You would think we'd be a little Disneyed-out after 16 straight hours the day before. But no, we were up and raring to go - there was a whole other park to explore! Yes, there are actually two parks in the Disney complex, one immediately opposite the other. The first is, obviously, Disneyland, and the second is California Adventure. The latter is more focused on California, movie-making and thrill rides, while still maintaining the Disney magic.
Today was California Adventure day!
We didn't need the bus, but I liked the colour coordination with the witches' hats.
The staff on reception at Candy Cane Inn were all extremely helpful and enthusiastic about the Disney parks. In fact, it was surprising to me how many Anaheim locals held annual passes and visited on a regular basis. Anyway, in chatting to the reception staff, the one thing they urged us to do was to obtain a Fast Pass ticket for "World of Color" as soon as we entered California Adventure.
We had no idea what kind of entertainment "World of Color" actually involved, but we followed the crowd like lemmings to the cliff and scored ourselves Fast Pass admission to the 9pm show.
Do you recognise that red bridge in the above photo? Yes, you walk under the "Golden Gate Bridge" to enter the park. Now I can say I've been under the bridge as well as over it.
Fast Passing done, it was time to take a look around and get on some rides.
While still just as fun as Disneyland, California Adventure had a more open feel. You didn't have that cosy sense of immersion in each land - it was more of a traditional amusement park atmosphere. This was likely also due to the large amount of construction occurring within the park:
We'd like to come back when all the work is completed; I'm sure it will be amazing.
First stop was the Tower of Terror!! This was a Fast Pass ride, but we were so early, we walked straight into the Hollywood Hotel, where the uniformed "bellboys" directed us to the ill-fated Service Elevator.....
I thought the Tower was simply going to consist of one long drop. Think again. It was way, way freakier, because it dropped you multiple times, mostly in the dark, from different heights, and for different drop lengths. At least twice, we broke through to the top of the tower, where suddenly we were facing a window looking out over the park, scaring you even more because of the height.
Can you spot the Aussies?
I love heights, but the Tower left me somewhat shaky at the knees! Talk about your Twilight Zone.
We're real, but the streetscape is a backdrop. It looked so realistic, especially because the "sky" blended almost perfectly with the natural sky.
Mike and Sully To The Rescue!! This ride made us feel like we were right in the middle of "Monsters Inc", especially when we emerged to the expanse of swinging doors.
Mike Wazowski!!
It's great that the parks give high school bands and choirs a stage to showcase their talent. Unfortunately, today's choral soloist was truly terrible. I hope the poor girl doesn't end up having a rude reality check during an audition for "American Idol" on national television.
We used a Fast Pass on "Soarin' Over California". This one, the reception staff had waxed lyrical about. And it was pretty darn cool. You sat on a bench-like seat with your belongings in a mesh net underneath and with your feet dangling. (N.B. bare feet enhance the experience: I needed new socks, so I was going Commando with the sneakers until I found the nearest Disney sock option, and my feet were getting a little icky).
Next thing, you're doing a simulated hang-glide in a huge dome, onto which are projected natural and manmade wonders from the State of California — including the Golden Gate Bridge, Yosemite, Palm Springs, Malibu and Disneyland Park (we all cheered the latter). You could swear you're about to get wet when you dive down to kayakers on Yosemite River. What makes it even more realistic is the smells that are also projected - the sharp smell of redwood pines, the fresh saltiness of the beach, and the tangy aroma of oranges as you soar over orchards. Virtual Reality to the max.
Even though the ride is smooth and gentle, it's exhilerating, and I actually experienced a bit of vertigo afterwards.
Minnie was out and about in her aviator uniform beside "Soarin' Over California". She's one busy mouse. A bit like Barbie, really, with the multiple career juggling.
We headed over to Paradise Pier. This is set up like a traditional boardwalk amusement park, which is another reason why the park has a more open feel to it.
Again, the landscaping was stunning. Mickey was busy doing a meet and greet in this little rotunda.
There are a whole bunch of sideshow amusements, over which thunders the "California Screamin'" rollercoaster.
First things first - you have to go on the Ferris Wheel! But this is no ordinary Ferris Wheel. We chose to go in a swinging cage. This meant we didn't complete the typical circular loop, but rather had dips and swings as the wheel rotated. It certainly threw a bit of variety in to the mix!
We could see both parks (and the vast parking lots) from the top of the ride.
It was on to the Silly Symphony Swings, where we got rotated around the horizontal axis, as opposed to the vertical.
And just for fun, we went on the Jumpin' Jellyfish, which was like the Tower of Terror without the terror, and on about a tenth of the scale.
We had to offset the tameness of the jellyfish, and "California Screamin'" was just the ticket.
Here's the starting track for "California Screamin'". It looks like your average rollercoaster. But when they start counting you down, you realise this in anything but ordinary. You take off at what feels like Mach 2.
And that's just the start.
Funnily enough, the speed is what makes this ride. The slower style rollercoasters (I'm thinking the Santa Cruz Boardwalk) make me feel a little ill, but when you're flying upside down at terrifying speed, it's almost like your brain doesn't have a chance to process the sensory overload.
I loved it. So much so, that we took a Fast Pass for it again straight after we got off. Sean was well chuffed!
