Lori Wagner
A WDW Veteran in King Walt's Court
August 2003

8/8 Friday
Cast of Characters: Lori (solo day!)

I decided not to have a wake up call, for various reasons. For one thing, I didn't know if the hotel offered a wake up call service. I had an alarm clock near the bed, so I did have an alternative. Since I also had a two-hour time zone change, I figured I'd probably be up on my own early anyway.

I was right. I woke up at 6am, well before the alarm. The continental breakfast was offered between 7am-9am, and I took advantage of it. The selection of muffins, croissants and bagels was impressive, and they had fruit, some cereal, plus milk and a wide variety of beverages. I loved the chocolate muffins!

I was able to get on the first shuttle to Disneyland at 7:30am and we waited about 5-10 minutes for other guests before going to the park entry plaza. I couldn't see it, but I was able to hear the opening ceremonies with the Disneyland Band. Characters would come out while the band played. Nice touch.

I was on a mission to see if my Walt Disney Travel Company specialty park pass truly did allow multiple Fast Passes without waiting. So, I picked up a Fast Pass at Indy, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Haunted Mansion within minutes. Wow! What a cool little perk! I was very impressed that I could do this. I thought I'd walk over to Splash Mountain and ride, but it was still closed to the public, as was Winnie the Pooh across the way. I was surprised that these weren't working.

I was well and truly turned around. I knew I was somewhere in Critter Country, and I kept walking, where I found a nearly deserted corridor that led to Fantasyland. I was surrounded by lots of trees, and it reminded me of being at Animal Kingdom. I managed to see one of Disneyland's famous cats that wander around, but I couldn't take a photo of it. Other tourists coming from the opposite direction scared it back into the trees.

The first thing I wanted to see was Peter Pan's Flight, for I knew it would have the longest lines later. The ride in CA is a bit different. I love the fiber optics lighting London at night, but I think I like the attraction better overall at WDW. My mission this trip was to make sure I saw the attractions exclusive to Disneyland, so I headed to Pinocchio's Daring Journey.

There was no line. Interesting, since Peter Pan's Flight was about a 10-minute wait. I practically walked on this one. I don't know why this ride didn't have a longer line, because I enjoyed it. Of course, when I saw the doors that led to "Pleasure Island", I was half-hoping I'd see the Adventurer's Club. No such luck.

The crowds were already starting to pick up a bit. I was happy to finally see the Storybookland Canal Boats, as this attraction was under refurbishment when I took my first trip to Disneyland in 1996. This was a complete "new to me" attraction. While I was waiting, I spotted an opportunity to implement my Pin Pixie idea. I gave two girls in front of me in line a couple of pins, explaining why I was giving away pins to kids to trade with cast members or others. They were very appreciative to get an extra pin to trade or keep, without having to give up any of their own! I told their motherthat I did it to promote the TheMouseForLess.com website.

While I was on the canal boat, I decided to get some pictures, and Figment wanted to get in the photos, too. In some pictures, he looks like he's Godzilla, ready to rampage the village. The cast member taking us through the canal was highly amused by Figment's antics, so I obliged Figment by taking his photo with her.

By this time, I was ready to use my Fast Passes. On my way towards the opposite side of the park, Figment had more photo ops with the Cheshire Cat and the Frontierland Indian statue. I used some of my Fast Passes, but I did ride Splash Mountain with the single riders' line at the exit. The waits were starting to exceed an hour, so I decided to go to Disney's California Adventure. While Disneyland opened at 8am, DCA didn't open until 10am. It worked well for me to see a lot of the "E Ticket" attractions as early as possible and hop to the other park.

I was really impressed with my first glimpse of the new theme park. There is a sun sculpture at the end of the park entrance, and it gleamed with the sunlight hitting it. Beautiful. I didn't dawdle, because I knew that I wanted to ride Soarin' Over California as soon as possible!

The lines were already long, so I picked up a Fast Pass and stood in the single riders' line. In this case, the single riders and the Fast Pass return people went into the same entrance, so the single riders were issued blue slips of paper to distinguish them from Fast Pass guests. Test Track similarly issues slips of paper, but I noticed that I didn't need slips for the single riders' lines that form at the exits, like Indy and Splash Mountain.

I think I waited about 15 minutes to be ushered to my "hangar", and I
was lucky enough to be the last person for Hangar C, row 1. Each hang glider simulator is divided into three sections, A – C, and they are three rows each. B-1 will seat you smack dab in the middle, front row. But, as they loaded hangar C, the first person had to move to the far right, end of the aisle. So I sat very close to center. Fans of "The Emperor's New Groove" will recognize Patrick Warburton in the safety pre-show video as the actor who voices Kronk, Izma's dumb henchman.

