Break time Get-a-Way: Disneyland Bound
I started to tell you how excited I was to be going on vacation to
Disneyland during my last post.
Day 1: No Beach Time
Road Trip- we departed Arizona at 6am sharp. I had packed the night before
(more like weeks before) including clothes, snack bags and other odds and ends.
The ride was full of conversation between Jordon and me. It was fun pointing
out the different features along the road that reminded us of our past. Both of
us had early childhoods in California. Martin was listening to music, reading
his guitar magazine or fast asleep most of the ride. I was so excited, I may
have annoyed Jordon a little by my constant chitter chatter. I was just so
excited to be free for a couple of days. We took Jordon's car so Jordon held
the rules of a road and where it led us. He liked to go straight through- only
stopping for gas. Therefore, our road trip wasn't like many other was had taken
consisting of stopping at every casino and attraction that caught our eye. I
took joy in seeing what I like to call the "windmills". I think they
are more like energy producing fields though. They are huge and fascinating. Everything
about them makes you notice all their details- how big or small they are and
what their shapes consist of. The scenery was breathtaking- parts of the desert
was green due to all the rain we have received.
We arrived in Anaheim, CA at 11:30am. The weather was perfect sitting in its
80's. We rolled the windows down and rolled through downtown- right next to the
Anaheim Angels Stadium and the famous Honda entertainment center. We were
delighted to see all the nice upgrades Motel 6 made. They were very accommodating
when they let us check in early and placed us in side-by-side rooms, facing the
Disneyland Park so that we had a nice view of the Disneyland firework
spectacular.
Once we were settled, we headed to Hooters for lunch. We shared an order of
fried pickles, I had the chicken strips and Jordon and Martin ordered the
buffalo shrimp. The food was good. Since it was lunch hour, they advertised a
special of $1 martinis! I don't usually drink, so I figured... why not, I'm on
vacation! I ordered the Key Lime Pie Martini. The picture was very attractive.
It was rimmed with graham cracker and complete with a lime slice. Needless to
say, what I received tasted like milk with vodka in it with NO rimmed graham
cracker and NO lime slice. When I asked the waitress about it, she said that
was how they came and she didn't even think they had graham crackers. I could
see her talking with her manager and could tell they were talking about us. The
manager never came to the table, the drink was never drank, and we paid for it.
FAIL. Don't ever go to the Hooters in Anaheim by Disneyland! One positive is we
played and won a fun game of trivia while we awaited our food.
Did I mention that I forgot my debit card?! What a ding-dong I was. That
didn't slow me down though. We found the nearest branch and I took out what I
needed.
Any who, after lunch and the bank, we went to the motel to freshen up
before heading to Jordon's aunt's home for dinner. We were set to arrive about
4p and we did just so. We were fortunate in not encountering traffic. Surprisingly,
I learned she lives in old town Ontario and we exited the very street I grew up
on as a child. Memories of my childhood flooded my mind as Martin and I watched
Jordon and his cousin play a few matches of ping pong. His aunt was well kept
and very nice to talk to. She was down-to-earth and extremely welcoming. Jordon
introduced me to her in her newly remodeled kitchen and we talked about my
childhood in Ontario, the school I had attended and what I did for a living.
The dinner she made accommodated Jordon's newly found Vegan diet. She made him
black bean burgers and the rest of us had hamburgers with all the fixings along
with pasta salad and homemade brownies. The salad consisted of leafy lettuce,
bow tie pasta, pepperchini peppers, cut up cheese sticks and Italian meats. So
yummy! The brownies were homemade complete with icing. After dinner, we sat and
visited in the living room as we watched Ridiculousness and other local TV. I
would be serving memory a great disservice if I failed to mention her beautiful
home. It was the perfect idea of a historic home that has maintained its luster
through modern upgrades and fantastic decorating skills. Everything indoors had
a perfect spot. As for the outdoors, there were well kept flower beds, a
fountain, and a pool. We were there for a total of 5.5 hours. Since we were
there for a lengthy visit, it was dark and we couldn't see the sights of my
childhood I had intended to share with Martin and Jordon. I settled in knowing
I would have to re-visit here on a future trip. Therefore, we proceeded to the
motel. On the way in, the Disneyland fireworks could be seen. This excited me
the next day- we were going to see them in person!!!
Even though we arrived early enough, there was No Beach Time.
