And so the Great Disney Trip winds down.


Friday morning, we met ‘s parents at their hotel and had breakfast by the pool with them. Then, it was off to Dizzyland for more “Get yo’ ride on” excitement.

We got on the Disneyland Railroad at the Main Street Station. (This time, the train was running!) We rode over to Tomorrowland and made our way to…

  • Space Mountain – I think that this was closed when we were here in 2001. They made some improvements and modifications to the ride. Instead of the bobsled-like 1×4 cars, the cars are now 2×2. I think that they also made it a little faster. Some of the new visual effects add to the sense of nausea motion. *shrug* It was fun.
  • Next, it was on to Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters. You’re a Space Ranger with Star Command trying to stop Zurg from stealing power supplies to use in his new “ultimate weapon!” (Translation: You have a light gun and you’re zappin’ the bad guys.) Bright, flourescent colors. Lots of sounds. This was pretty fun. You get a score, based on your number of hits and/or special targets hit. Jim took all of us to town, I came in 2nd, was next, followed by Sandi.
  • The Matterhorn was next on tap. I never rode this in Walt Disney World and it was closed the last time that we were here. I liked it, but the cars were CRAMPED for two riders – my knees were not exactly liking me when we got done.
  • We headed to Toon Town and Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin. I promised that I’d ride this and look for something in the ride for her. I went, I rode, I looked… but I did not find. S’ok, though… I enjoyed the ride.

We decided to leave the park for a while and let the sun do its thing. We headed to the hotel, where I introduced Sandi and Jim to the joys of the Strong Bad email: “Garage Sale”. They were amused. The ladies decided to nap, so Jim and I sat by the pool and chatted for a bit. A little later, it was back to the park.

  • We got into the park shortly after the Parade of Dreams started. For a 50th Anniversary celebration, it seemed a little… lackluster. But, maybe we missed something by not seeing the beginning of the parade.
  • We headed to Frontierland and got on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. I won’t say that the ride is “better” at night, but there are some subtle things in the tunnels that are more visible without the sun. And there was an added coolness to not always being able to see what was coming up.
  • We went to Fantasyland to catch the fireworks display. This was something of a mistake: When one watches the fireworks from the Main Street side of Sleeping Beauty’s Castle, you don’t really think about where the fireworks are being set off. It turns out that for the anniversary ‘works, they are shot of from multiple places, including: In front of the castle, around/on the castle or Fantasyland and from behind Fantasyland. We spent a lot of time looking towards the castle and away from it, trying to see where the next bursts would explode. One very neat thing about the display: They used a cast member as Tinkerbelle and flew her from The Matterhorn over the castle and a little off to one side. It was an impressive effect. (More on the fireworks display below.)
  • We headed to Frontierland again to watch Fantasmic. I had never seen it before, but everyone tried to tell me a little about it before the show. Their descriptions didn’t do it justice. Water. Light. Sound. Pyrotechnics. Once again, Disney showed just how adept they are at wowing a crowd.

We found our way back to our hotels, after wading through the sea of humans (and human-like beasts) to the exit. I took a much-needed hot soak – it was nothing short of delightful. And relaxing.

Saturday night might be alright for fighting (at least it is according to Elton John and/or The Who), but Saturday morning is alright for sleeping in. And I did. And it was good. After the proper obisiences were paid to the Lords of Hygiene, we headed back for the last day of our Dizzyland excursion. We met Jim and Sandi in California Adventure. We grabbed a bite to eat – and margaritas – near Paradise Pier. That’s right… margaritas. In a Disney park. And, they weren’t bad, either.

  • and Jim took a ride on California Screamin’, DCA’s big rollercoaster, while Sandi and I opted to shop. (I’m not a huge fan of rollercoasters, generally speaking. Every once in a while, I’ll get the wild hair to ride a ‘coaster… but not terribly often.) We didn’t really find anything that caught our eyes.
  • We all headed to the Orange Stinger. We rode, spun, “flew” and had a good time of it. But, for flying, nothing beats…
  • Soarin’ over California. We met an older couple who had never been to California Adventure – and possibly even Disneyland – before, despite living an hour or so away. At one point, the Mrs. decided that they should just get out of line and do something else. I asked if she had ever been on Soarin’ before; she said that she hadn’t. I suggested that she stay in line and try it. She did. After it was over, she found me and said that it was worth waiting for. Ahh, vindication…
  • We went to Downtown Disney for some shopping. Oh, the shopping. When I go on vacation, I may pick up a hat or a t-shirt to commemorate my trip. This time, I got a 50th Anniversary jacket and hat. After all, 50th anniversaries only come along once. And I think that I’m worth it. And there was even some pragmatic thought that went into the purchase: It was getting cool and I didn’t have a jacket or sweatshirt – not that I needed any justification to make the purchase, but having a decent reason to do so made the expenditure a little easier.
  • The trip to the LEGO store, however, was pure consumerism at its finest. As this is also the 50th Anniversary of the LEGO brick, I picked up a 50th Anniversary Tub – with the gold bricks, thank you very much. I picked up a few other knick-knacks and goodies, too… including a “minifigure mug” with my name on it. Like people aren’t already aware of my obsession…
  • Dinner at House of Blues. Jambalaya GOOOD! *gesture*
  • Back to Disneyland for the “Remember… Dreams Come True” fireworks display. Seeing the show from the “proper” side made all the difference in the world. The musical selections synched with the bursting pyrotechnics. The other effects made sense. And there was stilll Tink, flying high above the park. It was, quite simply, spectacular.

    Between this display and last night’s Fantasmic! show, I have little doubt in my mind that if Dubya really wanted to “shock and awe,” he should have called up a few Disney Imagineers. I’m sure that they could have come up with something to fit the bill. And probably for MUCH less money. I would love to know how much Disney spends, per year, on electrical power and pyrotechnics. It has to be an astronomical figure.

  • A little more shopping (had to get a set of ears) and then our Disney adventure came to an end.

It’s been a good – but tiring – four days in the shadow of the Magic Kingdom. Lots of fun, but now I need a vacation to recover from this trip! It’s also a little odd to think that with the exception of tonight, I haven’t really been anywhere else but the Disney parks. Tonight, we drove past the Crystal Cathedral. Even in the dark – and unlit – the building is impressive. I will have to try and swing past there on the way out tomorrow and get a better look.

I’m sure that I’ll have a few retrospective thoughts to share later, but that pretty much sums up what I have to say for now. I hope that all is well on your respective sides of the monitor.

: Next time. 🙂

Tomorning, it’s back to the Zion Curtain.
Tonight, it’s nearly sleepy-bye time.

Namaste.