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

[TheMaxRebo]

Chapter 19 - San Diego Day 3/Travel/Disneyland - Part 4
October 14th
Legos and Peter sleeps though a meet-up​

Hope everyone had a wonderful Star Wars weekend. Judi and I decided we couldn't wait until next weekend and arranged for a babysitter so we could see the movie. We both loved it! Just a fun time at the movies and we plan to see it again next weekend anyway. Plus, now it is fun to speculate on what will happen in the future episodes!

Also want to wish everyone and wonderful holiday and that it brings you all lots of happiness and peace!

And to tie the two sentiments together:


***********************

We left Trader Sam's we spent a little more time wandering around Disneyland Hotel - stopping first at the Frontier Tower:

One of the main reasons I wanted to stop here was to see the model of Big Thunder Mountain, and it did not disappoint! Well, I mean, it would have been cooler if the trains were actually running, but still - it's very cool and the kids seemed into it to!

Then saw the Old Unfaithful tribute geyser:

And stopped by the Adventure tower as well:

And then we were on to Downtown Disney - with the Lego store really drawing the kids (ok, and my) attention:

The kids had fun checking out all the different legos and playing with some of the hands-on areas as well. They definitely had some neat Legos there, including Scooby-Doo and the Big Bang Theory:

As well as an oversized lego version of the Lego Friend named Olivia - which of course Olivia had to get a picture with:

I also enjoyed the new Force Awakens version of the Millennium Falcon - featuring old man Han Solo Lego figure:

In the end, we told the kids for the trip they can get a lego set and then another souvenir. Here is what we bought:

(the advent calendar was for them all, and then the train in the upper right we got for free for spending enough money ... which, obviously means it isn't really free, but work with me)

After spending some time there we checked out some other stores, including the Frozen Boutique - which was actually pretty cool (pun partially intended) and Emma certainly enjoyed this one Elsa toy:

We then headed to where we were going to eat dinner, which was at the Uva Bar - which I just though the location was great as in the middle of the DTD area and seemed to have good appetizer and drink options. Apparently the location was so good that I didn't take any pictures, though Peter got this shot to give you a bit of an idea of where our table was:

Judi and I decided to split a pitcher of Sangria - and it was pretty darn tasty!

For food we mostly just split appetizers, including an order of the Cauliflower which was the special side of the day and was yummy! (loved when it is this roasted):

We also got the Crispy Calamari (Calamari, wild arugula, cherry tomatoes, house pickled peppers, buttermilk emulsion) - which was pretty good - Emma seemed to enjoy them

and the Sweet Potato Fries from the sides menu:

We did also get a dessert to share, which was a snickerdoodle cookie ice cream sandwich and was wonderful! Though we were all pretty full by this point:

You could probably tell from the picture of Emma that the kids were starting to get tired, and Peter actually fell asleep on the banquet:

Which is too bad, as he missed out on meeting with @Leshaface and her family who were also visiting and it worked out to meet up at DTD tonight:

(In case anyone is wondering - they were sweet and wonderful as you might expect and was a nice bonus to get to see them tonight!)

It was starting to get late so we bid them Goodnight and headed back to the room. The kids got a bit of a second wind and were playing around in our bed for a bit, but we were all in bed and asleep by 10:30 or so, which was good as we had our first day actually at Disneyland the next day!!!

Coming up - we actually step where Walt step for the first time!

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Chapter 20 - Disneyland - Part 1
October 15th
The feels! And tons of characters!​

We awoke the next day and got ready for our first day in the park. Disneyland Park had the Halloween party that night so the plan was to head there first and then hop over to California Adventure for the afternoon/evening. The park opened at 8am and we aimed to be in line by 7:30am - looking back, I wish we had aimed for earlier, but what are you going to do.

