Off to Disneyland with about 70 High School Students - the Pre-Trip Report
So, after many years of not being able to find the time, energy, or money to make it to a Disney park, I am finally headed to Disneyland this coming Friday. We will be on charter busses driving to the Embassy Suites Anaheim-Orange where we will be staying during our trip.
Saturday we will make our way to Disneyland at 8am and will hope to be in the park by 9am (by time we get all of the students loaded on the bus, unloaded and to the parks). I will be taking advanatage of the MaxPass on the Disney app (my first time giving this a try). I figure for an extra $10/day, it will be well worth it - especially since we are only at the parks for 2 days and, in those 2 days, will also be busy with the workshops that the students will be participating in while we are there. We will be participating in an Audition Workshop and a Technical Theater Workshop. Due to the size of our group, we will split the students up in to 2 groups and they will each do one workshop on Saturday and one on Sunday. This will be an AMAZING experience for them (although something I can pass on since I worked at Disney for 7 1/2 years and have been through auditions and worked as a Stage Manager for various shows).
On Saturday, I will also be meeting family members who live not too far from the park at Downtown Disney for lunch. We have chosen to try out Ralph Brennan's Jazz Kitchen as I love me some New Orlean's food. And, since a few of my family members do not have passes to the park, this will enable them to join us for lunch without having to buy park tickets.
On Saturday night, I am hoping to view World of Color. This will be my first experience and I, honestly, have VERY low expectations. I have heard a number of negative things about this show from the show itself, to the viewing of it, to the wait for finding a viewing area. I am hoping to get a FastPass to get in to the reserved seating.
On Sunday, I will be seeing Fantasmic! I actually worked the Fantasmic! show when it first premiered at Disneyland and I truly LOVED the show!! I have to say, I am not very happy about, or am I impressed by, the changes that they have made to the show. However, I am going in with an open mind and I am hoping that being their live will make it that much better.
As for attractions, the MUST DO's for me include: Guardians of the Galaxy (have not done this attraction yet), Toy Story Mania (one of my all-time favorite), Star Tours, Matterhorn, Space Mountain, Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, Haunted Mansion, Pirates, Soarin' & Thunder Mountain. Anything else, I will willingly ride, but not necessarily a Must-Do.
The other musts.......the Hand-Dipped Corn Dog cart at the end of Main Street....the skewers at Bengal BBQ....clam chowder in a bread bowl & fritters at Royal Street Veranda....a Dole Whip....and who knows what else I might find!!
Let the countdown commence.....just 4 days to go!!
