"I thought the last visit was a once in a lifetime trip??" COMPLETED 5/6/13

[Linda67]

Well hello one and all and welcome to my mini trip report

This is me in case you were wondering!​

As is usual in the opening paragraph of many a trip report, I will start by saying that I love reading about everyone else's trips so thought I should repay the DIS font of knowledge with a TR of my own

I'm a UK based Disney-a-holic who has travelled to WDW with my wonderful hubby, many, many times

We are DVC owners and I personally love nothing more than planning our land and sea Disney vacations but there was something missing from my Disney repertoire - I had never been to Disneyland

Flashback to October 2012, I needed to travel to San Francisco for business for a few days and I started to wonder if it would be at all possible to combine this with a bucket list trip to Disneyland

After chatting with DH about the possibility of tagging a solo trip on to the end of my business trip, I began to research transportation from San Fran to Anaheim, together with hotel and ticket options

It seemed like too good an opportunity to miss; my company were picking up the cost of my return London flights, so all I needed to do was get a low cost internal flight to John Wayne Airport and head back to London from LAX instead of San Fran at the end of my trip

As is the case for many Disney fans who have only ever experienced WDW, I had longed to see the original park where Walt had walked, but I have to confess that I headed into this first trip thinking it was a "one and done" experience that would simply cross another item from my (very long) travel wish-list before continuing my Disney days back in Orlando

Well, to cut a very long story short, I fell head over heels in love with Disneyland

Literally from the very first second I walked under the railway station and onto Main Street, I was smitten

Nothing had prepared me to feel, love and experience this little piece of California in the way that I did

I went into that first visit with pretty low expectations, I thought I would be underwhelmed, but instead I was mesmerized and captivated by everything I saw

Before I had expereinced the park for myself, the following thoughts were common:

"WDW is bigger, there's more to do, more parks, more attractions more resorts"

"You can do Disneyland in a day for goodness sake!" ........blah blah blah

Now don't get me wrong, I still LOVE Disney World and me and hubby will hopefully continue to vacation there for a very, very long time, but wow, Disneyland is such a special and wonderful place that if every the opportunity arises, I just have to visit!

Fast forward to April 2013 and I was needed in San Fran on business again; mmmm perhaps I could just tag on a couple of extra days ..... hell yeah!!

So a quick conversation with hubby, swiftly followed by a slightly longer conversation with my boss and I was set

4 nights in San Fran, quickly followed by 4 nights at the Disneyland Hotel (April 11th - 15th) ... whoop whoop

Yep, that one and done trip turned into visiting twice in 6 months!

So my DIS buddies, why don't you join me on my little adventure and find out exactly why this little British woman has fallen for the wonder that is Disneyland California quite so badly

End of part one ...... Up next, right, that's the work part of the trip done - now it's time for fun!!!!

[post=48180952]Day One - Check In & Disneyland[/post]
[post=48197148]Day One - Part Two - Disneyland Hotel & Blue Bayou[/post]
[post=48217491]Day Two - Get Your Motors Running For DCA![/post]
[post=48228708]Day Two - Part Two - WCT, Napa Lounge & WoC[/post]
[post=48289737]Day Three - Dinseyland and a DIS Meet[/post]
[post=48297338]Day Four - Cultivating The Magic Tour[/post]
[post=48302634]Day Four - Part Two - All Aboard The Lilly Belle & A Sugar Rush![/post]
[post=48304075]Day Four - Part Three - Fantasmic![/post]
[post=48314553]Day Five - It's Home Time[/post]

 

[gemmybear83]

Really looking forward to this! We a off to the DLH in just over 3 months

 

[GoofySon'sMom]

Hi Linda! I thought the same thing about Disneyland when we went in 2010. It would be a one and done just to get to see "Walt's Park". Like you, we fell in love. I am not sure when we will get back but I know that it will happen one day.

Looking forward to your report!

