Radiobarry's Karla Extravaganza Report, 4-2-06

[Radiobarry]

Okay, here it is...in my own inimitable fashion...my report on the all-to-short few hours I got to spend with my MiceChat family, on what I've come to call the Hakuna Makarla Extravaganza Sunday.

My wife Kathleen and I left our La Conchita estate just after 5 AM...for the approximately 105 mile trip southeast to Orange County and the Happiest Place On Earth. I knew I wanted to get there early, being at least a fairly busy, and as it turned out, nice day weatherwise.

After a brief Starbucks fillup along the 101 in Westlake, we were at the toll booths before their 7:30Am opening and got to park in Pinocchio (I never have liked parking structures much).

We strolled into the park, and saw the familiar vista that still warms my heart...



And then my lovely bride and I took some time to stroll around in the early park hours, made it to the Haunted Mansion, and then to the Mark Twain (we had the boat basically to ourselves).

Then it was off to the madness that was the Storyteller's Cafe and the madness that was the breakfast meet.

We knew we were in the right area, when we saw these really hungry MCers waiting for a table...



Princess Buttercup, Dusty, and VillainsFan :lol:

And the celebrities that turned out for the Extravaganza...check this out...



OK, I am shameless...and Dick Van Dyke I'm not...but at least I didn't cut in line in front of small children and chickens to get this picture....



And as you would expect at a MiceChat function, there was plenty to drink...even at breakfast...and no bottle, or vase, was left unturned...



The beginning of a big day...

[Radiobarry]

Re: Radiobarry's Karla Extravaganza Report, 4-2-06



Mac is in good hands....after all, she's in the hands of Demigod, with our exalted leader not too far away!!!

And moments later, we breezed in to the Storyteller's Cafe without a care in the world, our table waiting...greeted by our beautiful guests of honor, Karla and her beautiful daughter...



Well. okay it didn't happen quite that way, but we got in...and we got to meet 'em, and that's what matters!

We were delighted to find out that we were seated at the same table with the supposedly "delightful" Princess Buttercup. Sadly, she wasn't what we expected. As a matter of fact, I'd have to say she spent at least part of the meal with a real Chip on her shoulder!!



Or, was that a Dale on her shoulder. With all that was going on at the time, who could tell.

And speaking of "babes"...



That's my very own Kathleen, with Karla...Sorry Karla, you're a babe...but you are the second most beautiful woman in this shot.

Kathleen, who hates having her picture taken, would like you all to know that because of work and other commitments and the Sunday morning time change, she was really tired and not feeling well but came down anyway to meet everybody. After breakfast she was just too tired and so she went back to our car to rest awhile, so that I could go on with the group...am I one of the luckiest guys around, or WHAT???

[Radiobarry]

Re: Radiobarry's Karla Extravaganza Report, 4-2-06

Flashback...January 2006...My breakfast food at my first MiceChat meet:



Now as you can see, I have really moved up in the world by the time of my second MiceChat meet, the Hakuna Makarla extravaganza...



Yes, I'm bigger, bolder and more delicious...with more hair on my head...black, even...but when it comes to important issues of the day I still...waffle...(groan).

And it's nice to know that no matter how festive the atmosphere, how lighthearted the moment...there is never a time that Fishbulb and VillainsFan (the real one) can't take the time to ponder the vital issues that confront micechat.com virtually every moment of every day...



Who knows what vital issue of great importance to us all was being discussed AT THAT VERY MOMENT. The mind boggles. Inside sources tell me that the phrase...now "who had the omelette and who had the waffles" was heard. More on this breaking story as it develops....

So...after the hearty breakfast, we left the Grand Californian and cut across the Parking Lot (Oh yeah, some of you call it Disney's California Adventure now) and we made a bee-line (well, that came later in Frontierland) I mean we hurried to Disneyland's main gate and to the "other" meet...that noon thing at the hub.

I've always enjoyed reading CrazyLegs' posts and imagine the thrill...there she is, in the flesh (so to speak) with Captain Phoebus too...



And the fun was just beginning...