So we were off by a touch after 7am and soon enough were going under this sign again:

I had to exchange my ticket pre-order confirmation for actual tickets, so after going through bag-check I went to one of the ticket booths to do just that. Took a little longer than expected as they had to enter a lot of information, but overall wasn't too painful. We then went over to get in line and I was a little surprised how long the lines were already (about 7:35 or so), but what were you going to do. Here is the family waiting in line:

And then me in front of the gates and one of Peter:

It also took a bit longer just to get through the line as for everyone using a multi-day pass for the first time (including us) they have to take your picture and not sure if it was our ticket taker or just the system in general but it seemed a pretty slow process. Oh well. Is what it is - it honestly probably didn't take that long but felt long when you just want to be on the other side of the gates starting your day!

Eventually we were in and heading under the train station and into the park - and the first time you round that bend and see Main St (and the Matterhorn, which we could see before the Castle) it was definitely a bit emotional. Also made sure to checked for the light in Walt's apartment above the Fire Station (which I still get a bit chocked up about just thinking about)

We had plans to eat breakfast at The Plaza with Minnie and Friends. While Judi went to check-in for that, I went to the Main Street Photography store to pick-up our pre-ordered PhotoPass - at which I also picked up some 1st Visit Buttons!

Both processes were pretty smooth and shortly we were called and took our family picture out front of the Plaza. They took several shot - unfortunately in each one only 4 of the 5 of us were looking at the camera. This was the best shot, excusing Olivia's side-eyes:

I thought doing this first thing would be good to get a number of character meets done, but looking back on it we should have used the first hour to hit up attractions and then done this for 9am or so. Oh well, rookie mistake

We were seated and then quickly went to get some food for the kids as we saw characters were already starting to come:

First up was the Fairygodmother who was fun with all the kids and Peter seemed to enjoy ... I mean, not enough to take a complete break from eating mind you .....

Then Chip stopped by and at least amused himself:

Judi went up to get some more food including french toast with a banana foster sauce - you can also see the pin we got from the breakfast, so we were kinda swimming in pins at this point:

Captain Hook came by and he had some great interactions ... including wiping off his hook after Peter shook it:

Then some friends from the 100 Acre woods:

Apparently, I didn't get any good still pictures of the meet with Minnie Mouse - but look for some of the video in the family video when that is done (ooh, long range tease there!)

Overall, we had mixed feelings about this breakfast. The food overall was pretty good but one little thing that bugged us was they didn't bring your drinks you had to pick those up too - and handling food and drinks and little ones while tons of characters were going by was awkward at best. As for the characters - there were a ton and the interaction was very, very good - but at times it was almost too much and made it a challenge to eat. Maybe we just weren't quite prepared for this with it being the first thing of the day, etc. but felt overwhelming at times. If you are into characters this is definitely good bang-for-your-buck there and I think we would do it again - just probably not first thing of the firs full day.

Afterward Judi went over to California Adventure to pull fastpasses for Radiator Springs Racers and the Anna & Elsa meet (that is definitely a huge perk of the parks being so close) and I wandered with the kids around Main Street and then got in-line for meeting characters in their Halloween Costumes who were meeting around the Flagpole area. The kids decided they wanted to meet Goofy. Got a fun picture of the girls while waiting:

I have to say - Character meets at Disneyland are like a whole 'nother breed compared to Walt Disney World. It is much less structured but in some ways that made it more challenging. Most of the character lines were closed for that set by the time we got there but they said Goofy would be out again in 15 minutes so we waited for that - but when he came out it was to a slightly different place and everyone had to shift/run over and despite us being the first ones to wait, we weren't the first ones in line. Maybe just because it was more crowded but it made it seem more stressful than the more regimented way at WDW. Anyway, we had a really fun meet with Goofy and got a great picture (Judi was back by then):

After this we were off to ride some rides .... but not before some photopass pictures!

TTFN

 

[Disney Khaleesi]

Happy (very) belated birthday, Peter!

So far, I've loved reading about the first part of your Disneyland trip! Looking forward to seeing how the rest of your first day goes.

