Disney Feast West&East Day 9 : Universally Fantasmic !

[WileyCoyote]

We are all up at 6.30 and have a good breakfast – Andy drinks lots of coffee and orange juice, is really quite sprightly and denying all knowledge of last nights ramblings – but the boys have elephantine memories and are continually quizzing him – “so , did the guy REALLY pull out a gun ?” and so on

We load the cases in the car and check out but leave the car at the hotel ( and they don’t charge us ) so we can take the metro . We are on the metro just before 9 , its only one stop and $4 return . The guides say there is a courtesy shuttle “round the corner” , but its not obvious on exiting just which corner so we use that old trick of following other people who must know the way. But they don’t and just as we are about to set off in completely the wrong direction we look back and see the universal trolley tram thing up the other hill. Phew, crisis averted. The guide book also said they only run every 30 minutes so now it’s a desperate dash to get on this one which pulls away just as we are crossing the road. Hot diggedty, thangs are just not going our way but , the guide book clearly tells lies as an empty tram is on its way and we hop on – it doesn’t even wait to get filled up and after 10 minutes or so we are off.


As we pass the very long queue of cars, I am pleased we came by metro as we get dropped off at CityWalk and trundle in via the Red Carpet .













The view from the upper lot escalators

[WileyCoyote]

We head straight to Transformers and although Single Riders is apparently a walk on, we want to ride together so join the standby queue, which is posted at a 35 minute wait, but was in fact more like 20 minutes and we are off at 10.00. Pretty good going considering we joined the queue at 9.40 and before that we had the task of going down multiple sets of escalators, so getting anywhere quickly was quite a challenge. What can I say, the storyline might be naff, but the ride was blinking fantastic.











Oooh, we must save the allspark !





He was a scary dude





Next up is the Mummy



and feeling emboldened, Andy and I decide we will go on this much to the amazement of the children who continually ask “are you sure” . They run ahead while we take a slower walk and as we are about half way through the queue ( a 20 minute wait),



Andy feels a bit hot and bothered so we exit – cant say I was devastated , I didn’t want to admit I was really scared but of course now I can use him as an excuse . So being utterly sympathetic and not at all pointing out that this was all self induced, I find a shady place and we get some water and a giant Bart Refill mug that was to be a pain in the butt to carry round all day but was very good value with the amount of refreshment needed. A sit down and some water later and Andy is revived. The boys are off the Mummy by 1030 ( on at 1010) and we head upstairs for the Simpsons joining an already sizeable queue at 1040. I have never done this ride before but buoyed by my Transformers success I am confident this simulator ride will be a doddle. I did have to close my eyes for the RollerCoaster bit and Andy hit is head on one bit (apparently this does depend where you sit, but being a short person, this head hitting off the top of things never happens to me). It’s a good laugh and we are off by 1115 so it has been quite a lengthy wait.

[WileyCoyote]

We head off for the Studio tour thinking we can get this done and bag an early lunch. But the queue is long and deadly dull and in the heat for quite a bit – it does speed up when some poor lady throws up and they have to rush about cleaning it up , poor thing she was in a pickle , but on the plus side they opened up some lanes and we found ourselves a bit closer to getting to the front. See, I really am that heartless.

I realise now that some snacks for eating in the queue would have been a good idea and am resigned to the fact that by the time we get off this attraction, we will all be really hungry and really grumbly. Lets hope its worth the wait.

When the driver says the tour will take an hour and a half, the boys have a look of horror , only usually seen when the internet gets turned off . oh well, we are on here now and there’s no getting off Sonny. It doesn’t take an hour and a half – we are on at 1215 and off around 1.20. it is really enjoyable.

Working studios - think this was the Voice or its US equivalent






It was fascinating how some parts of the sets are painted and others are fully working - like the doors and windows

[WileyCoyote]

amazing detail







Love the king Kong bit, love the Jurassic park bit, loved the mechanical cars, fascinated by the different sets , loved the Disaster type moment. It was really quite a pleasant and entertaining hour , best of all, sat down and out of the heat. As we go up the escalators we see the queue now stretches all the way up the top section – that’s good two hour wait in scorching heat.

[Guest]

Hi Amanda, another great day thank you! We are taking the subway to universal too, I didn't think about getting from out the subway to universal. Could it be walked? I guess not in the heat? Which way do we need to go when we come out? Good the shuttle is free :-)

[WileyCoyote]

After a bit of faffing about and seeing that the queues for the counter service places are long and there are few places to sit in the shade, we vote to leave the park and eat in Citywalk and then come back for round 2. As leave the park we see this place in front of us, the Saddle Ranch, which has a big menu and only a 10 minute wait so walk no farther and sit right down here. Its lovely and cool and is showing the Olympics so we even get to cheer on Mo Farah , much the amusement of people around us who are obviously not Brits. We have a truly amazing lunch. Andy and I share an appetiser platter and salad, the boys have burgers, ribs and tenders . Connor asks for a side of fries which never show up ( not that they were needed in the end) so when we order theCotton Candy Tower, we get it on the house. The bill is an incredible $72 – great value and really nice food.



















