As I was admittedly a bit underwhelmed by the idea of going to Disneyland, I did decide to do something to make this trip distinct from other trips, by taking the train to Anaheim. I booked business class on the Pacific Surfliner going up, and coach heading back. I would have probably done business class both ways, but I thought the flexibility of an unreserved coach ticket would be convenient, as I could catch an earlier or later train if I so desired. Besides, I rely on the free coffee to recoup a fair amount of the cost of business class, and late at night that wouldn't be as much of an option (as near as I can tell, decaf isn't even an option in business class; I only see one coffee pot). Instead of the Old Town stop, I left this trip from the Santa Fe Station in San Diego, the station from which the Surfliner departs. It's only a few more minutes on the trolley, and as I learned that parking in Old Town is in a bit too short of a supply to rely on, I might as well get the train at Santa Fe and get first dibs on seating.
And like my other trips by train, I did enjoy the train ride. But I will admit, taking the train to Anaheim isn't the most practical means of getting there, and I doubt I'll do it again, at least very regularly. Anaheim is usually about a 90 minute drive for me, but taking the train, from leaving my house to arriving at the Magic Kingdom, took about three hours. Now, if I hadn't taken the trolley to the train station, that would have cut a fair amount of time off the trip; if you live closer to the Amtrak station than I, the trip may be more practical. But economically I'm pretty sure it's more practical to drive. And the fact is, as much as I prefer the train to driving, driving to Anaheim isn't that bad. That's part of why Disneyland has become my default trip lately, the drive is so much more pleasant than the drive to Los Angeles.
But regardless of whether it was a wise choice, I did enjoy the train trip. The train was much busier than my last trip, which surprised me, as I took a slightly later train, and assumed the commuters would be at their destination by the time I left around 9:30. I did have a row to myself, but it seemed like most rows were taken. The rest of the train was also crowded, and when I heard announcements from the conductor reminding travelers that there is one chair per customer, and later that the seats in the cafe car were being used for overflow seating, I was very glad I paid for the upgrade to business class (I think it was $14 between San Diego and Anaheim, a reasonable savings over the cost from San Diego to Los Angeles). I drank a fair amount of coffee, had two cinnamon rolls and a muffin (I waited until late in the trip, to make sure everyone had a crack at them, before I took the second cinnamon roll), and read the complimentary newspaper when I wasn't enjoying the views (see the variety of landscapes the train passes through):
The train made good time and arrived in Anaheim right on time. I bought a ticket for the ART Shuttle, $5 for the day. I had to wait close to 20 minutes for the pickup. The bus arrived empty, and I was the only person to board. Even coming back, I had the bus to myself, though there were two people boarding at the station when I got off. The evening bus actually was almost empty, as I had the wrong stop for the Amtrak Express, but I noticed it just as the bus was leaving the station. Fortunately, the bus driver stopped for me, or I would have had to add the cost of a cab to my day's transportation budget. The shuttle is nice enough, and the wait isn't exactly unacceptable, but it would be nice if they could have a bus waiting for the Amtrak trains (though I suppose it's also there for Metrolink riders, and in any case, the fact that I was the only passenger maybe suggests this isn't something they should really worry about expanding).
Once on board the shuttle in the morning, Disneyland was a quick drive away, the shuttle not really taking much longer than the shuttles from the Toy Story parking lot. I went through the security check (the first time I've actually had a backpack for them to inspect) and got a locker ($10, since my backpack wouldn't fit in the smaller lockers), and around 11:30 it was finally time to hit the park.
I was a bit surprised to see Disneyland was busy. I wasn't too surprised by the line for Haunted Mansion, but even Pirates of the Caribbean was spilling out to the overflow line. I would meet up with a friend later who pointed that this was caused by the Halloween parties; no one wants to go the days Disneyland closes early for the parties, so more people clog the parks on the other days. My first ride of the day was Splash Mountain, and the single-rider line probably took 15-20 minutes. That's not too horrible, as it probably has the slowest-moving single-rider line in the resort, but still a sign that it was a very busy day. The ride attendant put me in the back of the log, when a mother and her son who were in the front of the line asked to switch so they could sit in the back together. Now, big guy in the front seat means the whole log's getting drenched, but I figured it was her funeral, so I amiably took my seat in the front of the log. And we got soaked, though only in the typical way you get soaked on Splash Mountain. Once, I hit a white squall at the bottom of the briar patch, and was just as soaked as if I had fallen off the Mark Twain into the river below. But typically, even a rough ride's not that bad, you just get pretty wet, and that's what happened this time. I got pretty wet, including some wet underpants, which always threaten to ruin your day. But it was a hot day, and I dried very quickly, so overall it was a perfectly fine ride on Splash Mountain, even if I did end up with another ridiculous picture of myself looking terrified:
But even after that mighty plunge, I still was beginning to feel a bit groggy and light-headed, and it was clear my first priority at the moment was lunch. I had been meaning to try the new menu at the Harbour Galley, and so that's exactly what I did. I was surprised to find a line here, it's rarely busy, but being a busy day in the park, combined with their new menu, it's not really that surprising. I was sad to see the salmon salad is no longer offered, it was a nice choice when I wanted something light. The broccoli-cheese baked potato is also gone (it was alright, though the cheese was subpar). Shrimp salad has replaced both, available either as a salad, or on top of a baked potato. I was tempted to get a baked potato, but I thought it wasn't really baked potato weather, and besides, I had been wanting to try the lobster roll. So I did. At $13.99, it's hard to believe it's actually lobster. They do put a piece of lobster on top, but I have to assume it's just "seafood salad" that makes up the bulk of the entree. I don't know that for sure, though, and frankly don't really care, as long as it tastes good. I really liked it from the first bite, it was very strongly seasoned with something, and it tasted good. It came with kettle chips, with bay seasoning, that at first bite I found quite delicious. But in both the case of the chips and the lobster roll, the flavoring got overbearing the more I ate. By the last bites of the lobster roll, I was just glad it was finished. I don't think I'd get it again, especially when those baked potatoes look so alluring (not to mention the bread bowls).
