California Trip - Day 12

July 1 - Friday "Finale: 20 minutes late"

Disneyland - Part 3 of 3

We scrapped the whole final day schedule due to fatigue and slept in (altho the people upstairs did gymnastics from 5 till 7 and kept me awake). My old red shaver died the death (not really, just lost it's charge) so I will be growing a beard the last few days.

Vicki's tooth finally fell out. Tim had his usual continental carb breakfast: 3 muffins & 3 donuts. We scrapped plans for Universal or anything else tomorrow. The day we didn't take coats, we got cold at night. The day we put coats in a locker, we didn't need them. So no coats today.

We started off at the Main Street Magic Shop. A seasonal magician showed Tim a lot of cool tricks (rising card, spirit light, restored rope) and he bought them all. (note: He talked me into buying them all for him!) Miranda got her coffee, so as to function.

Next we went to California Adventure and got right on Soarin' (we got 1st row again, Robyn and Ives with us). Tim got his feet rolled over several times by Megan's cart. All but Megan went on the Jumpin' Jellyfish - the shortest ride at the park (about 30 seconds). Tim with his feet and rash was hobbling along and complaining considerable. Megan stopped at the candy shop (note: I didn't buy anything).

I rushed over to Tomorrowland to use Maleen's fast pass (she got sick on the sliding ferris wheel) to STAR TOURS!! (note: Maleen had generously given Bill her fast pass BEFORE she got sick.) I was a bit apprehensive, but it was tolerable to my senses and a MARVELOUS ride. I rushed over to Blue Bayou where Megan, Miranda and Tim were waiting and seated.

Tim ate so many rolls, he was full before his main course. I had the Monte Cristo. Tim only ate the potatoes on his dinner. Megan had another lap band attack. The chef (Jonathan) came to visit us twice.

Megan and Tim went fast pass to Soarin' while Miranda shopped on Main Street and got seats 90 minutes early for Mickey's Parade. Miranda read "Sorcerer's Son" to me. I called Megan every 20 minutes, but she never answered. However, Maleen's group called to use the seats with 15 minutes left.

The parada was loaded with floats, music and dancers (lots of pretty girls). Tim saw Tink's undies and a drummer gave Miranda the eye.


Next we four met up at the Golden Horseshoe and had sundaes. The show was Billy Hill's Hillbilly Band. They played fiddle and banjo. It was very funny, especially the teeth! I had a strawberry sundae - my Dizzy sweet splurge.

We went to Captain EO. Tim and I went on the Autopia - lots of new cars, but many didn't work so well, and we were behind a car that stopped many times - very frustrating. We tried the Monorail, but it was out of order.

We returned to Main Street. Tim went to join Beanie, and Megan, Miranda and I went to Disney Downtown to shop. Miranda got a couple of things to wear. Megan and I found it much like modern toy stores which have little of interest.

We went back to the circle in Fantasyland to wait for fireworks. It was already packed, but we found exactly 4 places to stand. Miranda walked back through sardine crowds to buy me the thing in the glass shop by Blue Bayou. I call it "Glerp - After Eating a Chicken".


Tim was having trouble finding us. By cellphone and waving the multi-colored rose Megan bought, he found us. The fireworks were 4th of July themed. Our mutant power caused it to be delayed 20 minutes, but it was worth waiting for.

There were so many people heading out that we decided not to get ice cream. We ran into Vicki on the way out. Tim wanted to walk back with Maleen. We waited for Bus 3 and at last saw the elusive Bus 14 (with a ghost painted on it; get it, phantom bus?)

My comments:

I was a bit more independent on this day, and was actually off on my own a few times. At one point I decided to go on the Grizzly Rapids with the Cazier group, but it was broken. They were willing to wait around to see if it would be up and running soon, but it was too hot for me, so I took off on my own. I saw Goofy.


I went to see the Muppet Show, although I picked a poor spot to sit (the theater was practically empty). Despite that I really enjoyed the show.

I had gotten fast passes for Soarin' for the four of us, but I was the only one who wanted to go all the way back to California Adventure to do it. Probably because they were tired and on foot, and I had my handy dandy little scooter to jet around on. However, while zipping (well - the scooter didn't really go all THAT fast) through Frontierland, I ran into Maleen. It's a Small World after all.

She convinced me that the girls would love to use the fast passes for Soarin' so we went back to wait for them to get off Pirates. Tyler was shopping in the Pirate shops, and I got more and more worried that we wouldn't get over to California Adventure before the fast passes expired. However, we barely made it. These two were really excited to go on it again.


One of the things that I really enjoyed watching was how the girls bonded with our group. Robyn showed a definite preference for Tim.


Ivory glommed on to Miranda.


Lunch at the Blue Bayou was really a lot of fun (with the exception of another embarrassing lap band session). The chef came out to talk to me about gluten-free choices and we had a nice long chat with him. He actually came out towards the end of dinner to chat with us again. A really nice guy.

Miranda and Tim got the 'character cocktails' which are non-alcoholic drinks with a light-up character. They both chose Tink.


Miranda had lots of people ask her later where she had gotten the little Tink - apparently it really attracts attention.

Getting seats at the Golden Horseshoe wasn't easy, and getting the sundaes was even more difficult. I'd be in one line and then be told to get in another line, just to be told to go back to the first line. I'd pay for the sundaes and be told to go over there to wait for them, just to be told to go back to where I'd paid for them. It left me feeling a bit disgruntled, but Bill managed to get a table for us, so I perked up.

Tim had a terrible melt-down and put his head down on the table sobbing. However, the show was starting, and we ignored him, and eventually he sat up and started watching the show. This trip has been hard on him (even if you discount me running over his feet three times).

The show was really very funny. The main guy introduced his three brothers, "Billy, Billy and Billy". Then he added "I go by William". They started with banjos and progressed to fiddles and they are very good on both of them. However, the highlights were the commentary that went along with it. 'William' put in false teeth that were hilarious, and when he got his fiddle bow stuck in his nose, everybody cracked up. It wasn't the same as the shows I remember from when I was a kid - but it was great.

The big shop in downtown Disney was a bit of a disappointment. They didn't have the large figurines that we like so much (like Malificent and Ariel). Everything seemed rather commercial and uninteresting. The only part I really liked was the huge statues of various Disney characters (yes, I know I used this picture in another blog, but this is where it really belongs).


I did get the 'Tangled' sticker book for Daisy's birthday, having cleared it with Maleen. I originally saw it in the toy shop in Fantasyland, but I wasn't sure whether Daisy was old enough. 'Tangled' is her favorite movie.

The fireworks were great, even though most of us had to stand. I was lucky that I could sit on my scooter. I don't think I have ever seen humanity jammed in closer than it was on that little circle in at the end of Main Street. The girl across from us had a rose that lighted up in different colors, and I admired it so much that I finally sent Bill off to buy me one. It came in real handy for helping Tim to locate us.

While waiting for the shuttle 3 to arrive, Vicki showed up with a very tired and very wet June. Apparently those crazy Caziers had gone on BOTH Splash Mountain and the Grizzly Rapids Run after dark (they had been broken most of the day). June was shivering and tired, but you could see she had had a wonderful time. We eventually got picked up by a shuttle that was NOT number 3. Amazing how often we went on shuttles that were not the ones designated for us.

Since the Caziers were planning on an early departure, we said a lot of goodbyes (although I think the girls were already asleep). It was hard to believe that the Disneyland adventure was over - but in retrospect, it sure was fun. I wouldn't have missed it for the world.