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

[Dugette]

Glad you enjoyed it - let me know what Izzy thinks

She loved it and insisted we watch it twice in a row!

About the only negative is that it is that last hotel on that stretch so it feels like a longer walk than it really is when you are pushing a stroller full of tired kids at the end of a long day and everyone else walking with you peals off earlier to go to their hotels. Certainly not too far to walk, but there are a few a bit closer if the added space or water area are not critical for you.

It does seem like a great place to stay, but this is why I'm glad we switched from HoJo to BWPPI - it was SO nice to cross the street and immediately be at our hotel.

California Screamin' (this probably wins for ride that most exceeded expectations - I really enjoyed this ... despite the GoPro fail)

Totally agree on this - we were both surprised at how much we liked it.

Bengal Barbeque (probably my favorite quick service we got - a little different but all was really good and quite filling. Only issue was the seating in that area, but was a good place to wait while rider-swapping on Indy)

Still bummed we missed out on this (line was way too slow). Next time!

Captain Hook (at the Plaza, was just so in character and really played up with a bunch of us)

Yes, Captain Hook is fun meet!

 

[missangelalexis]

The overlays to Space Mountain and Haunted Mansion were amazing, and definitely 2 highlights for me as well! And agreed about Roger Rabbit, we were disappointed with that as well.

You're right when you say California Adventure is somewhat of a mashup of parks. But I think that's what made me like it so much! I also felt it was much more laid back than other parks!

Loved the variety of food options at the parks. There was so much I would have liked to try but just not enough time! Loved the characters churning the popcorn too!

You know I'm definitely on the same page as you about characters. Loved the variety, hated the execution of them.

 

[afwdwfan]

Pinocchio's Daring Journey (this was my favorite of the FL dark rides (though to be fair we didn't get on Alice)

Honestly, I think they are like 1 and 1A and could be interchangeable. Both are great rides. I'm sorry you missed Alice.

Autopia (i thought it was very well done and much better than WDW's version)

Grizzly River Run (very good raft ride and while trying not to base this on comparisons to WDW, this one was definitely better than Kali River Rapids)

Like by a landslide. No comparison.

This is one area I have very mixed feelings about. They were definitely plentiful which was appreciated and it was great seeing the characters in their fall/Halloween outfits. Biggest issue I had was the meets as they weren't as scheduled and the lines were long and often got cut off, but then when the character came back out they wouldn't be at the exact same spot so people would rush after them or to where they were going and even if you were the first waiting from the last set you likely wouldn't be first for the next set.

I agree. I loved randomly seeing them around the parks, but we definitely didn't meet as many of them as we ordinarily would at Disney World due to the unpredictability and the hit and miss tendency of the lines.

 

[Leshaface]

The rides, especially in Disneyland Park did seem congested at times, especially in Fantasyland, which was both good and bad in that it was neat to just see ride after ride as you moved around, but also made things congested.

I know i've said it before, but it's totally a locals park which makes it really hard for out of town guests (especially WDW vets!) to fully enjoy being able to move around areas like FL and even on the walkway over by POTC.

Haunted Mansion (always a favorite but the TNBC overlay was just phenomenal and I am glad we got on a couple of times)

Obviously my fav and so well done.

Bug's Land rides (I'll group these together but these were really cute and such a greatly themed area

I'm learning to totally love and appreciate this land more and more with each visit!

(thinking specifically of not getting a corn dog or soup in a bread bowl)

Agh, yes. You need to come back for those!

Smokejumpers Grill was just ok - not bad but felt like potential for that location and theming to be better.

That's too bad, especially since it's newer. Loved when it was Taste Pilots' Grill!

 

[TheMaxRebo]

She loved it and insisted we watch it twice in a row!

It does seem like a great place to stay, but this is why I'm glad we switched from HoJo to BWPPI - it was SO nice to cross the street and immediately be at our hotel.

Totally agree on this - we were both surprised at how much we liked it.

Still bummed we missed out on this (line was way too slow). Next time!

Yes, Captain Hook is fun meet!

Glad to see Izzy enjoyed the video

Yeah, definitely was a bit jealous at the end of the night of people staying at the BWPPI - definitely think that turned out to be a good choice for you

definitely put Bengal Barbeque on your "must do" list for the next trip!

The overlays to Space Mountain and Haunted Mansion were amazing, and definitely 2 highlights for me as well! And agreed about Roger Rabbit, we were disappointed with that as well.

