Our “California Adventure” a Road Trip to the West (Update: Day 17 - There and back again)

[MarbleBob]

Day 12 - Tuesday, June 23 - California Adventure - Part 5

After the Pixar parade, we headed back to the Candy Cane Inn to relax for a couple hours. I spent most of the time with Pickle in the pool, and the others rested in our rooms. Steph took a power nap, and then Buddy and Princess watched TV and goofed off online. As much as I would have preferred to get a nap too, it was quite nice swimming with Pickle. Terrific temperatures and and some shade from the trees. And soaking in the hot tub while she made friends with the other kids was nice too!

So around 5:30 or so, we regrouped and decided to head back to California Adventure. Grandpa decided that he was a bit worn out, so he stayed back in the room while the rest of us made our way back to the park. Took the shuttle again, and it sure was convenient!

As we entered the park, we realized that Oswald was out, so we had to stop for photos. Princess loves him and couldn't resist.





Cool!

The game plan for the evening was to eat, ride a few rides over by the boardwalk area, get in line early for World of Color, and then see Radiator Springs at night before heading home. It was now about 6pm and we were all pretty hungry, so we headed over to the Paradise Garden Grill area. Pickle and Buddy wanted corn dogs for dinner, so we pit stopped at Corn Dog Castle on the way over.





(Oh, and Buddy brought his "Glow with the Show" ears from our 2013 trip. Nice thinking Buddy!)

The rest of us ordered from Paradise Garden Grill.



This is pretty much my favorite counter service restaurant in all of Disneyland. So good!!!!!

Stephanie and I got the Mediterranean skewers. She got the steak and I got the lemon oregano chicken. (Or vice versa, I can't remember because we ultimately split them so we could each have half and half.) And then one of us got the tzatziki sauce and the other got the chimichurri sauce.







I can't even begin to explain how incredible these meals are. (It's just about lunch time and I'm seriously jonesing for a chicken skewer right now.) Soooo good!

Princess went with the beef gyro platter. She enjoyed hers too!



Oh, and it's a goofy photo, but here's one of the corn dogs. Hahaha!



If you've never had a Disneyland corn dog, then you should, because these things are super yummy!

While we were eating, they had a bluegrass band playing. They were actually pretty darn good!



'sup dude



After we ate, we decided to head over to Mickey's Fun Wheel. Buddy is somewhat afraid of heights and didn't want to ride with us, so Stephanie took him to ride California Screamin' again. Strange that he's not the least bit afraid of a roller coaster. I guess it's the fact that you are up in the air for so long that the ferris wheel bugs him. Whatever...

Peace out Buddy!



So yeah, Nanny, Princess, Pickle and I did Mickey's Fun Wheel. I wasn't exactly excited to ride in a swinging car, but Princess and Pickle insisted. I'm glad we did it, because it was a bit more exciting than riding in one of the stationary cars. We really got swinging fast at one point and it was pretty intense!








Hang on!

After the fun wheel, we decided to head over to the Silly Symphony swings. This is one of my favorites!!!!



Yahoo!

After the swings, we rode the Golden Zephyr. For some reason, I didn't get any photos, but this was a lot of fun too!

After we got off, it was around 8pm and dusk was arriving. People were starting to line up for World of Color, so we figured that we might as well join them.



While we were waiting, Pickle had to get her cotton candy. What's a trip to Disneyland without it?!?!?

Love the Diamond Anniversary branding on the bag.



It was interesting to see them put a screen up over Mickey on the fun wheel. I remember reading that they projected onto it for the new WoC, but I had forgot...



And a few minutes later, they projected Mickey back onto it until the show started.



So yeah, we were able to get a pretty darn good spot directly in front of a rail. This meant that the kids didn't have to worry about tall people in their way. And they welcomed a few other kids from behind us to come up to the rail too.

It was fun to see Buddy's ears synchronize with everyone else in the audience as we waited for the show to start.



And a little while later, it started...

So what did we think? It was pretty awesome. I had seen the regular version three times before, and I would have passed this time around if it wasn't for the special edition. (It sure takes a lot of time to get in line early, wait in line, and then grab a viewing spot, and then wait some more.) I'm glad we didn't skip it, because it was indeed pretty cool. Didn't really find Neil Patrick Harris to be as annoying as some had found him to be. (Not annoying because of his personality, but how he sort of pop's in and out of the show and kind of disrupts the flow.) And the Star Wars sequence was AWESOME too!!!

After World of Color, we headed over to Radiator Springs to see all the neon and enjoy the ambiance.

We ended up with quite a few photos, and glad to report that Pickle was happy to participate this time around!







