Bonnie and Claire's DLRP Trip - Day Three

[Bonnie]

Sunday June 12th 2005

Cast: Me (23) and my girlfriend Claire (25). In the photos, I'm the blonde with glasses, and she's the brunette.

NOTE: Click the little thumbnail images to see larger versions of the photos! I'm having to post the reports in sections as I have too many images! The board won't let me post more than 20 at once!

We had chosen an 8.00-8.45 breakfast card for today, and planned to go for a swim at 7.00, but we woke up at 7.30. We decided that it would be more advisable to swim before breakfast, so we wandered across to the pool and planned to go straight to breakfast from there just before 8.45. I had several (erm, about ten) turns on the water slide, though I felt like a muppet climbing up the steps with my big wobbly **** in full view, but at least the pool was fairly empty at this time of the morning. In fact, there were probably only about two other families in there. Claire took some delightful photos and videos of me, and then we got out at about 8.30.

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We had underestimated the time it would take to get showered and dressed, though, and ended up late for breakfast again (but only by five minutes). This time there was a queue, and we had to wait quite a while to be seated. We had breakfast in the Hunter's Grill today, which I didn't like quite as much as the Beaver Creek Tavern, for some reason (despite the fact that the food was exactly the same!) It may have had something to do with the fact that I had a wet bum and shoulders from getting dressed too quickly at the pool.

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[Bonnie]

After that, we headed back to our room to dry our hair, and then slowly wandered over to Walt Disney Studios. On the way, we stopped to say "hello" to the ducks on Lake Disney, and also saw some baby moorhens. We got to the park just in time to catch the end of the 10.45 Good Morning Walt Disney Studios parade and I took a couple of photos, but I was sad that we'd missed most of it, so we planned to come back and see it again another day. After that, it was over to the Rock 'n' Rollercoaster for a second go, and again, the wait was about five minutes - I don't understand why, especially on a Sunday! This time, I noticed that the ride was even better lit than the previous time, and I could actually hear the music - it was mainly "Dude (Looks Like A Lady)", though; I don't remember any other songs. I did get a little bit scared towards the end of the ride, when our train stopped in a dark tunnel for what seemed like ages! People started panicking after a little while and asking what was happening, and I thought to myself, "OH MY GOD. WE'RE GOING TO DIE. ANOTHER TRAIN IS GOING TO COME ALONG AND FLATTEN US." But then we started moving again. I enjoyed the ride even more this time (despite the minor panic!), and I think it's definitely made it into my top three, after Big Thunder Mountain and Pirates of the Caribbean. Sorry, Space Mountain - you have been relegated to at least fourth place!

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When we exited the ride, the wait time had gone from five minutes to thirty-five, and people were queuing outside the queuing area, so I don't really understand that! We then noticed that the queue for the Moteurs... Action! Stunt Show Spectacular was very short indeed, and Claire said there was a show at 11.30, so we decided to queue for it. More and more people joined the queue, and when it got to 11.25, I wondered why there was no sign of anyone being let into the arena. It was then that we re-checked the map and realised that the next show was actually at 12.30, not 11.30, and that these loony people were planning to queue for another hour. I got a bit stroppy with Claire at this point, mainly because I was hot and had been queuing for a while, and we made our way out of the queue, whilst I muttered under my breath that these queuing people were crazy. CRAZY!

After that, we wandered over to the Television Production Tour, and queued for about fifteen minutes. This is something I would definitely miss out on future visits, because it was incredibly tedious... though I expect my bad mood contributed to the homicidal feelings that raged up inside of me every time that annoying children's TV presenter came on-screen! It's basically just a walk-through attraction hosted by your typical over-dramatic TV presenter, and the only good bit comes at the end, where you get to play with some toys and things. There are some "scenes" you can pose in, which make it appear as though you're in a Disney cartoon (kind of) and some other computer-based activities, such as one where you can put cartoon noses, ears, etc. on your own face, but we didn't get the chance to play with any of those as there were lots of kids waiting to use them.