 

[Linda67]

Really looking forward to this! We a off to the DLH in just over 3 months

Thanks for joining in. I better be sure to get this finished within 3 months then

Hi Linda! I thought the same thing about Disneyland when we went in 2010. It would be a one and done just to get to see "Walt's Park". Like you, we fell in love. I am not sure when we will get back but I know that it will happen one day.

Looking forward to your report!

Hello there
Thanks so much for joining in. DL is just fab isn't it?
I hope I 'have' to go to CA for work again soon

 

[disneykiwi]

Hi there

love to hear about trips to Disneyland - looking forward to reading along

I love DL as well, there's just something about the smaller size of it and the history I think (not too mention its cheaper for us from NZ )

I did enjoy WDW as well too though but its alot further away for us so thats the once in a lifetime trip from this end (well 2 actually)

 

[Luisa]

Subbing! Much as I loved my trips to WDW, Disneyland has my heart so I know how you felt walking on to Main st. Looking forward to reading more.

 

[LizzieinDisney]

I'm in! I love hearing about Disneyland Looking forward to the rest of your report!

 

[Linda67]

Hi there

love to hear about trips to Disneyland - looking forward to reading along

I love DL as well, there's just something about the smaller size of it and the history I think (not too mention its cheaper for us from NZ )

I did enjoy WDW as well too though but its alot further away for us so thats the once in a lifetime trip from this end (well 2 actually)

Thanks for joining in
It never occured to me that DL is so much closer to NZ than WDW, that will explain why I see far more NZ peeps on the DL boards!

Subbing! Much as I loved my trips to WDW, Disneyland has my heart so I know how you felt walking on to Main st. Looking forward to reading more.

Thanks for reading
I still love WDW and can't wait to go back again in December but I certainly hope I can visit DL again soon!

I'm in! I love hearing about Disneyland Looking forward to the rest of your report!

Welcome hope it doesn't disappoint!

[post=3099492]Day One - Check In & Disneyland[/post]

 

[Linda67]

Thanks for reading along

I maybe should have let you know right at the beginning that I am awful at taking notes whilst I am on vacation. I start off with the best intentions but soon get too lazy (or too tired!) to carry on. So expect things to be a little bit random and some backtracking when I suddenly remember something I missed

Let’s hope my 45 year old brain cells don’t let me down

Once the business side of my trip was done and following a very late night in a Tiki Bar in San Fran ....... actually, hold on, has anyone ever been to the Tonga Bar at the Fairmont in SF?

Oh my word, it’s like Trader Sam’s on steroids!

I borrowed these photos from the web





And I was spending quality time with my work colleagues whilst enjoying drinks that looked like this



Sorry for the little diversion, I’ll now get back to the regular scheduled TR

As I am sure you can imagine, the 6:30am alarm call the morning after the night before was like music to my ears .After a shower and packing up my final bits and pieces, I hopped in a cab to SFO to board my hour long flight to Orange County, isn't is funny how much easier it is to get up in the morning when you know you are heading to Disney!

My flight left just a few minutes behind schedule and time passed quickly. Before I knew it I had arrived in Orange County

This is such a great little airport and it's super quick and easy to get from here to Disneyland.

I used the Disneyland Expresss which runs every 30 minutes (during peak hours) It costs around $12 if you print off the handy dandy coupon from their website ahead of time

I was staying at the Disneyland Hotel which is where I had stayed on my first trip last year. I just love this hotel and was over the top excited to be staying here again

My room wasn't ready when I checked in (around noon) so I dropped my bags with bell services and power walked straight to the Disneyland park (no running people )

My 5 day park hopper was scanned and the CM took my photo, it literally took seconds and I never had any issues when entering either park following this. Each time I entered a park they would scan my ticket and up popped my mug shot



First stop was lunch - I was starving!

My intention this trip was to not over plan and go with the flow a little more than usual (hard for me to do!) and one of the first places I passed was the French Market Restaurant in New Orleans Square as I was heading towards Haunted Mansion - I had the N'Awlins Salad and it was delicious.