We didn't get any Cozy Cone snacks this time around, but that area is just plain awesome!



Same with Flo's!





Great timing! Lightning McQueen came out just as we were walking by!

Ka-Chow!



What's that booming sound behind us?!?!

Hey, look it's the Disneyland Fireworks!!!!



And finishing the evening with a couple photos of one of the coolest night time spots in all of Disneyland.



So cool!



At that point, it was about 10pm, and we decided to head back to the room, as we planned to be up in time for the rope drop at Disneyland tomorrow morning.

What a great first day in the parks!!!

 

[wiscbugs]

I agree...the new World of Color is definitely worth the wait!

 

[kelmac284]

Nice update. I think I mentioned it before but we love the greek food as well and I had to laugh because my daughter and I always do the same thing. We get a chicken and a steak and both sauces and share. My mom and other daughter always end up getting the pizza or pasta and they have good stuff as well!! I laughed about the Fun Wheel as well because I belong to a group of gals that go on a ladies trip every year to DL and we all call it the wheel of death. No one likes it LOL. I LOVE roller coasters, Tower etc but something about that thing I hate. Maybe cuz you are not strapped in, maybe because of the way it drops but I just don't like it. I love the swings as well and did the zephyr for the first time on our trip as well. They are nice peaceful rides. I agree about WOC as well. Have seen it a few times and wouldn't necessarily deal with all the hassles but we did the trattoria so we got the tickets and because my mom is handicapped she got to sit in the handicapped section. I tore my ankle really bad and was able to sit in a bench which made it SO much more pleasant. I can't sit on the ground for hours anymore but it was worth it. The show was great! I agree too about the neon in Carsland. Very cool.

 

[annie170]

That Mediterranean food looked great. A nice break from the usual counter service options. Were your meals served on real dishes? If so, nice touch.

Radiator Springs at night is awesome! Love those photos!

Why does Neil Patrick Harris pop up in World of Color? Is he talking throughout the show?

 

[TheMaxRebo]

sounds like a really fun evening. The Paradise Pier area is really fun and a lot to do - and good food. Funny that it felt like we got a lot done in that area but definitely didn't get to some things you did.

One thing I will fully agree with you with is that the Star Wars part of the new WoC was awesome! Worth the wait just for that I think! (though will give my full review when I got to doing my TR)

Cars Land at night is really cool ... love when the Cars cars come out - we saw Mater leave and also DJ come out. Just a cool concept and one of those things where I would love to see all the technology behind them

 

[PrincessInOz]

What a jam-packed first day!

Well done to Buddy on bringing his Glow Hat!
I love eating at Paradise Garden Grill as well. Those skewers are delicious and the sauces are really tasty.

Looks like you had a great night and you got a great set of family pictures at Carsland!

 

[annegirl]

Everything looked great!
The food looks so good.
Great pictures!

 

[jedijill]

Great first day! I actually like Mickey's Fun Wheel of Death (c). I rode in a swinging car with a 3 yo that just cackled she was having so much fun!

Jill in CO

 

[Benbuck6]

actually planning our own 12 Day Cross Country Adventure to Disneyland this Summer June/July of 2016. Seeing this has been awesome. Cant wait to see the rest.

 

[MarbleBob]

I agree...the new World of Color is definitely worth the wait!

Nice update. I think I mentioned it before but we love the greek food as well and I had to laugh because my daughter and I always do the same thing. We get a chicken and a steak and both sauces and share. My mom and other daughter always end up getting the pizza or pasta and they have good stuff as well!! I laughed about the Fun Wheel as well because I belong to a group of gals that go on a ladies trip every year to DL and we all call it the wheel of death. No one likes it LOL. I LOVE roller coasters, Tower etc but something about that thing I hate. Maybe cuz you are not strapped in, maybe because of the way it drops but I just don't like it. I love the swings as well and did the zephyr for the first time on our trip as well. They are nice peaceful rides. I agree about WOC as well. Have seen it a few times and wouldn't necessarily deal with all the hassles but we did the trattoria so we got the tickets and because my mom is handicapped she got to sit in the handicapped section. I tore my ankle really bad and was able to sit in a bench which made it SO much more pleasant. I can't sit on the ground for hours anymore but it was worth it. The show was great! I agree too about the neon in Carsland. Very cool.

The wheel of death. LOL. And enjoying the show on a bench must have been great! Last time we visited, I had a broken foot, and they let me drive my scooter right in, and I sat on that. Super comfy! (But I surely would have preferred a non-broken foot.)

That Mediterranean food looked great. A nice break from the usual counter service options. Were your meals served on real dishes? If so, nice touch.

