Matt's 40th Birthday Disneyland Trip. Club 33, Napa Rose, and Adventureland Suite!!!

As it was now Noon, we decided that a swap over to Disneyland was in order. We made our way across the esplanade and headed for Adventureland. The queue for Jungle Cruise wasn't too bad, so we hopped in line for an exciting tour around the rivers of adventure.

There were interesting plants all over. I'll point to some... here's one...

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I just love the nod to Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade... A life saver from the ill-fated cargo ship, Coronado.

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Here's Ginger. Be careful... Ginger snaps.

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Beautiful detail on the crocs...

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Hey who's spraying water at the croc?

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Why its a baby elephant hiding behind its mother.

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The Indian Elephant Bathing Pool is probably one of my favorite show scenes. I have been so fortunate to have gone behind it too... the Disney Detail is astounding looking into it from the boat AND looking into it from land. The detail on all the elephants is simply amazing. For a different perspective on it all, check it out here:

https://www.disboards.com/threads/m...eport-breakfast-on-the-jungle-cruise.3450721/

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Just love it.

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The gorillas attacking the camp is actually one of my least favorite of the show scenes. I don't know what it is about it, but it just doesn't speak to me. The Gorillas apparently like green beans based upon the emptied and crushed can sitting on the crate.

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Mommy playing with one of the kids while Father ransacks the tent.

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My second favorite show scene, the Lost Safari. Loved seeing it from the other side as well.

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You NEVER want to be low-man on the totem pole.. ever.

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The African head hunters!!!

According to Tony Baxter, in 1954, Harper Goeff, the designer of the Jungle Cruise at Disneyland, hired Woody Strode to make a mold of his great muscularity for the African natives in the head hunter and Trader Sam show scenes. Goeff also used the same mold for the bodies of Frontierland's Native Americans.

An athlete turned actor, Strode was a top-notch decathlete and a football star at UCLA. He became part of Hollywood lore after meeting director John Ford and becoming a part of the Ford "family," appearing in four Ford motion pictures. Strode also played the powerful gladiator who does battle with Kirk Douglas in Spartacus. Strode was a respected actor with strong African and Native American ancestry. He was Cree and Blackfoot on his father's side and Cherokee on his mother's. Obscure fact about Strode, he posed for one of two paintings commissioned by Adolf Hitler for the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin. He was even once referenced as "Simply one of the most ridiculously perfect human specimens to ever walk the Earth."

Some of his notable film appearances which I've seen are The Ten Commandments, Spartacus, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, The Cotton Club, and The Quick and the Dead.

Woody:

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Back safely and even still retaining our heads, it was time to take another trip on a river boat. This time, it was a little larger however. First time on the Twain since the ROA reopened. While we were just getting underway, I thought to myself... I've NEVER noticed this boat on Tom Sawyer's Island. Has it always been there?

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A shot of Will Turner's Blacksmith Forge from a new perspective.

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Disneyland Ducks are so last year. Disneyland Geese are the new hotness.

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So this picture both makes me appreciate the details and question them. The clam shells are a great little touch. The harpoons... those have me scratching my head. Exactly what are we harpooning in rivers?

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Good ole Fort Wilderness... a shell of your once great glory.

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I have to say, this vista as you crest the bend in the river has me seriously concerned. Ugh... I'll reserve judgement, but the transition between Star Wars Land and Frontierland isn't looking so hot.

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Mike Fink's Gullywhumper is looking as great as ever.

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The wildlife on the island could maybe use some animation though.

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Cabin is well done. I still miss the burning settler's cabin though from my first trip to DL. The arrows from the attacking war party had been removed many years before, but the cabin still burned (still fire this time vs. war party flaming arrows)

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Sizeable new rock work for the Shaman

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The new trestle, and waterfall hiding the cave of floats (cousin to the cave of secrets) is great.

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Love the AA beavers chewing up the supports.

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Close up of the Shaman

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I like the AA eagle and its nest.

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New Indian village is well done.

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Would like to see the mountain lions animated as well.

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And a little bit of history on the Twain..

