A PERFECT DISNEY DAY

 My grandmother took my mother, brother, and me to Disneyland in August of 1955 to celebrate my ninth birthday. I LOVED it! Larry’s family went for the first time in March of 1956 and visited to celebrate his brother and his birthdays nearly every year when they were growing up. Larry’s love affair with theme parks began with his first visit as well.

When we were dating, we went there several times. One of those times inspired a scene in Larry’s book of short stories, Lakeview Park. You can find it in the chapter on “George.”

The scene takes place on the Matterhorn ride. They have since changed the ride vehicles so each passenger has a separate seat. Larry was sad to see the changes.

We also attended the first and second New Year’s Eve parties in the park. They were sponsored by local radio station KRLA. Since they were new at the time, not too many people went. However, by the third year, ticket prices went up, and many more people went. We stopped going.

But our love for theme parks took us on the adventure of our lives. (We call ourselves “theme park junkies.”) Larry was hired as a Project Engineer for the Universal Studios Japan theme park. I was offered a job in the Osaka office to commence once we arrived in the country. We lived there for thirty-one months, and wrote a book about our experiences. This launched our second careers.

We visited Disneyland throughout our daughter’s childhood. She loved it as much as we did. She even worked there for five years as a second job, during which time, we bought annual passes each year (the unlimited ones with parking included). Often we called each other at work. “Do you want to meet at Disneyland for dinner?” I’d contact Kim to see when she would get her dinner break. Then we would drive to the park to see her.

In 2005, Kim’s company moved her to Dallas, Texas. She obviously had to give up her job at Disneyland. In addition, they raised the prices outrageously. We decided not to renew our passes.

In 2021, for our anniversary and my birthday, we decided to complete one of my bucket-list items: to spend a night at the Grand Californian Hotel. I loved the building the first time I saw it. It was inspired by the Ahwahnee Hotel at Yosemite, a place I had always wanted to visit. We spent two nights and got park tickets for three days.

After this wonderful getaway, we realized how much we had missed our park passes. So, we deiced to get new ones—despite the outrageous prices.

The only way to make them worthwhile was to go at lest twice a month, and we have. I also call it “theme park aerobics” because we walk many miles each time we go.

Last Tuesday, we went to the park. On the bus from the Toy Story parking lot, we met a neat couple. We discussed what the park was like in the early days. We were able to tell them about our book, Dominic Drive, which contains a description of a family trip to Disneyland in 1964. This trip is totally accurate as to the rides and attractions which were there at the time.

Because we go often, we don’t have a major agenda of rides we have to go on. We decided to head for the Jungle Cruise. We had a delightful young woman as captain. She had a few new jokes, so it was fun.

Pirates of the Caribbean was closed, so we detoured through the French Quarter. Ever since we got our new passes in October, we have been trying to get reservations at the Blue Bayou Restaurant. No luck. However, since the ride isn’t working, they put a wall on the ride side of the restaurant. To our surprise, we got reservations! We used to celebrate special occasions there. Since Larry’s birthday was the week before, we were thrilled to be able to go there to celebrate.

We went on the Haunted Mansion (with a new scene) and the Mark Twain paddle-wheeler. We met Doogie, who is one of the operators. We had a great conversation with him.

As we were getting off, we noticed they were bringing the three-masted ship Columbia online. They haven’t run this one for quite some time. So, after lunch, we went back to ride it. We met a couple of nice ladies from Canada and enjoyed talking to them.

We boarded the train and discovered they were running the caboose. We asked and were allowed to ride in it. Took the train around the park and met some other nice people.

Our passes allow us to change parks after one o’clock. So, we crossed over using the monorail to get to Downtown Disney.

We love to stop in the hotel lobby to listen to the piano before we go to California Adventure. Just as we got there, we noticed someone getting ready to play. We recognized her as our friend, Peggy Dusquesnel. We have known her for years and loved her playing. She asked what we wanted to hear, and she did about twenty minutes of our favorites. What a special treat!

We stopped in California Adventure, but all the wait times for the rides were especially long. The place was packed because of the Wine & Food Festival. Since it was already after three o’clock, we decided to head home.

The entire day was filled with Disney magic and charm.

Back to the Park

 After our Disney mini-vacation in September, we realized how much we enjoy the Disney parks. So, our Christmas gift to each other was Magic Key passes for the year. Ours have no blackout days. HOWEVER, you now have to make a reservation in order to go to the park.

When we first got ours, there were no available dates in December at all. I was able to get one date in November, so we took it. I really wanted to see the Christmas lights and decorations in the park.

Near the end of November, I looked again, and a few December dates were open, so I snagged a couple of those!

