Sleeping Beauty's Castle Lament: Disneyland's Disappearing Castle Act

Seeing Sleeping Beauty's Castle at Disneyland, California, is pure magic.  Maybe a part of that magic is pure nostalgia, but it's part of the Disney Park experience.  Walk through the entrance, read the "Here You Leave Today" plaque over the archway, dance to Hello Dolly, Joplin, or the band, smile at Main Street USA's facade, and then marvel over the Castle.  Like, this is my pattern every time I enter the Disneyland Cali park. (Unless I'm saving time and hop on the monorail, which is sometimes a must).

Before going to the California Disney parks this last weekend I saw pictures of Sleeping Beauty's Castle all boarded up, picture in place, but nothing prepares you to seeing it in person.  I understand the need for repair and updates.  The park needs to stay fresh.  But it's not the same.  Heh, every time I saw the castle I would shake my head and think, "That's sad."

I just feel bad for those who are visiting Disneyland for the first, and possibly last time, due to the expense, and this is the view of the castle they get.

I don't know when the castle's refurbishment started, but the castle is supposed to be back in time for Star Wars Lands soft opening at the end of May.  A lot of the garden parts of the park are boarded up as well; I'm guessing new or freshened up landscaping.

I'm avoiding Disneyland this Summer and will be checking out Star Wars Land this Autumn.  It will still be crazy, but hopefully not as bad.  But seriously, how crazy uncomfortable will the parks be this Summer?  Disneyland is fun, and I don't mind crowds, despite being an introvert, but there is a point where too much is too much.

 Boarded up castle at the end of Main Street USA.

 The backside of the castle.

At least we know Prince Phillip is still vanquishing evil.

Oh, despite the castle being boarded up you can still walk through the castle to get to Fantasyland.  Just walk around the partition towards Fantasy Faire, hugging the wall, and you'll come through the other side next to Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique.

 The boarded up castle acts as a good theater screen for the firework show.

And a note on the firework show, usually I recommend watching from the central area right in front of the castle.  For this latest show it's best experienced standing in between the stores on Main Street USA.  The projection on the buildings are cool, and they shine colored lights through bubble foam which is a really fun effect.  If the fireworks are canceled due to wind, this part of the show still proceeds.

Getting on the Wrong Train, Twice, in Tokyo, and Oh So Close to Midnight, Too.

Most trains stop running between Midnight and 1:00 am in Tokyo.  If you are not back to your hotel by then you're stuck, unless you want to walk, or catch a super expensive taxi, or find an internet cafe to spend the night.  Some train lines actually do stop by midnight, including the monorail going around the Disney Parks.

My family and I had an exciting day in Tokyo that fine Saturday, April 13th, 2019: Boarderless Exhibit, a giant Ferris wheel, Gundams, Shrines, Harajuku crepes, Shibuya's pedestrian crossing, a full day.  We were tired.  And it was after 9:00 at night.  We had time to get back.

Google maps is nice, at times, but be careful as it can lead you astray.  We all learned this the hard way.  According to the app it would have taken us about 38 minutes or so to get to the Maihama station from Shibuya, home of Disney magic.

Go to platform 4, it said.  Hop on, it said.  The Saikyo line magically turns into the Rinkai line, remain on board.  Get off at Shin-Kiba.  Wait.  Ride two stops to Maihama.  Simple!  So simple!  Only we were confused over what platform we were on and hopped on the first train we saw. -_-;;  Don't Ever Do That!!!  Instead of riding towards Ebisu, we were heading back to Harajuku.  Wrong way.

So we got off.  Got new directions.  Waited.  The train apparently came and went, only we didn't see it.  Are invisible trains a thing in Tokyo?  It was approaching 10:00.  The estimated time was over an hour.  We needed to get to Maihama no later than 11:50 or so to catch the last monorail.  Could we have walked from there?  Sure.  Did we want to walk from Maihama to our hotels?  Nope, nada.

My brother Steven talked to the employee walking around with the train timetables.  He laughed, said the train should have come, and walked away.

