I've lost my trip report virginity!

[Datameister]

That's right, I'm finally doing it. I'm posting my very first trip report!

So it's finals week here at UCLA, which translates to stress beyond your wildest dreams. Add a painful breakup into the mix and three days between finals with nothing but futile studying scheduled, and you've got the perfect recipe for a Disneyland trip. After much vacillation and even delaying the trip by a day, I ended up going yesterday--Wednesday the 12th.

After a not-as-bad-as-it-could-have-been 6:00 wakeup, I walked a mile to catch the FlyAway bus to LAX. I made great time, arriving at LAX faster than I'd even hoped. This was a very good thing, since I thought I'd catch my bus to the resort and not have to wait an hour...but the bus broke down, so I waited another half-hour, caught a shuttle, and made it to the park a half-hour after the 9:00 opening.




The DreamClouds...meh, not as bad as they could have been. Seeing them in person was not as bad as seeing them in others' TRs. Like...this one. Whoops.

The Christmas trappings were up as usual, and I think I liked them this year better than usual. No real reason why; I just accepted them more. I won't bore you with more run-of-the-mill photos of those. Instead, we'll delve into my specialty: photos that no one else in the world would ever think to take--and for good reason, too.



I'd been wanting a reference shot of the right side of the Indy entrance temple for some time, so when I moseyed into the empty queue for my first ride of the day, I shed a tear at the regrettable necessity of flash for this ugly but helpful shot.

Indy was amazing. I was deeply sad when my last ride on Indy a few months ago was worse than underwhelming. Effects hadn't been working, the music would cut out, the boulder never showed up at all, etc...but not yesterday. Yesterday, Indy was in great working order, and I laughed like a madman when we went "backwards" before the plunge beneath the wonderfully visible boulder. Moreover, the hydraulics program was a pretty good one, and I loved seeing the pyro effects back. It was a great start to the day. I feel so glad to know that Indy has been returned to its former state of glory.

Then it was off to Tomorrowland, where my other nonnegotiable ride awaited. Space Mountain was also a walk-on--twice in a row, actually. As you can see, my picture turned out great--



Okay, I kid. But you see what happens before the holiday rush? I thought about it...



...and decided I'd made a good choice in going.



Boy, that doesn't look like me at all. After that, I took reference photos of Tomorrowland while waiting for the train and also experienced the singular lacklusterness of the YOAMD campaign when I was given just what I always dreamed of--a pin trading lanyard. At least the company is paying attention to the majority of its guests...



The train was fun; as usual, my main reason for riding was for the backstage glimpses between Main Street and NOS. Once there, I spent a few minutes in the empty HMH FastPass gazebo--beautiful as always-- where I ate a few bites and noticed an area I'd modeled incorrectly. A ride on Captain Jack Sparrow and Davy Jones: The Ride Pirates of the Caribbean was definitely fun, though each time I ride, I get more and more tired of those two names being spoken over and over and over again.

After that, I met with someone who had some questions about my model; we talked for quite some time in the hub, which was fun. Big Thunder came next, where I also got to walk on twice in a row. Sadly, the goat is still missing, but the goat trick was still fun nevertheless. I made a real effort to look in different directions each time in order to fully take in as much scenery as I could. Always a blast. Here's what happens when you don't look at the weenies:



Sorry, back to something a little more conventional, albeit hurriedly hand-painted in the corners in order to fill in the gaps in this stitched-together shot:



More on the way! Don't expect too many "conventional" shots.

[techskip]

Thank God for the words "trip report" in the title... glad you finally posted something worth reading... j/k

[TheGreatEscapist]

Nice beginnings! Especially the last photo!

[penguinsoda]

Excellent shots so far!! Yes, that last photo was beautiful!

[2DieFR]

This ain't no "conventional" TR, that's fer sure! Not when the ultimate 3D modeling Disney geek is the one behind the lens.

[aashee]

I'm loving this report. Seeing that you are there for reasons of getting shots that you need for your model, we are getting to see shots we haven't before. Thanks Data! Well worth the wait.

Chad

[Datameister]

(By the way, I got a kick out of seeing none other than the Millennium Falcon projected on the ceiling of Space...thought I'd mention that. )

Part II

Next came another venture over to Tomorrowland for lunch and then a ride on the monorail. En route, I detoured so I could take photos of the only show building with a (debatably) unthemed side inside the park--Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters. This building will be added to my model at some point, I hope, and understandably, these aren't the sort of pictures anyone else takes, so...



The monorail ride--only the second one I have any memory of at Disneyland--was good. This time, my memory card did not run out like it did the first time, so I got to snap shots of the south and east sides of the Indy show building. After, why else would you ride the monorail?




