the Sea, I was fortunate enough to stumble on to Goofy’s Instant Concert. This was a fun show that takes place in Paradise Bay with Goofy conducting the fountains to classical music. I really enjoyed this quick break and all the guests around me seemed to like it as well.

After I rode King Triton’s Carousel and enough time had passed to get a FP from Toy Story Midway Mania, I doubled back to ride the fun wheel. For those who are not familiar with this particular ride, let me explain. It is basically a gigantic Ferris wheel with two options: stationary cages that you can sit in and ride like a traditional Ferris wheel ride, and then there are the death cages (my name, not Disney’s). This is why it gets the nickname the Fun Wheel of Death: the cages are on loops that sway and almost flip up 90 degrees on either side, so you slide along the loop and as you go around on the Ferris Wheel you swing accordingly. Not for me. Anything that provides you with motion sickness bags is not high on the priority list for me, so I rode the stationary cage. There were some absolutely gorgeous views of both parks as well as the surrounding mountains which were visible on this surprisingly clear day in Southern California.

When my FP time came up, I returned to ride Toy Story Midway Mania, not knowing if it would be a bust like my score the previous day on Buzz Lightyear, or if it would better correlate to my scores back home. I usually score between 175 – 225,000 and this time I broke that record with a score over 228,000. I was so excited I hardly noticed the nuances that differentiate the ride from the FL counterpart. The queue is mostly outside and there seems to be more travel between the game scenes on the ride itself. As I was getting on the ride I saw Scarlett and Jeff with the kids getting off. I yelled out to Scarlett and met up with them when I exited the ride as they were meeting Buzz and Woody.

View of Disneyland and DCA from Fun Wheel

New high score on Toy Story Midway Mania

Lemon oregano chicken from Paradise Garden Grill

I returned to Goofy’s Sky School, which is a small rollercoaster of the wild mouse variety (similar to Primeval Whirl at Disney’s Animal Kingdom). This ride was fun, but quick, and it does whip you around corners a little more than I care for. By this time, I was ready for a late lunch and went right next door to the Paradise Garden Grill for a great skewer of lemon oregano chicken with rice and vegetables. This was a great meal and relatively affordable at less than $15 with a drink. If you enjoy the Tangierine Cafe in Epcot’s Morocco, you should like this with Middle Eastern and Mediterranean influenced dishes.

Right after lunch the Pixar Play Parade started right in front of me so I stayed and watched. I liked this much better than the version we have at DHS. There are more characters, interaction with the floats, and cast members doing acrobatics. To me this was much closer to the Block Party Bash we used to have than the current incarnation of a parade at the Studios. Finishing up Paradise Pier, I rode the Golden Zephyr, which is somewhat similar to the Silly Symphony Swings in that you rotate around a central pole in swings made of zeppelins that seat about a dozen guests and are suspended from above by chains.

Acrobats on Toy Story float of Pixar Play Parade

About this time the heat started getting to me. Yes, I live in Florida and I’m used to the heat and humidity here, but on this day the temperature was in the high 90s with a heat index of 105. I need a break from the sun and some good old fashioned air conditioning. I went back to one of my favorite places, the Animation Building, to cool off for a bit while waiting for Turtle Talk with Crush. One thing I loved about Turtle Talk in DCA is that you have a small theater with seats instead of just a few benches and mostly floor seating. As always, this show was entertaining for both the kids and adults, and poor Crush tried his best to understand the concept of Schrödinger’s Cat, after he was asked if he knew the idea by a no more than 8 year old child.

Muppetvision 3D is one of my favorite attractions at DHS and I was happy to see a show I knew inside and out in DCA. When I exited the show, I came upon the Hollywood Backlot Stage where a performance by the Disneyland All-American College Band was taking place. Again with the heat of the day I was drinking lots of water to try to stay hydrated, but was ready for an adult beverage, so before I went in to see the Disney Junior show, I got a Red Trolley Ale, which only seemed appropriate while watching the Red Car Trolley go up and down Buena Vista Street.

Continuing on the theme of completing the attractions that are almost identical to the versions we have in Florida, I watched It’s Tough to Be a Bug. I grabbed a FP for Soarin’ since the wait was 45 minutes, which we never see here at Epcot, then went to do the Boudin Bakery Tour. In case I haven’t mentioned this before, I adore sourdough bread, so I was probably more excited about this than the average guest. I liked watching the cheesy video about how they make the bread from the mother dough that goes back over 100 years. I loved visiting Boudin while I was in San Francisco a few years ago and similarly enjoyed this brief tour with a free sample in the Pacific Wharf area of the park.

My friend Kevin arrived that morning from Boston and was hanging out with his friend Paul around DCA. We coordinated to meet up for Shboom around 7:45pm, so I still had a couple hours of me time to explore. I rode Soarin’, which was exactly the same, except with a shorter queue and a cleaner screen than in Epcot.

Sourdough bread shaped like Mickey, Lightning and Mater

When I had set out on this trip, I originally had a few things that were must dos and some that were dreams if I had the time and money. Dinner at Napa Rose in the Grand Californian was one of those dreams. I had heard great things about it from friends and I knew Samantha Brown wouldn’t have steered me wrong in her recommendation of it, so I walked over to the resort. I figured if I got there shortly after they opened I would have a pretty decent chance of getting a walk in reservation, at least in the lounge. Friends recommended the truffle mac and cheese and oh my goodness, this may have been the best thing I tasted on this entire trip. I needed a moment, and to my slight embarrassment, my waiter came over and noticed that moment. Oh well. C’est si bon! I also had a fabulous summer salad and a glass of meritage from John Lasseter’s winery.

Light fixture in Grand Californian lobby

Taking my time walking back through the Grand Californian’s private entrance to DCA, I was completely satiated and was looking forward to meeting up with Kevin and Paul. One of the many things I love about Kevin is how excited, no, more like how giddy he gets about the things he loves. This can be anything from riding Space Mountain for the hundredth time to seeing something new and magical for the very first time. The latter was definitely the case when it came to the neon lighting in Cars Land. After the hugs from reuniting with each other after five months, we stood waiting. The music started and I watched Kevin and the excitement he tried to contain, but it was clearly written all over his face. It made me so happy seeing a friend so enraptured with a little piece of magic.

httpv://youtu.be/O11z4CWTpqc

We made the requisite stop for chai from Starbucks at the Fiddler, Fife and Practical Cafe, and then Kevin, Paul and I were off to Disneyland to see Magical for their first time. This was the second time I had seen the show (third technically if you count the fireworks I saw from Carthay Circle’s terrace the night before), and it was just as magical this time around. Next we went to go see the Magic, the Memories and You projection on It’s a Small World. I had never seen it here, and even though it is the same show as Florida, it felt different since some of the elements worked better on the wider surface, whereas others work better at home on the taller surface of the castle. Either way, it was still incredible, and yes, I cried. Again, I’m a big sap.

Kevin hadn’t yet been on a ride in Disneyland and requested that we ride the Matterhorn, which I hadn’t yet done at night. The three of us opted for the single rider line (again brilliant) since the regular standby line was at 45 minutes. We were each on within five minutes and Kevin asked if he could ride again on the other side (there are two different paths for the left and the right). Paul and I passed and told Kevin we would meet him by the Alice in Wonderland restrooms (my favorite in either park).

While we were waiting for Kevin, Paul and I devised a plan to take Kevin on a surprise trip to Trader Sam’s since it was nearing park closing of midnight at Disneyland and Trader Sam’s is open until 2am. We asked Kevin if he was up for a surprise and he trusted and followed us (insert evil laugh here). The monorail from Tomorrowland was the quickest and easiest way to get there since you exit in Downtown Disney and just walk across the street to the Disneyland Hotel. He thought we were just going to DTD, but then realized where we were taking him.

The excitement and wonderment was apparent in Kevin’s eyes as we approached. It was a magical place and inside held treasures yet to be revealed. Knowing Kevin’s affinity for Disney history and things bygone, I took a chance figuring he’d appreciate the existence of the secret menu at Trader Sam’s. The menu, which not all bartenders will make drinks from or even acknowledge, contains recipes for drinks like the Kungaloosh from the sadly closed Adventurer’s Club at Pleasure Island in DTD at WDW. My hunch was correct and Kevin seemed very anxious to try to classic drink. The evening was awesome with laughs all around and we finally made it back to our hotels close to 2am. Another great day was in the books.

Waiting for The Magic, The Memories and You to start

Kevin enjoying his Kungaloosh at Trader Sam’s courtesy of Kevin Quigley

Enjoying Trader Sam’s picture courtesy of Kevin Quigley

Wednesday 8/8

My last day started with a bit of sadness realizing my trip was coming to an end and I didn’t want it to. For some of you, this may be something that you are accustomed to, the saying goodbye. I don’t often experience this emotion tied to Disney since I live just an hour and a half from WDW and go to the parks usually at least twice each month. The unique experience of riding the sad bus (aka Disney’s Magical Express) escapes me, but that morning I began to feel a bit of what I suppose you all feel.

I began my slow walk to Disney California Adventure while replaying the great memories that I’d made with friends over the past few days. I knew the trip wasn’t over yet, so the time for reflection was yet to come. Focusing on what lied ahead, I kept my eyes on the prize: experiencing all the attractions between the two Disneyland Resort parks. So far I had done everything in DCA except ride the Red Car Trolley, which I figured was a fitting way to end that journey. Starting the ride at Buena Vista Street by the entrance to the park, I took it as far as I could to Hollywood Land by the Tower of Terror.

