Just Returned from DL & the GCH! First Time Since I Was a Kid......**Lots of Pics**

[DisneyCrocsRUS]

We just got back yesterday! Whew!! Amidst suitcases of laundry still left to be done, I somehow still feel compelled to post our pics & details of our trip for all of you! So many of you helped make this trip a wonderful experience by enlightening me on all the magic of a Disneyland vacation. When I was little my only visits to Disneyland w/my parents were long & tiring 1-day trips that usually left us more tired & exhausted than feeling any kind of magic. DH & I wanted to give our DDs a fun trip where we could slow down, take our time, enjoy the park, come & go as we please & do more than just stand in line....we wanted to experience the magic. Thank you to all of you who helped prep us, whether you know it or not, reading thru so many other posts from all of you really geared us up for this wonderful trip!

So much has already been said about DL, so I will mainly let the pictures do the talking.

We booked the CA Grand for 3 nights & had a corner room on the 3rd floor. It was booked as a resort view which ended up having a view out to a grassy knoll area w/some rose arbors on the hotel grounds. If you turned your head & looked to the side you saw CA Adv.

We had a 6:00 a.m. flight from Seattle into SNA. The girls did amazingly well for having to get up at 3:30 a.m. Got our rental car & arrived at the hotel all by 10:30 in the morning! Our first stop was a character brunch at the Storyteller's Cafe inside GCH.

DH & I were amazed at how the whole DL area has taken on a resort feel around the park. Really cleaned up & beautified since the last time I saw it (which was 15 yrs ago). The whole DTD area was brand new & a great addition to the whole park experience! You never have to leave the resort area at all, everything you need is right here!! (Although I would have liked me some more Starbucks!)

We hit the park for a little bit & only did 2 attractions(Storytellers Boat ride & Star Tours). By this time it was mid afternoon & every line was long. Not to mention it was really hot. The girls had fun seeing the characters though, our littlest one came away with a new found love for Pluto It was the only character she could say by name (Even though it comes out sounding like "Toto") LOL!

We decided to wander off-property that night (since we realized we needed to stop at the store for some forgotten items in the suitcase), and had dinner at Mimi's Cafe. We were starving by the time we ate, so everything tasted good.

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[DisneyCrocsRUS]

Day 2, we got up early & *thought* we were going to make EE. We got in the pre-line (for bag check) around 6:45 & there were probably 10 people in front of us. We thought it was too good to be true. Little did we know, that as we were standing there, we realized that what we *thought* was EE, turned out to be early entrance only for ToonTown which was going to be the same time as the reg 8:00 park opening Ugh!! So after a few min of feeling dumb & embarressed, we felt right at home since there were several other families who thought the same thing & they were all standing there thinking the park opened at 7:00 a.m. too Ah well, we loved the company!! LOL! So instead of 15 min of waiting, we had about an hour or so of waiting. But it went by fast. The girls found some friends in line & were playing together. Once they opened the bag check line, people were dashing to get in line at the gate. We ended up being the very first family in line at the one of the turnstalls at the main gate, it was kinda thrilling!

Minutes before the gates opened, we heard the CM call out to everyone & the crowd erupted in cheers. I have no idea what he said since it was so hard to hear, but we got all caught up in the thrill. When the gates opened it was so crazy, grown adults making mad dashes & sprinting toward the attractions. DH & DD1 started running too. I had DD2 on my back & we were huffing & puffing our way behind them. We had pretty much figured Nemo was a lost cause since literally HOARDS of people were already racing past the castle to line up. We had plans to hit Fantasyland first anyway, we we ran thru the castle doors (we were the first to prance thru the castle that day) and we literally were the 1st in line for Peter Pan, Mr Toad's Wild Ride, Dumbo & the Carousel. We made it thru all those rides in probably less than 15-20 min.

Then we moved over to the Matterhorn, the line was only about 10 min. DD2 (who just turned 2 a few days before our DL trip) is a mini-Sasquatch and she just squeaked by the 35" min height requirement, so she made it onto the Matterhorn!! Crazy thing was that she actually liked it, even though it was kinda jerky & fast, she hated the monster growling sounds that came out of the cave though. Poor baby.

