Are You Really Going To Disney Again? A Jan 2016 DL Trip Report COMPLETE *Added link to WDW report

[Carathryn]

Hello everyone! This is my first ever trip report. I am a long time lurker who finally decided to put herself out there. I hope you are entertained and learn something useful as I attempt to put together a decent first try trip report.

Before I dive into the trip I think some introductions are in order.​

My name is Cara.​

I am a long time disney enthusiast who didn't get to experience the parks as a child and is now obsessive over them. I am 22 years old and finishing up my last semester of college. I have been to Disneyland 5 times and Disney World 3 times. Here are some basic Disney facts about me:

Favorite Disney movies- Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, Monsters Inc
Favorite Princess- Belle
Favorite character (non princess)- James P. Sullivan
Favorite Disney parks- Disneyland, Animal Kingdom
Favorite Disney rides- Pirates of the Caribbean (DL version), Expedition Everest, Voyage of the Little Mermaid

Along for the ride is my Disney travel companion, my mom.


She has been helping fund my Disney obsession and has grown to love the parks and atmosphere as well.

Favorite Disney movies- Frozen, Monsters Inc.
Favorite Princess- Snow White
Favorite character (non princess)- Goofy
Favorite Disney parks- Magic Kingdom
Favorite Disney rides- Tower of Terror

She accepts my Disney side and I love her for that. We have had 2 amazing WDW trips together.



Now it's time for our amazing DL trip.

Here is the basics of our trip.​

What: A trip to Disneyland!

When: January 6-9, 2016

Where: 2 nights at the Grand Californian, 1 night at Hampton Inn Garden Grove

Who: My mom and I​

​

Why: This is a little more of an explanation. We took a trip to Disneyland last March, This trip had a lot of highs but also a lot of lows. It was sandwhiched between 2 trips to DW and my mom was not impressed. I chose to keep some faith in the land and decided we needed a redo trip. We chose this time to go due to getting to see holiday decorations while hopefully having slightly lower crowds, seeing Aladdin for the last time, and to help celebrate the 60th anniversary.​

Let the adventure begin!​

 

[Carathryn]

On a side note, I will try to make pictures smaller for upcoming posts

 

[Carathryn]

Day 1: Part One- Departure Day

The night before we took off I was up late. I had already packed but had the random urge to check flight prices and see how much it would cost to extend our trip a day. This was a short trip stuffed in before school starts and originally we were planning on bringing my brother and my fiancé so we wanted to save money.

However the weather for our trip was not looking good, with rain and clouds all week. This was really bumming me out.
Any day at Disney is a good one but I had been very much looking forward to the Paint The Night Parade and would have been really sad to not get to see it. The weather was predicted to be sunny on Friday so I thought that would be our best chance to see it. In the original plans we were supposed to be at the airport by 6 on Friday, making us miss the parade. Fate was on our side though, Frontier had $30 flights for Saturday night. So at 10:45pm I bought new plane tickets (which was ironically a lot cheaper than changing a flight) and used my mom’s Hilton reward points to book a free hotel room.

Trying to do this last minute booking and the excitement of the upcoming trip meant I was not able to fall asleep for a while. I was back up around 4:30 and ready to go. Our flight didn’t leave until 8:00am. My mom’s house is only about 25 minutes away from the airport, but we needed to make sure to leave enough time to drop off her car at The Parking Spot and take the shuttle to the airport. We left the house around 5:30, got Starbucks on the way, and made it to the parking place. We took a very bumpy shuttle bus to the airport. When we got there we were met by a crazy long check in line. My mom’s military status was able to let us bypass the regular people line and get in the Frontier royalty one. Within a couple minutes we had our bags checked and were ready to head to security.

For those who have not flown on Frontier ever, or recently, they are now a low cost carrier. This means you can get cheap airfare but they nickel and dime you for everything. Not only do you need to pay for a carry on, buying one at the gate costs $60! My mom is actually retired from Frontier. She got out before they contracted out a lot of their employees and she rejoined the Air Force. Her military benefits are a lot better than the Frontier ones. Due to her military ID, we got two free checked bags and a carry on. This was plenty of bags for a 4 day trip so all we paid for was the airfare. Because Frontier changed their seats to the light weight sardine can seats, we also chose to pay to chose our seat. Frontier’s seats used to have these great wings on the head rests that you could bend to lean your head on so that you can sleep sitting up without your head uncomfortable rolling onto your shoulder. These things are great and every airline should have them. Alas Frontier’s head wings are no more so it is much easier to sleep on a flight with a window seat. The $9 for a window to lean your head on is definitely worth it to us.


