10 Mths of WDW Planning leads us to~~DISNEYLAND!! Report Completed~Pic Heavy!!!

[Sherry E]

I totally agree about stepping onto Buena Vista Street vs. the old version of DCA. While I actually did like the old DCA a lot and it grew on me over time (I really miss the Golden Gate Bridge and the letters), I never felt truly 'transported' anywhere in California Adventure. You know what I mean, I can tell. In the old DCA, it felt like you could just travel a few hours out of SoCal/NorCal and get to the locations - the real-life, authentic sites - being represented in that park. I never felt like there was a real element of fantasy going on in enough of DCA to transport me somewhere that I couldn't just hop on a plane to see.

Now that BVS and CL are in DCA, I feel much more of that 'fantasy vibe' that I was looking for, and I feel like I am being transported to places that I couldn't just travel to in real life!

 

[DizNee Luver]

As we continue on Buena Vista Street we see the Market.

The festive lamp poles.

Five and Dime Window.

The Red Car Trolley went by.

Julius Katz and Sons building.

I believe these window displays of 1920's Christmas decorations was in the Elias & Co. store windows (they could have been in the Five & Dime or Big Top Toys, as these stores run into one another)

Addy needed some camera attention.....lol

Atwater & Trolley Treats Candy store:

Big Top Toys:

Here's the trolley again.

Trolley Treats Candy Store:

Elias & Co. Store:

There was a Santa set up in Elias & Co.

Looking across to the Carthay Circle.

 

[DizNee Luver]

I totally agree about stepping onto Buena Vista Street vs. the old version of DCA. While I actually did like the old DCA a lot and it grew on me over time (I really miss the Golden Gate Bridge and the letters), I never felt truly 'transported' anywhere in California Adventure. You know what I mean, I can tell. In the old DCA, it felt like you could just travel a few hours out of SoCal/NorCal and get to the locations - the real-life, authentic sites - being represented in that park. I never felt like there was a real element of fantasy going on in enough of DCA to transport me.

Now that BVS and CL are in DCA, I feel much more of that 'fantasy vibe' that I was looking for, and I feel like I am being transported to places that I could just travel to in real life!

I totally get it......DCA was always missing that special thing that took you away to another place or time. I think they've found it with these new additions!!!

 

[DizNee Luver]

The Buena Vista Street Christmas Tree. Another huge tree, like the one in Disneyland.

A close up of the tree ornaments.

I loved these bells!!! Took me back to my childhood (and no, I don't mean from the 20's either......lol).....the 60's had that style of glittery bells too!! lol

What a neat popcorn stand!!!

Carthay Circle!! So grand and majestic. Inside is a restaurant that we opted to skip with our large family....but I am looking forward to checking it out in February when I go with Nick and Marie.

A couple random pics from the area:

Red Car Trolley:

The fountain is beautiful!!

Red Car Trolley again:

Back to the fountain:

And one more of the Red Car Trolley!!

 

[Sherry E]

I totally get it......DCA was always missing that special thing that took you away to another place or time. I think they've found it with these new additions!!!

I think my favorite picture of the batch you just posted above ^^ is the one of the Five & Dime window - with the round logo as the focal point!

Yes, exactly - when I go to a Disney park, I want to be taken away to another place or time that I would never be able to see or experience in real life. I want that element of fantasy in the themed lands. There are some areas of DCA that still don't really transport me anywhere, but I think they have made great progress!

 

[ksromack]

OMG, I'm stoked!!! I just read the Disney Blog and the narrator scheduled (at this time) to be there on the night I "scheduled" to do the Candlelight Processional is DICK VAN DYKE!!!!!! I sure hope I can secure dining package for my family when those are released/announced!!!!

I am just now joining in on your TR. The west coast is a foreign territory for me as I've never been to DL! I've been to WDW 7 times, and we actually just got back on Dec 17th (less than a month ago). My hubby's sister lives in Reseda so we are considering a Dec 2013 trip to LA and DL....so I'm hoping I can get the insurance company to pay for a roof on our house so I can apply that $ to a trip to the west coast

I know NOTHING about DL and staying ON SITE looks a little out of reach for us....but HoJo is another story I'll probably have a thousand questions but for right now I'm going to catch up on your report! One question for now, though....is the Candlelight Processional difficult to see at DL? We did attend the one in Orlando last month and I'd really like to experience the one in DL. We do not have AP.