So as we got off the Matterhorn, we saw the Nemo ride sprawling all the way past the Matterhorn Mtn & creeping down toward the castle. We hightailed it over to Thunder Mtn.

I can zoom in on this pic on my PC & actually see DH & DD1 on the ride:

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[DisneyCrocsRUS]

We made use of the Child Switch passes for most of the rides that DD2 could not ride on & it was a blessing! Absolutely wonderful!! Thank you to all of you who tipped us off to that!

We had PS at Goofy's Kitchen at 10:00 a.m. & it was a wonderful brunch!! (IMO better food & selection than at Storyteller's Cafe & we saw way more characters too). Greatest thing is, the $70 tab was picked up by Costco travel (since that's where we booked our reservations thru & they give you 1 free Character Meal).

We hit the GCH pool & the girls *LOVED* the slides. DD1 hit the big slide probably 30 times. DD2 was loving the little kids baby slide. And as ironic as it is, me & DD1 are Coppertone kids. But unfortunately no amount of SPF50 will help DH & DD2, their fair-skin, blue eyes & auburn hair are all tell-tale signs of the lobster skin they will inevitable have. (<--- that was the closest smiley that looked like a lobster to me)

Later we hit the park again & for some reason we were either really lucky, or it was just really empty that day, because all the lines were really reasonable. POTC, Jungle Boat ride, Haunted House, all that stuff was only a 5 min wait. DH & DD1 went over to Splash Mtn & the wait there was about 30 min. We did a Child Switch & while they waited, DD2 & I went on Jungle Boat ride & POTC again. For dinner, we braved it thru the Parade crowd that had lined up & went to the Plaza Diner. Then after dinner we went back to ride Indiana Jones at night & watch the fireworks. Great time!

Day 3 we spent mostly in CA Adv. We went thru the GCH entrance at opening & were first in line for CA Soaring (which I have to say was WAAAY more impressive to me than I expected, I totally loved it! ). Then we went on the River Raft ride & some of the Boardwalk/Pier attractions. (Dude...you gotta try this frozen Strawberry Lemonade ice stuff, delicious!! I think I had 3 during our trip, LOL!)

Then we wandered over to the Bug's Life area & DD2 loved it!! It was really hot by this time & the girls were lovin' all the water fountains & water sprayers. We saw the Bug's Life 3-D movie & it was a blast!! (I was totally caught off-guard by the spraying acid & DD1 laughed hysterically at the end when the bugs were crawling under the seats!)

Then it was off to the Hollywood Tower of Terror!! I think I have to admit, this may have been my favorite ride. Or Indiana Jones, I can't decide.

We also saw Sully, CA Adv Mickey, Jo Jo, Pluto & Goofy:

Then we made a pit stop at the CARS area (so we could show off this wonderfully made carrier that a friend of mine did that has Steve McQueen & a bunch of Disney characters embroidered on it):

Dinner that night at the Jazz Kitchen in DTD & it was phenomenal!! Seriously, the Coconut Shrimp & the Chocolate bread pudding were out of this world! I had to have DD2 snap this picture by the Jazz Kitchen statue wearing this red & black Mickey Mouse silk sling made by a friend, it was one of the best meals we had while at DL.

We checked out of the hotel on Friday, and as we were loading up the car outside the hotel, we saw the actor who plays Putty (from Seinfeld), I can't think of the actor's
name, but he also happens to be the guy who narrates the intro video that you watch just prior to getting onto CA Soaring.

Soooooooooo.....that turned into more of a novel than I expected. If any of you are still with me & have read thru all that, I hope you enjoyed the little photo montage of our vacation. We had a blast & I am so glad we went. Thank you for everyone's help & recommendations from everything from hotels to foods to eat, LOL!

 

[DisneyCrocsRUS]

Sorry for the *HUGE* pics I resized them in Photobucket to make them smaller, so hopefully the edit will reflect soon.

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

Hi Suz,

I just loved your report. I smiled as I read through your adventures, and I really like the pictures you took. Fantastic job. Thank you!

