rgoble5972
Are we there yet?
- Joined
- Feb 4, 2001
Friday, December 10, 2004 -- Brakes?! There *are* no brakes!
CAST
Robin 41 Trip planner/recorder
Bill/Dad/Husband of Dianne 66
Dianne/Mom/Wife of Bill 63
Lisa/Sister/Wife of Lemuel/Mother of Michael 43
Lemuel/Brother-in-law/Husband of Lisa/Father of Michael 37
Michael/Nephew/ONLY Grandchild of Bill and Dianne 11
Paula/Sister/Wife of Wes 31 Sparkly Princess
Wes/Brother-in-law/Husband of Paula 31
I woke up at 5:00 only to find Paula sitting up in bed in the dark. Theres bugger all to do at 5:00 in the morning! she said, Im glad someone else is up. I hopped in the shower and then Paula got hers while I dried my hair. Mother, who was up in the other room, heard the blow dryer and came in to tell us that they were all awake as well.
We were all dressed and ready and met in the lounge around 6:30 for breakfast (bagels and cream cheese, toast, English muffins, cereal, fresh fruit, banana bread, etc.).
After wed eaten, Paula and I decided to go down to the gift shop while everyone finished up their breakfasts. We bought a few pins and things, including a Minnie Mouse antenna topper to replace one that was taken from the antenna of the Mini Cooper (get ita *Minnie* on a *Mini*? That just keeps getting funnier every single time I hear it!) which belongs to that most famous of all trip report writer Larry Wilmots wife, Jill. Yes, we trip report writers have to stick together. Actually, we know that, at any given time, chances are pretty good that some trip report writer will be at some Disney park, so requests of this nature are easily taken care of. As luck would have it, Paula and I are supposed to meet Larry and his family in (of all the un-Disney places) New York City after the first of the year, so well be able to deliver the antenna topper in person. I will however be sure to have him reimburse me the cost of the topper, since he still owes me $5 for mentioning him in my last trip report. Yes friends, its a little known fact that Larry will pay $5 (American moneyhes too mean to pay in pounds sterling, at least as long as the exchange rate is so skewed for us Americans) for every time you mention him in a trip report. He pays $6 if you misspell his last name. Honest. Would I lie? (Dont answer thatits a rhetorical question!)
After we finished in the gift shop we went to sit by the fireplace for a bit. We called Mom and she said that everyone was still in the lounge. She told us to *stay right there* and they would be down shortly. We got tickled because that statement only prompted Paula and me to immediately get up and go upstairs. Actually, we had decided that the morning was still pretty nippy (although the temperature was supposed to be in the high 80s today) so we went back to the room to put on some more shirts. We all left for Disneyland at 8:15.
We walked to the entrance of the park through Downtown Disney and were on Main Street by 8:30. While Mom and Dad went to rent an ECV, Paula and I took the opportunity to get our pictures made with Alice in Wonderland and then with Aurora and Prince Philip.
Well since Ive mentioned Larry Wilmot once already (and since I have to finance these trips to Disney somehow) Ill take this opportunity to mention that he has something of a reputation (along with his son, Greg) as being able to spot ways to acquire additional Fast Passes outside the normal means of collection. Now Im not saying that he does anything illegal, just merely that he seems to be good at spotting flaws in the system and then exploiting those flaws. So, imagine my delight, when I heard about an anomaly in the Fast Pass system at DLR. Ever willing to test out new hypothesis, purely in the name of science of course, I arrived at Disneyland with a plan.
Since its rather time consuming to move eight people along, we decided that one or a few of us at most would be the designated Fast Pass gathers, while the rest of the group took their time and came along at their own pace. This morning, Paula, Wes, Michael and I were the runners. We made our way to the end of Main Street and at rope drop headed straight to Indiana Jones for Fast Passes there. The plan was to get Fast Passes for Indy and the Haunted Mansion, and then to meet the rest of the group in front of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (BTMRR) in order to ride that attraction.