The flight left about 10 minutes late, but luckily we still arrived on time. It was a pretty uneventful flight. I watched a couple episodes of Once Upon A Time and took a short nap. Before I knew it we were landing. I’m including a picture of my knees and the tray table for you to see how cramped Frontier’s seats now are. You have been warned.

Yes, my hand is larger than the tray table on the seat in front of me.
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Awkward angle, but my knee has about an inch and a half before touching the seat in front of me.
If I was 6 foot 2, this would be a big problem.



That's enough complaining for now, because it was just about time to land!​

Our checked bags arrived within 10 minutes of us getting of the plane. By this time it was around 9:45. It was time for us to get our first experience with Lyft. Neither of us had used Lyft or Uber before. If you haven’t heard of these companies before they are ride share companies where the ordinary person can offer up their personal vehicle as a taxi and turn themselves into a driver.

I was a little nervous, never having used the service before. We weren’t sure where to go. With Uber/Lyft just getting approved to drive at SNA in the past year and without it being an advertised service, such as supershuttle, it was surpisingly easy. After getting our bags we walked directly out the doors. SNA has large numbered posts. When you open the app it recognizes you are at the airport and asks what post number you are at. We entered our number, I believe it was 12, and put our destination as The Grand Californian.

Our first driver showed up in about 6 minutes from the time I requested it, however the car he was driving did not match the car that shows up on the app and he seemed a little suspicious. The airport security guy advised us not to get in the car and told the man that he should know better than to drive a car that has not been approved or registered with Lyft. We cancelled the ride. Lyft charged me a $5 cancellation fee but I am fighting to get that money back. We tried again and our next driver was there in about 4 minutes. He was very friendly and offered us waterbottles and gum. We were at the Grand Californian in about 24 minutes. This was a lot faster than a SuperShuttle and at $24.21 it was about half the price of a taxi. We also had 5 $10 off coupons for being a first timer. This brought our total to $14.21 plus a small tip. For the price, it was definitely worth it and I would not hesitate to use it again. We used several more Lyft rides over the trip.​

Next up: Our first time seeing the Grand Californian and a lot more pictures

 

[Carathryn]

Day 1: Part Two- The Grand Californian Hotel

We originally booked the Grand because of it’s proximity to the parks. After our trip to Disneyworld in October 2015, we were ready to try a deluxe hotel. Our last two Disneyworld trips we have stayed at Coronado. I love their rooms but after visiting the Grand Californian and the Poly, we were ready to shell out some extra money to test it out and see if it would ever be worth all the extra money. My mom had been hoping to drag my 16 brother on this trip. Knowing how much that boy can eat, she decided to go all out and booked a concierge level room. With her military discount we got 35% off the already discounted price.

Walking into the hotel for the first time we felt like the most special guests ever. We were whisked away to concierge level and brought to the club room where a cast member was there to welcome us with a folder and refreshments. This all happened so fast it was almost too quick to take in the feeling of stepping into our first deluxe hotel stay. After getting our bags stored since our room wasn’t ready and grabbing some coffee and water it was time to hit the parks.

So excited! Who doesn't love "free" drinks?!


It was impossible to capture the ambience of the hotel with my iPhone.
Even internet pictures can't quite capture how magical this place is.
So laid back, yet classy.
It makes me want to hang out all day with a glass of wine, reading a good book, while the piano man plays.​

We stopped to appreciate the gingerbread house. I was impressed with the level of detail, especially the fireplace which was glowing with a fake fire.

There is nothing in this picture to reference how massive and impressive it is so you will just have to trust me.

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The hotel was great but I was itching to get in the parks. We bought the military salute, 3 day park hoppers for $142. Last March when we came we had to get them activated at the ticket counters and fill out some paperwork. This time we were able to walk right to the gates and all we had to do was show my mom’s military ID and take our pictures. This process was so easy, however during our park days we often got stuck behind people activating their tickets for the first time, which made lines to get into the parks feel longer. I would have preferred to just get it taken care of at the ticket counter to make lines faster getting in to the park.