The boys are high as kites after all that blue spun sugar and a sit down rather than more rides is probably sensible. We just miss the 2.50 Waterworld show so head instead for Animal Actors which is cute and short and has the dog from Marley and Me – everybody say ahhhh.

[WileyCoyote]

Its really hot by now - these are the best attractions of all





Anima Actors finished around 3.30 and just in time for us to get across to see the 4pm Waterworld show which is very good but the boys are a little disappointed that whilst in the splash zone, the other two sections of the stadium get soaked, whereas they get mild sprinkle. Its good fun though












Its around 4.30 . The queue times are now showing at over 45 minutes for pretty much everything so re-rides are not happening. Transformers is out at 90 minutes. The spooky maze, House of Horrors though is only 10 minutes so they decide to give it a try and when they emerge, they say it was actually much better than they had expected and really rather enjoyed it.

We have a last refill, blast of cold air and look around the store,try on the silly hats and at 5.30 decide to leave- it’s a Saturday and we have to get to Anaheim – we have no idea what the traffic will be like. We wander out through Citywalk, a tram is waiting, as is the metro and we are back at the hotel just after 6 – which is brilliant.





reservoir dogs are leaving the studios !



we had a quick look in here - it was so expensive !

[WileyCoyote]

A quick re –stock from the hotel shop and then we are off , it is indeed busy and we truly count our blessings as we watch a near miss in front of us – its like one of those things that you see in slow motion but in reality it took seconds. We were one lane over from the left hand barrier with a black BMW X5 just ahead of us when a gold truck swerved across 3 lanes and almost pushed the -BMW into the concrete wall – how the driver of the BMW didn’t crash and then hit us I don’t know . The truck driver either fell asleep or was just nuts. We cant believe what just happened and as its 6 lanes of fast and mad traffic, no one stops, we all just carry on – clearly no-ones number was up that day but it gave us the heebie jeebies and we had a very quiet journey from there on . And the truck driver , he just passed us, lighting a ciggie and carried on …….



We arrive without further incident in Anaheim. The hotel is pretty basic which we had expected but the room is fine – we are not expecting to be in it that much. It has a fridge and microwave



and internet so what more can you need. We do a bit of unpacking but don’t rest too long as we know that can be fatal.

We set off to the parks. I really wanted to see Fantasmic and back home in the UK had announced I was booking the dessert package so I could sit and watch it by myself in peace as no-one else was bothered – thus leaving them free to do whatever. But just as I went to book, cries of protest and no, we will all do it, dissuade me. Im not paying $55 each for 5 of us to have a seat and box of cookies ( a luxury for just me , I can handle but not $300) so I don’t book and we will take our chances to find a seat. I will regret this later. And having seen Tink Tattoos trippy, I do totally regret not sticking to the original plan

The boys clamour for McDonalds and it seems to make sense to us , we are a bit peckish but not hugely so this will be fine



We then head into Disneyland. OMG, its packed and its now dark and its really hard to navigate a pitch black park that you don’t know your way round and which is rammed solid.

Excited about going in here soon





We head to Indiana jones but its 60 minutes on Standby and Fast Passes are for 11pm. Despondent we head off and hear that BTMRR is a walk on, having just re-opened from a breakdown. So we join the queue and then hit a wait ( not quite fixed then)- we wait about 20 minutes and the fireworks just start as we board – I haven’t been on it before and I really enjoy it , what with the fireworks and all.





Its time to stake out a spot for the second Fantasmic show now – I had hoped for a spot near the waterfront but Andy is really quite grumpy by now and the boys are fed up – why they didn’t just go back to the hotel is beyond me so we end up sitting, which is a bonus, at the Stage Door so we get some drinks and settle in. But really its not a great spot , its to the side so when the main projection starts you cant really get the full effect. You do get to see the boats go past though. I enjoy it but no-one else does and at the risk of a full blown row I really don’t bother with the “I told you so” – I’m just naffed off that I am left feeling bad for “making” everyone sit here when A] I didn’t want them there in the first place and B] they could very easily have either done some rides or gone back to the hotel – its only a 10 minute walk. But that’s a discussion for tomorrow when we are a bit cheerier and not likely to take each others heads off .


It does take the edge off the evening but late grumps aside, this has been a really good day. We have a lie in tomorrow and no park plans so hopefully that will get us back on track and banish the devil horns that appear to have sprouted !

[WileyCoyote]

Originally Posted by princess_chazy

Hi Amanda, another great day thank you! We are taking the subway to universal too, I didn't think about getting from out the subway to universal. Could it be walked? I guess not in the heat? Which way do we need to go when we come out? Good the shuttle is free :-)

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Hi, yes I think you can walk but its up a very big hill so I would say get the tram , you will do enough walking when you get there

There are a couple of exits out of the subway, I suppose if we read the signs we might have come out the one that was nearest the tram - we turned right instead of left and were heading off towards a bridge , which was the wrong way. You need to be facing the hill ! I am sure it will be sign posted in the metro station, I just cant recall it. The tram is easy to spot and the waiting area is just by where you cross over the road.

[Guest]

Fab end of the day other than the stupid truck driver! What an inconsiderate idiot! I'm defo booking the dessert package now! Thank you :-)