California Trip Report Part 2
Here comes your next installment of my trip to Southern California 
Friday 26th May 2006
This morning I got up at 8am and made it into the parks at 9. My first stop was with my Mickey Mouse Ears Mortarboard I bought the previous night. I took it into the Embroidery store in Main Street to get my name put onto it, they only charge $7 for this so its not too bad Thought its better value if you have a longer name than mine he he.
First up I grabbed a Fast pass for Indiana Jones Adventure, I then joined the Jungle Cruise queue, this early it was not long, but they just opened up the upstairs queue line so I had to walk around that. Was on in a few moments, I do really enjoy this attraction, though it could be better if the skippers were a bit more innovative and didn’t use the same script over and over and over again.
After Jungle Cruise I headed over to Splash Mountain and rode it on Single Rider. As usual I got on almost straight away! My plan was to go on Big Thunder Mountain Rail Road next, however for some reason the attraction was down, and in fact it turned out that it was down for the next few days, I really not sure why at all. So instead I walked over to Space Mountain and grabbed another Fast Pass.
I went on Buzz next, it’s not such a fun attraction on your own No-one to compete against heh. I followed buzz with a go on the left side of the Matterhorn (left as you are facing the station anyway…) That was fun, I enjoy riding the Matterhorn, its like a piece of Coaster History ;). I then went and looked around Mickey’s Toontown, grabbing a Fast Pass for Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin (remember this attractions not on the Fast Pass network so you can have one for this as well as another attraction).
After looking around Toon Town I went on It’s a Small World, I believe this was my only cruise around the world the whole trip, but you can’t go to Disneyland and not right Small World right? 
I then went and grabbed another Indy fast pass (not having used the first one yet), picked up my embroidered Mortarboard and then headed over to DCA.
In DCA all I did was grab a Tower of Terror Fast Pass, a Grizzly River Run Fast Pass (again, not on the Fast pass network so you can get one here too) and then headed back to my hotel. From the hotel I walked to Burger King which was just down the road. I wouldn’t normally bother and would get something in the park, however BK had an offer on for $12 off a Knott’s Berry Farm ticket with the purchase of a meal, I so figured that would work out well. The meal was less than $5, but I don’t like the veggie burgers at BK in America (they’re great in the UK), but I got the voucher so wasn’t bothered.
Once I left BK, I walked back to the Hotel, and sat down and wrote my post cards. I didn’t go back to the park til about 3.30, but it meant I missed the worst of the Mid-day sun, so it wasn’t all bad. Being in the parks in the heat of the day sure does exhaust you 
Once back in the parks I went around redeeming some of my fast passes. First up was Space Mountain, fun as ever! Next up I used one of my Indy Fast Passes, I love this attraction so much! It’s just so much fun. Now that’s one attraction we could have in Paris that I actually think would pull people in… Would need to go in the Studios though I think… But what am I saying, it’ll probably never happen LOL.
After Indy I headed over to Disney’s California Adventure to watch the Block Party Bash, this has probably got to be one of my favourite Disney Parades ever, everyone get’s involved and seems to be enjoying themselves, the cast are really active and look like they genuinely enjoy being there… It must be such an exhausting parade to do in all that glorious Southern California sunshine.
After the Block Party, I headed over to California Screamin’ and rode that twice, both times with no sound! That was using Single Rider, straight on the first time, though a few people cottoned on after that and I had a bit of a wait, still much less than the current queue time.
I followed Screamin’ by redeeming by Fast Pass for the Tower of Terror, I then went on Soarin’ via the single rider queue. After Soarin’ I was feeling a little peckish, I checked out White Water Snacks again, but it must only open lunch times, so headed back into the Park and ate at Pizza Oom Mow Mow. The Pizza wasn’t bad, but I got this herbed Ciabatta with it, and it was dry, wasn’t overly impressed.
After the Pizza it was 8pm and as anyone who knows me will tell you, my overall favourite parade has to be The Main Street Electrical Parade, which of course in California is Disney’s Electrical Parade in DCA. I found myself a spot, and waited for the parade to start in 45minutes. I was sat on a bench so I had a really good unobstructed view of the parade route. Just so happened that a English family ended up sat next to me before the parade, I thought the accent sounded familiar, I asked them where they were from, once we got past the England part of the conversation I found they were from… I think it was either Cannock or Lichfield, either way only a few miles down the road from me… It’s a Small World after all!
I watched the Electrical Parade, and as always it was as Enchanting and Magical as ever, there’s no limit on the number of times I can hear Baroque Hoedown, I love that track soooo much And the floats are amazing too by the way heh. Anyway I followed up the parade by heading over to Disneyland to watch the fireworks, however much to my disgust they were cancelled due to high winds. You don’t hear of that happening in Paris (well at least I don’t….) but I guess it is in the middle of a city in Anaheim so I’ll let them off
I had originally planned to get the Train around to New Orleans Square to watch Fantasmic! However it seems since my trip last year, they’ve stopped running the trains during the fireworks, so I would have had to have waited some time for the first to make an appearance, so I battled my way down Main St. to the Rivers of America where I managed to find a space to slot myself to sit down and watch Fantasmic!