A train comes and we hop on, one of those trains that doesn't have a map showing its stops, or a full digital display.  And then the train went fast.  REALLY fast.  We were on a rapid train, and when the next stop was announced, it was not even close to where we wanted to be.

In Japan there are local trains that stop at every stop, express trains that skip a stop or two, and rapid.  If you accidentally hop on a rapid you can easily be stuck for tens of minutes, miles from where you want to be.

At that point we were frazzled!

I was a little scared.

The train station worker my brother frantically talked to asked for the best way to Maihama.  I just wanted to get to Tokyo Station.  It's huge, but I know how to get back from there.  The worker shook his head.  Said Tokyo Station was a bad idea.  He was adamant.  When a train suddenly came and opened he literally pushed us on the train, without touching, mind, and insisted we go back to Osaki station.

Osaki Station was where we had all our problems!

I didn't want to go back to Osaki.

Osaki lies.

But the train was moving.  It was too late.

 When the train came to a stop the doors opened.  Everyone poured out.

And then, straight in front of us, was a train.  Doors open.  Sign reading Shin-Kiba.

Where we needed to go.

The train was at a platform completely different than what Google Maps listed.

When we entered the train we sat, nervous it was wrong.  Nervous we were being led astray again.  Wondering when the train would move, as it was practically empty.  We waited over 10 minutes as people gradually trickled in.  Then the train moved.  The displayed stations were right.

We were relieved.

It was around 11:30 pm by the time we made it to Maihama Station, and just before midnight when we made it to our hotels.

We were so glad!

And we all vowed to never do that again.

Checking Out the Butterfly Biosphere

On Thursday I checked out the Butterfly Biosphere at Thanksgiving Point in Lehi Utah.  It opened last January, I believe, and I've been looking forward to a visit.  When I was a kid my family would visit the Fresno Zoo where the bird house was my favorite.  The idea of seeing butterflies fluttering about sounded cool.

Now, before I proceed, just after 6 pm is the time I visited.  There were butterflies flying around, but not too many.  While observing I overheard a guy talking to one of the workers, mentioning that the last time he visited it was around 1pm, raining, and there were butterflies everywhere.  So time and type of day is important.  The experience was nice, but I was expecting more.

The Daiso Japanese Light Up Wand Gift my Niece Loved

 What's been so much fun watching my little nieces and nephew grow up is seeing how their personalities develop over time.  Seeing how they change.

They're all growing up too fast!

My youngest nieces are starting to show their personalities a little more.  My toddler niece is more open and likes to giggle, but can be quiet at times.  She's an observer, it seems, and likes a good joke.  My youngest niece loves to explore, but can be really bashful and shy.  This youngest niece I haven't quite connected with yet, because I don't think it's good to force any relationship, but we took a huge step together last week!  And it's all thanks to a little wand from a Japanese Daiso (100 yen store).

I helped babysat her a few weeks ago, and every now and then she would glare at me!  Apparently it's her thinking face, so I'm not taking it personally, but it did have me worried.  She did cuddle with me for a few moments when she needed help with a snack, then she was off playing again.  I kinda laughed and sighed at the same time.

During my recent trip to Japan I went into a Daiso store while in Harajuku.  You can find so many great things at good prices!  They're worth tracking down if you're visiting Japan.  I bought all my Niece and Nephew gifts there, combined under $10.

For my two little nieces I got them a wand that actually lights up, Sailor Moon style.

So cool.

My little niece was so excited!

And in her little way said thank you.

On the way home my sister-in-law texted me: "So on the drive home [my niece] was jabbering and I heard 're-rah jabber jabber wight jabber re-rah'. Translation, she was talking about Sarah and the light, aka the wand, and Sarah.  She's over the moon with it and didn't want to put it away."

That's sweet.

And I saw her a couple days ago, and my little niece didn't hide her head from me and stood next to me while showing me the book she's looking through.