Going to be honest, and I won't share spoilers, but I personally wasn't a fan of Star Wars. But, glad you and Judi enjoyed it!

 

[missangelalexis]

Love the pictures around the hotel.

That Big Bang Theory lego set is pretty neat. Nice purchases!

The food and sangria at Uva Bar look yummy.

So nice that you were able to have a DISmeet!

Yay first day in the parks!! I agree that the line can move a little slow, especially with the picture taking.

I loved our breakfast at the Plaza Inn. I understand what you mean about there being so many character and getting overwhelmed though. Especially when it was your first morning in the park! Great character pictures though!

UGH the character meets. The moving around of characters was what got me annoyed the most. It's one thing to have the line closed and have to wait for the next set; but when you decide to wait for the next set and then have them move the location...it's so frustrating!

The picture with Goofy is so great!

 

[OregonMomToWDW]

Growing up going to Disneyland, we never paid much attention to the characters. If we happened upon one, we would stop if we felt like it. The characters were extra magic if you happened to meet one, but never the main objective. So, we were a bit overwhelmed with how it was at WDW. The kids didn't want to have to stand in line at first, until they realized you wouldn't just accidentally bump into one. So now, they are all about the characters at WDW. The first time we went back to Disneyland after WDW, we spent more time tracking down the characters and had a fun time. It was more challenging, but my children are older, so it was more of a game.

I have never done a character meal at Disneyland. As I mentioned before, we were never much of a character meeting family prior to WDW. We definitely enjoyed some of the character meals at WDW, so we may try the Plaza one of these days.

Disneyland is harder on us as far as getting to the gates early. We do usually get there an hour before opening. With an 8 am, that is 7 am. Last time, I let someone else book the hotel since we could get a group rate. We walked the way a couple of times, but it was just too far, so we ended up taking the resort transit system. So, you had to add another half hour for travel, so it is a very early start to the morning.

Can't wait to hear more.

 

[afwdwfan]

Hope everyone had a wonderful Star Wars weekend. Judi and I decided we couldn't wait until next weekend and arranged for a babysitter so we could see the movie. We both loved it! Just a fun time at the movies and we plan to see it again next weekend anyway. Plus, now it is fun to speculate on what will happen in the future episodes!

I took DS to see it Monday. We loved it! I'd like to see it again, but I'll likely wait until I can get it on Blu Ray.

including Scooby-Doo and the Big Bang Theory

Oh wow... I've never seen Big Bang Theory Legos before.

In the end, we told the kids for the trip they can get a lego set and then another souvenir. Here is what we bought:

Cool!

For food we mostly just split appetizers, including an order of the Cauliflower which was the special side of the day and was yummy! (loved when it is this roasted):

Cauliflower? Really? They can make that stuff taste good?

We did also get a dessert to share, which was a snickerdoodle cookie ice cream sandwich and was wonderful! Though we were all pretty full by this point:

That looks delicious!

(In case anyone is wondering - they were sweet and wonderful as you might expect and was a nice bonus to get to see them tonight!)

I'm glad you got to meet @Leshaface and I wouldn't expect anything else from her and her family!

It also took a bit longer just to get through the line as for everyone using a multi-day pass for the first time (including us) they have to take your picture and not sure if it was our ticket taker or just the system in general but it seemed a pretty slow process.

Yeah... that system stinks. We got stuck behind a group when we were second in line for RD one morning and it was brutal waiting for them to get the tickets set up and pictures taken.

Also made sure to checked for the light in Walt's apartment above the Fire Station (which I still get a bit chocked up about just thinking about)

First up was the Fairygodmother who was fun with all the kids and Peter seemed to enjoy ... I mean, not enough to take a complete break from eating mind you .....

Priorities. I applaud his ability to continue eating among distractions!