Radiator Springs at night is awesome! Love those photos!

Why does Neil Patrick Harris pop up in World of Color? Is he talking throughout the show?

Yeah, real dishes. How cool is that! Neil Patrick Harris, sort of pops up here and there throughout the show. Some are narrations and some are gags.

sounds like a really fun evening. The Paradise Pier area is really fun and a lot to do - and good food. Funny that it felt like we got a lot done in that area but definitely didn't get to some things you did.

One thing I will fully agree with you with is that the Star Wars part of the new WoC was awesome! Worth the wait just for that I think! (though will give my full review when I got to doing my TR)

Cars Land at night is really cool ... love when the Cars cars come out - we saw Mater leave and also DJ come out. Just a cool concept and one of those things where I would love to see all the technology behind them

Star Wars WoC for the win!! I agree seeing those cars drive themselves and interact with people is too cool!

What a jam-packed first day!

Well done to Buddy on bringing his Glow Hat!
I love eating at Paradise Garden Grill as well. Those skewers are delicious and the sauces are really tasty.

Looks like you had a great night and you got a great set of family pictures at Carsland!

Seems like everyone loves Paradise Garden Grill. I guess, how could you not!!!

Everything looked great!
The food looks so good.
Great pictures!

Great first day! I actually like Mickey's Fun Wheel of Death (c). I rode in a swinging car with a 3 yo that just cackled she was having so much fun!

Jill in CO

That's great. I bet riding it with a 3 year old who was cracking up would be a blast. Certainly better than riding it with a terrified one. haha

actually planning our own 12 Day Cross Country Adventure to Disneyland this Summer June/July of 2016. Seeing this has been awesome. Cant wait to see the rest.

That's awesome. You are going to have an amazing time!!!!

 

[MarbleBob]

Day 13 - Wednesday, June 24 - Disneyland - Part 1

The plan for today was to tour Disneyland with the entire group. Rope drop was at 8am and we made it through the bag check lines around 7:15 AM. Not bad, all things considered!!!

The lines had already started to form, but we were still able to secure a decent position.



We waited in line for about 30 minutes before they started letting people through the gates for rope drop. We met a nice Australian family while we waited. This was their first visit to Disneyland and they had done no research. Had no idea about fast passes or anything. So we got out our maps and gave them a 30 minute crash course on the layout of the park, how to best use fast passes, what to ride first before it gets crowded, giving tips about what rides their kids might prefer based on what they liked, etc. It was a lot of fun and a great way to make the wait go more quickly.

At around 7:45 or so, they started people through the turnstiles. Yahoo!!



As much as I love California Adventure, Disneyland is where it's at for me. How exciting to see the 60th anniversary decorations!!!



I love the blue diamond inside the "D" above the plaque.



OK, gang, let's go! And everyone keep up the pace!!!!



They don't call it the "Happiest Place on Earth" for nothing!



Everyone made their way to the hub and began forming lines the area that they wanted to start in. (For our group, it was Fantasyland!!!)



And a chance to get a few photos of the castle and partners statue without people!



With all the walking that had been doing on this trip, and with knowing that we'd have another big day ahead of us, we decided to rent a stroller for Pickle. She didn't use it all the time, but it was nice when we needed it. And yeah, the girls had to have their matching Elsa dresses today. LOL.



A few minutes later, we were in!!!

We wanted to start with the Matterhorn since it doesn't have FastPasses, but unfortunately, it wasn't running yet.

Drats!

OK, plan B. (Also, Peter Pan wasn't quite ready from its refurbishment, so that wasn't an option either.) I think we started with Snow White & Pinocchio instead. Not that it's any of our favorites, but since we don't have Snow White at WDW anymore, it's now a classic. Just like Mr. Toad's Wild Ride. Which is what we did next!!!!!

Also, in the meantime, Stephanie grabbed everyone's park tickets and skirted over to Space Mountain for FastPasses.

I love Mr. Toad, such a cool character!



The girls all road together. How fun!



Of course the ride is a bit dated and not too exciting, but for nostalgia's sake alone, it's one of my favorites!

Then we decided to head over to the Story Book Canal boats. This line can get pretty long later in the day, so we decided to take advantage of the non-existent line now.



On the way over... Hey look!!! It's Captain Hook. Let's get a photo!



Hi Elsa and Elsa



I love seeing the Matterhorn in the background. So cool!



So yeah, this is also one of my favorite rides at Disneyland. I love the detail of all the miniatures. Just too cool, and truly unique to DL.

Time for a Matterhorn check... Nope, still not running yet All right, let's go over and hit Star Tours before our Space Mountain window opens!