On the first trip in November, we started at the tree on Main Street. (This is why we don’t take selfies!)

We went on several of the old favorites.

In December, we were able to get on Rise of the Resistance again. I liked it much better in the cooler weather.

On the 13^th, It’s a Small World Christmas was back in operation. The only time I like to go on that ride is at Christmastime. (A flood in the electrical room under the ride caused it to be out for several months.)

At least once on each trip, we like to sit in the lobby at the Grand Californian and listen to the piano. We also like to people-watch.

Theme Park aerobics is my favorite form of exercise. Now we’re getting back to it! And I love it!

2021 DISNEY ADVENTURE – PART IV - FINALE

September 16, 2021

We slept pretty well, especially since we had gotten little sleep the night before. We didn’t intend to wake early, but we’re not in the habit of sleeping in.

One of Larry’s goals for this trip was to get to see the new Star Wars ride: Rise of the Resistance. In order to get onto the ride, it was necessary to get into the virtual queue. This required checking in through the Disneyland App at precisely 7:00 a.m.

We were awake at 6:45 so, although he was still quite sore, Larry wanted to try to get into the queue. He set up his phone so all he had to do was click at 7:00. We both watched the minutes tick by. At precisely seven, Larry clicked the button.

He received a message that all of the reservations for the day were already assigned.

We could have gone to the park and then tried again at one o’clock, hoping there would be some openings for the afternoon/evening.

We got up, showered, and ate breakfast. Since our passes were good for one more day and we had a reservation, we decided to go to Disneyland and try to get on the ride later in the day, even though any queueing we might be able to get could be as late as ten at night. (We were still tired and had hoped to get home early in the day.)

However, when we got to the entrance, about half an hour after park opening, the lines to get in were quite long. (On our first day, the park was uncrowded and enjoyable.)

We discussed standing in line but decided to go back to the hotel after I looked at my ticket and saw that it was good through the end of the month. Larry was still quite sore, so he didn’t want to go on any of the other rides.

We approached the concierge and explained his injury. Of course, they asked why we hadn’t reported it and were quite concerned. (It was not the hotel’s responsibility in any way.) We assured them that we had no plans to hold the hotel accountable. We just wanted to cancel our Disneyland reservation for that day and change it to another day near the end of the month.

They were quick to make the necessary changes, and to change our reservation to the twenty-eighth. No hassle, no issues, just efficient service. This alone made the addition of the concierge service worth it.

We went back to the room, rested for a short while, packed, called to have our luggage picked up, and left the hotel after a wonderful stay.

We got home early in the afternoon, unpacked, did our laundry, and got to bed early. Our own bed felt wonderful.

 

Tuesday, September 28, 2021

We got on the road early, determined to try to get into the virtual queue for Rise of the Resistance. We left the house about six-thirty. Larry handed me his phone to log into the Disneyland app. I got to the right page and prepared to click the button at seven, o’clock.

Success!

We were in group number fifty-five. They gave us an estimate of how long it took for each group, and it appeared we would be called between eleven and eleven-thirty.

We were surprised that we were able to get into the parking structure as they hadn’t been using it for a few years. We were even more surprised when we discovered that they had added a third six-level section to the parking structure: the Pixar Pals section.

We were directed to the third level: the Cars floor. We were delighted to be parked indoors rather than outside.

We followed the signs (and the crowds) back into the first floor of the old structure, There, strollers and powered scooters were available to rent. (By the end of the day, we questioned our decision not to rent a scooter!)

The security check was located as we exited the structure. Much to our surprise—and dismay—we discovered that the trams were not in use. This meant a long walk from the structure to the park entrance.

Along the way, we stopped to talk to Michael, a security guard. He said the trams would return when park occupancy was increased. At that moment, occupancy was limited to fifty percent.

After the long, tiring walk, we finally reached the park. The lines were shorter than they had been on the sixteenth, and we entered the park at about eight-thirty.

Rather than walk, we decided to take a double-decker bus to the other end of Main Street. (Besides, it was there, and the idea of riding sounded good.) These were A tickets in the old days.

As we approached the stop, the driver mentioned Guest Relations could take care of restaurant reservations and could answer other questions.

We decided to see if we could get into the Blue Bayou Restaurant later in the day. We have gone there for special occasions many times in the past. We walked through Adventureland and over the bridge to New Orleans Square and the restaurant entrance. (This is the restaurant riders see when on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride.)

No one was at the front of the restaurant where we used to make reservations.

Since we were already there, we decided to go on the ride itself. We always enjoy it.