N’Awlin's Salad - Lettuce Medley, Julienned Yams, Granny Smith Apples, caramelized Pecans, Lentils, and Tart Cherries with a sweet Citrus Vinaigrette. $10.99

I LOVED the live band that was playing on the stage whilst I ate - something that WDW should really do is to add some more live entertainment. It adds so much to the atmosphere and feeling of the park. Such a nice setting to sit out in the sunshine and enjoy my lunch

Everything was walk on but I concentrated my time around the left hand side of the park - New Orleans Square and Adventure Land with a short detour into Fantasyland

Haunted Mansion was my first attraction.

On my last trip I was lucky enough to see the ‘Nightmare Before Christmas’ version and was blown away

What an incredible and detailed overlay, I really hope I get to see the Mansion over the holidays again some time

It was nice to be able to see the attraction is it’s ‘regular’ state though , and this ride through was the first of many, many ghostly encounters during my trip

Now this is where my bad note taking and bad memory will probably let me down but I definitely did the Matterhorn using the single rider line. I only waited around 5 minutes (solo travel does have some perks!)



I love the Matterhorn sooooo much.

I only rode it once last trip and though I would need to go and visit 'Spines 'R' Us' afterwards I think I must have been better prepared this trip as I loved it and rode it multiple times

Next up was Casey Jnr. - don't ask!

It's always closed when I visit off season in Paris and we don't have it in World so I felt compelled to ride!

Before heading back to the hotel, I had to visit one of my absolute favorites



I also treated myself to one of these:



Mmm, what can I say that hasn’t been said a million times before?

Well, I love that you can take your Dole Whip into the show with you in Disneyland .... perfection

You may also notice the addition of a sweet little pink umbrella; well the umbrella normally only comes with the Float, but I prefer just the regular whip.

I always ask nicely if I can have one and the fab CMs are happy to oblige (see earlier reference to the Tonga Room for another example of my love of cocktail umbrellas )

On another note, the CM who was the announcer/host at the beginning of the show was hysterical. He had everyone laughing and clapping long before Jose put in an appearance - awesome!

After spending some time practicing my singing with my feathered friends I headed back to the hotel to see if my room was ready

Coming Up Next ...... Disneyland Hotel & Dinner At The Blue Bayou

 

[LizzieinDisney]

Aw man, now you have me craving a Dole Whip! Pure perfection Looking forward to hearing about your dinner in the Blue Bayou. That was one place I always wanted to eat and never did. Thanks for the updates!

 

[princess aleya]

I'm in I just finished your last TR and loved it!! I can't wait to hear more about your trip this time around to DL.

 

[Linda67]

Hey everyone

Hope you are having a great week so far

So, after a very enjoyable couple of hours in Disneyland, I arrived back at the DLH, picked up my bags and headed to my now ready room

Sorry about the odd sizes of my photos - photobucket doesn't like me today!











I loved my room and was happy that my request for the Adventure Tower had been honored. I stayed in this Tower last time and loved the location



I was on the third floor and even though I have booked a standard view room I did have a partial pool view through the palm trees

Before I headed back into the park I popped to Trader Sam’s for a pre-dinner cocktail





Ginger's Pear-adise - "When you put your hand out for this one be careful...Ginger snaps!" - Pear Vodka, Ginger Liqueur, Organic Agave Nectar, and Freshly Squeezed Lime Juice.

Trader Sam’s is hands down the best bar on Disney Property .... anywhere! - well it is out of the three Disney Parks I have visited, Paris, Orlando and California

I know the place is tiny but I have never had a problem getting a seat and always try to sit right at the bar.

Sitting at the bar is a great place to sit when travelling solo, I never feel out of place or odd sitting on my own and the bar tenders always strike up a conversation and you get to watch them work which to me is a show in itself

My drink was delicious and hit the spot nicely

I then headed back into the park. This time I decided to take the monorail



It was certainly busier than it had been in the afternoon but the park still wasn’t particularly crowded – warning,we are entering a photo free zone but I will be quick

First stop was the Matterhorn, only a 5 minute wait using the single rider line.

Next up my first ever experience of Indiana Jones.

