Wednesday, 8/21: (Feeling) Dead on Arrival
And it begins! (Began? Whatever)
There was work being done at my complex, so I spent Tuesday night at my parents' house. They were also my backup ride in case my 4:15 AM scheduled Lyft backed out. Luckily, it didn't -- in fact, it showed up ten minutes early
A very quick and uneventful drive down the turnpike (with a super chatty driver - bless his heart, BUT IT WAS 4 AM), and we were at EWR.
After zero wait for security, which rarely ever happens, I headed to Starbucks for my traditional pre-vacation breakfast of liquid sugar and more sugar.
**I've always moaned about how I can't sleep on airplanes, no matter what I do, and finally realized that maybe - just maybe - having a venti macchiato preflight has something to do with it**
As annoying and frustrating as United can be, Terminal C at EWR really is awesome. The food is great, the seats are comfy and all connected to power, and it's modern and clean. Can't say the same for Terminals A & B, so Jersey-bound flyers beware.
I originally booked this flight with points, so I paid about $80 to upgrade cabins to "premium plus (?)" - I had no idea what this class meant, only that it had more legroom and was exactly one row back from the door. This was my first full-week vacay in 2019, and I was going for literal broke.
Well, consider me entirely spoiled for the rest of my life. On any other plane, this would've been first class. On the dreamliner, it was second only to the lay-flat seats. (The Points Guy provides
a review with pictures here, if you're curious)
Included breakfast (french toast or scrambled eggs) with yogurt and fruit
Windows that "close" and "open" with a button, so you can control the exact shade of tinted blue
A massive (to me, anyway) seatback screen with every recent movie imaginable
Auto-recline and leg lift support
Fold away tray table
The man next to me was used to traveling in this section, or so it seemed, because he knew where everything was hidden and took full advantage of all the services and amenities. I, on the other hand, awkwardly flopped around as I tried to find charging ports, headphone jacks, and how to fit the darned remote back into the chair. But I had enough room to awkwardly flop, which was incredible to me. Also this:
(as an aside, most of my pictures were captured via Instagram story, hence the size/comments)
Funnily enough, the first class cabin steward was my friend's recent ex (ish? They're figuring things out). So I declined his nice offer of champagne, and waited for the inevitable text when I disembarked. He also let me use the first class restroom (which was right next to me, instead of the coach restroom 30 rows back).
After a sleepless yet pleasant flight, I hi-tailed it to the carousel, scooped up my massive suitcase, and managed to make the 9:55 AM
Disneyland Resort Express by the skin of my teeth (the next one was a full hour later). My suitcase literally rolled onto the carousel as the bus pulled up, and I must've looked like a crazy person sprinting over to the street. Oh well - next stop, (Anaheim Hilton and) Disneyland!
Traffic wasn't bad, and the bus was comfy & well air conditioned. The Hilton was the third stop after the main Disneyland hotels (minus Paradise Pier), so it was a quick ride. I bought my transfers pre-trip (which was a mistake I'll explain later), but worked out really well getting to the resort.
The Hilton seemed busy, but wasn't swamped. I was a little miffed that while they had a room ready for me, they charged a $25 early check-in fee. I begrudgingly paid it, thinking there was no way I'd want to leave the park to come back and check in. But we all know what they say about best laid plans.
The room was fine. It was nice enough, but seemed worn for the rates they charged. I knew I was paying a premium for location, though I wish I had been able to score the Marriott again.
The view looked out into the walkway between the main convention center and the new North Wing, which unfortunately wouldn't be useful for me. While part of me wanted to collapse for a morning (east coast afternoon) nap, my adrenaline pushed me forward to the parks.
Can't head over to Disneyland without a traditional Expo picture!
And a Wednesday morning picture of this. I snapped this right before they were moved off ACC property and onto the sidewalk. I'd meet some of these folks waiting for Sorcerer check-in on Thursday (who were all nice in my pre-Expo interactions), and probably again during the Wildebeest Stampede (just wait) on Friday morning.
I like to take the long way to the parks, going around the resort and through Downtown Disney - security is SO fast, and I can stop at my favorite pin store. I was able to scoop up a LE Belle pin, which was out of stock a few days later.
Just a few steps later, and we're finally there! A full two years after my last west coast visit, and looking more beautiful than ever.
**While most of my journey was well documented by Instagram snaps saved to my phone, I also tried to write daily recaps in my journal. I didn't want to miss any of the good stuff that wasn't snapped up**
I was temporarily sidelined by a survey CM ("Who are you traveling with today?" "Just me." "Is anyone in your party under the age of 18?" "..."), but was able to easily buy Maxpass and set out on the day's adventures. Frankly, I'm not so sure if I needed Maxpass this trip - lines were super manageable. But Maxpass is wonderful, and I wished it worked this way over on the East Coast. Sigh.
I scooped up a Haunted Mansion pass for 10 minutes from now since today was the last day I'd be able to see it before it went under for the holiday season. Almost everything was available immediately or very shortly, so it was easy to stack passes for the afternoon.
Even though I wanted to stroll leisurely down MSUSA and stop in every single store pre-ride, my stomach had other plans:
How can something so simple be so delicious?
