Adventures by Disney Backstage Magic Photos

Here are a few select photos to give a flavor of the trip. First, below is the goodies that were waiting in our room at the Hollywood Renaissance. The lip balm was an especially useful item. With so much time spent outside, and the increasing CA heat, it came in very, very handy over the course of the trip:

We had a great view of the famous Hollywood sign right from our room. The hotel is near many attractions, like the Kodak Theater and the Chinese Theater, so you can check those out during your free time. We did the Kodak Theater tour and went very early in the morning to get pics. of our favorite stars' handprints because the Chinese Theater gets extremely crowded as the day wears on:

Our breakfast on the first morning of the trip was held at Disney's soda fountain, next door to the gorgeous El Capitan. You can see that the table decorations are themed to the Little Mermaid sing-a-long that takes place next door:

Ariel herself was on hand to greet us!

We toured the El Capitan, which has been restored in intricate detail, as you can see in the next two photos:

The El Capitan's organ is a sight (and a sound) to behold:

Kermit greets visitors to Jim Henson's studio, but he also pays homage to the original owner (Charlie Chaplin):

Here we are, hanging out below the sign to prove that we were really there:

This tiger was inside the office building:
Meeting Sweetheart was quite a treat. She is a feisty gal, as you can see!

I just love the Partners statue, so it was a great opportunity to see it at the Walt Disney Studio:

They also have the Friends statue:

This painting in Walt's train barn really touched me. The little boy in the background represents young Walt as he looks on at the adult who never lost his love of trains:
What a treat! We had a ride on one of the miniature trains:

Yes, I know that my shirt is on backwards. I wanted to make sure that the Carolwood logo showed.


After our Hollywood adventures, we moved on to the Grand Californian hotel at the Disneyland resort. It almost made me feel like I was back home in FL at the Wilderness Lodge.

Wow! An empty Main Street. We were able to enter the park early for breakfast, and that also provided some rare photo ops:

After breakfast, we visited the farm animals. This poor cow has a drooling problem, which accounts for my slight hesitancy to get too close:

We were able to feed the goats, too:

Hubby took a turn with the Paddle of Power. Over the course of your Adventure By Disney, you will learn to follow the paddle unquestioningly. It's always leading you to something new and exciting:

We had lunch with a pirate, and he personally escorted us to our ride on "Pirates of the Caribbean." That ride, along with Space Mountain, are the two most superior attractions when compared to their Florida siblings:

What a rare and fascinating treat! We all had a chance to ride in the Lilly Bell train car. It's one of those places where you can really feel Walt's influence (and of course Lillian's):
We visited Walt's apartment above the firehouse but could not take photos up there. We did grab this downstairs photo op:

At breakfast before we headed off to DCA, we met quite a few characters. Notice how well our clothing color matches with Alice!
Soarin' (or should I say Soarin' Over California)...the best ride ever! One of my favorite experiences on this trip was getting a behind the scenes peek at this favorite. We couldn't take photos there, but here is the entrance:

I ran into my favorite character hanging out at DCA: We noticed this mural in DCA Guest Relations when we stopped in to pay a compliment to an especially nice CM. Hubby had to grab a shot:
How sad! It's the last day! But there were still plenty of characters to meet at that last breakfast, including Brer Fox, Kenai, and Koda:

Figment and Dreamfinder

We don't have our own photos downloaded from the camera yet, but thanks to Laura, a fellow Adventurer, I have these wonderful pics. of a very special moment from the trip. Those lovely momentos will be hanging in my foyer as soon as I get them matted and framed. I know that Figment and Dreamfinder are Epcot, not DL/DCA, but they represent imagination and goodness knows our visit to Imagineering, all the behind-the-scenes peaks, and feeling Walt's spirit in his apartment were some of the best embodiments of imagination possible so they're an appropriate symbol:

Adventures by Disney Backstage Magic, Days Five and Six

Day Five
Day five was a melancholy day. On the bright side, we would be visiting California Adventure, where two of my all time favorite Disney attractions (Soarin' and Turtle Talk) are located. On the downside, it was our last full day, complete with farewell dinner, and I didn't want to believe that my adventure was almost over. It reminded me of the days when we used to visit Disney World, back when we lived in Chicago. The first part of the trip was carefree and magical, but at the midway point things always went downhill a bit, accelerating as the days wore on. Suddenly there were only three days left, then two, then one...and then we were waiting forlornly for a towncar to pick us up and take us back to the airport. Now that we live in Celebration, going 'home” from Disney World means driving just a few miles down the road, knowing that we can return at any time.

Now we were once again on the “sad vacationer” side, counting down days that were moving much too rapidly. It was another early morning, as breakfast time was 7 a.m. at Goofy's Kitchen in the Disneyland Hotel. Indeed it was “goofy”; besides the namesake character, there were food items like hot dogs and chicken nuggets in addition to traditional breakfast items. I stuck to the usual sorts of things, and we also had some great character photo ops.

When we were all done eating, we marched to the side entrance to DCA, only to discover the gates still locked. Since a bench was sitting nearby, a few of the more rowdy group members discussed using it to bust through the gate Titanic-style, but fortunately that wasn't necessary. A cast member soon arrived and let us all into the park, where we headed for our first destination: Soarin'! Yay!