Mickey riding the Red Car Trolley with the News Boys

Meandering back through the park to get a Fast Pass for World of Color, since I had a feeling that was how I wanted to end my trip, I passed by the News Boys and Mickey again performing in front of Carthay Circle. This time I was lucky to catch video of them singing one of my favorite songs from Newsies, Seize the Day. On my way out, I ran into Molly the Messenger parked on her bike looking at what appeared to be a map. I took a moment and stopped to ask if I could look at her map and she was more than happy to oblige. It was her personal map and I inquired if it was sold anywhere. She said it wasn’t, but she allowed me to take pictures of it. She is one of the Citizens of Buena Vista Street, which are very much like the Citizens of Hollywood (aka Streetmosphere) at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Florida.

httpv://youtu.be/Ims_8JpqbUI

Molly the Messenger with her map of Buena Vista Street

After a quick hour in DCA, I made my way over to Disneyland to nail down some of the time sensitive attractions that I hadn’t yet been able to do. Unlike at Walt Disney World, the Main Street Vehicles (of which there are four) run later in the day into the early afternoon around 2pm. I wanted to get these out of the way early so I wouldn’t have to backtrack to the front of the park knowing what I still had ahead of me. I was able to ride the Omnibus, Horse-Drawn Streetcar, Fire Engine and Horseless Carriage in less than an hour. It was great! Some of the rides I even had a private tour. My favorite was the Fire Engine, which Walt Disney himself drove on Main Street USA in the early years of the Disneyland.

Having not eaten breakfast, at this point I was borderline starving and swung in to the Carnation Cafe on Main Street to see how long the wait was for lunch. I figured it would go pretty quickly since I was by myself, but wasn’t too surprised when they told me it would be a 20-30 minute wait. I was willing to take my chances with waiting and was very pleasantly surprised when my pager went off in less than five minutes. In that five minute time period though I did get to meet a legend. Chef Oscar Martinez is a Disneyland institution, and although I knew very little about Disneyland, he was instantly recognizable with his warm smile, greeting guests in the dining room. You can read more about Oscar here and here. He was a very nice gentleman who treated you like he was welcoming you into his own home. He even obliged when I asked to have my picture taken with him, and even seemed honored. The food was great! I ordered one of the menu items listed as Walt’s Favorites in the Chicken-Fried Chicken, and what sounded interesting and definitely was in the chocolate cherry coke (again with real syrup).

Front row seat on the Horse-Drawn Streetcar

Mickey strolling through Town Square like he owns the place 😉

Chef Oscar Martinez in the Carnation Cafe

Chicken-Fried Chicken from Carnation Cafe

Chocolate Cherry Coke from Carnation Cafe

Since I now regained some strength with the nourishment of lunch, I went to Pixie Hollow to meet Tinkerbell. This was a pretty area of the park, especially at night, but I probably would not have waited if I knew the wait was going to be 30 minutes instead of the posted 15. Next up were my last two time sensitive attractions that closed at 5pm: the Sailing Ship Columbia and the Pirates Lair on Tom Sawyer Island. I enjoyed the Columbia and exploring the crew’s quarters below decks as it sailed around the Rivers of America. Then after a two minute raft ride, I was on Tom Sawyer Island exploring the caves and fort. I really liked how they added elements from Pirates of the Caribbean, but think it might make more sense if they rename it instead of still calling it TSI.

I hadn’t really been in the shops of New Orleans Square yet, so I took about an hour looking around at the details in and outside the buildings. This by far is one of my favorite areas of any Disney park. I could get lost in here forever with the attractions, food and shops, but especially the entertainment. After my feet were tired from meandering, I sat for a bit and listened to the Royal Street Bachelors perform outside Cafe Orleans. Since my feet were still sore and I wasn’t actually eating there, I decided to move on and take the train around the park again.

Royal Street Bachelors in New Orleans Square

Walt and Roy’s initials in the wrought iron in New Orleans Square

Musicians strolling through New Orleans Square

On my last evening, I sat waiting for Kevin, Paul and our friends Doug and Robbie to meet me at the Tiki Room. I still hadn’t had a dole whip on this trip, and in case you forgot, I do have a love for dole whips which you can read about here. After the guys arrived, we went in to watch the show and all sang along to the show in its full glory (I did as best I could not knowing the part of the show we don’t have here). Kevin requested that we ride It’s A Small World, which I was happy to do again to see the characters on the ride I may have missed the first time around.

I knew I absolutely had to ride Pirates of the Caribbean again, and according to the Cast Member with whom I had spoken earlier, it was best to return after 7pm, which was what we did to successfully practically walk on the attraction with no wait. I warned Kevin since he was sitting next to me that I tend to get wet on this ride at home and that I’d been splashed the first time I rode. This warning served as no preparation for the amount of wetness I or Kevin would encounter. I was drenched! Thank goodness I had my camera protected otherwise it would have been really bad.

Paul, Kevin, Doug, Robbie and me in front of the castle

About this time we were heading to the Main Street Cinema to cross off one of the last two attractions I had left on my list when we heard from our friends Dan and Becca Braunstein that they were almost to the park. Dan and Becca had driven in with their son Nathan from Arizona a day early to come hang out with us before they attended the D23 convention over the weekend. After the Cinema we met up with the Braunsteins to have dinner at the Plaza Inn. The specialty there is fried chicken, but since I had had chicken for lunch I tried the pot roast, which was okay, but probably not something I need to order again. The last attraction I had left to do in Disneyland was the Disney Gallery. They had a great exhibit featuring artwork of different castles from around the world.

Crowning Achievements at the Disney Gallery

Being that it was my last night and that my friends are awesome, they all let me choose what we did. I told them that I had a FP for World of Color and I’d love to watch it with them if they were up to it. We all went over to get them Fast Passes then to see the Mad T Party since Kevin, Doug and I hadn’t yet seen it. It was interesting! This is not your parents’ Alice in Wonderland, that is for sure. These characters definitely seem to be more inspired by the Tim Burton film than the Disney animated classic. Lee met up with us all and we went to the Cozy Cone in Cars Land to get a snack before World of Color.

Nathan seemed to be enjoying the Mad T Party

Dan, Becca, Nathan, Doug, Robbie, Kevin and me

Cozy Cone with Tower of Terror in the background

As I’m sure you can guess, I cried … again. It is probably a good thing Kevin and I weren’t sitting together because we probably would have been bawling. Lee was a good person to sit with and he was very kind in not making fun of me for crying. We decided we were going to go back to Disneyland to do another ride or two before they closed at midnight, but I told the group I’d catch up since I still hadn’t been shopping in DCA at all and had my eye on a Red Car Trolley shirt on Buena Vista Street. Since the store wasn’t technically on BVS, when I arrived there the doors were locked since the park was technically closed at 11pm and only shops on Buena Vista stayed open another hour. I almost started crying right then and there since the shirt I wanted was only sold there, but I noticed there were still guests inside. After trying all the doors and finding them locked, I posted myself outside the main entrance and waited until a guest exited to slip inside. Fortunately, I was able to purchase my shirt and all was right with the world.

Flame spurts during Pirates sequence of World of Color

Lee and Nathan watching Grizzly River Run

Lee was going to cool Nathan with the jet spray

Lee and Nathan still had fun even with the spray off

Dan texted me to let me know that everyone was at Space Mountain and to meet them there. I headed back into Disneyland for the last time, exiting Disney California Adventure until who knows when. I found Becca and Lee waiting at the exit with Nathan for the rest of the gang to do rider swap. The clock was almost at midnight and although I enjoyed the California version of Space Mountain much more than the Florida one, I knew I didn’t want to make that my last ride. I mulled over my options and decided I couldn’t make it back to Pirates before the park closed, so I went to the much closer Alice in Wonderland. I stood in line for my last ride and thought how amazing the trip had been. I looked back at the many friends I had seen and the memories we’d shared. Even the day I spent alone was completely magical. As I neared the end of the queue and was about to get on the ride, I looked up at the Matterhorn and thought of Walt. I remembered seeing a video of him riding Alice in Wonderland in the early years of the park and thought it altogether fitting and proper that I end my journey here. It took me about 30 seconds into the ride before I burst out sobbing. I was so overcome with emotion I just couldn’t hold it in any more.

Kevin and Dan texted me after I got off of the ride to see if I was still in the park. I told them I would meet them in the Hub and sat on a bench facing Main Street, still crying. Graciously, my friends did not tease me and seemed to understand what I was feeling. I loved Disneyland and my friends so much I didn’t want to leave or let this vacation come to an end. As midnight rolled around we said our goodbyes and I took my time perusing the stores along Main Street before selecting my souvenirs. I found a t-shirt, hat, magnet and toothpick holder (aka shot glass) from Disneyland. Once I finished my shopping, I went back to the Refreshment Corner one last time to get a vanilla coke (that syrup is addictive).

As it got closer and closer to 1am, when the shops close on Main Street, the number of guests in the park dwindled. I happened to have my DSLR with me and thought I’d try to do one of my favorite things and be the last guest out of the park to take empty park pictures. This was so magical and amazing to be the absolute last one in Disneyland over and hour after closing. I couldn’t think of a more beautiful sight at night than Main Street.