My team has ridden this one at both DL and WDW multiple times (both the old and new versions), but this was the first time the rest of the group rode it at DL. Anyway, it's a favorite of the group, so we were all excited. Especially the boys!





Ready for departure!!!



Yahoo!!! Since the line was still basically non-existent, we decided to ride it again. The Force was with us today!

We had a couple minutes before our 9:00 AM Fastpass return time, so we chilled out for a couple minutes.



Happy faces in happy places!



All right, it's time, it's time!!!



Nanny and Grandpa didn't want to ride with us, but everyone else did!



Love the queuing area inside!



Here we go!!!





Space Mountain is also one of my all time favorite rides. Ultimately, I think I prefer the WDW version because I like the in-line seating better. But I love how the DL version has the speakers in the vehicle with the cool music!

Next up, we decided to check and see if the Matterhorn was running yet...

 

[TheMaxRebo]

always fun to educate a family that does not research ... hope your advice helped them some!

Definitely cool all the dark rides they have so close to each other there - I remember riding Mr. Toad when I was a kid at WDW so it was fun to take my kids on it at DLR

Canal boats are fun - easy to take a ton of pictures on that!

Space Mountain is one of my favorites. I recently read that the max speed on it is 28 mph - but certainly feels faster when you are on it!

 

[PrincessInOz]

YAY! Full day and RD at DL.
Love the pictures of the D60 decorations.
Elsa and Elsa look adorable!

And congrats on the flying start with the rides!!!

nice Australian family while we waited. This was their first visit to Disneyland and they had done no research.

That's a very kind deed you did in helping them out. I know we Dis-sers can be accused of overplanning....but really....who goes to Disney without any research these days???

 

[MarbleBob]

always fun to educate a family that does not research ... hope your advice helped them some!

Definitely cool all the dark rides they have so close to each other there - I remember riding Mr. Toad when I was a kid at WDW so it was fun to take my kids on it at DLR

Canal boats are fun - easy to take a ton of pictures on that!

Space Mountain is one of my favorites. I recently read that the max speed on it is 28 mph - but certainly feels faster when you are on it!

Hi five for Space Mountain! 28 mph?!?!? You are right, sure feels a lot faster!!!

YAY! Full day and RD at DL.
Love the pictures of the D60 decorations.
Elsa and Elsa look adorable!

And congrats on the flying start with the rides!!!

That's a very kind deed you did in helping them out. I know we Dis-sers can be accused of overplanning....but really....who goes to Disney without any research these days???

Yeah, was sort of amusing that they had done no research at all. They were even more grateful for our help after I saw that they were at the wrong rope drop location for Space Mountain (which they said they wanted to hit first.) Since we had a big enough group securing our place in line, I grabbed them and walked them over to the proper location (they were originally over as if they were heading to the Teacups.) Never saw them again the rest of the day. They were a fun family, I'm sure they had a great day despite being a little clueless

 

[kelmac284]

Nice update although I have to say I prefer the DL space because the one at DW always seems so rough to me. I do like the stuff on the inside though and that whole tomorrowland to me reminds me of the older version of DL since it still has the TTA and such.

We LOVE DL because it is our home park and as you said it has a lot that DW doesn't have like Toad, Alice, the Fairytale boats etc. Eventhough my kids are teens we love those because of the nostalgia if nothing else. I was bummed we missed the new Peter Pan but looking forward to seeing it whenever we make it back.

I find that the update to Matterhorn really knocks you around as well. I have always loved the ride but maybe I am just getting too old LOL.

And I agree with you as much as I enjoy CA DL is the best!! And I think most people agree that is why it is always so crowded.

 

[annie170]

Did you ever notice that Space Mountain is single file riding in WDW, but two across in DL. On the other hand, Splash Mountain is two across in WDW and single file in DL. I don't know why, but I've always been intrigued by that.

I think I would love Story Book Canal Boats. That miniature village is awesome.

 

[MarbleBob]

Nice update although I have to say I prefer the DL space because the one at DW always seems so rough to me. I do like the stuff on the inside though and that whole tomorrowland to me reminds me of the older version of DL since it still has the TTA and such.

We LOVE DL because it is our home park and as you said it has a lot that DW doesn't have like Toad, Alice, the Fairytale boats etc. Eventhough my kids are teens we love those because of the nostalgia if nothing else. I was bummed we missed the new Peter Pan but looking forward to seeing it whenever we make it back.

I find that the update to Matterhorn really knocks you around as well. I have always loved the ride but maybe I am just getting too old LOL.

And I agree with you as much as I enjoy CA DL is the best!! And I think most people agree that is why it is always so crowded.

