As usual, we met at 7 AM outside the hotel lobby and walked over to the Esplanade. We chose the far right entrance lane this time, thinking we'd have a better shot at hitting Fantasyland first. Of course, since there was no early entry, the gates opened less early than the other mornings of our trip. Once they finally opened, there was some confusion as cast members started yelling to "hold the line" once people were admitted through the turnstiles. This, luckily, only lasted briefly before we were on our way to the castle hub.
I don't like standing in claustrophobic groups of people, so we sat on a bench facing the castle and watched as people poured into the park's central area, waiting for the "rope drop." "Rope Drop" is the term for the actual dropping of the rope that holds guests back from entering further into the park than wherever Disney wants them to be before official opening time.
Eventually, we did line up with the group, but it was close to the announcement of the 8 AM opening. We slowly made our way through the castle with a thousand others and headed for the first dark ride we saw. Pinnochio's Daring Journey was on our left, and we walked on it without waiting. Upon exiting, we headed towards Alice in Wonderland, which already had an enormous wait. Across the way, though, was the Storybook Canal boats, which had a minimal line, so we hopped over there.
While waiting in the line, we noticed some commotion on the other bank. There was a crow eating something. That something was a baby duck, and the family in front of us, who also realized this, started to freak out. Another crow appeared and attempted to abduct a second baby, but the duck parents came up the hill out of the water and aggressively chased the crows away.
Where is Donald when you need him?
It was really traumatic for everyone, especially the young girls, who couldn't stop talking about it as we floated around the various tiny scenes. Meanwhile, the live tour guide on board the boat just droned on, following the script as if nothing had ever happened.
Once we returned to land, Fantasyland was beyond packed. We grabbed a Genie+ reservation for Roger Rabbit's Toon Town Spin and walked on that ride, splitting up into separate ride vehicles since they are such a tight fit. Next up, a Genie+ reservation for Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway. After the very entertaining pre-show cartoon stopped and the screen's fantastic effect partially disappeared (watch the Vlog to see it), the door didn't open. So we were ushered out and into another pre-show area, where we watched it again. Everything went according to plan then, and we were on board the ride quickly.
Mickey's house was close by, and while the sign said there was a thirty-minute wait, we figured that was an overestimate based on the few people that we waiting in line to meet him. It was closer to twenty minutes, and we got a few good photos with the Big Cheese himself.
I was hungry, but nothing sounded good; the wait was too long, and things weren't open. We walked past Jessie from Toy Story, interacting with some children on our way to Frontierland. The Mark Twain Riverboat was departing in two minutes, so we jumped on board and grabbed seats for a peaceful and relaxing cruise around the Rivers of America.
Next, we walked through Adventureland and realized we still needed to get Dole Whips. We did just that since you can take them into the Enchanted Tiki Room, which was just about to start. The show is much more tolerable when you are eating pineapple soft-serve.
Connie got her photo taken with Daisy Duck, which was a minimal wait and a gorgeous photo opportunity. Then, we headed out of the park towards Downtown Disney; I saw that Earl of Sandwich was open, and they had a sit-down dining option. Connie wanted to go to the World of Disney store and had already had breakfast, but we had nothing but time, so she got a side order of eggs, and I had some delicious French toast with strawberries. She did go into the store but didn't take long while I waited on a bench outside.
We got a Genie+ for Soarin' at California Adventure, so we walked over, entered that park, and waited for the time to pass. There was a large family of people with a loud and obnoxious grandmother having the time of their lives. I was both annoyed and amused by them and wasn't surprised when several of them hopped on mobile scooters to ride away.
I have nothing against people who use scooters, by the way. I used one at Disney World last time, and it was pretty amazing not being so exhausted and worn out at the end of the day from all the wear and tear on my body. But when you have three or four of them in your party, please be aware of your surroundings, don't ride side by side as if you're some geriatric Harley Davidson gang heading off into the sunset.
Anyway, I digress. . .
While we waited for our Genie+ time for Soarin', I noticed that Radiator Springs Racers - the one ride that I really wanted to experience - was open a day early from its scheduled refurbishment. I refreshed the app to make sure I wasn't seeing things. No Lightning Lane times were available, but I had a glimmer of hope that we could ride it later.
We rode Soarin and were assigned the front row, which meant no dangling feet in front of us. While exiting the attraction, I saw a Lightning Lane time available for purchase within the hour. I grabbed it, paying $18 each to skip the line. I looked at Connie and said, "Well, it's happening." She had predicted and hoped that perhaps it would open a day early; I was adamant that wouldn't happen because I didn't want either of us to get our hopes up. I was never as thrilled to be wrong in my life.
We wandered back to the extended staging area and waited less than five minutes to board our car. I was about to ask for the front row, but the young woman was ready to assign us to Row 1, giving me plenty of legroom. I wish I had been in the middle seat as it is the roomiest, but my driver's side experience was fine. What a neat ride. It's basically Test Track, but with Pixar's "Cars" overlaid.
After this, we were able to use Genie+ again for the Monsters Inc. ride. It was fun and a well-designed trip through the film, but I was tired and ready to go back to my room. It was close to 2 PM, so I was in the parks far longer than usual without a break. I ended up grabbing lunch at McDonald's before going to my room.
I took a good nap, and when I woke up, I texted Connie that I was heading back over. Mickey's Philharmagic was about to start, so I entered the pre-show area, grabbed my 3-D glasses, and took a seat on one of the benches. About ten minutes later, the theatre opened, and about thirty people—including me—entered for this whimsical cartoon. I really like it, and the remastered version is so sharp and clear.
Connie was nearby, so we met and walked back to Carsland to scope out dinner. We ended up mobile ordering at Flo's v8 Diner. I had a cheeseburger, and she had a Chef's Salad. It was crowded, but we found a table and took turns collecting our mobile orders as they became ready. My only complaint was this location only had ketchup packets instead of a pump, which meant I had to open lots of plastic to get enough. But the fries were hot and fresh, and the burger was tasty enough.
We wandered around the Avengers Campus briefly before walking to Pixar Pier. It was the first official night of the Food and Wine Festival, and it was packed. A concert and large groups of people foiled our plan to sit quietly by the water. We got an immediate Lighting Lane for The Little Mermaid Ride, so we rode that and headed to the exit.
I was tired, and the trolley was loading up. I thought it would take us straight to the exit, but it went the other way instead. It was fine because it was a round trip, and riding a classic Disney-style vehicle was still a fantastic way to end the trip, though, to cap off what was a beautiful celebration of Connie's birthday, her retirement, and our twenty years of friendship.
I can't wait for twenty more.
What a wonderful vacation for both of you😃❤️