Next up: Our first steps in the park, and more pictures for real this time

 

[Carathryn]

Day 1: Part 3- Park time!


Right as we walked in to Disneyland the rain picked up. We were able to snag a photopass cast member to snap a quick picture in front of the massive Christmas tree before she ran inside to take cover.

The photopass photographer got some really cute pictures of us before running for cover​

Our next stop was to admire the castle. Though much smaller than Cinderella’s, it looked so sparkly and beautiful with the 60th diamond anniversary additions and the holiday decorations.

Who cares if it is raining, I found my castle!​

My priority ride for the day was Hyperspace Mountain. We made our way over to get fastpasses before they ran out for the day. At this point it was about 10:30 and we got fast passes for a return time between 1:20 and 2:20 I believe. We decided to walk through California Adventure on our way to our lunch reservation.


One our way we stopped to meet Olaf. Olaf’s Snow Festival is a cool meet and greet area where people can play with fake snow, listen to Arendalle carolers and meet Olaf.

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We waited about 12 minutes for the meet and greet. It was a little rushed but the wait was nothing compared to the hour long wait we had in March.

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Before we left I showed off my snow powers and froze a fountain.

Yes, I am an ice queen.



My mom wanted her picture taken next to the ice fountain.
Only in California do parents pay a ridiculous amount of money to let their kids play in fake snow.​

We figured we might as well get the Frozen meets out of the way. Even though it was pouring rain, the animation academy was empty.

Elsa was on the screen in the Animation Academy to welcome us in.
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We met Anna and Elsa in less than 5 minutes (so different from last year, is Frozen Fever finally over????). Anna told me how she likes jumping in puddles but that Elsa normally freezes them so she can go ice skating. It was a fun meet and the actors did a great job with their characters. Anna was her silly self and Elsa was still an ice queen but she was a lot friendlier than the one we met at Disneyworld.

Sometimes Elsa wishes Anna would stop talking.
Sometimes my hair is soaking wet.






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Up next: Lunch at Storytellers

 

[Carathryn]

On a side note:
I was comparing castle pictures from this trip to our one last March and the castle looks so much spiffier now.
Before:

After:

 

[NMDisneyMom]

Enjoying your trip report. My daughter and I are heading back to DL at the end of March. It's our second home and after several other Disney trips, it will be nice to see the castle again.

 

[Carathryn]

Enjoying your trip report. My daughter and I are heading back to DL at the end of March. It's our second home and after several other Disney trips, it will be nice to see the castle again.

Thanks for following along!

How exciting to have a trip planned, the 60th celebration decorations and new touches were all fantastic! I thought after seeing Cinderella's castle a couple months before this trip I would be underwhelmed with Sleeping Beauty's, but it was still just as magical seeing it again.

 

[Carathryn]

Day One: Part 4- Lunch at Storytellers Cafe


We slowly wandered around DCA for a while, taking in the Disney atmosphere. Eventually we made it over to the Grand Californian. We had a 1:00 lunch reservation at Storytellers. We were able to get a table at 12:30 with no wait. I don’t think the reservation was necessary but I like planning out our ADR and knowing we have a place to eat a sit down meal at.

I love the atmosphere of this restaurant. It fits in very nicely with the theming of the GC.

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Within a couple minutes of sitting down we were brought a breadbasket. It had some delicious corn muffins and a hot mini loaf of bread.

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We had skipped breakfast and chowed down on all of the bread before our waiter came to take our orders. My mom ordered the tomato and eggplant soup. I ordered the vegetable ravioli. The soup was very good. It was a thicker tomato soup, none of that watery stuff. The eggplant added a nice extra flavor and the croutons it came with were really good. I am not a big soup person and I enjoyed it. My ravioli was also good. I don’t have any complaints about it. The broth was delicious and an interesting flavor compared to the normal marinara. The vegetables on top of it were all fresh and well flavored. I wish there had been a little less ricotta and a little more mozzarella in the raviolis but I think that is just me being a picky cheese eater.

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Our waiter also brought us another breadbasket and even though we were both pretty full, we enjoyed some more hot corn muffins. Overall I loved the ambience of the place. Our waiter was not very attentive but that could have to do with him being at the end of his shift. A different waiter replaced him to bring us our check. We had to ask several times to get a water refill, but given the quality of the food I would gladly go back.