Captain Hook came by and he had some great interactions ... including wiping off his hook after Peter shook it:

Cool! I'm glad you got to not only see a character like him who doesn't come out often but that it was also a great interaction!

Afterward Judi went over to California Adventure to pull fastpasses for Radiator Springs Racers and the Anna & Elsa meet (that is definitely a huge perk of the parks being so close)

I loved that proximity!

 

[Volunteer]

I’m flying from Melbourne to Singapore which is about 8 hours of flight time. I’m spending two nights in Singapore staying at the Hotel NuVe which is about a 15min walk from Raffles for those of you have been or know the city.

From there I’m flying into one of my favourite cities in the world – Hong Kong. I’ll have three nights and I’m staying at a guest house in Mongkok (Mongkok Hotel 1812). This is a great area close to all the shopping but really there is not bad spot to stay in Hong Kong.

WANT

This themed room looks like it was pretty cool! May need to keep that in mind on my next trip out west.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

"Laughter is timeless, imagination has no age, and dreams are forever." - Walt Disney

Wishing all of you a Holiday full of laughter, imagination, and dreams!!!​

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Happy (very) belated birthday, Peter!

So far, I've loved reading about the first part of your Disneyland trip! Looking forward to seeing how the rest of your first day goes.

Going to be honest, and I won't share spoilers, but I personally wasn't a fan of Star Wars. But, glad you and Judi enjoyed it!

Thank you! - Peter definitely had a good birthday!

Glad you've enjoyed reading so far - lots still to come .... we fit in a lot, perhaps too much, but with the crowds felt like we needed to!

Are you not a fan of Star Wars in general, or just the latest movie? Just curious ... seems like for most people if you like Star Wars you liked/loved the new movie but if you don't you won't like this one much either.

Love the pictures around the hotel.

That Big Bang Theory lego set is pretty neat. Nice purchases!

The food and sangria at Uva Bar look yummy.

So nice that you were able to have a DISmeet!

Yay first day in the parks!! I agree that the line can move a little slow, especially with the picture taking.

I loved our breakfast at the Plaza Inn. I understand what you mean about there being so many character and getting overwhelmed though. Especially when it was your first morning in the park! Great character pictures though!

UGH the character meets. The moving around of characters was what got me annoyed the most. It's one thing to have the line closed and have to wait for the next set; but when you decide to wait for the next set and then have them move the location...it's so frustrating!

The picture with Goofy is so great!

Thanks! - definitely happy with the hotel ... at least if we couldn't be at an actual Disney hotel.

I enjoyed Uva quite a bit but I think we were all wearing down a bit by that point - would definitely go again though!

I think it was all just too much for our first thing that morning - wrangling 3 kids, and getting them to eat, and getting our own food, and non-stop characters ... just a bit much. I'd definitely do it again, but I think I would do a later seating after

Just the high crowd levels I think made the character meets that much harder as lines were constantly being closed so you'd want to wait for the next one and it wouldn't be in the same spot. If it was easier just to get on the end of an existing line it wouldn't be quite so bad. I am sure the higher crowd levels is what led to the more structured approach at WDW.

It was a fun meet and glad we got to at least one character in their Halloween outfit!

Growing up going to Disneyland, we never paid much attention to the characters. If we happened upon one, we would stop if we felt like it. The characters were extra magic if you happened to meet one, but never the main objective. So, we were a bit overwhelmed with how it was at WDW. The kids didn't want to have to stand in line at first, until they realized you wouldn't just accidentally bump into one. So now, they are all about the characters at WDW. The first time we went back to Disneyland after WDW, we spent more time tracking down the characters and had a fun time. It was more challenging, but my children are older, so it was more of a game.

I have never done a character meal at Disneyland. As I mentioned before, we were never much of a character meeting family prior to WDW. We definitely enjoyed some of the character meals at WDW, so we may try the Plaza one of these days.