[Radiobarry]

Re: Radiobarry's Karla Extravaganza Report, 4-2-06

Now as I mentioned before, DemiGod and Mac the travelling chicken made it to the Hakuna Makarla extravaganza.
One of the nice things about my day was to kiss my wife as she went to the car to rest (I revel in the simple pleasures). Apparently sad to see me have to make my way through the parking lot (some of you call it DCA) alone, Morrigoon blessed me with her presence, and we talked about off-the-shelf rides, UCLA basket-bore (her term), and the lack of ice at USC's new on-campus arena all the way to Disneyland's Main Gate.
Now since she found me at the restaurant, I assumed she'd just had breakfast. I had no idea how hungry she still was...



And Mac's current owner, and our ex-salted leader, are doing nothing to stop her???

Apparently, she has no conscience. Which was understandable, at least at that time, because everyone's "conscience", or at least Pinocchio's, (Mr. Cricket) was over posing for a picture along with Kristy and the lovely Sir Clinksalot...(or is it the other way around... )



I like this conscience. He's a UCLA Bruins fan. Too bad they lost the basketball championship game. Anyway...after an apparently heroic struggle to rescue her precious Mac away from the FOTA/USC type and obviously carnivorous Morrigoon, Karla was obviously glad to see her fowl still in one piece...



And could that be the one and only Stitch TT6...Obviously happy with the fact that Mac has solved that often puzzling MiceChat "where's Barbie" question...



Karla had many friends on a sunny Sunday afternoon in Anaheim. And with my wife safely tucked away near in our car near the Mickey and Friends parking structure being awakened by concerned and she said very kind security guards, I felt it to be okay to spend time with some of MiceChat's many lovely and friendly ladies...



There's that "Where's Barbie" again, along with the Wolfette, Wolfy and another beautiful young lady whose name, quite honestly and painfully, I cannot remember...Wolfy, by the way, likes talking about painful Angels baseball playoff losses from the mid-80's, while the Disneyland railroad goes through the grand canyon. A woman after my own heart. So to speak. ) :lol: (Well, she did so after I put her up to it...)

And as you may recall, if you have no life and remember every single one of my 15-hundred or so posts, MissChristine said she indeed was impressed that I used to make 50 gallons of Disneyland non-alcoholic mint julep at a time...




And c'mon now, is there anyone who could be Grumpy with any man of any age admitting that they feel better that MissChristine might possibly be impressed with anything they might have done ever, even if it was in the Stone Age.

[Radiobarry]

Re: Radiobarry's Karla Extravaganza Report, 4-2-06

One of the other very beautiful and charming MiceChat ladies I had the pleasure of meeting and speaking to, as the meet made its way from the hub inexorably toward the Rivers Of America, was Lady3Jane. She explained what the name meant, but like so many important things any more, I've forgotten it.
We talked for quite a while. More likely I talked and she listened (I'm an old radio guy with a lot of hot air after all). Anyway, she seemed really cool...as any beautiful woman with a tie-dyed looking Dr. Seuss shirt might be...



So it was on to the mighty Columbia sailing ship. And Karla was indeed holding court. Many of you may think that Karla is this sweet, funny, adorable woman from a small town in Montana. Wellll, that may be true, but truth be told...she really is a control freak...



That poor crew member/CM she elbowed out of the way to take over the wheel....Okay, not really... !

But she did seem to enjoy "driving" the boat....
But avast ye matey, she was plum tuckered out after the voyage, and repaired to her hotel room for a nap.

Meantime, many of the rest of us headed to the Fantasyland area to pillage, plunder and generally make a mockery of "It's A Small World"....



And I am not sure why, but Wolfy seemed to feel the need to keep an eye on me, since we were not talking yet about painful Angel playoff losses while riding the train going through the Grand Canyon...



In my life, I have ridden IASW many times. Confession...I actually LIKE or at least don't mind the Small World song. Never, however, had I ridden the attraction in a boat filled with MiceChatters before...singing the song in full voice with lyrics like...It's a Middle Eastern oil cartel, after all....
Well, it's something everyone should experience at least once....Thankfully there was an empty boat in front of us so I don't think we scarred anyone else emotionally.