When we got to IJ, we were dismayed to discover that the Fast Pass machines werent working. We left Wes there in case the rest of our group came that way and Paula, Michael and I went to the Haunted Mansion. We were frustrated to find that the Fast Pass machines werent working there either. We back-tracked to Indy where we were able to get passes for that ride now. Perhaps it takes a few minutes to boot up the Fast Pass computers once the parks are opened.
Fast Passes for Indy in hand, we went back to the Haunted Mansion where we were able to get Fast Passes now as well. (WoohooLarry would be so proud.) We made our way to BTMRR where we met up with Mom and Lisa. Dad and Lemuel were just coming off the ride which they had been on 3 times in a row. Paula, Wes, Michael, Lemuel and I quickly got back in line and were able to ride three times in a row as well without ever having to get off the train.
After the wildest ride in the West, we went to Indiana Jones (stopping to get another Fast Pass since the return time window for ours was now open) and everyone rode using our first Fast Passes. This was Michaels first time to ride IJ because he was too small the last time he was at DL and he thought the ride was way cool.
Next, we went to the Haunted Mansion to use our Fast Passes there. Mother wasnt looking forward to this ride because, since her knee replacement surgery, her sense of balance is a bit off and she doesnt like having to step on any kind of moving walkway. I assured her that they would stop the doom buggies to let her board.
The CM working the Fast Pass/handicapped entrance let her bring her ECV on into the HM and into the stretch room. He told us to wait until the rest of the guests cleared out of the room, and then he would lead us to the loading area. We waited as we were told and then we made our way, with Mother still on her ECV, along the hall with the changing portraits and toward the loading area. Instead of going to the right and getting in the doom buggies in the conventional way, however, we were directed to the left where there was a small area to leave the ECV. They stopped the conveyor belt for Mother and everyone was loaded into their buggies with the instructions to stay in them after the ride was over and they would bring us back here to unload everyone.
The ride was good as usual, but we were more fired up about getting to stay on the doom buggies for a quick glimpse back stage. Sure enough, the CM at the end of the ride reminded us to stay in our seats and we rode through a back stage area before emerging once again in the loading area. The conveyor belt was stopped and we all got off the ride and then got to go back into the stretch room (still fully stretched) and back up to ground level that way. So, where Mother was afraid she was going to be an annoyance for us, she actually provided us with a really neat part of the tripgetting to ride up in the stretch room and getting a glimpse back stage in the doom buggies.
When we came out of the HM, Michael and Lemuel went off to get Fast Passes for Splash Mountain and then we went back to Indiana Jones to use our second set of Fast Passes. Mother and Lisa decided to sit this one out so the rest of us went back onto the ride. This time, Michael got to sit in the drivers seat and he was nervous about his newly acquired duties as chauffeur and navigator. As our jeep started moving into the ride, the announcement that the vehicle may need its brakes tested brought on complete panic. Brakes? he yelped as we were whisked off into the dark, There *are* no brakes!
Despite his worries, Michael was fine as driver of the Jeep. Even Indy himself, at the end of the ride, said that he did a good job. Michael was so proud of the praise that we didnt have the heart to tell him that there had been no real driving involved.
After the ride we met up with Mom and Lisa who had gone to the River Belle Terrace to get a coke. It was 11:45 by now so Michael and Lemuel left to go ride Splash Mountain while the rest of us debated where to eat lunch. We needed something quick in order to be at City Hall by 1:00 for our Holiday Time Tour.
No one had a map of the park so I went off on a quest in search of one. I found out that all the custodial CMs (white shirts and burgundy trousers) carry park maps and show schedules.
Wes had mentioned that hed like to try a turkey leg to see what all the fuss was about and Dad was obsessed with having a meal with meat. Apparently, eating the snacks in the concierge lounge the day before hadnt satisfied his desire for a real meal and he wanted some real food (as opposed to the fake food we had the day before apparently!). I regretted not being as familiar with the restaurants and counter service places here as I am with the ones at WDW since it was hard to make suggestions on where to eat when I hadnt tried most of the places and couldnt give an idea of the type of food they served beyond the small description on the guide map.