Ever since I first rode it back when DCA was brand new, Soarin' has always held a special place in my heart. The ride is true simplicity; it's basically an Imax with motion and smell effects. Not as high tech as something like Turtle Talk, yet its duplicate consistently draws `1-2 hour lines at Epcot. Unlike California, the Epcot version doesn't have a single rider line, so I have to arrive first thing in the morning to grab a quick ride or two or depend on fastpasses (which are gone before noon on the busiest days). Needless to say, I don't get to ride it nearly as much as I would like.

I think I enjoy it for a couple of reasons. Number one, the sound track is phenomenal. I bought an entire CD just to get a copy. Number two, the orange grove scent brings back fond memories of the desert orange grove in that old classic Horizons.

Now I was in for an extra special treat. Not only was I going to be able to ride Soarin' but also get to watch it from behind the screen! The Mickey group rode first, while the Minnies (myself included) went down to the area below the screen where we could look up and watch them. What a totally unique perspective! It was tempting to ask to watch again with the Mickey's, but I just couldn't give up a ride. As I expected, everyone else ran for Row 1 (i.e. the row that goes the highest), but I grabbed Row3 because I wanted a REALLY unique experience...riding a lower row with absolutely no feet dangling! I had the row all to myself, which allowed me to play my favorite game: noticing new details. I catch something new almost every time I ride, like rock climbers or hikers or whatnot.

My day was already complete, but really the fun had only just started. Next up we headed to the animation building where we all learned to draw Mickey and also had a private session of Turtle Talk With Crush. That was a big thrill for me, since I think that's probably the most innovative attraction technology-wise that Disney has done recently. They do the same thing with the Laugh Floor, which is also cute, but Crush has that beat fins-down. Even though both shows have improvisation, Monsters is more scripted whereas Crush has the leeway to come up with some real doozies. It's also really cool to watch little kids who really believe they are talking to a live turtle.

We didn't get to see Crush behind the scenes (darn!) but I still enjoyed it. Since the person doing the performing is talking live to the audience, with animation synched up quite well, I can just imagine what goes on on the other side of the tank.

We had entered before the park was open, but now the public had arrived so we were just about done for the afternoon. Our last park experience was a viewing of the Aladdin show in reserved seating. It was very good seating, and we thoroughly enjoyed the show. Even though we'd been to DCA before, we'd never seen it because that theater originally had an abysmal performance called “Steps in Time.” No matter what the name implies, it had nothing to do with Mary Poppins. Basically the story was about a Fairy Godmother in training who did hip/hop/modern/ear splitting versions of Disney classic songs, framed loosely around a story of two obnoxious brothers.

Aladdin is way, way, way better, especially Genie. The show is a Cliff Notes version of the movie, with a few minor changes in order to accommodate the time and theater constraints. While Genie was my favorite part, the magic carpet flights were a close second.

After the show, we had our five daily Fastpasses to use on any FP ride. We of course did Soarin' and Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, which we always enjoy at Disney Hollywood Studio. CA's version is different, but just as good. The main difference is in the special effects and the way the ride vehicle moves into the elevator shaft. I actually like one of the effects better than Florida, although overall the two versions are neck and neck for me.

Then we worked our way over to Paradise Pier for Mulholland Madness (a mad mouse roller coaster) and California's Screamin' (the big roller coaster). We did CS again through its singles line, but that is a real mess because you have to gather in one area, then move en masse into an elevator and go to the other side of the loading platform. Too much work, especially on a very, very hot day. One of the worst things about Paradise Pier is the lack of shade and inside queues. We headed back to Soarin' and Tower of Terror before returned to the hotel to get ready for the farewell dinner.

We had had a light lunch since we knew it would probably be a hearty dinner. We went to a Mexican counter service restaurant where we'd eaten the last time we were at DCA. We placed our orders, and I went to find us a seat in the shade (a task somewhat akin to pulling the sword out of the stone) while hubby waited for our food. And waited. And waited. I'd just about given up on him when he finally arrived with our chow, but I noticed he didn't have the class of wine he'd ordered. Since it's the Food and Wine Festival, he'd noticed a reisling on the menu. He had ordered it and then enjoyed a Keystone Cops show as the people behind the counter hunted up a bottle and attempted to get it open. They even called in reinforcements, but no one ever managed to do it so they finally had to refund his drink charge. So much for the food and wine pairings!

Back in our hotel room, we found an envelope with some more photo memories from earlier in the trip; it was hard to believe that it was nearly over now.

We sadly headed over to the sorcerer's hat near the Disneyland Hotel to meet our guides, Diana and Quinn, and head up to the private party room inside the hotel. There was a lovely dinner and dessert spread, and then we went around the room and everyone shared their favorite memory. It was such a neat way to relive little parts of the trip, from the moments that made us all laugh to the ones that made us teary-eyed. I think the best part was being among people who really UNDERSTOOD. When I used to tell people I was going to go to Disney World yet again, I'd get the eye roll and often the question, “Why don't you go somewhere else?” Now it's the same with the cruise line.

