TR: And now for something completely different - a WDW Family did DLR *(new - 4/15: HK Disneyland)*

[TheMaxRebo]

Chapter 47 - Disneyland - Part 28
October 18th
World of Color - and all the related Disney Feels​

Once done in Carsland we swung by and picked up FPs for Soarin' and then headed to the World of Color area to find where we were to go with our dining package certificate. We found it fairly easily and it was in a good spot form a central locaiton but even though we were there ~45mins early we were towards the back and by the time the show started it was pretty darn crammed full of people. Was hoping we would have done a little better given we had the dining package, but oh well.

since he didn't have much at dinner Peter was craving some snacks so we went to get some from one of the vendors that came by the area, similar to how vendors go through the stands at baseball games. And we picked up some popcorn and cotton candy:

Before the show starts they do this game where you have to follow the patterns on the fun wheel and whoever does the best/fasted gets to control the colors on the funwheel from their phone. It was a fun distraction while we waited (though we didn't win):

Then the show started and it was just full of Disney feels. My understand from reading reviews of this show vs the prior version is that this has less of a story line/less flow - but I thought it was great how they went through the history, and a lot with Walt and Mickey Mouse and then moved to the new stuff with Frozen and Star Wars. Plus, who doesn't love Neil Patrick Harris?

Still pictures don't really do it justice, but hopefully these gifs help a little bit:

It really is a great show - and has me really looking forward to River of Lights at Animal Kingdom! Hopefully the seating situation there is a bit better than here as that whole process and that you have to stand the whole time is the only negative.

After this we followed the mob of people slowly back to the main part of the park and headed to ride Soarin'. On the way we could actually see the fireworks going on at Disneyland Park:

Soarin' was, of course, great - and so much better with the digital projections they have here in California ... really excited for the new version which should be open when we go to WDW in July!

I rode first with Olivia and then Judi took Olivia agian using rider swap. While they were gone I took Peter to the nearby quick service location, Smokejumpers Grill, as he was hungry since he didn't really dinner. The setting was neat and they had good beer options but the food choices were fairly plain, especially for the kids, so he just had a burger. It was fine - nothing wrong, but not phenomenal either. Though, late night like that, the fries were tasting pretty good:

And with that we headed out of the park for the last time and back to our hotel. But we weren't totally done with the Disney fun as we still had a breakfast planned for the morning!

TTFN

 

[khertz]

Yeesh, sorry you had another rough meal! Although it sounds like the food was good aside from that spicy soup, even if the circumstances weren't great.

Love Cars Land at night! It's beautiful all lit up with the neon lights. The pic of the kids on Mater's is so cute!!

Oh my gosh...all the Disney feels of WoC!!! I just can't wait to go back and see that show! It's my favorite part of visiting Disneyland. Pictures, videos, all of it...still can't do that amazing show justice!

 

[NJlauren]

Poor Peter, happy to see he started to feel better, but it is rough when he is just having a hard day, which i am sure in his mind is the worst ever!

I am excited to check out Sorian in DL, and a bunch of other rides you mentioned! I need to reread and check out some of your food options as I am trying to narrow down my ADRs!

Did you think the WoC package was worth it? I am debating what to do, i am leaning against it... but if someone told me i have to have it i think i would do it.

 

[missangelalexis]

I'm sorry this meal wasn't out of this world for you guys I don't blame you for having high expectations for it!

Glad Peter cheered up though, and finally got to ride Mater's Junkyard Jamboree! And that picture of him with his snacks at WOC is awesome!!

I'm so glad you enjoyed WOC! Stinks that the viewing area was so crammed though.

Boo to saying goodbye to the parks Can't wait to hear about breakfast!

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Yeesh, sorry you had another rough meal! Although it sounds like the food was good aside from that spicy soup, even if the circumstances weren't great.

Love Cars Land at night! It's beautiful all lit up with the neon lights. The pic of the kids on Mater's is so cute!!

Oh my gosh...all the Disney feels of WoC!!! I just can't wait to go back and see that show! It's my favorite part of visiting Disneyland. Pictures, videos, all of it...still can't do that amazing show justice!

THe food was definitely pretty good - I think I was just expecting even better. It was nice that the options were a little different though, especially with the kids meals. Wine was good

Cars Land at night is really cool!

Gotta admit that between the two I liked Pain the Night better - but WOC is really great, especially the parts with Walt

Poor Peter, happy to see he started to feel better, but it is rough when he is just having a hard day, which i am sure in his mind is the worst ever!