We finally decided on the Carnation Café on Main Street but found a 20 minute wait when we arrived so we just ducked into the Blue Ribbon bakery for some sandwiches instead (a sandwich and soft drink $10.32). Lisa ordered for Lemuel and Michael who werent off Splash Mountain yet. We took our food toward the Refreshment Corner at the castle end of Main Street and found a couple of tables where we could eat. Lemuel called and we told him where we were. He and Michael arrived a few minutes later with Michael very tired and hungry because they had had to hurry from Splash Mountain in order to have time to eat.
We were finished with time to spare and made our way to City Hall where we checked in and received our ornaments that marked us as tour participants. There were several groups waiting for tours and three groups (including ours) that were taking the Holiday Time Tour. Our guide was Mary Jo and she rounded us up and began the tour. One of the rules was that every time you saw another tour group, your group wanted to be the first to shout out Happy Holidays! There was another kid on the tour besides Michael and they both got a kick out of keeping an eye out for the other groups.
I wont go into all the details of the tour (Hey, now. No sense in cheering like that and hurting my feelings!) but a couple of the things that we learned was that, yes, the Christmas tree on Main Street was real (a Shasta Fir) and that it had 5,000 lights on it. While this might have impressed some people, it was no big deal to me because the day before we left on this trip I had put 2,400 lights on my little seven-foot tree (Im a big fan of Christmas lights on a treealthough Im sure some people would argue that size does matter and the 5,000 lights on the Main Street tree were bigger than the 2,400 lights on our tree). I was impressed however by the 500,000 lights on the outside of Its a Small World.
We made several stops for Mary Jo to point out various holiday decorations or traditions before we arrived at the entrance to the Haunted Mansion, one of the rides that were included on the tour. By this time, Michael was fading fast after his dash across the park from Splash Mountain and Lisa was getting sunburned. Mother decided that she would take Michael back to the hotel and let him rest and Lisa went with them to get out of the sun. Dad took Moms ECV to ride and the rest of us carried on with the tour.
One gripe about the ECVs at Disneyland is that they only have one speedsloooooooooooooooooow. Dad wasnt able to keep up with the pace that Mary Jo was walking and so she tended to get way ahead of him. While this wouldnt have been a problem with someone who was familiar with their way around the park because Mary Jo always announced where we were headed next, we were worried that Dad wouldnt know which way to go next. So, we all stayed behind with him in order to show him the way to the next stop.
The tour ended up in front of IASW (another ride that we went on with the tour) where we sang The Twelve Days of Christmas, with each member of the tour assigned a different day. I believe I was the Ten Lords a Leaping. At one point in the tour, while we were between Fantasyland and Toontown, Mary Jo gave everyone time for a restroom break. Paula and I decided that wed dash over to Peter Pan to see if we could get Fast Passes to ride it later. Much to our dismay, we discovered that Peter Pan is not a Fast Pass ride. In fact, none of the rides in Fantasyland have Fast Pass distribution.
The best part of the tour was the great seats (yes, and I do mean seatsactual chairs) that we had for the afternoon parade (Which starts at 4:00, by the way. Maybe thats why What time is the 3:00 parade? is one of the most-asked questions.). The chairs were set up right along the parade route with no one in front of them. Mary Jo brought us our collectible mugs of hot chocolate and our snowman cookies, apologizing that it was a rather warm day and usually the hot chocolate sounded better. We also got a Holiday Time Tour pin. Then we sat in comfort after the long afternoon of walking and enjoyed the parade.
After the parade was over, we stopped into a pin shop in Tomorrowland where we could pick up the lanyards and pins that came with our package. I also bought an Annual Passholder pin and a Tower of Terror pin.
