As Mark Twain may have remarked, rumors of my demise have been exaggerated. I am not lying in the ditch on the side of some rural byway, just diverted along the scenic route, so to speak or type.

A number of issues have kept me away from the keyboard, both technical and otherwise. Some of these have been remedied, thanks to upgrades of all kinds, so onward!

The calendar has crept forward and in doing so has provided opportunities to get out and about more often. Hopefully, I will be able to share more of observations from these more frequent expeditions into the great wide somewhere.

Contrary to the opinions of some, life does go on. Over the years, loyal readers of this space may have noted a lack of the political sphere on most of my scribbling. That will not be changing. If you are looking for the latest mud slung, this isn’t the place. What I will continue to share are things I hope you will find interesting, amusing or worth enjoying. That’s why I started all this online foolishness long ago and it is what keeps me typing away on this side of the screen, no matter how small it may get. Although I must admit a bit of wonder at why the cell phone has become the weapon of choice for the ingestion of infotainment.

So… sit back. Grab a glass or cup of what ever your beverage of choice may be. Make yourself comfy and take in what lies ahead.

And try not to take it all too seriously.

The big day had finally arrived. Wednesday, May 10, 2023.

It began as many do, waiting in line for the happiest parking structure in Orange County to open at 7:30 am. We were second in line, in our lane. Eventually, we were awarded a very up-front spot on the fifth floor in the new Pixar part of the garage. The security check and tram ride went quickly and we were inside Disneyland in less than 20 minutes. Medication was quickly checked in at First Aid and a large locker was procured. Quick thinking led to a good spot in front of the Frontierland gates. All seemed ready to proceed on target.

The Internet had spoken and we were heeding advice to enter Star Wars: Galaxies Edge via the center entrance from the Big Thunder Trail. And so were a whole lot of other guests. Shortly before 8 am, the voice of Bill Rogers welcomed us all to Disneyland and gave a brief introduction, including the admonishment to walk to the first destination of our day in the Park.

Now, that’s all fine and well. But the reality is that some folks go from a brisk walk to a trot to jogging and outright running. And as I am just returning to walking in good shoes after healing my foot, I am not going to keep up with them in any fashion. Our goal was to start the day with Disneyland’s most popular attraction, Rise of the Resistance. A nice idea, but one shared by everyone else on the move from the Hub. By the time we finally got in line for the attraction, we were facing at least an hour of waiting in line. Frankly, not what I had in mind by any means.

One of the advantages of the Disneyland app for the phone is that you can pivot based on the information it provides. And that’s just what we did. Having linked our tickets previously, I was able to purchase Lightning Lane for both of us for Rise of the Resistance with a return time of less than 2 hours later. Another bonus was learning that Smuggler’s Run had a standby time of less than 5 minutes. So guess what we did next?

To this point, my impression of Galaxy’s Edge wasn’t much. It had not made a connection to any memories from watching the films of the Star Wars franchise. Until we turned a corner and were greeted by the scene above.

The Millenium Falcon.

Not a model or a miniature. Full size. Right there in front of us.

Insert popular descriptive adjectives here.

It was at that moment that I fully bought into being at the Black Spire Outpost on Baatu. And just as the image shows, no one standing in front of it.

Damn.

A few quick images were captured and we were off through the queue of Smuggler’s Run. An introduction into what lay ahead and we were quickly off on our mission..

A few minutes later we find ourselves being assigned our roles aboard the Falcon. I’m the left pilot controlling up and down; K.D. is the right pilot controlling left and right. We barely had time to register what was about to happen when we were ushered to our cockpit seats. And away we went…

As J. Thaddeus Toad might describe it, indeed a “wild ride”. One in which our crew managed to get back with cargo intact and not a great deal of damage to the ship, getting the accolades and ranking of Pirate Crew.

Oh, and I was a pilot of the fastest hunk of junk. One that made the Kessel Run in less than 12 parsecs.

Breakfast?

K.D. captured her own set of images of the area as I headed off to start my daily refrigerated medication from the folks at First Aid. I can’t overstate how great this ability is. We agreed to meet at the Jolly Holiday Bakery where we each had the Bacon and Egg Croissant with coffee to get us going. It also came with a side of fruit.