Empty Main Street minus strollers and security

This trip was something that I’ve wanted to do for years, but have never pulled the trigger on until now. It helped tremendously that I was able to use airline miles for my flight and didn’t have to purchase tickets to the parks. What I expected was far exceeded by every stretch of the imagination. I thought I was going in to this trip alone and might be able to see a friend here or there. My amazing friends made this trip for me. Even keeping in touch with friends on Twitter and Facebook back home made it more special. I cannot wait to go back to Disneyland, hopefully next year. I would like to do it at a more relaxed pace. Now that I’ve done it all, I can go back and pick and choose what I do and don’t want to do again.

Some of the things that I really appreciated about Disneyland were the live entertainment offerings that were so prevalent throughout the park each day. Keep in mind that I did go during peak season so nothing was closed for refurbishment. I did all of the attractions listed on the park maps (aside from the arcades that cost money and the princess meet and greet), plus some multiple times and extras like shows and parades that aren’t on the maps. I don’t know that I would have done anything differently for my first trip. I look forward to going back with more friends and family and sharing what I know to help them enjoy their visit.

I hope you have enjoyed these trip reports and that they weren’t too verbose or boring in parts. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask and I’ll be happy to answer what I can. Thanks for following along!

If you’d like to see more of my pictures from my trip, you can access them via my facebook page here and here.

Magic Kingdom Fall Decorations Have Arrived!

Magic Kingdom Fall Decorations Have Arrived!

When I arrived the Magic Kingdom on Tuesday, I was both surprised and excited to see that the Magic Kingdom Fall Decorations were already up .

I love this time of year and always look forward to things like seeing fall colors in the decor, especially the yellow and orange buntings used as accents along the Main Street Train Station, the pumpkins carved to match the stores that they are near.

The Magic Kingdom Fall Decorations most importantly mean that Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, MNSSHP, is just around the corner. This year the first Halloween Party is on Tuesday, September 11, and I seriously can’t wait to go.

Each year this special event takes place in the Magic Kingdom on select nights in September and October, even running until the beginning of November. It is my favorite special event of the entire year, so I cannot wait to go to MNSSHP in the next few weeks. I hope you are able to go sometime to experience this great party! We will be talking a lot more about the Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party very soon!

I also love looking at the Halloween Trading Pins and the Halloween Merchandise that can be found all over Walt Disney World! I am a big fan of holiday merchandise, and this year’s selection definitely doesn’t disappoint. I love all of the nods to the Haunted Mansion and that the characters really capture the spookier side of Halloween.

Finding the Magic Kingdom Fall Decorations was a great way to begin my day, and a great start to a really fun time of year at Walt Disney World! I know that there will be additions to the Magic Kingdom Fall Decorations, so make sure that you follow us on twitter for all the latest pictures and news!

Betsy’s California Adventure Trip Report from Disneyland – Part Two

Sunday 8/5

When we last left our adventures, I had just completed my first full day at the Disneyland Resort with a day at DCA and finished with a late night dinner at Jolly Holiday Bakery in Disneyland. From here we resume our trip report. On day two I began with a breakfast, leftover dessert from the night before, with a Matterhorn macaroon from the bakery. This was amazing! Thank you again to Lee and Becca for the recommendations on this one. It was the perfect way to start my day with a small bite to eat since I had an early lunch ADR at Blue Bayou at 11am.

I made my way to Disneyland with the goal of trying to ride the Matterhorn (fitting, no?) before lunch, but unfortunately it was down when I got there. I made a game time decision to ride Alice in Wonderland since it was a posted 10 minute wait. I figured this would give me enough time to ride and make it to my reservation in less than an hour without any trouble. I loved this ride! I am know a huge fan of the movie, but I think it is a great classic dark ride and it also has a connection to Walt. This was a great way to start my morning before heading to lunch in New Orleans Square.

Lunch at Blue Bayou was the only reservation that I made for dining and I did so only about a week and a half or so prior to arrival using the email system used by Disneyland. I sent an email to dine@disneyland.com, which you can read more about how it works here. In the email I told them that I wanted to eat at Blue Bayou for lunch any time between 8/2 and 8/8 and they responded promptly within an hour with choices. I responded with my selections and concerns with a food allergy and they again got back to me within 15 minutes with a time, confirmation number, and information about my allergy. All in all, it was a pretty simple way to make ADRs. I liked the quick response time as well as the interaction and ability to ask questions. I would highly recommend this system for any future bookings.

Since I was dining at opening at 11am, and I was by myself, I thought my chances were good for a waterside table, but requested it when I checked in at the podium, letting the CM know I was willing to wait for one. For those who are not familiar with the Blue Bayou, it is located in New Orleans Square in Disneyland and the restaurant is situated in the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction, much like San Angel Inn in Mexico at Epcot. The food and service were great and I ordered the gumbo and the monte cristo. Having lived in Louisiana, it was nice to be able to get some nice cajun food, although I should have asked for hot sauce to add a bit more kick to the gumbo. I was barely able to eat half of my meal, so I got the rest to go to save some for dinner later.

After eating, one of my favorite things to do is to take a nice leisurely boat ride while I digest. I opted for either the Columbia or the Mark Twain, which ever one came first, which ended up being the latter. It is a nice ride with narration around the Rivers of America, very similar to the Liberty Belle in the Magic Kingdom at WDW. Once my stomach was settled from lunch, I headed to Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, which I thought was a bit faster and more wild than the Florida version. At the recommendation of Sally, I went to see Billy Hill and the Hillbillies at the Big Thunder Ranch. I totally loved this area of the park that is used for character meet and greets and pin trading. There is also a small petting zoo with goats on the way to the seating area. You can even color with the Country Bears.

Dinosaur remains on Big Thunder Mountain

I was supposed to meet up with Colin and Rich again, but my phone was dying and I forgot my external battery charger, so I went to Pinocchio Village Haus to sit and charge my phone for an hour before the guys arrived. When they got there we tackled Fantasyland, starting with Casey Jr., then on to Pinocchio’s Daring Journey, King Arthur Carrousel, Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride, Peter Pan’s Flight, Snow White’s Scary Adventures, Sleeping Beauty Castle Walkthrough and Snow White Grotto. I really liked the dark rides and thought that star effect in Peter Pan was fantastic! It was nice being able to ride Mr. Toad after almost 14 years. The walkthrough was also cool to have a story attached to the character, which gave it a bit more meaning than a restaurant that typically needs to be booked months in advance.

The guys decided they needed to kidnap me and take me on the monorail to Downtown Disney for the short walk from there to the Disneyland Hotel. There we were to go to Trader Sam’s, a tiki bar I have heard many great stories about from near and far. I was more than happy to submit and go along. They have some great nods to the Jungle Cruise, Tiki Room and the sadly defunct Adventurer’s Club from WDW, as well as some amazing details put in by the Imagineers. I would stay there as long as I could if I had my way. We had a couple drinks and they were ready for dinner, but I was headed back to Disneyland to meet up with Ryan, Sally and the rest of the crew.

I walked back with them through Downtown Disney since I hadn’t been there yet. Much like Disneyland compared to the Magic Kingdom, there seems to be a more electric, kinetic feel than the DTD at WDW. A lot of this can be contributed to the live entertainment offerings to be found there I think. After a brief walk, I was back in Disneyland and coordinated with Sally to meet them at Tarzan’s Treehouse in Adventureland. This attraction used to be the Swiss Family Treehouse like at MK, but was switched over to a Tarzan theme shortly after the film was released in 1999.

Once we completed the walkthrough of the treehouse, we were ready for a bite to eat and the Kilpatricks introduced me to the wonderful offerings of Bengal Barbeque. They have great skewers of meat, that are pretty reasonably priced around $4 and have different options like spicy beef, polynesian chicken, bacon wrapped asparagus as well as a few others. It was a nice snack before going in to the Tiki Room. I really enjoyed this show in its full length, in additional to the pre-show with the tikis and the Dole video about Hawaii.

Tomorrowland was our next destination since we had Fast Passes for both Space Mountain and Autopia. In case I forgot to mention it, this was the Kilpatrick family and Gretchen’s last day and they were trying to accomplish 25 attractions in one day. They were well along to 20 when I met up with them, so I knew we could get five more in the hours we had left before DL closed for the night. I am not a huge fan of Space Mountain or the Tomorrowland Indy Speedway at home, but really liked their Disneyland counterparts. Space Mountain seemed much smoother and I liked the side by side seating as well as the speakers in the ride vehicles, like Rock ‘n’ Rollercoaster. Autopia was well themed and seemed longer than in WDW, plus the cars are much cuter. 🙂

Autopia picture courtesy of Gretchen Swales

A request for the tea cups had been made by the kids, so we made our way from Tomorrowland to Fantasyland to ride the Mad Tea Party, which is absolutely gorgeous at night with Chinese lanterns of all colors hanging over the open air attraction. We had a great time having a contest to see who could spin the fastest. We didn’t win, but we had an awesome time. At this time, it was almost 11pm, and we were ready for a proper meal so we went to the Refreshment Corner so they could get hot dogs and I finished off my leftovers from lunch. I, of course, got another fountain coke with syrup, raspberry this time, since they were the best I’ve had in a long time. Our last attraction for the night was Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln. This was a great way to end the night with friends. It borrows some things from both the Hall of Presidents and the American Adventure at Epcot including two songs which typically make me cry in Two Brothers and Golden Dream. I stayed strong. We said our goodbyes and went to our respective hotels. Another magical day came to a close.