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That took some dedication and ingenuity to make sure you had a working camera for your adventures! I'm glad you were able to get them replaced later, too, but what a mess. That is kind of crazy... Did you have any trouble figuring out which Uber was there to get you? We have considered grabbing an Uber or a Lyft after the Halloween party (since walking back to our hotel on Katella, directly behind the PPH is a long march at 11:30/12 for a 10-year-old) or maybe taking ART back to our hotel, but I can't decide which is the best option. It seems like at the end of the day like that, it might be hard to figure out which ride is yours... I'm probably over thinking it.

We don't eat pork very often, but I don't think I want to live in a world where I don't eat bacon... It really is the best, and improves almost anything you add it too! And I really love the onion ring photobomb shot. :)

That is some interesting trivia about the jungle cruise! The last two times I went on it, we did it as the Jingle Cruise, and then after dark, both being different, fun experiences compared to a basic daylight cruise.
 
That took some dedication and ingenuity to make sure you had a working camera for your adventures! I'm glad you were able to get them replaced later, too, but what a mess. That is kind of crazy...

I was not taking the trip of a lifetime without my DSLR!!!! Just... NOT... Happening. If Prime could have had me a new body in 2 hours, I would have bought a second body. That's how much this trip meant to me.

Did you have any trouble figuring out which Uber was there to get you? We have considered grabbing an Uber or a Lyft after the Halloween party (since walking back to our hotel on Katella, directly behind the PPH is a long march at 11:30/12 for a 10-year-old) or maybe taking ART back to our hotel, but I can't decide which is the best option. It seems like at the end of the day like that, it might be hard to figure out which ride is yours... I'm probably over thinking it.

They tell you the license plate, vehicle, color, picture of driver, etc. At night, it would be a little harder, but in the middle of the day, it wasn't a thing.

We don't eat pork very often, but I don't think I want to live in a world where I don't eat bacon... It really is the best, and improves almost anything you add it too! And I really love the onion ring photobomb shot. :)
We do a lot of pork, and I even cure and smoke my own bacon, but Victoria only likes the water-laden, store-bought bacon. No accounting for taste. That pic was perfect!! New tradition.

That is some interesting trivia about the jungle cruise! The last two times I went on it, we did it as the Jingle Cruise, and then after dark, both being different, fun experiences compared to a basic daylight cruise.
Yeah, I actually liked the Jingle Cruise. I'm just a huge fan of the Jungle cruise period. The Overlays just make it even more fun!
 


Kids were getting hungry again. Katherine, Lindsey, Amy, and I had dinner plans not too far off, so we just grabbed some skewers from Bengal for the girls to snack on. Charlotte LOVES Steak.

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We had some Indy MaxPasses queued up, so on we went. Mara's room was looking as good as ever.

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Either I just noticed this, or it’s a new effect, but there was I believe projection on the sides of the room now based upon which of the 3 treasures you chose. Pretty cool. Is this new, or have I just never seen it before?

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Mara is angry. Who looked?

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This face is so creepy.

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Oh how I wish the original falling ceiling effect was still functional. For those who don't know, the energy beam from Mara's eye would strike the ceiling, causing it to start caving in. There was an ice maker in the ceiling which could produce hundreds of pounds of ice per hour, it would drop the ice via conveyor at timed intervals to align with the Mara energy beam... the ice would fall giving the effect of falling rock. It would accumulate and melt at the bottom. The effect was EXTREMELY short lived for a couple of reasons. For icemakers to work, they need filtered, soft water. They need regular maintenance. The ice maker couldn't keep up firstly, and secondly, they ice would not melt quickly enough at the bottom. It was a good effect, just poorly executed. I bet they could have figured out how to do it with foam blocks falling into a hopper to be sucked back up top to be reused over and over but hey... I'm just an operations guy, not an imagineer.

Here's a video which describes this and all the other removed/non-functional effects.

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Lots of skulls. Who's lighting all those candles?

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The lava effect does a pretty darn good job.