I safely stowed my gear under the seat, strapped in, and FLEW! I know that from the minute my feet left the ground, I must have had the biggest, goofiest smile on my face. I felt that I was shoved into that IMAX film! The oranges sadly reminded me that Horizons at Epcot is long gone. (I'm hoping Mission: Space will help me recover.) My view was as close to perfect as I could have, and I was glad I had the Fast Pass for later.

Immediately after the show, I stayed to watch the DCA version of "streetmosphere". There were three improv comedians dressed as aviation mechanics, and I give them lots of credit for being dressed like that in 100-degree weather. I did my part in making suggestions for their improv guessing games. For instance, when they needed an item of clothing, I suggested hip waders.

I had time to wander a bit, but then I realized that I wanted to have plenty of time to wait for the Aladdin show. I was about to head to the Hollywood Pictures Backlot, but I nearly got run over by a moveable stage, complete with a noisy ska band. They were incredibly annoying, but I could be a tad prejudiced by the fact that I was nearly DCA roadkill.

I arrived at the Hyperion Theater early, not knowing if there would be crowds for this show. I was aiming for the 12:45pm first show, and I arrived around 12:05 or so. The interesting thing is the queue is outside, with only small palm trees spaced FAR apart for any cover in the brutal heat. Ack. The queue is also separated into three maze-like sections, so you have to pick Orchestra (lower level), Mezzanine (a first balcony level, like a loge or dress circle) and Balcony (high level). The cast member I talked to suggested that I would have a decent view at Mezzanine level.

Since there were hardly any people waiting when I went into the queue, I stood under one of the palms near the front of my queue until the crowds started to pack in. And pack they did! I was very glad I went early, because I tried to get as close to first row, center, as I could. I managed a great seat at second row, near center. I should note that there were a lot of stairs to climb, so I don't know if those with mobility issues will be able to pick the Mezzanine or Balcony areas. I'm just glad I didn't pick Balcony, because the stairs were toning my calves enough already.

When the show started, I was impressed by how the sets and lighting looked as good as any theater production I've seen in Chicago. The little girl next to me wasn't so happy. The opening scene freaked her out. Perhaps it was too loud for her. There are not enough words to describe how cool this show is. There are lots of fun surprises, and if it was stretched to two hours, it could easily become a Broadway show. Genie seemed a little off in his joke delivery, but it was still a great show.

I went back to use my Fast Pass for Soarin' Over California, but this time, I was put into the second row. It made a difference. I could see the feet of the people in front of me, and I definitely think the first row is worth the wait. It was still a lot of fun, but it didn't match the feeling I had the first time I saw it.

I had a really expensive corn dog lunch at Paradise Pier, and I really should have gone to White Water Snacks at the Grand Californian, instead. While I was at Paradise Pier, I managed to make quick work of Mulholland Madness, a "wild mouse" coaster that's similar to Primeval Whirl, except the cars don't spin. I'm glad that I didn't have to wait in line for it, for a long line wouldn't have been worth it. The ride is ok, but not worth a long line.

The Maliboomer also had a long line, not worth a wait for the amount of time you spend on it. The thrill itself was a lot of fun, because it's themed to be the "strong man" contest where you hit a mallet to try to ring the bell for a prize. Well, on this ride, you are the little shooter that rings the bell! I felt like I was on a champagne cork that just popped. Wheeeee! The city of Anaheim made Disney put plastic shields on the harnesses, and they look like sneeze guards. They're actually scream guards, since the noise level would not make the Anaheim residents very happy.

I followed my back-to-back single rider experience with a trip on Grizzly River Run. Where did I go? The single riders' line. Do I detect a pattern here? Did I mention that I LOVE that there are tons of single riders' lines at these parks?

This line required the special slips of paper handed to you by a cast member, so I had to grab one (the slip, not the cast member… although he was cute!) and head to the exit to ride. I did get wet, but not the buckets o' water dumped on my head at Islands of Adventure. I had some nasty "water in the face" moments, though. It felt good on this hottest of days.

After I got off the ride, the heat was starting to get to me, so I looked on the map for the first aid station to cool down for a while. It was 3:30pm, and I was starting to wilt. The station is very close to the Mission Tortilla Factory in Pacific Wharf. Even though I made sure I drank lots of water due to the high heat, I knew that I needed a break.

I was very impressed with the place. There was a bucket with a sign that stated that I could feel free to take one of the cold damp washcloths to cool down. So I placed one on my forehead and sank into a large leather chair. The cloth and air conditioning did me a world of good, and I made sure I drank plenty of water. I wanted to nap, but I basically watched the comings and goings of all the people who needed first aid. I was there for an hour!

