Players
Me, Wendy 35 year old High School Biology Teacher
Mum, Doreen, 72 year old going through her second childhood!
Well this was our usual summer extravaganza! I save all year to spend a month in the US and usually spend some time in either WDW or Disneyland. For the past 5 years we have also done a DCL cruise. So with the Magic moving to the West Coast for the 50th celebrations we decided to do all 3! Well I decided to do all 3 mum just says yes I pay and she drives so it a perfect arrangement.
Ive split this report into the three parts but will link them at the end. Be warned they are long!
Saturday 16th July
A very early start. I had loaded most of the cases into the trunk the night before but still had the last ones to go in did these in my PJs before having a shower and waking mum. We were on the road by 4.15am and checked in by 7am. We got wonderful exit seats and so it was a very comfortable flight and we arrived early. After getting our luggage we went to the shuttle area to wait for our shuttle. For some reason whoever we book with we always do a tour of the suburbs. Prime Time was no different but we were in Anaheim by 11am. We checked into the Carousel our favourite hotel there, if there is no line at security it takes 10 mins from our room to the park but as expected our room wasnt ready. We went to Mimis and had breakfast and Mum went back to the hotel to wait but I went exploring. I walked around Downtown Disney, picked up our guided tour tickets, my $20 voucher from ESPN and had a drink at Whitewater snacks I always forget about the Territory lounge at the Grand Californian.
Retrieved mum and our room was ready. After a very quick swim and nap we got ready for the Laughing Place meet. We went to one in 2003 and had such fun I hoped to make this years one. Well I think I was one of the first to big the dinner and I am so glad we did. We made our way to the Disneyland Hotel again congratulating ourselves for not being able to stay here honestly the walk from it is longer from our hotel! The usual uncomfortable minutes while you know nobody but soon familiar faces came to say hallo. The time passed very quickly and we were soon making our way to the venue. Here I got totally confused as I thought we were going the wrong way in the time we had been away the numbers had grown so much that the had to change the venue! Thank goodness we were following others!
The meal was wonderful and we had the pleasure of not only sitting next to a wonderful group of LPers but also Margaret Kerry who was the original model for Tinker Bell what an inspiration she is. We had a quiz but I didnt win it this time. The dessert was fantastic! A chocolate mouse in the shape of the Golden Mickey ears. Then we moved upstairs for the Golden Doobie awards. We also heard the voice of Pinocchio, Dickie Jones, the voice of Goofy, Bill Farmer, Terri Harden who designed some of the Tinker Bell merchandise and of course Margaret Kerry. We got back to the room about 12.3Oam. quite a few went immediately to stand in line!
Sunday 17th July
Happy 50th Birthday Disneyland!
Well we got up early and watched the news and saw that everybody was getting free golden ears at the park! We were in line by 7.30am and had a great family behind us to chat too. It took us an hour to get through security and that was the longest line we had all day. We were in the park by 8.45am, got the free golden ears, the souvenir guidebook with the original opening day map the cast members couldnt be nicer and even said we could go from park to park and come back this I found hard to believe but it was true! We soaked up the atmosphere and made our plans. We wanted to see the opening ceremony so I left mum in as good a spot as we could get and I went to get the free cupcakes our nutritious breakfast! and a drink. Time passed quickly and they had loads of stuff on the jumbo trons. I spent time speaking to an adorable baby who had the most amazing eye lashes. At just after 10 the celebration started. Bob Eiger, Michael Eisner (who did wear the golden ears this time) and Art Linklater led them. It was also Arts 93rd birthday and although he was led down in a wheelchair he walked onto the stage unaided. He spoke for quite a while. Arnold
Schwarzenegger also made a speech and was presented with a golden motorcycle, which he is going to donate to raise money for Californian after school programmes. Diane Disney Millar then spoke and was presented with a special photo of her father walking up to the castle on Opening Day neither she, her sister or her mother had been at the opening day Walt had told them that he had enough to worry about without worrying about them! Doves were released as were fireworks.
We then went to grab a bite to eat. We shared a fruit platter at the Bengal barbeque stand after I got fast passes for Indiana Jones. Then we did Pirates and I went to get some fast passes. We really didnt expect to do any rides but it really wasnt as crowded as expected. Also a lot of people were in queues for merchandise. We heard later there were rumours that they limited attendance to 50000 and they only closed the park for a short while at 12. We soaked up the atmosphere and then went to the Blue Bayou I was lucky enough to get a reservation here, as there was a 2-hour wait!!! I had the Monte Cristo (deep fried ham and cheese french toast) and mum had the blackened chicken Caesar salad. We wanted to share a dessert but it took ages for the waiter to come and then he brought out more cup cakes! However we eventually ordered a molten chocolate soufflé and had the cup cakes to go. When we looked at the bill later they didnt charge for the soufflé.
We did Indianna Jones then Splash Mountain and got absolutely soaked! We also managed to do Buzz Light year and see the original opening ceremony before we went back to the hotel. We had a quick nap and then went back for the fireworks. They were absolutely spectacular. We had thoughts of staying for the last showing of Fantasmic but after fighting the crowds to do Pirates we called it a day. We finished the evening off with McDonalds.