I am excited to check out Sorian in DL, and a bunch of other rides you mentioned! I need to reread and check out some of your food options as I am trying to narrow down my ADRs!

Did you think the WoC package was worth it? I am debating what to do, i am leaning against it... but if someone told me i have to have it i think i would do it.

Peter was definitely better by the evening which was great. Once he got done with a good nap and over being cranky he was good to go

Lot's of good food options and also I found their counter service options to be better for the most part than WDW so hard to fit it all in!

I don't know if the WoC dining package is truly necessary. With the kids we figured it would be helpful and I think price wise if you were thinking of eating at one of the participating restaurants anyway you might as well do it ... but I wouldn't eat there just to get the dining package if you otherwise wouldn't

I'm sorry this meal wasn't out of this world for you guys I don't blame you for having high expectations for it!

Glad Peter cheered up though, and finally got to ride Mater's Junkyard Jamboree! And that picture of him with his snacks at WOC is awesome!!

I'm so glad you enjoyed WOC! Stinks that the viewing area was so crammed though.

Boo to saying goodbye to the parks Can't wait to hear about breakfast!

It wasn't bad by any means - just not a high point for our trip. I have to say too that it was pretty fancy inside and a number of people dining there were dressed up a bit so I think that made it a little less comfortable for us as well. Juts made it even harder to relax and enjoy the time. I think I'd love to go there on a date night or something (though if we were able to do a Date Night it would have been to Napa Rose!)

Peter definitely perked up later and he was in a prety good mood by the end of the evening.

It wasn't too bad in the area but definitely more crowded than I wanted/expected given that we paid for the dining package - and just when everyone has to stand and stuff but I want the kids to be able to see, etc. - just makes it tough

Definitely a very good breakfast coming up and a good send off for us from Disneyland!

 

[Disney9.9.10]

I'm sorry that your dinner was disappointing It's hard when you look forward to something and it just isn't a great experience.

The show looks wonderful though - I'm glad you got to enjoy it and Peter was feeling rested and ready to go later on.

How is Disney almost over already?? It feels like you just got there! They go by far too quickly!

 

[hokieinpa]

Ah, World of Color always looks so amazing! It sounds like a wonderful show. And doesn't NPH make everything better?

Very fun app with the color wheel to pass the time! And I agree - very excited for the new projection system at Soarin'!

 

[afwdwfan]

We then went to check in and while our table was getting ready one of the cast members opened the side door and let Olivia watch the rest of the parade from there - I thought it was a nice touch and not something she had to do, so it was appreciated

That was definitely a nice perk! I'm glad they tried to accommodate her and let her see some more of the parade.

Overall, it was a bit of a letdown experience for a meal I had high hopes for. Nothing was bad (well, my soup was too spicy for me) and it certainly was at least partially because we were a bit off at this point. Oh well, they can't all be winners

I'm sorry it didn't live up to expectations. That tends to happen from time to time, but the given circumstances clearly don't help from your end of things.

You can see Peter showing off his bandaged finger - he was definitely in a better mood now:

Mater can do that! I'm glad he was feeling better!

We found it fairly easily and it was in a good spot form a central locaiton but even though we were there ~45mins early we were towards the back and by the time the show started it was pretty darn crammed full of people. Was hoping we would have done a little better given we had the dining package, but oh well.

That' really stinks. I've seen several people mention that the Dining Package areas are still very crowded and not that big of a perk. I don't mind paying for a dining package for something, but if I'm going to pay a premium for a FP, I want to at least be guaranteed a decent spot and not have to be here an hour beforehand. If I've got to camp out and hold a spot, I might as well just go standby.

And we picked up some popcorn and cotton candy:

Yep, he's got an empty stomach and it is almost bed time... give him sugar!!!

Soarin' was, of course, great - and so much better with the digital projections they have here in California ... really excited for the new version which should be open when we go to WDW in July!

Just having a clean picture will be a huge upgrade, but I can't wait to see the new video!

And with that we headed out of the park for the last time and back to our hotel. But we weren't totally done with the Disney fun as we still had a breakfast planned for the morning!

Oh no! That last time leaving the park just stinks. Even if you do have other fun planned.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

I'm sorry that your dinner was disappointing It's hard when you look forward to something and it just isn't a great experience.

The show looks wonderful though - I'm glad you got to enjoy it and Peter was feeling rested and ready to go later on.

