* After you read this report you may want to check out the pictorial updates in our Disneyland Resort Pictorial Update section

Hello all,

Another great afternoon at the Disneyland Resort, the weather was perfect and the crowds light. Disneyland is looking great as it heads into the final days of preparation for the 50th kickoff. There are still quite a few attractions down and walls up but many will be disappearing in the coming week. More details and thoughts and the 50th below.

For one reason or another we had never eaten in the Storyteller's Cafe at the Grand Californian. Friday we decided to give it a try and we were not disappointed. The service was great. Every time you took a sip of your coke or water it seemed our waiter was coming by and refilling it. The food was good too, we were not too adventurous and our party ate burgers and chicken, but all were pleased with the meal. Each table is served two types of bread. Corn Muffins and a warm white bread. Both were good, the corn muffins would have been better warm instead of cool. The warm/hot white bread was a definite winner with our table (as we requested more of it) and we joked how we could have just eaten that for the night almost. I was a little suprised that the theme of the restaurant was not really explained or hinted at. You were on your own really with that respect. I really thought a waiter or the host who sat us would have said something. The prices were regular Disney prices and in line with other Downtown Disney restaurants like ESPN and Rainforest Cafe. About $10 for a burger and fries, $3 for a coke, $25 for a steak.

Jason

Trip logs and mileage reports are in the Park Miles section.

Disneyland:

• As you saw in the pictorial update the Sub Lagoon is drained and starting to undergo its transformation into the soon to be announced attraction (rumor is Finding Nemo). The lagoon looked larger to me empty than full and it was really hard to tell the scale with no people or subs in site.

• We really enjoyed the hidden "50s" around the park. Once all 50 are in the park we will have to go on a quest for them all. I think this is a great "little touch" for the celebration.

• There were several of the Happiest Faces on Earth photo mosaics up around the park. Overall they seem great. Many of the guests really enjoyed looking at them including us. I was really surprised by the number of Walt Disney World and even non Disney shots we noticed in several of them. I thought they were going to be all Disneyland Resort shots. Hopefully an email will arrive before our next trip with where our pictures are (assuming they got used). The 20,000 Leagues under the sea mural is incredibly large and the detail on several of them seems great. The cases and lighting work really well for the most part too and really add to them at night. The only one that didn't seem to work too well at night is the Fantasmic one in New Orleans Square.. I am not sure if it was the lighting or what but many guests did not know what it was.. we actually explained it to several.. where as during the day it stood out nicely.

• If all the Golden Ride vechicles come out as well as Mr. Toads they should be great additions to the park. We were also a little surprised to see the "custom" covers made for each of the other 50th vechicles. As you saw in the pictorial the Dumbo one even had the tail cut right.

• Took a ride on the Steam Train since this was the first time it was operating since its rehab with us there. They went extremely slow, slower than walking speed from about the burning cabin(well it does not burn anymore) all the way to the Toontown Depot. There were also two conductor CMs standing out near the crossing for the Fantasmic area. Kind of weird.. guess they were just watching the trains.

DCA:

• Not much to report from DCA. The new banners advertising the parade are up and we assume they are marking the stops because in between and around are generic 50th banners too.

• The Superstar Limo building is now sporting a Monsters Inc logo in addition to the monster. So guess that rumor is closer to a fact now. The announcement is scheduled for this week. We saw several of the limo cars out back of the building (from the monorail, our picture did not come out). They all looked to be in their original configuration and paint scheme still.

Be sure to check out the picture update that goes with this Geekspeak column, it can be found in our Disneyland Resort Pictorial Update section

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