Disneyland is harder on us as far as getting to the gates early. We do usually get there an hour before opening. With an 8 am, that is 7 am. Last time, I let someone else book the hotel since we could get a group rate. We walked the way a couple of times, but it was just too far, so we ended up taking the resort transit system. So, you had to add another half hour for travel, so it is a very early start to the morning.

Can't wait to hear more.

It's definitely interesting how different the character meets are set up between the two locations. I noticed they also would have characters out at the Disney hotels and seemed like much less crowds and still more of that "just bumping into them" scenario - where as, at least with the crowds we encountered, it was less structured, but so many people that you had to wait a bit for where they would get to. If the crowds were lower I think it would be a lot better.

Overall I think the Plaza character breakfast was very good - just a lot to handle (especially with 3 kids) that early in the morning. If we do it again I would look to do a later seating.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

I took DS to see it Monday. We loved it! I'd like to see it again, but I'll likely wait until I can get it on Blu Ray.

Oh wow... I've never seen Big Bang Theory Legos before.

Cool!

Cauliflower? Really? They can make that stuff taste good?

That looks delicious!

I'm glad you got to meet @Leshaface and I wouldn't expect anything else from her and her family!

Yeah... that system stinks. We got stuck behind a group when we were second in line for RD one morning and it was brutal waiting for them to get the tickets set up and pictures taken.



Priorities. I applaud his ability to continue eating among distractions!

Cool! I'm glad you got to not only see a character like him who doesn't come out often but that it was also a great interaction!

I loved that proximity!

We are hoping to go see Star Wars again tomorrow ... and perhaps fit in a trip to a brewery too while we have someone to watch the kids

I think TBBT legos are a little more common now but I hadn't seen them in person before the trip

Cauliflower is one of my favorite vegetables - just roast the heck out of it in the oven and it tastes really good! Similar process works well for brussel sprouts as well - though we also add maple syrup to those!

Spoiler alert - that would not be the last time we saw Leshaface and her family!

That happened to us too - and I think the family wasn't expecting it so it took that much longer. If their system was quicker it wouldn't be so bad but it is like they take the picture and then pause, pause, pause, pause - then finally it shows up in the system and they can move on to the next family. Might be easier if they just did it at the ticket booths or something else, but oh well. Also, probably one of those things that doesn't actually take that long, but feels like an eternity at the time!

Peter knew there was a lot to accomplish, so need to mutli-task!

Definitely helped with being able to go back-and-forth between parks easily at times. That would have taken about 2 hours to accomplish at WDW

WANT

This themed room looks like it was pretty cool! May need to keep that in mind on my next trip out west.

I definitely appreciated the theming and that it was actual pictures related to the ride, etc. - not just random Pirate pictures. Definitely not as heavily themed as an actual Disney Hotel - but pretty darn great for a HoJo!

 

[DisMom1981]

LOVE the Halloween costume Goofy! With having a Christmas trip under our belt now my next mission is to get there during Halloween some day!

 

[khertz]

I can see how the Plaza breakfast would be overwhelming, with having to get all your own stuff and the huge number of characters they have! Every time we passed there it seemed pretty hectic while the breakfast was going on. But still a fun way to start off your DL time. I love the pic of Peter & Fairy Godmother while he's still nomming on Mickey waffles! lol

Gotta love the convenience of hopping from park to park and snagging FPs for later! It makes things so much easier with little ones.

We found the character meets in DL to be hit or miss as well. Sometimes, it seemed like they were just around an with no one paying attention to them, so it was easy to grab a picture. But since they were so loosely regulated, they could also be mobbed! A couple mornings, we saw Mad Hatter around Fantasyland, and one time he was just standing by the little guest services kiosk next to Dumbo with not a soul around wanting to meet him!

 

[annie170]

Belated Merry Christmas, Phil! I hope you and your family had a pleasant holiday.

I know a few people who would love that Big Bang Theory lego set. The Advent Calendar one looks nice, too. My grandkids would enjoy that.