Day 2: Disneyland & No Pool Time
The park opened at 9am and there happened to be a shuttle that drove us to
and from the motel. Therefore, we were in route early. Martin and I woke,
showered and rushed to catch the shuttle with Jordon. The shuttle was $5 and so
convenient. We reached the Ticket Counter. The sparkle of Disneyland made its
way into my heart. Everything was perfectly landscape, the staff never frowned
and were always dressed to part in their cartoonist fashion. We farted around
Downtown Disney, in search of shopping a grubbage. After a quick stop to
Starbucks, we found ourselves in one of the many souvenir shops where Jordon
bought a most appropriate goofy hat. I sprayed Martin and me down with sunblock
and we were ready for our trek into the wonderful land of Disney.
Main Street
A TT R A C T I O N S
1 Disneyland® Railroad was a neat experience- we rode it from Main Street
to Tomorrowland to begin our journey. The conductors led us onto to the train
just like in Polar Express.
Main Street Vehicles* presented by National Car Rental. (One-way
transportation only)
2 Horseless Carriage Clydesdale horses at their best! I felt sorry for them
in knowing how much weight they had to bear by carting around a trainful of
people.
3 Fire Engine- a classic look of a fire truck, pretty vintage
4 Horse-Drawn Streetcars- Clydesdale horses at their best! I felt sorry for
them in knowing how much weight they had to bear by carting around a trainful
of people.
5 Omnibus- I don't remember this part
6 The Disney Gallery 7 The Disneyland® Story presenting Great Moments with
Mr. Lincoln- Historic and informational, but kind of boring if you ask me! The
cinema style presentation was impressive, but the creativity of the story was
so-so.
8 Main Street Cinema- fabulous would be an understatement! Anyone who knows
me, know I have a soft spot for the silver screen and being able to see all
those old cartoons made my heart melt.
D I S N E Y D I N I N G
Carnation Café Table-service— Breakfast, fried pickles, burgers, salads,
entrées, specialty cakes and pies. - didn't visit
Gibson Girl Ice Cream Parlor hosted by Dreyer’s™. - didn't visit
Refreshment Corner Hot dogs, chili and cold Coke. Hosted by Coca-Cola®. -
didn't visit
Plaza Inn “Minnie & Friends— Breakfast in the Park,” hosted by Kellogg’s.
Lunch and dinner featuring home-style favorites.
**a little pricey, but we ate more than out monies worth! A buffet- style
eatery made it easy to overload on breakfast. This stuffed us all day long! The
food was ordinary and nothing special. However, they had the best mickey
waffles with banana fosters topping I had ever tasted and an omelet station
that was out of this world. Not to mention, we didn't have to wait in lines to
take pictures with any of the characters because they all visited us as we ate
and took pictures with us. It's was truly the best way to start out the day!
Jolly Holiday Bakery Café Baked goods, sandwiches, salads and specialty
drinks. - didn't visit
Tomorrowland
Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage
(Alternate experience) - was closed
53 Disneyland® Monorail looked amazing, yet a tad down trod
55 Disneyland® Railroad was a neat experience- we rode it from Main Street
to Tomorrowland to begin our journey. The conductors led us onto to the train
just like in Polar Express.
56 Innovations* with experiences presented by Honda, HP, Microsoft, SCE,
Siemens, Taylor Morrison, Xbox and Yamaha Music. - didn't see
57 Space Mountain (Minimum height 40”/102 cm) - the first ride we rode. We
were primarily in the dark with loads of whips, turns and drops that made my
tummy fuzzy after such a large breakfast. I wasn't a fan of not being able to
see and preparing myself for what was ahead. (My least favorite ride).
58 “Captain EO”- didn't see
59 Starcade- didn’t see
60 Star Tours—The Adventures Continue (Minimum height 40”/102 cm) - didn’t
see
61 Astro Orbitor- didn’t see
62 Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters- didn’t see
D I S N E Y D I N I N G- We did not do any dining here
Tomorrowland Terrace Breakfast, sandwiches, burgers, salads, desserts and
drinks.
The Spirit of Refreshment hosted by Coca-Cola®. - skipped
Redd Rockett’s Pizza Port Pizza, pasta and salads. - skipped
Mickey's Toontown
DISNEY DINING
Toontown Dining Hot dogs, salads, sandwiches, pizza and ice cream treats.
**We stopped here to wet out whistles- cold fountain soda drinks and
bottled water**
ATTRACTIONS
44 Disneyland® Railroad- was a neat experience- we rode it from Main Street
to Tomorrowland to begin our journey. The conductors led us onto to the train
just like in Polar Express.