As we passed the restaurant, we saw a couple of people inside lighting candles and clearly preparing for service soon. However, as we exited, no one appeared at the entrance.

Larry wanted to go to Guest Relations to check on reservations there and also to see where the queue for Rise of the Resistance was. After looking around, we finally found them in front of the Plaza Pavilion. We asked about reservations for the Blue Bayou, and she told us we would have to go back to the restaurant after they opened. At this time, Rise of the Resistance was loading groups 22 through 38. We reconfirmed that our group would probably be called around eleven o’clock.

Since we had started our day early, we decided to get something to eat. The Jolly Holiday Bakery was right across the street, so we went there. We had a short wait. Disneyland now has a restaurant app where you can preorder your food, but we decided to wait our turn. We each ordered a sweet roll and cappuccino. Larry waited for our food while I went outside to locate a table with an umbrella.

The food took longer than I had expected, but eventually he brought it out. This didn’t seem to make sense since all the baked goods were in the cases and required no preparation.

The coffee and food tasted good, and the rest was also welcome.

We decided to head back to Star Wars Land with another stop at the Blue Bayou. This time, someone was at the entrance. He said they were fully booked for the whole day and told us reservations could be made prior to entering the park. Wish we had known.

It was quite a long walk from Adventureland back to Star Wars Land. By the time we got to the ride, they told us they could board our group. (You have an hour from the time they start allowing your group to enter.)

The queueing seemed overly long and quite boring to me. Perhaps if we hadn’t walked nearly 8,000 steps already, it might not have seemed as far. We finally got to the first part of the ride. I was surprised it was also standing—no seats. I was so tired I had trouble following the storyline.

At last, they loaded the actual ride vehicles. This part of the attraction was much more enjoyable and exciting. And we got to sit down to ride!

Larry was delighted. This was his major goal for coming to Disneyland in the first place. It was a long attraction, and the final section was worth it.

We exited the area and decided to cross Fantasyland to Tomorrowland to get some lunch. We went to what used to be the Pizza Port, now re-themed as Alien Pizza Planet, featuring the minions. We shared a chicken Caesar salad and an order of garlic bread. (This has changed. It used to be actual garlic toast, but now consists of two Olive Garden-style bread sticks. They are still served with a container of pasta sauce.)

Again, being able to sit down in the air-conditioned dining area for a while felt good. We got our second wind.

After a restroom stop, we went on Star Tours. About halfway through the queue, everything came to a complete stop. We probably stood not moving for about half an hour before the ride started up again. No explanation.

We checked to see if the monorail was running, but although we saw the vehicles, the ride itself was still closed. So were the submarines.

By this time, we had walked over 18,000 steps and were tired out, and we still had the long hike back to the parking structure.

We decided to stop by the Grand Californian Hotel once more to enjoy a few minutes sitting in the lobby listening to the piano. (This is one of my favorite things to do whenever we spend the day in the parks.) We crossed over to DCA (Disney’s California Adventure) and entered the hotel through the park. We spent a few minutes in the comfortable lobby enjoying the ambiance and the piano music.

Finally, we were ready to face the LOOONG hike back to the car. We stopped at a couple of benches along the way to cool off and rest.

We finally made it back to the car, tired but happy to have enjoyed the last day of our tickets. Larry finally got to go on the one ride he had wanted to try ever since it opened, and I always enjoy just being in the parks.

Our Disney adventure was now over, and what a wonderful memory it is!

2021 DISNEY ADVENTURE – PART III

 September 15, 2021 - 2:30 a.m.

Larry woke me with a loud groan. I was afraid he was having a heart attack or a stroke. He couldn’t seem to get out a word. After a minute or so, he managed to croak out, “Cramp.”

I later learned he woke with leg cramps in both legs—the calf of one and the thigh of the other.

I went into the bathroom to get a potassium tablet since I had some with me.

Crash.

I ran back into the bedroom to find him on the floor on his knees. His skin was clammy and he was groaning. Then he fell onto the floor.

Can you say panic?

I was now sure he was having a heart attack or stroke.

He was finally able to get his breath and explained. “I was trying to get to my feet to stretch out my legs, but they gave out. As I fell, I hit the bedframe on my side. Even on my knees, I couldn’t stay upright, so I decided just to let go and lie on the floor.”

The gorgeous craftsman bedframe in the room was high off the floor. The top of the mattress was about two-and-a-half feet tall, and the frame was made of solid oak—a hard wood. I found it quite high. I had to sort-of jump to reach the mattress.