Tonight we had a priority seating at the Blue Bayou for 6:10. After the parade, I called Mom to see if they were going to feel like coming back to the park for dinner. I said that they could pick up the train on Main Street and ride it around to New Orleans Square in order to save their tired legs from walking the whole way. We agreed to meet at the train station at 5:45.
Everything was pretty crowded by now, but we decided to tough it out and wait for Peter Pan. We took our trip to Neverland and were off the ride by 5:40. I called Lisas phone and they were just about to board the train to New Orleans Square, so our timing was pretty good. I sent Wes, Paula and Dad on ahead to check us in at the Blue Bayou, and Lemuel and I went to the train station to meet Lisa, Mom and Michael.
Mother said they had stopped by the lounge on their way out and the hot hors doeuvre this evening was shrimp quesadillas. She had brought one for us to try and some cokes for everyone. We met up with the rest of our group at the Blue Bayou. There were several Christmas parties going on at Club 33 and we got to see the foyer of the club several times as people were granted admittance.
We didnt have to wait too long before our table was ready. The CM waiting on our table brought a pirate hat, which Paula was lusting after, for Michael (they had the kids menu on it). Mother asked if Paula could have a hat as well and the CM brought enough for everyone. Mom, Dad, Wes, and Paula all ordered the pork tenderloin, Lisa and Michael had the steak and shrimp special, Lemuel had the Shrimp Brochette, and I had a shrimp cocktail, a bowl of gumbo and a dinner salad. Everyones food was delicious and there was much sharing of bites and swapping of food all around.
We were finished with dinner around 7:30. Mom and Dad decided to head back to the hotel while the rest of us voted to stay. We went to check on the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, but the ride was down. The CM said to check back in about 30 minutes.
Lisa and Lemuel went off to ride the train while Paula, Wes, Michael and I rode Pirates of the Caribbean again (it seemed fitting after our dinner at the Blue Bayou). We went and checked on Winnie the Pooh next and it was up and running. Its very similar to the ride at WDW except that you dont get to bounce with Tigger. We looked through the Pooh gift shop afterwards.
Wes and Paula were tired so they decided to go to Main Street (with a quick ride on the Jungle Cruise on the way) and wait for us outside the fire station and maybe decorate a cookie while they were there. This is something that we did last trip and thoroughly enjoyed it. You can purchase sugar cookies for about $3 at various locations throughout the park. You get your choice of two colors of icing and two kinds of sprinkles to use to decorate your cookie. This works well with several people because you can get a bigger variety of icing colors and sprinkles.
Michael wanted to ride the Matterhorn again, so he and I headed that way. There was about a 15 minute wait, which wasnt too bad. Lemuel called while we were in line and said that they were by Splash Mountain, which had no wait. I told him that Id bring Michael to him after the Matterhorn so they could ride and Lisa and I would watch the fireworks.
We got off the Matterhorn at 9:15 (the fireworks were to start at 9:30the park was open till midnight) and made a beeline for Critter Country. I dropped Michael off with Lemuel, and then Lisa and I headed back towards Main Street. The fireworks were about to start and we were having to hustle. Lisa swears that I trampled at least 5 people, but I think shes exaggerating a bitIm fairly sure it couldnt have been more than 3 or 4.
We watched the fireworks from the hub on Main Street. They were very good, but not as impressive as Wishes in Florida, I didnt think. After the fireworks, while we werent in the direct line of the snow, we could see it from where we stood, and its always neat to watch.
After the snow, Main Street became an impenetrable mass of people, none of which seemed capable of moving. We finally made our way to the end of Main Street where we met up with Paula and Wes. The cookie decorating had already been closed for the evening when they arrived (to make room for people to watch the fireworks and snow) so they didnt get to decorate any. They were tired and so they headed back to the hotel while Lisa and I waited for Lemuel and Michael.
When they arrived, they were ready to go as well so they all went back to the hotel while I stayed behind to look around in Downtown Disney for a while. I went back to the hotel around 10:30 and began to update my trip report notes and check email. Everyone else was fast asleep by 11:00 and I joined them around 12:30.