In front of the castle picture courtesy of Ryan Kilpatrick

Monday 8/6

This was to be my only completely solo day of the whole trip, so I was a little bummed starting out my walk to Disneyland in the morning. I thought I’d challenge myself by trying to do the Matterhorn, Star Tours and Indiana Jones Adventures before lunch. If I haven’t mentioned it yet, the entire trip for both parks was 10s across the board on the Touring Plans crowd calendar. I made a bee line for the Matterhorn to start my day there like I had tried to do the previous day. I was very happy to see it was up and running and that the single rider line was practically a walk on! I rode both sides of the attraction by using the single rider line withing 20 minutes of being in the park. Maybe this being by myself thing wouldn’t be so bad.

Next up I was planning to do Star Tours, but since I was by the Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage I decided I

should do that attraction since it was still relatively early around 10am and the wait was under 30 minutes (thanks to Matt Parrish of Wedway Radio and Wedway Now for this tip). I was apprehensive going into the sub since I am claustrophobic and don’t like being trapped, but I kept telling myself we never truly go completely submerged, so if we have to get out we can. Also, I did the 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea ride at WDW when I was a kid and I was fine, so I knew it wasn’t too bad. I thought the ride was cute, but it is definitely not one I need to do each time I’m there.

Sticking to Tomorrowland’s original plan, I next went to Star Tours, which is pretty much identical to Florida in the attraction itself. I then headed over to Adventureland for one of the rides I was most looking forward to: Indy!!! I am a huge fan of the movies, really like the stunt show at DHS, and was hoping that the story would distract me from the ride vehicles that are the same as Dinosaur at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, of which I am not a fan. Thankfully, the story was so immersive and I didn’t even feel the least bit nauseous like I usually do after Dinosaur, so I really enjoyed this. My last ride before lunch was the Jungle Cruise. I liked that it was familiar, but with some differences and I liked these nuances, however I kind of missed the temple that we have in WDW.

Since I didn’t eat breakfast and it was now almost 1pm, I was very hungry and ready for lunch. I knew where I wanted to eat thanks to Nate Parrish (also of Wedway Radio and Wedway Now, formerly of Betamouse): Redd Rockett’s Pizza Port in Tomorrowland, which has the Count Down Chicken Fusilli. This is a corkscrew kind of pasta, similar to a cavatappi, with an alfredo sauce and nice pieces of grilled chicken. I threw on some roasted red pepper flakes and this was a great meal along with a refillable(!!!) soda for a little over $10.

Count Down Chicken Fusilli from Redd Rockett’s Pizza Port

Not having a boat nearby, I opted to take my post lunch digestive rest on the Disneyland Railroad for the full circle tour before going to catch the tail end of the Jedi Training Academy. It was getting a bit warm out, so I ducked in to Innoventions to explore for a few minutes and ended up at the House of the Future watching demonstrations of the latest and greatest technology. Since Captain EO was nearby and a show was starting in a few minutes, I decided to try to change the world. I walked through the Starcade on the way out and chose not to spend money on games. I kept moving to the front of Tomorrowland and got on to the Astro Orbitor. It was kind of cool being so close to the castle compared to at WDW, but I think I like the added thrill in Florida of being up a few stories above the Peoplemover.

Then there was Buzz. More precisely, Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters was next. This was a humbling experience to say the least. For someone who is used to being a galactic hero at WDW and maxing out the score at 999,999, it is kind of sad to only get 36,000 points on what is supposed to be an easier attraction. Cue sad music here. I timed my exit from Tomorrowland to match up almost perfectly so I was able to quickly find a spot for the Soundsational parade. I absolutely loved this! It may be my favorite Disney parade. Ever. The parade is based around different genres of music from Disney films: calypso from the Little Mermaid, jazz from the Princess and the Frog, African music from the Lion King and Tarzan, etc. I really enjoyed seeing different floats and costumes all well themed around the styles of music.

Like WDW, there are certain attractions at DL that have time constraints, so I missed them and needed to make sure I hit them during their limited operating hours. One of these such attractions is the Davy Crockett’s Explorer Canoes. Yes, I was there and I was going to paddle my little heart out in 95+ degree heat and humidity because I had set this silly goal of doing all the attractions. And paddle I did. One thing I wish I had done differently was think about the fact I have a bad shoulder from a car accident and I should have asked to switched sides. You get a work out with this one kids. There are no backup motors. It is you and good old fashioned elbow grease that get you around the Rivers of America by paddle power along with about 15-20 other fools, I mean guests.

Having worked up an appetite, and a thirst, I found myself drawn to the Mint Julep Bar in New Orleans Square. I heard about the virgin mint juleps and Mickey shaped beignets that could be found there and knew I had to go. This seemed like the perfect time since it was around 5pm and pretty warm. I sat briefly outside the French Market and then walked toward the sounds of jazz music coming from in front of the Rivers of America. One of the many musical acts, this one featuring jazz and dixieland, was performing. I enjoyed the sounds for a bit before moseying over to the Golden Horseshoe, where I caught the tail end of a stage performance.

Smiling before Davy Crockett’s Explorer Canoes

Live entertainment in New Orleans Square

From here I cut my way to the back of Fantasyland to It’s A Small World. I was very much looking forward to this ride since I had heard their version has characters from Disney films inserted in the Mary Blair style. To me, this was a great addition to the ride, and I also enjoyed the scenes that were different from the WDW version. It was also cool to start and end the ride outside. I knew I’d have to ride this one again to see if I could catch more of the characters.

I poked my head in the Disney Princess Fantasy Faire, which is basically a princess meet and greet, but the line was well over an hour, so I decided to pass and go to Toontown. For anyone who has played the Epic Mickey video game, this will be very familiar to you. When I walked in it had a deja vu feeling since I knew where things were relatively well from the game. I rode Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin, which was a fun twist (ha ha ha) on a dark ride. Then I quickly walked through Goofy’s Playhouse, Donald’s Boat, and got in line for Gadget’s Go Coaster (similar to the Barnstormer). After that ride I toured Chip ‘n’ Dale Treehouse, Mickey and Minnie’s houses and was ready to return to Fantasyland. Since we no longer have Toontown here, it was kind of nice to see a version of Mickey and Minnie’s houses.

It was just before dusk and I wanted to make sure I caught the Storybook Land Canal Boats before it got too dark so I could get some pictures. This was the perfect time at twilight because the sun was still out to see, but the lights were on too, which made this even more beautiful. I loved this ride and wished I would have gone back to ride it again! My last stop in Disneyland for the night was Dumbo, which was also very cool as the lights of Fantasyland, especially the lanterns of Mad Tea Party were now lit.

As I mentioned earlier, the only restaurant that I had made reservations for on this trip was Blue Bayou. However, I had it in my mind that there were a couple others that I wanted to at least try out if I had the time and money. Since I was on budget at this point in the trip, I decided to go to DCA to see if I could get a walk in reservation at Carthay Circle. I had been in the lounge the other day with Lee and knew I wanted to go back again to try at least a cocktail or two and maybe some appetizers. This is how I do dinner a lot of times to save money by not getting an entree and it also allows me to try more things by getting a couple apps.

By the time I got to the restaurant, it was about quarter til nine and they said I could either eat at the bar downstairs, which has a different menu than upstairs, or I could wait til nine to be seated in the restaurant. I opted to grab a drink in the lounge and let them know at the podium that I wanted to eat upstairs. Starting off with the Carthay Circle Manhattan in the bar (watch how they make the ice sphere if you go), and finishing up with the Brown Derby in the restaurant (another bourbon based drink), I was so ready for the dinner that awaited. I was very pleasantly surprised to be seated on the terrace outside that overlooked Buena Vista Street and facing the front of the park towards Disneyland.

I mentioned to my server that I was in a bit of a hurry and was trying to make the second showing of World of Color at 10:15. They were more than happy to accommodate me by putting in my order as soon as I was seated since I had looked at the menu ahead of time. I ordered the biscuits, filled with cheese and jalapenos and came with an apricot dipping sauce that were to die for, and the firecracker duck wings, which were a great pairing to complement the spiciness of the biscuits. My food came quickly and the service was great. I gave my server my credit card as soon as my food came so I could expedite things. While I was finishing my food, I heard music and Magical, the Disneyland fireworks, started. I had a gorgeous view from the terrace and the music was piped in, much like ‘Ohana at the Polynesian does with Wishes. This was such an awesome surprise! I watched the entire show and when I was done, my bill was waiting for me. I opened it and there was a surprise FP for World of Color! I know they have World of Color dinner packages that offer you reserved seating, but I hadn’t ordered what was necessary to qualify for this.

Once I thanked my server for being so efficient and for the extra bit of pixie dust, I was on my way to watch World of Color for the second time during my trip. Yes, I cried … again. It was a beautiful way to end my day and my solo trip fears washed away. It had been a practically perfect day despite the fact I didn’t see any friends on this particular day. This would be the only day I wasn’t with friends for at least part of the day.

Stay tuned for our thrilling conclusion next week. Same bat channel. Same bat time.

If you want to see even more pictures from my trip check them out here on my Facebook page.

Betsy’s California Adventure trip report pt. 1

Pre-trip, Wednesday, August 1

Okay, so I wasn’t going to write about my trip before I went, but I am so excited, and I just can’t hide it. 😉 I am leaving in less than two days to go to Disneyland for the first time. I am a pro (or so I think) when it comes to Walt Disney World, but California is a whole new animal to me. I have never even been to southern California before and thought it was long overdue now that all the major work has been completed as far as refurbishments and park additions between DL and Disney California Adventure. Specifically, I wanted to make sure Cars Land was done and that most of the major attractions I was hoping to experience, like Pirates of the Caribbean, the Matterhorn, and Indiana Jones Adventure were going to be open.