But among this group, everyone understood because they were all in the same situation. It was like being from another planet and not entirely realizing it until you suddenly return home among your own species.

Then we saw a slide show of some of the memorable moments from our trip. Seeing our activities in Hollywood made me marvel that it had only been a few days before. It seemed like so long ago that we were touching down in LA and wondering what we'd think of our very first Adventure By Disney. Now I knew the answer and was ready to book another one! I exchanged email addresses with several of our fellow travelers, so hopefully we will keep in touch. Over a decade ago, we met two other families at a dude ranch in Colorado, and we still get together for dinner so it would be nice to have other lasting “vacation buddies.”

There was also a Disney artist at the restaurant who drew a custom sketch for everyone of their favorite Disney character. Hubby graciously allowed me to “take” his, so I got pictures of Figment and Dreamfinder. Soon they will be framed and join my Don Williams drawings and my other Figment memorabilia in my foyer.

We had reserved viewing for the Disneyland fireworks, but hubby and I opted out since we wanted to get a head start on packing and sleep (my husband had to work at 7 a.m. FL time, which means 4 a.m. in CA). He is the packer in our family, and somehow he managed to fit everything into our allotted two bags, including all the new clothes he bought at Imagineering.

Day Six
Thankfully, the last morning was a “late” one, relatively speaking. We were meeting at our leisure between 7 and 9 a.m. in Storytellers, one of the hotel restaurants. Sleeping till 7 was like Heaven! I am not a morning person, so thank goodness for the FL/CA time difference that helped me get my lazy butt out of bed. Since most of the park experiences are before regular opening hours, the early schedule really can't be helped.

Some of the families had early flights, but most of the others were at the restaurant, along with our guides. We got some more character photos and had a hearty meal to fuel ourselves before heading out for an on-your-own day in the parks. Our tickets for the day were included as a part of the trip, although we didn't get any more of those handy-dandy VIP fastpasses (at least we were able to get regular ones).

We started out in the Magic Kingdom, doing Space Mountain, Haunted Mansion, and Big Thunder Mountain. I just love the DL version of Space Mountain! The music is so cool, and the interior is darker than the FL version. How I'd love to see what it looks like with the lights on. Instead of lunch, we shared a mint chocolate chip sundae on Main Street since we planned to have dinner at Downtown Disney before leaving for the airport.

We had one last ride on one of the Main Street vehicles to get to the front of the park, then crossed over to DCA for some last go-rounds on Soarin' and the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. Hubby also wanted to do the Monster Inc. dark ride, but I just didn't think it would be worth missing Soarin' for so I stayed there and ran through the single riders line while he was gone. We did a couple of the Tower together, and I got a big dose of Soarin' before it was finally time to go if we wanted to make sure to eat dinner and make our pick-up time.

We ate at a Mexican restaurant in Downtown Disney with excellent food and fast service. I dearly wanted a margarita, but I didn't think it would mix well with the Xanax that I planned to consume for my flight. Hubby had sangria, but I opted for iced tea.

Back at the hotel, we found a spot to sit and I called up Diana to find out the procedure for our leaving. They had stored our luggage for us while we were at the parks, so hubby went to get it to allow us to unpack our computers and work while we were waiting. I was a bit nervous, since our flight was around 10:20 p.m. and our hotel departure was at 7:10. With all the horror stories of traffic around LAX, I wondered if we would make it. Fortunately, my worries were baseless.

ABD had arranged a private towncar, which showed up a little early. We piled in, gave Diana a goodbye hug, and whisked down the expressway to LAX. I was shocked to discover it was smooth going the whole way! Hubby had already checked us in online and moved us to Economy Plus, since it had been so nice on the way out. The baggage check line was practically non-existent, as was the security line. I made a boo-boo and had a full water bottle that I'd forgotten to empty (I usually refill them past the security checkpoint). It was duly confiscated and I was allowed to proceed through.

Our gate was practically in another state, but at least we'd made it with plenty of time. I stopped in one of the gift shops to pick up little souvenirs for some of our friends. Then I got back to my trip report to cheer myself up with good memories as I wanted to wing my way back to Orlando. Oh well, at least I could (hopefully) sleep for most of the flight and see my kitties and birds when we got home.

Day Six, Part Two, written back home:
As we awaited our flight, a HUGE group of rowdy teens on their way to or from somewhere plopped down on the floor in front of our gate. A chaperone was trying to keep them under control with about as much success as Custer had against the Indians. Hubby said he'd overheard that they were actually supposed to be at another gate; I was praying that was true, but it seemed odd that they'd take over ours, which was pretty far away.

I saw the agent at the counter and popped up to see if there might be an exit row available. We'd already upgraded to Economy Plus, of which the exits are part. Amazingly, there WAS one open, so we took the aisle and middle. It was the row right behind the one we already had, and there was another exit behind us which meant (hopefully) no seat kicking unless Stretch Armstrong was back there.

I dutifully drugged myself as boarding time approached; I could tell that once we were airborne, I should be able to drift off for a nice little rest. Our flight was leaving around 1:30 a.m. FL time and running ahead of schedule (due to a good tailwind perhaps?), so our ETA to Orlando was around 6.

