TR: David and Bill Ride The Rails to Knott's & Disneyland!

"This trip began, well over a year ago..."

So here it is, our trip to S.California, on the train, to Knott's Berry Farm and the Disneyland Resort. This trip was originally planned, with the possible attending another West Coast Bash in early September. This would also include a trip up to Magic Mountain. But, their newest coaster wasn't going to be up and running by this time, so a WCB wasn't planned, which was understandable. But that certainly didn't stop us from continuing our planning, and in the end, it was a great trip.

But first, three things to comment on, before I get going day-by-day with the TR:

AMTRAK: The Ride: I had taken the train down to LA before, for my first WCB in 2016. It's a 36 hour journey, but I decided to pamper myself and got the "roomette" which was a sleeper room (closet?), that also included five meals on the way there. No alcohol included, though. So naturally, I/we did this again, and the trip down was pretty standard, with very few...uh...'hiccups' along the way? Fact is, we actually arrived in Los Angeles 1/2 hour before our scheduled arrival time! Nice surprise.

That was the trip down. Coming back up to home? Um, that's another story which I will save for the end of the TR. It's a goody.

The Heat: We knew that the weather was going to be hot down there. But nothing prepared us for 90-95'F, every day, with a lot of humidity, and some times with little or no shade in the parks. Thankfully, most indoor areas, including attractions were fully air conditioned so that helped. But our first day at Knott's was one of the 95'+ days, and I nearly passed out halfway through the day there, so David told me. That's when we got into our Midday Rest mode, for Knott's at least. Back to the Knott's Hotel (where we stayed for the whole visit) for a couple of hours, then back to the park somewhat refreshed.

With the Disney Resort it was harder to deal with, as we were a 20-25 min. shuttle ride (each way) to Disney from the Knott's Hotel. And there were scheduled times for their schedule, going there and back, we couldn't fit into what we wanted to do. So the "entire day(s) at Disney" were drastically shortened, and we ended up having to miss both Disneyland shows (Fantasmic! and the Main Street Electrical Parade), in order to get back sooner to our hotel. But - we did still get to see "World of Color" one evening, and that was great.

And after all that, we get home....and I find I have lost 8-9 pounds! David, not so much. But still, all that sweating, all that drinking liquids (no carbonated drinks at all, except that one "special" Coke in SW:GE), and plenty of walking around, turned into my unintended Diet Plan for the trip, lol! Woo hoo!

No Cell Phones: We don't own them , and although we considered getting "pay as you go" ones, we never did get them. And there were really only two instances where we really did need help, in 1) changing a shuttle pickup time at Disney, and 2) cancelling an already reserved dinner-show package for Fantasmic!. Both times, the wonderful cast members at Guest Services in the Disneyland City Hall helped us easily, efficiently and of course, with the most friendly attitudes you could imagine. I definitely sent them a thank you email, when we returned home.

So this is the stuff to get out of the way, for now. TR starts next week. Stay tooned till then.

I still keep info. and stuff in regular old envelopes. Still works after all these years, for me.

And yes Elissa, we took this mode of transport down to California. And back.

(This was the photo I took, at Portland Station, on my 2016 trip.)

Where the #460 bus to Disney could be picked up for early morning entry. But we ultimately never used it.

All the photos are now filed into their respective trip dates. And the souvenirs, too! (o:

The supposed route we thought our taxi driver would take from Union Station. But he didn't do this route.

But it still paid off for us, and saved us nearly 2 hours of waiting for a connecting train to Knott's.

Been looking froward to this!

^ And I shall do my best, to either offend no one... or offend EVERYONE with this TR.

And for your nice comment thanks, here's an actual photo from The Trip. An advance look-see.

W/no explanation needed? ......Just yet?

Sept.12/19. (DbM)

nice start, Bill.

Groot went to StarWars Cantina?

poop on that lady with a "regular" coke instead of a Galaxy's Edge one!