The most interesting part of this attraction was probably in the room at the back, where you can design your own rollercoaster and then ride it in a simulator. You queue up and are let into a little area where there are several computers, and you need to swipe your park ticket in order to start designing. We designed what I thought was quite a cool coaster, but then the fear-o-meter said it was only 2/5 on the fear scale. We decided to go on it anyway, and queued up for the simulator, but the rather enthusiastic cast member asked us if we wanted him to change it to a 5/5 ride instead. We said he could, at which point he said we were very brave (haha), and we went in. I then made a very silly mistake. I sat several inches forward in my seat while the safety restraint came down (why? I do not know), so it stopped at the tops of my (rather large) thighs. When I moved back in my seat, I realised that it was supposed to stop at my knees (as Claire's had), and that my harness wasn't very tight at all. But by this point, it was too late, and the cast member had closed and locked the door. Oops. The ride started, and every time it went upside-down, I kept falling forward and bashing my legs and stomach really hard on the harness. It was quite uncomfortable and as this 5/5 ride had lots of loops and corkscrews, we went upside down about two billion times. I felt thoroughly shaken about, bruised, and quite sick when we got off, and just wanted to sit down. My advice to anyone trying this ride is to sit back in your seat when the harness comes down! I do wish we'd stuck with our tame little 2/5 ride!

After that little incident, we were both feeling a bit ill, so we went over to Art of Disney Animation, which is inside the large Sorceror Mickey hat. Claire enjoyed the show and we both appreciated the sit-down, though I was still feeling a bit shaken up and got quite annoyed with it all. Oh dear! I did, however, love the wonderful little montage of animated Disney clips shown in the first theatre you enter after being in the waiting area. It reminded me why I love Disney so much and made me want to watch all of my videos and DVDs again, and again, and again! Unfortunately, I found the presenter in the second theatre a little irritating for some reason. I kind of wanted to try my hand at drawing a Donald Duck face in the fourth and final area, but the desks were all taken and I felt silly anyway. A lot of the time, when kids were queuing up for stuff, I felt selfish queuing up as well (such as to meet characters), so I just didn't bother.

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We were ready for some lunch by this time (1.50pm) and planned to go to Café des Cascadeurs, but it was closed. We didn't really feel like anything fancy, so we decided to go over to the Disneyland Park. We'd heard good things about Victoria's Home-Style Restaurant on Main Street, so we decided to go there for croque-monsieurs. We honestly expected to be served quickly as there were only three people in front of us, but it took thirty-five minutes to be served, and when we were, the cast member seemed irritable and didn't make any eye contact with us. I'm sure they were all just stressed out due to the hot weather, but the guy who served us didn't even say "Bonjour" (very unusual in DLRP/France!) - in fact, he didn't actually say anything to me at all; he just mumbled something to his colleague. It's strange because we were served in about twenty seconds, so I don't know why it took so long to serve the other people, who were ordering similar things. Oh well! We enjoyed our croque-monsieurs regardless, and sat at a nice little table with a view of the castle. (And no, I don't remember why I was pulling such a strange face in that photo!)

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[Bonnie]

After that, we went to visit the dragon under the castle and attempted to take some photos and video of him, but very few came out well! There were a lot of terrified children down there! We then had a wander around the little shops inside the castle, and went up the stairs to La Galerie de la Belle au Bois Dormant at the top of the castle, because I don't remember going up there last time I was here. The stained glass windows are wonderful, and I especially love the one of the three fairies. Even though it's not a ride, there's such a lot to see inside the castle (if you count the dragon, the shops, the gallery, the balconies, etc.) and I've never really taken any notice of it before. It was nice to be able to stroll around at our leisure and appreciate the things a lot of people probably rush past because they can't wait to get in the queue for another ride. The design of the interior of the castle is just lovely.

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We then decided to try out the Storybook Land Cruise again, and the queue looked manageable, but after a few minutes of standing there amongst a lot of hot, irritable children, I became a hot, irritable child myself, and got very annoyed with the young couple standing next to us who were actually licking each other's tongues. It was one of the most revolting things I've ever seen in my life, and they kept at it, so I decided I'd had enough and asked Claire if we could go somewhere else. We left the queue and sat under the little bridge next to the ride (where the Disneyland Railroad train crosses) and it was nice to have a sit-down in the shade. After that, we did a bit of shopping at Sir Mickey's (where I got a very cool Cheshire Cat t-shirt saying "Smile!", despite the fact that I was in such a mood!) and then we made our way to the park's exit, squeezing through the crowds waiting for the parade to start. The park was absolutely jam-packed by this point, and it was a boiling hot afternoon (the hottest yet) so we made our way back to the hotel, planning to go for another swim to cool down.

