Retro Photo TR: Disneyland/DCA 2001

In 2001, a whole group of us had planned a coastering trip pretty similar to what I did this past summer (coastering our way around Lake Erie). Well, with less than a month to go, 3 people pulled out. So the remaining three people...me, Kevin and my friend Richie who I worked with at Epcot, weren't able to afford the coaster trip by ourselves. Late one night, I jokingly said to Kevin, "Lets go to Disneyland!" Lo and behold, when we worked out all the numbers...we were able to afford it! So we decided to go to Disneyland!

We stayed at the Anaheim Maingate Inn, which was just behind the Mickey and friends parking structure. It was very basic, but it was clean and not that noisy, and I had no problem with it. Richie and I flew American Airlines from Nashville, and Kevin met us in LAX. Since Richie worked at Disney World, he got us into the parks for free with his Maingate pass, which saved a bundle.

I really don't remember much about the timeline of the trip. I know my first ride there was The Jungle Cruise, followed by Mr. Toad. On our first night there we had dinner in New Orleans Square and watched Fantasmic. I vividly remember that for whatever reason, Richie had a can of hairspray in his backpack, and we all played with it as we waited for Fantasmic.

We all LOVED DCA, despite what a lot of people were saying at the time. It had only been open a couple of months, and people were complaining about how little there was to do, and how they didn't like the theming. We all agreed that Screamin' and Soarin' were the best rides in the park, and the Animation building was the next big hit. As was Seasons of the Vine for whatever reason! My favorite memory of DCA was one morning when we arrived at park open. Being from the east, a 10:00am opening felt like noon to me and 1:00pm to Kevin and Richie, so we were wanting lunch already, but the only places open at the time were serving pastries and breakfast items. So to tide over our grumbling stomachs, we kept going between the bread attraction and the tortilla attraction and picking up free samples! I bet we hit each one three or four times before the restaurants started serving lunch! Funny thing was that it worked, and we were satisfied enough to not have to buy breakfast! So there's a tip for the budget conscious!

Anyway, I shall let the pictures tell the rest of the stories. If all goes as planned, Kevin and I will be making it back to Disneyland at some point next spring, and I can hardly wait! This Disneyland trip truly felt like the trip of a lifetime, and I can't wait to go back!

-Julie

Kevin watches a virtual reality video that is so lame none of us will remember what it was later.

Here, Kevin and Richie are playing some type of floor-stomping DDR type game. They have NO CLUE what they are doing, and I am on the sidelines laughing my ass off at them.

Kevin in a big giant heart. Another one of my favorite photos from the trip.

Here I am riding Mr. Toad for the 745, 184th time that day, while the ride op thinks "Didn't I see you 635, 941 times yesterday?"

Me and Kevin on Mr. Toad. I can't even begin to count how many times I rode Mr. Toad over the course of the trip.

Me and Richie wearing sparkly Mickey ears.

Kevin models a lovely Mickey hand hat...and WTF is up with your pants Kev???

Kevin listens to the latest gossip from the Toontown mailbox. Oh, as an aside, this trip was right after the kid got hurt on Roger Rabbit, so it was closed and we didn't get to ride it

Kevin riding Dumbo. Apparently riding Dumbo at night can make you grown Frenchman-like moustaches, then shed them at the end of the ride.

Me and Richie riding Dumbo. No one told me it would be this frickin' cold in SoCal in June!!

Richie and Kevin act like monkeys (basically, they were acting completely normal). I love Kevin's random cactus sticker that was given to him by a Cast Member.

Three monkeys riding in the monkey cage on Casey Junior's circus train.

Me and Kevin riding the teacups. Richie sat this one out!

Me in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle. This was one of my favorite photos from the trip. Ok, the castle looks considerably more squishable here.

Sleeping Beauty Castle reflecting in the water of the moat.

Sleeping Beauty Castle. Doesn't look very squishable from this angle, now does it?

Tweedle Dee, Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dummer in front of Disneyland (I won't tell you who's who though!)

