Disney Kidd
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- May 28, 2015
After a few months of our Annual Pass being blocked out, we were finally able to return back to Disneyland. Yay! My younger brother and I arrived on Wednesday, August 26 with a few goals in mind:
My goals:
We left San Diego at 9:40, stopped for a picnic lunch at the Disney picnic area, and were walking through the California Adventure gates at 11:55 am. Our plan was to get Fastpasses for Anna and Elsa's Royal Welcome and then for Radiator Spring's Racers.
I have never ridden the Red Car Trolley so we decided to take that to the Anna and Elsa Fastpass dispenser. We got our Fastpasses, and I was surprised our return time was from 12:20-12:40, only twenty minutes away!
We had a little bit of time to kill so we decided to try our luck for Radiator Springs Racers Fastpasses. We have NEVER gotten fastpasses for this ride, or waited in the regular line, because we always choose Single Rider. We were excited to try fastpass for the first time and got a return time for 6:30-730.
Nearby was a Diamond Celebration Photo Spot in front of A Bug's Land. We had time to take a photo here, and it turned out really cute!
It was now time to use our Fastpass to meet Anna and Elsa. This is something I've never done before, and as someone who goes to Disneyland often, I'm not okay with that! We waited about 15-20 minutes after arriving. My brother wasn't too thrilled, but he sucked it up. We felt a little awkward because we were the only adults there without kids, but the employees were all really nice. I joked that my brother made me come, and it was all his idea. He thinks Anna and Elsa seemed annoyed by us. You be the judge and take a look at the photo.
We were not able to get another fastpass until 2;15 so our plan was to stay at California Adventure until then, head to Disneyland, then come back around 6:30 to ride Radiator Spring's Racers.
We had about an hour and a half, and decided to head to California Screamin'. What happened next SHOCKED me. We. Walked. On. The line for California Screamin' is never too bad, and goes fast, but I've never walked on before. This set the tone for the rest of the day - just wait to see how lucky we were!
We got off the ride at 1:10 and headed to Mickey's Fun Wheel. I can't remember the last time I went on this ride. The wait was only fifteen minutes, but got delayed because someone threw up in one of the buckets. Gross. I loved looking at all the fountains for World of Color and seeing Cars Land. We got off the ride at 1:45.
It was almost time to go to Disneyland, but it was so hot out! It was in the 90s pretty much all day so we took a little water break and cooled down in the Little Mermaid.
After the Little Mermaid, we found another Diamond Celebration Photo Spot, and of course, had to stop. On a previous trip, I had done the California Screamin' one so now have visited all three in California Adventure!
As we walked towards the exit we ventured into the Redwood Creek Challenge Trail, which is actually pretty cool!
Slowly but surely we made our way into Disneyland. I really wanted to look at the Main Street Enchanted Windows. The last time I was here, they only had Peter Pan. Today, Peter Pan, Cinderella, and Princess and the Frog were all visible. There are three more coming soon: Frozen, Toy Story, and Aladdin, and I can't wait to see them. These are so cute! I tried taking videos/pictures of Cinderella and Princess and the Frog, but there was too much glare from the sun so I decided to come back at night.
We were boiling hot, and felt a ride on Splash Mountain would be nice. We started walking there, but not before the obligatory visit to the board. The wait for Peter Pan was only twenty five minutes with the longest wait being only 35 minutes for Splash and Space. We planned on getting a Splash Fastpass, then looping around to Fantasyland to ride Peter Pan.
On our way, we stumbled upon another Diamond Celebration Photo Spot at the Haunted Mansion, and didn't get our Splash Fastpass until 2:40. The return time was 4:05-5:05. We headed to Peter Pan, but passed by a short line for Big Thunder and decided to ride that. We were in line and off the ride within ten minutes! Ok, Peter Pan time!
Before getting into Fantasyland we took another, you guessed it, Diamond Celebration Photo! The line for Peter Pan was now forty-five minutes so we planned on riding it once they reopened Fantasyland after the fireworks. I really wanted to see it since the inside was recently redone. We asked a cast member if Fantasyland would reopen after the fireworks. She said it depends on winds, and if it did, it would only be open for about fifteen minutes. We decided to try our luck later.