You're right when you say California Adventure is somewhat of a mashup of parks. But I think that's what made me like it so much! I also felt it was much more laid back than other parks!

Loved the variety of food options at the parks. There was so much I would have liked to try but just not enough time! Loved the characters churning the popcorn too!

You know I'm definitely on the same page as you about characters. Loved the variety, hated the execution of them.

I didn't dislike California Adventure - it was just hard to evaluate as a complete park I think. Though, with Star Wars and Toy Story Lands coming I suspect DHS might start to feel that way as well. It was a bit more laid back as well ... well, other than when it came to lining up for World of Color

Yeah - definitely hard to fit all the food options in to only a few days ... another reason I wish we had a few more days in the parks

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Honestly, I think they are like 1 and 1A and could be interchangeable. Both are great rides. I'm sorry you missed Alice.



Like by a landslide. No comparison.

I agree. I loved randomly seeing them around the parks, but we definitely didn't meet as many of them as we ordinarily would at Disney World due to the unpredictability and the hit and miss tendency of the lines.

Definitely still bummed about Alice, but it is what it is ... definitely a priority for next trip

I think the way the characters were would be great with low crowds or if we were just locals or had more times in the park, but it made it a real challenge for us - especially when used to the organization at WDW

I know i've said it before, but it's totally a locals park which makes it really hard for out of town guests (especially WDW vets!) to fully enjoy being able to move around areas like FL and even on the walkway over by POTC.

Obviously my fav and so well done.

I'm learning to totally love and appreciate this land more and more with each visit!

Agh, yes. You need to come back for those!

That's too bad, especially since it's newer. Loved when it was Taste Pilots' Grill!

I definitely had heard beforehand how Disneyland is more of a locals park and knew how that impacted parades and shows and stuff, but guess I just didn't realize the impact it would have just moving around

wish they did overlays that well at WDW - though I understand why they don't really do them

Definitely need a corn dog!

It wasn't bad, and to be fair it was the end of the day, etc. - just felt like it could have been more/better than it was

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Chapter 52 - Final Thoughts - Part 4
General thoughts - III​

Parades and shows:

While going in I understood planning for Disneyland to be "easier" than Walt Disney World, the one area that seemed a bit complicated was for many of the shows, especially World of Color. That, plus the interest over the Paint the Night parade and hearing how long people lined up for it created some of the biggest worries for me going in.

Well, the worries were justified as they are some crowded events ... but also pretty spectacular!

A brief take of each show/parade we saw:

• Pixar Play Parade @ California Adventure: This was not a priority for us, but I managed to see at least parts of it twice. It's actually a pretty fun parade and Countdown to Fun is just a catch song. Definitely not a "must see" but there are some fun elements (I mean, fire out of a baby's head?!?!?)
• Mickey's Soundsational Parade @ Disneyland Resort: We happened to return to the park right before this started so we got to see the entire thing and we really enjoyed it. It's no Festival of Fantasy but has some different characters and I liked that it led with Mickey and closed with Mary Poppins. Again, probably not a "must do" but of the two I would try to make time to see this one
• World of Color @ California Adventure: Well, the viewing area for this is a bit of a mess and as mentioned I was a little bummed about how far back we were and with people in front of us despite having the dining package and showing up 45 mins early, but the show really is amazing and truly something you need to see. A bit of a nightmare getting out of the area after the show but at least while the show is going on it is very engrossing and they do have the game on the fun wheel to try and help pass the time before it starts.
• Fantasmic!: So we made the call that this was the show we would miss - but we did get to see a bit of it by accident. The dragon here really is so much better compared to the WDW one. Of the evening shows I think we made the right call to miss this one - but it still is a great show.
• Paint the Night: What can I say, we love this so much! Just a technical marvel and so much fun. Honestly, if I could only pick one it would be this over World of Color. We did get a bit lucky in finding our spot to watch this but if we had more time I definitely wouldn't hesitate to stake out a spot for up to an hour to see this or think about the dining package for it - really is that good
• Disneyland Forever Fireworks and Projection Show: We weren't able to see this from Main St. but we really enjoyed the projections we saw on It's a Small World. The show as a whole is quite good, though the fireworks themselves don't stand up to Wishes. Love the ending lyric of "Come on and live the magic!"

Photos and gifs:

Overall thoughts:

It's hard to sum-up everything from this trip. Certainly one filled with some bumps (heat, crowds, Emma being sick, Peter getting hurt, etc.) but also some amazing highs (meeting Alicia and Brenda, the night time entertainment, some of the character meals/meets, amazing rides, etc.).