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As we passed the pool lodge, we noticed that the outdoor part of the pool was open for the first time since we'd arrived, so I got all excited. We had a rest in our room for about an hour, put on some suncream, and then headed across to the pool for about 5pm. It was quite a bit busier than it had been in the mornings, but I was a little more confident by this point and didn't have much trouble with that. I loved the outdoor pool, even though I've never swum in the open air before in my life and it felt very strange and bright! The outdoor area was quite a bit warmer than it was inside, and the indoor part looked very dark when we returned to it, but it was very cool to be able to swim from the inside to the outside without having to get out of the water. They just raise a glass door which separates the two areas, and you swim under it to get into the other section of the pool. We had a lot of fun in the pool, diving through each other's legs and trying to swim along the bottom, although I didn't go on the slide this time, as there was a queue of about ten or fifteen people at all times, and I didn't feel like standing with them and exposing my thighs! We appreciated having the goggles with us, although we wished we'd bought two pairs instead of one, as Claire grew quite fond of them. The pool also has a rather nifty waterfall, which seems to turn itself on whenever someone sits under it for a few minutes. It's really powerful and kind of pushes you underwater if you sit under it, but it feels kind of like a massage. Claire kept trying to pull me away from it because she thought it'd drown me, but it was so much fun and I was fine! We stayed at the pool for about an hour and a half, and finally got back to our room for 6.45pm. My eyes and throat were hurting a lot by this point, and my face was also stinging, which made me think that the chlorine might've affected me. This was the first time I'd used suncream when in the pool, and I wondered if it was a reaction caused by the suncream and the chlorine. In any case, my eyes were fairly bloodshot and my throat was very painful.

We dried our hair - Claire mentioned that chlorine seems to make her hair nice! I must admit that mine has been very smooth and non-frizzy since we started going swimming! - and then wandered down to Disney Village for our 8pm dinner booking at King Ludwig's Castle, the German-style restaurant modelled after Neuschwanstein Castle in Bavaria. When we reached the reception desk, the cast member somehow managed to knock the little tip saucer off the desk and onto the floor by my foot, where it smashed, and we all huddled around to help her pick up the pieces. According to what Claire told me later, when it dropped, I immediately covered my ears. How strange! I didn't notice that myself! Anyway, we were seated immediately, and as we perused the menu, I was devastated (quite literally!) to see no mention whatsoever of my favourite dessert in the history of time: Schwarzwaldkirschtorte, aka Black Forrest Gateau. I scoured the menu from front to back and it wasn't mentioned once. That was the main reason for my wanting to come here! I was in shock and had palpitations! Okay, maybe not, but I did almost cry. No, really. As I'm stupid and didn't dare ask if they had it, I reluctantly decided to have the Menu Ludwig with a main course and a dessert. I chose steak with an onion ring and baked potato with horseradish sauce (even though I had no idea what horseradish sauce was) and the apple strudel for dessert. Claire chose the same (as we usually have the same taste in food, oddly enough) and very yummy it was, too. The steak was cooked perfectly and the horseradish sauce turned out to be quite nice after all. The baked potato was yummy, and the dessert was very nice too. (The total was 48 Euros, 40 cents for the both of us, including drinks.) We finished eating at 9pm and we didn't get our bill until 9.30pm, but that's probably because the restaurant was so busy. All in all, we had a very lovely dinner, and we enjoyed the atmosphere and theming inside the restaurant.

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[Bonnie]

We decided to go for a walk after that, so we wandered around Lake Disney, looked at the balloon (which was still operating), and spotted some tiny baby bunnies playing near Newport Bay Club. I was a bit disturbed by the number of moths fluttering around the lighthouse (I have a horrible fear of moths) but it was still very pretty, and we had a peek at the Newport Bay Club pool, which looked lovely. After that, I decided to take Claire on a tour of the hotel complex, so we walked down past Sequoia Lodge and Hotel New York, and then down the path to hotels Cheyenne and Santa Fé. It struck me as odd that the three hotels around the lake (New York, Newport Bay Club and Sequoia Lodge) seem very much "part of" Disney Village and the resort, whereas you have to walk under a bridge to get to the others. It was very strange to hear real traffic for the first time in several days, and it actually made me feel quite insecure! I think that the fact that there were car parks and vehicles in sight made it feel a bit too "real" for me, or something. I can't explain it! I was surprised by the lively atmosphere at Hotel Cheyenne, as it was about 10.15pm by now and there were still children playing in the "streets" and having a go on the little cars and bikes. It seems like it would be a good hotel to stay at with children, as they all seemed to be having a lot of fun. After that, we wandered over to Santa Fé (where I've stayed the past two times I've visited) and I realised how (to put it bluntly) tacky it is. I don't mean to sound pompous and snooty and all "Ohhh, we can afford Sequoia Lodge", but the flashing neon signs and the lamp posts with those horrible winding strings of lights on them (some of which were broken) give the whole place a very seedy look. I actually felt quite unsafe there, and it felt like a world away from the other hotels. As we were walking back to Sequoia Lodge, there was a man following us, and I thought he was going to attack us! It just gave me that feeling and I didn't like it at all. As soon as the lake and the balloon came into sight, and we could see the soft lights of Sequoia Lodge and the lovely trees, we both felt safe again. I can't believe I've stayed there twice (once in the freezing cold of mid-January - the very lowest of low season!) and never noticed that odd feeling about it before. It was a very strange experience.

