Well, we're home. Our flight to Sydney was uneventful and we were home in time to pick up Rufus from the kennel. It's great to be home, but coming back down to earth after such a great holiday is a bit hard to take. All of a sudden I have to start doing mundane things again, like washing, cooking and cleaning. And on Wednesday I have to go back to work. Not fair!
So, my blog has now come to an end. I hope you've enjoyed reading it as much as I've enjoyed writing it. Before I go, here are some final observations from our holiday:
Best experience: seeing the Grand Canyon.
Other highlights: exploring San Francisco, Disneyland, the unfailingly friendly and helpful people we encountered.
Worst experience: Hollywood - too crowded, too noisy, too scary.
Lessons learned: Pack light - I only wore about 70% of the clothes I packed; pack a fleece - you never know when it's going to get cold; don't over-schedule your days - it's not enjoyable if you're exhausted because you've packed too much activity in; observe and enjoy everyday life - it's often just as interesting as the major tourist sights.
Until the next Rogers holiday...
Vxxx
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Friday, April 22, 2011
DAY 13 - Las Vegas - Los Angeles - Auckland
It was rather sad waking up to the realisation that our holiday was almost over. It was even sadder to pack our bags and realise that we were probably dangerously close to our 23kg weight limit. Eek!
We trundled our bags out to the car and hit the road back to LA with the shimmering towers of Las Vegas fading in the rear view mirror. I had mixed feelings about leaving Vegas: the relief at leaving the superficiality and crushing crowds behind was tempered by disappointment at saying goodbye to the desert landscape I'd grown to love.
When we got to LA I just had to have one more visit to Walgreens. Little did we know when we got off the Freeway we ended up in Inglewood which is apparently a well-known as a high crime area. On the way from Walgreens to the airport we came across a police cordon in the street around a dead guy under a sheet (http://www.dailybreeze.com/news/ci_17900982). Very good of the locals to give us a quintessentially LA experience before we left.
I had hoped that our flight home would be less crowded than the one over and we might have an empty seat between us to spread out but alas our original flight was cancelled and we were herded onto an earlier flight that was fully booked. I cried at the thought of being shoe-horned into my seat for 12 hours. The only positive thing that can be said about the flight was I got to watch The King's Speech on the in-flight entertainment system. Great movie but my poor ankles are still swollen.
We landed in Auckland at about 5.30am, bleary-eyed and fed up. The only thing drearier than Auckland on a Sunday is Auckland on Good Friday. We must have crossed the International Date Line into 1956. There was not a soul around. To kill time until we could check into our motel we picked up a rental car and tooled over to Mission Bay for a horribly overpriced breakfast and then onto Devonport to wander on the pier. You know how when you're so overtired you get the stares and you can't focus on anything??? Well, we had passed that point and were dead on our feet. We made it to the motel and napped for about 4 hours before heading out for fush n chups for dinner.
Tomorrow: HOME!!!!
Vxxx
We trundled our bags out to the car and hit the road back to LA with the shimmering towers of Las Vegas fading in the rear view mirror. I had mixed feelings about leaving Vegas: the relief at leaving the superficiality and crushing crowds behind was tempered by disappointment at saying goodbye to the desert landscape I'd grown to love.
When we got to LA I just had to have one more visit to Walgreens. Little did we know when we got off the Freeway we ended up in Inglewood which is apparently a well-known as a high crime area. On the way from Walgreens to the airport we came across a police cordon in the street around a dead guy under a sheet (http://www.dailybreeze.com/news/ci_17900982). Very good of the locals to give us a quintessentially LA experience before we left.
I had hoped that our flight home would be less crowded than the one over and we might have an empty seat between us to spread out but alas our original flight was cancelled and we were herded onto an earlier flight that was fully booked. I cried at the thought of being shoe-horned into my seat for 12 hours. The only positive thing that can be said about the flight was I got to watch The King's Speech on the in-flight entertainment system. Great movie but my poor ankles are still swollen.
We landed in Auckland at about 5.30am, bleary-eyed and fed up. The only thing drearier than Auckland on a Sunday is Auckland on Good Friday. We must have crossed the International Date Line into 1956. There was not a soul around. To kill time until we could check into our motel we picked up a rental car and tooled over to Mission Bay for a horribly overpriced breakfast and then onto Devonport to wander on the pier. You know how when you're so overtired you get the stares and you can't focus on anything??? Well, we had passed that point and were dead on our feet. We made it to the motel and napped for about 4 hours before heading out for fush n chups for dinner.