Good points all around! I think WDW will always be our hope park, because we can drive there in 1.5 days (vs. 3 VERY long days to DL), but DL is totally my favorite!!!! (for many of the reasons you stated above.)

Did you ever notice that Space Mountain is single file riding in WDW, but two across in DL. On the other hand, Splash Mountain is two across in WDW and single file in DL. I don't know why, but I've always been intrigued by that.

I think I would love Story Book Canal Boats. That miniature village is awesome.

Yeah, we've wondered about that too. I never bothered to find out why, but I think it's cool that so many of the rides are the same, but different!

 

[MarbleBob]

Day 13 - Wednesday, June 24 - Disneyland - Part 2

So after riding Space Mountain, we headed over towards Fantasyland again... hoping that the Matterhorn would be running by now.

Sure enough, it was!!!!! And there was already a line wrapped around the side of the mountain. Oh well, the line will only get longer, so let's do it!



Luckily, the line was moving quickly and only took about 20 minutes. Not bad, all things considered!

The kids were stoked



So yeah, this is one of my top 5 rides in all of Disney (DL and WDW.) Not because the coaster aspect is all that great (I'll take California Screamin' or Space Mountain over this bumpy ride)... instead, I love it because of the theme and how well it's executed.

It's just so darn cool!

I've never seen the real Matterhorn in person, but I've been to the Alps a couple times before and I just love the area.... (I watched Third Man on the Mountain this summer and they really capture the spirit of that movie here.)

Anyway, after our successful Matterhorn expedition, we decided to knock off a couple other Fantasyland essentials. I didn't grab photos, but but we rode Alice in Wonderland first. It was now 10am. The park had been open for two hours and the crowds were growing. I'm not sure how long the Alice line was, but it took a good long while.

Next up, we hit the tea cups!!!! Luckily, there was still practically no line for this one!



The Disneyland version is vastly superior to the WDW version, especially at night!!! I love the lanterns hanging above the tea cups too!







Grandpa and Dave decided to take a pass on this one. That's crazy talk, I say!!!

The kids had a blast trying to make me sick....





Not going to happen. We rode this like 5 or 6 times in a row at WDW one time when Buddy was little (at his request of course.) I'm getting old for jerky roller coasters, but I can still handle spinning

After we exited the ride, the girls noticed Alice and the Mad Hatter!



OK... Stephanie had snuck away a little earlier and grabbed FastPasses to Big Thunder Mountain Railroad for us, and the window was closing, so we headed that way next.



Walking out of Fantasyland... Hey look, it's another one of those 60th Anniversary Photo Ops!!!



These things are cheesy, but just too cool to pass up!!!





Grandpa wasn't interested in riding the real Thunder Mountain Railroad, but he was willing to get in on the fun here. Haha!



Coming around the bend, we see the ride. Oh yeah!!!



Stephanie and I rode this in 2010, but it was down for refurbishment when we came in 2013, so this was a must do for the family. Especially for Buddy!



And away we go!



To be honest, I don't really remember the differences between the 2010 version and the new one. But it was still lots of fun. And also cool to be similar to the WDW version but very different too!

It was about 11:15 AM and we were all hungry and ready for lunch. We decided to head over to the French Market Restaurant next.

Passing the Rivers of America on the way over, we saw one of the canoes go by. Unfortunately, we never got around to riding in one. Next time, right?!?!?!



So, yeah, none of us had eaten here before and we were all excited to try something new!





Psyche!!!!


Buddy didn't want to have anything to do with the place. I made him smile for the above picture, but this was how he actually felt. LOL.



Come on Buddy, you're at the Happiest Place on Earth! If you aren't interested in anything here, there's always ice cream, popcorn, pickles, and stuff later...

I ended up getting the "Market French Dip". It was pretty darn tasty. And dipping the chips in the au jus really hit the spot!



Pickle had the "Chicken Breast with Rice" kids meal. It was good enough, but nothing special.



Princess had the "French Quarter Chicken". She liked it well enough, but didn't rave over it.



Stephanie had the "Seasoned Shrimp Po Boy". I think she was pretty happy with hers.



And then the girls shared a piece of cake!



I took a bite and it was delicious!

So all in all, I'd say that the French Market Restaurant was just OK for us. Not bad in any way at all, but not very memorable either.

And Buddy decided to just wait and have a snack later. LOL.

 

[annegirl]

You are making me want to go to Disneyland so bad!! My husband loves Mr. Toad so we definitely need to go ride that. It has been too long since I have been there. Looks like such a fun day so far.

 

[jedijill]

I cannot wait to get to DL and see the 60th stuff next month! You got a lot done that morning!

Jill in CO