Sadly it was down for a re-furb last time I visited (little did I know then that I would be back so soon!). I asked the CM at the entrance about single rider and he gave me a ticket and told me to enter through the exit



I’m sure I missed out on some cool queue details doing it this way but there was a 40 minute wait posted so I’ll take this route anytime!

Even entering this way seemed really exciting, your really did get a sense of going deep down into the temple

A CM was stationed at the bottom of the pathway and lifted a rope and pointed me in the direction of an elevator. Luckily for me there were some other SRs who seemed to know what they were doing as I wouldn’t have had a clue

You go up in one elevator and the walk across to another elevator which takes you down to the loading area

The next CM took my SR ticket and I was put on the next car/jeep straight away

I’d already heard that the ride mechanism was the same as Dinosaur at WDW but that is where the similarities end.

IJ is an incredible, awesome, spectacular, amazing (you get the idea!) ride

It seemed a HUGE interior space and the effects were wonderful. Loved it and knew that I would have to return another day to ride again

I had a dinner reservation at 7:50pm at Blue Bayou (another first) and wanted to squeeze in a ride on Pirates before I checked in to get me in the mood

I really don’t want to compare DL and WDW too much as they are two totally separate and very different locations but Pirates at DL is just incredible (sorry I am really over-using the word incredible aren’t I )

I could seriously ride over and over again and always see something new

I was excited to spot the hidden Mickey on the suit of armor towards the end of the ride as well!

So after floating through the Bayou it was time to eat in it – well not actually “in it” as that would be a little bit damp

I checked in for my 7:50 reservation at around 7:40 and was seated a little before my actual reservation time

My table was the second row back but it was pretty quiet in the restaurart so I could still see the boats floating past

Right – quick solo diner tip …. This restaurant is perfect for a table for one, it’s so dark, calm and intimate in there that nobody will even notice you!

It’s a very romantic place and I was missing DH terribly so I sent a quick text which helped to remind him why he loves me so much as it was 4:15am in England

I don’t eat meat so my menu decision was pretty simple

First I was served some warm, very fresh, soft bread



Bread Service

I stuck to water with my meal and for my first course I chose the salad



Cajun Inspired Salad

And for my entrée I had the vegetarian option



Portobello Mushroom and Couscous Macque Choux - Marinated in a balsamic vinaigrette, then broiled and served with roasted corn and bell-pepper couscous and sauteed spinach.

Everything was really, really good. The salad was excellent, perfectly fresh with just the right amount of dressing

The mushroom entrée had a really nice amount of spice to it. Vegetarian options can sometimes be a little bland but this dish was packed full of flavor.

There is also a restaurant inside Pirates in Disneyland Paris. It’s called the Blue Lagoon and although the setting is just as beautiful as the Blue Bayou, I much preferred my dinner in California (even without the fine French wine!)

Service was great and I never felt rushed, even though the restaurant was soon to close. I decided to skip dessert as nothing really appealed

The park was closing at 9pm so I didn’t expect to get on any other rides but when I strolled past Jungle Cruise at around 8:55pm I thought ‘why not’

There was nobody in line at all and I walked straight onto a boat. It wasn't even a full boat and I am pretty sure it was probably the last cruise into the dark jungle that evening

This was without doubt the best Jungle Cruise I have ever had – The skipper was fantastic!

Everyone was laughing out loud and the usual script seemed to have gone out of the window.

The jokes would be totally lost if I just typed them out in this TR but needless to say our skipper was just a comedy superstar!

By the time I was off the boat, the park was officially closed so I took a slow walk out on to Main Street Park whilst checking out the shops and headed back through DTD and back to the hotel where I collapsed onto the bed whilst listening the the headboard playing 'A Dream Is A Wish your Hear Makes'

Next Up - Day Two "No Running & Wide Right!!"

 

[Ware Bears]

Thanks for joining in. I better be sure to get this finished within 3 months then

Yes please because we're going there for the first time in August!