Tomorrow: HOME!!!!
Vxxx
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
DAY 12 - Las Vegas: The Grand Canyon
Today we had an early start in order to meet the tour bus taking us to the Grand Canyon - up at 5am (urgh). By 11.30 we had crossed over into Arizona to arrive at the west rim of the Grand Canyon. We queued up with about a gazillion other tourists to walk on the Grand Canyon Skywalk (http://www.grandcanyonskywalk.com/skywalk.html), a horseshoe-shaped structure with a glass floor that swings out over the canyon. After over an hour of shuffling through the queue we slipped paper booties onto our feet and stepped onto the Skywalk. The booties are to protect the glass surface of the walk from scratches. Sadly, no cameras or mobile phones are allowed onto the structure, again to protect the glass, but have no fear, the operators of the Skywalk are happy to take your picture for you...at $30 a throw. But, seeing as this experience was a once-in-a-lifetime deal we happily shelled out for a photo.
So, I hear you ask, what was the Grand Canyon like? I was rendered speechless by the majesty of the sight. It moved me to tears. The Grand Canyon has always held a mythical quality for me, as I'm sure it has for many people, and the reality did not disappoint. It is difficult to put into words the vastness of the Canyon but I couldn't help but be awed at the power of nature. More religious-minded folk might feel closer to God upon viewing the Canyon but I just felt the timelessness and endlessness of the earth and how small and insignificant humans are in comparison. After leaving the Skywalk we took a shuttle to another part of the Canyon called Guano Point. That's right...Guano Point. Horrible name, yes, but the views of the Canyon were even more spectacular from this vantage point. I hiked down to one of the viewing platforms and took some amazing photos. The hike back up was a lot harder than I thought it would be due to the high altitude; by the time I got up the top my lungs were burning.
Sartre said that "hell is other people" and never is this sentiment more apt than when participating in bus tours with strangers. When we arrived at the Canyon our tour guide was very clear that we had to be back at the bus by 3.30pm but of course there were some idiots who either cannot tell the time or who do not care that they are inconveniencing people who are capable of following instructions. The stragglers did not show up at the bus until 4.15pm which, under ordinary circumstances, would not have caused Chris and I any great stress. But we had to be back in Vegas by 8pm to attend a show at Brad Garrett's Comedy Club at the Tropicana. The bus made it back to Vegas by 7.30pm and, thanks to a maniac local cab driver who was determined to help us make it, we pulled up at the Tropicana at 7.40pm. Phew!
We rocked up to the Comedy Club and we were the last to arrive. We had a huge stroke of luck as the manager decided to upgrade us to the VIP section, right at the front of the stage. Choice! Then Brad Garrett came on stage and started his routine; he came over and shook Chris's hand and started heckling him periodically. He was hilarious. If you ever get the opportunity to see Brad Garrett live, do it - he is filthy but he's also one of the funniest comics I've ever seen.
And that's been our Vegas experience. Sadly, tonight is our last night in the US. Tomorrow we drive back to LA in preparation for catching an evening flight back to Auckland. The entire trip has been unforgettable there's no one I would rather have shared it with than Chris. Even though we got on each other's nerves sometimes...OK, lots of times...he's been a great travelling companion and we have made lots of memories we can relive together over the coming years.
Tomorrow: back to LA and then home :(
Vxxx
So, I hear you ask, what was the Grand Canyon like? I was rendered speechless by the majesty of the sight. It moved me to tears. The Grand Canyon has always held a mythical quality for me, as I'm sure it has for many people, and the reality did not disappoint. It is difficult to put into words the vastness of the Canyon but I couldn't help but be awed at the power of nature. More religious-minded folk might feel closer to God upon viewing the Canyon but I just felt the timelessness and endlessness of the earth and how small and insignificant humans are in comparison. After leaving the Skywalk we took a shuttle to another part of the Canyon called Guano Point. That's right...Guano Point. Horrible name, yes, but the views of the Canyon were even more spectacular from this vantage point. I hiked down to one of the viewing platforms and took some amazing photos. The hike back up was a lot harder than I thought it would be due to the high altitude; by the time I got up the top my lungs were burning.