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Right when we started to head towards the rat log, the attraction broke down... for ...a. long... time. I was hoping we'd get a walk off, but after the engine noise and ride vehicle bumping us around for 20 minutes we were FINALLY going again. This was the same spot I was stuck at last time we were stuck on the attraction. Why couldn't I get stuck in the central chamber or even on the bridge?

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Given the ride vehicles are full of hydraulic oil to produce the effect, emergency oil cleanup kids were over our left shoulders...

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The good part... we got to go around again.. this time with no breakdown

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The fireballs are pretty tiny these days.

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We rider swapped, and Lindsey, Amy, and the girls went on another round of Indy. While they were doing that, I hung out with Vic. She decided to break out into some interpretive dance as she often does. This girl LOVES to move..

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To pass the time, we headed up to Tarzan's Treehouse. Oh how I miss my Swiss Family Treehouse. The movie and the Disneyland interpretation of it. All I dreamed of as a boy reading and re-reading the novel (even though they ended up in a cave for their permanent dwelling in the book).

The view of The Dream Suite from up here is great. The wind wasn't pushing the flag to see, but that flag is specific to a period in American history. For those of you who have read my previous TR, I went into this in some great detail, but in synopsis, the flag is a 30-star flag, which was only in use from 1848-1851(Wisconsin being the 30th state to join the union, and California being the 31st). The significance of this specific point in time is somewhat of a mystery, but can speculate. There's a lot of theories, but the general consensus is that New Orleans had its golden age between the war with Mexico and the American Civil War. This is the time represented by that flag.

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I seem to always snap this SAME Picture. I just love Sabor's placement here.

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I don't tend to mess around with long exposures, but since I had some time to kill..

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I don't know if it was always here, but there's a great seating area over by the North end of the Twain/Columbia loading area. Made for a nice place to chill.

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We had an early dinner reservation for Cafe Orleans to get the kids fed for dinner. I took a selfie with my surly tween while we waited for our table...

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After we had eaten, it was time for one last attraction before we headed back to the hotel(s) to get ready for our dinner back here in the park. Big Thunder fit the bill. There's a pretty involved backstory with Big Thunder I may write up one of these days. It's pretty awesome. That's what Disney is about after all, story-telling.

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Only one of 5 people caught focus with this one, but it was too good not to post.

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Focus was on Amy's hand, but the expression was amazing.. had to post.

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Star Wars Land is looming...

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Holy moly! You've been busy on the updates since yesterday! Time for some evening reading :surfweb:
 


I was just scrolling on the Disneyland Reddit site and this guy seems to be having some weird issues with his phone at the park too. Not really the same thing, but made me think of what happened to your phone/camera. https://www.reddit.com/r/Disneyland/comments/98g1hk/my_phone_randomly_switches_time_zones_while/

I wonder if it's something in both parks making electronics act up?
Interesting. Were it a single device, it would have been different.. three at once... something's up.
 
Eight-O-Clock found us still getting ready at the Hotel. While we were getting ready, our Destination Sitters, Sitter arrived at our Hotel on the Fifth Floor, 2349. Her Name was Kathy and she appeared pretty friendly. Our kids are a HANDFUL, but given that the major antagonist, Katherine was going with us, I expected a reasonably calm night for her.

Amy was still getting Katherine cleaned up after a long day in the park when she arrived..

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Lindsey and Reese showed up not too much later, and we quickly got the kids settled in and we were out the door!!

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The trip through DTD was one with an electricity in the air. EVERY time we head towards 33 with a reservation ahead of us, we are thinking about how we got to this place. It's Walt's original club. How grateful we were to even have an opportunity for an invite. Lindsey's heart was beating out of her chest, and even though I've been a few times, I was still excited and nervous. It NEVER GETS OLD.

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After passing through the turnstiles, we stopped for a Disneyland Photopass Photog to grab some flash pics (I have a Speedlight, but did NOT bring it with)

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Our walk down Main Street was both leisurely, and full of looming suspense for the night ahead...

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Amy was doing a Club 33 Dapper Bound of sorts.. She had the colors. The deep Blue, the Yellow, the Club 33 Earrings I had bought her on the last trip to the club. She was also sporting her Blue Club 33 Dooney Cross body I had gotten her for Christmas.