Larry gets leg cramps occasionally when he overdoes. The day before, we had walked at least 18,000 steps, according to the pedometer on my watch. (It doesn’t always record all my steps.) Because he had injured his right leg a couple of months earlier, he hadn’t been as active as usual. (He was using his stand-up board, and his foot twisted as he stepped off, causing him to fall. He probably tore or pulled something. Of course, he wouldn’t go the urgent care.)

I gave him the potassium, and it seemed to help after a few minutes. I kept an eye on him, and he appeared to be back to normal. I wanted to call 9-1-1 or at least report it to the hotel, but he wouldn’t have it.

He got back into bed and tried to rest, but neither of us got much more sleep.

I got up around 9:00, took a shower, and got dressed.

Larry decided a hot shower sounded good. When he got out of bed, I noticed a bruise forming on his side. He also had a scrape. Yep, he had done some damage.

The hot water helped his muscles, and the potassium seemed to have worked. Of course, nothing could keep him from breakfast…

Our park tickets for this day were to start at DCA (Disney’s California Adventure). We decided to go but to take it easy. We entered the park directly from the hotel (one of the perks with staying there).

Since Soaring Around the World wasn’t far away, and since it is our favorite ride in the park, we went there first. (I liked the ride better when it was Soaring Over California, but the revised one is good, too.) We enjoyed seeing it again.

We took our time strolling to Cars Land and got in line for the Radiator Springs Racers. It was the only other ride at DCA we really enjoyed. (We weren’t interested in the new Spiderman ride. We didn’t even try to get a spot in the virtual queue.)

The wait wasn’t too bad for the ride. This day was cooler than the day before, and most of the queueing was in the shade, so it wasn’t too uncomfortable.

The ride was fun—as always. Larry said his side hurt afterward, however.

We walked around a bit but decided to head back to the hotel. Neither of us had slept after his fall, and we were still tired.

By now, it was after noon, so we tried the Afternoon Tea at the Veranda. Once again, we were offered small portions and lots of variety. A perfect small meal. And we had decided to go to dinner at the Storyteller Café that night.

After lunch, we both napped for a while.

At 5:00, we walked to the Storyteller and were seated shortly. This is a buffet with lots of choices—many of which I couldn’t eat. But there was enough variety. Like everything else, the prices have gone through the roof since the pandemic. Our meals—without beverages—came to about $100 ($44 each plus tax and tip). But it was planned for this visit.

We then took a walk through Downtown Disney to see all the recent changes—lots of them. I checked the World of Disney store for a t-shirt, but no luck again.

We returned to our room, watched TV, rested, and went to sleep early. We intended an early start the next day, our last.

 

Next: Day Three of Our Adventure

2021 DISNEY ADVENTURE – PART II

September 14, 2021

Return to the Park

Since Disneyland reopened, reservations have been required to visit the theme parks. When we made our hotel reservations, we also made reservations for three days at parks. We had park-hopper tickets, but we had to designate one park to begin each day. After noon, we could visit to the other park.

We chose Disneyland for our first day. Larry’s priority was to visit the new Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge area.

Reservations for the virtual queue for the Rise of the Resistance could only be made using the Disneyland phone app. Guests were required to log in by 7:00 a.m. You could log in again at 1:00 p.m. Larry did, but all of the spots for the day were gone immediately.

Since we already had our tickets, we walked right into the park. We decided to take the train once completely around the park and then get off at New Orleans Square. From there, we walked back to Star Wars Land. It was eighty-six degrees and about 80% humidity.

I don’t do heat well.

We explored the area. There was a lot to be seen. We appreciated and enjoyed the fabulous theming.

By the time we got to the back of the area, we were both hot. I located a table in the shade. Larry left me outside while he went to get us cold drinks. A few minutes later, Larry called. He had located a table inside—in the air conditioning.

It felt much better inside. We remained there for a few minutes while we enjoyed our iced beverages and allowed our bodies to cool off.

As we exited, we noticed that the Millennium Falcon ride had a single-rider line. We agreed to go that way so we could get on the ride. We walked up to the line, and were let in quickly. Larry went first, and I got on two vehicles later.

It is a fun ride—sort of like Star Tours but interactive.

We continued through the land and finally exited through Fantasyland.

On the way into the park, I spotted a t-shirt I wanted. We exited the park through the shops on Main Street, but I didn’t see the t-shirt. In fact, I didn’t see any I liked.

Larry wanted to see the Haunted Mansion (decorated for Halloween) at night, so we decided to take a rest at the hotel and come back later.

Since it was close to four, we decided to try for an early dinner at the Storyteller Café. However, when we arrived, it wasn’t open.