Me, Wendy 35 year old High School Biology Teacher
Mum, Doreen, 72 year old going through her second childhood!
Well this was our usual summer extravaganza! I save all year to spend a month in the US and usually spend some time in either WDW or Disneyland. For the past 5 years we have also done a DCL cruise. So with the Magic moving to the West Coast for the 50th celebrations we decided to do all 3! Well I decided to do all 3 mum just says yes I pay and she drives so it a perfect arrangement.
Ive split this report into the three parts but will link them at the end. Be warned they are long!
Saturday 16th July
A very early start. I had loaded most of the cases into the trunk the night before but still had the last ones to go in did these in my PJs before having a shower and waking mum. We were on the road by 4.15am and checked in by 7am. We got wonderful exit seats and so it was a very comfortable flight and we arrived early. After getting our luggage we went to the shuttle area to wait for our shuttle. For some reason whoever we book with we always do a tour of the suburbs. Prime Time was no different but we were in Anaheim by 11am. We checked into the Carousel our favourite hotel there, if there is no line at security it takes 10 mins from our room to the park but as expected our room wasnt ready. We went to Mimis and had breakfast and Mum went back to the hotel to wait but I went exploring. I walked around Downtown Disney, picked up our guided tour tickets, my $20 voucher from ESPN and had a drink at Whitewater snacks I always forget about the Territory lounge at the Grand Californian.
Retrieved mum and our room was ready. After a very quick swim and nap we got ready for the Laughing Place meet. We went to one in 2003 and had such fun I hoped to make this years one. Well I think I was one of the first to big the dinner and I am so glad we did. We made our way to the Disneyland Hotel again congratulating ourselves for not being able to stay here honestly the walk from it is longer from our hotel! The usual uncomfortable minutes while you know nobody but soon familiar faces came to say hallo. The time passed very quickly and we were soon making our way to the venue. Here I got totally confused as I thought we were going the wrong way in the time we had been away the numbers had grown so much that the had to change the venue! Thank goodness we were following others!
The meal was wonderful and we had the pleasure of not only sitting next to a wonderful group of LPers but also Margaret Kerry who was the original model for Tinker Bell what an inspiration she is. We had a quiz but I didnt win it this time. The dessert was fantastic! A chocolate mouse in the shape of the Golden Mickey ears. Then we moved upstairs for the Golden Doobie awards. We also heard the voice of Pinocchio, Dickie Jones, the voice of Goofy, Bill Farmer, Terri Harden who designed some of the Tinker Bell merchandise and of course Margaret Kerry. We got back to the room about 12.3Oam. quite a few went immediately to stand in line!
Sunday 17th July
Happy 50th Birthday Disneyland!
Well we got up early and watched the news and saw that everybody was getting free golden ears at the park! We were in line by 7.30am and had a great family behind us to chat too. It took us an hour to get through security and that was the longest line we had all day. We were in the park by 8.45am, got the free golden ears, the souvenir guidebook with the original opening day map the cast members couldnt be nicer and even said we could go from park to park and come back this I found hard to believe but it was true! We soaked up the atmosphere and made our plans. We wanted to see the opening ceremony so I left mum in as good a spot as we could get and I went to get the free cupcakes our nutritious breakfast! and a drink. Time passed quickly and they had loads of stuff on the jumbo trons. I spent time speaking to an adorable baby who had the most amazing eye lashes. At just after 10 the celebration started. Bob Eiger, Michael Eisner (who did wear the golden ears this time) and Art Linklater led them. It was also Arts 93rd birthday and although he was led down in a wheelchair he walked onto the stage unaided. He spoke for quite a while. Arnold
Schwarzenegger also made a speech and was presented with a golden motorcycle, which he is going to donate to raise money for Californian after school programmes. Diane Disney Millar then spoke and was presented with a special photo of her father walking up to the castle on Opening Day neither she, her sister or her mother had been at the opening day Walt had told them that he had enough to worry about without worrying about them! Doves were released as were fireworks.
We then went to grab a bite to eat. We shared a fruit platter at the Bengal barbeque stand after I got fast passes for Indiana Jones. Then we did Pirates and I went to get some fast passes. We really didnt expect to do any rides but it really wasnt as crowded as expected. Also a lot of people were in queues for merchandise. We heard later there were rumours that they limited attendance to 50000 and they only closed the park for a short while at 12. We soaked up the atmosphere and then went to the Blue Bayou I was lucky enough to get a reservation here, as there was a 2-hour wait!!! I had the Monte Cristo (deep fried ham and cheese french toast) and mum had the blackened chicken Caesar salad. We wanted to share a dessert but it took ages for the waiter to come and then he brought out more cup cakes! However we eventually ordered a molten chocolate soufflé and had the cup cakes to go. When we looked at the bill later they didnt charge for the soufflé.
We did Indianna Jones then Splash Mountain and got absolutely soaked! We also managed to do Buzz Light year and see the original opening ceremony before we went back to the hotel. We had a quick nap and then went back for the fireworks. They were absolutely spectacular. We had thoughts of staying for the last showing of Fantasmic but after fighting the crowds to do Pirates we called it a day. We finished the evening off with McDonalds.