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Our Reservation at Nine, we milled around checking out all that NOS had to offer. FINALLY, it was time, and we needed to ring the bell, but who would do it?

It was Lindsey's first time, so she had the honor!!!

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Complete with Video!!


We were quickly ushered inside, and into the Courtyard.

A GREAT pic of us all on the stairs...

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We didn't have to wait long, and were whisked upstairs promptly. We were taken into the Grand Salon by our hostess and what did we see, but an empty dining room with only one other table occupied. That other table was even finishing up, so we literally had Club 33 all to ourselves!!!! This was AMAZING!!! We were seated at the North East corner of the dining room. This was great for us as we had nearly always been seated at the North West corner or on my last occasion, over by the buffet on the South wall.

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I was on CLOUD 9... private dining.... Imagine my surprise and jubilation when my server showed up and it was no other than Matt!!! He has been my server the past FOUR times we've been to the club, and even remembered me (or at least did a good fake of remembering me). Katherine recognized him immediately and was jazzed as he had taken a pic of the two of us on our last trip to the club. So good. I LOVE this place.

I had never taken the time to read the Bill of Fare, but I did this time. Here it is:

Bill of Fare

Walt Disney's vision of a private space tucked away in New Orleans Square opened its doors in 1967 as Club 33. He envisioned an elegant space where he could entertain business associates, visiting dignitaries, and most importantly... his guests. Almost 50 years later, Walt's vision is still and always will be our guiding light.

We offer our guests the finest culinary experiences available, highlighting both the seasons and our New Orleans heritage. We have sourced teas, coffees, spirits, beers, and wines from all over the world with the caveat of quality above all else. Most importantly we will deliver these experiences to all our guests through coordinated excellence and a genuine passion for hospitality.

Wine
"Complement your dinner at Club 33 with exactly the right selection of imported or California wine. Our wine steward will be pleased to assist you and provide a complete list of outstanding vintages. Those below have been chosen from our extensive list; they are recommended for your particular enjoyment with the meat, poultry, and seafood entrees indicated."
Opening Menu, Club 33, 1967

Today we honor our heritage by offering a wine experience, tailored to best suit each of our guests' dining adventures. Choose from either our extensive offerings by the glass or from our selection of over 350 bottled wines from all over the world. Alternatively, place your trust in us to tailor a wine pairing experience to complement each and every dish.

Wine Pairing Experiences
Four Course 49 / Five Course 59
Premiere Wine Pairing 95

Signature Golden Osetra Caviar
Served with Crème Fraiche, Fingerling Potatoes, Fresh Lemon 175

Club 33 is proud to offer one of the finest caviar available anywhere in the world; Golden Imperial Osetra caviar, sourced sustainably from the Caspian Sea. This buttery, nutty, and complex luxury is the perfect accompaniment to our fine selection of Champagnes and sparkling wines, or allow us to introduce you to a flight of some of the most unique and rare Vodkas from around the globe straight from our freezer.

Ruinart, Champagne NV, Reims, France 32
Vodka Flight with Three Premium Tastes 18




I loved the history and original opening day menu references. What it must have been like to be there on opening day... oh how much has changed with Disneyland over those years. I must say I feel even more blessed thinking about this to have seen the Trophy room on my one trip pre-renovation. I remember that visit like it was yesterday and feel so blessed that my Amy and I got to celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary at the club. It was a SMASHINGLY good time (pun intended if you read the TR).

Lindsey was on Pins and Needles... She needed a drink... we all did. I went with a Manhattan, Amy with a Mai Tai, Katherine, a Le Ramon Fizz (if any club members reading this can get the recipe for that for me, Katherine would be eternally grateful), and Lindsey got the J. Christopher Willamette Valley Pinot Noir.

Next up was ordering our food.... so many decisions...