Just before boarding time, the teens were herded off to their proper area. I pity the other poor souls flying with them who might have been hoping for sleep! Our fellow passengers all looked ready for some shuteye, so I knew I'd be in good company.

On board I did notice one potential “hazard”: a mom with lap baby in front of me. But either that kid was remarkably well behaved or I was in a coma for most of the flight because I never really heard it make much noise other than the usual occasional baby yelps.

We had an on-time departure, and hubby was asleep before the FAs even came around with snacks and drinks. I turned mine down, but she left a bag of pretzels on the seat next to hubby and he had found and consumed them by the time I woke up later after I had my own doze. I was thrilled because Channel 9 on the in-flight audio was active. It allows you to listen in on the communication between the planes and tower. I stayed away till we were switched off to New Mexico and then entered ZZZZZ land. I woke up again briefly to hear the tower and pilots discussing a turbulence patch coming up; sure enough, a minute later our pilot turned on the seat belt light and we had some good little bounces. I don't know how long that lasted because I zoned out again.

When I once again regained consciousness, I could feel the edge of anxiety starting so I popped another pill without having the foresight to check how much remaining flight time there was. Duh! We were already descending into Orlando. If I could have held out 20 more minutes, I would have been fine. As it was, I followed hubby through Orlando International in a whacked-out state and crashed in bed when we got home, not stirring again until 1 p.m.

I'm already looking through our wonderful photos and souvenirs and missing our adventure. It seemed to take forever to come, and now it's over in the blink of an eye. Oh well, hopefully it was merely an appetizer for a banquet of many more Adventures By Disney to come.

I will add another part of this report with my overall impressions later.

Adventures By Disney Backstage Magic, Day Four

Another early day, as usual! So little time, so much to do. We fueled our bodies at the Park Inn with a very neat character breakfast. The food was good (buffet/cafeteria style with just about any option you can think of), but perhaps the very best thing was walking down a virtually deserted Main Street. Custodial was out, but other than that we were pretty much alone. How peaceful, yet a bit eerie too! I felt like skipping down the street but somehow managed to surpress the urge since it would have looked quite unseemly for a 40-something women in flip-flops to do so.

Since we were the only ones eating at the restaurant that early, we had all sorts of great character interaction range from Eeyore to Fairy Godmother to Chip and Dale to Brer Fox and Brer Bear. Once we were all fueled, it was off for a behind the scenes peek at my favorite DL attraction: Indiana Jones! We were actually escorted into the maintenance bay where we saw exactly how the ride vehicles work to create the illusion of off-roading when you're really on a smooth track. It made me even sadder that we're stuck with Dinosaur in Florida, since its vehicles had the same capabilities but are programmed for a much tamer ride. Next up was a ride on Indy to give us even more appreciation for how it works. I had to keep reminding myself that it was the vehicle itself that was bouncing me up, down, and all around.

Afterwards, we went to the Big Thunder Ranch for a chance to feed the goats and pet the miniature donkey and cow. They were all so cute! They were quite eager for their meal, too, since we were just in time to give them their morning feeding. More animals were on tap later, as well as more backstage experiences; we got a behind-the-scenes look at the trains that run around the park, saw where the parade floats are kept, and also learned about the fireworks launching system. Then we saw the horses' quarters, as well as the original house where their trainers lived in Walt's day. There were a couple more cute little miniature donkeys back there too.

Since I am a horse owner, it was especially fascinating to me to learn about DL's equine residents. They were being trained while we were visiting; this happens to be a year that a number of them are being adopted out (they only work for five years, then go to carefully screened families), which means that a like number will be brought in for training. After a water break, we continued on with our tour and ended up in New Orleans Square for lunch. With its close proximity to Pirates of the Caribbean, is it any wonder we were joined by a genuine swashbuckler? He kept us entertained as me noshed on monte cristos and crab meat sandwiches, then escorted us over to PoC for a group ride.

Everything was awesome up to that point, but now we were in for the REAL treats! We split up into small groups, and my group had the amazing experience of boarding the Lilly Belle private train coach for a spin around the park! Riding in that car, which was decorated by Lillian Disney herself, was a real kiss with history. But we were were for an even greater treat...next up was a visit to Walt's own apartment above the firehouse! This was a place where Walt himself actually stayed and worked and even brought his family, and it's been kept in pristine condition in his honor. The light that was on when he was there is now left on permanently in his memory, to show that his spirit is always present.

To commemorate the rare experience of visiting his private sanctuary, we were all given lamp pins that can actually be turned on. That little memento gave me goosebumps. It was almost like making a direct connection with Walt in a small way. I know that people say they feel his presence at DL because he walked down Main Street and was all over the park, but I just didn't feel that the first time he visited. Perhaps it's because so many other millions of people have walked that way, too; it's like they "dilute" that presence. But to be in his apartment, where he and Lillian and their children and grandchildren spent family moments, and especially know it's a place that very few others have ever been, really let me feel a bit of his spirit.