^ Maybe she had to get on a plane?

^ Maybe she had to get on a plane?

you can take the Galaxy's edge "ball-cokes" on a plane. (at least I could swear I saw someone mentioning that either here or on Twitter). why bring a regular bottle into a full immersive place..that's what I mean. Spend the $$ by the ball-coke

TSA made a big deal about how they looked like bombs or something before they realized they could just train their people on what the biggest souvenir of the year looks like and it would be fine. Because Murkah.

^ + ^^ Yeah, that was pretty bizzare with the original ban on the things.

Then, they lifted it. Just being careful, I guess.

But - that may be the only version of Coke she was able to get, in Oga's. We found that there were only two places you could get the "Special Bottles" (for COKE, Diet Coke, and Sprite). And they were literally what I'd call "pop up carts" in Black Spire Post. They weren't listed on the guide map of the place, either. So you just find them by chance, like we did.

Which actually, I loved about the place! The signage was at a minimum, and there were lots of things to come across, or discover there. And if you had any passing knowledge of what was there, it was pretty easy to find everything. The eateries were both (sort of) next to each other, so they were easy to find. As were the shops, and the snack spots, like for those milks and the popcorn. We both really enjoyed the 'adventuring' around, even though the heat was heck every day.

In the two eateries (Ronto Roasters, & Docking Bay 7 Food and Cargo) they only served COKE and the other beverages via fountain servings, in cups. The regular shaped bottles were found all over both parks in carts, as well. But not in Black Spire Post. Just the "special" ones, were sold there. That I remember. Could be wrong, as we probably didn't discover everything there, I betcha.

P.S. Each one cost about $5.50 per bottle.

I got mine, and drank the contents up, before we headed into Oga's Cantina.

TSA made a big deal about how they looked like bombs or something before they realized they could just train their people on what the biggest souvenir of the year looks like and it would be fine. Because Murkah.

This is actually "fake news." These bottles have actually been around for more than ten years and have been taken through security countless times. The TSA never actually banned them, and that was all a social media blast campaign based on something that was taken totally out of context and twisted around. Yes, the TSA *did* respond to that after so many requests, but if you go back and **ACTUALLY READ** what the TSA said, *NOT* the people spreading fake news, you'll see that they were never actually banned and they had no issue with them.

[twitter]

If you read that part that I underlined, you can see that the TSA never actually banned them, and was simply saying that "some people" may think they are replica explosives ("some people" did NOT actually mean the TSA in this instance) and they let people know that a replica explosive, like if someone had brought a realistic looking hand grenade on a plane, it would not be allowed.

Other unscrupulous sources took that, and twisted it around to say "The TSA is not allowing them because they look like replica explosives" but that is **NOT** what the TSA actually said. Then of course after that it "went viral" because humanity is just a huge dumpster fire of stupidity at the moment.

[twitter]

[twitter]

^ Cool. Thanks for all this info. Robb. I obviously missed

what you originally posted about it all. Thanks for the recap.

Speaking of (carbonated) bubbles... One of The Best Souvenirs David ever got! (o:

And I want more of them! There was one also made with Ariel on it,

but I definitely preferred Mickey's Sorcerer's App. version!

Oooooo sparkle.

Needs to be kept upright, or a leak "could occur." We didn't...and it did. (o;

Lights mash it up. This is the "Down Switch." The Middle = Off.

And the "Up Switch" = BUbBbbBLESssssssssss! Fun toy.

Thanks, Robb. I stand corrected then. I hadn't actually seen a TSA statement on this issue before now, and it does appear there was more to the story. I appreciate it.

The AMTRAK Ride Down: Day 1

I have taken the train many times, over the years. Most were good trips. Others had their "issues," most of which ended up being late arrivals. But then, I have been on many plane trips where stuff happened, usually while at the airport, and some times even ending up spending overnight at a hotel because of a cancellation.