Le Grand Salon Dinner Menu

Five Course Menu - 120

Golden Osetra Caviar sold by the ounce - 175

First Course
Sautéed Diver Scallop, Golden Cauliflower, Bayonne Ham, Capers
Citrus Hamachi "Crudo", Avocado, Teardrop Peppers, Orange Vinaigrette
Truffled Mushroom Crepe, Roasted Salsify, Sauce Mornay
Steak Tartare of Filet Mignon, Grilled Sourdough

Soup and Salads
Provencal Bouillabaisse, Mediterranean Mussels, Blue Crab, Rouille Crouton
"Lafayette" Garden Salad, Shaved Radish, Cucumbers, Vinaigrette Maison
French Frisee Salad, Bacon Lardons, Soft Poached Egg

Third Course
Seared Fish of the Day, Leeks, Potato, Shrimp Bisque
Winter Goose Sausage, Pappardelle Pasta, Butternut Squash Nage
Pacific Swordfish, Celery Root Puree, Blood Orange Vinaigrette

Entrees
Duck a l'Orange, Roasted Cabbage, Sweet Potato Velvet
Winter Squash Gnocchi, Braised Tuscan Kale, Carrot-Top Pesto
Slowly Braised Veal Osso Bucco, Sauce Forestiere, Cranberry Gremolata

Seasonal Specialty
Rack of Colorado Lamb, Root Vegetable Dauphinoise, Cabernet Jus (Carved Tableside for Two or More 15 per person)

Dessert and Cheese Course
Tangerine Vanilla Cheesecake, Local Citrus Celebration and Orange Caramel
Pineapple Clafoutis, Rhubarb-Strawberry Coulis and Basil Crème Glace
Valrhona Chocolate Marquise Cake, Hazelnut Brittle, Chocolate Hazelnut Chantilly
Chocolate Profiteroles, Milk Chocolate Crème Glace and Warm Chocolate Ganache
Diligently Selected Cheeses, Kumquat Marmalade, Honeycomb

Chefs:
Clint Chin
Andrew Sutton




Menu
for guests age 9 and under
Three course meal 40


First Course
Farmhouse Tomato Soup with mini grilled cheese sandwich
Green Salad with choice of dressing, buttermilk ranch or house vinaigrette
Seasonal Yogurt Parfait layered with fresh berries.

Second Course
Bellflower Semolina Pasta simply buttered, marinara sauce, or cheese sauce
Southern Shrimp Boil with poached potatoes and sautéed green beans
Roasted Chicken Breast with Sautéed green beans, rice pilaf, and fruit skewer
Petit Filet of Beef with sautéed green beans, rice pilaf, and fruit skewer
Mini Angus Beef Burgers with chips and house-made pickles

Third Course
Cookies & Cream traditional Mickie cookie with Strawberry ice cream
French Beignets with a trio of dipping sauces; chocolate, caramel, and vanilla

Non-Alcoholic Specialties
Tropical Storm melody of fresh juices including orange, passion fruit, lime, and pineapple with a fresh mint garnish 7
Le Raymond Fizz cream, sugar, and egg white garnished with an orange peel 8
Garden District Lemonade vanilla chamomile, cardamom, and lemon 7
Roy Rogers or Shirley Temple Coca-Cola or Sprite with grenadine and maraschino cherries 3
The Mint Julep Fizz a traditional classic! 3
Abita Root Beer naturally caffeine free, sweetened with Louisiana cane sugar 3.75
Assorted Fountain Beverages Coca-Cola, Diet Coke, Coca-Cola Zero, Sprite, or Minute Maid Light Pomegranate Lemonade 3
A Little Ray of Light beverage lighting clip 5


Such decisions... Amy and Lindsey both elected to get the Truffled Mushroom Crepe. I went for the Diver Scallop (best decision ever), and Katherine went for the Tomato Soup and Grilled Cheese. I elected to get the 5-course wine pairing with my meal as well (but I forgot to note the offerings)

Before we started with the courses, we were brought an amuse bouche. I'm have to say that I can't remember the specifics. It was good though.

