Wofford Heights, here we come! Day 6

[Guest]

DAY 6
SPECIAL NOTICE: For all those of you who asked about our day at Walt Disney Studios / Hollywood. If you go to adventuresbydisney you can get all the details. Note the Studios tour we went on was the first they have done for general public. You do not have to be a VIP or be staying at a hotel. Our particular “adventure” was $ each including tax.

Today we are certainly not rushing. However, I’m wide awake at 4a.m. I pop to the loo and in doing so wake Darrin. He has to be up at 5 every day to check emails etc. So, the two of us are sat bleary eyed with buckets of coffee sorting out the trip reports. We have decided to do California Adventure Park today but rope drop is not until 10a.m.



Things start far later around these parts. Because we are at the Grand Californian Resort (DVC Villas) we can use the private entrance into the park. The temperatures here are currently higher than over in Florida! (79F / 26C). They let us in around 9:45 so we are stood at Paradise Pier a good ten minutes before rope drop itself. They do the countdown and then off everybody goes. Whilst some walk at a brisk pace there is none of the stupid chaos that you get at DHS. We are in line and on Toy Story Midway Mania within 5 minutes! None of this breaking your neck for a Fastpass nonsense. I’m not telling you my score but Darrin managed more than double! We stroll back to California Screamin’ (roller coaster) and get a Fastpass for later but also ride immediately. Made to look like the old wooden coasters, it is in fact made of steel. It takes off at one heck of a lick at 0 to 55 m.p.h.in just under four seconds. All done with linear induction motors!
It is the 6th longest roller coaster in the world (2nd longest steel coaster in the United States), at 6,072 feet (1,851 m) long. It is also the longest ride with an inversion –( that was for JamelUK’s benefit!) In the picture, look carefully, you’ll see the cars in the loop.



Now, it’s over to Soarin’ over California. I always enjoy kicking the canoeist in the back of neck as we sail down the river – and then you wonder why I was put in the brig! Some folk find this ride doesn’t appeal but for us it brings back some many memories. When the guy who is gliding at Yosemite National Park turns to the right, you can see the lodge on the valley floor where Darrin and I stayed back in 2004.

We go over to the shop and I have a look at pins. They have a new series of Tinker Bell ones – one for each month and they have been made to look like cameos. Darrin spots a special DVC pin which you can only buy if you are a member. There is a bunch of CMs training in the store and soon we are into banter about birthdays, DVC and all sorts of things. We’ll bump into this gang sometime later in the day. We now head on over to Blue Sky Cellar. This place exhibits the latest projects that are going on in the parks. (Why they don’t have one at WDW we don’t know. We think it’s a great idea.) Last year it was the models and layouts for the Little Mermaid ride. This year it’s Cars Land and they have a layout of Radiator Springs plus conceptual art and a video of how it will all come together. Just before entering the “Cellar” there is a flower bed so we climb up on the wall and suddenly we are looking right down what will be the town’s Main Street.



You can see right down to Ramone’s. The ride itself is finished and they are running some tests on the vehicles but there are no soft openings as yet. Builders and plasterers are still completing the fascias of the various buildings. It’s all due to open in June. We learn that The Radiator Springs Racers ride will make up about six of the 12 acres of Cars Land. The ride will last about 5 1/2 minutes, going through scenes based on movie themes, including Taillight Caverns. The last third of the ride is a side-by-side race based on the Test Track system. A Curio Shop is inspired by the trading posts that creators saw during a Route 66 road trip to get inspiration for Cars Land.



The other major change is the re-modelling of the California Adventure Park entrance. They want it to look like Hollywood did back in the 20s when Walt had arrived in the town. The Golden Gate bridge has been removed and will be replaced with the Hyperion bridge – famous around these parts. These changes are part of the theme park’s $1-billion makeover. The turnstiles area will reflect the acclaimed entry facade of the historic Pan Pacific Auditorium, built in 1935 in Los Angeles. (It is almost a duplicate of the one many of us know at Disney Hollywood Studios.)





