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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