Wednesday, August 31, 2022

Strolling Through the (Theme) Park One Day: Disneyland 2022!

I wanted to catch the Main Street Electrical Parade which would end on September 1st so it was time to go back to Disneyland!  The last time I went to a Disney park was last November.  Note that there were walls blocking the Mickey floral display.  The cost for the ticket was $104.  I went to City Hall to get help with the app, and found something new.  On the app, there is a feature Cast Compliments, click the three lines from the home screen.  Then, scroll down below the icons to Cast Compliment below My Profile.  Select compliment from “I’d like to say `Thanks!” for…” like “Making such a postiive impact on my day.”  Next, location like Disneyland Park, this goes to specific locations for example Main Street, U.S.A.  Below is Cast Member First Name, “Cast Member Hometown as Listed on Their Name Tag”, this can lead to a fun conversation.  Lastly, “Date of Your Interaction”, a calendar is shown, just click the day and then click Submit.   


Stormtroopers All in a Row, Rise of the Resistance, author’s photo. 


I headed straight for Galaxy’s Edge with a lunch of a Ronto Wrap and Tatooine Sunset, $21.53.  My reservation for Rise of the Resistance came up so I hurried over to scan in.  The details are at: http://geektruth.blogspot.com/2022/08/strolling-through-theme-park-one-day_30.html.  I strolled over to the Creature Stall and asked about the Krykna Spider Creature, but it was not in stock.  Also, the Bantha Talking Plush which I has been out of stock for some time, rare, and not expected back any time soon!  Then, a cup of Blue Mik at the Milk Stand, $8.61, which really felt pricey, still worth it.  I wanted to see what was going on with Toon Town a wall blocks off the crossing under the bridge.  My next objective was to photograph the People Mover track.  There are rumors of its return to be announced at the D23 Expo.  I also saw some scaffolding at the Matterhorn.


                                                                                    Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage lagoon, photo by the author. 


There is some of the People Mover track seen at the dock of the Finding Nemo subs and luckily a cast member helped set up the reservation for it.  Another compliment there.  I traced the People Mover track around Tomorrowland and then followed it to Main Street.  The 8 p.m. Electrical Parade was packed by then, so I headed back to Tomorrowland to see if I could see the People Mover track from Autopia.  They had cancelled the fireworks due to winds, it was a light breeze, so I went back to Rise of the Resistance to find my hat that I lost on the ride.  The ride was closed, but a cast member remembered seeing my hat so I put in another compliment.  From there, I went on Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run, left pilot.  I had a cast member take my pic in front of the Falcon, he was the regular Photo Pass photographer, but used my phone.  I entered the Cast Compliment which he was not familiar, kinda disappointed if people get their pic taken and not give a compliment!  


“Disneyland proudly presents…The Main Street Electrical Parade!”, author’s photo. 


I got a water, $4.75, a little expensive before I went to finish my day at the last Main Street Electrical Parade showing.  I also got a Fuel Cell, I had to call the operator who said they ran out of replacement Fuel Cell, so I had to again buy a new one, $30.  This is the only place at Disneyland you can recharge your phone or electrical equipment.  Other places have charging stations.  I was watching videos of parades at Tokyo Disneyland and the guests basically politely sat there.  This last showing was the same.  No kids shouting out characters, no waving, just passive.  The characters came to interact with guests on the curb.  I was on the curb, but told to move to behind a rope, then guests sat in the same place on the curb.  I also noticed that the speakers are not around the parade route, I was by the castle and Tomorrowland, so it didn’t have the rumble of the bass.  Since the speakers are not blasting, I loved it when I was a kid, after the floats pass, it’s just a wait until the next one.  The constant melody of “Baroque Hoedown” just gets me grooving.  



It’s A Small World parade float, the end of the parade, goodnight!, photo by the author. 


The narration at the beginning is changed, but about the same spiel.   The drum-like part of the parade has lit up “Disneyland Presents”, “MAIN STREET ELECTRICAL PARADE”, it is missing “The Main Street…”, and 50 YEARS."  I still think the performers should have lit collars or lights pointing down at them, it gets so dark you can’t see faces.  I could of course see Goofy, Minnie, and Mickey.  Dopey is lit up, kinda Alice, and I couldn’t recognize Tinkerbell’s fairies.  I kinda saw Tinkerbell, I can just make out Pinocchio and the Pleasure Island dancers, Cinderella and Fairy Godmother need lights like Alice.  I still love Pete’s Dragon, I didn’t see the 1977 original until after the recent 2016 version. I actually prefer the It’s a Small World float over the “To Honor America.” It has the world representation with Fairy Godmother doll, Hercules, Miguel from Coco (2017), Moana needs some light, Pocahontas, Raya, Aladdin and Jasmine. Encanto’s Mirabel was on the other side.  Finally there is the Small World clock on a castle.  The end total was $168 with $56.31 in souvenirs it would be $225.17.  Disneyland was very tiring for my feet, but fun overall, especially with seven Cast Compliments! 


#Disneyland, #CastCompliments, #GalaxysEdge, #RontoWrap, #TatooineSunset, #CreatureStall, #KryknaSpiderCreature, #BanthaTalkingPlush, #BlueMilk, #MilkStand, #PeopleMover,  #FindingNemoSubmarineVoyage, #Autopia, #MillenniumFalconSmuggersRun, #MainStreetElectricalParade         

 

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