D23 and Disneyland 2017 Trip - Disneyland Day 2

Welcome to day 2 of our Disneyland trip, otherwise known as...


WE ARE GROOT!

Once again we got up early-ish so that we could get to the parks before they opened at 8am. This day, we got in line to get a fast pass for Guardians of the Galaxy, since we were both still raving about how good the ride had been the night before. As I told Tom, I can't remember the last time I laughed so hard and felt so excited on a ride at the same time.

So here's my early morning fast pass queue photo:

We got our fast pass, which wasn't for until 9:20 or so I think? And it was 8:00, so we went over to Cars Land, and rode Radiator Springs Racers. Wow!! I enjoy the Pixar Cars movies, but they aren't my favorite or anything, but Cars Land is soooo very impressively immersive and well done, and I really really loved the Racers queue...they play old Route 66 radio ads and songs related to cars and ads related to cars from the 1940s or so, and it's so entertaining! Not to mention most of it is shaded, and part of it has misters, so it was pleasant.

I love how in the ride photo I look like an 80s rock star, with my hair all to the side, my sunglasses on...

We only wound up riding this ride once, but I think we could have easily ridden it again if the line wasn't so long all the time.

At this point, it was time for our fast pass. We rode Mission Breakout for a second time, got a second song, loved it just as much, and wanted to ride it again.

So we ran over and got another fast pass.

We also took this photo to commemorate our favorite ride.

While we were waiting for our next fast pass time, we went and checked out a few of the shops. This statue was calling me to take it home. Ultimately I declined, but I was tempted.

Another awesome Coke bottle.

A shirt that tempted me.

And a Steamboat Willie that was tempting too.

I really love these Frozen ears as well. I appreciate their subtlety...most of the Frozen ears have a gem with a photo of Elsa on them. These are a bit more adult.

These almost came home with me. I just wish official Disney ears didn't hurt my head so much. :(

I also loved these classic Minnie ears, like the red ones I'd worn the day before, only in purple instead.

Ultimately I did end up buying something at this store...the Disney top I'd been looking for. You'll have to watch my haul video to see it. :D

Next on our priority list: meeting Spidey! We only waited to do this because he didn't start meeting until after 10:00. Tom was excited to meet his favorite character of all time.

We walked over to the Mission Breakout area ten minutes before the first "dance off" was scheduled that morning. We knew that Groot was an un-advertised meet and greet right after some of the dance off performances. When we asked a cast member, we were told that "IF Groot were to show up" the queue line would be off to the side of where Starlord and Gamora were performing. There was no one in line, so we got to start the queue for a character for only the second time in the times we've gone to Disney parks (the first time was when we started the queue for Wreck it Ralph and Vanellope on our first trip to Disney World in 2013).

Tom took a sideways shot of the dance show.

Aaaand then it was time! Time for us to meet Groot. This has to be one of my favorite meet and greets ever. Meeting Groot was like meeting a nature spirit. He was so calm and tall and magical. His eyes were amazing. And he talked to us too! Of course he said "I am Groot."

Hugging Groot was also on-par with hugging Chewbacca for awesomeness.

We decided to check out the Animation Hall, which turned out to be really really cool. The main room has giant screens that run through features of different Disney animated films, showing different phases of the animation on each screen, from backgrounds to sketches, to the finished sequence.

Before we walked in, the entry hall had this lovely mural on the wall.

Also inside is the meet and greet with Anna and Elsa. We had met them before, but when you meet them in Epcot and previously in Magic Kingdom, they meet separately. It was nice to meet the sisters together, which is what I told them.

We also met Kristoff and Olaf!

We went back over to Cars Land and we saw Cruz Ramirez driving down the street!

Then we met Minnie Mouse! She looked so adorable, and I reminded her again that we can never resist meeting her because of all the great outfits she wears.

So she posed to show off this one.

She also signed an autograph for my Grandma.

Then we went over and met Daisy. I gave her a hug and told her how much we loved her sass.

Then we met Mickey, and I had another magical experience. We were in line to meet him, and a jazz band started playing right nearby. I saw Mickey start to do a little boogie while he was waiting for us, so I started boogying next to him, and then this happened...

That was very special, and I'll never forget it.

It was time to go on Mission Breakout again! But the fast pass line was pretty long. We were thinking of just skipping this fast pass and trying for a later one instead, but then we found out that the way Disneyland fast passes work, if you skip a fast pass for a ride, you can't get a later fast pass for the same ride. At least that's what the Cast Member by the fast pass ticket spot told us. So that meant if we missed this fast pass, we'd have to be done with Mission Breakout for the day. ....huh? We didn't want that to happen, so we got in line.

