Disneyland/DCA Trip Report 8/4/12 (I found the crowds, and escaped them in the Carthay Circle Lounge)

If you read my last trip report, about my July visit to Disneyland, you know I marveled at the lack of crowds in Disneyland on a Saturday, and discussed my opinion that right now Saturdays are a fantastic time to go to Disneyland. I posted that on a Friday, and the next day I found myself in Disneyland, ready to eat my words. I've had good luck on Saturdays, but it's still the Summer, and it's still a weekend in Disneyland, and you'll often encounter crowds. This Saturday, I encountered lots of crowds.

Now, let me say right off, I've seen much busier days at Disneyland. But I've had a good run of luck going to Disneyland on Saturdays, so I was getting complacent, and so even if the crowds were far from unbearable, it did put a damper on my day, a little bit, just because of where my expectations were set. My last visit, I expected huge crowds, was surprised by the lack thereof, and had a great time. This time, a typical (actually, probably, still somewhat light by Summer weekend standards) crowd threw off my plans (no lines, ride everything, twice if I want to), and led to disappointment.

So let me revise what I previously said, slightly: Saturday is still a pretty good time to visit Disneyland. Just know it's not a fool-proof plan. Some Saturdays will be extremely busy. But even then, Disneyland knows how to handle busy Saturdays in the Summer. All the rides are open and running at full capacity. Plenty of entertainment is on hand. Crowd control is well-managed. And as I have said before, Saturday crowds are more balanced, tourists spread out across the park trying to see everything, not APers who flock to the best attractions and know all the same tricks I know. For instance, this weekend Splash Mountain had a pretty long line, but I got on with essentially no waiting thanks to the single-rider line; single-rider on a busy day when APs aren't blacked out can often be close to a 30-minute wait, on the busiest days. So there are secrets to getting around some of the Saturday crowds. Combine that with the flexibility of a frequent visitor, who can say, that line's too long, I'll skip it, it'll still be here when I come back, and you can still get a lot of enjoyment even out of the busiest Saturday.

That said, I just wasn't feeling it this trip. Partly because of the crowds, partly perhaps because I've been there a lot lately, partly because things have just been a bit hectic for me lately, or maybe because this is the third trip in a row I went by myself, but I wasn't in full Disneyland mode this trip. Not to say I had a horrible time, and some of the new experiences I had and will discuss below were quite enjoyable, but when you go as often as I do, some trips won't be quite as special as others. Which isn't to say that Disneyland "loses it's magic" if you go too often, it just means that sometimes you have to be patient, and just wait for your next trip for the magic to overtake you.

But just because this trip wasn't legendary doesn't mean I wish I hadn't gone or that I didn't get to do anything. I actually went on most of the rides in Disneyland that I consider the core attractions. I did fail to ride Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, which I'm always disappointed to miss. And I missed Pirates of the Caribbean, which I would have gone on had the line been shorter, but frankly this isn't an attraction I need to ride every visit. On the other hand, I rode Splash Mountain (via single-rider), a ride I often miss. And it appeared that most of the broken animatronics have been repaired (one vulture was still broken, but that's all I noticed). And I rode Alice in Wonderland for the first time in a long time. A very enjoyable dark ride, right up there with Peter Pan, but I just am not interested in waiting more than 10 minutes for any Fantasyland ride, so I don't get to see it often.

And I finally got to see the Voices of Liberty! Either I was mistaken about their Sunday-Tuesday schedule, or it was extended. Around noon, I was just leaving Disneyland for DCA and lunch, when I heard the announcement that the Voices of Liberty were about to perform in the Opera House. So of course I made a bee-line to the Opera House. I couldn't believe the crowd for the show, easily over 100 people, around 150, I'd say. I've never seen that many people at Great Moments With Mr. Lincoln before!

I must admit, I wasn't that crazy about the Voices of Liberty. Their voices were fine, and their patriotic songs fit the venue okay. But I found it a bit light-weight compared to the Lincoln performance. Not as bad as the awful song they play as the audience is leaving, but still not quite enough gravitas for the venue. And between the songs and Lincoln, the whole performance took about 35 minutes, which is a lot of time to ask people to take out of their visit to Disneyland. The Lincoln show itself is just about the right length, it doesn't really need a pre-show in the theatre. If the Voices of Liberty help get people in to see Lincoln, by all means, keep them singing. But I doubt they'll stick around after the Summer (except maybe to resurface around Christmas time and do some caroling). There were eleven singers in the performance I saw, and I have to imagine that paying that many singers is not a cost effective means of filling a few seats for Great Moments With Mr. Lincoln.