I ate my lunch and got a bit of a pick-me-up from my iced tea, and then was off to find my next adventure. But I must say, I didn't really get that much accomplished at Disneyland this trip. I think I fell into a trap I often do when the park is busier than I expected. I end up spending 45 minutes trying to decide what line to get in, because I don't want to wait 20 minutes for any particular attraction. I'd have been better off just getting in the Haunted Mansion line, but instead, I just wandered around checking out the sights and looking for the mythical walk-on attraction. I had picked up a Fastpass for Star Tours when I first got to the park, and not long after lunch it was time to ride it, so that's what I did. I went on its a small world, which appeared to have an unusually long line, because one side was out of service, with a technician furiously trying to repair a boat:
The line still moved reasonably quick, though, and I was on in about 15 minutes, not the 45 minute posted wait time. I noticed the boats were getting pretty backed up with the one side out of commission, but didn't think much about it, until my boat came to a halt in front of Lilo and Stitch. The boats were now backed up all the way to the Hawaiian portion of the ride. I honestly don't find the music as annoying as many do, but it's not a brief ride to begin with. And it ended up taking about twenty minutes to get out, from this point. I took the opportunity to take a bit of a nap in the back seat of the boat, so I came off the ride a bit refreshed. But I did make a mental note to skip it if I ever see one side of the ride having mechanical difficulties (sometimes they just close one side because the park isn't busy, and that doesn't usually cause much of a logjam).
And that was about it for Disneyland. I don't think I rode anything else. I didn't even go to the Tiki Room, which is a sort of sacrilege for me. Even after my small world catnap, I was still dragging a bit, so I decided to go to Ghirardelli and have a hot fudge sundae, before watching Aladdin. This may be another sacrilege, but I must admit I'm not really that crazy for Ghirardelli. I've been disappointed with my sundaes in the past, but I've always ordered some sort of specialty sundae, and some non-core element disappointed me, like I didn't like the peanut butter they used. But this time I just got the basic hot fudge sundae, and it's just okay, something about it just seems slightly off. Maybe I don't like their vanilla ice cream? I once got a chocolate shake, and had similar feelings about the chocolate ice cream. So truth be told, I think I might just give Ghirardelli a pass next trip, as I would be just as satisfied with a chocolate croissant from the Jolly Holiday, and it would be a lot cheaper.
After I finished my ice cream, I was off to get a seat for Aladdin. Last time I saw the show, I noticed the seats in the balcony on the far ends of the auditorium, with just one row on the extreme sides of the theatre. I thought they might offer an unusual perspective on the show, and the various effects. I made a mental note to try them out sometime, and so this time I tried to snag a seat there. Unfortunately, by the time I walked across the auditorium, the far seats (which I thought would have a better view of the carpet) were taken, so I walked back to where I came in, and took the only remaining seat on the other side, which was the closest to the stage. But given how far off to the side the balcony is here, it was a pretty lousy seats, in many respects. I had trouble seeing a lot of the stuff happening deep in the stage. But it did offer a different perspective on some of the signature elements of the show. In particular, it offered a very close-up look at the carpet flying over the audience, with the performers at one point mere feet away (with their backs to me at that moment, unfortunately). I also could see the performers on stage much closer than I'm used to in the balcony. And I could see some of the actors awaiting their cues off-stage, and seeing them hastily ascending the stairs next to me to get to their window in time to deliver a line. Don't know that I would sit there again, but it did offer a different perspective.