I quote from a local newspaper:

Once inside you will experience:
“Buena Vista Street, the under-construction entrance corridor of Disney California Adventure opening later this year.
New shops and venues will line the main corridor past the turnstiles based on the California that Walt Disney saw when he started here in the 1920s and 1930s.
Oswald’s Filling Station will be one of the stores along Buena Vista Street. Oswald, the Lucky Rabbit, was a character created by Walt Disney in 1927. He was a precursor to Mickey Mouse.
Los Feliz Five and Dime is another store. Walt Disney lived in the Los Feliz area of Los Angeles when he first moved to California.
Construction of the framework of the Cathay Circle Theatre, a key building in the entrance, recently began at the park and whilst many were expecting a theatre of some sort, it will, in fact, be a fine dining restaurant. The Cathay Circle was the movie theatre chosen for the premiere of Snow White.




Red trolley cars will operate from “the hub” (think Town Square here) and will run all the way to Tower of Terror. There will be a new statue of Walt & Mickey but as yet they haven’t finally decided where it will go. They do want to make it accessible , unlike the Partners statue, so people can stand on the pedestal and get a photo with it. So lots going on there!
We head for Tower of Terror. Just love this ride and we always enjoy listening to the terrified screams of “ToT Virgins” as we call them.



On to California Screamin’ again with our Fastpass tickets. It’s time for lunch and so we go over to the Wine Country Trattoria.



It’s under a vine covered pergola so it’s well shaded against the midday sun. I choose garlic shrimp with spaghetti and Darrin has a shrimp salad. I follow this with a panna cotta but the server has spotted my birthday button and I also receive a small chocolate cake with a candle.









We now head to the Little Mermaid ride (yes, I know that’s not it’s proper title). There are no lines for this and it’s a walk on. Why it isn’t proving popular we don’t know. We thought it was very well executed and the effects where you go under the sea are very clever.



The “Under the Sea” sequence where all the characters are dancing is a treat and the Ursula animatronic is just astounding. There have been complaints about Ariel’s hair in the main set where it is supposed to be swirling with the up-current of water. It does tend to look like an ice cream cornet.

I must mention this Hidden Mickey – it’s on a bakery in Downtown Disney. Look how the M & C the intertwine:



We would have liked to have done Grizzly River Rapids but it’s down for a refurb. It’s unusual to see it drained. We head back to the hotel for some down time as we are meeting up with our friend Tracey who is a manager at the hotel. We have loads to chat about and are treated to cocktails on Disney! She eventually has to return to work and so we head upstairs to our villa so I can get on with this trippie and also get ready for a meal at Napa Rose.
With the exception of Jiko at Animal Kingdom, for our money, this is the best restaurant on any Disney property. The décor (arts and crafts) is beautiful, the food – just exceptional and the wine cellar beyond belief (as are some of the prices for it!) That said we don’t stint ourselves and whilst Darrin has a massive pork chop I opt for lamb chop sat on a bed of butternut squash mash and shreds of lamb shank.





The wine is a Syrah from the Russian River Valley. I chose spiced pear sorbet with seasonal fruits of the forest and Darrin goes for a cup of coffee. We head for our room and crash out. Getting up at 4a.m. is certainly getting to us! We need our beauty sleep. (I can imagine what Dibbcast Rob is thinking when he read that line!)
Anyhow, it looks like being another scorching day tomorrow so time to close my eyes.

[nickymouse66]

Another fabulous day! The photographs are fantastic - it does seem a really good idea to show the forthcoming projects. I hope I get to 'do' California one day... (in the mean time I'll wait with baited breath for day 7 )

[Eeyore rocks]

Fabulous day Geoff.

Well done spotting the Hidden Mickey.

[Guest]

Aw a great read, I'm very excited for September :-)

[Guest]

A fab read so far, it's making me want to go back again!

[kevbrydon]

A great read and photo's...thanks for sharing

[disney owl]

another very busy day for you both. the food sounds delicious

[Guest]

Another great day x

[Tink-a-bee]

Another fab day Radiator Springs looks like it will be fun, shame we will be too early for it, oh well, something for next time

[Guest]

Fab day! I wish WDW did a display of their upcoming improvements, that would be great! Food looks delicious!