I also got a kick out of seeing the railroad's covered bridge between the Grand Canyon (right) and Primeval World (left) buildings. And voila, a clearance measurement just to make my modeling a little easier!



Naturally, a man in the compartment asked me what I was shooting. We ended up talking about 3D modeling--he was the second person that day. Then came another train ride to NOS, where I don't think I went on HMH...I think that was earlier. Not sure. Anyway, whenever I went on HMH, that was my second time seeing the overlay, and it grew on me...but not much. :| I did, however, really enjoy seeing the legendary miniature gorilla bride.

After spending an unspeakable amount of time just taking photos of NOS's paths that no one else would bother taking, I went over to the mansion again and asked if I could see the pet cemetery. I was led back there by--though I didn't know it yet--one of our own, the incredible Brian from London! (Don't remember your Micechat name, sorry! ) He was one of several CMs I met during the day who did TRULY exemplary jobs of staying in-character while being very helpful. Anyway, he led me back to the pet cemetery (another second-time thing for me!) and after a very enjoyable introduction to the area, he basically told me to enjoy myself and to ask him if I had any questions. So, I took some standard photos...and some not-so-standard ones...



Here's a rare view of some of those Haunted Mansion cobwebs the janitors aren't supposed to clean:


Anyway, my odd photographic habits eventually prompted Brian to ask if I was "that Disneyland in 3D" guy, to which I naturally responded with a yes. He became even more helpful and was really a pleasure to talk to, as was another HM CM, Josh. They were the third and fourth people I got to talk with about my project that day. Definitely a lot of fun!

I don't know exactly how this middle part of the day went, in terms of when I did everything. I tried to accept and extremely low-stress, almost AP-holder-like attitude of going with the flow and not trying to do everything. Star Tours, another train ride, and more photography fit somewhere into the mix.

Then it came time for me to meet toadann, who works as a PhotoPass photographer. She was an absolute crackup, doing a fabulous job doing...well, her job, and then talking with me while no one was waiting for her to take their photos. This was another highlight of the day.

With two FastPasses burning holes in my pocket, I hit Indy again--still operating in top condition--and finished up with a final trip through outer space. How was it?



I'm happy to say, my photograph definitely does NOT sum up how great a ride it was, nor how wonderful my day was overall. Coming back to the real world for my shuttle in the evening was...well, not fun at all, but I tried to focus as much on what I fun time I'd had.

Final thoughts?

* Going to Disneyland alone is not a one-time-only experience. It can be liberating, though the excitement of being with friends and family is unlike anything else.
* Sometimes, giving something a second chance is a good idea.
* Sometimes, giving three or four things a second chance is a really, really good idea.
*Going to Disneyland when things aren't going too well really can be therapeutic--or, at the very least, give you a brief respite from the pain.

[Datameister]

Thanks for your kind words, by the way, guys. Also, I'm planning on posting more photos on Flickr over time. I hope...

[aashee]

Brian from the HM is one of the coolest guys around. I'm not sure he's able to post anymore so I won't say his screenname but let it be known, his sticking to the theme is top notch!

Chad

[Big Drunk Dave @ DL]

Great report, great insight! Experience is always going to be the key at a Disneyland trip, and most of you know that. DataMeister's backstage shots where outstanding, and the tip to ask to view the BackyardPetCemetery at the HM is something as a vet I never thought to ask. (Good shot of the path btw).
I've never given a 'trip report' per say, but I think next trip I will. It's interesting to keep up with DBs pics-n-updates and what not, but I like to see everyone else’s 'experiences.'
BDD's Trip report coming soon! (Don’t be too excited if you’re a 'non-drinker' at the DLR, because I have some good tips for drinks at the resort).

[dland_lover]

Hooray for your first trip report! And great job with it, too!!

So cool to hear you had a great time and were able to get a lot accomplished, at the same time.

Thanks for sharing, and keep up the good work, Joe!

[Rex Dopey24]

wow great shots I love the bridge connection between grand canyon and the primeval its so interesting thanks.

[Datameister]

Thanks, guys! By the way, I forgot to mention this shot:



which is on Flickr. I have to say, I like the castle decorations a lot more in person than in the photos I'd seen. During the day, it was pretty decent as long as I didn't get too close or use a telephoto lens. At night...gorgeous, albeit not extraordinarily "wintery" to my eye.

[Coheteboy]

I really enjoyed the unconventional shots! Good job!

[monotonehell]

I've lost my trip report virginity!

Oh yeah, was it as good for me as it was for you?

I love those pictures of BTMRR and the Castle reflected in the moat, class.