After the tour, we had the option of VIP seating for the parade, up on the train station platform. Hubby and I took that option, as did over 20 others in our group. Unfortunately, they don't block people from going up and down the stairs during the parade, so they're constantly walking in from of your line of sight and even stopping and gaping for a while before a CM chases them away. They really need to close off the platform during that sign; otherwise, it's obstructed pretty frequently.

But that wasn't enough to inhibit our enjoyment, since we'd never seen the parade before. Afterwards, we ran off into the park, eagerly clutching our five VIP fastpasses that would all us to go an any rides that accept FP. Compared to WDW's Magic Kingdom, the number is limited but that was fine with me because I was most interested in Space Mountain and Indiana Jones. We used up our Fastpasses on those, just in time to head to Napa Rose for our dinner reservation (this was an on-your-own dinner night). I was hoping that it would compare to our WDW favorites like Jiko and Artist Point.

It was definitely very upscale; hubby was pleased with the wine sections, and I absolutely loved the scallop appetizer. Actually, my filet with cherries and nuts was yummy, too, although I had also had a cup of mushroom soup beforehand so I was a bit too full to enjoy to as much as deserved. Hubby ran into one little glitch; he can't eat chicken meat without getting sick to his stomach (although oddly broth doesn't bother him). Once, early in our marriage, he unknowingly ate meat loaf containing check and that was something I NEVER want to see again! At Napa, he ordered an appetizer without chicken, but when it arrived it indeed contain pieces of the nasty little bird. He figured it out before eating any, so his health escaped unscathed. They removed the charge for that and also for dessert; the free dessert wasn't necessary but still very nice of them.

It was an enjoyable meal, although the time change between FL and CA made it feel like I was eating at midnight. We had a big group across from us who'd obviously been drinking pretty heavily, as their volume was rising in direct proportion. Near as I could figure, it was someone's birthday and the doctor relative paying for it was loudly laughing about he would prescribe unnecessary surgeries to pay the bill. Thankfully they were at the end of their meal and finally left.

We had hoped to say hi to the manager, Michael Jordan, who we met on the Disney Magic when doing a transatlantic crossing last August. He did the wine tastings on board and brought the wines along with him. Each tasting had a theme of a particular type of wine and/or region, and he did a whole slide show along with each so you could see where the grapes were grown while you were tasting the wine. But since it was the Food and Wine Festival at DCA, he was out and about so we didn't get to see him.

Napa is good for a special dinner, and of course it's the perfect place for wine buffs because of the huge selection. For me, I thought it was pricey for what you get, although I knew that up front. Still, I couldn't help comparing it with places like Jiko, which are less expensive (“less” being a relative term) but just as delicious in my estimation. I think I've become jaded from living right next door to Disney World and having the best of their restaurants a few miles down the road, with the Disney Dining Experience card as an added bonus.

Actually, with as much as the feed you on your adventure, you could easily get by with a very light dinner on the nights it's not included and still be quite overfed. We don't generally eat breakfast, so with a delicious breakfast buffet each morning we were already starting out ahead!
If I had it to do over again, I would have opted for the Fantasmic VIP viewing area (the time conflicted with our Napa Rose ressie and we weren't able to change it) and just done a light dinner. Those who went to Fantasmic said the area offered a perfect view. Since we live in FL, we get to see the Disney Hollywood Studio version a lot, so that was why we didn't make it a priority at DL (we've already seen it once there too, many years ago).

After dinner, hubby went back to Disneyland, which was open until midnight, but I totally crashed into a comatose state. He got to ride quite a bit, including Nemo with only a 25 minute wait. I think that's one of the signs of the Apocalypse! As tempting as it was to go back, my feet were in a state of mutiny so I knew that I'd better go to sleep early if I wanted to win their full cooperation the next day.

Day Three, Part Two of Backstage Magic

We headed out to the wine cellar at Hook's Point restaurant, located at the Disneyland Hotel. Everyone met in the lobby and hiked over as a group. We were led downstairs to a neat little “cellar” area with a bar laden with yummy appetizers like cheese, brushetta, and the like. There were three types of wine to taste, plus sparking juice and soft drinks for those who didn't want to imbibe. After enjoying a nice, causal get-together over the appetizers, we trooped upstairs to the restaurant for our dinner. For our entree, there was a choice of chicken or salmon, as key lime pie was the dessert. The server was very attentive, but I don't think they've quite gotten the hang of serving nearly 40 people all at once because the food did take a while. It wasn't a big deal, since we were all pretty content from the appetizer (and probably more so from the wine!).
After dinner, we all trooped over to Disneyland for a special surprise. Since we got there after dark, it was a very appropriate experience: a ride on the Haunted Mansion! Our whole group had its own stretching room, and five volunteers (my husband included) got to experience it from a unique perspective. Then we all loaded into doom buggies to enjoy a Disneyland classic.
Next up, we were all given a fastpass good on any fastpass ride and turned loose to enjoy the rest of our evening. Hubby and I planned to use ours on Indy, although we did slip in a ride on Pirates because there was no line. I hate to admit it, but the DL version is much superior to FL.
At Indy, the posted wait time was only 15 minutes, so we used the standby line. I absolutely love Indy; it's probably my favorite DL ride. The wait turned out to be closer to half an hour, so when we were done we decided to try to again with fastpass. Unfortunately we were told that we couldn't use them because no one was there to take them. The CM tried to convince us that we didn't need them, but we noticed that the posted time had gone up to 25 minutes so we decided against it. Instead, we popped next door to the Jungle Cruise for an awesome night ride.
After that, we decided to call it a night, since I was nearly dead on my feet. We shuffled to the hotel, totally exhausted but very content. It had been a long, full day with plenty of adventures. Although I knew our 7 a.m. meeting time would come much too quickly the next morning, I was still excited at the adventures that lay ahead at DL/