Small steps.  But good steps. :0)

And I haven't given my other nieces and nephew their Daiso finds.

Hope they like them!

Practical and fun.

 This bottom one came from DisneySea. :0)

Peach Coca-Cola, My Favorite Drink Discovery in Japan

 If there's one thing I really miss from Japan it's all the vending machines.  They're everywhere and so nice and convenient.  And one thing you can find in vending machines is a good variety of drinks.

Of course not speaking or reading fluent Japanese can come as a hindrance, as a lot of the drinks are mysteries.  I got this one drink at the Boarderless Exhibit thinking it was water, it said Aqua, but it was a slightly sweet sports drink.  A total surprise.

Also, something else Japan is known for are limited edition items.  I found this Peach Coca-Cola at a vending machine in Ginza, and it was so tasty!  So good!  But it's also a limit edition flavor, so even if I lived in Japan this drink is short lived.

It's probably a good thing Peach Coke isn't a thing in the States, though . . . do those multi option soda machines have peach as an option?  Okay, I probably shouldn't find out.  I've been very good not drinking soda this year, and did slip up in Japan due to awesomeness of options.  It's not fun always getting water from vending machines that have so many cool choices.

But seriously, Peach Coca-Cola is so good.

Isn't It Romantic, mini movie review

Rating: C+

(Isn't It Romantic Comes to DVD on May 21st, and was released to theaters just before Valentines Day.)

When Natalie, played by Rebel Wilson, was a little girl she dreamed of romance Pretty Women style, only for her to be told by her Mom to give up such fancy notions, as only pretty skinny girls get such attention.  Zoom to the future and Natalie is now cynical towards love and romantic comedies.  Then, thanks to an accident, she finds herself in an alternate reality, smack in the middle of a romantic comedy complete with musical numbers.

All the criticisms and cliches Natalie listed against Rom-Com's she now lives.  New York is no longer dark and dirty, but bright and colorful with flowers and pleasant smells.  Gorgeous guys who once ignored her are now oozing over her.  Her small apartment got an HGTV makeover.  It seems like a dream world.  A great opportunity.  But is it?  Is fantasy really better than reality?

Isn't It Romantic has a lot of fun moments scattered between awkwardness, bad music cues in triumphant moments, and moments that felt empty.  But maybe the empty moments prove another point, fantasy is empty, with no substance, and in the mix of fluff, over-the-top cliches that are cringe worthy, and pastel colors, reality will always be better.

Love isn't meant to be easy.  It's seldom obvious, unless you believe in love at first sight, which, I should avoid going down that tangent.  And really, should we allow ourselves to believe what people tell us?  Whether we are deserving of love or not?  Whether love is possible?

This Rom-Com fantasy exploit has a good message with fun throwback music.  The only downfall is in the execution and flow, particularly during the middle dream section.  It just felt a little off.

MPAA: Rated PG-13 for language, some sexual material, and a brief drug reference.

Mount Fuji From a Distance

 When I visited Japan in 2015 I hoped to see Mount Fuji.  Not up close, as time wouldn't permit, but hopefully from a distance.  On our last day, up in the Sky Tree, Mount Fuji was silhouetted in a rose colored sunset.  That was such a beautiful sight.

This last trip a visit wasn't planned to see Mount Fuji up close, so I hoped weather would be fortunate enough for a distant view.  Sure enough, last Wednesday, after getting off the Shonan Monorail in Enoshima, there stood Fuji, proud and strong, albeit a little hazy.  But still I saw this beautiful mount.

Of course the above pic is a close up, zoomed in shot.

This is what Mount Fuji looked like from the balcony.

So small!  And I had to squint a little!

But I still saw it.

I saw this iconic beautiful death trap ready to spew lava at any moment.

It's an active volcano.  Volcanoes make me nervous.

Even so, I still hope to one day see her up close.