I agree that Goofy's Kitchen has the best character action, and their buffet is very very good. I enjoy the breakfast menu at Storyteller Cafe - the huevos rancheros are delish, and we had fun with the characters we saw there, but if I were to recommend a character breakfast, it would be Goofy's Kitchen.

I can't believe your dd-2 went on the Matterhorn! Good for her. My own went on it when she was 3, and loved it, too.

I can't pick a favorite picture, cuz I like them all, but the one with the car is funny cuz it looks like you are wiping it down.

Our family fave restaurant at DLR is also the Jazz Kitchen. Their food is very well done, and I like the atmosphere, too.

Glad that you made the most of your vacation and had so much fun.

 

[DisneyCrocsRUS]

Mary Jo - Thank you We did have a great time. And it's so ironic that you mention the Huevos Rancheros at Storytellers, because even though my family chose the buffet, I ordered the Huevos Rancheros from the menu & it was really delicious!!

The very first day we walked thru DTD, we passed the Jazz Kitchen & I told DH, "We need to eat a meal there one day during our trip." It just looked like a cool place to hang out & just from the looks of it, I knew the food was gonna be good. We had a bottle of wine & were treated exceptionally by the waitstaff, they catered to our DDs wonderfully & it really tied the whole trip together for us by saving that as our last dinner while we were there.

I know I'm forgetting half of all the goodies.....like the night we arrived, the GCH slipped a special Birthday envelope under our door w/an autographed photo of Donald & Daisy for DD2 (who just turned 2 a few days before our trip). Plus, the fact that we missed being dreamed by about 2 seconds (the person in front of DH got handed Dream Fast Passes while we were in CA Adv....it's okay though, it was nearly the end of our day there & it was our final day, so even though it would have been cool, it just gives us something to talk about). So many things I'm remembering about it......definately will have to include Disney now as one of our repeat vacation spots to consider.

 

[TeamTnC]

I loved your trip report DisneyCrocsRUS, thanks for posting.

I have been trying to convince my wife to give Goofy's another try again, but she is still reluctant. I'll have to talk to her again about the subject.

My DD who just turned three also loved the Mattahorn, but the sound Yeti made, freaked out my DS (5). He claims he is ready this time when we go back in a few weeks. I'll believe it when I see it, LOL.

 

[Jennifer03]

Great trip report and pictures!

 

[UODuxx]

I'm new to this and came across your post. I'm a little confused by some of the initials....what is a DH? I'm assuming the H is a husband

I love reading about good restaurants so I'm writing those down. We go to Disneyland every couple of years (from Oregon) and we'll have just one day there in late July while we're in town for a wedding. Looking forward to Nemo too!

Thanks again.
Mary

 

[DisneyCrocsRUS]

I'm new to this and came across your post. I'm a little confused by some of the initials....what is a DH? I'm assuming the H is a husband

Hi Mary

DH = Dear Husband

More common ones are also:
DD = Dear Daughter
DS = Dear Son

We're headed back down to CA in late July for another wedding in our family as well, and you know, I'm totally tempted to take a side-trip & take the girls to DL again. I can definately see how it can be an addicting vacation spot.

 

[UODuxx]

I was thinking it was Disney Husband and Disney Daughter and Son! LOL.....

Thanks again. I'm sure I'll continue reading everyone's trip reports. Gets you psyched up!

Mary

 

[lexmas]

Just found your trip report! It looks like you had a lot of fun, and I love your slings...they're so gorgeous! DH's cousin made us a "Nemo" sling, because DH is obsessed, and we always get compliments on it, but wow, it's nothing like yours are! Your girls are just adorable too!

We'll be taking DS next year when he's almost two, and I was thinking about doing a character meal, did your younger DD enjoy it? Unfortunately I don't think DS will be up to the matterhorn...at almost 8 months he's MAYBE 25 inches...so unless he grows a foot in the next year... Poor DH is already waiting until he can go on all the thrill rides with him...guess he didn't count on DS being a tiny little preemie boy! Anyway, thanks for the report, I really enjoyed reading it!

