Originally Posted By SingleParkPassholder - Visited Disneyland for the first time since late October. Life got in the way and we didn't make our usual half dozen visits this season. We got to the Anaheim area around 9:45 a.m. - We were not allowed to park in the structure. Everyone was funnelled past it to auxiliary lots. Screw this, we thought, what with my knee surgery, we hung a quick right and went into the nearly deserted Downtown Disney lot. - Entered through the Monorail into Tomorrowland. Mandy the Monorial really needs to re-think the unintended double entendres of the new narrations. Keeping hands "inside her cabin", the "ride with her is tight through here", etc. - Tomorrowland was already packed by 10:15 a.m. We thought it might have been just a congested point, but the Matterhorn lines wrapped both ways around. Small World was a breeze to get on though, which was our only intended attraction destination. - Sad to see the large white tree gone from the last room. The snowman is nice, but why is the tree gone? Couldn't the room have been plussed instead substituted? We thought that about the now singular bell in the Mexican section, too, years ago. If something wears out, why eliminate instead of getting rid of it? Not like they can't afford it. - Also sad to hear that there were no reindeer at Santa's Ranch (or whatever that's called behind Big Thunder) this year. Nothing says Merry Christmas like goats, sheep and a cow. - Will the people who lay out large blankets by 10:00 a.m. by the Hub for parades and events that don't take place until much later in the day please go play in traffic? Disney needs to institute a rule that stops this practice ASAP. Disney won't, because they've had decades to do something about it, but today was the day for pushy, entitled ingrates and their blankets. It forces people to walk in the street, adding to the already congested walkways because they've hogged the sidewalk with their crap, and it makes for confrontations, intended and unintended. I stopped to look at all the stage work in front of the Castle and heard a voice tell me I better not think of staying there, this was her spot. I looked done to see some fat whale, bloated into a female form, burping out the words between churro bites. I invited her to get a life, to have a heart attack, and I moved on. I also noticed several younger people blithely walking on these people's blankets, telling the owners if they didn't like it, get them off the sidewalk. No Disney people anywhere around. One last thing for the blanket sidewalk people- up yours, from me to you. Sorry, I realize how that sounds and reads, but imagine how you appear to the majoriy of everyone else. - Was again chagrined to hear from a long time cast member that Disney Perks coffee and the Market House were definitely going away, never to return, and will be replaced by Starbucks. I'm hoarding flavored Disney Perks now. - Ran into a very nice male CM who took our picture by the Christmas tree. Thought I'd throw in something cheerful. - We encountered what we figured were greeters by the entrances to several shops on Main Street. We struck up a conversation with one nice lady. Except we couldn't. We asked the price on an item and not only did she not quite understand what we were asking, she couldn't quite tell the regular cast member what we wanted. She couldn't converse in English. Spanish no problem, English no way. Same for the other two greeters we saw. What the hell is going on? They were all very nice, friendly, cordial and did their damndest to say "magical" without it sounding like "majill", but no English????? - Which reminds me. ENOUGH with "have a magical day". Please.don't.say.that. It's a contrived corporatespeak mantra, not at all genuine, and it needs to stop. Rowwwr. - We left the park by noon or so. It was packed, and getting packed-er. No place for two grumpy old people. Well, one. My wife is always relentlessly cheerful. We ate at ESPN, which was not packed at all, and saw the first half of USC's non-appearance in the Sun Bowl. While there, we learned that ESPN will now start checking for an ESPN receipt before they validate parking, otherwise no validation. Previously in years past, they'd validate anyone. We also learned that Disney was closing off access to the Downtown Disney lot at 2:00 p.m. today, and were going to re-open at 5:00 p.m. It will cost $20.00 to park there from 5:00 p.m. on today, whether you're there three minutes or the whole night, provided you can even get a space. As we were leaving, we also saw that they closed off access to large parts off the lot not used, and were making cars circle like vultures for other spots not closed off. And as we left, there was NO attendant, so we validated for nothing. - Have a majill new yer!
Originally Posted By Jim in Merced CA As a fellow grumpy old person -- I absolutely LOVE this post. Thanks SPP!
