Official 50th trip reports and tidbits

[innerSpaceman]

Trapped in Tomorrowland was my low-point, too. It was the final hour of my frustration of not being able to be everywhere at once.

I need my CLONE, dammit. I was having dinner at two DTD restaurants at the same time on Monday evening (Monday being, as Darkbeer will insist, Disneyland's actual birthday.) Appetizers and drinks at Catal, dessert and drinks at Jazz Kitchen. Ugh, if only I'd remembered in my inebriated state that the two establishments are footsteps apart, I could have flipped back and forth between them most handily.

But after dessert at Jazz, I could not remain with my friends to be serenaded by the pianist who was a close friend of one of my dinner companions. It was, as I have since learned, a really rollicking half-hour that my Clone should have enjoyed.

But NO ... I had to run back to the suite to gather the "equipment" for our final Space Mountain ride of the four-day extravaganza.

Being chided by my pals to be on time, I rushed back, gathered the rainbow glasses and the Nitrous Oxide dispensers, moved the stereo nearer the balcony for optimal fireworks enjoyment, and then monorailed over to Tomorrowland. But where was everyone? Ugh, my cellphone was malfunctioning. It's a new phone, and I could not for the life of me figure out how to turn the speaker off that was annoying everyone in a twenty-yard radius and making me inaudible to the receivers of my calls! I went through every freaking menu option and pressed every damn button. No luck. 8:00 came and went, and with 8:30 fast approaching ... well, there was no way I was going to be able to do both the last Space Mountain and the final fireworks viewing from my swanky suite. I had been looking dramatically forward to both things.

I was on the verge of tears (um, well, past the verge - the fourth day of hard partying will make you quite susceptible to breakdown) when my gang finally arrived. I handed over the equipment and bid them a good time on Space, but told them I had to abort in order to view the fireworks from the suite. But being the friendly friends of friendship that these friends friendlishly are, they instantly proclaimed they would hit Space Mountain after the fireworks, and would join me in the suite to watch "Remember" for the final time that weekend. And since a great part of my desire to see the fireworks from the suite was to share that unique angle and experience with my friends, I was overjoyed and overcome with emotion.

And so, happiness and harmony were restored. There was a final, friendly, funtastic party in the suite ... and perfectly music-synched (thanks Isaac) fireworks viewing from our ultra-rare double balcony at the Disneyland Hotel. Followed by a close-the-Park, close-the-weekend ride aboard the returning Space Mountain ... with rainbow glasses for all (and nitrous oxide for a select few).


Love love friends love friends gush love friends mush.