Single Rider 10/12

Yesterday was my very first solo trip to DL. It was a very interesting experience, much different from going with a group. I got there early in the afternoon and already felt different. It was a more private experience, almost liberating in the sense that I was able to do whatever I felt like doing. I'll lay it out, pro-con style.

Pros:
-I was able to take my time to take in all the atmosphere and all the details of each land. If I noticed any new details or fresh coats of paint, I was able to privately geek out over it and really just take it all in.

-Going at my own pace. I didn't have to worry about what anyone else wanted to do because it was my trip. I wandered through Tomorrowland for a good 30 minutes just because I could(and because I was waiting for my Space Mountain fastpass return time)

-I like doing Meet&Greets. Go ahead and call me a Pixie-Duster, but there's something really fun about meeting your favorite characters. I also just really like being photographed, so there's that. I always feel like people aren't as excited about Meet&Greets when I want to do them, so doing them on my own was kind of guilt-free in a way.

-Single Rider for Indiana Jones and Splash Mountain. I didn't take advantage of Single Rider for Splash, but I did go on Indy.

Cons:
-Feeling alienated and almost pitied by other guests who are in groups. I almost felt like they were looking down on me in a way. I quickly got over this, but it was still a little strange.

-Sitting with strangers. I'm a pretty socially awkward person, so sitting with strangers is a really uncomfortable situation for me. This happened when I was on the Disneyland Railroad, and an entire family sat in the row I was sitting in. I was then forced to make small talk, which was mostly "Where are you visiting from?" "Holy cow, it's hot today!", and "Are you getting off at this stop?"

-Single Rider for Indiana Jones. It's convenient, but I ended up waiting about the same as stand-by, which was about 30 minutes. I met a woman who was just as passionate about DL while waiting, and she explained to me that the way they did Single Rider before was much more efficient. Apparently the Splash Mountain Single Rider queue is much quicker and much more efficient. I really should have taken advantage of Splash Mountain, it was soooo hot.

-Did I mention it was hot? Like upper 90's. In October.

Now for some photos!





Ghost Galaxy kept having delays, both times I went on. Maybe they were running too many cars? Adding cars? I'm not really sure.



My favorite little corner of the park, Snow White's Grotto

















For each character I met, I drew a little picture the page I wanted them to sign in my little notebook. I think they really appreciated it, especially Jafar :3







The two photos above are Photopass pictures taken by a Disneyland photographer, that's why they're slightly smaller.





The gates, from Main Street Station. This is when a family sat next to me on the DLRR. Luckily I was getting off on the next stop, New Orleans Square Station.





Yeah, I met Jack. Twice. He recognized me the second time. I was really really excited to meet him, he's such a delight. The weird mask takes some getting used to, but I've grown to like it because it gives him this kind of curious, surprised face much like the "What's This?" scene. Jack is also just really fun to talk to. He asked what I was planning on dressing up as for Halloween, I told him Lydia from Beetlejuice. He asked if she was a monster, and I replied that she hangs out with a monster of sorts. "Hangs? With what kind of rope?" This caught me off guard, of course. "From the ceiling or a tree?" Umm what? I guess a tree. "How DREADFUL!" he said with delight.
That's why he's my favorite ♥



I'll end this report with the Partners statue, all decorated for Halloween.

Thanks for reading!

Passhole

Just renewed my AP :3
Premium, with free parking! I'm very excited, especially since I'm driving(finally). I plan on going tomorrow to take advantage of the lull in the crowds during the week. Hopefully it won't be too awkward to go alone.

official unbirthday tea

I've really been enjoying Wonderland Tea lately. I originally bought the loose leaf Mad Tea Party Blend because I thought the tin was really cute, but then it turned out that the tea itself was pretty good too. On my last trip to the Happiest Place on Earth, I bought some tea bags. Mad Tea Party Blend, Earl Grey, and Lemon Honey Chamomile were included in the set. I probably paid too much for tea, but those tins are just really cute to me.



[thrifted boy scout shirt, levi's jeans, minnie mouse mug]
As I sip some chamomile tea tonight, I'm reading up on D23 expo. I was not able to make it because I would much rather save my money to renew my pass come October. Judging from the somewhat lackluster updates I've read from the expo, I'm not missing much. The look at Buena Vista Street was very interesting, I really can't wait til it's finally finished next year. I guess we'll see how tomorrow goes?

a very merry unbirthday

8/17

I visited Disneyland for the second time this week! I went to celebrate a good friend of mine's birthday. We had Minnie and Friends Breakfast at the Plaza Inn, and my god was it amazing. It seems a little pricey at first, but the breakfast buffet and character interaction makes it feel well worth it. I'm not used to seeing so many characters in one place, and I was of course going crazy every time someone came to our table. The breakfast was pretty tasty.