 

[Linda67]

Aw man, now you have me craving a Dole Whip! Pure perfection Looking forward to hearing about your dinner in the Blue Bayou. That was one place I always wanted to eat and never did. Thanks for the updates!

Just posted the update with Blue Bayou - I loved it!
It's just so relaxing in there

I'm in I just finished your last TR and loved it!! I can't wait to hear more about your trip this time around to DL.

Thanks for reading along, I'm amazed you came back for more

Yes please because we're going there for the first time in August!

So now I have to do a cruise TR and finish this one in double quick time ... no pressure
Are you going to the UK DIS meet by the way - we should catch up

 

[wiigirl]

Great pics!

 

[Linda67]

Great pics!

Thanks!
Sorry about the odd sizes of the pics. Can't seem to get to grips with photobucket for this TR!
If anyone reading has any advice on the best way to size them please shout up

 

[dizneeat]

Hi Linda!
Thanks for the heads up and hint to your link. I need to go back and read tomorrow, it's getting late here. But at least I am now subscribed and won't miss anything!

 

[Linda67]

As I was staying at the Disneyland Hotel, today was my early entry day at DCA

Normal park opening was at 9am with EE at 8am – much more sociable than the 7am EE mornings I had experienced in October!

I made myself a coffee in the room before walking though DTD and arriving at the bag check area at around 7:20am

Bag check wasn’t open yet and there were only about 10 other people hanging around when I first arrived. I think it must have been around 7:30am when they started letting people in

Once through bag check I positioned myself right at the front of one of the middle turnstiles

By the time the 8am opening time arrived there were a significant amount of people standing in the entrance plaza so I was glad I had arrived early

No guesses where everyone was heading first!

Thanks to the wonderful tips on this board I adopted the wide-right position, just as I had done in October last year and apart from having the backs on my heels trodden on a few times it was a simple stroll down Route 66 behind the magic hose pipe!

Again, just as in 2012 I was in the first car of the day

Now this is good in some ways but not so in others as you end up racing an empty car which is nowhere near as much fun shouting “you’re going downnnnn!” to you rivals at the start line!

Never fear, this is where the single rider comes into play - as soon as I exited the attraction I hot footed it round to the SR line and literally walked right on to another car – this time with a car load of competitors (yay us for winning the race!)

I took these shots later in the day when walking back through from the Paradise Pier area





Next up I headed over to Paradise Pier (must have only been around 8:30am) and walked straight on to Toy Story Mania. Now I know I am in the minority here but I’m not a huge fan of this attraction, I never have been and neither is DH but we always get caught up in the hype at WDW and ride it every trip



Don’t get me wrong, it’s not a bad ride by any means, I just don’t think it’s Disney’s finest – oh that and I am completely terrible at it

Once the feeling in my right arm had returned (repetitive strain injury anyone? ) I headed over to California Screaming

No need for single rider here as the park was still not officially open and it was a walk on

I love this coaster, you get all the fun and thrills but it is super smooth

So all in all a very successful EE hour

I then spotted Donald Duck was just coming out for a meet and greet, he looked very dapper in his sailor suit so I got a quick PP picture whilst deciding what to do next (I have to try and remember to update photos when I get my PP back)

Ahh, how about Mickey’s Fun Wheel?



I hadn’t done this before and as it was now 9am it had just sprung into life (or span into life) with no line

“Spinning or non-spinning” ….. Mmm, spinning might be fun?, but I think I’ll go non spinning as I want to get some photos

Well thank heavens I did!

A bit of background here – I am not remotely scared of heights, I’ve never had a problem but for some reason, sitting in that little cage (or cell as it shall now be known) completely freaked me out

Perhaps it was because I was on my own?, perhaps it’s because I sat so I was going backwards and was too terrified to stand up and move? Who knows, but I was soooo happy to arrive back at the loading station ……… mmm nope, you aren’t escaping yet, it’s going round again

Give me Tower Of Terror any day, much more civilised

I did snap like two photos – this is the only carmera shake free shot



Get me off of this thing NOW!