I am *insanely* excited to spot DCA from the parking garage.

The boys at LAX. We made specialty shirts for the trip, with the DCA logo reading "Julie's California Adventure," "Richie's California Adventure" and "Kevin's California Adventure."

Me, talking on a banana phone during the flight to LA. I have included this only to make the comment that I discovered that this photo is linked on a *banana phone fetish* website! Um...EWW!!!

YAY for the Banana Phone

Zane "Ring Ring Ring banana phone" Williams

More Photos!

We were so excited to be able to say we had been to Hollywood and Vine, but in reality, it was really just a bunch of shops drag queens would like. I've been there nonetheless though! Thanks for reading!

Kevin blends into the cutout of the Shrek characters. I love Shrek, and I know part of that comes from the fact that we saw it at the Chinese Theater.

Ok ok...three really quick LA photos. Here are Kevin and Richie in front of the Chinese Theater. We all thought it was amazing to be in the theater where Walt Disney saw Snow White for the first time.

Love it! Richie drew a smiley face on his toe, and asked me to take a picture of it!

We had dinner at PCH Grill one night, and it was FANTASTIC! The meal was great, but the service was some of the most outstanding I've had. This is us with our uber-fantastic server Robin.

Richie with Esmeralda...and this girl's got some sauce because she's making rabbit ears on him!

Me and Kevin with Kuzco (geez, I apologize for all these crappy captions!)

And Richie is most like Mushu.

Kevin is most like Tarzan...(rats, I took the picture a half second too late...and Kevin doesn't run around in loincloths nearly enough to make him most like Tarzan!)

Inside the Animation building, we each took quizzes to see what Disney character we were most like. I am most like Cinderella...

Richie and Kevin on the Golden Zephyr..."for all your flying needs!" We were all upset that we needed to fly home later in the week and we couldn't take the Golden Zephyr! Probably my favorite photo from the trip.

Kevin riding the King Triton Carousel. He looks happy as a little girl.

Me riding the Sun Wheel. I LOVED this ride! Who'd have guessed that a Ferris wheel would be a thrill ride?

Me and Richie riding California Screamin'...sort of

Kevin riding California Screamin'...sort of

Richie tries to match up his ears to California Screamin', but alas, it didn't work. These are the perils of using a film camera!!

Richie and Kevin eating watermelon.

Me on Paradise Pier. Yet another favorite photo.

Me holding up the Paradise Pier sign

Us with Mickey Mouse!

Would I be right in thinking you really liked Mr Toad's Wild Ride?! Is the one at California still there? I was gutted when they took out the WDW one.

Nice to see you had fun at DCA. I've never been to California but always thought DCA looked like fun, even though it gets a lot of stick! I'll make it there one day.

Great pics.

-Lou

You couldn't find the pickles at DCA... could ya?

Nooooo more banana phone!!!!! I just got the banana phone song out of my head for the fifth time in the past few weeks and now it's back. I will admit that it's an amusing picture though.

Awesome TR. What Disney movie is Mushu from?

^ Mulan. Eddie Murphy was the voice I think?

Can you believe that trip was almost 5 years ago?

One lasting thing that came from that vacation is our now instant reply to people who push past us in queues trying to get to their families at the front of the line. After a whole day of this we had finally had enough and stopped a man who claimed his family was just about to board the Sun Wheel. We told him "If they love you, they'll wait." He didn't appreciate that. Neither did the cast members working the attraction who let him squeeze past dozens of guest who were following the rules and waiting patiently.

And if you can't remember the number of times you rode Mr. Toad, how about the number of times you rode Superstar Limo? You and Richie really loved that ride for some strange reason...

Kev

Woohoo, more Retro Photo TR goodness!! Awesome job, Julie!! My family and I were at the park that August for my dad's 50th b-day. Glad you enjoyed DCA. I also enjoy it, it perfectly compliments it's big sister across the way.

^ Mulan. Eddie Murphy was the voice I think?

I believe so.