Backstage Magic, Day Three, Part One

Our Adventure By Disney is whizzing by. Today was our last bit of time in Hollywood before heading out to the Disneyland Resort. Originally, that's the part I was most looking forward to, but the first part has been such a blast that I was sad to have it nearly over with.

My husband and I headed down to breakfast at the hotel's Twist Restaurant. It was a buffet style, with the usual items like scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, potatoes, oatmeal, danishes, bagels, fruit, and french toast. I think there was also an omelet station, but I didn't check it out because I didn't feel like waiting.

After our meal, we were directed to meet in the lobby since our bus would be coming to take us to Imagineering. We had left our luggage in the room; it would be picked up by ABD and follow us to our next destination: The Grand Californian Hotel. Since we had our laptops with us, we stowed those in a backpack to take onto the bus. Since we had the same motor coach for the whole trip, we were able to leave our day bags safely on board.

Hubby and I finished breakfast early, so we hurried over to the Chinese Theater. We'd seen it briefly a couple of times, but it was always jam-packed with so many tourists that you couldn't even see the cement squares. Now that it was still early (before 8 a.m.), we figured we could get a good look at it. Sure enough, we were the only people out there on that chilly CA morning. It was weird to see it so deserted! We managed to get a good look at the prints and signatures before a group came along. I found Johnny Depp, so that made my morning.

We returned to the hotel and learned that the bus had gotten delayed in the infamous L.A. traffic. It finally managed to complete the uphill salmon swim, and we all trooped on board. The sense of excitement was palpable as we all reveled in the fact that we were going to Imagineering. We were headed for the place where the magic begins! We, mere mortals, were going to have a peek behind the hallowed veil.

Our guides passed out our credential, which we had to wear at all times. We were required to leave our cameras, including camera cell phones, on the bus to prevent anyone from trying to sneak a shot.

We rolled up to a rather nondescript building and piled out, eager for our tour to begin. As we went through the hallway, several alert people noticed that one of the nameplates said “Iwerks” (yes, it's a relative of the famous Ub). In a small room with a movie screen, we watched clips about Imagineering as well as Walt talking about his Florida project. When that was done, we were in for a huge treat: Lucky the Dinosaur! Lucky is one of the newest ages of Audioanimatronics. He can walk on his own, interact with guests, and even sign autographs. We all had a chance to get our photos snapped with Lucky before continuing the tour.

We split into our Mickey and Minnie groups, and next up for the Minnies was the sound room. We listened to the “R. J. Bean” clip from Disney Hollywood Studio (the sound booths after you exit “Sounds Dangerous”) and learned about how it was made, as well as about how the sound is done for the Circle Vision movies.

After that, it was into the model room where we saw literally dozens of heads and all sorts of models from Disney movies and attractions. It was fascinating! I scoured the cabinets, looking for a model of Figment since he is my all-time favorite. Somehow I managed to miss him until he was pointed out to me...not one, but two Figments as well as Dreamfinder up on one of the top shelves! Oh, how I wished I had a camera! Oh well, we did have a group photo taken in front of the marble models of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves.

Then we went from still models to the working version, i.e. Audioanimatronics. We had the rare opportunity to see what's actually below the skin and clothing of those fluid new figures like Johnny Depp. Let me tell you, it's not a pretty sight! We were serenaded by “Joe Cocker” and his backup band of singing heads, and it was truly amazing to see a figure working in the raw. It was creepy in a way, too, with the realistic eyes and mouth/teeth in a robotic body full of components and hydraulics.

As we walked through the building, we caught sight of model work in progress and also had a chance to admire the gorgeous painting on the wall. I could have stayed there all day, but alas we had to hustle out to Mickey's of Glendale, the Imagineering store, before re-boarding our bus and heading to the Disney Studio. Everyone descended on the store with charge cards drawn and ready for action. Somehow I missed being born with the shopping gene, but my husband more than makes up for it. His wardrobe is 80 percent Disney anyway, so I knew he was going to go crazy at Mickey's.

I settled for a couple of t-shirts, but I lost count of the number of tees and golf shirts he stocked up on. We also got Imagineering license plate frames for our new car. I have to admit that I bought a few Figment pins, too, but I can never resist when it comes to that cute purple dragon.

We trooped outside, but hubby decided he had to have just one more shirt so he returned inside with the stragglers. The shopping jaunt put us behind schedule; even though we were technically limited to 30 minutes, the endless check-out line pushed things way beyond the limit. I suspect that something they're going to have to allow for on future tours. Granted, our group was heavy on the sort of Disney fanatics who would buy out an Imagineering store, but I think that's who the Backstage Magic tour is always going to appeal to which means it will always be a shopping frenzy.