We wanted to go on Matterhorn, but it was broken down so we walked through Tomorrowland, but weren't feeling any of the rides. We wanted to go on either Jungle Cruise and Indiana Jones or Pirates of the Caribbean and Indiana Jones.
This entire time I'm taking photos of trashcans (because each land has different ones) and am realizing I look insane. Who needs to go on rides when they can look at all the different trashcans?!
Jungle Cruise is another ride we rarely go on and we only waited about five minutes. Afterwards, we went to Indiana Jones and the wait was also super short. We typically have fastpasses or do single rider, so it was really weird for us to get in the normal line. We got in line about 3:45 and were off the ride at 4:05. Pretty short wait since it takes about ten minutes just to walk through the queue.
It was now time to use our Splash Mountain Fastpass and get this: we were the only ones in the Fastpass line. We. Walked. On. What?! It's 90 outside, people!
On our last trip in August, my brother tried Earl of Sandwich for the first time. That's where he wanted to eat so we did one of my favorite things and decided to ride the monorail to Downtown Disney. On the way, we checked on Peter Pan, which was still a long wait, but Matterhorn was opened. We hopped in the single rider line and only one person was in front of me. The wait was only five minutes! But, boy did it hurt.
I wanted to try something different so I ate at Jazz Kitchen Express. I got my food at 5:30, my brother joined me, and we ate outside. I ordered the popcorn shrimp with potato salad, and I wasn't too thrilled with it. I wish the breading on the popcorn shrimp was crispier; it just wasn't a satisfying meal. They had a ton of delicous looking desserts, such as beignets and bread pudding, which I imagine are great, so I will return to try these, but I was too full at the time.
We entered Cars Land at 6:15, and it was about time for our Radiator Springs Racers Fastpass. We got in line for Mater, but one side broke down and it got a little long, so we left. We got in the fastpass line at 6:30 and were off the ride at 6:50. It was funny because we usually do single rider and realized this was the first time sitting next to each other! We also realized we've never sat on the left side of the car!
We stopped by the Cozy Cone Motel for some ice cream and then checked on the wait for Tower of Terror. It was sort of long so we skipped it. We walked through Mad T Party and then headed to Soarin' Over California. We got in line at 7:15 and waited for about fifteen minutes.
We really wanted to see Paint the Night, which started at 8:30, and I know back in May, you needed to claim a spot AT LEAST two hours prior. We had so much luck so far that we thought we could find a spot in Main Street. We walked through the Disneyland front gates at 7:45. There were already a lot of people sitting down. We wanted to get a spot for the parade and then stay in that spot for the fireworks at 9:10. Our first choice was in front of Sleeping Beauty's Castle, and our second choice was in Main Street. We walked to Sleeping Beauty's Castle and there was a ton of space in front of the castle. I couldn't believe it! We sat down front and center! The only problem was that we were further from the parade route, but I was willing to sacrifice that for a great view of the fireworks. We had to wait about 40 minutes for the parade to reach us and then only about ten minutes for the fireworks to start.
The view was amazing! I was bummed that Tinkerbell and Nemo didn't fly though. Here a few pics from Disneyland Forever:
The fireworks ended at 9:30 and we headed to the back of Fantasyland by Dumbo to wait in line for Peter Pan. They always open this side first so head here instead of waiting for the front of the castle to open. They opened it up, and people were pushing and shoving; it felt like Black Friday. We waited about fifteen minutes to ride, but the line filled up to a forty-five minute queue in minutes! We got off the ride about five minutes before park closing and chose Mr. Toad as our last ride. I can't even remember the last time I rode this!
At 10:00 we walked to the Main Street Enchanted Windows, I took some photos and videos, and we exited. It was a great day all around. I was really happy at the crowd level and we accomplished all our goals, except Tower of Terror, but it's not like I won't be back in a few weeks to ride it for Halloween Time! I hope you've enjoyed my I Can Use My Annual Pass Again Day Trip Report!