YUMM.






Aside from Minnie, I was most excited to meet Fairy Godmother! She called me a princess! She also noticed my Star Wars watch and informed me that Boba Fett and Captain Rex were to be making appearances in Tomorrowland. I of course lost my head and got ridiculously excited. I'm not really sure if they'll be doing meet and greets or will be a part of the Jedi Training Academy, but either way I plan on camping out in Tomorrowland until I find out for sure!



Minnie Mouse! When she came over by our tables, everyone flipped out. She was so cute!

[Silence+Noise tank, thrifted shorts, Star Wars watch, Haunted Mansion pin]


Nothing else really new to report, aside from the quick progress that is being made in Sunshine Plaza/Buena Vista Street with the dismantling and gutting of Engine-Ears Toys. The newer DCA maps now show the temporary entrance that will be opening soon as more work continues on Sunshine Plaza's transformation into Buena Vista Street.


The turnstiles look really great, I can't get over what a huge improvement it is from the last blah turnstiles. I know, I know that it's a direct clone of the DHS turnstiles. I wish it was original too. But this is much better than what was there before. Yes, I know that doesn't excuse it. But oh well, what's done is done.

I would like to see Soarin' get a refurb, the queue has paint chipping in places. The screen could use some tlc as well.

Haunted Mansion also needs a refurb, it especially shows in the Stretching room, where paint is chipping and the walls creak as they stretch. Good thing it always gets a nice little refurb when it changes back from Haunted Mansion Holiday in January.

Ok well that should do it for this report! Thanks for reading!

my oh my what a wonderful day

7/26 trip report

My boyfriend, Kevin, and I visited Disneyland a few weeks ago. We spent the whole day at the park, making full use of fastpass. The crowds were moderate for a summer day, however it was pretty hot! Being a passholder, I often don't spend longer than a few hours at the park. But since Kevin is not a passholder(no matter how much i try to convince him), we spent the entire day there.

We ate lunch at Tomorrowland Terrace, enjoying portobello mushroom and veggie sandwiches as we discussed the inconsistencies of the Jedi Training Academy show.

pretty tasty

Dinner was at the Hungry Bear. I really enjoy the new menu. The fried green tomato sandwich is great, however it isn't completely vegetarian as the cast member informed me that there was some sort of anchovy sauce used in the preparation. That's a little disappointing, since it's really the only veg option on the menu. I'm not a vegetarian but I do enjoy veg food a lot.


We also had the mini blueberry pie. The crust was a little dry, but the filling was pretty good.



Now for some photos :)
















I'm going to Disneyland again tomorrow, so hopefully I'll have another report up really soon!

shadowplay

I don't think this ever stopped being a fashion blog, mostly because I didn't even bother to change the url. So I'm ending my long hiatus and posting (gasp!) an actual outfit post. I plan on posting some Disneyland photos from my last trip soon too.

So I entered this years Teen Vogue Snapshot contest. It was really just for fun, I know the chances of winning are super slim. It was fun putting this outfit together, even though I basically wear this every other day(minus the sweater, it's too hot for cardigans.) Lately, I've been in this goth mood. I just really love wearing black. I bought the most amazing maxi skirt and can't wait to wear it once it cools down a little. I know maxi skirts are totally summer appropriate but this skirt is so perfect for fall with it's goth vibes. My current style icon is Lydia Deetz. Her wardrobe in Beetlejuice is amazing. The hat, the dresses, her HAIR, it's all to die for(LAME JOKE, WHATEVER)



h&m top, levi's legging/jeans, cardigan from target, hat from modcloth.com, flats from payless

beetlejuice, beetlejuice, beetlejuice

Oh hi

Wow, I've been horribly inactive. It's safe to say this blog has been a fail. I procrastinate far too much to blog consistently....EHHHH. MY BAD.

Well, I've been to Disneyland almost every single week this summer. I don't take many photos on these trips because I'm usually there for a few hours and don't really do much. I did take a trip two weeks ago with my boyfriend and took many photos! I haven't decided if I should post them as a report.

I've also been pondering whether or not I should start fashion blogging again. The whole thing started to feel phony to me after a while, dressing to impress people online rather than for myself. But I still like the idea of dressing up and putting together outfits. I'm not sure what this blog's next step will be :|

We'll see what happens...