That light in Walt's apartment is really touching. Gosh, the history! The more I read of DL reports, the more I want to go.

That Plaza Inn reminds me of Crystal Palace, with a lot more characters. I find buffet character meals overwhelming as they are, let alone having to get your own drinks. And you and Judi are outnumbered!

After waiting all that time you lost your spot in line!? Was a cm with you while you were waiting? I would have thought a cm would have walked you to the head of the line. It's a good thing you're easygoing!

 

[SimplyGoofy]

You made it to Disneyland!

Your hotel looks so neat - I'm sure the kids loved it! It looks like they were thrilled about the bunk beds!

The ticket scenario sounds rather stressful and cumbersome. The last thing anything wants to do is wait LONGER to get into the park!

How wonderful to walk down Main Street for the first time - I'm sure I would get a bit choked up looking at Walt's apartment as well.

 

[horse11]

First of course I have to comment on food. This should not come as a surprise to you since you should know me by now lol!!! That Cauliflower looks amazing!!! My favorite vegie by far!! I love it prepared in butter and bread crumbs which is my favorite way to have it prepared but in your picture it sure looks yummy!!
love the picture of Emma spinning the Frozen Elsa Doll, such a sweet baby she is!!!
How fun to do another meet up with other DIsers!! This would be something I would enjoy; people sharing the same passion for Disney as I do.
Disney Land reminds me so much of DisneyWorld. I have forgotten most of Disney Land since I was 12 the last and only time I was there.

 

[schmass]

All caught up (for the moment, anyway!). It has been such a challenge to get on the DIS lately!

I think you and Michael (my DH) would get along very well. You definitely have the whole beer interest in common! I think I've mentioned before that he is a homebrewer. He would love to check out those breweries!

Your hotel looks great! I find it so interesting how at DL some of the non-Disney hotels are actually much closer than the Disney hotels (with the exception of the Grand Californian).

We ate at Uva when we were there 6 years ago and really enjoyed it - the location can't be beat!

It is very emotional walking down Main St for the first time, isn't it?

I love the girls' matching dresses - so cute!

Looking forward to reading more!

 

[TheMaxRebo]

LOVE the Halloween costume Goofy! With having a Christmas trip under our belt now my next mission is to get there during Halloween some day!

Three were quite a number of cute/cool character costumes - though Goofy's seemed the most unique .... Mickey's was like a magician, and Minnie a witch, etc.

We did WDW once when I was a kid the week between Christmas and New Years .... never again based on the pictures I am seeing from this week. Would like to do Christmas one year but we tend to be there more during Halloween time as it is also Food & Wine festival

I can see how the Plaza breakfast would be overwhelming, with having to get all your own stuff and the huge number of characters they have! Every time we passed there it seemed pretty hectic while the breakfast was going on. But still a fun way to start off your DL time. I love the pic of Peter & Fairy Godmother while he's still nomming on Mickey waffles! lol

Gotta love the convenience of hopping from park to park and snagging FPs for later! It makes things so much easier with little ones.

We found the character meets in DL to be hit or miss as well. Sometimes, it seemed like they were just around an with no one paying attention to them, so it was easy to grab a picture. But since they were so loosely regulated, they could also be mobbed! A couple mornings, we saw Mad Hatter around Fantasyland, and one time he was just standing by the little guest services kiosk next to Dumbo with not a soul around wanting to meet him!

I think a combination of it being the first thing in the morning and just being outnumbered as far as number of kids and Emma still needing a lot of support - just was a bit much. Definitely one of those things that seemed better on paper than it was in practice .... though it wasn't terrible or anything.

The hopping to get FP definitely was a nice feature - especially with needing them for RSR and A&E (and then for WOC if we didn't have a dining package) ... so to be able to hop to get that and then use separate FP in the other park, definitely handy

We didn't see too many with no one ... definitely much more though around the main characters in the town square/around the flagpole area. There weren't as many for characters like Frollo and Queen of Hearts, etc. - but still some. I think the crowds were just too high for it to be a super great experience. Oh well.