Sartre said that "hell is other people" and never is this sentiment more apt than when participating in bus tours with strangers. When we arrived at the Canyon our tour guide was very clear that we had to be back at the bus by 3.30pm but of course there were some idiots who either cannot tell the time or who do not care that they are inconveniencing people who are capable of following instructions. The stragglers did not show up at the bus until 4.15pm which, under ordinary circumstances, would not have caused Chris and I any great stress. But we had to be back in Vegas by 8pm to attend a show at Brad Garrett's Comedy Club at the Tropicana. The bus made it back to Vegas by 7.30pm and, thanks to a maniac local cab driver who was determined to help us make it, we pulled up at the Tropicana at 7.40pm. Phew!
We rocked up to the Comedy Club and we were the last to arrive. We had a huge stroke of luck as the manager decided to upgrade us to the VIP section, right at the front of the stage. Choice! Then Brad Garrett came on stage and started his routine; he came over and shook Chris's hand and started heckling him periodically. He was hilarious. If you ever get the opportunity to see Brad Garrett live, do it - he is filthy but he's also one of the funniest comics I've ever seen.
And that's been our Vegas experience. Sadly, tonight is our last night in the US. Tomorrow we drive back to LA in preparation for catching an evening flight back to Auckland. The entire trip has been unforgettable there's no one I would rather have shared it with than Chris. Even though we got on each other's nerves sometimes...OK, lots of times...he's been a great travelling companion and we have made lots of memories we can relive together over the coming years.
Tomorrow: back to LA and then home :(
Vxxx
Monday, April 18, 2011
DAY 11 - Las Vegas - it's blackjack time!
Today we decided to sleep in and have a lazy start to our day. After partaking in a spot of brunch, we stopped in at M&Ms World on The Strip, a must-see for every culture vulture visiting Vegas. It's hard to believe that the history of the M&M requires four levels of a building, but in Las Vegas everything is bigger. M&Ms World looks like it was decorated by someone who ingested about 10 kilos of M&Ms in every colour and then vomited it up onto the walls, floor and ceiling. The people who built this place never met a primary colour they didn't like. And it was crazy full of people and screaming hyper kids who hadn't even eaten any M&Ms yet. The M&Ms marketing juggernaut is phenomenal: every prosaic everyday item you can think of has been branded with the M&Ms logo. Underwear, office supplies, oven mitts, and even golf club covers were available. I resisted the urge to buy a pair of M&Ms shoelaces and we got the hell out of there.
By this stage we were starting to think the cool hermetic confines of a casino sounded pretty good. Most of the blackjack tables we've seen at the casinos here have had a $10 minimum, which has frightened us away from gambling. But, Hooters casino has $3 blackjack tables 24 hours a day - perfect for a couple of high rollers like us. As you might expect, Hooters brings a new level of tackiness to The Strip. But, the tables were cheap, the croupiers were fun and the beers were FREE! That's right....FREE! We played for about five hours and only lost $20. Taking into account the free drinks, I think we probably broke about even in the end. Probably the cheapest thing we've done in Vegas since we got here. The only thing about the casinos here that has really bothered me is the smoking; you are allowed to smoke in virtually all areas of the casino. There are even ashtrays in the toilet cubicles. They'd probably let you pee at the tables (or introduce gambling in the toilets) if they thought there was a socially acceptable way of doing it.
After leaving Hooters we discovered it was almost dinnertime. No trip to Vegas is complete without indulging in an all-you-can-eat buffet. At Excalibur casino there is a dinner buffet for $19.99 per person. This experience is definitely for those who prefer quantity over quality. Judging by the mostly overweight clientele (ourselves included) the quality of the food was not the primary concern. Suffice to say, I regret going back for more tacos. We rolled back to our room at a very leisurely pace and we are now partaking of some crappy TV while we digest. Urgh. Never again.
Tomorrow: the Grand Canyon! Mucho excitement!
Vxxx
By this stage we were starting to think the cool hermetic confines of a casino sounded pretty good. Most of the blackjack tables we've seen at the casinos here have had a $10 minimum, which has frightened us away from gambling. But, Hooters casino has $3 blackjack tables 24 hours a day - perfect for a couple of high rollers like us. As you might expect, Hooters brings a new level of tackiness to The Strip. But, the tables were cheap, the croupiers were fun and the beers were FREE! That's right....FREE! We played for about five hours and only lost $20. Taking into account the free drinks, I think we probably broke about even in the end. Probably the cheapest thing we've done in Vegas since we got here. The only thing about the casinos here that has really bothered me is the smoking; you are allowed to smoke in virtually all areas of the casino. There are even ashtrays in the toilet cubicles. They'd probably let you pee at the tables (or introduce gambling in the toilets) if they thought there was a socially acceptable way of doing it.