No matter. I took the train down to California three years ago, to Knott's SFMM and Disney. Worst thing that happened was being stalled in Sacramento on the way home, due to a freight train being "in the way." But, I survived.

This time, with David, I repeated that trip for us, which had our own private space (i.e. a 'roomette') to retreat to during the ride. And meals were included in the price, so that meant 5 times to enjoy AMTRAK cuisine, which isn't too bad, actually. Two lunches, two dinners and one breakfast in between.

The trip down went very well, although I could tell all the onboard staff were eager to return to their home base, Los Angeles. They kept telling anybody how great it was to be heading back home, blah blah blah. Also, the guy who made the meal announcements kept talking and talking and repeating himself so much, it was getting rather obnoxious to listen to. Coming home, the dining room guy was much more discreet, to the point. and more helpful than I felt our first one was.

Minor complaints, though. For sleeping, David had agree to take the upper bunk in our room, which turned into (we called it) an "open coffin." No window to look out of, and the air flow thing was directly above him, and had to be turned down our one overnight, or he would catch cold, or something like that. Coming back, he did contract something in the form of a dry sore throat and coughing. But that was the end of the trip, so we tackled it when we got home, and he's better now.

And, of all things, we arrived early at Union Station in Los Angeles! Only a half hour, but we still arrived early. (o:

P.S. Forgot to add. Our train trip didn't start in Vancouver. It started in Seattle, so we had to bus it (5:30am departure) down I-5 which included crossing the border. Border crossing went fine, although we had to wait several minutes till an officer decided to show up and get us through. And the bus ride the rest of the way went fine, with no hiccups.

Here's our first day photos, all through California, while on the train...

My rudimentary, but still useful, "Travel Envelope."

First shot, from the bus, in Washington State.

On the rails now, heading towards Portland.

Dining Car staff are prepared and ready to serve us for lunch, then dinner.

Ooooo glow-in-the-dark Emergency Info.stickers in our roomette.

A green bridge over......?

An Island.

Houseboats that look like they're about ready to sink.

And another green bridge over....? Heading towards Portland.

Yes Elissa, this train was again in Portland Station, although the numbers have changed.

Sept.2016.

Portland Station. It seems like every station in U.S. cities, is called Union Station.

Leaving Portland.

Fields of Greens.

One of many orchards, along the way.

David checking out his photo options.

Dinner - David had the "Surf & Turf", a nice steak with a big crab cake. His was good.

I had the flank steak with TONS of green beans! My meal was good, too.

Last shot of the night. Another long day of travel, tomorrow.

Awesome pictures! I would love to take the Coast Starlight one of these days. Really scenic route.

yay for pics of the food. I always like knowing what the meal service looks like on a mode of transport I don't typically take.

did you get any pics of the roommette? ie: how much space did you have in there to turn around?

nice pics out the windows as you passed thru 'Murica!

Yay, Amtrak.

The Coast Starlight is awesome, even when it's not on time (which is often). It's the opposite of Japanese efficiency ... but it's pleasant and scenic. On the way north, being late means you get to see Mt. Shasta in the dawn light (instead of night time). In both directions the stretch around the southwest corner of California, along the ocean, is ultra spectacular (near Vandenburg Air Force Base). I also love the section across Willamette Pass.

The route south of Portland "Union Station" passes very close to Oaks Park, although you cannot see Adrenaline Rush (Oregon's best coaster!) from the train.

A tiny picky point: the green bridge is actually the St. Johns Bridge over the Willamette, just before the Willamette flows into the Columbia. The train crosses both rivers between Vancouver WA and Portland but on train bridges.

There are modest efforts underway to upgrade the tracks in Washington State for higher speed rail (much less than Shinkansen level service). Oregon is merely thinking about doing this some day.

Only time I've been to Vancouver BC was on Amtrak. I used accumulated frequent rider points for the "Cascades" train. It was the wrong time of year to ride Coaster.

IMG_0729.JPG

Crossing the Columbia River, into Portland.