It is also weird in that I felt completely satisfied with our trip but then disappointed at the same time. What I mean by that is I felt we got in basically everything we wanted to to as far as rides and meals and characters and shows, but at the same time I don't think I got to take in all the details and just soak in the "feels" like I was hoping to. I really think the heat and the crowds took away for me as we had to rush a bit more or line up earlier than I would have liked to get in what we did and didn't have enough enough down time or time to just wander.

I think the best way I can sum it up is that I loved it, had an amazing time, but I wish I had a day or even a few hours by myself with no/low crowds to just walk around and take it all in and think about this history, notice the details, etc.

I don't want to paint to negative of a picture because we really did have an amazing time and I would love to go back again, and while it did also highlight some things we do love about Walt Disney World (I'll get to that next post), there really is nothing like walking in and looking up and seeing that light on in the window and picturing Walt looking down at all he created.

TTFN

 

[Dugette]

Pixar Play Parade @ California Adventure: This was not a priority for us, but I managed to see at least parts of it twice. It's actually a pretty fun parade and Countdown to Fun is just a catch song. Definitely not a "must see" but there are some fun elements (I mean, fire out of a baby's head?!?!?)

I know it's lower on your list, but I do wish we'd gotten to this one. It looks so unique and fun!

Fantasmic!: So we made the call that this was the show we would miss - but we did get to see a bit of it by accident. The dragon here really is so much better compared to the WDW one. Of the evening shows I think we made the right call to miss this one - but it still is a great show.

I am actually kind of glad that Fantasmic was down during our visit. As you said, there's a lot of nighttime stuff to plan for and this took a big one off our plate. Something for next time, I guess.

Paint the Night: What can I say, we love this so much! Just a technical marvel and so much fun. Honestly, if I could only pick one it would be this over World of Color. We did get a bit lucky in finding our spot to watch this but if we had more time I definitely wouldn't hesitate to stake out a spot for up to an hour to see this or think about the dining package for it - really is that good

I agree - great show! We also felt that our dining package was worthwhile. The front row spots on the curb were great. And we wanted to eat at Blue Bayou anyway. Not sure I'd do it every time, but worked out really well for us.

• Disneyland Forever Fireworks and Projection Show: We weren't able to see this from Main St. but we really enjoyed the projections we saw on It's a Small World. The show as a whole is quite good, though the fireworks themselves don't stand up to Wishes. Love the ending lyric of "Come on and live the magic!"

I was so bummed they cancelled this every night of our trip. Darn wind! Again, something for a return visit.

Nice to hear your thoughts on everything. Glad you had an overall good experience, but I understand what you mean about wanting more time to soak it all in. Happy that you got to the firehouse to appreciate the light.

 

[missangelalexis]

I'm glad you got to see all the parades and nighttime shows in some way! Even if some of them you only saw briefly, at least you were able to!

I can certainly understand wanting more time to just soak it in. It's hard when it's your first time and you want to see and do as much as possible! Plus I know the heat definitely took its toll. But it does sound like you had a fantastic trip nonetheless and hopefully you get to go back in the future!

 

[afwdwfan]

I appreciate your take on the shows. I find it hard to say much about it since about half of them weren't running when we were there. I'm glad you were able to take so many of them in though. Paint the Night and World of Color really must be amazing to see in person.

It is also weird in that I felt completely satisfied with our trip but then disappointed at the same time. What I mean by that is I felt we got in basically everything we wanted to to as far as rides and meals and characters and shows, but at the same time I don't think I got to take in all the details and just soak in the "feels" like I was hoping to.

I completely understand. I felt the same way. This is why even though you "can do Disneyland in 3 days" I'd love to spend at least 5 days there just to have that time to take it in and maybe do a tour or 2 to really take the history of the place in.

I don't want to paint to negative of a picture because we really did have an amazing time and I would love to go back again, and while it did also highlight some things we do love about Walt Disney World (I'll get to that next post), there really is nothing like walking in and looking up and seeing that light on in the window and picturing Walt looking down at all he created.

Exactly!

 

[OhioStateBuckeye]

I'm here to read along and your finished

Ah well, I do like binge reading/watching.

 

[ElenaJane]

Great wrap up! Again, I love the Gifs and it was fun seeing the picture montages and remembering the highlights of your TR! I am so excited to go....in less than 3 weeks!