After leaving Hooters we discovered it was almost dinnertime. No trip to Vegas is complete without indulging in an all-you-can-eat buffet. At Excalibur casino there is a dinner buffet for $19.99 per person. This experience is definitely for those who prefer quantity over quality. Judging by the mostly overweight clientele (ourselves included) the quality of the food was not the primary concern. Suffice to say, I regret going back for more tacos. We rolled back to our room at a very leisurely pace and we are now partaking of some crappy TV while we digest. Urgh. Never again.
Tomorrow: the Grand Canyon! Mucho excitement!
Vxxx
DAY 10 - Los Angeles to Las Vegas
Hasta la vista Los Angeles - boy am I glad to see the back of you! We left LA at around 11am, headed for Vegas baby! The city skyline slowly receded into the background as we cruised through the suburbs of LA and then into the desert. The Mojave desert is a strangely beautiful, desolate place. Except for Barstow. This sad little town is about halfway between LA and Las Vegas and is possibly the most depressing place on earth. Most of the houses look more like shanties than homes and a fair proportion are boarded up altogether. I half expected to see tumbleweeds blowing down the street. Maybe it was because we were passing through on a Sunday, but it had the distinct feel of a ghost town. Maybe it is a thriving little metropolis on a weekday, but I doubt it. There is an armed forces recruiting office in the main street and it occurred to me that Barstow is the perfect place to base such an office because being in the army or navy would be preferable to living in Barstow. Anyhow, we had lunch at the local Denny's and then hit the freeway again, this time with me at the wheel of the Mustang! Woohoo!!!
It was not without some trepidation that I slid into the driver's seat. I had hoped that I would make it through the entire trip without having to test my driving skills in a foreign country. But, Chris was getting tired and it was only fair that I shoulder my share of the burden. As I nosed the car out of the Denny's carpark and across the intersection without mishap I could feel my confidence start to flower. I made the turn onto the freeway and merged into the flow of traffic with ease. About 10 minutes in I started to relax and enjoy the soothing rhythm of the road. The further we travelled into the desert the more I was enjoying the drive and the amazing scenery before me. There aren't enough words to describe the vastness and the quiet beauty of the desert. Long stretches of flat scrubby land dotted with joshua trees led to high mountains, some topped with snow. Chris was not impressed, characterising the landscape as "miles and miles of kitty litter", but I found it quite moving. To be honest, all that nothingness was a relief after the human crush of LA.
As we crossed the state border into Nevada, the small townships at the edge of the freeway started to take on a Las Vegas feel with the odd small casino popping up out of the sand. Before too long we could see Las Vegas coming into view on the horizon. What can I say about Las Vegas? It is like Surfers Paradise on steroids. The excess is truly staggering. There is a casino here that has a half-scale model of the Eiffel Tower. Another casino has replicated the New York city skyline, including replicas of the Chrysler and Empire State buildings, and it has a 150ft tall replica of the Statue of Liberty in its forecourt. Another one is shaped like a pyramid and has a 110ft tall replica of the Sphinx out the front. We are staying at the Tropicana, which is not shaped like anything except a big mother of a hotel, although there is a swim-up blackjack table in the swimming pool. Yes, you read that correctly.
Chris and I wandered into the MGM Grand casino with thoughts of finding a cheap blackjack table where we could lose our money at a slower rate. All the tables we saw were too rich for our blood, so we settled for a Starbucks and a slow mosey back to our hotel. But not before I saw something that made me rub my eyes in disbelief: scantily-clad go-go dancers gyrating on podiums over the blackjack tables. No joke. What happens in Vegas....etc.
Tomorrow: more exploring of Vegas and maybe a spot of blackjack. Wish us luck!