As we re-boarded the bus, the guides offered drinks and snacks to tide us over till lunch. Finally we were all back on board our bus and heading off to the studio. Since our schedule had been thrown off, we did our tour first before eating lunch in the studio commissary. The tour was okay, but it had big shoes to fill...how the heck can you really wow someone with a mere studio after a visit to Imagineering? I enjoyed it, but it wasn't a big “wow.” My favorite part was seeing the Partners and Friends statues. There were no photo restrictions, so we snapped pictures with both.

Next up we got our lunch tickets, which were good for one entree, a side dish, dessert and drink. Even though it was past peak lunch time, the commissary was a total zoo. It looked like the Downtown Disney Earl of Sandwich in Florida at noon! There were several different food stations, but I'm not a big fan of trying to work my way through crowds in unfamiliar places so I just went for the closest/least crowded. That was the Panda Express station, where I got a beef dish and spring rolls. Hubby opted for some sort of lettuce wrap at an adjacent station. I thought the only iced tea was Nestea swill from a tap (somehow I missed seeing the fresh brewed Tazo tea), so I got a juice blend as my drink and a yummy looking slice of chocolate cake for dessert. I joined a line that would have done a theme park proud, and when I got to the cashier she was utterly baffled by my meal ticket. As I balanced my lunch, she grabbed a phone and made a frantic call. I convinced her to let me set my stuff down on a table while I waited. There were several other ADB people behind me, so we were all anxious to see the outcome.

Fortunately she found out that our tickets valid, so I plopped down at a two-top table to wait for hubby, who was a few people behind me in line. As I waited for him, I saw delicious-looking salads passing by that had obviously been made at a very good salad bar. If I had noticed that, it would have been my definite choice. It might be nice for ABD to pass out a little “map” of the commissary listed the stations and choices beforehand, since it's hard to take it all in when you get there and enter the activity hive.

We had time after lunch to shop at the studio store, but they didn't have much in the way of exclusive merchandise so hubby and I didn't buy anything. We trooped back on the bus, and soon we were headed off to Anaheim and the Disneyland Resort. Yay! Our guides had a music CD to get us in the mood as we wended our way through the never-ending L.A. traffic jam.

We rolled up to the Grand Californian, which gave me a sense of deja vu, since it's so similar to the Wilderness Lodge. Everyone disembarked the bus and moved through the lobby to pick up room keys. We headed up to the third floor to check out our digs for the next three nights. The room was themed with the usual Disney attention to detail, although its balcony has a “roof view” rather than a courtyard. Oh well, I doubt we'll be in it very long anyway since this trip has quite a jam-packed schedule.

Our luggage was delivered, along with a neat little surprise: copies of several of the photos from the earlier part of our trip.

Our night isn't over yet; a wine tasting is coming up shortly, followed by dinner and then a surprise at Disneyland. I can't wait to find out what it will be!

Adventures By Disney Backstage Magic, Day Two

The first full day of our Adventure by Disney began bright and early, with an 8 a.m. meeting in the Mezzanine. When all the intrepid adventurers had gathered, we hiked en masse across the street to the Mickey Mouse Soda Fountain next door to Disney's El Capitan Theater. There we gathered at large tables for breakfast. By far the most popular choice seemed to be the Mickey Mouse waffle! Next door at the theater is “The Little Mermaid Sing-a-Long,” so we had a special treat: a visit from Ariel herself! She popped over for a photo opportunity.

After eating, we browsed around the shop a bit (the El Capitan pins are a must for any collector). Then we were ushered over to the theater and treated to a tour and history lesson. Disney restored it to its original glory, and I must say it's breathtaking! It has to be the finest example of an old-time theater restoration I've ever seen; they've done some nice ones in Chicago, but El Capitan put those to shame. We went up into the balcony and also got to go backstage. As an added bonus, we were treated to an organ performance on the classic instrument saved from another theater. All too soon it was time to leave, as there was a show matinee coming up.

But we didn't have far to go, since the theater for Jimmy Kimmel Live was right next door. That was a fascinating tour as we got to see what goes into a daily television production. There were cables and cameras and equipment everywhere, and we were allowed to peek into just about every room, including the production rooms, dressing room, and even the green room (which is equipped with a bar, pool table, and various video games).

We had an added treat that isn't actually part of the tour. Uncle Frank happened to be passing through on his way to tape a bit, so he graciously stopped and chatted with us. He is such a nice, regular guy, just as you'd imagine from his persona on TV.

After touring the inside, we viewed the outside stage before boarding a motor coach to head off to the Henson Studio to see the Creature Shop, sound stage, and other areas where Hollywood magic is quite literally made.

We had a history lesson, learning that the Henson complex was actually built by Charlie Chaplin. Now it's a working studio/workshop but also a protected historical landmark. When we arrived, we saw a short introductory film created just for the Disney tours.