Properly fed and still enjoying our Pirate ranking, we headed back to take a more leisurely arrival at the Black Spire outpost. It was great to be able to take in more of the detail as we made our way at a less hectic pace.

Here’s one of those details. An animatronic horse just up a trail off the beaten path back into the Outpost. Sharp-eyed Disney park fans may recall that an Indian village is just below along the shores of the Rivers of America in Frontierland. Sure, it’s only a horse, but it is the kind of detail that helps bring an otherwise empty space to life.

Speaking of details, the whole area of the Black Spire Outpost is chock full of them. Enough to keep the casual fan interested and enough to make the dedicated faithful swoon at what lies in store at first glance. This X-Wing fighter is going through a series of engine cycles as it rests here. It doesn’t need a lot of imagination to see it lifting off on a Resistance mission.

Our time came quickly and we walked right on to the Rise of the Resistance attraction. Again plenty of pre-show elements draw you right in. Before you know it, you are aboard a transport heading out from the Resistance base, only to have the ship commandeered by the First Order. No spoilers ahead but the attraction combines some great interactions with Cast Members and trackless ride technology. Yes, it’s a solid E-Ticket.

We took advantage of the layout of the area to explore a bit as we headed for our next adventure in Toontown with Mickey’s Runaway Railway. The three specific areas work well giving guests something to see and do in each. Be it shops or attractions, there is plenty going on. And we would return later on in the afternoon to take in more of the area with a visit to Oga’s Cantina.

You may recall that I shared some thoughts earlier in this space on entertainment. Galaxy’s Edge does both active and inactive entertainment quite well. Choose to participate with the cast here and you can play the role you want in the story. Plenty of interactions can be had, even if you don’t intend to. The guests I saw with both Stormtroopers and Kylo Ren were light-hearted moments, but they were the kind of magic that make memories that will last a lifetime. It was extremely well played all around.

After all of it, I was kind of jealous. Because it works, as far as it goes. There is plenty of room for more and we have seen some additions – namely Boba Fett and the Mandalorian (with baby Grogu). Here’s hoping for more to come.

If only other franchises had given fans and theme park guests more entertainment along this line. Well, yes, Universal has Harry Potter. Why couldn’t Paramount Parks have done this for Star Trek?

In the next chapter? Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway goes down for the count…

It’s been.

Well, more than a while since I spent any time roaming Orange County. Tuesday, May 9th, 2023 became the latest.

Starting the day, K.D. and I began with an adventure getting from our Motel 6 onto the 91 freeway heading to Long Beach. Usually, freeway onramps are fairly easy to find and away you go. Not this one, but after taking the scenic route, we managed to be westbound early in the morning commute. After a brief stop, we added Michelle to our little expedition and headed for breakfast to start the day properly. Polly’s Pies in Long Beach was the stop and we ate a hearty meal with plenty of great coffee. It was also a great way to catch up with each other after the long pandemic interruption.

Next would be a visit with Kevin Honda and the fine folks at Arnie’s Model Trains in Westminster. When it comes to HO and N scale trains, it is hard to beat the selection of new and used equipment available here. Especially interesting was everything needed to model a complete circus train, from the days when under the big top was the greatest show on Earth, traveling from place to place by rail. Many of these models were hand built from kits and are rather unusual. Next door, it’s a great selection of large-scale trains at Milepost 38, with everything from Lionel to garden railway new and used trains. A particular eye-catching model was a Bachmann Trains “Emma Nevada”, the prototype of which used to be on Disney animator Ward Kimball’s Grizzly Flats Railroad and is now on display (and under restoration) at the Southern California Railway Museum in Perris, California.

A few other stops around Orange County led us back to Anaheim and the Disneyland Hotel. Despite the years, there are more than a few reminders of the days when Jack and Bonita Wrather were the owners of this property. And even with the addition of a new Disney Vacation Club tower, it remains a sentimental favorite of many visitors to the Disneyland Resort. Michelle and her husband Noe spent their wedding night in what once had been the private suite of the Wrather family. As well, Michael and his first wife Susan also spent their wedding night in a suite at the end of the Bonita Tower (now known as the Frontier Tower). Michael and Susan also enjoyed more than a few trips with myself and my wife MIchele to Disneyland including a few New Year’s Eve events with stays at the Disneyland Hotel.

