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Our last day in Disneyland was cut short because of a 90F day in Anaheim. It seemed that this was the day that the locals had been waiting for, they showed up in droves, and us poor Northwesters, who show up in early May to AVOID such days, were melting. So after one trip through Grizzly Rapids, then my wife and I did the Bugs Life 3d movie while the kids went through the Tower of Terror (twice) it was decided to call it a day (about 2hrs in California Park and not even getting into DL proper). We went back to the Hotel, the kids went swimming and I sat in somewhat of a fume, playing solitaire, while the wife watched TV.
Thanks to our daughter, we did go back in that evening to watch the fireworks.
But that is not the shortest visit.
It was Saturday morning and we were packed up ready to start the drive north, when I happened to mention the Pineapple Whip that the wife and I shared Monday while the kids were off on a ride. Suddenly, my daughters eyes began to well with tears. When questioned, it was revealed that she really wanted one of those Pineapple Whips. WE did have 1 day left on our 3 day passes so we could have all gone in, put we had ~1000 mile drive ahead (927mi to be exact) and I really wanted to get on the road. Also it is now $10 to park in the DL parking lot. So my wife came up with the scheme that one of us that could walk fast would be dropped off at the entrance, go in buy the Pineapple Whips (it was decided that since the sucker (me) had 2 hands that I should bring back 2!). Just how long would it take to get into DL, buy the Whips and get back out. Our guess ranged from an optimistic half hour to a full hour. Well it was done, I was dropped off at the pedestrian entrance and headed in. There is a first line of bag inspections that since I was alone and carrying nothing I was able to get through in less then 5min. Then came the ticket taking line, again I got in a good one and in less then 15min from the time I got out of the car was inside the park. Now it was an open field fast walk, dodging baby carriages, aimlessly wondering tourists etc. Fortunately the Tiki Lodge where this stuff is sold is just off the end of Main Street. Also since it was early the line was short, so in about 20min from the car I had the 2 Dole Pineapple Whips in hand.
Oh yeah, You may be wondering.. Just what is a Dole Pineapple Whip? Essentially it is Pineapple soft serve Ice cream. Which is very refreshing, if you like Pineapple, which I don't !
Now here I am in Disneyland with a dish of Soft serve Ice Cream in each hand, it is getting on to 90F again, and you all know what soft serve Ice Cream does in that kind of heat. Of course they piled it up high so the actual volume of liquid Ice Cream EXCEEDED the Volume of the container. I made one quick stop to mash it down as much as possible and bee lined out of the park, again open field fast walk dodging the same darn baby strollers and more gawking tourist, only this time with a rapidly melting dish of soft serve Ice Cream in each hand. Naturally within a minute or 2 I was leaving a sticky trail of Pineapple soft serve ice cream in my wake. The good thing was that people who saw me coming started getting out the way! The upshot in something less the a half hour after entering the park I was standing in the hot sun on sidewalk outside of DL waiting for my wife to drive by. Essentially I had succeeded in the absolute minimum time estimate for getting in and out. Now the trouble came. Seems that wife did not believe that such a trip was possible, she had parked somewhere and was WAITING. After a half hour (I was at the corner, holding 2 melting dishes of very sticky ice cream at that time) the kids thought that they should check, wife says, not yet he can't possibly be out! She waited 45 min before coming to get me. That 20min to 1 half hour I spent standing on the sidewalk was perhaps the longest I have ever experienced. You can imagine the looks and comments I was getting, (you should be standing in the shade!... Right, were in the world was I supposed to find shade?)
That must be a worlds record for the shortest stay in Disneyland.
BTW: even after +45mins buried in the melted liquid was a core of still frozen Ice Cream.
Thanks to our daughter, we did go back in that evening to watch the fireworks.
But that is not the shortest visit.
It was Saturday morning and we were packed up ready to start the drive north, when I happened to mention the Pineapple Whip that the wife and I shared Monday while the kids were off on a ride. Suddenly, my daughters eyes began to well with tears. When questioned, it was revealed that she really wanted one of those Pineapple Whips. WE did have 1 day left on our 3 day passes so we could have all gone in, put we had ~1000 mile drive ahead (927mi to be exact) and I really wanted to get on the road. Also it is now $10 to park in the DL parking lot. So my wife came up with the scheme that one of us that could walk fast would be dropped off at the entrance, go in buy the Pineapple Whips (it was decided that since the sucker (me) had 2 hands that I should bring back 2!). Just how long would it take to get into DL, buy the Whips and get back out. Our guess ranged from an optimistic half hour to a full hour. Well it was done, I was dropped off at the pedestrian entrance and headed in. There is a first line of bag inspections that since I was alone and carrying nothing I was able to get through in less then 5min. Then came the ticket taking line, again I got in a good one and in less then 15min from the time I got out of the car was inside the park. Now it was an open field fast walk, dodging baby carriages, aimlessly wondering tourists etc. Fortunately the Tiki Lodge where this stuff is sold is just off the end of Main Street. Also since it was early the line was short, so in about 20min from the car I had the 2 Dole Pineapple Whips in hand.
Oh yeah, You may be wondering.. Just what is a Dole Pineapple Whip? Essentially it is Pineapple soft serve Ice cream. Which is very refreshing, if you like Pineapple, which I don't !
Now here I am in Disneyland with a dish of Soft serve Ice Cream in each hand, it is getting on to 90F again, and you all know what soft serve Ice Cream does in that kind of heat. Of course they piled it up high so the actual volume of liquid Ice Cream EXCEEDED the Volume of the container. I made one quick stop to mash it down as much as possible and bee lined out of the park, again open field fast walk dodging the same darn baby strollers and more gawking tourist, only this time with a rapidly melting dish of soft serve Ice Cream in each hand. Naturally within a minute or 2 I was leaving a sticky trail of Pineapple soft serve ice cream in my wake. The good thing was that people who saw me coming started getting out the way! The upshot in something less the a half hour after entering the park I was standing in the hot sun on sidewalk outside of DL waiting for my wife to drive by. Essentially I had succeeded in the absolute minimum time estimate for getting in and out. Now the trouble came. Seems that wife did not believe that such a trip was possible, she had parked somewhere and was WAITING. After a half hour (I was at the corner, holding 2 melting dishes of very sticky ice cream at that time) the kids thought that they should check, wife says, not yet he can't possibly be out! She waited 45 min before coming to get me. That 20min to 1 half hour I spent standing on the sidewalk was perhaps the longest I have ever experienced. You can imagine the looks and comments I was getting, (you should be standing in the shade!... Right, were in the world was I supposed to find shade?)
That must be a worlds record for the shortest stay in Disneyland.
BTW: even after +45mins buried in the melted liquid was a core of still frozen Ice Cream.
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That's what dad's are for.