And I know I am on the right website, when I read:

• Skeleton Goofy (... cause it was Skeleton Goofy)

And I 100% agree and understand!

 

[TheMaxRebo]

I know it's lower on your list, but I do wish we'd gotten to this one. It looks so unique and fun!

I am actually kind of glad that Fantasmic was down during our visit. As you said, there's a lot of nighttime stuff to plan for and this took a big one off our plate. Something for next time, I guess.

I agree - great show! We also felt that our dining package was worthwhile. The front row spots on the curb were great. And we wanted to eat at Blue Bayou anyway. Not sure I'd do it every time, but worked out really well for us.

I was so bummed they cancelled this every night of our trip. Darn wind! Again, something for a return visit.

Nice to hear your thoughts on everything. Glad you had an overall good experience, but I understand what you mean about wanting more time to soak it all in. Happy that you got to the firehouse to appreciate the light.

The Pixar parade was pretty fun - plus I love the music they use ... not to mention a baby with fire coming out of his head!

I am glad I caught the dragon part as an added bonus because that was one thing I wanted to see but I am also glad we didn't make special plans to see the show. A lot of different nighttime entertainment there and everything seems to need preparation/waiting time to see!

If they had that dining package available when we went I think we would have gotten it - can't beat a curb side seat for Paint the Night! Even better when it was for a place you wanted to eat at anyway (that was one of the reasons we did the WoC package at Carthay - though, that didn't work out quite as planned)

That really does suck they cancelled the fireworks every night you were there - I have read others say that too (not necessarily every night of a trip but seems like it happens fairly frequently that they are cancelled)

Seeing the light int he Firehouse was a definite must for me!

I'm glad you got to see all the parades and nighttime shows in some way! Even if some of them you only saw briefly, at least you were able to!

I can certainly understand wanting more time to just soak it in. It's hard when it's your first time and you want to see and do as much as possible! Plus I know the heat definitely took its toll. But it does sound like you had a fantastic trip nonetheless and hopefully you get to go back in the future!

Yeah - all in all, considering we only had 3 park days I think we did pretty good with seeing as many nighttime shows as we did, especially given the crowds and the wait that you need to do to see them

We definitely had a fun trip and looking back, we really did get a lot of our must-dos in ... would definitely like to go back at some point but I think I would plan for more days to allow for taking it easy/"soaking it in" time

I appreciate your take on the shows. I find it hard to say much about it since about half of them weren't running when we were there. I'm glad you were able to take so many of them in though. Paint the Night and World of Color really must be amazing to see in person.

I completely understand. I felt the same way. This is why even though you "can do Disneyland in 3 days" I'd love to spend at least 5 days there just to have that time to take it in and maybe do a tour or 2 to really take the history of the place in.

Exactly!

Thanks - I am glad we got all the shows in (even the bonus bit of Fantasmic!) and it is hard to put into words (or even gifs) how great WoC and Paint the Night are.

I think if/when we do go back we will plan on more days there - just was too much and the heat and crowds didn't help ... and then I'd feel better about just sitting and people watching and stuff

 

[TheMaxRebo]

I'm here to read along and your finished

Ah well, I do like binge reading/watching.

... wasn't originally thinking I would have quite so much material here, but I hope the read is worth it!

Great wrap up! Again, I love the Gifs and it was fun seeing the picture montages and remembering the highlights of your TR! I am so excited to go....in less than 3 weeks!

And I know I am on the right website, when I read:

• Skeleton Goofy (... cause it was Skeleton Goofy)

And I 100% agree and understand!

Thank you! I am very excited for you trip - I know you will have a great time and I guess only advice is definitely get there early and use that time to get in what attractions you can and then find time to "smell the Disney details" if you can!

 

[NJlauren]

Catching up! Love your overview! Such a nice wrap up.

Overall even with some disappointing things it seems like you had a really great trip!

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Chapter 53 - Final Thoughts - Part 5
Comparing Disneyland to Walt Disney World .... perception vs reality!​

Finally we come to the end - and as promised, I will provide a comparison of Disneyland to Walt Disney World. I definitely want to stress this is my view of things and do not represent that of The DIS or anything else beyond my physical being. Your actually experience may vary

Before our trip, I definitely had pre-conceived thoughts of what Disneyland was like and how it would compare to Walt Disney World, so I thought it would be fun and interesting to structure this post around those perceptions and see how they compared to what I really experienced.

Note that this post will likely be fairly text heavy as no new pictures to use and I already re-used many of the good ones in the recap posts ... using them again just seems gratuitus at this point, but I will try to add in a few things just to break things up a bit.