After Lincoln, I left for DCA and lunch at the Carthay Circle Lounge. The menu for the Carthay Circle restaurant doesn't interest me all that much, but some of the appetizers at the lounge looked interesting, and it seemed a cost-effective way to check out DCA's new centerpiece. After hearing that customers of the lounge were not allowed to use the restroom in the restaurant, I intended to boycott the whole establishment, but as Disney apologized and said their employees didn't understand the policy (I don't believe that--I think they just furiously backpedaled when people responded with outrage), I decided I could try it out (I'm still a bit uneasy about the whole thing--I don't mind an expensive restaurant, I just don't like the idea of it being the focal point of the entire park; it's like if Club 33 was inside Sleeping Beauty's Castle). Seeing how crowded the park was, I was a bit concerned I'd even be able to get in the lounge at 12:30, but I had no problems, it was actually pretty empty. The decor was nice, elegant but not stuffy. A nice quiet place to sit down and relax. I sat at the bar, and ordered a botanical gin & tonic, which had star anise, cardamon, and mint in it. I was promptly served a generous pour of gin on the rocks, with aforementioned herbs, and a separate little carafe of tonic water to mix myself. I added a splash of tonic and gave it a sip. A good drink. The herbs added a nice aroma, but I could barely taste them. At $10.50, it wasn't cheap, but considering it was about the same price as the cocktails sold at the Mad T Party out of a slurpee machine, I thought the price, for the venue, was fairly reasonable. I mentioned I was hoping someone would order a Manhattan, so I could see them make the ice sphere for it, and the bartender was kind enough to demonstrate the process for me. It was really quite amazing. I was expecting a machine akin to a Snoopy Sno-Cone Machine, but in fact it's just two brass blocks, with half the sphere shape carved into either side. The brass, a good conductor of heat, apparently, melts the specially-ordered ice cylinder quite quickly, and a bit over a minute later, the bartender removed a perfectly spherical ice cube. It was completely clear, looking just like a crystal ball. I kicked myself later for not videotaping the process, as I didn't expect much from it, but it was really quite amazing. Well worth seeing, should you get the chance. (Here's a video someone else took of the process)

I thought about ordering an appetizer and dessert, but decided to get two appetizers instead, after noticing the deviled eggs with smoked salmon. So I ordered that and the duck confit sliders. As you can see from the picture, the servings were not exactly generous (though I ate one of the eggs before taking the picture). The sliders were actually slightly larger than I expected, and the eggs were as filling as you would expect three hard-boiled eggs to be, so I didn't leave here hungry, though I wasn't exactly full, either. But both were excellent. The bread for the sliders was perfect, just hard enough, and the apricot preserves went great with the duck. And the deviled eggs were delicious. How do you go wrong with eggs, smoked salmon, and lemon creme freche? (answer: you don't) $10 for three eggs might sound a bit steep, but I would gladly pay it again. I probably wouldn't go here for lunch again, but for an indulgent afternoon treat, I can see myself coming back here for a cocktail and a light snack. The bartenders were very nice, and talkative, hopefully I didn't annoy them too much with my questions. I mentioned that I was torn between my gin & tonic or ordering a Pimm's Punch (I decided the gin & tonic was the classier choice), so later when he made someone a Pimm's Punch, he gave me a shotglass of what was leftover in his shaker, which was nice of him (it was very tasty, and I am sure I will be trying that again). I got the impression that the lounge is rarely that busy, so I think this could be my new retreat when the hustle and bustle of the park gets to me. I generally don't drink when I'm at Disneyland, but a finely-crafted cocktail does give an adult spin to the day. In particular, Space Mountain was a lot more fun with a very light buzz! Though alcohol and marching around all day in the hot sun isn't a perfect match.