As with many, there have been some truly wonderful meals and beverages enjoyed here at the restaurants and bars of the hotel over the years. More than a few are long gone. Hook’s Pointe, Stromboli’s, The Monorail Cafe, Sgt. Preston’s Yulon Saloon, Maizie’s Pantry, Granville’s, the Lost Bar, and more… Great memories of all kinds with family and friends. Rumors have recently promised the return of Steakhouse 55 and it looks like a new restaurant in the DVC Tower coming in 2024.

After visiting the Fantasia Shop and adding a few items for the coming day, it was more than time to visit the Tangeroa Terrace and Trader Sam’s Enchanted Tiki Bar. We were very lucky to get a table outside of Trader Sam’s. A few pupu’s and a full Sea Monster’s Embrace made the time go all too quickly here. Just for the record, we all shared that bowl. Complete with The Real McCoy and Plantation Dark Rum, New Amsterdam Gin, E&J Brandy, Passion Fruit, Falernum, and Juices of Lime, Orange, and Pineapple served in a great tiki bowl, complete with tentacles.

Our final stop for the day was back across to Fullerton for some mighty tasty Korean BBQ at Mr. BBQ. It is one popular place and serves a younger, hip crowd. With plenty of K-pop music adding to the crowd’s enthusiasm, the noise level can be fairly high. But the all-you-can-eat meal at a set price for adults and children presents quite an attractive and festive experience. We ate until stuffed and enjoyed a small scoop of chocolate ice cream to finish.

It was one long, enjoyable day. A great warm-up for the penultimate day. In the next chapter: The Day At Disneyland.

The big day arrived at last. Monday, May 9, 2023.

I arrived in downtown Martinez and found plenty of parking in the lot at the Amtrak Station. It’s one of California’s busiest passenger rail stations with Capital Corridor, San Joaquin, California Zephyr, and Coast Starlight trains serving here. In fact, moments before San Joaquin train 710 arrived for Bakersfield, the southbound Coast Starlight train 11 made its brief stop to discharge and pick up a few passengers.

My choice of a parking spot would later provide amusement on my return 3 days later.

It has been a while since I last rode this train. At that time, a good friend (and Disneyland aficionado), Ed Mackinson was working aboard as a conductor. What started as a service with one northbound and one southbound train each day has grown into a major transportation service with a robust schedule of six round-trip trains a day under state sponsorship.

The San Joaquin trains primarily use the bilevel passenger cars purchased by the state of California for Northern and Southern California service. The train often consists of six car trainsets of four coaches and a cafe car. Once the conductor had scanned my electronic ticket, I was free to get coffee and pastry. It was a relaxing ride with stops in Antioch, Stockton, Modesto, Turlock, Merced, Madera, Fresno, Hanford, Corcoran, and Wasco; with a final rail destination of Bakersfield. Motorcoach service to Los Angeles Union Station completes the trip.

Joining me en route at Fresno was my good friend and former Disneyland Jungle Cruise skipper, K.D. Younger. This trip allowed her some much-needed diversion from otherworldly concerns for a few days. Other characters along this time include best pal Michelle Valladolid (a veteran of early internet days as well as an occasional columnist at a variety of websites); and Michael Riley ( a friend of many years with various Star Trek and Disney misadventures including a stint as the Emergency Retail Hologram as Star Trek: The Experience in Las Vegas). With all three of these compatriots, there are plenty of great Disney and more memories behind us. They also have joined me for trips on chartered private railcars to various destinations. One could not ask for better company on this adventure.

Upon the arrival of our motorcoaches at Union Station, I headed for the Hertz counter to pick up my rental car for the next few days. The Manager’s Special turned out to be a four-door Chevrolet Spark. Small but useful, it got us around the Southland for the next few days without incident.

