Disneyland When you wish upon a star... Wednesday, August 28th WE DON'T have to drive anywhere today! Not anywhere! Besides the room and admission to Disneyland, our package includes the hourly shuttlebus from the motel. After Linda brings a continental breakfast back to our room, we meet Mary, Lou, and Lizzy at the shuttle stop and ride to Disneyland (about fifteen minutes away). Here, just as at Universal Studios yesterday, we succeed in going on every ride and attraction we wanted to. The crowds are large, but not as large as we've seen before; and even the longest lines are bearable. Our first destination is the Amazon Jungle Cruise. As our guide would have happily informed us, this ride is still being constructed. When complete, it will be twenty-five miles long… and weigh five thousand pounds. Lou remarks that the animatronic animals here are more realistic than in its counterpart in Disneyworld. Our next stop is the Pirates of the Caribbean. Everyone agrees that this ride is also better, and made even more attractive by the Blue Bayou Restaurant built into its waiting area. We decide to make reservations to have dinner here tonight before moving on to the Haunted Mansion which, with its New Orleans styling also compares favorably with the Florida version. In fact, we agree that, overall, Disneyland's attractions are carried out better than Disneyworld's. This despite the fact that Disneyworld's setting is far better (Linda says she still can't get over being able to see the city from the monorail - and the castle is all wrong; it should be Cinderella's castle, not Snow White's). Other rides that we all share are Splash Mountain (where we buy a photo for ourselves and another to give to Mom), the Big Thunder Mountain Runaway Railroad, the Matterhorn Bobsleds, and Space Mountain (which Linda and I like better than the Florida version, but Lou likes the other one better). All of this is done in the morning. By noontime we are getting hot and the crowds are getting thicker. We grab the shuttlebus back to the motel to cool off and take a nap. Our dinner reservations are for 5:40 and we have to catch the 4:45 shuttle back to get there on time. Traffic delays cause the shuttle to run late, and it also takes longer to get there. Leaving the shuttle, we try to locate the hard-to-find only re-admission gate and walk quickly to New Orleans Square, meeting Mary, Lou, and Lizzy at the Blue Bayou. Dinner is relaxing and calm, with no sense of hurry, as we sit in an environment constructed to feel as though we are dining outside on a cool bayou evening, with frogs croaking and fireflies flickering. The meal is expensive (we knew it would be) and delicious. After dinner the Waters' head off toward Mickey's Toontown and Fantasyland, where Lizzy wants to go on more rides. Linda and I, on the recommendation of Mary and Lou (who went earlier), take on the Indiana Jones Adventure. The line is much shorter now, and it is designed to help set the mood for the ride itself. In fact, like the Back to the Future ride at Universal, the line is designed to be part of the ride. This is a good ride, with an interesting concept well carried-out and a truly thrilling coaster-type ride. While waiting for Space Mountain, Linda noticed that there is a version of Michael Jackson's Captain EO being shown in the Magic Eye Theater. That attraction is located in the Epcot section in Florida, and she's never had a chance to see it. It is a very good 3-D movie and we both enjoy it completely. By now it is beginning to get dark, and people are already gathering at the side of the main street for the Main Street Electrical Parade. We decide to join them, as there is a good viewpoint available now that won't be open later. We sit and wait for a long time until the parade starts. This is the final year for this event, after which it will be replaced by something else. The nightly fireworks display comes very shortly after the parade is finished, and we catch the shuttle very shortly after that. We didn't drive any miles today at all. Return to the top of this page Story and original photography copyright ©1996-1997 by John Lipman. All rights reserved. Descriptions, observations, and characterizations expressed are solely those of the author. "When You Wish Upon A Star" by Leigh Harline and Ned Washington - copyright © 1940 Bourne Co.
WE DON'T have to drive anywhere today! Not anywhere! Besides the room and admission to Disneyland, our package includes the hourly shuttlebus from the motel. After Linda brings a continental breakfast back to our room, we meet Mary, Lou, and Lizzy at the shuttle stop and ride to Disneyland (about fifteen minutes away). Here, just as at Universal Studios yesterday, we succeed in going on every ride and attraction we wanted to. The crowds are large, but not as large as we've seen before; and even the longest lines are bearable.
Our first destination is the Amazon Jungle Cruise. As our guide would have happily informed us, this ride is still being constructed. When complete, it will be twenty-five miles long… and weigh five thousand pounds. Lou remarks that the animatronic animals here are more realistic than in its counterpart in Disneyworld.
Our next stop is the Pirates of the Caribbean. Everyone agrees that this ride is also better, and made even more attractive by the Blue Bayou Restaurant built into its waiting area. We decide to make reservations to have dinner here tonight before moving on to the Haunted Mansion which, with its New Orleans styling also compares favorably with the Florida version. In fact, we agree that, overall, Disneyland's attractions are carried out better than Disneyworld's. This despite the fact that Disneyworld's setting is far better (Linda says she still can't get over being able to see the city from the monorail - and the castle is all wrong; it should be Cinderella's castle, not Snow White's).
All of this is done in the morning. By noontime we are getting hot and the crowds are getting thicker. We grab the shuttlebus back to the motel to cool off and take a nap. Our dinner reservations are for 5:40 and we have to catch the 4:45 shuttle back to get there on time. Traffic delays cause the shuttle to run late, and it also takes longer to get there. Leaving the shuttle, we try to locate the hard-to-find only re-admission gate and walk quickly to New Orleans Square, meeting Mary, Lou, and Lizzy at the Blue Bayou. Dinner is relaxing and calm, with no sense of hurry, as we sit in an environment constructed to feel as though we are dining outside on a cool bayou evening, with frogs croaking and fireflies flickering. The meal is expensive (we knew it would be) and delicious.
After dinner the Waters' head off toward Mickey's Toontown and Fantasyland, where Lizzy wants to go on more rides. Linda and I, on the recommendation of Mary and Lou (who went earlier), take on the Indiana Jones Adventure. The line is much shorter now, and it is designed to help set the mood for the ride itself. In fact, like the Back to the Future ride at Universal, the line is designed to be part of the ride. This is a good ride, with an interesting concept well carried-out and a truly thrilling coaster-type ride.
By now it is beginning to get dark, and people are already gathering at the side of the main street for the Main Street Electrical Parade. We decide to join them, as there is a good viewpoint available now that won't be open later. We sit and wait for a long time until the parade starts. This is the final year for this event, after which it will be replaced by something else. The nightly fireworks display comes very shortly after the parade is finished, and we catch the shuttle very shortly after that.
We didn't drive any miles today at all.
Return to the top of this page
Story and original photography copyright ©1996-1997 by John Lipman. All rights reserved. Descriptions, observations, and characterizations expressed are solely those of the author. "When You Wish Upon A Star" by Leigh Harline and Ned Washington - copyright © 1940 Bourne Co.