So overall, I was impressed by the lounge. Total charge for the food and drink was $41, including tip and 15% Premium AP discount on the food (not alcohol). Expensive enough that this won't be an every-trip indulgence, but I did enjoy it, and hope to return sometime.

After visiting the lounge, though, it was all downhill from there. DCA was even busier than Disneyland, and every time I checked, the single-rider line for Radiator Springs Racers was closed (the stand-by line was steady at two hours, which seems typical for the ride). I rode Tower of Terror with a Fastpass (the third elevator shaft, which has been out of service for some time, was open again, which helped with wait times considerably) and The Little Mermaid, which had a 15 minute line at one point (insanity!), but no wait when I went on it. I don't think I rode any other rides in DCA, though I did enjoy the various entertainment options (Ellis Island Boys, Five and Dime, the Newsies). I thought about seeing Aladdin, but ultimately did not (I assume the carpet's still broken).

And that's basically all there is to say about this trip. As it was obvious to myself that I just wasn't feeling this trip, I decided not to stay too late, and get home at a reasonable hour. I left the park around 7:45, stopped at In-N-Out on the way home, and was back home before 10. I don't mean to sound too negative about this trip, it was nice to just get out of town for the day and blow off steam, and I really enjoyed the Carthay Circle Lounge, a nice new experience for me. But the crowds definitely were disappointing, a reminder that visiting in the Summer can be stressful. I won't be able to go back before SoCal AP blackouts are lifted; I'll probably stay away for a few weeks after that, as well, let some of the pent up demand die down. But I look forward to returning to the park in September. And soon after that, to enjoy Halloween Time. That's the nice thing about having a lackluster visit, there's always next time.

Disneyland/DCA Trip Report 7/7/12 (Where is Everybody?)

So, wow, my triumphant return to blogging has not gone well. What I've put up here seems good, but I just am not in the habit of posting here regularly. It's been almost a month since I've been to Disneyland, and with my next trip to commence in less than 12 hours, I still haven't posted about my most recent trip. Sorry about being flaky, I just had some life stuff pop up, not to mention Comic-Con (which I also am remiss in writing about here - I'll probably say a few brief words, but don't really have that much to personally add to all that has already been said about the enormity and gravitas of Comic-Con 2012, though at the very least I will share some pics of my major purchase, when it finally arrives next week). But I'm going to try to hammer out a few comments about my post-Independence Day weekend trip, because there are things to be said.

Namely, where was everybody? Disneyland was amazingly uncrowded and pleasant. As the day went on, it got busier, but until 1 or 2 in the afternoon, it was one of the slowest days I've seen in recent memory. It reminded me of a Wednesday in January. Lines were reasonable, not quite walk-ons for the major attractions, but still stunning. Take this image from Tomorrowland:

Now yes, there are a lot of people in this picture. But considering the location, and that this is a Saturday on a quasi-holiday weekend (the 4th falling on a Wednesday sort of made things weird-I think the weekend before was when most people observed the holiday weekend), I can't believe how much unoccupied space there was. I think the Standby line for Star Tours was 30 minutes at this time; it creeped up a bit, but not a lot, and Fastpasses for both Star Tours and Space Mountain were plentiful (I think this was only the second time since Star Tours reopened I managed to get Fastpasses for both it and Space Mountain on the same visit).

Since purchasing a Premium Annual Pass, I have been discovering that Saturday is a pretty good day to go to Disneyland. I went on Saturday during last Thanksgiving weekend, prepared for crowds, and found the day bustling, certainly busy, but very manageable. Last year, I think it was Memorial Day weekend when I went up for a preview of Star Tours, and while that day was certainly very busy, I still find the make-up of the customers, mostly out of town tourists, makes the day more manageable, as they tend to spread out. So I have some Saturday visits under my belt, that perhaps should have prepared me for this. But I was just stunned, on my first visit to the Disneyland Resort since Cars Land officially opened, but the lack of crowds.

