Details from the park January 30 (plus closures and maps)

WonkaKid

DIS Veteran
Joined
Apr 2, 2009
I got very lucky yesterday. I was among the first into the parking structure and got the absolute first-place spot! Something similar has only happened once before, although that was random and not because I was there early. I just happened to get shunted down an aisle to an open first spot. Indeed, yesterday I was boarding the elevator before the second car even began to come down the parking aisle. That was a good start to the day; a good omen.

I meet people all the time -- at DL and elsewhere -- and at rope drop I connected with two very nice/cool women, both in the marine corps. We shared stories of favorite rides and the like. When I ran into them a few hours later they remembered my name, which was nice. As many of you know, I'm a staunch extrovert and always enjoy meeting new people. And why not? I already know all of the people that I know ;-). I find that, especially at Disneyland, at least 90% of the people I engage with are open to chatting. The ones that aren't? Well, no Buzz Lightyear tips for them ;-).

At rope drop, PP was closed as was Dumbo. Then later when I walked over towards HM, that was also closed as was Winnie the Pooh and Splash (that was a known scheduled closure, of course). But it was noticeable in view of all the other closures. This was around 10:00 and HM hadn't even opened for the day yet. As I returned 20 minutes later, it had just opened and I was able to walk into the Stretching Room in less than four minutes.

For some reason, I simply couldn't break 2M on Buzz until my last ride of the day at 2:00. But I was determined. I did actually break it at least twice but in the first case, I went over 2,096,000, my score reset and I was only credited with 23,000, so 3,019,000. Later when I was pretty sure I broke it, my pic came through at the photo kiosk but it lacked my score. Always annoying but never unexpected ;-).

I sent someone a set of park maps recently and realized that my DCAs were all old; they predated the addition of Avengers Campus. So I picked up some. If anyone would like a set, simply DM me with your preferred mailing address (domestic is preferred).

Many of you know that I had COVID a few weeks ago. I haven't been contagious in more than a week but some of my symptoms still linger. For example, I get tired easily. By about 2:00 yesterday I was ready to leave the park and last night I slept for at least 12 hours. Througout the day I took two long naps. I must have overdone it a bit. I walked 4.8 miles. During the preceding week I only walked a mile a day at most. So: next Sunday I'll be more careful. Aside: I'm a thin guy -- prior to COVID I weighed 142 pounds, which is what I weighed in high school. Within a mere six days of COVID I lost 19 pounds! I don't have that kind of weight to spare! I've only gained back a few in the ten days since. Maybe that's part of the reason that I get tired easily.

Some park pics:
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Glad to see you were able to get back to Disneyland ! Amazing that you got that parking spot.
Love all the pictures. I love seeing the Dapper Dans and Bootstrappers. When Peter Pan is closed at rope drop, is it posted somewhere before rope drop ? or do the CM tell you before heading there ? Or you just get to the ride and its posted there ? Spring is coming ..... if you see ducklings and are able to snap a picture, that would be great ! In the meantime thank you for sharing all the wonderful pictures and your report on your time there.
 
Glad you are on the road to recovery! My DH is similarly sized and I can't imagine him losing 19 lbs.

On our recent trip I rode Buzz for the first time. I don't even want to admit what my score was! I'll definitely accept tips from extroverts in the park!
 
Finally, I've found someone who is CURRENTLY good at buzz light year :). Like 5 years back I figured out the route of targets I like to follow and all the theories behind the ride but I've never been able to figure out what guns or cars to use. What's your current strategy for the ride, do you have favorite guns, how do you adapt to the ones that are just absolutely terrible, are there targets that are/aren't working well right now, etc. etc.... I have a battle scheduled with my boss when our office goes on February 8th and I want to make sure I'm prepared to max out lol. Just give me the full guide on "competitive" astro blasters I guess, assume I just know the basics of points and the simple secret targets and such.
 
When Peter Pan is closed at rope drop, is it posted somewhere before rope drop
I wish. You only find out when you arrive at the line entrance and can’t get in. There’s usually a CM posted there to explain the situation. As an aside, there was also a dad and his young daughter (5-8) who’d run almost the entire way to PP. They were ahead of us but couldn’t board, of course. A few friends joked that at least that was some type of compensation:-).

Spring is coming ..... if you see ducklings and are able to snap a picture, that would be great!
Yup! Will do!
 
What's your current strategy for [Buzz], do you have favorite guns, how do you adapt to the ones that are just absolutely terrible, are there targets that are/aren't working well right now, etc. etc...
Good questions. I don’t have really have a favorite cruiser, mainly because the quality and accuracy of the associated guns seems to vary regularly. You simply climb in one and hope for the best. As soon as the gun activates, I’ll fire it a few times at a nearby wall to get an idea of how accurate (or inaccurate) it is and adjust my aim accordingly. Immediately after that, I take aim at the triangle on the giant robot’s right hand and hit it at least six times. If the gun is particularly good or if the cruiser is moving slowly, I can sometimes hit it as many as 14 times.

