Sunday, June 7, 2015

Southern California Trip 2014 Day 11 Tuesday November 4 Disneyland Park

UPDATED: February 11, 2021

This is the 11th of a series of posts dealing with my fourth trip to South California. I’ve made minor corrections to these reports. Also, I’ve added additional thoughts with the hindsight of a ¾ year later or to add further clarification.  These are indicated by “NOW”. After I booked the trip I unexpectedly had to move and during that had an Eastern Canada trip that didn’t go that great, so I was already pretty tired before the trip began.

NOTE: For capsule descriptions of rides I’d already been on this trip, see these posts:

I took a 47 OCTA bus to near Disneyland. I walked the rest of the way and confirmed that Millie's from my 2008 trip had closed. I did have breakfast at Mimi's for old time's sake and then visited the grounds of the Howard Johnson I stayed at last time. I walked to Disneyland Resort to use my early admission (Magic Morning) though it was a little bit before we could even go to the gates. A sign said that Space Mountain was closed but it was open, with the classic, non-holiday effects. Unfortunately it turns out the Nightmare Before Christmas effects for Haunted Mansion that completely ruin the gothic atmosphere last from around September to after Christmas.

[NOW: I started out at Orange Mango Hostel in Santa Ana before arriving at the bus stop in nearby Orange. OCTA is short for Orange County Transportation Authority. Disneyland is in Anaheim. Mimi's has a nice peg game you can play at your table and can buy. I bought it at the end of my 2008 trip.]

As before I'll only detail lands/describe rides for ones I hadn't gone on previously. Once in I rode Space Mountain three times and Star Tours once, which took me past the Magic Morning period in which only Tomorrowland and Fantasyland were open. I rode Big Thunder Mountain Railroad four times, then Pirates of the Caribbean, then Haunted Mansion, then Splash Mountain twice via the Single Rider lane, then Indiana Jones Adventure. In Fantasyland I rode the King Arthur Carousel. Nothing special; just needed some variety; then I rode the Matterhorn Bobsleds thrice.

[NOW: Space Mountain and Star Tours are in Tomorrowland, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad in Frontierland, Pirates of the Caribbean and Haunted Mansion in New Orleans Square, Splash Mountain in Critter County, Indiana Jones Adventure in Adventureland, and Matterhorn Bobsleds in Fantasyland.]

The Star Tours Fastpass machines were malfunctioning. I did get one machine to apparently work but my ticket jammed.  After I told a worker I noticed that the regular (standby) lane at Star Tours was open so just went on that.  Because of the jammed Fastpass machine I couldn't get a Space Mountain fastpass at the time so I ate lunch at Tomorowland Terrace.

[NOW: I think someone else snagged my jammed Fastpass.]

Even though it's a terrible ride I rode the Finding Nemo’s Submarine Voyage (fake illusion of submerging; lots of cacophony; in Tomorrowland). If I hate it, why did I ride it? My photos were all starting to look alike so this way I got some photos I wouldn't otherwise get. Then two more goes at the Matterhorn Bobsleds. I didn't get the pictures I wanted on Peter Pan's Flight the first time (bad camera settings) so revisited to get better photos.

[NOW: The photos I got from Finding Nemo’s Submarine Voyage were pretty decent; the photos from Peter Pan’s Flight in Fantasyland were only a little better the second time.]

I got a Big Thunder Mountain Railroad Fastpass and then rode Pirates of the Caribbean. I'd hoped to ride Big Thunder Mountain Railroad as the sun set but it was broken so I rode Indiana Jones Adventure twice more and got back to Mountain Railroad as it was reopening. I rode it three times more, the first time with Fastpass.

I got a Space Mountain Fastpass then rode the Disneyland Monorail and the Autopia, having liked the night track from the previous day. I rode Space Mountain and then Star Tours. For the latter I've noticed that the vast majority of the "random" end sequences are the same underwater situation. I tried to get a souvenir book but I couldn't find one. Maybe they no longer sell the?

[NOW: The Disneyland entrance to the Disneyland Monorail is in Tomorrowland, as is the Autopia (there’s another Monorail entrance in Downtown Disney).]

I had trouble finding the right way out of the resort but finally did and dashed to the 47 OCTA bus stop. I got off the bus by the 7-11 nearest the hostel and got some pizza and a drink before returning to the hostel.

[NOW: The 7-11 is in Orange.]

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