The show itself was just okay. The genie wasn't bad, per se, but it was a rather by-the-numbers performance, with some of the more stale jokes remaining. The last performance I saw was much better, but this performance was still entertaining. It's a good show, and the Broadway-caliber staging makes it seem like a real bargain for a theme park. I often feel like it alone has justified my trip to Disneyland, and I felt no different this trip, when I wasn't quite in the Disneyland mindset. If I had just taken the train to Anaheim to see Aladdin and nothing else, it seemed to me that would have been a reasonable thing to do. The rest of my day was just gravy.
Turning on my cell phone as I left Aladdin, I discovered multiple frantic voice mails from my mom, letting me know that a Pacific Surfliner train hit a truck in Sorrento Valley, shutting down the tracks. She was convinced I was now stranded in Anaheim for the night. I assured her Amtrak deals with this kind of thing fairly regularly, and if the train wasn't running through that stretch of tracks by the time my train was scheduled, they would probably bus us down to San Diego. I wasn't as worried as her, but I did think I would now be late getting home. But as it turns out, they had the trains running again, on a different track, I think, before my train picked me up at Anaheim, and while we were close to 20 minutes late, I don't think the accident was a factor.
But regardless the unsettling news from the tracks, I went on with my day, and rode a few rides in DCA. As I was getting on the Little Mermaid, I got a text from a friend that she was at the park that day, as well, and so I met up with her as soon as I got off the ride, just in time to see the neon lighting in Cars Land. We chatted for a bit, and then I rode on California Screamin' with her kid.
And with that, I realized my day was coming to an end. Monika was leaving, and I had to catch my shuttle bus soon after. I did some quick shopping, retrieved my stuff from the locker, and went to catch the bus (which as I said before I did, barely). It was an odd day at Disneyland. It didn't seem like I did much. I did precisely nothing related to Halloween, which was ostensibly the point of this trip (I never made it to the villains stuff at Big Thunder Ranch, couldn't exactly say why, it just didn't happen for some reason). I missed such personal favorites as the Tiki Room and Great Moments With Mr. Lincoln. But despite not doing much, and despite the fact that, as I've admitted many times, my heart just didn't seem to be in this trip, I still had a good time. Maybe it was the train trip, adding novelty to the day. Maybe it was just that it was better than my last trip. Maybe it was seeing Aladdin. Maybe running into my friend and watching the neon glow together. But whatever it was, I ended up being very glad I went. I'm still standing by my claim that I'm going to let my pass expire for a few months, take a break from the parks. But I still love the place, even if I don't feel the compulsion to go over and over again like I used to. I'm looking forward to taking a break from it, but Disneyland is still a special place.
But with my day at Disneyland over, there was still the matter of getting home. The train was late getting to Anaheim, by about 15 minutes. When it arrived, I was surprised to see it was not the train I'm used to. Apparently, to add capacity, there is one Pacific Surfliner train that uses old Amfleet single-level train cars. I was vaguely aware of this, and of the fact that passengers do not like the train, at all. But I had never considered that I would be on this train some day. But on my second trip, here I was. I sprinted down to an open door (unlike the new trains, the Amfleet cars don't have automatic doors, so only the doors nearest the attendants actually open), and walked through the cramped cars looking for a seat. I was beginning to worry I'd have to sit next to someone (egads!), but I did find a seat towards the back by myself. I was immediately appalled by the legroom. Not unbearable, but much worse than the standard Surfliner car. Just out of curiosity, I tried to lower the tray from the seat in front of me, but there was nowhere for it to go. Once my ticket was collected, I went to the cafe car and got a mediocre hot dog, and while there I got a peak into business class, which looked like quite an improvement over where I was sitting. I can't really say how it compares to business class in the other trains, but I feel comfortable saying there must be a much more noticeable difference between coach and business classes on the Amfleet trains than on the standard trains. I certainly hope I don't have to take this train when I go to Santa Barbara next month.
Whatever its shortcomings, though, the train did get me home. Between the outdated rolling stock and the fact that this was one of the Surfliner trains they now have making Coaster stops, we arrived late, which seems inevitable. But not ridiculously late, and soon enough I was on the trolley, and was home just slightly later than usual for a Disney trip.
So to conclude, I would have to say Amtrak is not really a reasonable way to get to Disneyland from San Diego. I don't know that I would do it again. But I think it worked out for me, on this trip. It was a relaxing ride to the park, and given the stresses of my last few visits, that's exactly what I needed. It set the mood for the trip, so when I discovered the park to be busier than I expected, I just went with it. It was hardly my most productive trip, but I think I'm at a point where I need a trip that leaves me wanting more. And now, I actually find myself, if not craving another trip, at least looking forward to my next trip with anticipation instead of dread. So I think this trip worked out well, serving as one step in the process to slowly nurse my Disney fanaticism back to health. Let's hope my next trip goes as smoothly (not sure when that will be - Thanksgiving weekend? I've actually been twice on that weekend, and it's actually a much more pleasant day than you might think).
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