45 Goofy’s Playhouse- didn't go inside, but saw from outside
46 Donald’s Boat- didn't go inside, but saw from outside
47 Gadget’s Go Coaster presented by Sparkle®. (Minimum height 35”/89 cm; -
didn't ride
48 Chip ‘n Dale Treehouse- didn't see
49 Mickey’s House and Meet Mickey- Amazing!!! The attention to detail with
every aspect of a home was adorable and mostly classic. I really enjoyed this-
the only hold up was all the people in a small space
50 Minnie’s House- didn't go inside, but saw the outside
51 Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin- One of my Favorites! I loved this movie
and being about to see the props was a delightful memory. Jordon and I got in
one Lenny Cab, while Martin got in the other as we spun in circles and bumped
into one another.
Mickey’s Toontown and select Fantasyland attractions may close early due to
fireworks. Please visit an Information Center for operating hours.
Fantasyland
A T T R A C T I O N S
Fantasy Faire
26 Royal Hall- didn't see
27 Royal Theatre (See Times Guide for show times)- skipped, but the theatre
was huge and looked like it would be a wonderful place to sit and enjoy a show
28 Pinocchio’s Daring Journey- A slow motion picture ride through the dark
was cute. It showed the dark side of Disney could be favored.
29 Snow White’s Scary Adventures- didn't see
30 Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique- didn't see
31 Sleeping Beauty Castle Walkthrough- didn't see
(Alternate experience)- didn't see
32 King Arthur Carrousel- this was HUGE! Probably the biggest carrousel
I've ever seen.
33 Casey Jr. Circus Train- skipped, mostly for the little kiddies
34 Dumbo the Flying Elephant- skipped, mostly for the little kiddies
35 Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride- skipped, mostly for the little kiddies
36 Peter Pan’s Flight- skipped, mostly for the little kiddies
37 Mad Tea Party- skipped, those tea cups were darling to look at, but
looking at them made my nausea go in overdrive!
38 Alice in Wonderland- didn't see
39 Pixie Hollow- didn't see
40 Matterhorn Bobsleds (Minimum height 42”/107 cm) - very fun ride! There
was a mountain with "icy slopes" and it looked German themed.
41 Storybook Land Canal Boats (Closed during parades)
42 “it’s a small world “presented by SYLVANIA. - Small floating boat ride
through a colorful view of the cultures of the world! They were adorable! One
of the most memorable parts of the park and a must-see!
43 Fantasyland Theatre Opening Summer 2013 - skipped, but the theatre was
huge and looked like it would be a wonderful place to sit and enjoy a show
D I S N E Y D I N I N G
Maurice’s Treats Sweet and savory twists, and Boysen Apple Freeze- skipped
Village Haus Restaurant hosted by Minute Maid®. Hamburgers, pizza and
salads. - skipped
Troubador Tavern hosted by Dreyer’s™ Opening Summer 2013 . - skipped
Adventureland
A T R A C T I O N S
9 Enchanted Tiki Room presented by Dole®. (Continuous shows)
10 Jungle Cruise- The guides were a bit cheesey, the animals were fake, but
the scenery was beautiful
11 Indiana Jones™ Adventure (Minimum height 46"/117 cm) - this ride reminded
me of going 4-wheelin' or "muddin'". We climbed into a Jeep looking
vehicle where it jerks and tugged us around an adventure. Very fun!
12 Tarzan’s Treehouse™*- by the time we got to this, we were at the end of
our rope and had just finished riding Splash Mountain. We were wet and didn't
feel like climbing up to this attraction.
D I S N E Y D I N I N G
Tiki Juice Bar hosted by Dole®. - This was a great snack shop. We all
fueled up on water and fruit.
Bengal Barbecue Barbecue kabobs and coffee drinks. - skipped
Frontierland
A T T R A C T I O N S
19 Pirate’s Lair on Tom Sawyer Island* - I think we briefly saw this from
afar from the Mark Twain Riverboat cruise
20 The Golden Horseshoe Stage (See Times Guide for show times) - skipped,
looked boring
21 Frontierland Shootin’ Exposition- Martin took his turn at the shootin'
and
22 Mark Twain Riverboat* purely breathtaking! I had seen things like this
from afar when I overlooked the Dolly Steamboat on Canyon Lake. However, this
one was huge! So white and skinny, it led us on a guided cruise around the
scenes of olden days on the river.