Belated Merry Christmas, Phil! I hope you and your family had a pleasant holiday.

I know a few people who would love that Big Bang Theory lego set. The Advent Calendar one looks nice, too. My grandkids would enjoy that.

That light in Walt's apartment is really touching. Gosh, the history! The more I read of DL reports, the more I want to go.

That Plaza Inn reminds me of Crystal Palace, with a lot more characters. I find buffet character meals overwhelming as they are, let alone having to get your own drinks. And you and Judi are outnumbered!

After waiting all that time you lost your spot in line!? Was a cm with you while you were waiting? I would have thought a cm would have walked you to the head of the line. It's a good thing you're easygoing!

Thank you Annie! We did - spent it at Judi's family's and got to see her brothers and their families, etc. - so was fun. Just celebrated with my side today actually. Hope you had a nice holiday!

The advent calendar is fun as it is lots of little things but something for them to look forward to and keep the occupied for a while. We wound up trying to do it every other day so Olivia and Peter each had one to do

The being outnumbered (especially with how little Emma still is) I think added to it a lot - and it was first thing and we even had to get our own coffee! Just a confluence of too many things - but it definitely wasn't terrible or anything and I would definitely do it again ... just a little later in the morning.

The issue is the CM doesn't stay out he/she goes back with the character and then a CM comes out when the character comes back but I don't even think it was the same CM. And it wasn't too bad we would up being like the 3rd family or something. Just after getting told at several lines that they were closed and then have this happen, was a bit frustrating. I am sure if the crowds were a bit lower so that lines weren't constantly closed it wouldn't have been that bad.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

You made it to Disneyland!

Your hotel looks so neat - I'm sure the kids loved it! It looks like they were thrilled about the bunk beds!

The ticket scenario sounds rather stressful and cumbersome. The last thing anything wants to do is wait LONGER to get into the park!

How wonderful to walk down Main Street for the first time - I'm sure I would get a bit choked up looking at Walt's apartment as well.

They definitely were happy with the bunk beds and it was fun to keep that as a secret until we arrived!

It was a bit stressful - it probably wasn't that long, but it felt really long. Maybe if the technology was faster it wouldn't have been so bad but it was like they take the picture and then pause, pause, pause, pause, pause ... ok, it took and it set. and repeat with everyone else

Definitely was nice - though with the line situation we were running a bit later than I wanted so didn't get to take it all in as slowly as I would have liked. But still pretty magical!

First of course I have to comment on food. This should not come as a surprise to you since you should know me by now lol!!! That Cauliflower looks amazing!!! My favorite vegie by far!! I love it prepared in butter and bread crumbs which is my favorite way to have it prepared but in your picture it sure looks yummy!!
love the picture of Emma spinning the Frozen Elsa Doll, such a sweet baby she is!!!
How fun to do another meet up with other DIsers!! This would be something I would enjoy; people sharing the same passion for Disney as I do.
Disney Land reminds me so much of DisneyWorld. I have forgotten most of Disney Land since I was 12 the last and only time I was there.

Definitely can count on you to comment on the food! Definitely think we look at trips similarly with that respect! Definitely have found that if you roast the heck out of vegetables I enjoy them more!

She is definitely a little one that let's you know if she is enjoying the moment or not - her face can be pretty expressive!

Definitely is nice to meet up with people you've interacted with a lot online and just make that tangible connection ... fun to know people that share an interest/passion like this.

Definitely very similar to Magic Kingdom - at least the Main St area .... though exploring all the differences was fun as well!

All caught up (for the moment, anyway!). It has been such a challenge to get on the DIS lately!

I think you and Michael (my DH) would get along very well. You definitely have the whole beer interest in common! I think I've mentioned before that he is a homebrewer. He would love to check out those breweries!