After shoving a classic corndog down my famished gullet, it was time for Haunted Mansion! Followed by another Maxpass for Hyperspace Mountain!
BUT FIRST - zero line for Pirates.
As in zero - no one waiting outside, near immediate boarding, and a row entirely to MYSELF. What did I do to deserve this near perfect day?? Skipped from Pirates to HM, where perfect was downgraded to great because the kid in the doombuggy next to me was taking VIDEO WITH FLASH the entire ride.
Allow me to go on a mini-rant here. Parents, if your kid is scared of Haunted Mansion, I get wanting to distract them with your phone. I get wanting to keep them calm while you enjoy the ride. I get it so much that I'm willing to tolerate a slight, soft glow from your phone screen shining on your kid's face, somewhat interrupting my experience. But when that soft glow turns into an all-out flash that completely ruins Leota's seance and the mirrored dance hall effect, that's not cool. Making your phone into a flashlight for a ten year old (at least), and not stopping them as they wave it indiscriminately isn't fun for anyone. End rant.
In an effort to boost my soured mood, I scooped up an Indy Maxpass (my favorite) while making my way over to Hyperspace (awesome, as always). I barely needed Maxpass at Hyperspace, and didn't need it at all for Indy (especially since the merge point was SUPER early). Knowing I'd save FP-less Fantasyland rides for my Extra Magic Hour in a few days, I made the game time decision to visit Galaxy's Edge after my Indy ride. I had Oga's reservations for Sunday post-expo, but I though it'd be worth seeing the land in daytime and at night.
WOW.
JUST...WOW.
I had an absolute blast in Batuu. I loved playing Engineer for a family with kiddo pilots who completely destroyed the Falcon. I loved finding all the little details, like weird sounds coming from the sewers and animatronics everywhere. I knew I'd love the land even more at night.
I know everyone says it, but I really didn't understand how HUGE the land was until I was there. Rise of the Resistance opening will spread the crowds within the land for sure, but for now it was really nice exploring and hanging out by the quieter "base" with everyone concentrated in the marketplace.
Forgive my photos of the Falcon - we were ushered directly from Single Rider to the cockpit, so I barely had any time to get good shots. I love this ride's efficiency and capacity, but I hope I get to slow down at WDW this winter and enjoy the Falcon pre-flight.
SOON.
4:00 came pretty fast, and I decided to head over to Blue Bayou a bit early. They were able to take me (which was awesome, because I was fading SO HARD). My plan was to eat, sprint back to the hotel to rest my feet for a few minutes, then come back and head directly to my Fantasmic spot.
My meal was fine - I'm more of a surf person than a turf person, so I enjoyed most of my plate. And it was good to get some veggies in. To be honest, I was more impressed with the bread than anything else - I would've eaten several loaves if i knew it wouldn't immediately clog my arteries.
Not a water view, but still pretty
Andouille hush puppies (pretty good)
HEAVEN'S BREAD.
Surf & Turf
This was...interesting. I mostly ate the cotton candy, and neglected to take my flying saucer coaster home.
I always forget how expensive the Fantasmic! meal is here, but since I'm rarely in Disneyland it was worth the great spot. And the cute butt pad they give you.
I timed myself from Blue Bayou to my hotel room door, and it took 37 minutes. Seemed quicker, but I think it's because I was sprinting - mostly from exhaustion, and partly from a creepy experience.
Working in NYC gives you really thick skin. I've been catcalled, leered at, had horrible vibes, and as a result, am generally good at keeping my guard up. As a woman who frequently travels solo, I've never, ever felt unsafe in Disney. But Anaheim isn't as bubble-shielded as WDW, and you never know what to expect (and honestly, bad stuff can happen anywhere).
I rounded the corner of the ACC when a man (no Expo tag, name badge, or other feature identifying as an official worker) said hello to me. I smiled slightly in response, and kept walking. He switched his pace to walk next to me for a bit - close enough that we could hold hands, if we wanted. I quickened my pace and readjusted my backpack. Instead of moving further away from me (the pathway between the Hilton and ACC is plenty wide), he dropped immediately behind me -- once again, close enough to touch me. I sped up again, and he kept walking to match.
At that point, I decided to enter the Hilton through the food court (barriers weren't fully up yet), hoping the more populated area would deter him from following me. As I turned into the building, he turned away and kept walking to the other end of the ACC.
I don't know why he was walking so close to me. If he thought it was funny, or has no personal boundaries, or if there's some other explanation. I do know it freaked me out enough to look for him before I walked back to the parks. Experiences like this make me angry for so many reasons, but they won't stop me from enjoying the places I love.
Anyways, after a more magical walk back to Disneyland, I sped over to the Fantasmic dining section. I usually line up about an hour and a half before showtime, but arrived exactly at 8 for the 9 PM show. Creepy dude or not, I really needed that nap, and it was worth second row seating behind a small, short child:
I am so jealous of the Pirates section, and the intimacy of Fantasmic on the River, and just everything that makes Disneyland's version so great.
Post Fantasmic & Fireworks, I walked past the (huge) crowds waiting for MSEP and back to the hotel. Thursday was officially the start of Expo for me, and I just couldn't wait.