 

[disney-super-mom]

Thanks for your awesome trip report! Loved the pictures too - your girls are completely adorable!

As many times as we've been to DL/DCA, we've never tried one of those frozen minute maid things, so now we HAVE to try one on our next trip.

So happy that you and your family had such a nice vacation. You should so totally take a side trip to DL/DCA in late July. What the hay? You're already down there anyway. If you have a day or two to kill, make your way over to the parks for some more great family fun!

 

[lulubelle]

Love the TR and the pics are all wonderful.
Lovely family
We love the Jazz Kitchen & Goofy's, too and Soarin' & Indy are my favorite two rides, and isn't the Grand...well, just Grand? - why, I must say you have impeccable taste!
Thanks for sharing, I hope you make it back this month.

 

[DisneyCrocsRUS]

Thank you everyone for your kind words, I'm just now getting back to this thread & saw the last few posts made since I last checked in. You guys have NO IDEA how tempted I am to make a run for the DL gates when we are down there next week. Heck, screw the wedding, we're going to DL!! (Okay, just kidding.....we'll attend the wedding. We'll skip the reception!! )

Just found your trip report! It looks like you had a lot of fun, and I love your slings...they're so gorgeous! DH's cousin made us a "Nemo" sling, because DH is obsessed, and we always get compliments on it, but wow, it's nothing like yours are! Your girls are just adorable too!

We'll be taking DS next year when he's almost two, and I was thinking about doing a character meal, did your younger DD enjoy it?

A Nemo sling!! That sounds awesome!! I bet it was a hit on the Nemo ride. (Did you guys get to ride Nemo?) We never even tried, the line was just tooooooo crazy long. I rationalized it by saying we'd much rather ride 6 rides in the time it would take to stand in line for Nemo. Plus, on the Disney channel, they had a review of the ride & took cameras on the Sub & showed lots of video, so DH & I joked that it was almost like we were there.

As for the character breakfast, YES, DD2 loved it. Both of the girls loved it matter of fact. I'm not sure which one they liked more. When we went to the Storybook Cafe inside the Grand CA, it wasn't busy at all, so the characters came by & spent time at our table and played w/the girls. But there weren't a lot of characters though, so there was a lot of time spent inbetween visits. I think I mentioned that only about 3 or 4 were there, and they weren't really the ones that DDs *associate* w/Disney, ya know? I mean, for some kids the Bears & Chip n' Dale might be your cup of tea, but I think the girls were looking more for the Princesses, Mickey, Pluto & the "orig" characters, kwim? (Okay, who am I kidding? *I* was looking more for the "orig" characters, LOL!!)

There was definately more food variety for the kids at Goofy's Kitchen, and more characters. There was still time inbetween visits where we sat w/out seeing any characters, but at least the theme of the restaurant is more kid-friendly, and the girls had fun looking around & walking thru the buffet area, etc.

If I had to do it all over again, I'd book Goofy's Kitchen again for sure. (Oh, and definately another trip back to the Jazz Kitchen for some Coconut Shrimp & Chocolate Bread Pudding!)

 

[momto2nenas]

Love your TR! Your girls are cuties! Love the baby slings too! I would definately be going back if I was in the area! GO GO GO!

 

[heatherleigh]

Thanks so much for sharing! I'm going to have to jot some of the names of restaurants down for our visit. I had to call my mom and tell her about the Jazz Kitchen place today. She's flying down to meet us from Alaska, and I call every day to discuss our trip lol. I"m so excited. I love the pics you took too.

I will have to try some of the more adventurous rides w/ my kids (3 and 5.) I want to do Pirates of the Carribbean, but I thought they'd be scared. I took my 2-year old on it last year, and he was a little nervous during the drops in the beginning of the ride. It had been so long since I'd gone, I completely forgot about them.

The lemonades sound good too. I never got a single one the last time we went- I don't know why. I was probably too busy stuffing my face w/ the Dole whips lol. I dream about those things!

I wanted to add that my boys have the Mickey Crocs too. We bought little Disney Car decorations to put in the holes of them too. My 3-year old said he needed them for our Disney trip.