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Up next: Enjoying the GC and back to the parks!

 

[Carathryn]

Day 1: Part 5- Grand Californian and Hyperspace Mountain


After lunch we took advantage of the concierge club. We grabbed some desert and drinks. The chocolate strawberries and madeline cookies with a hot cup of coffee were a perfect ending to our first Disney meal of the trip.

I enjoyed many of these during our short concierge stay.​

We hung around the hotel a little longer hoping our room would be ready early. At this point it was about 1:45. While my mom was asking about our room I warmed up by the fireplace in the hotel lobby. As I was going to meet my mom we met some friends.

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I decided I love staying onsite at Disneyland. Spontaneous hotel character interactions with no lines are the best.


At this point we needed to head back to DL to use our Hyperspace Mountain fastpasses. We stopped to get some pictures in front of the park and then booked it over to our first ride of the trip.

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I don’t have many ride pictures from this trip. DL makes you buy each ride picture individually now and I did not think it was worth the price for any of them.

Hyperspace Mountain was a blast. Disney did a really good job with the Star Wars overlay. The wait time was around 40 minutes but we only waited about 5 minutes with our fastpasses. It is one of the few rides that would be worth a 40 minute wait though. The queue and ride effects are great.

For those who have not been to DL since the start of Star Wars fever, Tomorrowland is a temporary Star Wars Land. There is SW everywhere! SW music, SW merchandise, the two SW rides, Launch Bay, Jedi Training, and people decked out in their best SW gear. The parks have definetly moved on from Frozen Fever and embraced the revival of SW. My dad, brother, and sister are all SW nerds. My dad is that guy who saw episode 4 8 times in theaters and has been hooked ever since. Growing up I was exposed to SW but I lack the die hard fandom that my siblings inherited. That said, I can still appreciate everyone’s excitement for it and its universal appeal.

Stuck in the middle of temporary Star Wars land, we decided to take on the other evil emperor. We walked on Buzz Lightyear. Let’s just say I think we had a malfunctioning vehicle because we both did a lot worse than normal and refused to play it again for the rest of our trip. Zerg won.

Our scores were too sad to post so here is a ride picture of my mom instead.​

We stopped for another castle picture because you can never have too many of those.

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Next up: Haunted Mansion Holiday addition and we get a room!

 

[Carathryn]

Day 1: Part 5- Checking out of a mansion and into a hotel room


Next up was one of both my mom’s and I’s favorite rides. Indiana Jones! It took us about 10 minutes to get on our ride vehicle, thank you rain! My mom was driving so we were in trouble. Luckily we made it out alive, barely.

After escaping the cursed temple it was time for Haunted Mansion, holiday addition! Jack Skellington and his crew were waiting for us. This ended up being our longest wait of the day at 20 minutes.

We were surrounded by people in ponchos.


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At this point we were soaking wet and getting a little tired.

Cold and tired mother​

Right as we entered the mansion we got the magical text saying our room was ready which really helped to brighten our moods and enjoy the ride. I love all of this overlay except the ballroom portion. It just doesn’t seem to fit into the ride very well and the dancing ghosts look lost among the Nightmare Before Christmas decorations. After saying goodbye to the hat box ghost we hurried back to the GC to check out our room.

 

[Carathryn]

(previous post continued)



Our room was on the hallway surrounding the lobby but one the opposite side of the main elevator. You could hear some noise from the piano and crowd down in the lobby but it wasn’t too bad. When I entered our room the first thing I noticed was trash left on the floor. Now I had read reviews on the hotel saying it needed an update, rooms are dark, and it is not a $500 a night luxury hotel room. We were ok paying for the location and the Disney magic of being onsite, surrounded by Disney. However, when you are paying that much for a room, the least house cleaning can do is pick up trash off the floor and check under the beds for trash. There was a Starbucks bag with a stale bagel sitting on the floor by the doors to the balcony. There was a napkin on the floor and several pieces of paper trash underneath one of the beds. We did a close inspection of the room to see if anything else looked like it was in need of a cleaning after that. The beds were nicely made and the bathroom area was very clean, but someone must have ignored the floor. I get that mistakes happen though and we very politely called up the mousekeeping manager on duty. She apologized, sent someone in to vacuum the floor, and took $100 off the bill. We thought this was good compensation and appreciated the apologies.