I went into this wide eyes wide shut. As I may have mentioned before, I’ve done little to no research for this trip. It is going to be an adventure, to which I am very much looking forward. I have never looked at a park map. I don’t know what attractions are there other than by what I have picked up by osmosis through tv specials and friends tweets and foursquare check ins. This is both exciting and frightening at the same time. I’ve grown up going to WDW since 1980, so I know it better than most places I’ve lived. It is home to me. I understand DL and DCA are similar to parks we have here, but different so it will be kind of like a Twilight Zone, deja vu but not kind of experience I’d imagine.

The little homework I have done is to ask friends questions like what attractions should I not miss at night, or what food should I make sure that I experience. I have friends who are Disneyland vets, so why not use their knowledge to help make sure I get the most out of this trip. Now, this is for the most part going to be a solo trip, but I hope to meet up with at least a few friends who either live in the area or are going to be visiting on overlapping dates. I am pretty independent, so the solo trip doesn’t bother me, but I hope I get to share some memories with friends because that would just amplify the awesomeness factor.

The Adventure Begins pt. 1, Friday, August 3

My flight out of Sarasota left, or was supposed to leave around 12:30, but we were delayed about 20 minutes (foreshadowing for all of my other flights on this trip). I headed to Atlanta on my way to SNA (aka Orange County or John Wayne Airport) on a full flight with little trepidation. I am not a fan of flying and had already gotten rid of my nervousness earlier in the morning, but had a backup plan in case I started to have a moment. The flight went relatively well and we ended up getting into ATL only about 10 minutes late, which was fine because miraculously, my departing gate was only a few down from the arriving one. I had enough time to grab a late lunch in a sandwich and some chips as well as a bottle of water since you no longer can get these on planes apparently (it’s been three years since my last confession … wait no, since I’ve last flown).

Again on a full flight and with an equipment change in ATL, my anxiety crept up since they reassigned my seat to a middle seat and nobody around me would change. One of my biggest issues with flying is I am claustrophobic and being in the aisle seat helps alleviate some of the stress I feel being packed in like a sardine in a flying tin can of sorts. So it ended up being necessary to take a xanax and have a drink so I didn’t have a complete panic attack on the 4+ hour flight. Things ended well and we arrived not too long after our expected arrival time. Since I didn’t check any bags I simply headed out to the ground transportation area to catch the SuperShuttle.

I had reserved the shuttle to my hotel online with a coupon, and it only ended up being about $17 round trip after I added a tip back in. It was a nice service, but I did have to wait about 15 – 20 minutes for the shuttle to come and then another 10 minutes for the other scheduled passengers, so just be aware of this in your scheduling. We were on our way and hit traffic as soon as we were on the highway, but it was still only about a 20 minute ride to my hotel and I was fortunate enough to be the first stop. I was happy with the experience since I am used to driving myself and I am generally not a fan of public transportation, but for the money this is a really great option.

When I arrived at my hotel, the Extended Stay America on S. Clementine in Anaheim, it was a few minutes after 7pm PST, so 10pm my time. I had planned on adjusting to California time pretty quickly so I had slept in that morning to try to help the process start. Check in went relatively smoothly and quickly and I was accommodated with both of my requests for a first floor room and near the lobby. I dumped my stuff, grabbed my backpack and park gear and was off on my trek to meet up with the Kilpatrick Family in Disneyland.

The walk from my hotel was about a mile, but with stop lights and crossing streets took about 20 minutes to get to the esplanade between Disneyland and DCA. As I came around the corner from my hotel onto Disney Way, still blocks away from the park, I spotted the Matterhorn at sunset and almost started crying on the sidewalk. I held it together and got to DL without any trouble, took my picture in front of the floral Mickey by the train station and headed on to Main Street USA.

Disneyland and Disney California Adventure sign at the Esplanade

Me in front of the Disneyland train station

Now I’ve walked under the train tracks and on to Main Street in WDW literally hundreds of times. Nothing could have truly prepared me for what I felt that first time at Disneyland. It was the same, but different. Just like everyone says, it is smaller, but quaint. It is like an identical cousin, but not. City Hall is relatively in the same spot, but much smaller. The same with the Emporium and the Fire Station, but then there are things like uniquely named shops like the Magic Shop or the Fortuosity Shop that are totally different. The Cinema is about where our cinema used to be. It reminded me of a line from one of my favorite movies, Sleepless in Seattle, “It was like coming home… only to no home I’d ever known… It was like… magic.”

For those of you who know me well, it comes as no surprise I started crying right there on Main Street. An overwhelming surge of nostalgia for Walt and the company’s humble beginnings came over me and I shed a few tears before moseying towards the hub and Partners statue. My first impression of Main Street itself is that its buildings are shorter in stature, but felt more like an actual Main Street if that makes any sense. It had a more kinetic feel than I get at WDW, a sort of electricity. Maybe it was because it was a Friday night and a popular time for locals to swarm to their beloved park, but it felt like it was buzzing all around me.

After I finally made it to the hub to see Sleeping Beauty’s Castle (it is so cute and pink), I found myself chatting up some guest relations CMs standing guard of the reserved fireworks seating section for Club 33 patrons. They were very curious about WDW and had lots of questions for me and were eager to answer any questions I had about the Disneyland Resort. One of the CMs in particular, Garrett, was very friendly and anxious to supply me with tips. Realizing I had been talking for almost half an hour, I tracked down the Kilpatricks and their friend (now my mutual friend) Gretchen to take a seat and wait for the fireworks show Magical to start at 9:30.

Ah, Magical. It truly was. We sat in the street around the hub eating churros my first night waiting for the show to start with Main Street music playing around us. Ryan, Sally, their kids affectionately known as Her Majesty, 6, and the Hobbit, 10, and Gretchen and I watched the show from the right side of the hub based on Ryan’s excellent recommendation so as to see some of the unique show elements of this fireworks production. It is something you just have to see! Tinkerbell flies, but in a different way than at WDW, and Dumbo flies. Being that it is above Sleeping Beauty’s Castle, Flora, Fauna and Merriwether even get in on the act. One of my favorite moments reminded me of Shelley and me discussing cotton candy preferences as well as other things when they debate between the colors of pink and blue for the fireworks.

Once the fireworks concluded, my friends decided to head out since they had been in the parks going all day having arrived several days earlier. I told them I was going to stick around for another couple hours til the park closed at midnight, but I would coordinate with them to hang out the next morning. They went their separate way and I headed to find Pirates of the Caribbean, which is my favorite ride at WDW, but I had been told DL would blow me away. Since I was in such a daze coming in to the park and forgot to pick up a park map, and I had done no homework, I had to stop and ask a CM how to get to Pirates since the park layout is a bit different and we don’t have a New Orleans Square, which is where I at least knew it was located.

Working my way through the masses in Frontierland heading to get in place for the second of three Fantasmic shows along the Rivers of America, I finally made it to POTC. It was about a five minute wait at this time (around 10:15pm) and I tried to absorb as much detail as I possibly could. The queue is much shorter than our winding and cool caves that serve as refuge from the warm Florida sun and common showers we encounter. The setting is different, appropriately starting in a bayou with quiet sounds from nature and fireflies flickering around the boats. As you gently float on, you pass by the Blue Bayou restaurant on your right hand side, which is open to the ride, similar to how San Angel Inn in Epcot’s Mexico is situated adjacent to Gran Fiesta Tour. The ride is familiar to one coming from WDW, but longer and definitely different in parts. I thoroughly enjoyed this version, but still love the one at home.

Still not knowing where I was going or what I was doing, I found myself exiting pirates and being deposited (after the obligatory exit through the gift shop) right in front of the Rivers of America mere minutes before the second showing of Fantasmic was about to commence. I took this as a sign to go with the flow and found a spot standing right behind the roped off reserved seating area that had a great view directly facing the stage. This show, like the version in Florida is focused around Mickey and the battle of good vs. evil. There are a few show elements here that are different like the dragon, sailing ship Columbia with the pirate fight between Peter Pan and Captain Hook, we have Jafar and they don’t, no Pocahontas in California, and the Mark Twain is a much larger steamboat for the ending, but seemed to have fewer characters than ours.

Peter Pan and Captain Hook fighting on the Columbia

Croc chasing Captain Hook during Fantasmic

Sorcerer Mickey at the finale of Fantasmic

I kept ambling along, sticking to the left after the show, and ran into the Haunted Mansion. The ride is pretty much the same, except for a few minor details. Next I encountered Splash Mountain in Critter Country with about a five to ten minute wait and said what the heck. Sure it is about 11:30 and only in the mid 60s, but I hardly get wet at home, so I’m sure it won’t be much different here. Wrong. I was wearing jeans and they stayed wet up until the day before I left. I had never gotten that wet on any ride at WDW ever. The primary difference is in the logs. In DL, they are singles, whereas at WDW you sit two per row. At DL the log seemed to move faster between the scenes and I got wetter on some of the smaller drops leading up to the big drop. I think at WDW there is a more cohesive story to the attraction. In California there seem to be a few scenes here and there and then fast log ride between them. Expect to get very wet if you ride this. You’ve been warned.

Trippy Tigger in the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh

The last ride I had time to experience was the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. Again, an attraction that is pretty similar to what we have at home, but with some minor differences. I will say the Disneyland version seemed a bit trippier, for lack of a better word, than the Florida version. This was a walk on, which was a nice way to end the evening as it was now 3am back home.

