Saturday...Before Tink!!

Heidi

 

So because we went to bed at 7pm (I kid you not) I believe we woke up around 4:30 am which would be 7:30 am Eastern Standard Time.  You can only lay in bed so long.  Our plan was to go to California Adventure at opening which I think was 9am. 

 

I was in a pretty foul mood on Friday and when it took us 800 years to walk to Disneyland, I was almost in tears thinking we had to do this again before the race.  However, the brilliant person I am, I decided to go through The Grand Californian Hotel to get some breakfast and see about going through their private entrance into California Adventure.  (I actually did do a little research on Disneyland before we left...unlike my good friend, Kristen.)  Well we weren't staying there so we couldn't use that entrance but it did take us to Downtown Disney which was a few steps away from Disneyland and California Adventure.  That put me in such a great mood.  It cut off tons of time and miles (in my mind).  The cool thing about Disneyland is Disneyland Park, California Adventure Park and Downtown Disney are steps away from each other.  NOTHING like Disney World!!!!  No bus or monorail needed at all.

 

The other thing that pissed me off on Friday was that we walked through Downtown Disney in search of Ghiradelli's so I could have a delicious chocolate milkshake.  (I always get one when I am at Downtown Disney in Florida.)  I was OFF my diet after all.  No stinking Ghiradelli's anywhere.  I knew I read about it so where the heck was it??  No milkshake for Heidi on Friday.  Kristen brightened my day even more as we were studying the CA (California Adventure - I can't write it out anymore) map at breakfast.  Ghiradelli's was in CA!!!  HOOORAYYY. 

 

So we get to CA about a half an hour before opening.  They let you in the park to a certain point and then you have to wait until the official opening time.  We see this very long line and Kristen wonders what it is.  I knew right away what it was...(again because I did a little research)...the Radiator Springs Racers fastpass line.  Kristen almost had a heart attack.  She did not want to wait in this line.  I told her it goes fast and from what I read....you have to get a fastpass right away or you were out of luck for the ride.  Oh...and Kristen and I DO NOT wait in lines that are longer than 30 minutes.  It is just not what you do when you are an expert fastpass user and I believe that is what we are.  So I ask the lady how long the wait will be and she said once the park opened and they let people start getting the FP's (Fastpasses because I need to abbreviate that word too) it will only take about 15 minutes.  She was right on.  We get our FP's and move about the park.

All Taken In Carsland...

 

 

CA reminded me a lot of Hollywood Studios in Disney World.  They had some cool different attractions that Disney World does not have but some of the same too.  Another thing I read online was that many of the FP's are disconnected.  Meaning...when you have an FP you have to wait until the ride time comes to get another FP for another ride.  Well since Radiator Springs is such a big deal, they let you get an FP for other rides at the same time.  I believe there were 3 disconnected FP rides...California Screamin', Radiator Springs Racers and Soarin' were all disconnected.  SCORE!!!   WOO HOO!!!  You also need an FP for this cool show they do at night called World of Color.  We saved this for Tuesday night so we will write more about that later.

 

Paradise Pier...

 

 

Us With Doug From UP...

This was a bit different than the one in Hollywood Studios...

 

 

We had lunch at a very yummy restaurant at the Pacific Wharf area of the park called Pacific Wharf Cafe.  I had a sandwich and Kristen had a salad in a bread bowl.  Lots of bread for Kristen.  We ate dinner at Naples Ristorante e Pizzeria.  It is located in Downtown Disney.  We needed to get our carb load on.  I had delicious lasagne and Kristen had a delicious pizza and green beans.  (Yeah I know those two do not go together but they were good!!)  Sadly, because we ate lunch late and our reservation for dinner was at 4:00 pm we didn't eat much of our dinners.  Oh and before we left CA...I FINALLY GOT MY CHOCOLATE MILKSHAKE. 

After dinner we decided to go back to the hotel and rest for the race.  I was getting kind of nervous as my training had not been great.  The more rest for me, the better.  First we cut through The Grand Californian Hotel to get our food for the morning...yogurt for Kristen and a bagel for me.   I believe we were in bed by 8.  Hilarious!!!!