CHIP & DALE'S WILD WEST PIN EVENT 3 Feb 2005

CHIP & DALE'S WILD WEST PIN EVENT
3 FEBRUARY 2005

registration sign @ Disneyland Hotel Marina Ballroom!

First things first, we picked up our registration packet & merch (we were pre-registered so not much of a line to stand in) and then over to the Merch room to pick up our pre-paid items which included the CHIP & DALE event pin bag (LE 500) some of the pins we liked that had picked out from the pre-order, the lanyard & trading metal that we both liked & were able to get (those were LE as well) the LE framed Pecos Bill & Slue Foot Sue pin set. (really lovely!) and then we checked out some of the preview items they had on display for DLR & WDW..

First, an image of some of the items available for the event:
some of the Chip & Dale items including our framed pin set & trading items

some of the Chip & Dale items including our framed pin set & trading items

the framed pin art of Pecos Bill is the one with the red back on the blue matted frame.. we also were able to get one of the leather event pin bags w/faux buckles and some of the nicer event pins including a cool Jessica Rabbit pin and Pecos Bill & Slue foot Sue heart pin which opened on hinges. =)

artists in residence =)

Jeff & Monty, the gentlemen that created the event merchandise pieces were sitting in to autograph the pins and other merch that they created specially for the Chip & Dale event. Sean got Jeff's autograph on a few of his pin board backings. =) They were both super nice & friendly. Really cool to meet them.

...and now for a side trip to Disney's California Adventure! =)

Sean & I had a few hours left before the event began, so we decided to get a late lunch at 'the other park' aka: Meeko's fave park on the West Coast, Disney's California Adventure! =) We decided to have lunch at Taste Pilot's Grill, which we haven't eaten there in a while and they actually do have a few healthy choices there. Pamela had the bbq grilled chicken, which was a grilled breast of chicken and a bit of BBQ on bun served with waffle fries. Sean had the chicken salad which came with popcorn style chicken bits, cheese tomatoes, olives and a bunch of other stuff. It looked pretty good and healthy despite the batter fried chicken bits. Pamela headed to the next best FIXIN' bar in the world (the best being PECOS BILL's in WDW's Magic Kingdom, IOHO o' course!) Other than the chicken being a little dry, the bbq sauce was good and the fixin's bar lets you choose whether you want to go with salsa, or mayo, ketchup & mustard, as well lettuce, tomato slices, 2 types of onions, pickles, jalapino, or various hot sauces. =)

After lunch we took a closer look at the wonderful California Zepher they have there which has a new life as various yummy stores. Here's those images.. and yeah, I got to finally see some of those Disney cats I heard so much about but haven't seen. Despite it being breezy & cool they were out and Sean was able to capture some photos of them.

zepher

California Zepher.. and you can see a couple of the local inhabitants off to the left of the embankment there..
2nd of 2 kittens

there was another kitten that was hiding in the front of the train engine where it was keeping warm against the winds that seemed to blow pretty strongly most of the afternoon. Although we saw it stick it's head out a couple times, Sean didn't get a clear view to take a photo. Oh well.. pretty cute these guys. Not the kind of cats to bring home to your mom though. These are feral. =)

Inside the Zephyr:
this is the real roaster

at Bakersfield bakery & cafe, this is the real coffee roaster that roasts it's coffee fresh. This is *not* what makes that burnt toast smell at the entrance of the park.

map

a bit of a glare, but the shadow box displays of some authentic California Zephyr era items, such as the map and a menu and table setting from it's busier days as a passenger train.

cute window display at Enginear Toys at the end of the train (or the first shop across the street from Greetings depending on where you are walking from) We both liked the Mad Hatter costume. Super cute!

OK! back to the Pin event..

Over at Disneyland, it was still pretty early so we treated ourselves to dessert at Gibson Girl icecream for a single scoop waffle cone, then enjoyed that as we window shopped & Sean took photos of the castle (coming soon!) looking really pretty on Main Street and the light of the carousel coming through the passageway.

We rode a few attractions, including most of the dark rides at Fantasyland: Mr Toad's Wild Ride, Peter Pan's Flight, Pinnochio's Daring Journey, and also Casey Jr Train where we were offered a seat in the caboose so we didn't need to wait for another train! How did they know it's Sean's favorite spot to sit?? =) *note* there was a couple there who were celebrating 40years of marriage and they had their first date or something at Disneyland and came every year for their anniversary! =) OK! We then over to New Orleans Square for the big kid rides as I called them: Pirates of the Carribbean, (where a fun dad was 'trying' to scare his little girl to no avail, and singing along with the ride music.. fun group to be on a ride with!) Haunted Mansion was super crowded with a huge group of folks visiting for a HOME DEPOT event over at DCA that night spending their hours riding Haunted Mansion and hamming it up in the stretching room. (er, elevator). We really like the new Madam Leota floating effects!

We were the last folks to ride the Jungle Cruise for the evening and our speiller was pretty good! I think his name was Sean or something.. heh heh. Not too many of them were too cheesy and they weren't too contemporary. I'd say the only bad thing about the ride were the 4 or 5 people who had to keep text messaging each other on the ride rather than enjoy the ride.. otherwise very 1920s (well then there were the flash photo people who kept blinding folks with pictures.. thanks) but the ride itself? couldn't be better!