And others are noticing. Al Lutz's most recent column outlines the changes in Disneyland's traffic flow since Cars Land opened, noting that on the Saturday after my visit, attendance was down 15,000 people versus the year before (though this number is based on the first park visited, so park-hoppers skew the figures significantly). The general feeling from his column (which I tend to agree with) is that by finally fixing Disney California Adventure, they've simply taken the stress off of Disneyland. The typically negative commenter on the Micechat site, however, have plainly laid the blame on the price increases, saying it's to blame. Which is somewhat true, probably, though "blame" is a loaded term. I'd say it did what it was supposed to do, bring in more revenue and keep attendance flat, so that the park functions properly. I think the price increase was a bit too much, but I get what Disney was doing. My theory is that they raised it enough to give themselves plenty of leeway with discounts later. There have been rumors of Disneyland implementing peak and off-peak pricing--I think the new price is the peak pricing, and they will just introduce loads of discounts to serve as off-peak pricing, once Cars Land mania slows down.

So to summarize, if you've heard rumors that Disneyland is slow since Cars Land opened, I can confirm that in my limited experience, yes it is.  Odd thing is, while California Adventure is most certainly not slow, it is still quite manageable. The usual suspects still have long lines (I had hoped Cars Land would take the strain off of Toy Story Mania, but it hasn't helped too much, 40-50 minute waits all day), but moving around was a breeze, even in Cars Land itself. Even Radiator Springs Racers wasn't too bad, rode it twice via single rider, waiting 20 minutes the first time, 45 the second. The wait for Tower of Terror was a little better than last time I went, and I had no trouble getting a Fastpass, even though the third tower is still down (anyone know what's up with that?).

One problem was, even though I've had good luck with Saturdays, I still planned this trip expecting huge holiday crowds. So by the time I arrived at the park, I had braced myself for gridlock, and resolved that this trip was primarily about checking out the new entertainment in the park. So I was surprised to discover I could ride most rides in Disneyland with minimal waits, but at this point I had my heart set on watching performances. So that's what I did. Rather than set a ride-riding record, I just hit up my usual must-rides, and also experienced quite a few shows.

One disappointment hit me first thing after entering Disneyland--the Voices of Liberty don't perform on Saturdays. Only Sundays through Tuesdays, which are days it is very difficult for me to make it to Disneyland, at least in the Summer. So I'm afraid I might not ever see them, unless their run is extended.

So the only show I saw at Disneyland was Billy Hill and the Hillbillies, now performing in the Big Thunder Ranch area instead of the Golden Horseshoe Saloon. I've always found this show a bit hit-or-miss, perhaps depending on my mood. I know a lot of people like them, and I don't hate them, but I'm not a big fan, either. But the show I saw was pretty good. I think the outdoor venue fits them well. And I liked seeing the older costumed characters walking around during the show. This isn't something I would seek out, but if I'm in the area, I'd stop and listen a spell.

The reason I was in the area was, I finally got around to something I've wanted to do for some time: eat the all-you-can-eat BBQ at Big Thunder Ranch. I've long wanted to try it, but been hesitant, for Disneyland isn't really a place I want to eat all I can possibly eat. I certainly don't want to eat buckets of ribs and chicken and biscuits, and then hop on the Big Thunder Railroad (and I'm sure their janitorial crew doesn't want me to do that, either). And beyond that, I'm not really that hungry, generally, when I'm at Disneyland. Probably because I'm running around in the sun all day, but I generally don't have a huge appetite when I'm there, and tend not to eat a lot in one sitting. So I didn't know if I'd get a good value out of the pretty expensive meal.

One other concern: it's served family style, and I was alone. I've floated the idea of eating here before, when I was with people, but either they weren't hungry enough, or I wasn't. So it never seemed to work out. But this day, I was plenty hungry when lunch time came around, so around noon, I decided to jettison my plans of trying the turkey Reuben at the Starbucks in DCA, and had the BBQ instead. I was impressed. It's not going to be a frequent choice in my restaurant rotation, but if I'm hungry enough and in the mood for ribs, I would definitely come back. The ribs were quite tender and tasty, a tad bit spicy, but not killer. By the end, the spiciness was beginning to catch up with me (I think that's how they make sure you don't eat too much), but they kept the iced tea coming, so I was fine. The chicken was just okay, a little dry (I might request dark meat next time). The sides were good, baked beans especially, though the coleslaw wasn't that exciting. I really liked the corn bread, it was nice and moist. It seemed really dense, I was surprised how heavy it was when I picked it up, I'm guessing that's the moisture in it. But it really complemented the meal. It's pricy, but for all-you-can-eat in a theme park, didn't seem unreasonable.