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We considered going for a hot chocolate in the Redwood Bar, but decided it was a bit late, so we toddled back to our room for an early-ish night, as we're looking forward to having a morning swim and our Good Morning Fantasyland breakfast tomorrow! We did have a nice day in the end, but I now understand why people choose to come here mid-week instead of at weekends. The crowds in the Disneyland Park have been absolutely hellish for the past two days, and we didn't feel like spending any time there at all. We're really hoping that tomorrow will be better.

 

[diberry]

What a brilliant report!!! You're really good at this!! I loved your photos too. Can't wait to try the SL pool - the photos are great and I can't wait to try the slide and waterfall!! Panoramagique looks beautiful too - something else I can't wait to see and have a go on. The tongues incident sounds revolting - good job it didn't happen right after your simulated rollercoaster ride or you really would have thrown up!! I don't know why people feel the need to do that sort of thing in public!! (says she sounding very prim and proper!!) The Santa Fe is quite different from the other hotels I agree but fine if you only want somewhere on site to sleep. We loved the Cheyenne when we stayed there. Have to agree about the castle too - the stained glass windows are so beautiful. Looking forward to part four - I'll be really sorry when we come to the end of your trip!!

 

[bonhoga]

Hi Bonnie,

Earlier today I had definately decided - next year our trip was going to be "not so" out of season [i.e.maybe July!] because we have missed so many rides/attractions and you have made them sound sooooo good. Then now I read day 3 and you say about the awful queues!! I really am no good at crowds or queues. I can't wait here your next report and see if this is purely a weekend thing?
Hopefully you'll write your next installment and the horrible crowds will have vanished!! I hope. Again you mention a ride I am unfamiliar with - the hot air balloon. Can you go in it? When is it open?

PS Totally agree with your comments about Hotel Cheyanne, really nice atmosphere and good for kids!

 

[BCT]

Wonderful Bonnie,
I'm glad you had a better experience than us at KL's Castle.
You're really good at this and the photos are smashing, I really liked the castle interior ones, ours were all very dark

 

[bonhoga]

Bonnie, I almost forgot to say - did you realise your simulated roller coaster ride would have been broadcast to everyone waiting? You probably knew this already. I was too much of a coward to even go on the simulation!! but derived huge amounts of enjoyment [heh, heh!] from watching other family members undergoing all those loops and bends.

 

[BCT]

Bohonga We were there in this last half term holiday and apart from the Thursday it was quiet .I expected busier being a holiday.
ballon is open from about 10am. until 11pm. at night if weather is suitable
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=833353
part 4 of my trip report is here about it

 

[Dee8197]

Bonnie

Another great report and fantastic pics although this time there was no Dumbo You must have a really good camera.
I have to say I agree with your comments about the Santa Fe, I don't want to sound snooty either but it does look tacky to me too, but I guess one man's meat is another man's poison, iy wouldn't do for us to be all the same.
I too love the Cheyanne, we stayed there one night and it was brill, I preferred it to the Newport Bay
I'm just glad that we weren't near the tongues, I've no doubt that my DS's eyes would have been popping out of his head and he would have made some comment that would have made me look for a hole to crawl into ( He good at that )
How much is it to go in the balloon ? I saw a post the other day ( I think ) that said there was a 10% discount for Shareholders Club members.

 

[Mickey's old friend]

Thank you for all the valuable information. I really enjoy your photos. glad to hear you enjoyed yourself. Looking forward to your next report.