Now: if a target isn’t working (and that’s a relatively common thing, especially with the final triangle in the box opposite Zurg in the second to last room), there’s really nothing you can do. Just accept it and find another. Quickly.

My best piece of advice is not to brother shooting circles or squares. A single triangle is worth 100 squares (10,000 points vs. 100). Squares are only worth 1000. Concentrate on the diamonds and triangles (5,000 and 10,000). Also remember that a lit diamond is worth 10,000 and a lit triangle is worth 50,000. When you’ve got either of those in your sights, shoot them as many times as possible, not just once.

I hope these tips help. Let me/us know how you do against your boss on your upcoming trip.
 
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Love seeing these updates from you. You were kind enough to mail us park maps once before, and we made picture frames out of them. Now, we are looking forward to taking my 5 year old son in May for his first "real" trip -- I hope we run into each other! My son is a complete extrovert, he LOVES to chat and make new friends. Disney is such a magical place, and people like you help to spread that magic.
 
Glad to hear you are recuperating! Hope you can gain back some of that weight soon (that’s something you don’t get to say very often! Lol}.

Love your photos as always, especially the treats and the balloons. I would love to see a photo of the cotton candy stand if you ever see one…it’s my favorite treat but I refused to pay $10 for a stick when I visited Universal in early December. That’s just crazy for a spoon of spun sugar.

Keep us posted on your recovery,hope it’s speedy!
 
Love your photos as always, especially the treats and the balloons. I would love to see a photo of the cotton candy stand if you ever see one…
Hmm. I don't recall ever seeing one. I don't ever eat sugar myself (although I like to look :-)) so I'm often oblivious. But certainly if I see one anytime soon I'll be sure to snap some pics for you.
 
Thanks everyone for the nice comments and good wishes. My recuperation has been slower than I'd like but at least I'm making gradual progress. I'd booked a reservation for this Thursday but I cancelled it yesterday after I saw how much my Sunday trip wore me down. Hopefully by next weekend I'll be able to tolerate more. Certainly I'll take it a bit easier and also probably leave earlier.
 
I'm sorry you had covid! Glad you're feeling better now. That parking space was amazing! I don't think we were ever on the first or even second floor, no matter how early we tried to arrive. Love all your pictures, as usual :) Thanks for sharing.

btw-Do you know what they're working on on main Street?
 
Glad you are on the mend...the after affects of COVID can linger on a bit and seems everyone experiences the fatigue. Getting outside and soaking up the Vitamin D is a good help! I am enjoying your photos so much, they are helping make my decision to go in March that much easier! Take care!
 
Thanks again for your good wishes, everyone! I made an appointment with my doctor on Friday. Maybe she can give me some insights. I plan to be back at the park on Sunday. A friend is there now.
 
Thanks again for your good wishes, everyone! I made an appointment with my doctor on Friday. Maybe she can give me some insights. I plan to be back at the park on Sunday. A friend is there now.
Glad to see you recouperated. As for the fatigue, it was probably 6-9 mos before I got over the majority of it. My daughter had it at the beginning of Jan, very mild, but the fatigue is still lingering. Keep your hydration up.
 
As for the fatigue, it was probably 6-9 mos before I got over the majority of it.
Wow. I hope it’s not that long for me. Some days I can barely get out of the house. Hopefully my doctor can give me some insights and/or hope on Friday. What a drag this has been. I also wonder if losing 19 pounds in just six days has anything to do with it. I’m thin and didn’t have that kind of weight to spare. I’m still down about 13 pounds.
 
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Wow. I hope it’s not that long for me. Some days I can barely get out of the house. Hopefully my doctor can give me some insights and/or hope on Friday. What a drag this has been. I also wonder if losing 19 pounds in just six days has anything to do with it. I’m thin and didn’t have that kind of weight to spare. I’m still down about 13 pounds.

I'd say that definitely has a lot to do with it. Without getting too deep into the weeds, when someone with very little body fat loses that much weight while your body is fighting a sickness, it can definitely do a number on your energy levels. Athletes (mostly boxers and wrestlers) can do it, but there's definitely a science behind it to do it correctly and safely. The second a sickness is introduced while cutting weight, their upcoming fights will likely be postponed...

Glad to hear you only lost weight but didn't lose any of your charisma, as that's hard really hard to gain after you lose it! Stay positive and feel better!
 

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