How is Disney almost over already?? It feels like you just got there! They go by far too quickly!

yeah it was bit disappointing but some of it was definitely on us. I would definitely give Carthay Circle another chance, but maybe for a date night or something like that

The show was really good! Definitely a must do!

I know - three days goes really fast! Glad we will have more time during our upcoming trip in July to WDW!

Ah, World of Color always looks so amazing! It sounds like a wonderful show. And doesn't NPH make everything better?

Very fun app with the color wheel to pass the time! And I agree - very excited for the new projection system at Soarin'!

WoC really is pretty cool and gotta love NPH - especially when his co-hosts with Mickey!

It was nice they had that game to keep people occupied while they waited for the show to start

 

[TheMaxRebo]

That was definitely a nice perk! I'm glad they tried to accommodate her and let her see some more of the parade.

I'm sorry it didn't live up to expectations. That tends to happen from time to time, but the given circumstances clearly don't help from your end of things.

Mater can do that! I'm glad he was feeling better!

That' really stinks. I've seen several people mention that the Dining Package areas are still very crowded and not that big of a perk. I don't mind paying for a dining package for something, but if I'm going to pay a premium for a FP, I want to at least be guaranteed a decent spot and not have to be here an hour beforehand. If I've got to camp out and hold a spot, I might as well just go standby.

Yep, he's got an empty stomach and it is almost bed time... give him sugar!!!

Just having a clean picture will be a huge upgrade, but I can't wait to see the new video!

Oh no! That last time leaving the park just stinks. Even if you do have other fun planned.

It was just nice that they took the initiative and asked her - definitely made her feel special. And it was a small thing but something they didn't have to do so it was appreciated.

It was definitely partly on us - I would give it another shot, but maybe as a date night

Peter was definitely glad to finally get on Mater's ride .... I was glad he got a bit of a 2nd wind!

That is exactly how I felt. Not to be all 1%er or anything, but we paid extra for that meal, and was the highest priced one, and got there plenty early, yet still was cramped. Just left a bit of a sour note for me. I was just afraid that even if we got a regular FP we'd have to be there so early just to get even a decent spot that this would be easier, but not sure if it was worth it.

Hey, seemed to work!

I'm very excited for the new Soarin' ... really hoping it is open by July

Definitely sad the last time leaving the parks - I think it was a little easier given that we were all pretty tired and just spent ... still not fun

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Chapter 48 - Disneyland - Part 29
October 19th
Last bit of Disney fun​

We awoke the next morning, already at our last day and needing to check out. Emma was still pretty tired from the previous night:

We got packed up and loaded the car up and checked out. The kids felt like staying in their pajamas and since we were going to breakfast rather than fight it we just went with it (hey, it's vacation). Nice smooth process checking out. I'll go through more of my thoughts in a wrap up post but really nothing negative to say about the whole experience at the Howard Johnson.

It wasn't quite time to head to the airport though as we had a 1pm flight, so we booked a breakfast this morning over at the Disneyland Hotel at Steakhouse 55. Just driving up to the Disneyland Hotel was a nice experience and furthered my feelings that if we ever were able to to Disneyland again (and had a bit more of a budget) we would definitely stay there!

It took us a little bit to find exactly where to go for Steakhouse 55 but we eventually did and were seated basically right away (finally - something that wasn't crazy crowded!)

You can see the kids in their pajamas and the view we had of the table. I really wanted to eat a meal here as I love the feel of it and all the old pictures of Walt and his celebrity friends:

Everything on the menu looked really good but I ultimately decided on the Eggs Benedict (Two fresh Eggs, expertly Poached atop Canadian Bacon and an English Muffin served with Hollandaise Sauce and choice of Fresh-cut Fruit or Roasted Potatoes with Peppers and Onions) - it was your basic Eggs Benedict but a really, really good version of it!

Judi opted for the Mickey Waffle with Banana's Foster's sauce - this was a big hit with her:

Peter got a Mickey pancake and Olivia got a Minnie Pancake (Emma shared a bit of everyone's):

These were very well done! Everything was just really good and just a really solid breakfast. Nothing crazy or super new, but a really good version of everything. The coffee was quite good too. I would definitely recommend this - worked out great on our departure day but would be good if you just had a down day or wanted to not go the parks first thing one day.