At about 8pm we got in the big line (and I mean big line!) It circled all the way around the Carnation Plaza and almost met itself in the front of Frontierland. A little after 830pm the area had cleared itself out and we were allowed into the event area.. games, pin trading, dinner, a yummy dessert, a fun ride on the Mark Twain & lots of characters abounded! A wonderful experience that I was glad to be able to attend. THANK YOU DISNEYLAND! =)

sean & woody!

Over at Rancho Del Zocolo, Sean & Woody say "howdy hey!" =)

meeko & jessie

Meeko Pamela & Jessie greet each other

woody & jessie sign autographs for folks

woody & jessie greet their fans & sign autographs!

no honey it's STEWfoot sue! =)

"STEWfoot Sue" wrangles folks in for the great chili cookoff.. Sean gets his photo with this amazing lady.. (and we sample the grub)

Pin Trading stations were everywhere, and here are guests we saw wearing some neat Chip & Dale event vests.. not sure where these were from or made, but still, very neat! =) *click for the original image & trading station view*

one of the games

wheel of critter fortune. =)
here meeko awaits her fate

placing her marker on the critter she wanted to get 'double pin' value, (should have bet on the wheel) her 'bunny' did not come up. Still, there are no losers at a Disney merch event, Pamela walked away with a cool Stitch pin that she wore the rest of the evening! =)

pluto & seanyoda

Look at that handsome fellow! Handsome Sean meets Wild West Pluto =) (the plastic 'margharita glasses' were our souvie from our dessert 'fun book' coupon, which was a delish apple cobbler with french vanilla bean ice cream & caramel syrup! yummmmmmmm.. (the handles are green cacti).

lasso

another game involved lassoing a horse.. ahem.. a horse.. NOT you Goofy!! =P

sean attempts the lasso

Sean attempts to lasso the horse but it looks like he's aiming for one of Jessie's Chickens.. *grin*

game

Pluto and Goofy try the wheel of critter fortune.. hmmmm.. is Pluto cheating?? I don't think you're allowed to spin your own turn.

Chip & Dale meet their fans on the semi private Mark Twain Cruise.. (few hundred of us on each cruise)

Sean & Pamela with the squirrels

Here we are with Chip & Dale!! =) Howdy folks! =)
Chip & Dale are super popular in other regions I gather.. Tokyo Disneyland especially.. Chip & Dale had their own groupies! Lucky for us we got a few photos of the giant chipmunks posing for their loyal fans.. I wish we could have gotten all of their poses.. it was pretty funny.. here's a few though:
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card magic

"Pick a Card.. come on.. any card!" roving gambler/magician makes card magic for the cruisers on the Mark Twain. =)

nos

lovely New Orleans Square view from the deck of the Mark Twain.. (stairs go to the Disneyland Gallery on the 2nd floor and below that is where Pirates of the Carribean is located)

canoes

Disneyland canoes tied up and waiting for the next day's enjoyment on the Rivers of America.

View of the "Hungry Bear" restaurant seating area and one of the Tom Sawyer rafts that take thousands of folks to Tom Sawyer's Island every day.

sailing ship Columbia.. docked and quiet.

pamela & some dude

Here's Meeko with the fiddler dude..
tats2

ladies dancing to the music.. in between

tats for everyone!

giving out event tattoos.. (see no carpal tunnel syndrome in the ol' west!)

my tattoo

Here's the tattoo on my hand.. I wish I had them put it on my arm because I had to wash it off for work.. =( It was super cute.. Sean's is HERE..

Streetmosphere as they call Laughing Stock the trio that performs the bank robbery story.. seem to have another caper on their hands.. the Bank, er, PIN ROBBER.. and they're on this here boat! Who's going to help me capture them.. I need witnesses!

the bank, er pin robbery

"I saw the WHOLE thing!!"

the telling of the story

"..and he said.. stick em up!" (dig the blonde lady's chip & dale nut hat from Tokyo.. see?? they really are crazy for Chip & Dale in Tokyo!!)

band

the band was still playing when we exited the Mark Twain

cookoff

final results of the Stewfoot Sue's Chili cook-off. Looks like Jessie's wins by a landslide! =)

Before we headed out for the night, we noticed that the Shooting Gallery was open in Frontierland and was totally free! There wasn't much of a line, so not ones to let an opportunity like this pass us by, we tried it out.

Sean takes aim. (he did pretty good too!)

Jessie

Jessie takes aim =)

buffalo gals

Goofy and a friend take their turns =)

all the characters gather together to say so long & goodnight to their company!

g'bye!

Pluto leans in to hear his friends =)

The park was quiet of course.. and we headed out. As we exited the turnstiles at the front of the park, we were handed our parting commemorative gift. What would it be?? We'd already won/traded for some really neat pins.. Well what do you know?! Some familiar pins.. framed with the beautiful Sheriff Chip & Deputy Dale stars we'd seen a few Cast Members wearing earlier...

'swag' or 'schwag' depending on how you spell it; our parting gift when we left the event: the Sherrif Chip pin has a spin-y center which shows Deputy Dale on the other side. Really neat. We went ahead and hung them both up already.. One with each character showing so you can view both sides.. The 'corn husk' or grass ribbon was something that our cat Kiki enjoyed a lot til we took it away from her:
kiki scoping the box out

there she is.. (suffice to say I had to move the items to take a photo of the one above this one). So it was a great event & as kiki proves, there was something for everyone. =P

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