I made my way slowly back the way I had come into Critter Country, through New Orleans Square, but opted to return through Adventureland as opposed to through Frontierland. The nice thing about Disneyland is that it is a bit more compact than the Magic Kingdom. You don’t have the long walkways coming off of the hub. In fact, it is kind of shocking to see the Astro Orbitor a) right off the hub to the right of the Partners statue at the entrance of Tomorrowland, and b) to see it on the ground as opposed to above the Peoplemover.

Realizing I hadn’t eaten anything since the second half of my sandwich from lunch about six hours earlier, I figured it would be a good idea to get a snack before heading back to my hotel. At the request of Shelley, I had a Mickey pretzel with plastic cheese and a cherry Coke, the good kind, with real syrup like from a soda fountain, from the Refreshment Corner. This is located about where Casey’s Corner is at WDW and offers similar fare of hot dogs, pretzels, sodas, etc. The outdoor seating area has a nice view of the castle and enjoys the sounds of Main Street. It is nice that they announce at the end of the night when the park is closing that the shops on Main Street are open for another hour for your shopping enjoyment. This came in handy later in the trip.

Tower of Terror through the trees of Main Street

Entrance to DCA across the Esplanade from DL

First Full Day – Saturday, August 4

The next morning I was pretty much already adjusted to west coast time and made my way to Disney California Adventure a bit before 10am for my first full day in the park. On my walk in I communicated with the Kilpatricks decided to meet them at California Screamin’ since they had an extra fastpass they were graciously offering me. I took my time admiring the beauty of Buena Vista Street as I entered the park. It was like stepping into old Hollywood, and I was in heaven. The details were incredible and I can imagine on my next trip I will spend much more time exploring each little nook and cranny of this section of the park. While meandering through the park, I remembered to pick up a map this time, I happened to catch the Red Car Trolley News Boys performing with none other than Mickey Mouse in front of the Carthay Circle Theatre. What a way to start my day!

Mickey singing and dancing with News Boys

While heading in to the park that morning, I decided I wanted to experience every single attraction between the two parks. On the park maps, there are almost 100 listed (96 actually) and I wanted to do it all in the time I was there. This didn’t include of course the nighttime shows like Magical, Fantasmic, World of Color or parades, those were bonuses. The only things I opted to skip were things that cost additional money like the games on the boardwalk at Paradise Pier in DCA and the Frontierland Shootin’ Exposition and Starcade in Disneyland. Game on!

Eventually I found my way to California Screamin’ and met up with my friends. Ryan, Sally and I rode while Gretchen took the kids. This was probably my favorite ride at DCA! It is a great roller coaster that launches you from one side of Paradise Pier to the other towards Mickey’s Fun Wheel (of Death, okay not really, but if you’ve seen the video of the swinging cars, you understand). There is a loop and it is a really nice length on the ride, longer than most other Disney coasters it seems.

We met up with the rest of the group near Grizzly River Run to get fast passes for World of Color. I noticed that the standby queue said it was only ten minutes and asked if anyone wanted to ride. All were game except Her Majesty who needed a little convincing it wasn’t a scary ride. Luckily, Sally noticed some lockers near the fast pass machines that are free for two hours! This was perfect since most of us had backpacks or purses we did not want drenched. Sally and Gretchen were smart and decided to don ponchos for the ride, at least to sit on, while I was more reckless. Of course I ended up being the chosen one who got more soaked than everyone else. It was a fun ride and now makes me excited to try Kali River Rapids when I get to the Animal Kingdom next time.

Gretchen and Sally modeling the height of fashion for riding GRR

I again parted ways with the Kilpatrick clan and Gretchen to do some exploring on my own. First I went to Cars Land to pick up some fast passes for the three attractions there. One thing I noticed about both Disneyland and DCA is that they do not tend to enforce FP times like WDW is now. This made things a little bit more flexible for me, but I wouldn’t count on this in the future. Continuing my trip the way it started, I chose to explore things organically as I came to them without using a map, so this next brought me to A Bug’s Land. I loved the theming of this area of the park and thought it was neat to have a whole land geared towards little kids. I couldn’t really think of a correlation like this in WDW, but think it would be neat to adopt something like it, maybe in an area like Dinoland. I rode Flik’s Flyers, my favorite of the rides here, which is similar to Dumbo where you are up in the air flying in a circle, but you don’t control your altitude. Next I went to Francis’ Ladybug Boogie, which is like a mini version of Mad Tea Party, followed by Tuck & Roll’s Drive ’em Buggies (bumper cars for kids). The last attraction I did before lunch was Heimlich’s Chew Chew Train, my second favorite in A Bug’s Land. It is a small train that travels through some food Heimlich has eaten and they are scented. It is so cute!

Entrance to A Bug’s Land and Tower of Terror in the background

For lunch I opted to visit the Pacific Wharf area of the park, which is themed after one of my favorite cities, San Francisco. There are great choices like Mexican, Chinese, Ghirardelli and where I ended up, the Pacific Wharf Cafe. They offer great salads, sandwiches and soups featuring bread from the attached Boudin Bakery, which was one of my favorite places I visited when I went to San Francisco. Their sourdough bread is amazing! You can smell it baking in this section of the park and it just draws you in with the enticing scent of freshly baked bread. I had the clam chowder in a sourdough bread bowl at the recommendation of my friend Becca Braunstein, and it was delicious!

Clam chowder in a sourdough bread bowl from Pacific Wharf Cafe

After a heavy lunch like that I thought it best I lay off the rides for a bit. I was also trying to coordinate meeting up with my friends Lee Dralle, Colin Buchanan and Rich Beltran that afternoon. They said they would let me know when they got in the park and we’d try to connect. I decided a post meal drawing lesson at the Animation Academy would be the perfect way to let my food digest. One thing that I thought was really cool was that they posted a sign outside the Animation building listing which characters they would be drawing in each class for the entire day. This way if you had already done a character you could skip it and come back for a different one. As I may have mentioned a few times before, I adore the Animation Academy and try to do it each time I’m at DHS, at least once. So, it occasionally (almost every time) becomes a challenge finding a character I haven’t drawn before. It gets to the point where the instructor just ignores me when polling the class to see if they’ve drawn characters before. I asked the CM about it and she said that it was something brand new that they were testing out listing them up front. I hope we can bring this to Florida as it is a great idea. I noticed they were going to be drawing Jack Skellington next, which is a character I have not yet had the opportunity to draw, but I did make him my pumpkin carving a few years back for Halloween.

When I stepped into the lobby of the Animation building, my jaw just about hit the floor. It is a huge open lobby with gigantic screens of varying sizes circling the room. Music and images play, both stills and animated, from Disney films, immediately immersing you into the environment of animation. It was breathtaking! This became one of my favorite places to hang out. It was beautiful, cool, and there are benches all around the lobby and plenty of floor space if those seats are occupied. A few moments later, I regained my focus and found my way to the Animation Academy queue. Surprisingly, there were very few people lined up only a couple minutes before the class was scheduled to start. When the time came, we filed into the classroom, which is setup kind of like a college lecture hall with tiered bench seating. A lot more guests can be accommodated in these classes, but there were only about a dozen taking the class. Unlike Florida, there are no drawing desks for you to sit at, everyone gets a lapboard. The class went by quickly and I did a passable job for a first attempt at the Pumpkin King.

As you exit the Animation Academy, you are funneled past an area called Character Close Up, which is currently featuring a Toy Story Zoetrope. I was instantly mesmerized by the spinning animation and stopped for a few minutes to watch as it slowed down. I could see the characters carefully positioned slightly differently around the circle so when it spun it appeared as if they were moving. This was so cool showing some of the early stages of animation and movie making.

About this time I was getting texts from both Lee and Colin trying to track me down. I met Lee outside the Animation building before we headed to Dancin’ with Disney to find Colin and Rich. I liked this attraction for what it was, a fun dance party inside in air conditioning with some of your favorite and some more obscure characters. Why we have something like Club 626 outside in Tomorrowland invading the entire land and not something cooler inside in Florida, I have no idea. We briefly met up with Colin and Rich and then decided we would meet up later as Lee and I were heading to go see the Aladdin show and they opted not to.

Oh my goodness, the Aladdin show was incredible! The production quality is unlike anything we seem to have at WDW. I would love to see something of this caliber come to DHS with either Tangled or the Princess and the Frog. The show follows the basic plot of the movie and includes some of the more popular musical numbers as well as some that were cut from the film. If you get the opportunity, I would highly recommend catching this show at some point during your trip. Genie is hilarious and injects current pop culture references, which keeps the show fresh and new each time.

Lee was craving a snack after the show so we popped in to the Carthay Circle Lounge to grab a light bite and a beverage. He ordered the Spicy Chicken Roll and the Vietnamese Twice Cooked Beef Taco and I tried a bite of each. I loved the cilantro flavor of the chicken roll, which was similar to a Vietnamese spring roll served cold. The tacos were awesome! The beef was marinated and served with a fantastic pineapple-mint salsa. I knew I would be coming back to visit again after having tried these great appetizers. Keep in mind that the menus downstairs in the lounge/bar area are different than the one upstairs in the restaurant.