Perception: Disneyland is so much smaller than Walt Disney World.

Based on statistics, there really is no way in arguing this - Disneyland is approximately 500 acres while Walt Disney World in Florida is over 25,000 acres. Disneyland has 2 parks and 3 hotels, Walt Disney World has 4 parks, 2 water parks, golf courses (miniature and regulations), 21 hotels, and even more than this. I knew the stats going in and so I really expected it to be stark how small Disneyland is. But in reality, I didn't really feel that. I mean, yes, the property is much smaller but I think with everything right there within walking distance (Disneyland Resort, California Adventure, Downtown Disney) that is almost felt like one giant park rather than a collection of parks within a huge amount of land. Added to that, there are actually more rides/attractions in Disneyland Resort than in the Magic Kingdom and I think because of that I never really felt like it was smaller or lesser than the Magic Kingdom.

Two aspects are definitely smaller though:

1) The pathways are smaller. This really made it feel very crowded and made it hard to navigate at times. This is especially true in New Orleans Square, but even on Main St, you notice that it is narrower.




2) The other thing is that Sleeping Beauty Castle is significantly smaller than Cinderella Castle and this does change the feel of the park. I have definitely been asked which castle do I like better and I must say that I cop out a bit and say that I think they serve different purposes. Cinderella Castle is the centerpiece, not just of the Magic Kingdom but of the entire Florida Project - it was meant to be seen beyond the park and draw you in from the TTC and build anticipation as you travel around on the monorail. To me, Sleeping Beauty Castle doesn't do that - it is more the entrance to Fantasyland - something that appears to be off in the distance down Main St. and just changes the tone when you move from the "world of yesterday" to the "world of Fantasy" - and it serves that purpose well. Though, if push comes to shove, I definitely have to choose Cindy's Castle. It's just that much more impressive, you can eat in it, there is a Dream Suite in it, the Bibby Bobbity Boutique ... it's just much more of a destination.

Reality: Technically true but it doesn't feel super tiny when you are inside it, other than the pathways


Perception: The Cast Members at Disneyland are much nicer and more in touch with the legacy of their Florida counterparts

Maybe it is just from watching the DIS Unplugged Podcast and reading other horror stories of rude cast members at Walt Disney World and how that never happens at Disneyland as they are there for the long haul and not just for fun on the college program, etc. but I was truly expecting to be just blown over by how amazing every single Cast Member was at Disneyland and how into being a Cast Member they all would be, etc. I gotta say, I didn't get that vibe at all. Not that we encountered anyone really rude or bad or anything, they all just seemed, well, good. We only had a few interactions that really stood out and not too many of them went above and beyond to provide a "magical experience" and when it comes to lining up for shows and parades some where quite short at times.

I will say, I think we have been pretty lucky at Walt Disney World as we have not really encountered any particularly rude Cast Members and have had some really great experiences between photopass sessions and one photographer that held up something to block the sun off of Emma during a parade and just some other really great memories that stand out. I will say I think there was more consistency at Disneyland in that they were all "good" where as at Walt Disneyland there was a bigger gab between the highs and the lows.

(photopass photographer Kimberly who not only blocked the sun off Emma but then spent ~10mins trying to cheer Olivia up who was bummed that the Festival of Fantasy parade was rained out (yeah, it was sunny, but it was rained out ... don't get me started))

Reality: For us this was definitely not the case - there are great cast members everywhere and many who love Disney and work at Walt Disney World. You do get to meet more at Disneyland who have been working there for quite a while thought which is neat.


Perception: The food is much better at Disneyland, particularly the quick service options

I will cut the chase on this one and say while Walt Disney World is definitely improving, the food options are definitely better at Disneyland, particularly thinking of quick service inside the parks. The entire warf area at California Adventure has a ton of great options not to mention things like the Corn Dog Castle/Little Red Wagon - just something unique and done very well. One of our absolute favorite places was the Bengal Barbeque stand with great options, and again, something unique. Walt Disney World just seems to have a much higher percentage of locations that have the typical burgers and hot dogs type food. Flo's V8 Cafe we also really loved and it had some different options.

And this is without us even going to Paradise Garden Grill, the French Market Cafe, or getting the Fried Chicken at the Plaza.

Walt Disney World definitely has a few great options (Sunshine Seasons, Be Our Guest Lunch, etc.) and some wonderful signature options, but overall, to me this was no contest!

