Yesterday we visited Disneyworld California! It has two parks, Californian adventure and Disneyland and is a similar set up to the other parks, the one that we have been to in Paris. When we visited the Paris one it was New Year so it was nice to be in a warm climate for the park yesterday. Warm is an understatement, it was a very sunny summers day (although still on the chilly side to the residents!) we timed our day really well as we were inside waiting to see Mickey in his house whilst it was the strong midday sun.
We arrived at the park around 10.30am, we only bought a one park pass, however Joy purchased a park hopper as she was visiting her family in the alternate park to us. She joined us at the end of the day for the parades, dinner, the fantastic
Iightshow and of course the daily fireworks.
Sams first stop in the park was the Buzz Lightgear laser shooting ride, it was a small wait time, and we also were able to fast pass our tickets for Space mountain. We then headed over to Big Thunder Mountain railroad, where we queued for 45minutes, when we were right by the gate the ride malfunction and so we were turned away and told to come back later! All that ride did was improve our tans, but we were lucky to come back later on in the day, just as it reopened to be at the front of the line! We then headed over to Toontown to visit Mickeys house and also Minnie's,.
That was rather exciting!!
There is a big ride called Indiana Jones, the waiting time was 1hour and so we got in the queue, Sam noticed that there was a sign saying "single riders" can go to the front of the line. As adults who didn't really need to sit next to each other we thought this was a good opportunity to speed up the line process. We ended up on the same ride, just behind each other.
That ride was brilliant, a dark indoor roller coaster where you are seated in an Indiana jones jeep, trundling through the desert and insides of the hidden temple.
We then explored Tarzans treehouse and headed back over to Thundermountain railroad and got on finally, another great ride. We then had an hour and half to our fast pass time for space mountain, we took the full size steam boat around the lake And then queued up to see the princesses, feeling a little out of place without a 7year old girl dressed as a princess in tow Sam went to get some food. Once in with the princesses, (pochahuntus, princess tianna and belle), Sams flirtatious behaviour caused a stir with the very bored however brilliant actress princesses!
It was then time for our favourite ride, and the biggest of the park, space mountain, where you get shot in a rocket through the dark space with brilliant effects. We had been on this ride in Paris and so we looked forward to it again.
It was then time for the parade, so we met joy and found a perfect spot on a bench right by Main street and the castle. An excellent view of the vibrant parade themed with drums and musical instruments. (some rather fat aladdin dancers also came along, very strange as we're used to dancers being on the very thin side in the UK!)
A regular visitor to the park joy mentioned a couple of rides that we hadn't been on and we had time before the show that she wanted to see which was at 9pm. The first one was Pirates of the Caribbean, Joy was very good at concealing what this ride was about and so we strolled on in, to see lots of people in boats going through what looked like a lazy river, however I did see a sign saying 'beware you may be wet", although I just thought that was a precaution if you lent out the boats.. How wrong we were! The ride led the boats through a maze of lakes a rivers depicted extremely
Iifelike moving models and scenes of the movies, it was very dark and made to look like night, so you didn't see the steep waterfalls and rapids coming your way, they definitely took us by surprise! Disney do not do anything by half, they make every ride an experience, to see, hear and feel.
Joy then suggested we go on the Haunted house, having been taken by surprise on the last one, we were ready for what this had to throw at us! Again she kept very quiet about what it really involved, we all hopped into these little buggies and off we went around the mansion. Again the effects of the ghosts, dancing, moving pictures, mirrors which put ghosts inside your buggies with you were amazing! That was the last ride that we went on before getting some food before the show.
The show that we watched was over the lake, a very popular show so we secured a good spot with not long to go which was very lucky. The show is a laser, water and firework show which shows Mickey mouse and his imagination, thrown into jeopardy by the villains from Disney and then of course he wins through with his magic! There are many different cosutmed performers as well as the amazing light show that is projected onto the smoke and water rising from the lake. The cannonball full size pirate ship, travels past depicting peter pan and hooks sword fight, with performers walking planks, free falling on to huge mats, swingin backwards and forwards and of course the large ticking crocodile. The princesses and the beaus dance for Mickey on moving boat platforms and then the wicked witches take the stage, setting fire to the whole lake, an amazing feat! The audience of course are ahhhing and oohing, I have never seen effects like these, my mouth was wide open. (especially as being bought up in theatre a lot of things don't amaze me anymore as I've seen how there done from backstage!) It finished with Mickey slaying the 50ft dragon and a magnificent firework show, including the big steam boat with over 50 characters doing a routine with scarves. The final fireworks ignited and applause reigned, we headed over to main street then for the fireworks that happen everyday at 9.30pm....YES everyday!
Again the fireworks were more than spectacular, for about 15minutes, the park was a
Illuminated with lasers, magnificent fireworks and music, all choreographed flawlessly, each had a theme with a part of the park, narrated by Julie Andrews and of course it ended with tinkerbelle flying through the air, on a zip wire around the castle and a beautiful high and bright fireworks.
With what seemed like the rest of the park we then headed back up main street, out the exit, along Disney Downtown where we headed into the shop, bough a tshirt, a keying each and Rosina also got some Disney cooking utensils to go with the collection she has already. Sam also got a personalised woody sherif badge! We caught the tram back to the carpark and drove home! We all slept like babies last night, exhausted from all that fun!!!
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Location:Manhattan Beach Blvd,Redondo Beach,United States