23 Sailing Ship Columbia* (Operates weekends and select seasons only) -
since we went on a Tuesday, this was not open
24 Big Thunder Mountain Railroad Reopening Fall 2013 (Minimum height
40”/102 cm) - Jordon and I rode this solo; short but sweet
25 Big Thunder Ranch* hosted by Brawny®. - skipped
D I S N E Y D I N I N G
River Belle Terrace Entrée salads and carved-to-order sandwiches. - skipped
Stage Door Café Chicken, fish and mozzarella strips. - skipped
The Golden Horseshoe Chicken, fish, mozzarella strips, chili and tasty ice
cream specialties. - skipped
Rancho del Zocalo Restaurante Mexican favorites and Costeña Grill
specialties, soft drinks and desserts. - skipped
Big Thunder Ranch Barbecue Table-service— All-you-care-to-enjoy barbecue
chicken and ribs with all the fixin’s-served family style - skipped
New Orleans Square
A T T R A C T I O N S
13 Pirates of the Caribbean- we have the opportunity the stroll on a lazy
river sorts of ride through the adventures of a pirate lair; with a drop thrill
once or twice
14 Disneyland® Railroad- was a neat experience- we rode it from Main Street
to Tomorrowland to begin our journey. The conductors led us onto to the train
just like in Polar Express.
15 Haunted Mansion- this attraction was sadly closed
D I S N E Y D I N I N G
Royal Street Veranda Chowder and gumbo in bread boules, New Orleans-style
fritters, plus specialty coffees. - skipped
Blue Bayou Restaurant Table-service—Seafood, chicken and beef dinners, plus
the famous Monte Cristo sandwich at lunch. - skipped
Café Orléans Table-service—Lunch and dinner, soups, salads, gourmet
sandwiches and crepes. - skipped
French Market Restaurant French quarter chicken, jambalaya, Cajun
meatloaf, French dip, seasonal fish, shrimp pasta, hand tossed salads and
desserts. - skipped
Critter Country
A TT R A C T I O N S
16 Splash Mountain (Minimum height 40"/102 cm) - known to be the
biggest trill and attraction of the park. Of course, we took our ride on the
50ft. drop and had our picture taken- what a rush! And yes, we were soaked.
Might I add, Martin's face was priceless.
17 Davy Crockett’s Explorer Canoes* (Operates weekends and select seasons
only)- Who goes to Disneyland to work out?! Jordon convinced us to go on this
and come to find out, it really wasn't that bad. I barely paddled, but
maintained to tap my ore on the water to keep up an appearance. haha.
18 The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh- didn't go inside, but saw from
outside
D I S N E Y D I N I N G
Harbour Galley Chowder, soup and chili in bread boules; entrée salads and
drinks.- skipped
Hungry Bear Restaurant hosted by Dixie®. Burgers, chicken and salads.-
skipped
Stink Tude- you can't win them all (enough said)
After leaving the park about 4pm, we went to the motel to freshen up for
dinner. We ate at Bubba Gump Co. The service was horrible, the food took
forever to meet us and my shrimp scampi was so enriched with lemon- it made my
head ache and my stomach turn. Not to mention the bad vibes. By that time, we
settled for an early retirement. Jordon and I discussed the possibility of
going to the beach the next day. Martin and I were a bit disappointed that we
didn't return to the park for the firework spectacular. I heard that part of
the experience was the best thing one could see at Disneyland. The castle
lights up and Mickey Mouse fights as in Fantasia. Since all of us didn't want
to return, we watched the fireworks from the room again. Though disappointed,
Martin was sweet enough to buy me some medication for my headache and nausea.
Shortly after, I fell asleep.
I had originally planned to come back after the fireworks show and enjoy
some nice, relaxing pool time.
Day 3: The no-so-happening Beach Day
We woke about 8am the next morning and decided catching breakfast and going
home was the best option. Jordon mentioned he wasn't a beach guy the night
before and we could sense he wasn't exactly looking forward to going so we
caught breakfast at IHOP and proceeded home. I was so exhausted, I slept half
the way home, waking every now and then. We made it home about 3:30p- straight
through.
The puppies were excited to see us! We missed them, but they enjoyed
hanging out with Kristie and Ernest during our trip.
We ended the night with casino time at Fort McDowell Casino with Kristie
and Ernest! We treated them to an All-You-Can-Eat Crab Buffet and I happened to
have a Birthday Free Play credit of $5. I won $30, but dispersed it among
Ernest, Kristie and I so we could all have some fun. I was hopeful. All in all-
it was a great night and we drove them home to Tucson the next day.
So that was the events of my first Disneyland experience. Martin and I have
already starting plotting our next trip to experience more of what we missed.
That is all for now! Peace <3