Right, I needed to recompose myself and I hadn’t eaten breakfast yet so I retreated to the perfect calm of the Grand Californian and headed to White Water Snacks

I grabbed a much needed coffee and some really yummy oatmeal, the blueberries in this were delicious



It was lovely to sit at one of the outside tables, it was a beautiful day and it felt a million miles away for DCA – very peaceful

I called DH and had a nice chat and then headed back into the park

In my newly relaxed state I decided to take a look at the Wilderness Explorers Trail as I didn’t get to see it on my last trip. What a fabulous part of the park!

Even if you don’t have kids with you, it would be an excellent spot to spend some time to relax







There was a little show starting in 5 so I though why not? – the kids in the audience took taking the Wilderness Explorer Oath so seriously, very cute





Next I decided to head over and ride Soarin’

Again I used the single rider line and only waited around 5 minutes before I was boarding my flight across CA (front row so no dangling feet!)

My plan was then to head over to ToT but on the way I couldn’t help but spot that there was hardly any line for the RSR fast pass machines at the entrance to Bug’s Land



I think he must have been waiting in line for a FP since park opening!

I was surprised to see that FPs were still available (it was around 10:15am) so I hopped in the tiny line which never stopped moving, to see what the return times were as the display outside the lines that usually displays the return times didn’t seem to be working

When I got to the front of the line I asked what the return times were and the CM said that they were for around 5:30pm which was too early for me so the CM invited me to just wait over to the side and he would let me know when the return time I wanted kicked in (there were a few people doing this) As soon as a 6:50 return time kicked in he called me over, I only waited over to the side for about 10 mins so it worked out perfectly

Sunset was at 7:20 and I wanted to ride in the dark so planned to enter the line just before the FP window closed and after the neon lighting in Cars Land

I’d originally intended to use the SR line in the evening but with such a small wait for a FP, I thought ‘why not?’

I then added over to ToT – awesome



Then I strolled over to ride Monsters Inc - love it!!



What a great ride. It just kind of passed me by on my first trip. I did ride it last time but I was rushing around so much trying to fit everything in that my mind was probably already on whatever was my next ride. This was a much more relaxing trip

And yes, I could smell the ginger in the sushi part of the ride!

Next I indulged in a little retail therapy along Buena Vista Street and grabbed a Frappucino from the Fiddler, Fifer & Practical Café.

You can use your starbucks card in here

I wonder if that will be the case at the Main St Bakery in WDW?

Signing off for now .... apparently I need to do some work

Coming up next – Lunch At Wine Country Tratoria – World Of Color Package

 

[Linda67]

Hi Linda!
Thanks for the heads up and hint to your link. I need to go back and read tomorrow, it's getting late here. But at least I am now subscribed and won't miss anything!

Thanks for reading Karin and enjoy Paris!

 

[Linda67]

Hi everyone

Hope you are enjoying your weekends

When I last left off I was about to head over to the Wine Country Trattoria for my 2:30pm lunch reservation

Id booked the WoC lunch package, mainly as a way of getting a good spot for the show but the menu and location also looked really good to me

I checked in at around 2:20pm and I was starving!

I was seated pretty much straight away at a lovely little tucked away table on the outdoor patio

There is a set menu if you are dining here under a WoC package, so its worth checking the menus out in advance to make sure that there is something that appeals to you as its a fairly limited menu

My server soon introduced himself and brought me some much needed iced water and a bread basket

The bread was served with oil and vinegar and was absolutely delicious. I really had to exercise my will power to not scoff the lot!

There was only one vegetarian option so it was a quick and easy choice for me.