Your hotel looks great! I find it so interesting how at DL some of the non-Disney hotels are actually much closer than the Disney hotels (with the exception of the Grand Californian).

We ate at Uva when we were there 6 years ago and really enjoyed it - the location can't be beat!

It is very emotional walking down Main St for the first time, isn't it?

I love the girls' matching dresses - so cute!

Looking forward to reading more!

I hear you! I've been way late in getting the next update done - but was away for the weekend at Judi's family and just haven't had the time. Dang life getting in the way!

I do remember that and I definitely think we would get along. I'll have to buy him a beer if we are ever vacationing at the same time

It definitely is interesting how close the other hotels are. All the Disney hotels are on the same side as Downtown Disney though so they are a lot closer to that - just similar distance to the park entrances (just opposite direction)

It is a cool location. We were a bit tired by that point to fully enjoy it but was fun to just sit and grab a bite and a drink while all of Downtown Disney was going on around us.

Definitely is emotional walking and and seeing the light on in Walt's apartment. I think some of the attractions - like the level of detail on Pirates there - bring emotion as well.

Thank you - not the only set of matching dresses to appear in this trip report!

Hoping to get another update done this evening, but we shall see

 

[hokieinpa]

What a fun afternoon in Downtown Disney!

We got this set for my dad for Christmas this year - he's a big fan of the show and I thought it was too funny to pass up!

I also enjoyed the new Force Awakens version of the Millennium Falcon - featuring old man Han Solo Lego figure:

Annnnd my in laws got Nate this set for Christmas. He's 5 years old and in no way can he handle a project of this scope but I think I'll have fun building it and he'll enjoy playing with the finished project!

Which is too bad, as he missed out on meeting with @Leshaface and her family who were also visiting and it worked out to meet up at DTD tonight:

Fun meet!!

Eventually we were in and heading under the train station and into the park - and the first time you round that bend and see Main St (and the Matterhorn, which we could see before the Castle) it was definitely a bit emotional. Also made sure to checked for the light in Walt's apartment above the Fire Station (which I still get a bit chocked up about just thinking about)

Every TR I read about visiting Disneyland has this same moment. I can only imagine what it must feel like to walk the same streets at Walt!


The breakfast at Plaza Inn sounds like a great place for lots of characters (and such a variety! Minnie and Pooh and Hook and FG??) but I find buffets very overwhelming with little kids. I always feel like I'm going to miss a character when I'm getting food.

Very cute picture with Goofy all decked out for Halloween!

 

[TheMaxRebo]

What a fun afternoon in Downtown Disney!

We got this set for my dad for Christmas this year - he's a big fan of the show and I thought it was too funny to pass up!

Annnnd my in laws got Nate this set for Christmas. He's 5 years old and in no way can he handle a project of this scope but I think I'll have fun building it and he'll enjoy playing with the finished project!

Fun meet!!

Every TR I read about visiting Disneyland has this same moment. I can only imagine what it must feel like to walk the same streets at Walt!

The breakfast at Plaza Inn sounds like a great place for lots of characters (and such a variety! Minnie and Pooh and Hook and FG??) but I find buffets very overwhelming with little kids. I always feel like I'm going to miss a character when I'm getting food.

Very cute picture with Goofy all decked out for Halloween!

It was a good afternoon/evening getting in some Disney feels without going to a park - between Trader Sam's, Downtown Disney, Uva Bar, and meeting Alicia and family - it was a good time!

wow, that would be a big lego set for a 5 year old! Though I have to say, I did the train one with Peter and it was over 200 pieces and he focused pretty good on it - I was surprised. So maybe he can "help" a bit more than you think

Definitely a lot of emotions to walk past Walt's apartment for the first time after all the planning and anticipation.

that's what it felt like, - we had to rush to get food, get back through the obstacle course that was kids and characters between the buffet and our table, and make sure we didn't miss any at our table. Still fun, but a bit stressful

Thank you!