I neglected to take a picture of the Scallop apparently, but it was GREAT as always. I got to try some of the ladies' crepes, and had a delightfully earthy flavor. There's a place by my work which does savory crepes like this, and I love them. I should honestly do some savory crepes at home one of these days as Amy is a crepe wizard. Katherine enjoyed her soup and sandwich... she's a creature of habit, this is the same thing she got last time (all 3 of her courses in fact).

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The second course found us not too much later.

Amy and I both went for the Bouillabaisse. Lindsey had the garden salad... and a round of chiding from me over ordering a salad over the bouillabaisse which was simply amazing. I love seafood stews and the giant crouton was amazing for soaking up the stock. Only one pic of this course... it was so good...


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For the third course, Amy went with the Seared Fish (Striped Bass). I don't think I got a single bite. Lindsey got the Goose Sausage over Pappardelle Pasta, and I went with the Sword Fish. I must say my swordfish was extremely buttery, which was a nice preparation. I'm assuming it was oil poached and then lightly browned off? At any rate, the orange sections and blood orange vinaigrette was a nice accompaniment and the celery rood puree was very velvety.

The winner on this dish I would say was Amy's.

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And the main course...

Now right as we were presented this course, the fire alarm started going off!!!

Matt came by and said this happens sometimes from the smoke from Fantasmic! (which the show was going on). He was terribly sorry but everybody had to evacuate the restaurant until the fire guy came and declared it all clear. Seriously.... I've only ever been evacuated off one attraction (Snow White), but to be evacuated from Club 33???? That's one you tell your kids, and Disney friends about. We went to the lobby, and followed the kitchen staff down to the court of angels and out the front door. The kitchen and front of the house staff all met at their pre-determined location in Magnolia Park. We sat and watched F! until given the all-clear to re-enter the restaurant. Matt told us we could stay as long as we wanted watching the show, so we stayed a little bit longer to see the finale before going back to the club and ringing back in. They had taken our food, wrapped the plates, and kept it warm. If you hadn't known it was served 15 minutes earlier, you would have been none the wiser.

Before our food was brought back out we were served a palate cleanser... I honestly can't remember what it was (consensus was a strawberry with lime/basil rim), but it was great!!

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Katherine went with her tried-and-true filet, medium rare. Lindsey got the Winter Squash Gnocchi. And Amy and I elected for the Rack of Lamb carved table-side. Anybody who's friends with me on Facebook knows... WE...EAT...A..LOT...OF..LAMB. Love the stuff. Always done herb and breadcrumb crusted. A single rack doesn't really feed our family anymore because the kids are devouring more and more leaving little for Amy and I. This was going to be a treat. Matt carved it in double-chops as is the norm. It was PERFECTLY cooked, the previous evacuation having no impact upon the expert preparation. The cabernet jus absolutely DELIGHTFUL and a perfect accompaniment (may need to start making this at home too). None of us tried Lindsey's, but she ate it all so I assume it was great!

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We were in heaven... I love coming to Club 33. The food is great, the atmosphere amazing, and I notice something new every time.

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Our desserts came not too much later and being the Birthday boy, they set me up with the birthday treatment, which is the special chocolate club 33 happy birthday treat AND the hand-signed card, signed by every member of the Club 33 staff. I love this attention to detail at the club. It just feels so personal. I got the Marquise Cake. It's one of my favorites and always get it when it’s on the menu. It's simply amazing. Amy would get the Tangerine Cheesecake. I got but a mere bite, but it was great as well. I would be hard pressed to choose, but would probably still edge to the Marquise. Lindsey got the Pineapple Clafoutis. I don't recall getting any, but she ate it all, so I assume it was amazing. Katherine... her beignets of course. I think her favorite dipping sauce is the vanilla, and she may have drank it..

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After dinner, it was time to relax a bit. Another round of drinks for Amy, Katherine, and I, and an order of coffees for Amy and I, and a Hot Chocolate for Katherine to follow shortly thereafter, but not before we made our way outside to observe a quiet and emptying New Orleans Square from above.

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I just LOVE the artwork in Club33, and have to take pics every time. I would like some prints of these someday.

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Remember my light fixation?