Union Station has seen a renaissance in the last few years as it became a true multi-modal transportation hub. What began as a rail-only facility in May of 1939 with passenger trains of three mainline railroads and trains from across the country today sees Amtrak trains and buses, along with Metrolink trains from all over Southern California, Metro light and heavy rail along with local and long-distance bus services. Not to mention Greyhound and many other local bus services. It is indeed a busy place.

The station has also seen a revival in food and beverage service with everything from a small market to Starbucks to quick service and fast food all available. Traxx is a popular sit-down dining option. But on this day, our destination was the revival of a classic space at Union Station. At one time, the Harvey House restaurant was the best of the best when it came to dining while waiting for your train to depart. As it served its last meals by Harvey in 1967, today it serves as the Homebound Brewery. It’s a classic brewpub with beer brewed on-site. A great mix of cocktails, beverages, and food all come together as a great place to meet and greet.

Meet and greet indeed! This was an opportunity to meet up with a Facebook friend, Jeff Sumners, who shares a series of interests including railroading, Nevada, theme parks, Lucius Beebe and Charles Clegg, to name a few. Over a few pints of great beer and snacks, we commiserated over some recent experiences. Hope to get the chance to enjoy more time soon.

Eventually, K.D. and I made our way to our Motel 6 in Buena Park to turn in at the end of a long day. Which leads to the end of this chapter of our story. Next time? If it’s Tuesday, this must be Orange County. Stay tuned…

In the past, when it came to tickets for days at the Disneyland Resort, I usually had several choices. For many years, off and on, I had one of the levels of an Annual Passport. That started back when the Magic Kingdom Club first offered them to test the waters, so to speak. But my last AP had sunset almost ten years ago. That option exists now in the Magic Key program. If I had the interest, and if the Keys were available, I could have invested in one. As my plans for the next 12 months may not include another theme park visit, it did not seem appropriate.

Disneyland has a number of options for ticket purchases for admission to the California theme parks. Everything from single-day single park tickets to multi-day tickets and even tickets that allow guests to park hop (visiting both parks on the same day). Along with the variety of tickets, pricing is now based on season and demand.

Disney has also added an additional wrinkle into the process by requiring that guests have a reservation for specific days of their visit in addition to theme park tickets. By reserving a place in advance, Disney can plan accordingly for operations. Everything from Cast Member scheduling to food service and retail sales can be planned in advance based on projected guest numbers for any given day.

In my case, it would be a one-day one-park pass for Disneyland, at the lowest price of $104 for an adult ticket. I would not require a physical paper ticket, but would instead by using the Disneyland app on my iPhone. The app does offer guests the ability to plan their days in many ways. But I am old school and wanted to be flexible in my visit. I didn’t want to be tied down to scheduling my time for attractions or meals. The goal was to do things as they happened. For the most part, that was how it went on the day.

Another concern relates to my health. As a type 2 diabetic, I require injections of insulin prior to breakfast and dinner. Insulin requires refrigeration. I considered carrying a small foldable cooler with frozen blue ice packs. That could have been stored in a locker and accessed as required. However, a friend shared that Disneyland’s First Aid center offers refrigeration of medications. Problem solved for the first part. The second part? Being diabetic, I needed to consider what to eat during the day. That is where time with the Disneyland app in advance offered a good understanding of what food is available in the Park. I could give thought to what would work best for me in advance. I can’t say that I was absolutely on my best behavior at all times, but in my defense, I did walk a substantial number of steps that day. If a low-sugar or sugar-free option was available, I did choose that. Points for Coca-Cola Zero Sugar and Sprite Zero Sugar being available both in bottles and as fountain beverages throughout Disneyland. (I will share in more detail what my meal and snack choices were in another post.)

Parking was another shock at the price of $30 per vehicle. But added through purchase on the Disneyland app, it was simple enough just to show the iPhone when the Parking structure opened at 7:30 am.

To be honest, this wasn’t planned as a full day at the Park from rope drop to closing. Over the years, getting the chance to get off our feet in the afternoon has become something of a passion. Just being away from the hustle and bustle of even a quiet day at the theme parks has merit for children of all ages. We’ll explore what actually happened in the next chapter of our tale. Stay tuned…