I got a photo of the Avengers hatch over by the ride. This is, according to many people, a teaser for the possibility of a future Marvel Land.

While we were on our way to the ride for our fast pass, I stopped by a food cart and picked up a Groot sipper. Of all the times we've gone to Disney World, I've never been tempted to get any of the souvenir drink containers...until the Groot sipper. His arms even move so you can make him dance!

O Hai!

The line actually wasn't as long as they said it would be...only about twenty minutes. And this time on our ride photo, we both posed looking at baby Groot!

We really really really loved this ride, which surprised me, because I was so upset when I heard they were going to do the overlay a year ago. But you can't deny how fun it is when you go on it. Nor can you deny the thoroughness of the theming. Or the awesomeness of the animatronic. Or how FUN it is.

We got off the ride and got another fast pass for later. This was the last time we went on for the night.

Lunch was at the Cozy Cone in Cars Land. We each got a "hand-wich" which is sort of like a bread bowl with a cone shaped pita bread.

Jeff met up with us after lunch, and we all went over to the pier area to ride the Mickey Fun Wheel. I agreed to ride in a rotating car, once again something I wouldn't have agreed to if it was just Tom and me. Jeff, you're a good influence on my bravery! Because I ended up enjoying it.

We then rode California Screamin on the single rider line, which is why I'm next to a stranger on my ride photo.

Jeff had to skeedaddle, so we went over to the front of the park to see if we could meet Oswald. Sadly we never did end up meeting him on this trip. Once again he's a character you can only meet at Disneyland, and one who isn't on the schedule. People who go to Disneyland all the time would say "oh but he's up there all the time," but since it's random and not on a schedule, those of us on a short term vacation can't afford the time in our days to keep going to the front of the park over and over to hope to catch him. We had the same issue with meeting Doctor Facilier. Oh, he's always walking around New Orleans Square, we heard, but...that may not help.

To drown our sorrows, we went to Clarabelle's, and got our Mickey Pants Kitchen Sink Sundae of the trip. We ordered an Oswald, ironically. They add chocolate covered bananas in the back like Oswald's ears. It's the only place you can get it...they don't sell it in Magic Kingdom.

After this, we went over and watched the 5:00 performance of the Frozen musical.

As we've always found is the case with Disney stage shows in the parks, it was outstanding.

This is someone else's video of Elsa's quick transformation during the "Let it Go" sequence. Mine didn't turn out so well.

When we left the theater, we saw people sitting down for a parade. It was the Pixar Parade, which we sat and watched. There's a warning in the times guide that you may get wet from this parade, and if we hadn't had my trusty umbrella with me, we would have. When the worst of the parade floats turned their hoses on the audience, I had my umbrella ready, and funny enough, a total stranger sitting next to me wound up ducking down behind it along with us.

At this point, we were getting a bit peckish for dinner, so we deliberated what to do. I reminded Tom that we had heard from many Disneyland regulars that the Plaza Inn had really really good fried chicken. So out of California Adventure we went, and back across the street to Disneyland.

Here I will note the fact that we ended up using our park hopper passes all three days of our Disneyland trip. I am so very glad we got the park hopper passes.

The chicken dinner was indeed delicious, and our timing was nothing short of Disney Magic, as we got a spot at a table right at a gap in the shrubbery with a view of Main Street, 20 minutes before the start of the Main Street Electrical Parade. So we got to eat dinner, relax, and enjoy a marvelous parade view.

After we ate, we wandered out to the street, and watched the fireworks we had heard at our hotel every night up till then. They were truly lovely. Everything at Disneyland is on a smaller scale, but that doesn't make it any less heart-tugging or magical. Beautiful.

On our way out, I suggested we walk through the Main Street shops to sort of let the crowds dissipate. I snapped a photo of this artwork for my dad, as I thought he'd get a tickle from it, and I surely couldn't afford to buy it.

This original painting was back behind a rope in a vault, lit beautifully and dramatically.

Right about this time, Tom saw Mickey walk past on his way to the entry hall for Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln. We followed him, and got in line to meet classic Minnie and Mickey together! Another rarity!

And that's how we ended our second Disneyland day, with classic magic.

The next day would be our last day of the trip. And I was determined to try to get as much done that we hadn't done yet as possible. Might that include more rides on Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout? Stay tuned to see!