Disneyland, 2018 - Day 3

We woke up early, excited to see Jackson and spend our first day in the parks. The Taiko band was performing at 9:00, and we planned on meeting up with Jackson and the rest of the wind ensemble to watch the performance, but our family tradition is to ride Indiana Jones before we do anything else in Disneyland, so our first stop was Adventureland. There was no line for Indiana Jones, and then there was no line for the Jungle Cruise, or Pirates of the Caribbean, or the Haunted Mansion. So obviously we missed the Taiko band's performance. Oops. But we knew the park was going to fill up fast, so we took advantage of the early-morning emptiness.

While riding Pirates of the Caribbean, Chad and I discussed this month's upcoming revamp, where Disney will shut down the ride so updates can be made. One of the updates will be removing the 50-year-old "Take a wench for a bride" auction scene and turning the famous redhead into a pirate who is auctioning off loot to other pirates. It's the last time we will ever see this scene:

As we passed by the above scene of drunken pirates firing their guns at each other while singing about pillaging, ravaging, and kidnapping, Chad leaned over and said, "Next year, they're swapping out those guns for bananas." We laughed so hard for so long that we then re-wrote the script for the remainder of the ride. Here are some snippets of politically correct pirate dialogue for your enjoyment:

• "Aye, me hearties, good Pirates share their treasures among all the classes." (Credit goes to Ali for this one.)

•  "Ahoy matey, come aboard me pirate ship where I'll provide a safe space for yer feelings."

I won't share the rest with you because Disney will probably purchase the script and then it becomes a legal issue, and I don't want to get into it.

After the ride, Ashley decided to head off on her own. Ali, Chad, and I rode Big Thunder Mountain and then walked to Fantasyland. When we were next to Casey Jr. Circus Train, Ali stopped in her tracks, gasped, and pointed at something.

"It's Mark Hoppus!" she said.

"What's a marcUHpiss?" I asked looking around to see what she was so excited about.

"It's Mark Hoppus from blink-182!" she said, and sure enough the bassist for one of her favorite bands was walking by with his family. We didn't follow him though; instead, we went to California Adventure to meet up with Ashley.

Our first ride was Gaurdians of the Galaxy - Mission: Breakout! We were nervous about this ride because its predecessor, The Tower of Terror, was one of our favorite rides and when they closed it to turn it into a Marvel-themed ride, we were like, "Whaa? Does Disney even know what they're doing?" Lemme just answer that for you. Yes, Disney does in fact know what they are doing. The ride was fantastic and I screamed my vocal chords raw. But in a good way.

The Collectors Archive

Afterwards, Ali met up with Ashley and they took off while Chad and I ate lunch at Paradise Garden Grill. Meanwhile, Jackson and the band were at a backstage clinic in Disneyland that ended at 2:00, so after we ate, we walked back to Disneyland and met the girls under the Toontown bridge where everyone anxiously waited for Jackson.

Some people wait in line to meet Mickey,
we wait for this guy.

When the clinic was over, we finally got to see our boy. We stood in line for hugs and then gathered around him to hear all about his trip so far and to learn about the clinic.

Jackson told us that the instructor showed the band short clips of The Lion King, Atlantis, Cars, Tangled and the intro to the  Marvel movies, and then asked the students what kind of music might be most fitting for those scenes. They discussed choosing appropriate pieces. Then the kids got copies of the music and performed while being recorded, and then they played the movie clip along with the music to see how it all came together. It was an amazing experience for these talented kids.

Jackson with his buddies

Once all the kids checked in with their band teacher, they were free until the park closed at midnight. Chad, Ali, and I spent some time going on rides before Ali decided to go hang out with her brother. Ashley went to go on rides with some band kids, so Chad and I enjoyed the rest of the afternoon alone. 

A brief rest at the hotel and we were back in Disneyland for dinner. We ordered pulled pork sandwiches from Bengal Barbecue that are not on the menu, but when you follow Disney pros on social media, you get some awesome tips. We rode rides, wandered, and did all the stuff that we love the most. 

As the firework spectacular was about to begin, we found a table on the terrace of the Jolly Holiday Bakery & Cafe with a good view. We drank coffee and enjoyed the show, narrated by my hero, Julie Andrews. Chad took pictures with his new fancy phone and I took pictures with my not-new not-fancy phone. It's hard to tell the difference in quality between our phones' cameras, but it's there, however subtle it may be:

Chad and I weren't able make it until midnight, so just after 10:00, we gave a room key and phone charger to the girls and walked across the street to our hotel. The girls walked in the door at 11:55, collapsed into bed with their clothes on, and were asleep before their heads hit their pillows. And tomorrow we start again at 6 am!

"I'm not spongin' for rum! It be gold I'm after. Strike your colors, ye brazen wench. No need to expose your superstructure!"
(Soon-to-be obsolete quote from Pirates of the Caribbean.)

--Rachel