To begin I ordered the salad

Salad - Arugula, Fennel, Red Onion, Spiced Walnuts, and Goat cheese (with a Fig-Balsamic dressing)

Oh my word this was amazing! - I really wished I has asked for the salad dressing recipe as it was heavenly

For my entree I chose the vegetarian pasta dish

Broccolini Aglio Olio - Campanelle Pasta lightly tossed with Spinach, Arugula, Tomatoes, Garlic, Chili Flakes, and Olive Oil

Again, another excellent dish. Wonderful fresh flavors with a little kick from the chili flakes

All this was accompanied by a glass of delicious Honig Vineyards, Sauvignon Blanc, Napa Valley

Sauvignon Blanc

Now, the usual dessert offered with the fixed menu is a selection that includes mini versions of Tiramisu,European Macaroons,Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta with Fresh Fruit and a Chocolate Caramel Espresso Tart. One or more of these items contained gelatin so I was offered an alternative of either gelato or sorbet; I chose the sorbet

Rasberry & Lemon Sorbet

One was lemon and one was raspberry and let me tell you, they were both incredible!

I couldnt possibly chose a favorite, they both has such an intense fruity flavor, one was more lemony than a lemon and they other was more berry-licious than a raspberry if that makes sense!

As much as I adored them both, I just couldnt finish them, the portions were HUGE

I really enjoyed my lunch here and the WoC preferred viewing pass was an awesome bonus

After lunch, I waddled back to the hotel, where I promptly fell asleep on a sun lounger next to the pool - so much for reading for a little while. The weather was beautiful today, it was probably the best of the trip (it turned a little cooler after that) and it was really nice to just spend some time relaxing and exploring the hotel a little

After I had showered and changed I popped back in to my fave little bar and ordered another delightful drink

Shipwreck on the Rocks - Have too many of these and you'll be setting a course for Davy Jones' Locker!(-- Bourbon with Freshly Muddled Lemon and Mint with Organic Agave Nectar.

Sorry for the tiny iPhone picture

Mmm - delicious!

With a newly found spring in my step, I headed back to DCA via the Grand Californian entrance and headed over to Cars Land for some photopass pictures and to watch the little neon lighting show.

I dont think most people pay much attention to it and its just a short little diversion really, but I love it!

I watched from the bottom of Route 66 instead of the top where I had stood last time

Sunset was around 7:20pm so the lighting took place just after that. I picked up a cute little T shirt from the store right by the entrance to RSR.

It must have been around 7:45pm when I hopped in the FP return line for RSR and I probably waited about 15 minutes before I was seated in a car - not too bad at all.

If you do get an opportunity to ride at night do it!

I really think that the ride is spectacular at night, the lighting on the rocks and around the waterfall is just beautiful - it seems to really bring the landscape to life and just adds to the whole experience

Out of the three rides I had taken today, this was by far my favorite

Just out of curiosity, when I exited the ride I checked with a CM what the wait time was for SR and it was around 50 mins I was so glad that I had picked up a FP earlier in the day

My FP for WoC was for the second show at 10:15pm and I was beginning to feel a little peckish but didnt want to eat a huge dinner.

I remembered reading about the Napa Rose Lounge and loved the look of the appetizer menu so I decided to pop over there.

I think its great how you can head out of the park and into this beautiful and relaxing hotel for a while

It was pretty busy in the lounge so that asked if I would mind sitting on the outdoor patio?, it was a beautiful evening and having been freezing for months in England I jumped at the chance!

Its a lovely little space out there and the fire-pit was burning away, I loved it

I ordered a small salad and a glass of wine

Beet Salad with Cara Cara Oranges, Endive and Mizuna, Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette and Honey Goat Cheese

So simple but oh so wonderful, I really want to come back and try the Napa Rose full menu now!

Pinot Noir

I was trying to find my receipt as I cant remember what this was, other than it was a Pinot Noir. It was very good though

After my impromptu dinner I headed back into the park and picked up a coffee from FF&P Cafe before walking over to Paradise Pier where they were just beginning to open up the viewing sections for the second show

I have to say that I thought that the WCT viewing area was even better than the Carthay Circle viewing area I stood in last year (although I understand that CC guests can ask to move further to the front, which is where our section was)

I got a spot right by the railing in the center, it was perfect

The show was simply breathtaking - but you all know that already right?

I loved every single second

What a great end to a great day

Coming Up Next .......... Disneyland and a DIS Meet!