^ Thanks for the correction on my rivers. They used to have info.folders showing what you came upon during the train ride, and back. But they didn't have them on either the train going down to LA. or coming back to Seattle. Hmmmph. Budget cuts, I guess. I still had the ones I picked up in 2016, so in hindsight, I wish I'd brought them along. Next time.

p.s. I suddenly got confused here. Is that first Green Bridge photo over the Willamette River.... or is the Willamette in the second Green Bridge photo? Just checking here, thanks. I will correct it, after being informed.

^^ The roomettes are fairly big, Bert. For one person it's luxury. For two, it's comfy. I posted the photo here I took of the roomette, during my 2016 trip to S.CA. For some reason, I didn't take any pix of it on this trip. And David and I figured out that the top bunk is definitely narrower than the bottom one, which is made up of the two chairs sliding together. If we were both sitting in the chairs, opposite each other, we had to decide who wanted to ride "backwards" and how to arrange our feet, facing each other. Since David agreed to the upper bunk, I let him sit forward most of the way there. And back.

^^^ It really is a neat way to see some of the U.S.A. instead of just flying over it all. If you got the time, and the patience for those boring times that happen while traveling. They didn't have the lounge car like before, so there were no fresh cocktails to have, and no wine tasting event happening on the train, like before. More budget cuts, hmmm? They had a snack bar below the main "dome car" and they sold beers, "baby" bottles of booze (Thanks "Priscilla, Queen of The Desert"), and mixers. And in limited supplies, which ran out before we got to LA. But I will still take the train again, especially if I return to S.California.

Sept.2016. With those ROUTE INFO FLYERS in view above the little folding table, there.

Sept.2019. When lowered, the top bunk is not as wide as the bottom bunk.

Sept.2016. I missed this part of the train, too. The Pacific Parlour Car, and only available for sleeping car guests.

It was very plush and fun, with freshly mixed cocktails to enjoy. And the Wine Tasting event in the afternoon, too!

Now all I need, is the twin girls at the end of the hallway.

Knott's Hotel. Heading towards our room (on the right, we're pretty sure). Late. But still Sept.5/19.

Day 2 on AMTRAK to LA...And An E-Ticket Taxi Ride to Knott's Berry Farm Hotel!

The second day of out train trip, was nice and casual. Although the dining car guy on the microphone was

going on and on again, about everything we already knew, it was a good second day. A lot of familiar stuff we

passed by. And took photos when we felt like it.

The ocean doesn't really come into view, until you hit Santa Barbara Stn. which is well into the late afternoon.

But it was a welcome break from all the forests, farms, and 'back alleys' we passed by. And in the end, we actually arrived 1/2 hour earlier than our scheduled arrival time at Union Station in LA! Cool!

Got our luggage, and then took The Taxi Ride to Knott's Hotel.....

There is a rather direct route to Knott's from LA Union Station. And that's heading south on I-5, take the Beach Blvd. Exit, then exit from Beach onto Grand Ave, then drive a bit further south to Crescent Ave, take a right, take another right and we'd be there!

But - to back up here, the reason we did this is simple. If we waited for the connecting train to Fullerton Stn (closest to Knott's), we'd have waited nearly two hours at Union Station. And that connecting train , plus the taxi we'd have to take from there, would cost $60 or so. So we took that $60 and decided to take a taxi to the hotel, and hope it wouldn't cost a fortune.

Well, the taxi driver was really nice, and was using his GPS to get us to the hotel. FAST! I couldn't take any photos, cause I was too scared to move, in the car. Weaving in and out of traffic on freeway sections, we really weren't sure if he knew the way, or not. He was really fast, and yet there were cars passing us as well and motorcycles going in between lanes! That was freeky to see.

