Day At Disneyland: The Rest Of The Story

Now, where was I?

Oh, yes… Disneyland. May 10, 2023. A Wednesday, to be exact.

When I last left off, we had done the thing that is Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. But as you may know, there is more to the Park than all of that. Yes, very nice. Good job on putting guests into the franchise that a little movie in a galaxy far, far away has become. Although, in the effort to try and give folks something they haven’t seen before, they (being Imagineers and suits) have forgotten how they got where they are. The success of Star Tours should have offered more of a clue.

But all that over with for the day, it was time to take in the rest of what lies inside the berm. As days at Disneyland go, this was a pretty nice one. Another blast from the past joined us in the presence of Michael Riley. A friend of many years and one with whom I shared many a Disney misadventure, it was a treat to have him along. He is living nearby and enjoys his mid-level Magic Key, as would I if things were different.

Lunch was enjoyed at the Tropical Hideaway in Adventureland. Enjoyed a few bao buns and other treats. And while there, we met another friend, who was off on a break from his role that day as a Jungle Cruise Skipper. Nice to finally meet someone who shares a few of the same interests. Our table was right next to Rosita, and she was in full form with all of the appropriate comments.

The afternoon was a mixed bag. We wander about taking in a few of the required moments. Got a prescription from Shrunken Ned as well as a visit with Fortune Red along the way. Paid homage to Splash Mountain but did not take the plunge. No wet feet this trip, thank you very much. ( And to note, my feet actually did very well on this visit. No blisters or other unpleasantness. Wearing comfortable, broken in shoes is the secret.)

We did venture back to Baatu for a visit to Oga’s Cantina and a few beverages. Being mid-afternoon, the wait was quick and it was a pleasant diversion. But the challenge ahead was to try our luck at Mickey’s Toontown and a ride on Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway. I say challenge, because we had tried to ride the attraction twice earlier in the day, only to find it unavailable. Hoping the third time would be the charm, the wait time when we started was 45 minutes, and the queue seemed to be moving quickly. There is plenty to look at along the way, with plenty of gags and callbacks to Mickey’s motion picture career, as guests wend there way from outside to in.

Unfortunately things came to a halt as we were getting close to boarding one of the attraction vehicles. Yes, the ride had yet again gone off line and it would be sometime before things resumed. Eventually, the clock ran out and we had to move on to other things. Another day… But I did get to check out the shop through which the attraction exits. Plenty of in jokes and gags for the model railroad crowd. Of which this is a favorite:

Michael had to catch his ride home and I grabbed a quick dinner at the Plaza Inn of the Southwestern Chicken Salad, while Kym was off exploring the other side of the Esplanade at DCA. We caught up and enjoyed a few more diversions including the Mango Dole Whip back at Tropical Hideaway. A nice place to relax out of the hustle of the rest of the Park.

Refreshed, we took in a few more things including a fun night cruise through the Jungle before calling it almost a day from open to close. I was using the camera on the iPhone 13 mini and got some good results, including this low light view of the dock awaiting the arrival of a bote.

All in all, not a bad day at the Park. Short as it was, it was a nice reminder of days gone by and things to come. Good times with good folks.

What more can you ask of a Day at Disneyland?