We headed back upstairs and checked with the concierge. Since the restaurant had just reopened, it was only open for breakfast and dinner—after 5:00. So, we decided to eat dinner at the restaurant the next night and take advantage of the hot appetizers at the Veranda instead, since this service started at 4:30.

They offered a selection of Dim Sum, mini eggrolls, veggies with hummus, chips and onion dip, tiny rolls, fresh fruit, cookies, and other choices. Quite enough and delicious. Again, the portions were tiny, but there was enough variety to appeal to anyone.

As it got darker, we headed back to Disneyland, took the train to New Orleans Square, and walked to the line for the Haunted Mansion. It moved along quickly, and we were inside in about ten minutes.

The Nightmare Before Christmas theme once again converted the ride, always fun.

By this time, we had walked most of the day and were tired. We went through the stores on the opposite side of Main Street, but I still didn’t find the t-shirt I wanted.

As we reached the top of Main Street, the nighttime light show began. We watched most of it before leaving the park.

We usually get ice cream on the way out, but everything inside the park was crowded. I looked at what stores were in Downtown Disney, and discovered there was an ice cream store directly opposite the entrance to the hotel.

We walked over there, and we each got a scoop of Cowboy Coffee Crunch: coffee ice cream with a ribbon of fudge and crushed coffee beans. YUMMY! I only ate half of my scoop. Larry ate his and finished mine.

Altogether a busy, happy, and fun day.

 

Next: An Injury

2021 DISNEY ADVENTURE – PART I

This year, I reached the milestone age of 75—three-quarters of a century! A week later, we celebrated 56 years of marriage.

Years ago, we began to give each other gifts to provide shared memories. We have given each other trips, special meals, shows, etc.

One of my bucket list items, ever since it was built, has been to spend a night or two at the Grand Californian Hotel at the Disney Resort in Anaheim.

This place is very special, heavily influenced by the design of the Ahwahnee Hotel in Yosemite National Park, another place I have wanted to stay since I was young.

Since the Grand Californian has reopened, Larry suggested we spend a couple of nights there with three days at the theme parks.

We gave up our annual theme park passes about five years ago when the prices went through the roof, and we have missed going there.

Some of you may be aware that Larry is usually reluctant to spend unnecessary money, but this time, he decided if we were going to go, he wanted to add concierge service, which included lots of extra services and food available most of the day. (Again, those of you who know him are aware that offering him food carries a great weight. Pun intended.)

Tuesday, September 12, 2021

We got up fairly early, changed the bed, showered, and put the towels in the wash. We didn’t want to leave damp towels in the bathroom for three days in the heat. When they were washed, we put them in the dryer on a setting that would assure their being dry the same day. The bedding and our clothes could wait until we returned home.

Then we drove to Anaheim, left Elsa with the valet, and our luggage with a bellman. When we reached the registration desk, Meg informed us that our room was ready and we could go on up, although the check-in time was 3:00 p.m.! It was then about 9:30 a.m. She also said breakfast was being served until 11:00 a.m.in the Veranda, the club restaurant. (This was the perk of the concierge service Larry wanted most.)

Before we left, she confirmed our park tickets for the three days. (We had made those reservations at the same time we made our hotel reservations. We had to designate the park where we would start the day, but because we are California residents, they were park-hopper tickets. We could change parks at any time after noon.)

We located our room with a courtyard view and called the bell captain. Our things arrived within five minutes.

The room was gorgeous. Whoever designed the interior matched it well to the craftsman style of the exterior. Lots of influence of Charles Rennie Mackintosh, one of my very favorite designers. Just looking at all the gorgeous touches made my heart happy.

We put our items away and then went to breakfast since we hadn’t eaten before we left home.

The very best part of the Veranda was the coffee machine. This was a professional device where we could get an espresso, latte, cappuccino, or café Americano. We both love cappuccino, so it became our go-to while we were there. (I think I probably ingested too much acid from all the coffee I drank during our stay, but oh, was it delicious!

Opportunities for eating extended from 6:00 a.m. through 10:00 p.m. Breakfast was served from 6:00 through 11:00 a.m. Afternoon tea was available between 12:00 and 4:00 p.m. Hot appetizers were served from 5:00 to 7:00, and dessert from 8:00 until 10:00. (Believe it or not, we never made it for dessert, despite Larry’s sweet tooth.)

Everything was presented buffet-style with very small portions. Larry loved it because he could try EVERYTHING and then get more of one or two things he truly enjoyed. Since I am a VERY picky eater, the variety allowed me to choose those items I enjoyed, and the smaller servings were just right.

After breakfast, I changed my shoes, and then we headed for Disneyland.

 

Next: Going back to the park.