After that was taken care of it was time to appreciate the room. I especially loved the Bambi characters on the shower curtain and the lanterns on the bed head frames. The bathroom was very clean with shiny white walls and a very clean shower curtain. A gross bathroom is one of my hotel pet peeves as I want to be able to feel clean in the bathroom as I freshen up. We aren’t total hotel snobs but to us, it is worth the money to stay somehwhere that at least has clean white sheets and we feel comfortable walking around barefoot in. I have stayed at nicer hotels than the GC for a lot cheaper, but for the location and the atmosphere we will definitely be back. We both feel in love with this hotel by the end of our stay.

Here are some room pictures. I'm sure you can find better ones online but I thought I would post mine anyways. We had a theme park view, concierge level room. If anyone else wants to request this room it is number 6007 and a short walk to the elevators and stairs.

My mom wanted a picture on the bed


View from balcony, hotel pools and California Adventure


Paradise Pier area of California Adventure poking through


I love the lanterns on the bed head board

View attachment 147260
Bambi shower curtains!


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[Carathryn]

(previous post continued)

Basic bathroom, enjoyed revolving shower head




View of lobby from outside room


Classy Snow White picture
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Next up: Evening in the parks

 

[Sazzo'sMommy]

Enjoying this so much! Thank you for all the detail. DD's and my trip first trip to DLR is in 2 months...we have been to WDW 40+ times, so we are looking to know as much as we can about DLR before April. Thank you for all the pictures too!

 

[Carathryn]

Enjoying this so much! Thank you for all the detail. DD's and my trip first trip to DLR is in 2 months...we have been to WDW 40+ times, so we are looking to know as much as we can about DLR before April. Thank you for all the pictures too!

Thanks for taking the time to read my report! I'm trying to get enough details in without completely boring you guys.
I am sure you will enjoy DLR just as much as WDW. I love WDW but as of right now I think my heart belongs in DLR.There is just something extra magical about it and I love how much you can get done in one day with everything being so close.

 

[Carathryn]

Day 1: Part 6: A Night In The Parks

After checking out our room, taking a moment to sit down and soak in the atmosphere, we changed into dry clothes and went to the concierge club. There we got drinks and appetizers. We each had a glass of wine. Concierge level is expensive, but if you had 4 adults in your room and took advantage of the free alcohol plus the breakfast offerings, I feel like it would even out the cost. For just the two of us and our short stay, I would not personally pay for it, but if someone else (cough..cough..Mom) pays for it, it is a very nice addition. You certainly feel special being waited upon between hours in the parks.

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Appetizers consisted of vegetables, bread, flatbread, and a couple dips. There were also two small hot appetizers each night but they both had meat which I don't eat. There is also an alcohol list with a couple beers and wines. You can also get water, tea, coffee, and sodas.

After eating it was back to the parks. We used the California Adventure entrance from the GC and stopped by to say hello to everyone’s favorite mermaid. There was no line. I know this ride is a short retelling of the story, with several plot wholes, but I love the music of the little mermaid and the bright colors that pop out at you.

The cast member in line handed me a sticker, yes I am a little kid inside and this made me very happy


Clam shell selfie!


Saying hello to everyone's favorite mermaid while loudly singing along to Part Of Your World​

After exiting our clam shell it was time to take my mom for her first ever ride on Mickey’s Wheel of Death (and for anyone that doesn’t know, I am referring to the ferris wheel with the swinging gondolas). We waited 15 minutes for our seat belt-less swinging ride. For anyone with a fear of heights this one is not for you. For anyone with a fear of flying off your seat as your go swinging through the air and crash into the bench opposite you, this ride is also not for you. Luckily I was able to hang on for my life and the ferris wheel was not going at full speed, instead stopping everytime to let people on and off. My mom thought I was a big baby and that it was fun. I told her good luck riding when it does not stop every 5 seconds.

How do you smile while on this ride????

Why do I continue to ride this every trip????​

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While we were on the boardwalk it was time for Caifornia Screamin. We waited about 8 minutes. We both love this ride. The music accompanying it is a fantastic addition. The blast off at the beginning never gets old. I appreciate that it is such a smooth coaster and I can ride it multiple times without feeling nauseaous or like I have just been shaken to pieces.