Following the practically perfect rest and food stop, we decided to head to The Little Mermaid – Ariel’s Undersea Adventure since I had yet to check this out and I’m anxiously awaiting ours opening here in the next few months. I really enjoyed this dark ride and it was a nice way to help me get more pumped up for the one we are getting at the Magic Kingdom. Lee and I explored the Redwood Creek Challenge Trail, bounced on the bridges, I almost fell, and a good time was had by all. Next we headed back to Hollywood Land and rode another fun dark ride Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the rescue. This attraction follows the plot of the Monsters, Inc. movie and did a nice job staying true to the story. One of my favorite details is that you can smell the ginger and soy sauce when you are passing through the Harryhousens scene!

The Little Mermaid – they lived happily ever after

Next we went back in to the Animation building for a bit to explore the Sorcerer’s Workshop, which is where you can go into the Magic Mirror Realm, Beast’s Library, and Ursula’s Grotto. Here we were able to see animation, experience which personality yours matched up with of classic Disney characters, and could record voice overs for classic scenes. Colin and Rich wanted to meet up, so we headed towards Cars Land since I had a fast pass for Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree. This may have been the sleeper hit and possibly my favorite in Cars Land. You sit in the back of tractors with 2-3 people total and go in circles and then get flung onto another circle, similar to the tea cups, but you are whipped around the turns. It was so much fun! Lee and I went in one tractor and Colin, Rich and their friend went in another. Since there was space between Lee and me at each turn we would slam into each other. At first it was unintentional, but then we kind of played it up a bit. So much fun!

Colin and company were ready for dinner so they went to Flo’s V8 Cafe. Lee and I weren’t ready for dinner yet since we had our afternoon snack, so we walked to the nearby Blue Sky Cellar, which typically shows what Imagineering is planning for the future. At this time, however, they were showcasing information all about Cars Land. They were even showing one of the cute shorts featuring Mater and the story of how Radiator Springs was founded, which I believe can be found on the Mater’s Tall Tales dvd or blu ray. After walking around for a bit we decided to go hang out with Colin and Rich while waiting for Shboom, the lighting of the neon in Cars Land that takes place each evening right around sunset.

Once the neon was lit, I said good night to the guys and made way to meet up with the Kilpatricks and Gretchen (I feel like this is a band name from the 60s, anyways) to get our spots for the World of Color. Now this was one of the things that I was most anticipating on this trip. I had been on media blackout regarding it. A friend once started playing the music from it and I just about put my fingers in my ears to get him to stop so it wouldn’t be ruined. I watched no video, listened to no music, and wanted to just experience it, so I did something very hard for me, I put my phone away. I took no pictures, video, didn’t tweet, facebook, whatsapp or text. I just was. I had been warned that I would cry, again I’m a bit of a sap. The show did not disappoint, and yes, I did cry, three different times (as well as the two subsequent times I watched the show). It was incredible! The technology is absolutely amazing. I was entranced by the fountains at the Bellagio when I went to Vegas, but this, no pun intended, blew that out of the water. We watched from the yellow section in the wet zone, and thanks to Ryan and company getting there early, were only the second row standing behind the railing against the water. Oh yeah, and you do get wet, even if you aren’t in the wet zone.

I hadn’t done Luigi’s Flying Tires yet and the FP line for Radiator Springs Racers was over an hour wait, as opposed to the standby line at three hours, so we all went for a spin on the tires. This ride was more fun than I had anticipated. It definitely takes teamwork and coordination to move together with the person in your tire. Think of it kind of like a Segway, except you are sitting down, and you lean in the direction in which you want to go. Then they throw large beach balls in the mix and you are on what seems like a giant air hockey table with jets of air coming from below to help you fly. I have heard in the last few days that they have since taken away the balls, which seems interesting to me. Hopefully they will bring them back as they were often the motivators for people to move in one direction or another.

Gretchen and the Hobbit and Ryan and Her Majesty on Luigi’s

Sally and me riding Luigi’s Flying Tires – picture courtesy of Gretchen Swales

Having completed the other attractions in Cars Land, we then returned to see how the FP queue was doing for Radiator Springs Racers. My friends had done it already during the day, but had wanted to try it at night, which looked infinitely cooler to me, so this is why we waited to try it out after dark. The line was slightly shorter, but it still took us a good 35-45 minutes to get through the FP line. The ride was great! I loved having different elements of the Cars films, especially loved the loop by the waterfall with the score playing from when Sally and Lightning are going to the Wheel Well for the first time. You get to travel through Radiator Springs and see all your favorite characters and then you get lined up to race another car side by side. We won our race, which made the waiting all the more worth it. The only bummer was the camera on our side of the ride wasn’t working so we couldn’t get our in ride pictures. Oh well, it was still a blast, especially since we took up the entire six person car.

Getting ready to take off on Radiator Springs Racers

Radiator Springs and Tower of Terror from RSR

On our way out of the park we had the Photo Pass photographer take a few pictures since the Kilpatricks purchased the Photo Pass Plus (a great deal at $70, especially if you are doing a character meal where the pictures there are usually $30 each). We parted ways again and I decided at 11pm I was hungry and Disneyland was still open so I went to get a very late dinner. I made my way to the end of Main Street to the Jolly Holiday Bakery to get a combo that Katie Siloac-Lotoczky and Lee had both recommended: the toasted cheese sandwich and tomato soup. Now I don’t know what they do to this sandwich that is essentially a grilled cheese sandwich cut into strips, but it was absolutely heavenly. They are perfectly designed to be dunked into the tomato soup for your eating enjoyment. It was the perfect meal to end another magical day.

Cars Land at night with Kilpatricks and Gretchen – picture courtesy of Ryan Kilpatrick

Funny faces in Cars Land – picture courtesy of Ryan Kilpatrick

Kilpatrick clan, Gretchen and me at Flo’s – picture courtesy of Ryan Kilpatrick

Kilpatricks, Gretchen and me in Cars Land

Toasted cheese and tomato soup from Jolly Holiday

View of castle from Jolly Holiday Bakery

Stay tuned for parts 2 and 3 of my adventures coming up in the next few weeks!

Tom Cruise sighting at Disney’s Hollywood Studios

While spending a couple hours in Disney’s Hollywood Studios Wednesday evening I thought I would get to do one or two things. I started off with my favorite activity, the Animation Academy and wound up doing that back to back and drawing two characters I’d never done before (Carl from Up and Grumpy).

Then I was going to ride the Great Movie Ride, which is another favorite of mine, but the wait was over 40 minutes. I went to ride Toy Story Midway Mania instead. When I came to the downstairs part of the queue I saw a line of leaders/coordinators against the wall on the side where you exit.

I knew something was going on, but I wasn’t quite sure what, so I asked the cast member after I was in the corral for my ride vehicle. She told me that there was a VIP and that he would be getting off the ride very shortly. She said it would be someone instantly recognizable, but was unable to indicate who he was. I figured I would get my camera ready, just in case it was someone I happened to know, and there came Tom Cruise. I snapped a few pictures before he got out of the vehicle (sorry they are kind of blurry, but it was quick).

The next set of riders got on and he was ushered to a separate backstage entrance. I’ve seen a few celebrities in the parks previous, but never with this many Disney CMs around them. Usually they just have a VIP guide with them or two depending on their party size. Granted I’ve never seen anyone with the celebrity status of Tom Cruise either. After a couple minutes, right before I was supposed to ride, I saw the heard of coordinators come back from the backstage area. Apparently Tom Cruise was going to ride again. I just happened to be in prime position with my camera and switched it to video as he rode by.

httpv://youtu.be/_RudG-2tEJo

This wasn’t exactly how I was planning on my evening going, but it was still kind of fun. At least I got the high score of the hour on TSMM and got to do Animation Academy twice. I missed out on dinner, which forced me to have a dinner of ice cream (okay, just dinner for me maybe) with friends since it took more time waiting for the attraction since it was stopped twice to accommodate Tom Cruise. I think he owes me dinner. 😉

Check out more of our videos here on our YouTube page.

My Happy Place – It Must Be the Dole Whips

The sounds of steel guitars and ukuleles skip across the lagoon and you immediately think “mahalo.” Sun sets off to your left as you sway peacefully in a hammock between two palm trees on the beach and you truly believe you are in heaven. To me, these are just a couple of the things I equate with my happy place, otherwise known as Disney’s Polynesian Resort. Now for those of you who don’t know, I love almost all things Hawaiian. My house is decorated in Hawaiiana, with tropical accents, travel posters, surf boards large and small, hibiscus prints, and even some vintage maps of the islands. This is right up my alley, but let me explain why so many others agree with me in choosing the Polynesian as their favorite deluxe resort at Walt Disney World.

One of three resorts that opened at WDW in 1971, along with the Contemporary and Fort Wilderness, this classic features some of the most beautiful landscaping on property. The resort is situated on the shores of the man made Seven Seas Lagoon and is directly across the lagoon from the Magic Kingdom. It is one of the three monorail resorts that is accessible to the Magic Kingdom, and it also offers boat transportation. I personally prefer the peaceful cruise by resort launch to the theme park as it relaxes me and is often less crowded than the monorails tend to be. The main building, the Great Ceremonial House, is home to the shops and restaurants as well as the front desk and monorail station. There are two shops on the first level in Boutiki and the Wyland Gallery. Boutiki is where you find mostly the latest and greatest Disney gifts and apparel in addition to resort specific merchandise. The Wyland Gallery is home to beautiful oceanographic art, some even featuring Disney characters in the paintings and sculptures. Upstairs you find Samoa Snacks (appropriately named for snacks and drinks) and Trader Jack’s which is aimed more at the kids with clothing, toys and games.