Linda

 

[widget]

Really enjoying your writing Bonnie - next please!!
Loved the one onion ring at KL!! So, where is the piccie then?? From the storybook section of your visit I mean! Its so annoying when people act like that isnt it? Especially when youve got your kids with you. I dont mind people being affectionate and kissing but, ugh, explicit tongue action - no thanks!
It was funny that you were more worried about the carpet ride in the Studios then the RnRC!! Ive never thought of the carpet actually falling off its 'arm' - gee, now Im gonna think of it when im there sometime in the future!!

 

[BCT]

Bonnie

that )
How much is it to go in the balloon ? I saw a post the other day ( I think ) that said there was a 10% discount for Shareholders Club members.

12 Euros. (Adults) didn't check the kids prices

 

[Bonnie]

Thanks everyone!

Di - I really loved the slide and waterfall, but when you go down the slide, make sure you hold your nose if you don't want to choke as you get plunged right to the bottom! (Or maybe that's just big old me! Apparently it was like a tidal wave when I hit the water!) Luckily the area around the bottom of the slide is roped off, so you don't land on top of any unsuspecting swimmers!

bonhoga and Dee - Yes, we did go up in the balloon (but that will be in Day Five's report ) and the price is, as Berwyn pointed out, 12 Euros for adults and over-12s. The price for kids (3-11) is 6 Euros and 0-2 year olds go free. As for the rollercoaster simulator, bonhoga, we noticed just before "boarding" that there were little screens showing the entire queue what people looked like on the ride! I tried to pull my most un-terrified face, but I actually wanted to vomit. Deary me.

widget - Sorry to worry you! And also sorry that I didn't manage a photo of the licking!

 

[Bexx]

Another wonderful report Bonnie. Good to hear how much you enjoyed the swimming pool, after your concern about it.

Looking forward to Day Four.

 

[missj171]

Another great part of the report, loving the pictures! Glad you are enjoying the swimming, despite your reservations, there's no place for insecurities at Disney!!

Looking forward to Day Four!

 

[Ware Bears]

Another brilliant instalment Bonnie!

I just love your photos, especially the ones of the stained glass windows in the castle.

Please excuse my ignorance but when you "do" your rollercoaster ride in the simulator, does it really turn you upside down or just give you the feeling that it does?

 

[Bonnie]

I was going to write up part four today but haven't had the chance! Oh well! It'll have to be tomorrow.

Elaine - Yes, the simulator really does turn you upside-down, which is why you need proper safety restraints like on Space Mountain, Rock 'n' Rollercoaster, etc. and that's why my stomach and legs got so bashed about!

(I know it definitely does turn you upside-down as I watched the other simulators while we were queuing and they go right around!)

 

[jodyb]

Bonnie, great report! You are a really good photographer - your pics are not the run of the mill - and it's great the way you put the thumbnails into the report. How does one go about that, anyway?

I've never heard of the good morning parade at the Studios! Can you give more info on that???

And last but not least... "sunscream" - that is too good! Is that a Britishism or did you make it up yourself? Either way I am going to start usuing it. My son is in India right now and I keep emailing him reminders to use "sunscreen" and he keeps saying "it's cloudy - don't need it". I'm going to start saying "scream if you want but use that sunscream!!!"

I wish everyone would write reports like yours - I just love the detail - feeling as if I'm in the park with you - seeing, hearing and feeling the attractions. aaaalllllmost as good as being there!!
I am SO pleased that you and Claire "are having" such an enjoyable holiday.

 

[Bonnie]

Hehe, Jody! I didn't say sunscream, I said sunCREAM, i.e. cream that keeps out the sun! But sunscream sounds quite funny! I did have to double-check to make sure I hadn't spelt it wrong, hehe.

The Good Morning WDS parade is basically a very tiny parade of small floats and cars where some characters go through the park (not down the whole parade route, I don't think) and wave a bit. It wasn't anything spectacular (as we discovered later in the week) but it's a good photo opportunity as few people seem to know about it, and only move to see it when it passes by.

For the thumbnails, you have to combine the IMG tags with the URL tags. It's a bit difficult to explain! Basically you need to do an URL tag first, i.e. a link, and the "text" for the link is an IMG tag with the thumbnail image. The URL the tag links to is just the URL of the bigger photo. I don't know if that makes any sense at all!

I'm pleased you don't find the trip reports too long and boring. I was worried that might be the case. I have trouble being concise, I'm afraid, and tend to go into far much more detail than is necessary! I think my Part Four report is going to be huge as we did a lot that day!

Oh well.