Next, we were split into two groups, Mickey and Minnie. Hubby and I were in Minnie, which meant that we went into the Creature Shop first while the others headed to the sound stage. Once inside we were surrounded by all sorts of creations, many of them familiar (for example, they had a Baby Sinclair used on the “Dinosaurs” show). We learned some history of how Jim Henson used television to revolutionize puppetry. By standing erect and using a television monitor, he could created fluid motion. We had a little demonstration which proved that's not as easy as it sounds! Sadly, no photography was allowed in the shop, but we did get to take pictures out in the courtyard.

Next it was our turn to head into the sound stage, where a show called “Sid the Science Kid” was in production. It was fascinating to watch the actors in their motion capture suits practicing moves that will be digitized for the show. As we had learned in the shop, digital motion capture is the next phase of puppetry. Now a puppeteer doesn't have to physically hold the puppet. He can manipulate it via digital controls to create movement on a screen in real time.

We were also allowed to go into the office building and see Brian Henson's office, as well as various trophies, figures, etc. Afterwards, it was lunch time so we took seats under a set of canopies and waited for the food to arrive. Most of it was right on time, but those who had ordered shrimp penne pasta (my husband included) had an extra wait. They didn't go hungry, since the first course (soup or salad, depending on what you had pre-ordered) was already there waiting, and when it finally did arrive hubby said it was worth the wait. Myself, I had ordered a cheeseburger and especially enjoyed the big avocado slices it was adorned with. Dessert was a chocolate chip cookie.

Just as we were finishing our repast, we had a special visitor: Sweetheart the puppet (At least, I think that was her name). She was quite a sassy gal and posed with all of us for photos, even allowing the more adventurous members of the group to to try her out. Also, our Guides have been taking lots of photos throughout the trip, and even in areas with restrictions they take one group photo if it's allowed. For example, they napped a picture of all of us on the Jimmy Kimmel set and one of everyone in the Henson offices.

Next up was a very special surprise (and that's really saying something, since the day had already been full of so many wonderful experiences). We were supposed to go on a bus tour of Hollywood, but instead we discovered we'd be going to Griffin Park to see Walt Disney's actual barn building where he worked on his model trains! If you're going on this tour in the future, this isn't something you can count on because the train exhibit is staffed by volunteers and only open at very limited times. We all counted ourselves VERY lucky to be treated to this experience.

We learned about Walt's passion for scale model trains, which dates back to his childhood. We were given a tour of the barn, which is jam-packed with the most wonderful memorabilia. It has been rebuilt in the park almost exactly as it stood at Walt's house, with the exception of the roof; city codes require that to be fireproof. The last two of the Nine Old Men were also train hobbyists, so there was memorabilia from both of them as well.

We also had a chance to ride one of the trains that run at the park (there was actually an opportunity to ride twice, which we happily took). The volunteers who run the exhibit and the trains are all members of the local steam train group (of which Walt was an enthusiastic member), and their passion for their hobby really shines through.

The guides laid out snacks, but I was still full from lunch and knew that I'd be having a big dinner, so I skipped those. All too soon it was time to go, but everyone in the group was flush with the excitement of this very special addition to our trip. On the ride back, we all received our special themed pin of the day.

Ironically, when I first booked this adventure, I wasn't all that enthused about the Hollywood Park. I figured I'd just be counting the days until we left for Disneyland and Disney's California Adventure. But I have to admit, the Hollywood part has exceed my expectations like I never imagined possible. Today we were out and about for eight hours, and it flew by in the wink of an eye. We were busy just about every minute, and with the most fun and interesting activities. I'm a bit sad that tomorrow is our last day in Hollywood before heading to the parks. Oh well, the visit to Imagineering should be a blast.

Meanwhile, back at the hotel we went over the bus schedule to figure our how to get to Lawrys The Prime Rib, where we'd be having dinner. Everyone was on their own for the night's meal, and as a Chicago native I am more than familiar with Lawry's. Their prime rib is to die for, and it's served with a whipped cream horseradish sauce that is blended by angels and sent down from Heaven. Now that we live in Florida, it's a rare treat for me so when I learned that the original location is in L.A., it became a must-do.

The trip required two buses, but I must say they sure do run frequently; we hopped off one and our transfer was already heading down the street towards us. Some of the neighborhoods we passed through seemed a bit questionable as we headed towards Restaurant Row in Beverly Hills, but we did make it in one piece. We arrived early, and happily they were able to seat us immediately.

Although the building is much different than the one in Chicago (which is located in an old mansion), there were little decorative touches that were the same between the two locations. The prime rib was just as wonderful, and although they didn't have Chicago's signature dessert (the chocolate bag), we contented ourselves with a delicious hot fudge sundae. Then it was back to the bus stop; thankfully it was still light out, as I would have been rather leery at night (the guy wheeling his shopped cart down the street didn't exactly inspire confidence).

Once again, the buses were prompt, but on the second leg of our journey we were apparently on the Tuberculosis bus, since everyone but us had a wicked hacking cough. I hope we don't leave L.A. With a raging case of TB was our souvenir.

We made it back to the hotel safe and sound and popped up to our room, since I needed to do some work (ugh!). In mentally reviewing the day, I was amazed at just how much we'd managed to fit it. It truly had been an adventure, and I couldn't wait to see what the next morning would bring.