Vxxx
It was not without some trepidation that I slid into the driver's seat. I had hoped that I would make it through the entire trip without having to test my driving skills in a foreign country. But, Chris was getting tired and it was only fair that I shoulder my share of the burden. As I nosed the car out of the Denny's carpark and across the intersection without mishap I could feel my confidence start to flower. I made the turn onto the freeway and merged into the flow of traffic with ease. About 10 minutes in I started to relax and enjoy the soothing rhythm of the road. The further we travelled into the desert the more I was enjoying the drive and the amazing scenery before me. There aren't enough words to describe the vastness and the quiet beauty of the desert. Long stretches of flat scrubby land dotted with joshua trees led to high mountains, some topped with snow. Chris was not impressed, characterising the landscape as "miles and miles of kitty litter", but I found it quite moving. To be honest, all that nothingness was a relief after the human crush of LA.
As we crossed the state border into Nevada, the small townships at the edge of the freeway started to take on a Las Vegas feel with the odd small casino popping up out of the sand. Before too long we could see Las Vegas coming into view on the horizon. What can I say about Las Vegas? It is like Surfers Paradise on steroids. The excess is truly staggering. There is a casino here that has a half-scale model of the Eiffel Tower. Another casino has replicated the New York city skyline, including replicas of the Chrysler and Empire State buildings, and it has a 150ft tall replica of the Statue of Liberty in its forecourt. Another one is shaped like a pyramid and has a 110ft tall replica of the Sphinx out the front. We are staying at the Tropicana, which is not shaped like anything except a big mother of a hotel, although there is a swim-up blackjack table in the swimming pool. Yes, you read that correctly.
Chris and I wandered into the MGM Grand casino with thoughts of finding a cheap blackjack table where we could lose our money at a slower rate. All the tables we saw were too rich for our blood, so we settled for a Starbucks and a slow mosey back to our hotel. But not before I saw something that made me rub my eyes in disbelief: scantily-clad go-go dancers gyrating on podiums over the blackjack tables. No joke. What happens in Vegas....etc.
Tomorrow: more exploring of Vegas and maybe a spot of blackjack. Wish us luck!
Vxxx
Saturday, April 16, 2011
DAY 9 - Los Angeles - Hollywood
What is there to say about Hollywood? It is a crazy place. Hollywood Boulevard outside Grauman's Chinese Theatre is constantly full of people: hawkers selling tours of famous people's homes, actors dressed up as Spiderman and the Incredible Hulk, tourists from all points of the globe and homeless people begging for change. The footpaths are chockers and it is exhausting trying to navigate the crowds. Having said that, it is quite a thrill to be in the place where so much movie history has been made. Our first stop was the Kodak Theatre, the home of the Oscars. We took a guided tour of the theatre which included the auditorium where the awards are held - quite an awesome sight. Cirque du Soleil is currently building its sets there for its new production and we were able to get a sneak peek of the sets - very cool.
After our tour of Kodak Theatre we took a 2 hour bus tour of the Homes of the Stars - well, they were allegedly the homes of the stars, but who knows? The tour operators are not very popular with residents along the routes and a few threw abuse our way and told us we were being sold a pack of lies. So who knows where the truth lies? Probably somewhere between the two. Certainly, it is public knowledge where the likes of Jennifer Aniston and Tom Cruise live and where Michael Jackson died so I'm inclined to think it's mostly accurate. In any case, we couldn't really see many houses; the tour should be renamed Hedges and Fences of the Rich and Famous. The highlight for me was probably driving up Mulholland Drive to a lookout where we got some great pictures of the Hollywood sign.
Anyways, the tour was enjoyable apart from the heat. OH...MY....GOD....it was hot. It was over 30 degrees and we were sitting in an open top bus from 1-3 in the afternoon. By the time we stumbled off the bus we were well and truly wilted. We stopped off at Quiznos for a sub and a drink and then headed to Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum. This place was amazing, the statues really are lifelike, although Jennifer Aniston obviously modelled for hers before her nose job. We had our picture taken with Barack Obama, Chris had his picture taken with Will Smith and The Rock and I had my picture taken in between Robert Redford and Paul Newman from the Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid era....yum!
After that we had both had enough of the craziness of LA so we returned to the peace and quiet (and coolness) of our hotel room. For me, it will be a relief to leave LA - it is not my kind of city. It is too hectic, too sprawling, too inaccessible, too everything. I don't know how people live like this. Give me a city like San Francisco any day - it is only 7 miles square and easily navigable, on foot or by public transport, with loads of bookshops, cafes, art galleries, museums, etc. It just feels more laidback - more like Sydney or Melbourne. But I'm glad I had the opportunity to experience even just a little part of it.
Tomorrow: Las Vegas!
