Day 4 : (DCA day 1) A Woman's Prerogative. :)

So I woke …well… reasonably early (for me anyway) and got all organised to go to Disneyland, having read the guide book yesterday about the areas of the park I intended to visit and then got ready and headed out to catch the shuttle, which as luck would have it, was waiting just outside the door.
Now I’m not all that sure what happened in my brain in the 5 minute drive to the parks but even when I stepped off the bus I didn’t have an inkling what I was going to do next. Without another thought, I turned to my left, rather than my right and headed for California Adventure. Don’t even ask me why… I haven’t a clue. And again… I entered yet another park without having done an iota of preparation.
Oh well.. It worked out ok in Disneyland, so off I went.
It was a very busy Tuesday in the park… I had been expecting lighter crowds but it really was packed.
I suppose it might have something to do with the beginning of the US summer school holidays…
The moment I wandered into the park the colours and the vibe told me that this place was going to be different to that of its predecessor across the road.
The first thing I noticed - and continued to do for the rest of the day - was that there were more of the photo pass photographers around. I had not a problem having oodles of photos taken here, but they are as scarce as hens teeth over in DL. And they take great photos. I’ve seen some of them and I love what they’ve done so far - and I usually avoid having my picture taken like the plague.
Soon after I arrived, so did Mickey, Minnie and Pluto in the main hub… naturally I lined up for auto and photo graphs….. It took very little time and luckily because the Mouse, his main squeeze and his pooch didn’t stay very long at all. I was very lucky indeed. From there I wandered down into the Hollywood bit and did Turtle Talk, checked out the Animation stuff in that huge area ( but not the Animation Academy - that was packed) and then wandered around, taking photos and just soaking up the feel of the place.
There seems to be lots more characters around in this park. I’ve hardly seen any in DL ( less by far than I saw in Tokyo) but I stumbled across characters all morning in DCA. First was Belle… and her line almost stretched back to Australia so got some photos from the outskirts and did the same for Mr. Incredible and Sleeping Beauty for the same reason.
But as I was wandering along a few minutes later, out came Goofy and OMG I was first in line. That was fun, He was goofing around as you would expect and the line only formed really slowly so I got back in the line (having forgotten to get his autograph in my excitement) and had another thoroughly enjoyable little ‘moment’ with the Goofster.
From there , I went and got a fast pass for The Tower of Terror seeing as the wait was as long as the FP, and filled in that hour elsewhere . I wandered over to see what the line was like at Monsters Inc but they had closed it temporarily( possibly doing the stacking thing - and for you non-Disney freaks, that means allowing the line to almost disappear and then start it up again) , so even though I really had no interest in doing the Muppet 3D show, I went in and lined up.
Wow… I was pleasantly surprise… I really enjoyed this - it was a huge blast from the past and because there was no line, and no wait, it was all the more enjoyable.
By the time I came out, Monsters Inc had just been reopened and I walked straight onto it without more than 5 minutes in line. And I’m pleased that’s all that was… cos I was a bit disappointed with it.
Not sure why, I guess it was a little … meh…..
I emerged from the darkness of that ride right in front of the show about the animators… (can’t remember what its called) and that was pretty good.
By then it was time to go back and do the Tower of Terror.
Sheesh… they named that well didn’t they?
Scared the living crap out of me. This is so NOT a ride for the faint of heart. You better be ready for the most terrifying drop of your life if you deign sit in that elevator.
Very well done though.
I’m really giving the adrenalin junkie in me a serious work out that’s for sure.
And you have gotta love the Fast Pass system… that really is a godsend when the crowds are heavy. Only you have to use them early or they are all gone. Which is what happened when I tried to get on Screaming and Soaring,( and the standby line was over and hour and a half) so I’ll have to go early and do those yet.
Aladdin is still showing there but is only on two days a week and not today as it turned out.
Something I love about DCA is the detailing everywhere . I know it is wonderful in DL but this place really takes it and runs with it.
I took so many photos today that I went through two batteries for my camera and was forced to stop just before the night parade started when my second battery gave out.
Next I went across to Paradise Pier and what a beautiful place that is. I took so many many photos its scary.
I embraced the ‘peter pan’ aspects of my personality today in a really big way. I rode all the kiddie rides I thought I could get away with ( didn’t think I could cope with the Chew Chew ride in A Bugs Land though) Starting with the King Tritons Carousel.
And getting the sea creature of your choice is a bun fight let me tell you. Those little mulligrubs might be small, but rest assured, American kids know what they want and are determined to get it.
I had to sprint to get that gorgeous purple and orange seahorse crusted in crystals. And I made it… just by the skin of my teeth and largely thanks to the extra foot of legs that afforded me longer strides.
And the ride was sedate as you would imagine but kind of ‘old world serene’ as well.
I enjoyed it immensely.
I also love the Bugs Land… particularly the ‘its tough to be a bug’ show… that was amazing… until the damn humungous spiders dropped from the ceiling and scared the proverbial out of me for the second time today. …. I really had to shut my eyes… even knowing they were puppets and not going to actually get to me.
Such is my fear of the hairy and eight legged.
Ok.. Well, I just couldn’t resist the merchandise store that is set up ready for next weeks opening of the Toy Story Mania ride… which is open to Annual Pass holders that entered an online raffle to get soft opening rights to ride …. But not if you just rock up and flash your pass - unfortunately…
Still, I assuaged my disappointment in the merchandise shop next door, indulging in a Jessie t shirt and a pin.
So, by this time, I was ready for a change of scene so headed over to see if I could catch the show with Koda and Kenai - only to discover that it wasn’t on at the start of the week.
As the fast passes were all gone for the major rides, I just wandered around, taking photos, and looking around seeing as its all new to me anyway, filling in time until the Pixar parade.
Now I just loved this parade. The music is fantastic ( and unfortunately they don’t have it available on CD or I’d have bought it) and you do get kind of wet cos they squirt the guests with water from every float.
And because I was right across the road from one of the bubble machines I got covered in bubbles the whole time - and more importantly, I got those bubbles in my photos… it was all just so eye-popping colourful and for that reason alone it gets at least 9 points from me. I loved it.
I think that 2 days in this park will be enough to have done everything and then I’ll just return to do the rides I want again.
By late afternoon, I was just waking around areas that I hadn’t been to and was honest to God thinking “Now I should be having a Margarita with Steve and Sherri about now… that’s all that’s missing” and seriously, around the next corner was a Frozen Margarita stand…. Iike manna from heaven. I lined up without a second thought, marvelling that I could buy alcohol in a Disney park and settled at the dock side table and chairs to enjoy the late afternoon sun and watch the world go by in style.
The perfect antidote for tired feet.
I stayed all day till the park closed, watching ( and note I didn’t say videoing or photographing - I had worn both of them out.. So this time, it was just watching) the Electrical Parade sparkle its way down the street.
It was really beautiful and I am looking forward to seeing that again before I go… its only on two nights a week so I will have to time it right.
So a few Mr. Potato Head parts and a few Stitch things later and it was time to leave DCA . OMG the seething mass of humanity that was trying to exit the park at the same time was incredible. I’ve never seen ( or been smack in the middle of) anything quite like this… I haven’t stayed quite till the end at DL so I hadn’t experienced that yet.
I had a great first day in DCA despite not having a game plan…. I’m looking forward to the rides I missed the first time and will revisit again Thursday.