The Nicest and Sweetest Days

"I believe the nicest and sweetest days are not those on which anything very splendid or wonderful or exciting happens but just those that bring simple little pleasures, following one another softly, like pearls slipping off a string." L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Avonlea

Don't take a single day for granted. :0)

Getting Back From a Trip To Tokyo, Surrounding Areas, and the Disney Parks

Tokyo, 2019

Yesterday I flew in from Tokyo Narita airport. 

At the end of last year my Mom and I were talking about trips we could take, and she said she wanted to go to Japan, which she never really desired.  So we planned the trip with my brother Steven and his boyfriend Ty.

Last time when I went with my brother Michael and sister-in-law Krista we rented an apartment.  It made the trip possible, and gave us the experience of being in a residential area.  This time I stayed with my Mom at the Sheraton Grand Tokyo Bay Hotel, right next to the Disney Parks, literally across the street from one of four monorail exits.  Super handy.

The trip itself was eight full days, about half were spent at the Disney parks.

Tokyo Disney

I REALLY appreciate the Tokyo Disney parks all the more now, especially DisneySea.  Last time experiencing the park was a whirlwind.  Two hour train ride there, got into park an hour late, left an hour early so we wouldn't get stranded when rail transportation ends at midnight, and two hour train ride back.  It was zip and flash.  This time I soaked it in and fell in love.

DisneySea is the best.  The. Best.  All the details.  Nuance.  The parks ability to transport you to different Worlds.  Atmosphere.  Perfect balance between shows and rides.  Etc. Etc. Etc.  I'm already missing it on so many levels.

When we went into the city it was fun, but once you get back to Maihama station you're in a Disney bubble.  The music.  Happiness.  Magic.  It's Disney heaven.

Tokyo and About

I didn't get to do as much as I wanted, but with all short trips you must pick and choose.  I shared with my family some of the things I enjoyed last time balanced with new things.  TeamLab Boarderless Museum, Ferris wheel at Palette Town, Giant Gundam, Ginza, Harajuku, Meiji Shrine, Enoshima, and maybe one or two other things I can't remember.

Getting Sick

This is the first trip I caught a bug.  It seemed people everywhere were coughing.  Something was going around, and with close transportation, hand rails, etc, I'm just glad I got sick at the end of the trip verses the beginning.  The second day of the trip was cold with 43 F, real feel 36 F, all day with non-stop rain.  My shoes and socks were soaked.  Six inches of water up my pants.  By the end of the day my teeth were chattering and I had a hard time talking.  I should have gotten sick then.  I made it to the second to last night.

Walking through Tokyo station I found a pharmacy and got Vick throat drops, but couldn't find salt to gargle with.  Thankfully at the hotel restaurant a girl gave me a paper cup with a salt shaker.  Didn't think finding salt would be so difficult.  My throat isn't sore anymore, but I have a pretty bad cough and almost lost my voice coming home.  Ah well, getting sick is one of the dangers in traveling.  I'm been pretty lucky.

We were supposed to go to Mount Takao, which I tried to do last time, on our last day, but when I woke up Wednesday morning I knew that was a bad idea.  So my Mom and I explored Ikspiari, their Downtown Disney/Disney Springs.  And after 6 pm you can buy Disney park tickets for less than $40.  We went in and had a good meal with the boys.  They took off, I didn't want to slow them down, so I watched Fantasmic one last time and the fireworks before heading back to the hotel for a snooze.  Everything didn't quite work out, but it was a nice way to end the trip.

The Round Up

It's just past mid-night (this will post at 6 am MT, so I wrote this from that perspective) and I should get to bed.  It was a wonderful trip.  Went way too fast!!!!  Everyone wanted to stay another week.  I'm ready to sleep away the weekend and kick this cold to the curb.  Blah.  I'm glad to be home, but I loved Tokyo.

Enjoying Wonderful Pastries in France

May, 2016: You can't go to France and not try pastries!  Seriously a sin of some sort.  There were so many pastries to try in Issoudun, a few good shops.

Really, it's all so dangerous, but so yummy.

(You just need to be careful when you take them home.)

Photos by Sarah and Robin Stufflebeam