This was one of my favorite pictures that was around:

They also had really cool wallpaper in the bathroom (don't often take pictures inside the bathroom but I thought it was warranted):

It reminded me of one of the walls we have in our kids playroom - I took pictures from an old calendar we had and made "wallpaper" out of it - it's also where we hang pictures from prior trips:

When we were done the kids had to play in the Autopia car they had in the lobby ... and this gave me nightmares of what things will look like in about 12 years or so:

We spend some time wandering the Disneyland Hotel - checking out all the neat art work. This was one of our favorites - I love that it says "WED Enterprises" on it:

And got some pictures by the cool Disneyland map in the front that has lights animate a bit on it (you can see a bit of this in the gif):

We did some final shopping and while we would have liked to linger even longer we had to head out. And I am glad we did as we hit some traffic and were a bit more rushed than I would have liked at the airport. Rather than drop Judi and the kids off and then go return the car we just all went to the car return and then took the shuttle over.

The flight back was about the same as getting there - not as bad as I feared ... though Judi and I were definitely tired out from the whole week by the time we got back. We drove back to Judi's parents house and took her dad out for his birthday - needed an excuse to hit up one more brewery

And then we heading home the next day and back to real life.

It was an amazing - but tiring trip! All in all the kids did great and were super excited to have experienced what they did and it was fun to do something different.

I'll have a post or two recapping all my thoughts and ups and downs and also probably do some comparing between Disneyland and Walt Disney World. If there is anything you would like me to touch on let me know!

But coming up next .... the trip video!!! (and it is fairly epic if I do say so myself!)

TTFN

 

[Karen87]

Thank you so much for your trip report! I have been following along for a while now. I'm heading to DLR in 10 days with my DH, DS22, DD26, SIL and grandson (2yrs old and a huge Mickey / Toy Story / Cars fan)

I had a hard time finding a DLR TR with a toddler, and really enjoyed reading about your family's trip. It makes me look forward to our trip even more!

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Thank you so much for your trip report! I have been following along for a while now. I'm heading to DLR in 10 days with my DH, DS22, DD26, SIL and grandson (2yrs old and a huge Mickey / Toy Story / Cars fan)

I had a hard time finding a DLR TR with a toddler, and really enjoyed reading about your family's trip. It makes me look forward to our trip even more!

thanks so much for reading and for your comments!

You all will have a great time! Cars Land might blow your grandson's mind - especially getting to meet the real Mater and Lightening McQueen. Oh, they also have Big Red and he generally only meets in the mornings (we missed him)

Toontown will be great for him as well!

Don't hesitate to ask if you have any questions or want any additional thoughts.

 

[hokieinpa]

Breakfast in your pajamas is totally acceptable on vacation! Especially when the previous day included one child getting sick and one child getting injured...all while at a major theme park.

That Mickey waffle with Bananas Foster sauce looks very good! And I love the decor of Steakhouse 55!

Glad the flight and trip home went smoothly! Excited to see the trip video!

 

[afwdwfan]

It wasn't quite time to head to the airport though as we had a 1pm flight, so we booked a breakfast this morning over at the Disneyland Hotel at Steakhouse 55. Just driving up to the Disneyland Hotel was a nice experience and furthered my feelings that if we ever were able to to Disneyland again (and had a bit more of a budget) we would definitely stay there!

I completely agree. I wish we had stayed there, although I loved the location of GCH.

The flight back was about the same as getting there - not as bad as I feared ... though Judi and I were definitely tired out from the whole week by the time we got back.

I'm glad the flight went smoothly. And yeah, keeping track of 3 kids and doing all you accomplished at Disneyland and in San Diego takes a lot out of you. But it's a lot of fun!

I'll have a post or two recapping all my thoughts and ups and downs and also probably do some comparing between Disneyland and Walt Disney World. If there is anything you would like me to touch on let me know!

Cool! I look forward to seeing your comparisons between the 2.

 

[ElenaJane]

I am so excited to stay at the DLH!! Since it is our first trip, we figured we should immerse ourselves full in classic Disneyland. I would hope for an absolutely amazing experience at CC to justify the cost, so I can understand your let down. Thanks for your review of the WoC dining package experience! I have already booked a Paint the Night dining package, as I wanted to have a good view of the parade,but I also wanted to eat at BB. I have been holding off on a WoC dining package though. Were the regular FP folks in the same corral as you guys, the dining package?

 

[khertz]

Oh my gosh, LOVE that the kiddos wore their pj's to breakfast!! I love that idea. I just wish it was appropriate for me to do the same. lol I would absolutely wear pj's everywhere if I could!

Breakfast looks delicious, especially that bananas foster Mickey waffle. YUM!

I totally agree with you, I just love the Disneyland Hotel. I would love to stay there someday! Doubt it will ever happen, but a girl can dream...