Originally Posted By ecdc What Jim said. I'll see your grumpy and raise you my misanthropy. I loved this and laughed all the way through!
Originally Posted By SingleParkPassholder Unfortunately, it's all true, and my relentlessly cheerful wife made me tone it down. I am also pissed that there are still typos in it, because I re-read it several times. But, after all, I am King of the Typos.
Originally Posted By KCCHIEF I just want to know one thing.....did you and the "blanket lady" really say that to each other??? Funny.....
Originally Posted By melekalikimaka <<bloated into a female form, burping out the words between churro bites.>> And this is why I love SPP.
Originally Posted By Tikiduck Blanket people, snapping like alligators at anyone who dares invade their precious space. I would have certainly exchanged unpleasant words with her.
Originally Posted By SingleParkPassholder "I just want to know one thing.....did you and the "blanket lady" really say that to each other??? Funny....." Afraid so. Seeing as how she initiated things, I did wait a beat, and then decided what the hell, good idea or not it was what I was thinking, might as well say it.
Originally Posted By LindsayC I for one would love to read the original non-toned version having done two full NYE’s at DL (and escaped to DCA for another) the familiarity of these experiences ring all too true.
Originally Posted By SingleParkPassholder "I for one would love to read the original non-toned version having done two full NYE’s at DL (and escaped to DCA for another) the familiarity of these experiences ring all too true." I do enough things to get admined around here. Suffice to say the term "fat, selfish piece of ----" was used. I also encouraged her to hurry up and have that heart attack she was headed for, so the morgue could find a piano box big enough to bury her in. That's when my wife pushed me in the back, hard, and we moved away. But I have to say the vitriol that came from me was prompted only by her charming and graceful use of the f bomb because apparently she didn't get my attention at first.
Originally Posted By FerretAfros I haven't ridden the Monorail since they did the Cars overlay, but I didn't know that they were doing narration like htat. I wasn't particularly fond of how it looks from the outside, but I didn't know they were doing stupid stuff inside too. >>We thought that about the now singular bell in the Mexican section, too, years ago. If something wears out, why eliminate instead of getting rid of it? Not like they can't afford it.<< They eliminated the second arch a few years ago, when they added the characters to the ride. The second arch would obscure the view of the Three Caballeros directly ahead in that room. And with the removal of the second arch, they also lost the overhead tunnel of lights. And for what it's worth, I also much perfer the snowflake tree to the giant snowman. I thought the tree was really clever and classy; the snowman is just huge.
Originally Posted By LPFan22 ~~~And for what it's worth, I also much prefer the snowflake tree to the giant snowman. I thought the tree was really clever and classy; the snowman is just huge.~~~ Can anyone share a pic of this?
Originally Posted By FerretAfros Here's the snowflake, as seen in an LP updated from 2001: <a href="http://www.laughingplace.com/ShowPic.asp?Filename=/files/DLUpdate47/big/P11-0001.jpg&Caption=The+snowflake+tree+makes+its+appearance+again+this+year+for+its+a+small+world+holiday&ID=505090" target="_blank">http://www.laughingplace.com/S...D=505090</a> It remained essentially the same (though it began to visibly age and sag some in its later years) until it was replaced by the enormous snowman we have today (which seems to be about 10% too big for its space)
Originally Posted By Dabob2 <bloated into a female form, burping out the words between churro bites.> I have to admit I LOL'd at this too. I generally hold my tongue with people like this at DL (even though years of Brooklyn living have honed some awfully colorful thoughts); Jerry doesn't always do so. If we ever meet up at the parks again, we'd have two teams of good cop/bad cop, rhetorically speaking.
Originally Posted By SingleParkPassholder Went again this afternoon. Got there at 3:00 p.m., left around 5:15 p.m. Second verse, same as the first. Super crowded, rude people and more.
Originally Posted By tashajilek SPP, my husband was wondering why i was crying with laughter and couldnt talk. I couldnt even read your post i was crying too hard and i made him read it to me. Thanks for making my day!
Originally Posted By CuriousConstance Blanket people are my arch nemeses! Down with the blanket people!!!
