Yoo Hoo, Bruce and Dawn!
On May 21st '96 you wrote to Dawn Lease:
 BM> Yoo Hoo Dawn:
I'm joining this thread late, sorry.  It sounds as if you are
asking advice for touring Disneyland.  I'm also sorry if this
post arrives too late.
 BM> DL> I am trying to get information on what might be closed in Disneyland
 BM> DL> during June 10 to 14th (however I need the reply by May 24th).
Don't forget to look into the Official Birnbaum Disneyland guide for
1996 as well as the Unofficial Guide to Disneyland written by Bob
Sehlinger.  Your local bookstore might have these in the California
or U.S. Travel sections.
 BM> If possible, I respectfully suggest you focus on the things DL has that
 BM> WDW doesn't: Casey Jr. Circus Train, Storybook Land Canal Boats,
 BM> Sleeping Beauty's Castle, Disneyland Railroad through the Grand Canyon
 BM> and Primeval World, Sailing Ship Columbia, Matterhorn Bobsleds, Carousel
 BM> of Progress, The Walt Disney Story, Alice in Wonderland, Indiana Jones,
 BM> all of Toontown, and the Disney Gallery (over the entrance to a much
 BM> better Pirates).
The Sehlinger Unofficial Guide offers a comparison between what is similar
between Disneyland and WDW.  Some things such as Pirates of the Caribbean
are actually not similar at all...You'll find that Pirates at DL is vastly
better than Pirates at WDW, for instance, so do not skip seeing an
attraction just because it is duplicated at WDW.  At DL you will want to
ride It's A Small World and listen to the soundtrack because it is the
Disneyland Paris version of the song and features better recording and
acoustics.  The Enchanted Tiki Room also has a better sound system than
its counterpart at WDW.  These are very subtle differences, but they do
mean a lot.
 BM> I can also recommend a quiet dinner at the Blue Bayou Cafe (reservations
 BM> strongly suggested--and don't settle for a table without a view); taking
 BM> the Monorail to the Disneyland Hotel for a *quiet* break in
 BM> mid-afternoon (get your hand stamped); and the northernmost veranda at
 BM> the Hungry Bear in Bear Country.
I can agree with all of this advice.  The Blue Bayou is a very charming
place to eat.  And there are many good places to eat at the Disneyland
Hotel.  The Monorail Cafe is an inexpensive place to have a nice lunch
and watch your favorite monorail come into and out of the station. :-)
You can also get adult beverages at the DL Hotel.  The Pan Pacific Hotel
has been purchased by Disney and renamed the Disneyland Pacific Hotel.
I don't know what amenities and changes Disney made in the hotel.  It
might be worth a quick look.  Since it is newly acquired by Disney it
will not have monorail access to the theme park.
(From Rich:  But it is a short walk to the Disneyland Pacific Hotel
from the monorail that takes you to the Disneyland Hotel.  Also,
don't forget to bring your Magic Kingdom Club card with you if you
have one.  Ask when you are having a meal at Disneyland or the
Disneyland Hotel because it is honored for a 10% discount at many
of the restaurants.)
 BM> You can now get one, two, or three day passports. Three is a little much
 BM> (at least in one dose), but Fantasmic and the Main Street Electrical
 BM> Parade deserve a night each.
I would recommend that if you will not be seeing DL again for a long
time to max out the number of days that you can spend there by getting
the longest pass you can and swallowing hard and going as deluxe as
you can.  So this might mean having a few meals at the DL Hotel (by
the way, stop by Goofy's Kitchen for a character breakfast or other
meal -- it's great!)  and seeing FANTASMIC! and the Main Street
Electrical Parade as much as you can.  Remember, after this summer
the MSEP is history, gone for good.  Some good souvenirs to get are
DL's version of A Day at Disneyland which has clips of all the
DL attractions including Toon Town and MSEP and FANTASMIC! and to
buy the CD of FANTASMIC!.  I recommend the CD because FANTASMIC!'s
music truly is fantasmic ;-) and it sounds like a suite.  It's very
pretty to listen to at home or in your car.  To go deluxe is costly,
I realize, but it also means some very special memories to be able
to experience and relive once you are home.  Of course, you know
what your travel budget is like better than I do and you have to
live within that.  But if you can afford a few extra bucks to eat
better than hamburgers or to get the dessert buffet at the
FANTASMIC! show or get the special video or CD I can attest that
it is worth the investment.  :-)
 BM> I don't know where you got the idea that Fantasmic cost $35,
 BM> it's free like all the parades once you get into the Park.
There is no charge to see any of the parades or shows at DL, but
a special case is with FANTASMIC! if you want to have the dessert
buffet that is off the balcony at the Disney Gallery.  To have the
dessert buffet does cost $35/person but I have never heard complaints
from anyone who has seen FANTASMIC! while partaking of the dessert
buffet.  We were treated to seeing FANTASMIC! this way by an EchoEar
named James Kirk the last time we were at DL in February 1995.  The
dessert buffet has very wonderful selection of fancy cakes and
pastries with coffee or tea or soft drinks.  You are seated above
the crowd in chairs on a balcony overlooking the area where
FANTASMIC! is staged and get an excellent and very comfortable view
of the entire show.  This is different than sitting directly on the
cold concrete ground and being squeezed by the crowd to see the show.
The choice is up to you.  You do need to make reservations for the
dessert buffet as soon as you hit the park because it sells out
very quickly and there are not many seats available.  The good
news is that there is more than one showing of FANTASMIC! on a
few nights of the week so you will get a chance to sit up there
if you are quick.  But it is optional.  To see FANTASMIC! at
any time is just part of the ticket you pay to get into Disneyland
and costs nothing extra.
 BM> I think the Lion King Parade is the best daytime parade DL has
 BM> ever had--if it's still on, don't miss it (best viewing is on Main
 BM> Street near where the 3-inch round plugs in the street are located).
The Lion King parade is phenomenal!  You'll want to enjoy the
acrobatic acts that take place and the float that has a real
waterfall on it.
 BM> Have a great time, and tell us all about it when you come home. (Unless
 BM> of course you want to take a laptop and report live!)
Don't forget to bring a jacket or sweater to wear at night.
California nights can be chilly sometimes even when it is
hot in the day.
Yes, looking forward to hearing your impressions of DL and reliving
visiting there through you, Dawn.  :-)
--Carol Koster                  ()~()    FidoNet Disney Echo Moderator
  CKoster@neosoft.com            (_)     Portal e-mail to: CarolKoster
  FidoNet: Address replies to Rich Koster at 1:3828/1.3
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