My Other Trip Reports:
Disneyland Diamond Anniversary Day Trip Report
California Adventure Diamond Anniversary Day Trip Report
My goals:
- Meet Anna and Elsa
- Diamond Celebration Photo Spots
- Paint the Night
- Disneyland Forever
- Peter Pan
- Disneyland Forever
- Tower of Terror
- Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
- Matterhorn
- Peter Pan
We left San Diego at 9:40, stopped for a picnic lunch at the Disney picnic area, and were walking through the California Adventure gates at 11:55 am. Our plan was to get Fastpasses for Anna and Elsa's Royal Welcome and then for Radiator Spring's Racers.
I have never ridden the Red Car Trolley so we decided to take that to the Anna and Elsa Fastpass dispenser. We got our Fastpasses, and I was surprised our return time was from 12:20-12:40, only twenty minutes away!
We had a little bit of time to kill so we decided to try our luck for Radiator Springs Racers Fastpasses. We have NEVER gotten fastpasses for this ride, or waited in the regular line, because we always choose Single Rider. We were excited to try fastpass for the first time and got a return time for 6:30-730.
Nearby was a Diamond Celebration Photo Spot in front of A Bug's Land. We had time to take a photo here, and it turned out really cute!
It was now time to use our Fastpass to meet Anna and Elsa. This is something I've never done before, and as someone who goes to Disneyland often, I'm not okay with that! We waited about 15-20 minutes after arriving. My brother wasn't too thrilled, but he sucked it up. We felt a little awkward because we were the only adults there without kids, but the employees were all really nice. I joked that my brother made me come, and it was all his idea. He thinks Anna and Elsa seemed annoyed by us. You be the judge and take a look at the photo.
We were not able to get another fastpass until 2;15 so our plan was to stay at California Adventure until then, head to Disneyland, then come back around 6:30 to ride Radiator Spring's Racers.
We had about an hour and a half, and decided to head to California Screamin'. What happened next SHOCKED me. We. Walked. On. The line for California Screamin' is never too bad, and goes fast, but I've never walked on before. This set the tone for the rest of the day - just wait to see how lucky we were!
We got off the ride at 1:10 and headed to Mickey's Fun Wheel. I can't remember the last time I went on this ride. The wait was only fifteen minutes, but got delayed because someone threw up in one of the buckets. Gross. I loved looking at all the fountains for World of Color and seeing Cars Land. We got off the ride at 1:45.
It was almost time to go to Disneyland, but it was so hot out! It was in the 90s pretty much all day so we took a little water break and cooled down in the Little Mermaid.
After the Little Mermaid, we found another Diamond Celebration Photo Spot, and of course, had to stop. On a previous trip, I had done the California Screamin' one so now have visited all three in California Adventure!
As we walked towards the exit we ventured into the Redwood Creek Challenge Trail, which is actually pretty cool!
Slowly but surely we made our way into Disneyland. I really wanted to look at the Main Street Enchanted Windows. The last time I was here, they only had Peter Pan. Today, Peter Pan, Cinderella, and Princess and the Frog were all visible. There are three more coming soon: Frozen, Toy Story, and Aladdin, and I can't wait to see them. These are so cute! I tried taking videos/pictures of Cinderella and Princess and the Frog, but there was too much glare from the sun so I decided to come back at night.
We were boiling hot, and felt a ride on Splash Mountain would be nice. We started walking there, but not before the obligatory visit to the board. The wait for Peter Pan was only twenty five minutes with the longest wait being only 35 minutes for Splash and Space. We planned on getting a Splash Fastpass, then looping around to Fantasyland to ride Peter Pan.
On our way, we stumbled upon another Diamond Celebration Photo Spot at the Haunted Mansion, and didn't get our Splash Fastpass until 2:40. The return time was 4:05-5:05. We headed to Peter Pan, but passed by a short line for Big Thunder and decided to ride that. We were in line and off the ride within ten minutes! Ok, Peter Pan time!
Before getting into Fantasyland we took another, you guessed it, Diamond Celebration Photo! The line for Peter Pan was now forty-five minutes so we planned on riding it once they reopened Fantasyland after the fireworks. I really wanted to see it since the inside was recently redone. We asked a cast member if Fantasyland would reopen after the fireworks. She said it depends on winds, and if it did, it would only be open for about fifteen minutes. We decided to try our luck later.
