Andy
Kirra (Yes, Andy
Kirra) and I went to
DisneyLand yesterday.
I had been working several previous weekends at events in addition to the weekdays in my office so I took a weekday off to visit one of the "Happiest Places on Earth" and not deal with crowds.
(Unless the crowd is there to see me or I think I am controlling the crowd, I can't deal with them these days.)Of course, I didn't take my expensive, touch-screen, high-resolution camera with me, so that I could get good photos, no I took the phone that I never answer, so I may as well use as a camera right? *beats head on wall*
Here are my photos and
I liked this photo to the left of the phone books and other street items that would have been props. This was as you enter the
backlot. The only other street item that could have been appropriate would have been Chase Evans.
As you enter the "Pacific SOMETHING" area that is themed to be like San Francisco, there is a photo opportunity that I had to take with Andy. I mean, something is fishy with this photo, but I don't know what. *wink*
I love that there is an area called, "Award Wieners." I should have thought of that during the "Escort Awards" huh? Fierce.
Here's the seating area for the "Award
Weiners."
Andy and I were on the "Monsters Inc." ride which was really neat except too quick and I mean really, there was no "engagement" on the ride. You don't shoot anythings, keep track of anything, etc. You just watch the story go by. So while that was not very exciting, it was in the air conditioning so quite literally, it was cool. I don't want to take the art of telling a story for granted, so in it's own right, it was nifty. Andy said at one point, "Did you really just say that?" when I said, "Is it wrong that I think that blue monster is kinda hot?"
The first ride we rode was the "Hollywood Tower of Terror" ride. It's modeled after a real, old hotel that is right around the corner from me in real life. I am totally fascinated with it and just can't get enough. I love the story, I love the thrill of the ride that plummets you in a drop, I love the bellman outfits the cast wears in that attraction, I love the merchandise in the gift shop, I love the continuity Disney employs in the entire area making it feel like you stepped back in time to 1939 and are at a Hollywood hotel from the moment, well moments, you are standing in line. ...more, more, MORE! I need more "Hollywood Tower of Terror."
Now to the left AND the right. It's Andy and I in the "Sun Wheel" or what I will call the New Orleans Ferris Wheel. Why do I call it that? The "boarding area" for the ride is
friggin' lower then the water that surrounds the ride. It's much like New Orleans. We were high in the sky in a gondola that moves and was actually kinda scary at times.
While we were enjoying the "Muppet-vision 3_D attraction" I could not help but want to get in trouble as I crawled into the booth with "
Statler and Waldorf" but resisted. I think those two old guys are FIERCE! He's an image of the booth they were in.
I want to say so many things. "Hot Set' was enough.
Look again to the right. See that door? You can see it at the "Muppet-vision 3-D" show too. I think I might have walked through that door a few years ago and am still on the other side. ...or maybe that should be the door to my office? Either way, wow, I hold the key in my heart to that door for sure.
One of my favorite things that I didn't want to be my favorite things going into it was the "Toy Story Mania" ride. It's like this 3-D ride that you shoot up things in
Pixar movie "Toy Story" and get points while you sit in this car. We just ended up in some line while we were talking about going on the fierce roller coaster and somehow
ended up in a mystery line that winded and wielded under some eaves. I don't know. I asked the lady in front of us what line we were in and she said something that she herself pointed out was wrong right after she said it. Next when she told us what she thought the line was for, I said, "I don't know if I can believe you." and we all chuckled.
When you look at the photo above to the left, you can see the final score on our "shoot-out" and even though my score number was higher, our accuracy was the same, so I took it to mean that I am much more frivolous with my shots and in the end, I had to work twice as hard to get to the same place as Andy. ...but man, it's fun shooting at everything I could.
...and how about these make believe take
off's on real movies that the "Muppet World" had on display? I think the "
Muppets" were a sort of "Saturday Night Live" to me. I particularly liked these posters because I can apply them to my own life. *wink*
Here was the end of the day as we left and headed home.
I had a good day with Andy. It didn't make me think of the times I used to have with him, because I felt different than I used to. I was much more satisfied with the time I spent with him than wanting more time like I used to. Fierce. It was certainly quality time.
I do have one question though. In the Disney Empire, what's the difference between "Guest Services" and "Guest Relations?" I had a package of passes that I bid on two years ago at a silent auction for a charity and a few days before they finally expired, I had to use them so when I went to
DisneyLand "Guest Services" to check on using the passes at "California Adventure"
(...which I so wanted to call "Islands of Adventure" all day. ...and did for most of the day.) and still getting into the actual "
DisneyLand" to use the "Blue Bayou" meal tickets I had, they said I had to talk to "Guest Relations." They ultimately did not make the think it was the "Happiest Place on Earth" because someone told me no and they would not let me use them. Although the meal tickets I have don't have an expiration date, so I'm still coming. *wink*
Andy and I did get to have lunch in a New Orleans themed place though. He indulged me and we went to dine at "Downtown Disney's" version of Ralph Brennan's place called the "Jazz Kitchen."
The character that is "Raymond" (...after Ray Charles.) is so cute and is like a new Jiminey Cricket for today. He's a Cajun firefly and, well, you have to see it. He's so cool.