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Coffee complete, it was time to pay the bill... and it was a doozey. Oh well, you only live once right?

A quick jaunt through the souvenir case, another wallet-crushing merch bill, and it was time to say goodbye to the Club. This is always my least favorite time because you know that you are going back to reality... and that you may NEVER walk through that door again after it closes behind you. It's sobering.

Amy signed the register...

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We elected to take the elevator down for the full experience for Lindsey. Oh how I love my lighting fixtures.

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One last pose for Katherine on the stairs, and we headed back through that door into the park at 11:50.

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Sounds lovely. I'm glad you got to have such a memorable birthday. Life is short and always changing. Now is the time to enjoy our families. I love that you are able to do all of this instead of thinking, "someday...."
 
Sounds lovely. I'm glad you got to have such a memorable birthday. Life is short and always changing. Now is the time to enjoy our families. I love that you are able to do all of this instead of thinking, "someday...."

Thank you. It was truly wondrous and the best part isn't even there yet... There's 3 more awesome and amazing days to go after this day gets finished.
 
What a fabulous dinner experience! And the fire alarm? That's crazy! Everything looked amazing, and I'm glad you had a good birthday dinner and experience there!
 
Following! Love your TRs.

Thanks! Just one last empty attraction to go and then a leisurely walk out of a deserted park.

What a fabulous dinner experience! And the fire alarm? That's crazy! Everything looked amazing, and I'm glad you had a good birthday dinner and experience there!

Thanks! We always love doing C33 for Birthdays and Anniversaries. I've been so blessed to have a couple very gracious members make reservations for me to help build the memories.
 
How do you wrap up a night of pure awesome experience just a few minutes before the park closes? Why you hit up Pirates of course..

The bayou was particularly dark tonight. All the lights were down actually... going to be a hard shoot this trip..

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I haven't figured out how to get a good pic of Ally, the alligator. Can just barely make out her back bumps..

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An empty restaurant over at the Blue Bayou. Love it.

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Another shot of the cabin back in the bayou. Urban legend has that shadow in the window as being a strange beast.

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Hands up for the drop!!

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Nothing like being stabbed in the back..

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Who's steering this thing?

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OK, this show scene was really dimly lit tonight, but I must admit, I have NEVER noticed the guy on the left had a hook before.

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These two are having way too much fun.

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I never noticed that the magnifying glass is studded around its perimeter

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One of these days I'll bring the long-glass and find out what the Captain's been reading.

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Yo Ho Yo Ho...

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More than enough crowns to go around... who needs that many crowns... seriously? And I spy a golden goose..

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I wonder if they will ever sneak the lightsaber back in this barrel of weapons like there used to be.

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I wish they would replace a few of these goblets with those of Ponce De Leon from stranger tides since the captain's quarters is featured so prominently in that movie. I know the Treasure room was more from Curse of the Black Pearl, but still.

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This fabric pattern could make a great obscure Disney Bound...

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The fort's defenders. Spanish vs. the prominent English establishment of Port Royal.

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I wonder why we've not seen this classic scene portrayed in the movie franchise yet.

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I'm really going to miss the auction scene. Ugh..

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One of these ladies seems overly happy about being auctioned off.

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Not a big turn-out.

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As with the auction scene, the chase scene has been PC-ized.

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I'm still not happy about the inclusion of Jack... They better not screw up Jungle Cruise with Dwayne.

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Those cats are NEVER happy.

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I was once stuck right here for about 20 minutes... while It’s a Small World holds the drive you crazy factor, there is too much of a good thing, Yo Ho Yo Ho....

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This guy is so happy to be petting bacon..

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This guy is always just hanging around..

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That dog is NEVER going to move...

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I've always loved this chair.. no explanation but I look for it every time. I remember being scared to death as a child that this was going to all come down on us.

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Again.. why did it have to be Jack.

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I wish we could just go and take a ride on the Twain...

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Nine minutes after Midnight... time to head back. Adventureland after dark with nobody in it is so Magical.

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South Sea Traders all packed up for the night..

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Goodbye Adventureland!!!

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