Next we took a night time stroll through carsland, checking out all of the Christmas Décor.

I just love this snowcar. I really wish I had bought the ornament version that was in one of the Cars gift shops.​

Eventually we made it to our final destination….The Hollywood Tower of Terror. We got on our service elevator in about 10 minutes. The cast member who loaded our elevator was great. He had a lot of fun playing the role and asked if I was able to hold onto my soul on our way out. Shout out to all the great cast members who embrace their roles.

At this point I was starting to get hungry. I settled on my favorite quick service meal in DCA. I got a portobello wiener at Award Wieners.

I promise it tastes a lot better than it looks
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The ale sauce that they sauté the mushrooms, peppers, and onions in is so good and the serving is a good size to fill me up without leaving me felling gross and sluggish. After I ate my mom decided to turn in early. She was going to go make use of the conierge club and ate more appetizers and desserts there for her dinner. I missed out on the desserts but she said they were fantastic.

Next up: A night in Disneyland

 

[Carathryn]

Day 1: Part 7- Solo Night!


This was my first time really exploring a park by myself. In past trips I have gotten separated from my mom or travelling companions and I love travelling with my mom because we each will do our own thing and meet back up every now and then, but this was the first time I purposefully embarked on my own.

If you have never done this before I highly recommend it. I spent about an hour just aimlessly wandering around DL, taking in the atmosphere and was just so happy to be there.

An empty Fantasy Faire and Royal Hall


Snow White waterfall next to castle


It's A Small World all lit up for the holidays
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Eventually I found myself in toontown. I waited about 5 minutes to meet Mickey. This was a really quick meet with pretty much no interaction, just a quick smile for a picture and I was ushered out.

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Next up was something that I hadn’t had the chance to do in several years. It was time for the Matterhorn bobsleds. The past two trips I have been on it was closed for refurbishment. The posted wait was about 25 minutes but I decided to go single rider, hoping it would be a lot quicker. This ended up being a 15 minute wait for me. To get a seat as a single rider you have to hope for a party of 5 and it did not move as fast as a single rider line normally does. When I did get on I must have forgotten how jerky it is since I hadn’t ridden it in years. This one really hurt my back. I liked the yeti but that will probably be my last time riding it. I get that it is a classic ride and the bumpiness might be fun for some people, but imo I don’t understand why they couldn’t have made it smoother with all of the refurbishments they have done on it. I have also heard that it is better if you sit in the front but for single riders that was not an option. Lots of people love this ride so I could just be a baby so don't let me defer you from trying it.

Proof that I was on a bobsled getting ready to explore the Matterhorn​

After my disappointing bobsled adventure I decided it was time for one of my favorite Disney rides, Pirates of the Caribbean. I was especially excited to be riding DL’s version again, so much better than WDW! I was able to walk right on the ride and got a boat row to myself. I enjoyed my time through the Bayou, wishing I had found time to squeeze in a meal there, and after watching Jack find his treasure I said good bye to the pirates.

Proof I rode PoTC, I can't explain to you how much I love this ride​

It was almost time for one of the parts I had most been looking forward to, the Disneyland Forever fireworks!

All parades for the day had been cancelled for the night due to the rain and wet streets. Without all the people waiting for the Paint the Night parade, main street was not very crowded. I decided to grab a candied apple before the fireworks. The 60th anniversary apples are sparkly and delicious, and I love the blue and silver look of them.

This picture does not convey how sparkly, pretty, and delicious this apple was​

After enjoying my apple by the Jolly Holiday café I made my way to the middle of main street. There was a light crowd standing there. This night I didn’t take any pictures, just enjoyed the show. This is now my favorite Disney night show. The soundtrack is perfect and they spend just the right amount of time on each segment. The illuminations on main street really add to the mood. The Tangled section is my favorite as the fireworks are quiet and the lanterns float up the main street shops. It brought tears to my eyes. I was really looking forward to watching the fireworks the next two nights. My mom watched the show from the GC concierge club with the music piped in and said she enjoyed the view but it does not compare to being on main street.