Finally it was off to the Toontown train station. With knowledge that I would be leaving the group at the Main Street station, to reunite with my refreshed and awakened beloved wife, VillainsFan showed me the remorse you might expect her to show on hearing such sad news...



And so I returned to my lovely Kathleen, who waited back at the hub for the fella she couldn't wait any longer for....



And even after I waited 30 minutes in line to get her that Dole Whip float....

Well, we did go to see Billy's show at the Golden Horseshoe and she did buy me french fries, mozarella sticks and a Coke after that...

Well, that pretty much wraps it...you might see about 40 or so Karla Extravaganza trip reports here in the next few days...but I'm assuming that none might be quite like this one.

Seriously, it was a wonderful day. I enjoyed meeting those I'd never met before, especially Karla and her daughter, and also thrilled in seeing other MCers I'd previously met. You people mean alot to me...and you've done something really special...besides the always being there thing. You've taken something that was once a big part of my life...Disneyland...and helped rekindle a special magic for me that I thought was long gone.

For that, I am very grateful.

Thank you so much,

Barry

PS...To those that I might have forgotten to mention, or even screwed up name/face/picture, please forgive me for I know not what I do...

[awesomemama]

Re: Radiobarry's Karla Extravaganza Report, 4-2-06

:lol: Great report!

[BDBopper]

Re: Radiobarry's Karla Extravaganza Report, 4-2-06

Barry, that was a masterpiece! Thank you for such a fantastic trip report. Made my morning. Who needs coffee when you can read the humorous musings of RadioBarry instead?

[sir clinksalot]

Re: Radiobarry's Karla Extravaganza Report, 4-2-06

(Mr. Cricket) was over posing for a picture along with Kristy and the lovely Sir Clinksalot...(or is it the other way around... )

Definately the other way around.

Awesome pics Barry ... makes me kind of sad we missed the b-fast meet.

[BDBopper]

Re: Radiobarry's Karla Extravaganza Report, 4-2-06

A few thoughts...

Wow those waffles look awesome. I am going to have to get one of those for myself while I am out there.

I really appreciate the photos (with captions...no matter how goofy) and the ability to put names with faces. Will make my job a little easier come September.

It's a Middle Easter Oil Cartel After all! ROFL Who came up with that one. That's gold!

[Barbaraann]

Re: Radiobarry's Karla Extravaganza Report, 4-2-06

Great trip report, Barry. Thanks for taking the time to take the pictures and then putting them here on MiceChat for all us MiceChatters to view. I really appreciate seeing the smiles of so many MiceChatters having fun at Disneyland.

Glad to hear that you are getting the magic back.

[SummerInFL]

Re: Radiobarry's Karla Extravaganza Report, 4-2-06

Great report Barry.

[Dustysage]

Re: Radiobarry's Karla Extravaganza Report, 4-2-06

:thumbup: Amazing report Barry :bow:

[Princess Buttercup]

Re: Radiobarry's Karla Extravaganza Report, 4-2-06

Great trip report Barry...very original! Cute pictures too!

[Alchimedes]

Re: Radiobarry's Karla Extravaganza Report, 4-2-06

RB, thanks for the report, I like your style!

[TinkPink]

Re: Radiobarry's Karla Extravaganza Report, 4-2-06

That was one of the best trip reports ever!! :clap: Great job!

[NemoZorro]

Re: Radiobarry's Karla Extravaganza Report, 4-2-06

Really nice report - there is always magic at DL!

[DMof2]

Re: Radiobarry's Karla Extravaganza Report, 4-2-06

:thumbup: Awesome report Barry~ So great to see so many MC'ers at DL Thanks for sharing

[PirateMickey]

Re: Radiobarry's Karla Extravaganza Report, 4-2-06

What a wonderful report!

Great photo's, commentary and inside information!

Thanks!

[Groomer]

Re: Radiobarry's Karla Extravaganza Report, 4-2-06

great trip report1 now I know some of the people I type at by face now LOL

[NeverNeverland]

Re: Radiobarry's Karla Extravaganza Report, 4-2-06

Great report and WONDERFUL pictures.

I love the serious VF and Fishy one