CAST
Robin 41 Trip planner/recorder
Bill/Dad/Husband of Dianne 66
Dianne/Mom/Wife of Bill 63
Lisa/Sister/Wife of Lemuel/Mother of Michael 43
Lemuel/Brother-in-law/Husband of Lisa/Father of Michael 37
Michael/Nephew/ONLY Grandchild of Bill and Dianne 11
Paula/Sister/Wife of Wes 31 Sparkly Princess
Wes/Brother-in-law/Husband of Paula 31
I woke up at 5:00 only to find Paula sitting up in bed in the dark. Theres bugger all to do at 5:00 in the morning! she said, Im glad someone else is up. I hopped in the shower and then Paula got hers while I dried my hair. Mother, who was up in the other room, heard the blow dryer and came in to tell us that they were all awake as well.
We were all dressed and ready and met in the lounge around 6:30 for breakfast (bagels and cream cheese, toast, English muffins, cereal, fresh fruit, banana bread, etc.).
After wed eaten, Paula and I decided to go down to the gift shop while everyone finished up their breakfasts. We bought a few pins and things, including a Minnie Mouse antenna topper to replace one that was taken from the antenna of the Mini Cooper (get ita *Minnie* on a *Mini*? That just keeps getting funnier every single time I hear it!) which belongs to that most famous of all trip report writer Larry Wilmots wife, Jill. Yes, we trip report writers have to stick together. Actually, we know that, at any given time, chances are pretty good that some trip report writer will be at some Disney park, so requests of this nature are easily taken care of. As luck would have it, Paula and I are supposed to meet Larry and his family in (of all the un-Disney places) New York City after the first of the year, so well be able to deliver the antenna topper in person. I will however be sure to have him reimburse me the cost of the topper, since he still owes me $5 for mentioning him in my last trip report. Yes friends, its a little known fact that Larry will pay $5 (American moneyhes too mean to pay in pounds sterling, at least as long as the exchange rate is so skewed for us Americans) for every time you mention him in a trip report. He pays $6 if you misspell his last name. Honest. Would I lie? (Dont answer thatits a rhetorical question!)
After we finished in the gift shop we went to sit by the fireplace for a bit. We called Mom and she said that everyone was still in the lounge. She told us to *stay right there* and they would be down shortly. We got tickled because that statement only prompted Paula and me to immediately get up and go upstairs. Actually, we had decided that the morning was still pretty nippy (although the temperature was supposed to be in the high 80s today) so we went back to the room to put on some more shirts. We all left for Disneyland at 8:15.
We walked to the entrance of the park through Downtown Disney and were on Main Street by 8:30. While Mom and Dad went to rent an ECV, Paula and I took the opportunity to get our pictures made with Alice in Wonderland and then with Aurora and Prince Philip.
Well since Ive mentioned Larry Wilmot once already (and since I have to finance these trips to Disney somehow) Ill take this opportunity to mention that he has something of a reputation (along with his son, Greg) as being able to spot ways to acquire additional Fast Passes outside the normal means of collection. Now Im not saying that he does anything illegal, just merely that he seems to be good at spotting flaws in the system and then exploiting those flaws. So, imagine my delight, when I heard about an anomaly in the Fast Pass system at DLR. Ever willing to test out new hypothesis, purely in the name of science of course, I arrived at Disneyland with a plan.
Since its rather time consuming to move eight people along, we decided that one or a few of us at most would be the designated Fast Pass gathers, while the rest of the group took their time and came along at their own pace. This morning, Paula, Wes, Michael and I were the runners. We made our way to the end of Main Street and at rope drop headed straight to Indiana Jones for Fast Passes there. The plan was to get Fast Passes for Indy and the Haunted Mansion, and then to meet the rest of the group in front of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (BTMRR) in order to ride that attraction.