I waited for what seemed an eternity (it tends to have that effect when you are sitting on a cobbled floor) but eventually F! started. I cannot emphasise quite how much I love this show, it has to be my favourite show Disney have ever done, the music, the effects, the atmosphere… It’s all perfect, I don’t think it could be improved on.
After F! I went on Indy a further 2 times using Fast passes (I guess I must have picked up another Fast Pass when I redeemed the first one… Don’t remember doing that heh) After 2 more enjoyable trips around the Temple of the Forbidden eye, which on both occasions someone was stupid enough to look into the Eye and I came away with NOTHING, I headed over to Space Mountain and redeemed my fast pass for that, before heading back to the hotel and going to bed at about 12:30.
http://photos.tpruk.com/260506
Saturday 27th May 2006
Today I got up at 8:45am, a bit of a lie in I guess. Today I am going to Knott’s Berry Farm. Got ready and was at the bus stop for 9:40. Travelled on the Bus and arrived at about 10am, was very quick and easy, much easier then when I drove there last year and got lost cos I missed the turning into the park LOL.
The park looks very busy, there’s a lot of people waiting at the main gates to get in. I queued up and bought my ticket, $27.95 with my voucher, not too bad at all. Now I had to queue to get in the park, this moved pretty quick and it wasn’t long before I was in.
The first attraction I rode was Ghost Rider, this is a large wooden coaster. Last time I rode this I didn’t enjoy it, but it was a little more fun than I remember… Just a bit too rough for my liking. After this I went to look for the show Mystery Lodge, wasn’t really sure what it was but it sounded good. It was on at 11. It was about old American tribes if I recall correctly, was a little odd. Ok, but I wouldn’t bother with it again unless I was with someone who hadn’t seen it. Used a couple of special effects but nothing amazing.
After Mystery Lodge I went on the Big Foot Rapids, it’s a rapid ride, and to be honestly not particularly an amazing one, I didn’t get wet at all I don’t think (I didn’t mind though, it was warm but a little overcast) I then went on the Log Ride, this had the longest queue of the day, I must have been queuing over 40 minutes for this. Its an okay Log flume, its no Splash Mountain, but its got some themed areas as you are going round. The final drops just about ok, nothing special.
After The Log Ride I had a spot of lunch from ‘Angels Diner’ just one of the take out restaurants there. I had a Cheese and Tomato pizza slice, some fries and a Mountain Dew. The pizza was good but the fries were a bit funny, can’t remember why, I just remember thinking they were odd.
Next up I went on Xcelerator, it’s a fun ride, I really must get to Thorpe Park and go on Stealth and see how it compares. Next up I saw the stunt show, it’s a western stunt show but I thought it was a bit more of a comedy, nothing to special, lots of pushing people in water and laughter, maybe I’ve been spoilt by Moteurs Action in Paris, but I wasn’t wow’d for sure.
I now went on the Silver Bullet, it’s a B&M inverted coaster, like Nemesis and the likes, its aged a little since I last went on it, last time it was too smooth, its starting to wear in now and is a lot more fun, I felt the G-Forces a little more this time. Fun ride I then went on Montezoomas Revenge. It’s a launched shuttle coaster, launches you out of the station, through a loop, up a hill, and then the same backwards, back through the station, up another hill then you drop slowly back into the station. It’s actually a lot of fun, the launch feels quite intense as you speed out of the station.
Next up I walked through Camp Snoopy, it’s a nice area of the park, well themed, and the only area where people can’t smoke which makes the air a little fresher I walked over to the Calico saloon show, watched it, wasn’t overly impressed, just a little bit too cheesy for my likings (am I spoilt by Disney? Probably… yes!) Whilst in the area I also went on the Calico Railroad, it’s a circular full size railway around part of the park. Nice little attraction, went past a few of the other attractions and tooks some photos from a different angle.
Next up I want on Xcelerator again, and then rode the Sky Cabin, this is a circular observation wheel that climbs a tower, I took a few photos from the top. The park is only a few miles from Disneyland so I was looking for that, but I couldn’t see it, wasn’t sure which way to look… you must be able to see it from up there though.
After the sky cabin I went on the Calico Mine Ride, it’s basically a tour through an old (fake) mine shaft. Its an entertaining little attraction, with commentary from the driver, though I couldn’t hear what was being said. There’s also a small part at the end where the train speeds up, almost like a roller coaster, but I’d be surprised if it even topped 10mph lol.
Here I decided to try Funnel Cake, I’d seen it in Disneyland, here and also at Six Flags, and seriously… What is all the fuss about??? It really is the plainest most boring thing I’ve eaten in my life… I had strawberry sauce on it, but it was so tasteless, and didn’t even really have a nice texture… I just don’t get it… Someone fill me in please guys???
Now I decided it was time to head home, it was about 6pm, the park was open til 10, but to be honest I had done what I wanted to do and felt a bit exhausted. I went and bought a few snacks, and then headed onto the 6:35 bus. Got back to the hotel about 7pm and chilled out in the room watch tele til 9pm. At this point I headed to DownTown Disney with Ryan, and we went to the Lost Bar in the Disneyland Hotel, and then moved on to the Hearthstone Lounge Bar in Disney’s Grand California Hotel, I was going to try a real Mint Julep here, but they ran out of the essential ingredient… Mint. So I had another beer LOL.
We left back to the hotel at about 11pm.