Following the fireworks I made my way around the blocked off castle to the ropes around Fantasyland, which was closed for fireworks. I picked a spot near Toad’s Wild Ride and waited for Fantasyland to open back up. A little after 10 it was time to conquer Peter Pan’s Flight. The lines for this ride had been about 45 minutes for most of the day and while I do enjoy the cute flying boat ride to Neverland, I don’t think it is worth that long of a wait. As the rope dropped there was a massive crowd who all had the same idea as me. We battled our way to Peter Pan and eventually I as able to squeeze my way into the queue. Being a single rider was really an advantage in maneuvering this crowd. Grown adults were pushing each other to get to this ride. It really was insane and I feel bad for the cast members who have to deal with adults fighting for a spot on this ride.

In the end it all worked out as I got on the ride in about 5 minutes and with a little pixie dust was on my way.



Next I walked on Pinochio’s Daring Journey. This was my first time on this ride. I enjoyed it. If I were a small child this ride would have terrified me but as an adult I can appreciate the classic dark ride. After this I was getting tired and had done a lot that day. I wandered around a little before taking the monorail back to downtown Disney and walking to the Grand. I got back around 11 and was asleep within minutes.

View from the monorail station
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Next up: We finally made it to day 2!

 

[snowybelle]

Following! Love your trip report so far! I appreciate the photos and the details. I am a fellow WDW vet and headed to DLR for the first time in May. Nervous and excited and taking in as much info as I can for now!

 

[Carathryn]

Following! Love your trip report so far! I appreciate the photos and the details. I am a fellow WDW vet and headed to DLR for the first time in May. Nervous and excited and taking in as much info as I can for now!

Thanks for following along! The Disboards provide so much information it can be overwhelming. The wonderful part about DLR is you really do not need as much planning as you do for WDW. I hope you fall in love with DLR as much as I have!

 

[Carathryn]

Day 2: Part 1- A Magical Morning


After my late night I was surprised that I was able to wake up for 8:00am magic morning at DL. We stopped by the concierge lounge around 7:15 and grabbed some breakfast. I had a croissant, hard-boiled egg, and some fruit. It was the perfect light breakfast before hitting the park. I also grabbed a cup of coffee. After eating we walked over to DL and made it in around 7:55.
I had read on the boards that magic morning could be crazy and you should get there really early. This was not the case for either of our extra morning hours. This could be because it was supposed to rain this day but we got lucky and the sun was out all day.

On our way to Fantasyland we stopped for some pictures.

Love how empty the park was
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We decided to do the classic dark rides I hadn’t done the previous night. We were the first people on Snow White’s Scary Adventure. Next we walked right on and took a wild ride with Mr. Toad.


We saw that Dumbo had a 5 minute wait and I have to admit that I had never rode Dumbo until this trip. We enjoyed our quick ride on the flying elephant.

First ever Dumbo selfie!​

Fantasyland was starting to feel more crowded at this point so we headed over to tomorrowland. The wait time for Hyperspace Mountain was only 20 minutes so we jumped in line. I loved it just as much the second time.


At this point it was almost 9 and I wanted to get fastpasses for the first Aladdin show of the day so we needed to go to DCA to get them. On the way we took some pictures in front of the castle. Notice how little people are around! I was prepared for busy crowds this trip but we got really lucky that the rain seemed to keep them away. Even the chance of rain seemed to leave the parks emptier today. The forecast the day before had called for rain all afternoon but it never showed up.

I like that this picture got the whole castle in it
The castle wasn't surrounded with people taking pictures
If only I could tell people to stop walking while I take a picture
JK diva moment over, I guess people can walk through the castle


I normally don't like borders but I thought this one they added was really cool.
I just wish they hadn't chosen the picture with my mom squinting from the sun​

We walked over and got our Aladdin fastpasses with no problem. Since we were over there we decided to visit our favorite hotel. We got on our service elevator in about 10 minutes.


We hadn’t done Radiator Springs Racers yet so we walked over to Cars land. We hopped in the single rider line and got on in less than 5 minutes. The estimated standby wait at the time was 45 minutes so not bad. It took longer waiting to get off the ride than it did to get on.

Love the scenery on this ride
I am not a Cars fan but I really appreciate how much work was put into RSR


Proof I was on the ride​

We had done everything we really felt like doing in DCA and hopped back over to DL. Park hopping was a major theme this day. I like to have a general plan for the day but still try to leave plenty of room for spontaneous rides, especially at DLR.

Next up: Dole Whips!