When we got to IJ, we were dismayed to discover that the Fast Pass machines werent working. We left Wes there in case the rest of our group came that way and Paula, Michael and I went to the Haunted Mansion. We were frustrated to find that the Fast Pass machines werent working there either. We back-tracked to Indy where we were able to get passes for that ride now. Perhaps it takes a few minutes to boot up the Fast Pass computers once the parks are opened.
Fast Passes for Indy in hand, we went back to the Haunted Mansion where we were able to get Fast Passes now as well. (WoohooLarry would be so proud.) We made our way to BTMRR where we met up with Mom and Lisa. Dad and Lemuel were just coming off the ride which they had been on 3 times in a row. Paula, Wes, Michael, Lemuel and I quickly got back in line and were able to ride three times in a row as well without ever having to get off the train.
After the wildest ride in the West, we went to Indiana Jones (stopping to get another Fast Pass since the return time window for ours was now open) and everyone rode using our first Fast Passes. This was Michaels first time to ride IJ because he was too small the last time he was at DL and he thought the ride was way cool.
Next, we went to the Haunted Mansion to use our Fast Passes there. Mother wasnt looking forward to this ride because, since her knee replacement surgery, her sense of balance is a bit off and she doesnt like having to step on any kind of moving walkway. I assured her that they would stop the doom buggies to let her board.
The CM working the Fast Pass/handicapped entrance let her bring her ECV on into the HM and into the stretch room. He told us to wait until the rest of the guests cleared out of the room, and then he would lead us to the loading area. We waited as we were told and then we made our way, with Mother still on her ECV, along the hall with the changing portraits and toward the loading area. Instead of going to the right and getting in the doom buggies in the conventional way, however, we were directed to the left where there was a small area to leave the ECV. They stopped the conveyor belt for Mother and everyone was loaded into their buggies with the instructions to stay in them after the ride was over and they would bring us back here to unload everyone.
The ride was good as usual, but we were more fired up about getting to stay on the doom buggies for a quick glimpse back stage. Sure enough, the CM at the end of the ride reminded us to stay in our seats and we rode through a back stage area before emerging once again in the loading area. The conveyor belt was stopped and we all got off the ride and then got to go back into the stretch room (still fully stretched) and back up to ground level that way. So, where Mother was afraid she was going to be an annoyance for us, she actually provided us with a really neat part of the tripgetting to ride up in the stretch room and getting a glimpse back stage in the doom buggies.
When we came out of the HM, Michael and Lemuel went off to get Fast Passes for Splash Mountain and then we went back to Indiana Jones to use our second set of Fast Passes. Mother and Lisa decided to sit this one out so the rest of us went back onto the ride. This time, Michael got to sit in the drivers seat and he was nervous about his newly acquired duties as chauffeur and navigator. As our jeep started moving into the ride, the announcement that the vehicle may need its brakes tested brought on complete panic. Brakes? he yelped as we were whisked off into the dark, There *are* no brakes!
Despite his worries, Michael was fine as driver of the Jeep. Even Indy himself, at the end of the ride, said that he did a good job. Michael was so proud of the praise that we didnt have the heart to tell him that there had been no real driving involved.
After the ride we met up with Mom and Lisa who had gone to the River Belle Terrace to get a coke. It was 11:45 by now so Michael and Lemuel left to go ride Splash Mountain while the rest of us debated where to eat lunch. We needed something quick in order to be at City Hall by 1:00 for our Holiday Time Tour.
No one had a map of the park so I went off on a quest in search of one. I found out that all the custodial CMs (white shirts and burgundy trousers) carry park maps and show schedules.
Wes had mentioned that hed like to try a turkey leg to see what all the fuss was about and Dad was obsessed with having a meal with meat. Apparently, eating the snacks in the concierge lounge the day before hadnt satisfied his desire for a real meal and he wanted some real food (as opposed to the fake food we had the day before apparently!). I regretted not being as familiar with the restaurants and counter service places here as I am with the ones at WDW since it was hard to make suggestions on where to eat when I hadnt tried most of the places and couldnt give an idea of the type of food they served beyond the small description on the guide map.