And we were just about to hit Grand Avenue, when his GPS went wierd, and shut down! So I chimed in where to look for Crescent Ave, turn right, etc. And when we got to the hotel, he thanked us for helping out the last bit of the trip. And then asked us if we were paying in cash, because he could give us "discounts". We said yes sure, and then he lowered the cab fare from $95 to $75! And when we asked about a tip he said not to bother! What a sweet guy he was. We should have tipped him anyway.

And although it would have been around $100 if it all went right, I would still do it that way, as we got to the Hotel over 1-1/2 hours before we would have arrived, if we stayed and waited for the connecting train. Easy!

Breakfast. Good stuff.

More rows of greens.

A couple of wind things. Not moving.

Rows and rows of dead sunflowers.

My fave lunch on Amtrak...big salad with a chicken breast diced and mixed in.

David taking a shot of something.

I remember riding around this...

The California Men's Penal Colony = A penitentiary.

Coastline!

Ocean!

Vandenberg Air Force Base.

Nice and serene....and oil!

Where space shuttles sometimes rest, on the West Coast.

Santa Barbara Station. With a beautiful fig tree, now blocked by a (&*%@& train car.

Back in Sept.2016 it wasn't there. Sure, there were cars, but you could still see all the tree.

Dessert before we arrive in LA: Cheesecake. Sooooo good.

After we arrive at Knott's Hotel, we find our room.

Looking forward to the rest. Curious though, are there showers on the trains? Where, how many, etc?

Nice report! I'm a huge fan of everything that runs on rails, so thanks for sharing that experience! In case you were curious, the reason there are so many Union Stations in North America is because Union Station was used as a general term for a rail station that served multiple lines from different companies. Now many of them only serve one or two services, but the name remains.

Welcome to LA! You got a good taxi driver

Mountains, oceans, farms--you saw it all!

Looking forward to the rest. Curious though, are there showers on the trains? Where, how many, etc?

Thanks. As for the showers, I found there was only one per sleeping car. It was in the lower section of the car. Around the middle, near the doors where you entered/exited. Plenty of towels there to use, too. I was tempted, but didn't use it.

Nice report! I'm a huge fan of everything that runs on rails, so thanks for sharing that experience! In case you were curious, the reason there are so many Union Stations in North America is because Union Station was used as a general term for a rail station that served multiple lines from different companies. Now many of them only serve one or two services, but the name remains.

Thanks. And I didn't know that, about the "Union Station" name, although I've certainly seen (and arrived at) many of them on my past train travels in the U.S. Thanks for that info!

Welcome to LA! You got a good taxi driver

 

Mountains, oceans, farms--you saw it all!

Except no whales or seals, darnit. No matter. I'll eventually do the train again, and hope for the best.

Yes, I collect hotel toiletries, condiment/seasoning packets, and the occasional pen, too. (o;

A Very Hot and Humid Day 1 at Knott's Berry Farm

We knew in advance what the temp was going to be, when we got down there. What we totally forgot about, was the HUMIDITY as well. And on our first day to Knott's, it first reached a high of 95'F, and then it added a high humidity to the mix, and we - were - sweating. And for myself, I was getting overheated and not hydrating myself enough.

But - we were there when the park opened, and although Ghostrider was not running that day (saw the workers on it), I got my rides in on the new (for me) Hang TIme, Xcelerator, and Silver Bullet w/o David. There was no way he was going to ride any of these coasters. We also got our first ride on the Reef shooting dark ride, and rode the Log Ride (love the scenes in it) and the classic Mine Train ride. Then we decided it was time for something to eat.

David loves BBQ, more so than I do, I must say. And with that, the search for ribs etc. was on! I knew the new Boardwalk BBQ was available so we went there. Had their St.Louis ribs, with sides, and started filling our water bottle up regularly. The ribs were good, the sides were plentiful, and shade was wooooonderful! But not enough for myself, we found out.

We then decided to take a ride on the observation tower, and since we were the ONLY people on it, the ride op made sure we got a full verbal tour of what was beyond Knott's. He even pointed out where the Disney Resort "sort of was," heh. He was fun and pretty knowledgeable. But David noticed I was starting to just stare into space. And I almost fell, getting up off the bench we were on. So that's when he decided I had had enough for now, and needed to REALLY get out of the heat.