We wanted to go on Matterhorn, but it was broken down so we walked through Tomorrowland, but weren't feeling any of the rides. We wanted to go on either Jungle Cruise and Indiana Jones or Pirates of the Caribbean and Indiana Jones.
This entire time I'm taking photos of trashcans (because each land has different ones) and am realizing I look insane. Who needs to go on rides when they can look at all the different trashcans?!
Jungle Cruise is another ride we rarely go on and we only waited about five minutes. Afterwards, we went to Indiana Jones and the wait was also super short. We typically have fastpasses or do single rider, so it was really weird for us to get in the normal line. We got in line about 3:45 and were off the ride at 4:05. Pretty short wait since it takes about ten minutes just to walk through the queue.
It was now time to use our Splash Mountain Fastpass and get this: we were the only ones in the Fastpass line. We. Walked. On. What?! It's 90 outside, people!
On our last trip in August, my brother tried Earl of Sandwich for the first time. That's where he wanted to eat so we did one of my favorite things and decided to ride the monorail to Downtown Disney. On the way, we checked on Peter Pan, which was still a long wait, but Matterhorn was opened. We hopped in the single rider line and only one person was in front of me. The wait was only five minutes! But, boy did it hurt.
I wanted to try something different so I ate at Jazz Kitchen Express. I got my food at 5:30, my brother joined me, and we ate outside. I ordered the popcorn shrimp with potato salad, and I wasn't too thrilled with it. I wish the breading on the popcorn shrimp was crispier; it just wasn't a satisfying meal. They had a ton of delicous looking desserts, such as beignets and bread pudding, which I imagine are great, so I will return to try these, but I was too full at the time.
We entered Cars Land at 6:15, and it was about time for our Radiator Springs Racers Fastpass. We got in line for Mater, but one side broke down and it got a little long, so we left. We got in the fastpass line at 6:30 and were off the ride at 6:50. It was funny because we usually do single rider and realized this was the first time sitting next to each other! We also realized we've never sat on the left side of the car!
We stopped by the Cozy Cone Motel for some ice cream and then checked on the wait for Tower of Terror. It was sort of long so we skipped it. We walked through Mad T Party and then headed to Soarin' Over California. We got in line at 7:15 and waited for about fifteen minutes.
We really wanted to see Paint the Night, which started at 8:30, and I know back in May, you needed to claim a spot AT LEAST two hours prior. We had so much luck so far that we thought we could find a spot in Main Street. We walked through the Disneyland front gates at 7:45. There were already a lot of people sitting down. We wanted to get a spot for the parade and then stay in that spot for the fireworks at 9:10. Our first choice was in front of Sleeping Beauty's Castle, and our second choice was in Main Street. We walked to Sleeping Beauty's Castle and there was a ton of space in front of the castle. I couldn't believe it! We sat down front and center! The only problem was that we were further from the parade route, but I was willing to sacrifice that for a great view of the fireworks. We had to wait about 40 minutes for the parade to reach us and then only about ten minutes for the fireworks to start.
The view was amazing! I was bummed that Tinkerbell and Nemo didn't fly though. Here a few pics from Disneyland Forever:
The fireworks ended at 9:30 and we headed to the back of Fantasyland by Dumbo to wait in line for Peter Pan. They always open this side first so head here instead of waiting for the front of the castle to open. They opened it up, and people were pushing and shoving; it felt like Black Friday. We waited about fifteen minutes to ride, but the line filled up to a forty-five minute queue in minutes! We got off the ride about five minutes before park closing and chose Mr. Toad as our last ride. I can't even remember the last time I rode this!
At 10:00 we walked to the Main Street Enchanted Windows, I took some photos and videos, and we exited. It was a great day all around. I was really happy at the crowd level and we accomplished all our goals, except Tower of Terror, but it's not like I won't be back in a few weeks to ride it for Halloween Time! I hope you've enjoyed my I Can Use My Annual Pass Again Day Trip Report!
My Other Trip Reports:
Disneyland Diamond Anniversary Day Trip Report
California Adventure Diamond Anniversary Day Trip Report
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