We finally decided on the Carnation Café on Main Street but found a 20 minute wait when we arrived so we just ducked into the Blue Ribbon bakery for some sandwiches instead (a sandwich and soft drink $10.32). Lisa ordered for Lemuel and Michael who werent off Splash Mountain yet. We took our food toward the Refreshment Corner at the castle end of Main Street and found a couple of tables where we could eat. Lemuel called and we told him where we were. He and Michael arrived a few minutes later with Michael very tired and hungry because they had had to hurry from Splash Mountain in order to have time to eat.
We were finished with time to spare and made our way to City Hall where we checked in and received our ornaments that marked us as tour participants. There were several groups waiting for tours and three groups (including ours) that were taking the Holiday Time Tour. Our guide was Mary Jo and she rounded us up and began the tour. One of the rules was that every time you saw another tour group, your group wanted to be the first to shout out Happy Holidays! There was another kid on the tour besides Michael and they both got a kick out of keeping an eye out for the other groups.
I wont go into all the details of the tour (Hey, now. No sense in cheering like that and hurting my feelings!) but a couple of the things that we learned was that, yes, the Christmas tree on Main Street was real (a Shasta Fir) and that it had 5,000 lights on it. While this might have impressed some people, it was no big deal to me because the day before we left on this trip I had put 2,400 lights on my little seven-foot tree (Im a big fan of Christmas lights on a treealthough Im sure some people would argue that size does matter and the 5,000 lights on the Main Street tree were bigger than the 2,400 lights on our tree). I was impressed however by the 500,000 lights on the outside of Its a Small World.
We made several stops for Mary Jo to point out various holiday decorations or traditions before we arrived at the entrance to the Haunted Mansion, one of the rides that were included on the tour. By this time, Michael was fading fast after his dash across the park from Splash Mountain and Lisa was getting sunburned. Mother decided that she would take Michael back to the hotel and let him rest and Lisa went with them to get out of the sun. Dad took Moms ECV to ride and the rest of us carried on with the tour.
One gripe about the ECVs at Disneyland is that they only have one speedsloooooooooooooooooow. Dad wasnt able to keep up with the pace that Mary Jo was walking and so she tended to get way ahead of him. While this wouldnt have been a problem with someone who was familiar with their way around the park because Mary Jo always announced where we were headed next, we were worried that Dad wouldnt know which way to go next. So, we all stayed behind with him in order to show him the way to the next stop.
The tour ended up in front of IASW (another ride that we went on with the tour) where we sang The Twelve Days of Christmas, with each member of the tour assigned a different day. I believe I was the Ten Lords a Leaping. At one point in the tour, while we were between Fantasyland and Toontown, Mary Jo gave everyone time for a restroom break. Paula and I decided that wed dash over to Peter Pan to see if we could get Fast Passes to ride it later. Much to our dismay, we discovered that Peter Pan is not a Fast Pass ride. In fact, none of the rides in Fantasyland have Fast Pass distribution.
The best part of the tour was the great seats (yes, and I do mean seatsactual chairs) that we had for the afternoon parade (Which starts at 4:00, by the way. Maybe thats why What time is the 3:00 parade? is one of the most-asked questions.). The chairs were set up right along the parade route with no one in front of them. Mary Jo brought us our collectible mugs of hot chocolate and our snowman cookies, apologizing that it was a rather warm day and usually the hot chocolate sounded better. We also got a Holiday Time Tour pin. Then we sat in comfort after the long afternoon of walking and enjoyed the parade.
After the parade was over, we stopped into a pin shop in Tomorrowland where we could pick up the lanyards and pins that came with our package. I also bought an Annual Passholder pin and a Tower of Terror pin.
Tonight we had a priority seating at the Blue Bayou for 6:10. After the parade, I called Mom to see if they were going to feel like coming back to the park for dinner. I said that they could pick up the train on Main Street and ride it around to New Orleans Square in order to save their tired legs from walking the whole way. We agreed to meet at the train station at 5:45.