Glad you had such a great trip, and thank you for sharing! I can't wait to see the video!

 

[Dugette]

We were a little early so we caught some of the parade that was going past while we waited:

Looks fun! We never got to see that, but I think we all really would have enjoyed it.

For dessert Judi and I split two of the options. The Dark Chocolate Mouse Bar and the Tahitian Vanilla Creme Brulee Tart. Both of these were very good - probably the highlight of my meal at least:

Mmmm, those do both look tasty!

Those are cool.

After this we went back to Cars Land so Peter could get on Mater's Junk Yard Jamboree. We had a rider swap card but I think only one side was functioning properly so it still took a little bit of time

Throws me off when you mention Rider Swap here - I keep forgetting this has a height requirement, since it was one that Izzy could actually ride. Pretty fun - we got on it quite a few times without much wait.

Once done in Carsland we swung by and picked up FPs for Soarin' and then headed to the World of Color area to find where we were to go with our dining package certificate. We found it fairly easily and it was in a good spot form a central locaiton but even though we were there ~45mins early we were towards the back and by the time the show started it was pretty darn crammed full of people. Was hoping we would have done a little better given we had the dining package, but oh well.

I am feeling super guilty now. We didn't have to pay for that Carthay meal, but we watched from the front row of that area. Sorry you didn't have the best dinner and then had a lackluster viewing experience. Glad you enjoyed the show, though. It really is cool.

On the way we could actually see the fireworks going on at Disneyland Park:

Okay, well I feel a bit jealous now, as we never had that opportunity - cancelled every night, due to wind.

The kids felt like staying in their pajamas and since we were going to breakfast rather than fight it we just went with it (hey, it's vacation).

I fully approve!

When we were done the kids had to play in the Autopia car they had in the lobby ... and this gave me nightmares of what things will look like in about 12 years or so:

But coming up next .... the trip video!!! (and it is fairly epic if I do say so myself!)

Can't wait to see it! Thanks for sharing the trip and all your planning - really helped me out!

 

[Disney9.9.10]

It is so neat to see those old photos of Walt and artwork with WED on it - things only a true fan can really appreciate.

I love your playroom wallpaper! Such a great idea, and it looks awesome!

So sad when trips are over, but it really looks like you guys had a wonderful time. I really enjoyed reading about it!

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Breakfast in your pajamas is totally acceptable on vacation! Especially when the previous day included one child getting sick and one child getting injured...all while at a major theme park.

That Mickey waffle with Bananas Foster sauce looks very good! And I love the decor of Steakhouse 55!

Glad the flight and trip home went smoothly! Excited to see the trip video!

I definitely seemed easier to just get them out while still in their PJs and made for a fun memory

I loved Steakhouse 55! And it was great to go for breakfast so we got to see it but quite a bit cheaper than dinner..... not that I don't also want to go for dinner but perhaps more of a date night thing

Video coming up later today!

I completely agree. I wish we had stayed there, although I loved the location of GCH.

I'm glad the flight went smoothly. And yeah, keeping track of 3 kids and doing all you accomplished at Disneyland and in San Diego takes a lot out of you. But it's a lot of fun!

Cool! I look forward to seeing your comparisons between the 2.

GCH definitely has an amazing location - you just can really feel the history at the DLH and I love how they have the images from over time to see how it has changed, etc.

Definitely a lot of fun and a lot of great memories - but we did kinda need a vacation from the vacation

I am so excited to stay at the DLH!! Since it is our first trip, we figured we should immerse ourselves full in classic Disneyland. I would hope for an absolutely amazing experience at CC to justify the cost, so I can understand your let down. Thanks for your review of the WoC dining package experience! I have already booked a Paint the Night dining package, as I wanted to have a good view of the parade,but I also wanted to eat at BB. I have been holding off on a WoC dining package though. Were the regular FP folks in the same corral as you guys, the dining package?

You are going to love DHL! If we could have fit into a regular room comfortably I might have gone for that anyway, but with the kids and wanting some space having the 2 room suite at HoJo was definitely worth it for us but I really loved the DLH

Of the two I definitely think getting PtN is probably better so you get that great view of the parade. From what I have read from others, as long as you pull regular FP for WoC you should be fine (there is a whole thread about that and which ones to get and what time to go get them, etc. The "regular FP folks" had a separate area (unless they also let them in there but it is supposed to be just for the Dining package people and from each restaurant has a different area). We wanted to try CC anyway so it made sense to just do the package but I don't think I would eat a meal just to get the WoC dining package/