Since I was in Pacific Wharf, I took the bread tour, where Rosie O'Donnell and Colin Mochrie (of Whose Line is it Anyway?) amused me with the video tour of how sourdough bread is made. Immediately after, Figment and I enjoyed the Mission Tortilla Factory tour/demo, and he was jealous of the fresh, warm tortilla the cast members give as samples. The cast members at the demo kitchen took pity on him, giving him his own tortilla.

I wandered a bit, and I thought I heard Neil Diamond singing. As I came closer to the music, I saw them. The Neil Diamond tribute band, "The Fantastic Diamonds". They all wore sparkly shirts, with the lead singer in red with the band in black. They were good, but it cracked me up. Next thing you know, DCA will try to find a Barry Manilow tribute band.

I was originally supposed to go to Club 33 on Sunday evening, but since the plans had to be canceled, I decided to treat myself to dinner at the Vineyard Room restaurant. What a gem this place was! I was there early, about 5:15pm, and there was nobody dining at that time. The restaurant is upstairs from the wine tour area, semi enclosed, but with the feeling you're in an outdoor café. The only thing that reminded me that I was in a theme park was the loudspeaker announcing the next Aladdin show.

I decided that I wanted to splurge on the three-course meal with wine pairings. My server Patti brought me bread, and there were bottles of olive oil and balsamic vinegar to dip the bread into. Since I know next to nothing about wine, I asked Patti to suggest wines with whichever choices I made for each course.

I chose the wild mushroom soup as my starter, even on a hot day. I love soup *that* much. My main course was veal, and the dessert was a trio of chocolate and amaretto flavored items. Before the soup arrived, a chef brought me a small appetizer, an "amuse bouche", which roughly translates into, "My mouth is having a party, and this tasty offering is invited." It was simple. Olives were sautéed with garlic and roasted almonds. It was really good, but I know I wouldn't be able to duplicate it at home.

The wild mushroom soup with white cheddar accents arrived next, with a white wine called Arneis. The wine was a palate cleanser, which made each spoonful of soup after a sip of wine taste like the first taste that hits your mouth. It was a great suggestion.

They were running a bit late with the veal, but I hadn't minded since I was catching up on my trip notes. They offered to give me the fourth course "on the house", since they had a three or four-course meal, so I could have had a pasta dish. I wasn't hungry enough for that much food, so I thanked them and declined. I tend to have a strange lack of appetite during theme park vacations, for some reason.

Ken, the head server or manager (I didn't know which), came by my table to apologize for the wait, even though Patti had also done so. Ken asked if I wanted a different main course as a substitution, because my order would take an additional ten minutes. It did seem odd that they had been running late when the restaurant wasn't crowded, but I told Ken that I'm happy relaxing with my wine.

I told Ken, "It's ok with me." Ken replied, "Well, it's *not* ok with me." At that point, Ken surprised me by telling me that he's going to comp the food portion from my bill. I was only charged for the wine! I was so shocked by how wonderful Patti and Ken were. Patti had not only suggested the wines I had, but she was able to give me some wonderful background information about the wine, because she also led some of the wine tasting tours. This was probably the best service I've ever had in any restaurant, and I gave Patti a tip well beyond the 20 percent of the original bill's total, the biggest tip I have ever given in my life. Even then, I still came out with a huge bargain. The veal was good, when it did eventually arrive.

Figment enjoyed the wine with me, and the Leaping Lizard Merlot was a good pair with the veal. I had port with dessert, and Patti suggested taking a sip of port while I still had some chocolate from the dessert in my mouth. I did. Whoa…. it was incredible. She did warn me that port can seem like cough syrup, but it's really good in combination with certain things. It certainly worked with chocolate sorbet! I had a chocolate sorbet, a "pots de crème" (another word for a fancy chocolate pudding), and an amaretto mini pound cake trio, and it was all delicious. I highly recommend this restaurant and Patti in particular!

I didn't feel like watching the electric parade, so I called a friend while I was heading back to the hotel. Amy and I were talking for a while, and suddenly I heard large booming noises outside. I opened the shutters to reveal that I could see the Disneyland fireworks from inside my $77 a night room at the Candy Cane Inn! I needed to make it an early night, because I didn't want to push myself too hard before my trip barely started.

I was supposed to meet MFLers in the morning, Cheryl and her family, and Donna and her family. Cheryl's family was also staying at the Candy Cane Inn, so I decided to call them before I got ready for bed. I must have been so pumped up from being at Disneyland that I was talking way too fast for Cheryl to keep up! We agreed upon a meeting place in the morning, so I went to bed soon after speaking with Cheryl.

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