And I should mention, since it was a concern of mine, eating there as a solo diner wasn't an issue. They served it family style, but adjusted the portions accordingly. So I didn't waste a bunch of food, but didn't miss out on anything, as they were ready and willing to bring more, and did bring me a second bucket of ribs as soon as I asked. I would say it's actually a pretty good place to dine alone, amongst Disneyland's full-service restaurants, as they get you the food very quickly and you can get out as quickly as you can eat. Like I said above, my main concern with the restaurant is that all-you-can-eat isn't a great fit with theme parks, at least for me, but for those times when you're at Disneyland, have an appetite, and BBQ sounds pretty good, I would recommend the Big Thunder Ranch BBQ.

After eating, it was time for DCA. As I mentioned, DCA was more crowded, but still quite manageable. I rode Radiator Springs Racers twice, but skipped the other rides. I ate some watermelon while I watched Mater's Junkyard Jamboree, and was excited to hear the "blooper" version of "Welcome to Radiator Springs." Later, I hit up the Cozy Cone, and got the churro bites, with chocolate cinnamon dipping sauce, and took it over to the Paradise Gardens area to listen to the Ellis Island Boys. The churros were good, though the sauce was a bit weird, very watery, more like hot chocolate than the thick chocolate I was expecting. Reminded me a bit of Mexican hot chocolate, in fact, because of the cinnamon. It wasn't bad, though it did mean it would be difficult to eat on the run, as I imagine most people probably do. But sitting and eating, it wasn't an issue. I've mentioned the Ellis Island Boys before, so I'll just say they were great as usual and leave it at that.

One of the biggest surprises for me this trip was seeing the Newsies show in Buena Vista Street. I'd seen clips of it, and it didn't look that good to me. But in person, I really enjoyed it.  I was concerned, from the clips and comments I've read online, that the music was too modern for the show. But in person, that didn't bother me at all. The booming bass is a bit much, but it has to be to be heard in a bustling theme park. In person, it didn't bother me at all. I found the show very endearing and cute, and was very impressed by the high-energy performers. I think they have several different numbers they do in different shows, so I'm eager to see them again. And one great thing about the show--it's short. No chance to wear out it's welcome. Minnie's Fly Girls show could learn from this. I think this show will continue to be a must-see for me for some time.

I wasn't sure I was going to get to see the Five and Dime jazz combo this trip, as I kept missing them, but I finally caught their last show of the day. I enjoyed it, I liked the jalopy they come out on, and they are all talented musicians. But it just fell a little bit flat for me. Possibly because of the sound system; I was standing in the front row right in front of the truck, but it seemed like the sound was split between two different speakers on either end of the plaza, and it just didn't match up quite right. Something just seemed off. But besides that, it also just felt a little too overdone and contrived. I think what it comes down to is, I'd rather hear the Ellis Island Boys. Still, this is hardly a bad show, and I will definitely give it another chance. I just think the Five and Dime will be like the Dapper Dans: if I walk by and they're performing, I might stop and listen, but it's not something I'd seek out.

Goofy's new show was an odd little thing. I liked it okay, though there's not a lot too it. A funny narration makes fun of Goofy for a bit, and then Goofy "conducts" the World of Color fountains. I kept waiting for everything to go horribly wrong and the fountains squirt out of control, but it never happened. Goofy just flailed around a lot. Kind of pointless, but I liked it well enough. Another thing I'd see if I was in the area, but not really seek out.

So there you have it, a trip report hastily assembled just so that I don't have a backlog of trip reports before tomorrow's trip. Sorry 'bout that. I will just add quickly, Cars Land was slightly underwhelming, the second time around. I'm thinking that's just because my first impressions were so positive, it was hard for the reality to live up to my memories. The mountains are still impressive, but the other elements of the land, and in particular Radiator Springs Racers, were a bit disappointing upon my return. So I'm very curious to see how I feel about the land tomorrow. And whatever my opinion, I'll share it here, and try not to take a month to get around to it (that's the main problem with visiting on Saturday: I work Sundays. So I don't get a day to recover before returning to work, like I do when I visit Fridays, and I don't have time to write a trip report right away).