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Downtown Disney – Uptown Fun!

With the exception of Saturday, I was a complete bump on a log this past weekend. Saturday, Roger and I ventured to Glendale Galleria (not quite South Coast Plaza, but pretty good for a quick fix) for some quick shopping and then headed down to Downtown Disney, the new entertainment complex that opened outside of Disneyland this past Friday. I have been watching the imagineers working on this area since it was first barricaded off and was still known as Donald, Eeyore, and Flower. They have done a splendid job here, and I can’t wait to explore more. They had a good mix of shops and eateries, but Roger did point out that a Disney Quest probably would have done better here than in Florida. I think that bit of amusement would have rounded things out just a tad better. We popped into a near vacant Disneyland for dinner at Redd Rocket’s. This is how I like Disneyland – sparse crowds and no waits. I was disappointed that due to the boondoggle by the power companies, all of New Orleans Square was shut down while Fantasmic was running. The AMC theater was top-notch. Very Art Deco decor and nice stadium seats were all a nice touch. A nice extra was that it was only $2 for a small soda and popcorn for a limited time with the proceeds going to the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation. (the opening night benefit was also for the charity). It saved me 50 cents over buying just a soda AND I was able to give to charity.

The movie we saw was the latest critical darling “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”. Now I enjoyed most of this movie, but I was completely let down by the ending. Now, some people say its because I am not used to non-western movies, but I think that the ending of a movie should have more than some cryptic dialog and then a scene that looks like a promo for United Airlines. But all in all it was a good movie.

I did notice a steady stream of people exiting the new California Adventure theme park. They all seemed to be excited and happy. I know I was jealous as all get out. Good things come to those who wait, and I only need to wait 19 days for my time in the sun.

Sunday was what I affectionately refer to as a “lethargy day”, a term pioneered back at the dorms in college. Lethargy days are those days when you don’t go anywhere and if at all possible, don’t even get dressed. After a week like last week, I was long overdue.