Disney’s Polynesian Resort features standard rooms that accommodate up to five guests plus an infant under three with two queen sized beds and a day bed, in addition to club level rooms and larger suites that can accommodate up to nine plus an infant. This is the only one of the deluxe resorts that can guarantee the bedding of two queens and a day bed, whereas it is a request at the other deluxe resorts aside from Animal Kingdom and Wilderness Lodges which offer two queen beds standard. The rooms are some of the largest at WDW and offer a mini fridge, coffeemaker, ceiling fan, full bath, desk area, complimentary wifi, and either a patio or a balcony.

A great draw to the resort is the variety of restaurants and bars between the Spirit of Aloha Dinner Show (a luau!!!), ‘Ohana, Kona Cafe, Kona Island Coffee/Sushi Bar, Capt. Cook’s, Barefoot Pool Bar, Tambu Lounge, and of course, private dining. Now, being that this is my favorite resort in all of Walt Disney World, I have experienced the majority of these dining experiences with the exception of ‘Ohana for the character breakfast, Kona Cafe for lunch and private dining (WDW’s nomenclature for room service).

The Spirit of Aloha in Luau Cove was a great time with good food and fun for kids and the adults with a story at the beginning and more adult geared cultural information and dances towards the end of the show. Capt. Cook’s is a wonderful counter service location on the first level of the Great Ceremonial House, and is one of only a handful on property that is open 24 hours (the grill is usually closed from 11pm to 6:30am). One of my favorite things ever is here in the self serve dole whip, which you can get in either pineapple, vanilla, or my favorite twist. I have been known to take my dole whip creating to a whole new level. 😉

Kona Cafe is located on the second level of the Great Ceremonial House and features awesome meals for breakfast like the infamous Tonga Toast (which you can also get at Capt. Cook’s), a thick slice of sourdough bread stuffed with sauteed bananas and covered in cinnamon sugar. Another great breakfast find is Kona coffee in a French press and the pineapple macadamia nut pancakes. Lunch and dinner offer nice salads, sandwiches, pot stickers, coconut chicken and an awesome teriyaki strip steak. The adjacent Kona Island Coffee Bar in the morning and Sushi Bar at night, shares the same menu and also offers a few other grab and go items in the morning. The tuna poke at the Sushi Bar is one of my go to quick, but delicious sushi meals on property. It is awesome being able to watch the sushi chefs prepare your meal right in front of you if you are lucky enough to get a seat right at the counter.

Kona Cafe pineapple macadamia nut pancakes

Now if you like meat ‘Ohana is the place for you to go for dinner. The restaurant has an open concept and serves their meals family style, bringing the meat straight from the open wood fire grills. Shrimp, pork, chicken and beef are served off of giant skewers that are brought table side by the servers. Side dishes are just as tasty as the meats and accompanying dipping sauces. The salad features a honey lime vinaigrette that is one of the best in my opinion. Coconut bread, asian noodles, pot stickers and broccoli are also served with the meal. And then comes dessert. The bread pudding. Oh my goodness the bread pudding. Now in general, I am not a fan of bananas cooked in things or banana flavored food, despite the fact I love bananas themselves, but the bread pudding at ‘Ohana and the Tonga Toast at either Capt. Cook’s or Kona seem to be the exception to the rule. I don’t know what they do to it, but that bread pudding is magical. Thank goodness it is all you care to eat because you will be asking (maybe even begging) for more! As I mentioned, I haven’t had the breakfast at ‘Ohana, but I have heard great things about it and have snuck in to take a few pictures for the sake of reporting back to you fine folks. It looks like it is a great time with Mickey and friends (please be aware characters may vary), which on the day I visited featured Mickey in a very festive Hawaiian shirt as well as Pluto, Lilo and Stitch.

Tambu Lounge is probably my favorite place to stop for an adult beverage at Disney World. It offers great views of the grounds and even a peek at Cinderella Castle across the lagoon. On top of this, it also is home to one of my favorite drinks, the backscratcher. This is not for the faint of heart as it consists of rum, more rum and some Jack Daniels, along with some tropical fruit juice and is typically garnished with an orange, a cherry, and of course a backscratcher. No, I’m not kidding. The drink is served in a hurricane type glass and comes with a backscratcher, which is usually placed in your drink by the bartender. It is fruity, but not too sweet, and hits the spot if you are just looking for a nice drink to help you unwind while in this tropical paradise. They also make a killer zombie as well as the standard fare found in almost all the bars across property. If pool bars are more your thing, check out the Barefoot Pool Bar for gorgeous views of the Nanea Volcano Pool and the beach as well as the Magic Kingdom. If mom and dad want to have an evening to themselves while enjoying a few cocktails they can always look into enrolling the kids (ages 3-12) at the Neverland Club from 4pm – 12am. This is the Children’s Activity Center located right at the Polynesian and offers a kid’s club atmosphere with dinner, snack, movies, games, arts and crafts (call for pricing). Hey, parents are on vacation too you know!

Speaking of pools, the Polynesian offers two: the aforementioned Nanea Volcano Pool, which is the main theme pool complete with a slide running down the volcano and zero entry at one end, and the quiet pool. For views, I don’t think the main pool can be beat with a beautiful panorama of the beach and lagoon as well as a direct sight line to Cinderella Castle. The only thing I feel the resort is lacking is a hot tub. They offer great private cabanas with poolside service, restrooms and showers by the pool, hammocks on the beach, lounge chairs and the bar. Other recreation options at the resort can be found in pool activities and games like trivia, name that tune, diving for toys in the pool and dance parties. The resort also has its own marina, called the Mikala Canoe Club. Sea Raycers, pontoon boats, Boston Whalers, sailboats and bicycles can all be rented here. For those who favor more of the indoor activities, the Polynesian also has an arcade called Moana Mickey’s, which is next to Capt. Cook’s on the first level of the Great Ceremonial House.

The beach at the Polynesian is beautiful and offers sweeping views of the Magic Kingdom resort area with the Wedding Pavilion and Grand Floridian to the left, the Magic Kingdom straight ahead, and Bay Lake Tower and the Contemporary to the right. One activity that I love to partake in when I stay at the Polynesian is the nightly movie on the beach. Each night (subject to cancellation due to inclement weather), the resort inflates a large movie screen and sets up lounge chairs on the beach for guests to watch a Disney movie free of charge. This is a great way to spend a nice evening at the resort relaxing after being on the go in the parks all day. Sometimes they even set up a small fire pit and sell smores kits or marshmallows to roast. Another classic, not to be missed nighttime display is the Electrical Water Pageant, which has been around since the 1970s, shortly after the resort opened. If you are lucky, you may even be able to time it right to where you can see Wishes from the beach of the Polynesian with the water pageant in front of you. Talk about magic!!!

I don’t know what it is about this resort that makes it just feel like home to me. Maybe it is the welcoming smell of grilled meats and the flickering tiki torches along with the mellifluous sounds of familiar (to me) Hawaiian music. Or it could be that I have a hammock on the beach that I have claimed as my own and I have spent many hours there enjoying the sounds of the faint train whistle off in the distance of the Magic Kingdom across the water. Perhaps it is the aesthetically pleasing tropical decor found across the common areas of the resort and in the rooms. Backscratchers are always a compelling draw, but no, I think it must be the dole whips. 🙂

Please check out my youtube video of some more pictures from the Polynesian.

Cooling Off at Winter Summerland – Summer Course

One of my favorite activities outside the parks is playing miniature golf at Walt Disney World. There are four courses between the two miniature golf locations: Winter Summerland with the Winter and Summer courses and Fantasia Gardens with the Gardens and the Fairways courses. You can see some great pictures here that Shelley took of the Winter course from when we played last year. I have played all four of the courses at WDW, but the Summer course is definitely my favorite. It is a great place to escape the parks to slow down and enjoy a nice afternoon with family or friends. Now that the miniature golf courses are included in the Water Parks Fun & More option (before 4pm only), it makes it even easier to sneak away for a quick 18 or even 36 holes. Course hours are typically 10am to 11pm, weather permitting, so please call ahead if it looks questionable. Regular fees are $12. ages 10 and up and $10. for children 3 – 9. There are also great discounts for Annual Passholders and Cast Members at 50% off as well as half off second rounds if anyone wants to play another 18.

Disney does theming and attention to detail better than almost anyone else, and this is a huge part of what makes this miniature golf experience even more magical than your average putt putt place. The course is designed by Santa’s elves and themed around some of your favorite summer activities like fishing, going to the beach, surfing and building sand castles. Each hole has a sign introducing it with a clever tip with instructions on to how to best attack the hole to get the best score. Some of my favorite details are the names on the surfboards and inner tubes, as well as the bumper stickers on the “elfstream” trailers. I think it is great that the Imagineers took the time to put such great care in to creating these courses.

Each time I visit the Winter Summerland courses it makes me feel a little bit cooler, and happier (jollier?) with the great Christmas theme, even if I’m playing the warmer themed Summer course. I imagine the Christmas music playing in the background doesn’t hurt in setting the mood. This is one of my favorite things to do on a warm summer evening and I have a feeling I’ll be sneaking off for a round sometime in the very near future. Have you ever played these courses or Fantasia Gardens? Do you have a favorite? What are some of your favorite details? Let me know.

httpv://youtu.be/g4_TdshI26o

I’m including the gallery of pictures as well if you want to click to see some of the details a bit better. Enjoy!