After our tour of Kodak Theatre we took a 2 hour bus tour of the Homes of the Stars - well, they were allegedly the homes of the stars, but who knows? The tour operators are not very popular with residents along the routes and a few threw abuse our way and told us we were being sold a pack of lies. So who knows where the truth lies? Probably somewhere between the two. Certainly, it is public knowledge where the likes of Jennifer Aniston and Tom Cruise live and where Michael Jackson died so I'm inclined to think it's mostly accurate. In any case, we couldn't really see many houses; the tour should be renamed Hedges and Fences of the Rich and Famous. The highlight for me was probably driving up Mulholland Drive to a lookout where we got some great pictures of the Hollywood sign.
Anyways, the tour was enjoyable apart from the heat. OH...MY....GOD....it was hot. It was over 30 degrees and we were sitting in an open top bus from 1-3 in the afternoon. By the time we stumbled off the bus we were well and truly wilted. We stopped off at Quiznos for a sub and a drink and then headed to Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum. This place was amazing, the statues really are lifelike, although Jennifer Aniston obviously modelled for hers before her nose job. We had our picture taken with Barack Obama, Chris had his picture taken with Will Smith and The Rock and I had my picture taken in between Robert Redford and Paul Newman from the Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid era....yum!
After that we had both had enough of the craziness of LA so we returned to the peace and quiet (and coolness) of our hotel room. For me, it will be a relief to leave LA - it is not my kind of city. It is too hectic, too sprawling, too inaccessible, too everything. I don't know how people live like this. Give me a city like San Francisco any day - it is only 7 miles square and easily navigable, on foot or by public transport, with loads of bookshops, cafes, art galleries, museums, etc. It just feels more laidback - more like Sydney or Melbourne. But I'm glad I had the opportunity to experience even just a little part of it.
Tomorrow: Las Vegas!
DAY 8 - Disneyland!!!
Well, what can one say about Disneyland? It's total sensory overload, for one thing. The size, the colours, the noise, the thousands of other tourists walking around, the constant exhortations to "have a magical day", the relentless cheerfulness of the staff - it all combines to make one feel slightly overwhelmed. Today was very hot and sunny too - probably about 30 degrees - which added to the overpowering of the senses. Having said that, we had a whale of a time, going on a lot of rides and taking a lot of pictures.
One ride, the It's a Small World Canal Boat Ride, was the apotheosis of the Disneyland experience for me. Walt Disney must have been on crack when he dreamed it up. It is basically a canal boat ride through a series of tunnels containing mechanised dolls dancing to a loop of "It's A Small World" that sounds like it was recorded by a bunch of coked up Oompa Loompas. After about the 6th rendition I was ready to stab Walt through the heart with a Mickey Mouse letter opener ($11.95 at the gift shop). Luckily for Walt, he is already dead. Apart from being aurally assaulted for the duration of the ride, it was enjoyable watching the detailed mechanised dolls do their thing. Quite extraordinary.
That's the thing about Disneyland: it is easy to become jaded about the crass commercialism of the place (it is, after all, designed to part tourists from their money at every step) but you have to admire the attention to detail and there were moments of enchantment and wonder. The evening fireworks show was magnificent and rivalled the show put on by the City of Sydney for New Year's Eve. We did indeed have a magical day. It was also an expensive day, but hey, you can't put a price on magic.
One ride, the It's a Small World Canal Boat Ride, was the apotheosis of the Disneyland experience for me. Walt Disney must have been on crack when he dreamed it up. It is basically a canal boat ride through a series of tunnels containing mechanised dolls dancing to a loop of "It's A Small World" that sounds like it was recorded by a bunch of coked up Oompa Loompas. After about the 6th rendition I was ready to stab Walt through the heart with a Mickey Mouse letter opener ($11.95 at the gift shop). Luckily for Walt, he is already dead. Apart from being aurally assaulted for the duration of the ride, it was enjoyable watching the detailed mechanised dolls do their thing. Quite extraordinary.
That's the thing about Disneyland: it is easy to become jaded about the crass commercialism of the place (it is, after all, designed to part tourists from their money at every step) but you have to admire the attention to detail and there were moments of enchantment and wonder. The evening fireworks show was magnificent and rivalled the show put on by the City of Sydney for New Year's Eve. We did indeed have a magical day. It was also an expensive day, but hey, you can't put a price on magic.
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