Everything was pretty crowded by now, but we decided to tough it out and wait for Peter Pan. We took our trip to Neverland and were off the ride by 5:40. I called Lisas phone and they were just about to board the train to New Orleans Square, so our timing was pretty good. I sent Wes, Paula and Dad on ahead to check us in at the Blue Bayou, and Lemuel and I went to the train station to meet Lisa, Mom and Michael.
Mother said they had stopped by the lounge on their way out and the hot hors doeuvre this evening was shrimp quesadillas. She had brought one for us to try and some cokes for everyone. We met up with the rest of our group at the Blue Bayou. There were several Christmas parties going on at Club 33 and we got to see the foyer of the club several times as people were granted admittance.
We didnt have to wait too long before our table was ready. The CM waiting on our table brought a pirate hat, which Paula was lusting after, for Michael (they had the kids menu on it). Mother asked if Paula could have a hat as well and the CM brought enough for everyone. Mom, Dad, Wes, and Paula all ordered the pork tenderloin, Lisa and Michael had the steak and shrimp special, Lemuel had the Shrimp Brochette, and I had a shrimp cocktail, a bowl of gumbo and a dinner salad. Everyones food was delicious and there was much sharing of bites and swapping of food all around.
We were finished with dinner around 7:30. Mom and Dad decided to head back to the hotel while the rest of us voted to stay. We went to check on the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, but the ride was down. The CM said to check back in about 30 minutes.
Lisa and Lemuel went off to ride the train while Paula, Wes, Michael and I rode Pirates of the Caribbean again (it seemed fitting after our dinner at the Blue Bayou). We went and checked on Winnie the Pooh next and it was up and running. Its very similar to the ride at WDW except that you dont get to bounce with Tigger. We looked through the Pooh gift shop afterwards.
Wes and Paula were tired so they decided to go to Main Street (with a quick ride on the Jungle Cruise on the way) and wait for us outside the fire station and maybe decorate a cookie while they were there. This is something that we did last trip and thoroughly enjoyed it. You can purchase sugar cookies for about $3 at various locations throughout the park. You get your choice of two colors of icing and two kinds of sprinkles to use to decorate your cookie. This works well with several people because you can get a bigger variety of icing colors and sprinkles.
Michael wanted to ride the Matterhorn again, so he and I headed that way. There was about a 15 minute wait, which wasnt too bad. Lemuel called while we were in line and said that they were by Splash Mountain, which had no wait. I told him that Id bring Michael to him after the Matterhorn so they could ride and Lisa and I would watch the fireworks.
We got off the Matterhorn at 9:15 (the fireworks were to start at 9:30the park was open till midnight) and made a beeline for Critter Country. I dropped Michael off with Lemuel, and then Lisa and I headed back towards Main Street. The fireworks were about to start and we were having to hustle. Lisa swears that I trampled at least 5 people, but I think shes exaggerating a bitIm fairly sure it couldnt have been more than 3 or 4.
We watched the fireworks from the hub on Main Street. They were very good, but not as impressive as Wishes in Florida, I didnt think. After the fireworks, while we werent in the direct line of the snow, we could see it from where we stood, and its always neat to watch.
After the snow, Main Street became an impenetrable mass of people, none of which seemed capable of moving. We finally made our way to the end of Main Street where we met up with Paula and Wes. The cookie decorating had already been closed for the evening when they arrived (to make room for people to watch the fireworks and snow) so they didnt get to decorate any. They were tired and so they headed back to the hotel while Lisa and I waited for Lemuel and Michael.
When they arrived, they were ready to go as well so they all went back to the hotel while I stayed behind to look around in Downtown Disney for a while. I went back to the hotel around 10:30 and began to update my trip report notes and check email. Everyone else was fast asleep by 11:00 and I joined them around 12:30.
