TR: A California Adventure

[haiderodes]

This past week one of my best friends, Ross, was in town looking for houses with his parents (they are moving to the mainland from Hawaii). When we first learned he was coming to visit, a Disneyland trip was automatic. We love Disney and this would be an unprecedented third Disney trip in 2006 for us!

 

After going back and forth over just how long to stay at Disney and what else we wanted to see in Southern California, we settled on Universal Studios and Disneyland. Then the day before we left, I found out that Knott’s was having the Toys for Tots Drive for free admission, so why not add a stop there on our last day!

 

So the plan was to leave Friday, December 1st at 7a. This was an adventure in itself considering we had went clubbin’ the night before and didn’t get home until 3a. But all was well as we ended up leaving at 730a. I stayed sober the night before, but my friend on the other hand…not so much. This meant for an interesting 4 hour drive.

 

After a stop for breakfast in Barstow, we finally arrived Universal Studios at 11:45a. The park had opened at 10a, but it seemed way too quiet. Seriously, no music and like 30 people at the entrance and 1/3 of them were workers. In the park, past the gauntlet of kids pushing those damn backpacks we headed to T2:3D. Man this park is empty we kept saying! There were seriously about 50 people in the preshow room so we just decided to chill on the bench in the back. It was pretty sad. Good show as always, but just a lack of people.

 

After browsing through the 50% off store for possible toys for the Knott’s thing, we headed to the Studio Tour. The “3 fast 3 furious” part is still a joke and we had to keep quiet during half the tour because of filming for Desperate Housewives and Ghost Whisperer. I guess J. Love. needed to concentrate on her Emmy award winning performance...HA!

 

After the tour, I was feeling hungry, but the damn El Pollo Loco aka Hollywood Cantina was closed. So much for any semblance of any close to healthy food choices. So I got a slice of veggie pizza. After lunch, we headed to Shrek 4D and then to the Wild Thornberry’s ball house. Can I say that the ball house is one of the best things going for Universal right now. Its so much fun! Especially considering at 23 and 24 years old, we were the oldest people in there without kids. Every since the last time we were here (when a lil kid kept pegging me in the eye), I've always wanted to rain terror on the little kids in here. Fun times!

 

Throughout the day we debated going ‘downstairs’, but we decided that it wouldn’t be worth the time investment since nothing down there was a major draw for us this time around. So after browsing a few more shops it was time for the 4:45p performance of Water World. They have a new guy playing the mariner (no more B.P.C.). It was good as always (I love explosions!). I do notice they didn’t care its December because they still got lots of people soaking wet before the show…including this little bad ass who though he would get away with throwing a bottle of water on one of the cast members.

 

After Water World, it was time to go. Glad I didn’t have to pay, as it was a bleh day. I'm doubtful I will get the annual pass again next year, granted it was the cost of a one day admission and I used it 3 times this year. At the very least the weather was better than being in Las Vegas in the 29 degree temperatures we’ve been having.

 

This isn’t park related but….After we left the park we headed into North Hollywood to Target to grab some snacks and other things we had inadvertently left at home. While there, we noticed they had the new Gwen Stefani cd out on sale. UM…it wasn’t supposed to come out until Tuesday, December 5th. Needless to say, my friend grabbed it. Strange considering that it was on the shelf, they only had like 5 there AND it didn’t have a price on it. We were going to try clubbin’ since it was Friday night and we were staying in Hollywood, but alas we fell asleep and didn’t wake up until well after midnight, so we gave up.

 

The next day, Saturday 12/2, was our Disney day. My friend Maritza, was going to drive up from Riverside and meet us at the park so we headed out early…arriving at the park at 7:45a. Again, there was no one there. Ok, this was supposed to be Candlelight Processional weekend and there was no one at the parking garage entrance…we even parked in Pinocchio! At the entrance, no line for the ticket booths and no line for the turnstiles. What is going on? Perhaps everyone in California now have the cloaking devices Robb talked about in Asia.

 

It was now about 10 after 8 and Maritza was late, so we decided to just hit as many rides as we could before the crowds came. So right away we hit Indy, Pirates, and Haunted Mansion Holiday within 40 minutes. She finally met us around 930a and we all headed to Splash Mountain.

 

Now, I have been on Splash Mountain both here and at WDW countless times, but I have never, and I mean never have ever got as wet as we did this trip. That last drop got us good. We made it through the tunnel ok, just the usually splash, but the second we emerged from the tunnel, the biggest wall of water I have ever seen came down crashing upon us. I think I have taken dryer showers, it was ridiculous. For some reason we weren’t the only ones getting that wet. EVERYONE getting off was just as wet as us. Strange.