No, this is not San Francisco, although you'd be forgiven for mistaking it for same. It's one of the many stroller (pram) parking areas. There's a lot of Mums and Dads wanting to ride "California Screamin'" !
As the day got warmer, it was time to leave Paradise Pier in all its riot of colour and candy apples, and head for the relatively more tranquil "Golden State" section of the park......
.............where I was keen to cool down on the Grizzly River Run!
Sean, perhaps recalling his wet shoes from his "Splash Mountain" experience the night before, was less keen, so appointed himself Official Photographer:
I got wet! I was happy!
Are you hungry after all that action? Why not grab a Mickey lollipop?
Or how about a Mickey cupcake? Or a rainbow Mickey ear toffee apple?
Personally, we didn't need the sugar - we were jacked up on rides and entertainment.
It was onwards to the "Hollywood Pictures Backlot", where we attended the Animation Academy.
In a half-hour class with one of the actual Disney animators, we were given step-by-step instructions on how to draw the chipmunk Dale, of "Chip and Dale" fame. We were given the same guidelines as the cartoonists themselves when they start drawing for Disney.
Here's our friendly instructor on the classroom floor.
And here are our masterpieces. What do you think of our cartooning talent?
I love drawing and could have happily have stayed at the Animation Academy for the rest of the day, but, after a quick "Turtle Talk" with Crush, from "Finding Nemo", we had another date to keep with "California Screamin'". This time we asked if we could wait to be placed at the front of the rollercoaster.
If we thought it was good the first time, being at the front kicked it out of the park.
I think we're having fun. Can you tell?
[with thanks to Jenn for the "Toyota Leap" tips]
We headed next door to Toy Story's "Midway Madness", which had an absurdly long queue (as in, almost an hour). No matter, Mr. Potato Head was there to entertain us.
After my whipping on Buzz Lightyear yesterday, I was determined to make a good fist of this series of 3D virtual reality arcade-style games, where you're transported to each game in your little car, but........
.......winners are grinners!
Nat = yellow = pitiful. Sean = green = legend.
Time for more 3D experiences, this time in "A Bug's Land", where we attended the educational and fun 3D film "It's Tough to Be a Bug". We even got poked from behind, and sprayed on! Poor Flik was an embarrassed ant host.
There were awesome views of the Tower of Terror to be had from beneath the clover.
Yet another 3D movie, this time my old favourite "Muppet 3D Vision". I love the Muppets. They still crack me up, especially poor Beaker. And the two old guys in the theatre box have me rolling in the aisles every time.
And that just about wrapped up the adventures of the Californian persuasion. As with "Star Tours" yesterday, we were two days too early for Ariel's Undersea Adventure and Goofy's Sky School. Oh woe! To be staying until Friday!
We decided to head back to the magical Disneyland (love that 3 Day Park Hopper Pass). We rocked in to Main Street sporting attractive fluroscent pass-out stamps, only to walk smack bang into the Parade.
This was a bonus, as we'd seen it from the other end of Main Street yesterday. Time for some different shots!
I love the Princess Float, although there are too many Disney Princesses to keep track of these days.
There's Snow White, and Sleeping Beauty.
The colour and spectacle of the parades are simply mindblowing. The attention to detail is extraordinary.
There's Tinkerbell! I have a soft spot for Tink.
At the end of each Parade, Disney staff ensure the smooth flow of pedestrian traffic by waving the crowd toward a fixed path. We did ask if the bright orange batons served an alternative purpose for miscreants, but apparently not (although the Disney folks don't really get Aussie ironic humour. They're very literal and earnest, bless them). But the sticks do glow in the dark, which is kind of cool.
We had time for one ride before we had to head back to California Adventure and nab a good spot for "World of Color". Sean chose "Pirates of the Caribbean", whose simulated darkness messed with my body clock again. The second time around, we marvelled at the detail and the lavish expenditure and engineering behind the ride, as with all of the Disney rides. Each is a theatrical as much as a thrilling experience.
This parrot squarks to welcome passengers to the ride, but then you descend into the caverns accompanied by the repeated and foreboding mantra "Dead Men Tell No Tales".
They must have dug out a massive space for this subterranean ride.
Despite the Blue Bayou indicating otherwise, it was still light outside, although dusk was starting to fall. Here is Main Street's City Hall just as the lights were coming on.
Over at California Adventure, spaces were filling fast for "World of Color". Paradise Pier was spectacular by twilight.
We were told we could choose which penned area we liked within our section, but that within a certain proximity to the lake, we'd get wet. Intrigued, we nabbed front-of-pen spaces in the "dry zone".
Just as well. "World of Color" was a brilliant light show, involving the projection of colour and animations onto a wall of mist generated by fountains within the lake. There were a myriad of fountain effects, and the colours were like being in the midst of an exploding rainbow. Luckily I took some video, because it's difficult to explain the magnificance of the effects.
The photo below shows just the little projection at the end of the show. During the show, the water was the height of the Ferris Wheel.
Dazzling.
Overdosed on colour and spectacle, two colour junkies headed back to Disneyland yet again, just in time to catch the end of the fireworks. It was almost too much - I felt like a completely spoiled brat. Disney is the ultimate in "Entertain Me!"
After a solid 14 hours split across the two parks, it was time to head back to Candy Cane Inn and treat our overhyped selves to some zzzzzzzs, before our last fun-filled Day of Disney.
And we did.
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