The first thing we did was ask if the Lilly Belle would be available. They took our reservation! We were so excited!April and I decided to declare a Hidden Mickey hunt, but first, we grabbed double scoops of ice cream.
On Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, I dropped my list of HMs in the library. FAIL. They couldn't grab it without shutting down the ride. Sigh. April still had her copy though.
We went to Innoventions. I always thought it was kind of lame, but it's like a museum of cool technology. Note to self: come to Disneyland on a chill day to just hang and explore the Innoventions building.
The crowd was massive because it was Spring Break season. We waited in line at Big Thunder Railroad for half an hour. By the time we got on, it was 4:30. The goat trick works! The ride feels super fast! April got to see the hidden mickey. We got off the ride at 4:35. We had a 5pm reservation for the Lilly Belle, and they told us to be there by 4:45. So, we booked it from Frontierland to Main Street.
When we got to Main Street, the Disneyland Band was coming out, and they were clearing the road. So, we ran to get in front of them. We ran all the way to the train station. Third time's a charm. I was finally getting the chance to ride this Disneyland treasure.The rules are: no eating and drinking on board, and you must remain seated while the train is in motion.
Jackie, our conductor was really nice and answered all of our questions. She even showed us the hidden mickeys on the carpet.
Stuff I learned:
- the thing about cats controlling the rat population is true.
- Walt Disney invented trash can lids because Lilly didn't like seeing the garbage.
- From New Orleans Square to Toontown, the tram goes through Splash Mountain.
- the longest working CM was a chef
- you can't work at both resorts (Anaheim and Orlando) simultaneously
- the tram has 2 minutes to unload and load passengers at each stop (excluding Main Street)
I asked Jackie about Maynard. She told me he was probably on the parade route or Tiki Room. Unfortunately, we didn't have time to seek him out.
Behind this wall are signatures of elite guests from back in the day:
Our trip around the park had concluded. We got off and and took a picture.
After, we went to California Adventure. We bought popcorn and went to Hemlich's Chew Chew Train. It was so cute!
April's a Pin Trader, so we got a Vinylmation Park #4 box. She got the Simba-looking one and the Finding Nemo one! We found a CM with a rooster vinylmation, April traded, but immediately traded back.
We waited in line for Tower of Terror. Our guide, Glenn was super awesome. I think it was the first time I had ridden at nighttime.
Alas, we called it a night. We were there for over 7 hours, and we spent most of it walking around the park. Though we didn't seem visit that many attractions, we both just love being in the park.
It's been a great year. I loved every single second I spent at the resort. It was a sensational treat, and I am sad I'll no longer have the ability to visit whenever I so desire (assuming no blackouts). Still, good things come to those who wait. I plan on renewing next year to hopefully catch the debut of the new California Adventure (with The Little Mermaid dark ride and World of Color!). In the mean time, I'll miss the castle, the hidden mickeys, and the magic of Disneyland.