 

After standing in the sun for a bit we hit the lackluster Pooh ride (why do we torture ourselves with this ride…oh it had no line…that’s why), Pirates again, and Big Thunder. Then we headed around the back of Big Thunder and decided to see Santa’s Reindeer Roundup. Man its stinky back there! The turkeys didn’t want anything to do with us, but I got revenge because then we ate lunch at the Village Haus and I had a turkey club sandwich.

 

After having way too much fun in the Village Haus, the three of us headed over to Mr. Toad. The crowds were finally starting to build as we headed to It’s a Small World Holiday. While in what should have been a 15 minute line, the ride broke down. A boat leaving the left side station got stuck on the conveyor. People were telling them to just unload the boat and push it forward to the next conveyor and reload the boat. Did they listen…NO. So after two cycles of the little kids dancing around the clock and me getting annoyed at the sound of It’s a Small World and Jingle Bells mixed together in an ever escalating score, they finally e-stop the ride (the pumps visibly shut off), unload the boat, move it forward, reload the boat, restart the ride and send everyone on their way. WHY DIDN’T THEY LISTEN TO US!

 

After IASW and shopping in the gift shop, we headed to Toontown for Cartoon Spin and more shopping (seeing a trend?).

 

We then took the train back around to Main Street to unload our purchases in the locker and get a snack. There’s something in those pineapple spears…its like crack. Fruit crack attack! LOL

 

While we were sitting there we decided to watch the parade (something we hardly ever do). They made an announcement that someone had won a stay in the Mickey Penthouse for the Year of a Million Dreams. Dammit Jim, why couldn’t that be us! Ah well, we still have a year to keep trying.

 

After the parade we headed to Buzz Lightyear and then did more shopping. So far we hadn’t waited in any lines longer than 20 minutes (except the IASW debacle). Space Mountain was an hour, I don’t care for it to wait so long nor do I care for DL's Innoventions or Star Tours, so we headed out of Tomorrowland and over to the Tiki Room where Maritza picked up her second pineapple spear of the day.

 

After the Tiki Room, Maritza parted ways with us as she needed to head back home while me and Ross got a dinnertime snack at the Bengal BBQ. We realized that this is first time we had been at Disneyland and had finished everything we wanted to ride and didn’t really have any urge to stand in any line or use fast pass. So we decided to do something we have never done - Storybook Canal boats. It's really pretty at night I have to say, but the whole 1 2 3 get up or fall in to the water thing was a bit unnerving for me. I could just see my clumsy self falling into the water.

 

After the boats we went to Alice in Wonderland and walked back to IASW to check out the light/projection show and take pictures. We pretty much just wondered around at that point, taking pictures, looking at stores, etc. It had been super windy all day so we didn’t think they would do the fireworks, but for some reason they still went through all the set ups. So we grabbed a Buzz FP for 9:25p just in case they didn’t go off.

 

Instead of waiting in front of the castle with everyone else, we just decided to sit and watch the band at the Tomorrowland Terrace. They were surpsingly good, although I was surprised when they started singing Buttons and Don’t Ya by the PCD…Disney appropriate?

 

9:25 came and went and eventually, just like we expected, they cancelled the fireworks. So we used our Buzz fast pass and headed for the tram, the car, and then the hotel.

 

This second night we stayed at a Homestead Suites in Brea, courtesy Priceline. The hotel was ok, but the staff sucked. We get there and the woman is like…I’m not here (as she whips out a sign that says they are closed). She tells me to pick up the courtesy phone and to dial zero. Um…ok? So then a lady who can't speak English comes down and tries to check us in. But, alas the woman who apparently was not there, comes over to help us. Ok?

 

We finally get to the room, but lo and behold there is a party next door. Calls to the front desk are pointless, because they won't relocate us (the hotel was NOT full) and they won't kick the people out.

After an hour of battling with the front desk, we gave up and just went to sleep as best we could.

 

Next day, Sunday 12/3, we made a pitstop at Walmart and then headed to Knotts. While at the store we tried to find toys that were just over $10. Ultimately, that was pointless because when we got to the park they didn’t ask for a receipt or anything, they didn’t even look in the bag. They were like…how many tickets? So in theory we could have bought the clearance section $3.97 toys and they wouldn’t have known the difference. But alas it was for charity so no big deal. $10 is a big discount from the normal $40 admission anyway.

 

I had been to Knotts back in May, but Ross hadn’t been in 5 years. I’m kinda indifferent about the park nowadays, but overall I had fun. We spent most of the day checking out all the various Christmas shows and attractions. The Snoopy’s Cool Christmas show was surprisingly good. They went all out for this show! We ended up watching it twice. I was kinda bummed the Sky Tower was closed because it was so windy, but we kept busy.

 

So overall the trip was fun. Nice to getaway from Vegas for a while...especially the cold weather. The drive back was rough with all the high winds...I was all over the place!!

 

Photos to come!