Disneyland Trip Reports
Topic: DL Surprises for Pattens, Part 3

#	Author	Message
1	TinkerbellPatten Wed 6/4/2008 8:21p	Friday morning we slept in again. Oops. We didn't mean to. But we didn't get to the park until 11 a.m. We had a nice surprise while sitting on a bench at the Partners statue... Here comes a car full of characters: Pluto, Chip, Dale, Donald, Goofy... followed by Mickey leading the DL marching band! The band looked fantastic in their blue and white marching band uniforms, Mickey included. It was a fun surprise. Lunched at Rainforest Cafe which is never relaxing (too loud) but the kids like it. After this we returned to DL and boarded the Columbia! Hubby was very happy about this and the rest of us were pleased for him too. We "sailed" without sails around TSI and took lots of pictures (this is a beautiful ship IMO) Went back to DCA where I helped the kids get over their phobia of Tower of Terror. They've both ridden it exactly once on a previous trip and both were traumatized by it, mainly because of the head-trip Twilight Zone immersion of the experience more than the drop-factor. I told them there's only one way to get over their fear: conquer it! So we rode it together (minus hubby who was unwilling to conquer his fear) and both kids were thrilled to have overcome the fear factor! Both were very proud of themselves, saying it wasn't as bad as they remembered it. Now DS16 cannot freak out his little sister by singing the Twilight Zone tune any more. After this we enjoyed the Aladdin show. Our second time to see it, there were several new jokes. Once again, so impressive. IMO it's worth the trip to DCA if only for Aladdin. And Soarin.' We closed out DCA with the Electrical Parade. A favorite fond memory of my childhood and hubby's too. So great to see it again and the kids were hugely impressed by it. Then we joined the mass exodus to DL and viewed the fireworks in the square between the parks. We got caught in the logjam and it turned out to be a nice spot to view fireworks, with the flag flying at the DL train station making a nice foreground. Old Glory never looked so good to me (feeling patriotic here) and it was every bit as special as seeing fireworks at the castle, IMO even though we couldn't see the low-elevation ones. I'm glad I got to see them with Old Glory and I'll try to see them from this vantage point again. After this we made it back into DL to close out the park on this, our last day. As usual, we hit BTMRR as our very last attraction as is our tradition. It's a family favorite and we like it even better at night. We dragged ourselves back to Hojos and as I laid my poor body out onto the new heavenly bed, way after midnight... I felt my pulse beating in the soles of my feet. My feet are still recovering days later. But it was so worth it. In many respects, this was the best trip ever. The Dream Fastpasses. The much-better Haunted Mansion. The perfect weather. Yes the park began to get crowded as the week progressed but we still had a fabulous time. None of us got sick this time. (A risk we take during the holidays is it's the height of cold/flu season and we have frequently paid the price for this.) Lines were way too long for Indy during this trip, probably because the movie just came out and all the promo. Fastpassing it is the only way to go. The line for Soarin' was 90 minutes long at one point. A CM there said it was because they were cleaning one of the screens so we didn't get to do it on that day. We never get enough of this attraction. If I'd ride it 100 times, I'd still want to ride it again. Once again, Disneyland calls us back. We want to go again in the fall and spend more time in Fantasyland. We felt we didn't do it justice on this trip. It's something fun to look forward to, save for, and plan for. The planning is my favorite part. Thank you to all of you LPers who are so helpful with all of your great information. You've always made our trips even better than it would have been otherwise.
2	Mrs ElderP Thu 6/5/2008 8:05a	I'm like your kids--I like the actual drops in ToT, but the pre show freaks me out. I just tell myself over and over, "it's only a ride, I've done it before, I'll do it again, it's only a ride, I've done it before, I'll do it again... " all through the pre show!
3	TinkerbellPatten Thu 6/5/2008 6:23p	I agree, MrsE... the immersion into the Twilight Zone is done very well!
4	SoThisIsLove Tue 6/10/2008 1:24p	So very happy you had such a great trip! And yeah, we'll have to meet. You and Mr Love have Tinkerbell in common. :) Isn't that adorable? We're completely patriotic folks too, so I can only imagine how lovely the fireworks were for you. And the characters and band practically being delivered to you at the hub? How special. Pixie dust at work, for sure! We'll have to try BTMRR at night. Can't say that I've done that...
5	amazedncal2 Wed 6/11/2008 6:23p	Sounds like you truly had a wonderful vacation. I hope your feet have recovered by now :) I'm so glad that you got to ride on the Columbia. It's always a treat to see it sailing by and the below decks are fun to check out. Makes one feel very "Piratey" ;) Thanks for sharing your fun with us, I really enjoyed reading your report.
6	disneylandfan8 Wed 6/11/2008 8:14p	TinkerbellPatten, thank you so much for sharing your trip! I enjoy reading all about other people's trips! The Columbia is hard to find running and I am glad you were able to ride it! And, yes, the feet are always the ones that suffer! Glad you had a great time!
7	TinkerbellPatten Wed 6/11/2008 9:31p	Thanks to all for the kind words! STIL, yes we will have to meet. We live up in the Verde Valley (Cottonwood/Camp Verde area) so we don't get down to the Valley often. But I'd like to get together some time when we're down there. I've always wanted to attend an LP meet.

All times are Pacific Time (US)

Note: Information on the discussion boards is sometimes based on rumors or incorrect information and should not be assumed true. Messages do not necessarily reflect the opinion of LaughingPlace.com or its editors.

< Previous Topic

Next Topic >

You must be a registered user to post messages.
Click here to register.
After registration you will automatically be brought back to this topic

Laughing Place Podcast
A Happy New Year from the LPP. This week it's Lion King in Vegas, new Johnny Depp movies, Adventurer's Club last night, recent dining experiences, our favorites at Hollywood Studios, reader mail, the Captain's Challenge and more.

What's on
The Latest
A Frightfully Good Time Awaits Disney Cruise Line Guests this Halloween
Disney’s Animal Kingdom Welcomes Fourth Baby Giraffe This Year
El Capitan Theatre presents The Nightmare Before Christmas Oct 17-23 and Oct 30-Nov 1
The NAMM Foundation and Disney Channel Announce Sequel to 'Disney's High School Musical: The Music in You' Grant Program
“Entertainment Facility Project” To Be Discontinued
Disney & More One Day Sale October 18th
High School Musical 3 European Premiere photos
Disney Cruise Line Sets Sail For Russia, Northern Europe and Mediterranean in 2010
LP Guide to Sleeping Beauty 50th Anniversary Platinum Edition update
Tokyo Disneyland Resort record attendance

Click here for The Latest