Plus, Disneyland has these little guys helping to make the popcorn:

Reality: yup!


Perception: For the rides that are in both location, the Disneyland version is better

This will obviously vary by ride, so I thought I would list out the ones that a) I and think of a ii) we rode in both locations, to helps see if reality matched the perception

• Space Mountain: This obviously had an overlay on it but even without that, you could tell the ride was smoother. But the fact it can have an overlay add to it for me as well. Winner: Disneyland
• Splash Mountain: The one at Walt Disney World feels a bit more impressive and bigger - also larger boats. This one though has so many more animatronics and they all seemed to be working. It's close, but I go Disneyland
• Haunted Mansion: Personally I prefer the exterior to the one at Walt Disney World, which is more gothic and reminicient of what is in upstate New York, while Disneylands is more of a Southern Plantation style, The ride itself is basically the same, but the overlay for Nightmare Before Christmas was amazing and as that is only at Disneyland, I gotta give it to Disneyland again
• Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin/Astroblasters: The ride just works better at Disneyland and having the detachable guns helps so much. Winner: Disneyland
• Big Thunder Mountain Rail Road: So much smoother at Disneyland and the explosion effects are awesome! Disneyland wins again!
• Autopia/Speedway: No contest, it is so much more scenic at Disneyland
• Pirates of the Caribbean: Not even close - getting to pass Blue Bayou and the entire beginning part ... just shows what Imagineering can do with the time and money they need. While WDW has the mermaids, this is still all Disneyland.
• Soarin: Same movie, currently, but Disneyland has it in digital making is vastly superior
• It's a Small World: Disneyland has the Disney characters and a much better facade and you get to load outdoors.

Ok, so pretty much all Disneyland - though, to be fair, if/when everything is working in Splash, I would give it to WDW.

There are a number of rides that we didn't to at DL and my understanding is at least some of these are better at WDW:

• Little Mermaid: Basically same ride, but much better queue at WDW
• Atro Orbiters: up high at WDW so that makes it better
• Tower of Terror: Has the extra inside scene at WDW
• Peter Pan: The queue is better at WDW but I heard the ride itself is better at DLR

I am sure some will disagree with me, and there are certainly some great rides at WDW that aren't at DLR (Expedition Everest, Mine Train, etc.) but for me this was really no contest. Also, just in general the maintenance seemed much better/consistent at DLR - I didn't notice any missing ceiling tiles or not working animatronics, etc.

Reality: Hard to argue but the rides are either rather close or much better at Disneyland


Perception: You don't get the same sense of being "in the Disney Bubble" at Disneyland compared to Walt Disney World

This one there are two angles to - on one hand, it feels like "pure" Disney when you see the light on in Walt's apartment and Characters wandering around at the Disneyland Hotel or eat at the Plaza .... but on the other hand, the bubble bursts a bit when you ride the monorail and see outside the park. And as cool as it was to see the monorail and Tower of Terror from our hotel, knowing it wasn't a Disney hotel also made it a bit odd.

And walking back from the park and seeing cast members in their work outfits getting onto regular buses to go home, seeing people hawking cheap trinkets on the corner, and (on a few occasions) seeing a homeless person in the bus stop, definitely intruded on that bubble

Reality: I think it is a fair statement to say you don't get that sense of really being enclosed in a place separate from the real work like you get at Walt Disney World - but the difference wasn't as significant as I expected (or feared) ... and getting to turn the corner and see the light on in Walt's apartment makes up for a lot of things.

And I think with that we will bring this Trip Report to a close ... thank you all so much for hanging with me and contributing. Going to Disneyland really was an experience, one we won't forget and one we would love to do again. Though, if I reflect I think I have to say that we really are a Walt Disney World Family.

TTFN!

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Catching up! Love your overview! Such a nice wrap up.

Overall even with some disappointing things it seems like you had a really great trip!

Thank you very much!

And I do want to stress that fact - we really did have a great time ... just not without somehiccups!

 

[NJlauren]

Thank you very much!

And I do want to stress that fact - we really did have a great time ... just not without somehiccups!

I think all trips have hiccups it's just the way it is, especially with kids...

 

[hokieinpa]

Just finished reading your closing thoughts and wanted to say thank you for the insight! I really enjoyed the TR overall and your final thoughts and comparisons are very interesting!

 

[ElenaJane]

Have you gone to Tokyo Disney yet? Will you be able to do a mini-TR on that!? I'm not ready to say good-bye yet to your awesome TRs!