So we did what we did in Tokyo Disney, and headed out of the park, and to the Hotel (only a five minute walk) for a couple of hours' cooling down. In the end I really needed it.

P.S. And photos that David has taken, and I have included, will have (DM) underneath them.

The view out of our Hotel room.

Snoopy comes to greet us in the Hotel! Very classy of him to do so.

Workers on Ghostrider. We asked in the park, whether it would open that day. They said no,

but it would probably be open Sat.and Sunday. So we hoped for the best...

Halloween stuff in the Marketplace windows.

We're here! Somewhere between 9:30 and 10am opening.

Testing.

First view of Hang Time.

I rode it three times in a row. Easy walk ons that morning.

And Xcelerator was running nice and fast, too.

A small train runs through Camp Snoopy.

MMmmmmm shuttle loop goodness.

This has got more stuff in it, than Big Thunder Mountain!

Lunch.

Ribs were good, sides were generous portions and the corn bread muffin was tasty.

We had also gotten the Knott's Refillable "cup." And used it for the Boysenberry Punch, yum!

Up in the Observe Tower, I got this shot.

And this one.

David took this great shot of Hang Time. (DM)

Seen in the Knott's Bakery, as we headed back to the Hotel. And Sept. has just started!

I'm on that train, somewhere. (DM)

After A Nice Mid-Day Hotel Rest...

After we had spent a good three hours at the Hotel, including a quick dip in the great pool and corner jacuzzi they had open (till 11pm), we headed back to the park with only a couple of hours left till it closed (6pm).

David wanted to go through the Rock and Gem store I had told him about, and I just wandered around Ghost Town, staying in the shade as much as possible, taking a couple of photos here and there.

Once we got back together it was just making sure we were hydrating our self, and going on a few "easier rides." Like the Swings and the little Ferris Wheel in Camp Snoopy. I hadn't been on a real ferris wheel for years, so this was a treat.

Closing time approached, so we left the park, back to the hotel and we had our first dinner in their restaurant, called Amber Waves. But not before I had a nice beer to enjoy for my "cocktail hour", lol. And cool down some more.

P.S. When I was there three years ago, I wanted to get one of the Ghostrider caps they were selling in a little shop by GR. But after the West Coast Bash Day there, the Sunday, GR was closed up for maintenance the next day...and the shop as well. So this time, even though GR was closed on the Friday, I headed to where the shop was and happily, it was open! And there was my cap to buy, too. Happy me. (o:

Where I dropped David off.

Brazilian Agate. (DM)

Picasso Jasper. (DM)

What's that up there?

Cotton? Even the staff I asked nearby, didn't know what it was, lol.

The Galloping Goose train was running on the Friday we were there. (DM)

Um....yeah. Not open, so I couldn't "compare". (o;

We rode this on Sunday. Inside the coach. Cramped but interesting ride. (DM)

One of David's many fountain shots. (DM)

Heading out of the park.

Ride ya on Sunday!

Sparkly stuff in the Gift Shop.

I couldn't imagine eating one of these. But, fun to watch them being made.

Awwww. First Big Beer! And the cap I finally got at Knott's.

Dinner time.

We started with a tortilla soup to share.

David had the salmon with shrimp, onion ring things and coleslaw. All good.

My Meat-laden Greek-ish Salad. Still good after having one 3 years ago.

Let's call it a night. And our first "Day Off" is tomorrow!

I did a quick google and apparently that pretty tree with the cotton balls is called a Silk Floss Tree. The cotton-looking things are actually its fruits; the seeds are buried in the middle of those balls; the flossy fruits are what gave it its common name of "Silk Floss."

I'd never seen nor heard of those before! You got really good pics of it!

Also, the meals you guys had at Amber Wave look SO yummy!