DL & A Gaggle of Gals, Pt. 2 Trip Report

It was getting closer to dinner, but we still had time to squeeze in a few more attractions. First up is The Jungle Cruise. No, the first shot isn’t from the attraction, but rather the G.O.G. listed in the title of this entry. The Jungle Cruise sure is fun at night; our Skipper was quick with the quips and knew where to shine the spotlight! Here are a few of the things that we saw that night:



Who says it isn’t dinner time?



“My wife makes the best stew...”



Still more time to kill (so to speak), and the Tiki Room was just around the corner. The G.O.G. made a mad dash to the restroom to change into their dinner finery and I waited at the entrance of the Tiki Room. Naturally, I kept my camera shutter busy. With the colored lights, the courtyard literally glows at night, giving the Tiki statuary a life of their own.



OK, who’s the joker who put the drink umbrella on the Tiki God?





Alas, by the time the G.O.G. finished getting purty, the show had already started. Time for Plan B: Snow White’s Scary Adventures in Fantasyland!

Hardly a line at all; everyone enjoyed the new lighting effects which made the Old Hag even more menacing:





You could almost feel the rain coming down on the Dwarfs:



OK, NOW it was time to get dinner. We made a beeline back to New Orleans Square through the Fantasmic traffic and arrived at our destination right on time. The G.O.G. was extremely excited to be going to Club 33 for the very first time. As the treasured door opened and we were invited to step inside, the cameras began snapping as each member of the party stood in awe at being able to “step behind the curtain” so to speak.





And then the phone call came from up high...



Our table wasn’t ready and wouldn’t be for awhile (insert groan).

BUT...we could have a fast pass to any attraction.

I quickly ran through my mind the attractions that had fast passes; we’d already done The Mansion; one of our G.O.G. couldn’t do Indy, Space Mountain, or Big Thunder Mountain...oh damn, time is ticking...what to do...what to do...

Suddenly, I decided to think outside of the box. The cast member had stated ANY attraction, so I requested the one that has no fast pass and also has the longest lines of all: Peter Pan’s Flight!

NO PROBLEM! The special fast pass was written, Shamus (the mascot for the G.O.G.) posed with the pass...



...and we were on our way back to Fantasyland! Entering the exit, we proudly brandished our special fast pass and immediately got on our Pirate Galleon heading to Neverland! This was probably the coolest part of the day so far. Nana looked on in disbelief as we flew over her.









Peter Pan’s Flight is one of the oldest attractions at Disneyland, but each time the thrill of flying over London takes my breath away.

Adventure over—time to return to New Orleans Square! The herds of cattle were gathering into their viewing spots along the Rivers of America for Fantasmic, and we practically needed a tazer to get through. That didn’t stop me from snapping the sites along the way!



In a case of deja vu, we were back inside the Club; only this time, we got to ride the magic elevator up to the restaurant on the 2nd floor!



One step closer to getting our table!



Club 33 has a beauty and ambiance that makes you feel as if you are miles away from the noise and hub-bub going on outside.



A closer look at the beautiful hand-painted harpsichord art:



Your table awaits...



The thorn amongst the roses of the G.O.G.:



The lamb was delish (my fave dish there), followed by dessert (the only reason people bother with dinner at all!):



Another great benefit (besides the fantastic food) is the view from the balconies. Here’s the Blue Bayou:



Holiday lights strewn above the N.O.S. shops:





Because our seating for dinner was a little late, we got to watch both showings of Fantasmic from the Club 33 balconies. Sure, the trees make an unobstructed field of vision impossible, but with a little kneeling and ducking back and forth, you can still see the show without fighting a bunch of morons w/blankets who have camped out for 4 hours, holding their cameras over their heads, blocking your view.



By the time we finished dinner and exited the park, it was 11pm. We were all wiped out after a truly magical day at the happiest place on earth. Next time you go to Disneyland, make sure you take a Gaggle of Gals—you’ll have a blast!

See more Disneyland and Disney California Adventure photos at my main website.

DL & A Gaggle of Gals, Pt. 1 Trip Report

For parkgoers, Disneyland can often be a stressful place; high admission prices and large crowds add to the anxiety as guests attempt to ride as many attractions as possible, hoping to get maximum value for their hard-earned dollar. Personally, some of my best times at the park occur when I do very little and instead, enjoy the smaller details. This particular visit was such a day. With a great group of friends, we started the day off with....no, not a mad rush to an attraction or a fast pass machine, but instead to the Wine Country Trattoria Restaurant in California Adventure. Even though I was the designated driver, I enjoyed my lasagna & water lunch on the patio as the gaggle of gals downed sangria.



I’d never noticed this plaque amongst the vines before:



A quick stop at Blue Sky preview center next door yielded these photos of the upcoming Little Mermaid attraction:











Your clamshell vehicle awaits!



And a few shots of the actual attraction building and how it is progressing:





Cars Land continues to make progress, as the U.S. flag was added this week in a topping-off ceremony:





Most of the group had never seen “Aladdin: A Musical Spectacular” over at the Hyperion Theater. Knowing it would be a wow, I suggested that as our next stop. Even though the magic carpet wasn’t working at this particular show, the gaggle of gals loved it. The genie had them rolling with his topical ad-libs.









Next up: Toy Story Midway Mania! A quick pose by the Christmas tree on the way (is it really almost the holidays???)...



There were 2 virgins in our group (as far as the attraction was concerned), and they sure had fun:



This toy not recommended for children:



PS: Great photo opp that doesn’t cost a thing!

Countdown to Electronica:



Electronica is “literally cleaning” up at DCA!



Next we park-hopped for a visit with Abe (Chris, I am still humming “Two Brothers!”):





...and some POTC and Haunted Mansion Holiday fun:







The Gaggle of Gals give their best pumpkin imitation:

















Stay tuned for Part 2! See more Disneyland and Disney California Adventure photos at my main website.

Yippie Day: The Aftermath

Many already know about August 6, 1970, commonly referred to as “Yippie Day” at Disneyland. It was the establishment vs. the long hairs, with the losers being the guests at the park that day who wanted to experience relief from the real world but instead, were witnesses to an all-out riot that shut the park down.

What happened the next day? According to the UPI newspaper caption on the next two photos, Disneyland wasn’t taking any chances and attempted to keep another riot from occurring. Here’s the text that accompanied these two photos:

Security officers at Disneyland screen long haired youths as they arrive at Disneyland in an effort to prevent a reoccurence of events August 6 in which the famed amusement park was closed down early in the evening when a group celebrating “Yippie Day” became unruly and matters got out of control. This particular group was turned down and loaded on a motor scooter, taken back to their car and asked to leave.





Today, these two dorks wouldn't even be cause for a second glance. Oh how time marches on.

Read more recently added eyewitness accounts on Disneyland Yippie Day at my main website.