I don't think I'll ever post a "real" blog at this rate.
SENT: Today, 3:35pm
I'm dead tired, my feet ache, my room's still a mess (albeit with a slightly tidier desk), and Angel's sleeping below me on the unfolded remains of Megan's sleeping bag and sheets. Disneyland was fun, for the most part, even though in the last couple hours, the mood was kindof dampened when Megan lost Kim's favorite hoodie. She wears it absolutely everywhere, and it took her some time and effort to find this precise one in the first place, so who's to blame her for feeling so down about it. To Megan's credit, she's put every effort into recovering it; she's gone to all the rides where she thought it could have been left, and talked to all the correct people, at last registering the item on some list with the Lost & Found department so that if it's located after the final sweep, it'll be mailed here. We lost some valuable time, too, as we searched... a few Fastpasses were left unused, and we didn't even go on the Jungle Cruise or the Astro Blasters, though we kept mentioning them. Still, Kim got to see the Finding Nemo ride for the first time, which was certainly one of the major goals today (especially since the last time she was in Disneyland was for Grad Night, and they blocked off the ride for the night).
I should mention one other highlight which has made today stand out... During the late afternoon, Kim & I separated from Megan & Robert to ride Splash Mountain, and just as we were turning the last bend, and our picture was flashing onto the screen, the ride stopped. According to the announcement (which was said in Brer Rabbit's voice, at first), we had encountered a "log jam" and were instructed to patiently wait a minute or two before the jam would clear out. After several minutes, the message repeated, without any change in circumstances. And it repeated again. Finally, we could hear another voice, coming from a little window, the other side of which was a part of the line; this one wasn't automated, and we could hear a woman telling guests that the ride was currently non-operational and would be closed indefinitely. Why we weren't getting this message directly is a mystery to me, but anyway, it didn't change our circumstances. At some point, a cast member walked over to us from somewhere ahead, and led the people in the first boat out, as well as the first two people in our own boat. But because of the boat's position, Kim, myself, and some guy in a red hat were told to stay. Behind us, by the way, were innumerable other boats... we couldn't see very far, but within a few minutes a couple dozen people were being led out of the ride. The people directly behind us wouldn't be moved for another several minutes. But this didn't change anything for us three. The cast member who had led the first group originally tried getting us to push against one wall, hoping it would bring us closer to a side we could step out onto. But it didn't work. He tended to the other guests for a while until he came back with a maintenance guy with a big hook on a pole, which he used to pull us over. This time, it worked, and he helped us out of the boat onto -- *gasp!* the side of the ride! (By the way, by now people were taking pictures and videos. We'll see what Disney doesn't get removed from YouTube later...) We waited in a doorway between the ride and a dull grey hallway backstage, with two doors leading in opposite directions; we were waiting for the rest of the riders to leave their boats. You can imagine Kim & I were pretty excited by now... at first, we were worried about just sitting there forever, but as time progressed, we felt special... The maintenance lights were on in the ride and people were actually walking all over INSIDE the ride! Now even since having worked as a cast member at Disney World, the next part still isn't the same thing... We got to walk through the backstage of Splash Mountain!! A dirty bucket is still just a dirty bucket, even shielded from the eyes of the public, in Disney World. But in Disneyland... it's different. I admit it was just as dull as can be expected behind the ride, but to witness the contrast between the spotless Onstage and the mundane Backstage here is part of a 50 year-old history. It's a lot more like looking at the little man behind the curtain, so to speak, and it's a coveted experience. Before I end up going on and on in praise of wonderful, magical Disneyland, I'll save you the speech and describe what I saw. We took the door to the right up some steps and then outside, between a grey wall the ride itself. In a clearing there was a boat from the ride, upside-down and stripped to bare fiberglass. There were various openings; mainly doors leading inside with telephones placed in a little nook to the side of the ride, and more hallways. Half inside, sticking out, there was a big square container with water overflowing. Just about everything backstage was grey-colored and a little unkempt. The cast member led us through a grey little hallway, where water was leaking through the ceiling and down the walls, and up a couple steps back into Critter Country. The ride was closed for the rest of the evening, and later on, we noticed all the water had been drained from it.
Let's see... what else happened? We had lunch again at the Blue Bayou. Kim & I had the pork chops, and Megan & Robert had the prime rib. I drank a mint julep. After lunch, we had the crème brûlée. Naturally, it was all delicious, and the Blue Bayou was as amazing as ever.
I suppose that's the sum of our time at Disneyland. There's always tension with Kim and Megan, and Robert's presence was a good buffer and distraction. So, all in all, excepting the last misfortune, it went quite well. I might include some pics later, when I've uploaded them. (To my great dismay, my phone went completely dead just before we were led out of the boat and then backstage. I was able to get a few pics & videos of people walking along the ride, but nothing following. I guess I got a little excited with the other pictures, earlier...)
*passes out, at last*
-Kristine
Some cell phone images from the day (note the last image, just before my battery died; Brer Rabbit's visible in the bottom right corner):
Also, a video (also just prior to my battery's demise):