Anaheim - Day 8 ☔️

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We came to California to escape the rain, which naturally means we woke up this morning to a downpour. We’d known this was coming so I’d purchased some rain ponchos yesterday (kindly modelled by Barry on day seven whilst escaping Tiana’s Bayou Adventure).

There was no getting around it, we had theme park tickets and we were going to get the most out of them, dang it! We ventured out into the rain. The first stop on our agenda today was Disney’s California Adventure.

As expected, the rain caused some of the rides to close, like Radiator Springs Racers, which we’d hoped to ride first but had to pivot quickly!

As Barry did yesterday, I will spare you the tedious run-through of rides, but we managed to get through a few whilst getting steadily wetter and steadily more disgruntled!  Somehow, during the first ride, which was the big wheel called Pixar Pal-Around , Barry managed to cut his finger and thumb without realising and got blood all over the first white t-shirt he has worn in about twenty years before I could get plasters on him!

Most notable of this morning’s antics was the Guardians of the Galaxy version of Tower of Terror, which is always a great time and we even got a moment of sweet relief from the rain as we walked out. It didn’t last long, sadly. When it began raining again, it was twelve times harder. We persevered, scurrying, poncho-clad and heads down, from ride to ride.

Barry just beat me at Toy Story Midway-Mania and then as a final stab to the heart, he made me go on Web-Slingers. Another ride where you shoot things and try to get a high-score, but this time you have to act like you’re Spider-man and I can not explain how much it makes me cringe into myself, but it was our last hurrah for the morning before trudging back out onto Harbor Boulevard.

Before reaching the safety of our hotel

Room, we needed sustenance, and dumplings sounded like they would hit the spot and warm us right up. Next door to Blaze Pizza is a restaurant with perhaps the greatest name ever; CHUBBY DUMPLINGS, which we have affectionately shortened to Chumplings. Barry had wontons in chicken broth and I had soup dumplings, which were just what we needed and gave us the strength to soldier on!

A lovely nap later, we opened the door and were greeted with beautiful sunshine once more!! This was greeted with much jubilation and we skipped back to Disneyland, poncho-less and heads held high. We had a very special dinner reservation to get to!

First, we set the tone with a ride on Pirates of the Caribbean, the scent of sweet, sweet bromine filling our senses. There are some water rides that just have that nostalgic smell and this one is the best of them. At the beginning of the ride, you float through a bayou alongside a real restaurant with lanterns glowing overhead. It’s very fancy and we’ve always wanted to eat there. Pals, this is where we are eating dinner tonight.

We exited Pirates, made a quick but delightful stop at the Enchanted Tiki Room, and entered the Blue Bayou to warm welcomes by all of the staff. Our lovely server asked us if we were celebrating anything- we told him we are celebrating our engagement, which we always are! We started with some drinks and took in the atmosphere and of course, the sweet, sweet smell of bromine!

Barry had a delicious feast of Cajun chicken with rice, prawns and spicy veggies. I had filet mignon with potato and mushrooms which cut like butter and melted in my mouth. We then shared a slice of pumpkin spice and caramel cake, which they put a little candle in to celebrate our engagement! We blew it out together and devoured the delicious dessert. Perhaps the best meal we’ve both had and we agreed it was well worth the wait.

We finished the night with the Haunted Mansion, which has a Nightmare before Christmas overlay for the season and was a really spooky fun end to another wonderful, if a bit damp, Disney day!