 

[DizNee Luver]

I think my favorite picture of the batch you just posted above ^^ is the one of the Five & Dime window - with the round logo as the focal point!

Yes, exactly - when I go to a Disney park, I want to be taken away to another place or time that I would never be able to see or experience in real life. I want that element of fantasy in the themed lands. There are some areas of DCA that still don't really transport me anywhere, but I think they have made great progress!

I don't know if that was mine or Ty's pic........I know I did the picture of the entry into Elias & Co. (the ground).

If you get the feeling of leaving reality by stepping into Buena Vista Street, the rest is gravy (at least that's how I feel). Once I'm past the gates.....I'm already relaxed and leaving the outside world behind me.

I am just now joining in on your TR. The west coast is a foreign territory for me as I've never been to DL! I've been to WDW 7 times, and we actually just got back on Dec 17th (less than a month ago). My hubby's sister lives in Reseda so we are considering a Dec 2013 trip to LA and DL....so I'm hoping I can get the insurance company to pay for a roof on our house so I can apply that $ to a trip to the west coast

I know NOTHING about DL and staying ON SITE looks a little out of reach for us....but HoJo is another story I'll probably have a thousand questions but for right now I'm going to catch up on your report! One question for now, though....is the Candlelight Processional difficult to see at DL? We did attend the one in Orlando last month and I'd really like to experience the one in DL. We do not have AP.

Welcome!!! I will try and help answer any questions you have!! We were supposed to be coming home from WDW on Dec. 16th but plans changed and we ended up going to DL.

You will find that the 3 resort hotels would fall under the Deluxe category at WDW. Partly because they only have the 3 and there are so many options just outside the gates for "value" and "moderate" stays. We've stayed at the HoJo's and loved it!! It's about an 8 minute walk to the gates. (that will be the thing you'll appreciate about Disneyland over WDW~~everything is just a few minutes walk from each other!!)

The Candlelight Processional running for 20 nights at DL was a new thing this year. The seating was for Annual Pass holders that won their seats in a lottery drawing. You could arrive early and wait in the roped off areas for seats for the no-shows.....Sherry did this twice and got a great seat both nights). The rest was Standing Room Only. We ended up not going as doing the crowded SRO wasn't an option for my twins (or me). We didn't realize that getting seats would be so easy.....but we also decided not to lose park time by waiting for a chance. If it had been just me or me & hubby, I totally would have done it!! As for next year.......there are rumors that they will move the CP to the Hyperion Theater in Disney's California Adventure Park. If they do this, it will totally change how they did it this year. My guess is they would sell tickets or dining packages (similar to WDW) for the seats. At this point.....no one knows for sure how they'll be doing this next holiday season.

 

[DizNee Luver]

We left Buena Vista Street behind us and headed towards CarsLand. We passed this sign over by BugsLand (which is where the Radiator Springs Racers Fastpass machines is located). I'm pretty sure it was before noon.

A sign to the Blue Sky Cellar:

We had made it to the entrance of CarsLand.

Looking down the road in Radiator Springs.

Fillmore's Taste-In:

Sarge's Surplus Hut:

Just what everyone needs is a Luigi's Flying Tire hat!!

The Cozy Cone Motel:

Lightening McQueen and Mator trade off greeting guests at the Cozy Cone.

We took a restroom break and waited for probably 20 minutes for the family/handicapped restrooms to become available. I needed to change both girls and since they're older and bigger....it's kinda hard to do them in the regular restrooms. So we waited & waited & waited. While we were waiting.....Ty or Mike got pics of the kids:

After giving up on changing them right this moment, we headed back onto the road of Radiator Springs and "here it is"!!

I'm not sure what "it was"........lol

It's Luigi's!!

Flo's V-8 Cafe:

"Get your kicks, on Route 66"!!

It's Red the Firetruck!

 

[donac]

I just had to come on and say what a great report this is. Dh and I were in DL in 1978 for our honeymoon. We had planned to go back when we both turned 50 (DL opened right between my May birthday and dh's Oct birthday) but we never made it. We do plan to come back in 2018 for our 40th wedding anniversary. We are planning to go in Aug but I may be rethinkng it.

 

[DizNee Luver]

I just had to come on and say what a great report this is. Dh and I were in DL in 1978 for our honeymoon. We had planned to go back when we both turned 50 (DL opened right between my May birthday and dh's Oct birthday) but we never made it. We do plan to come back in 2018 for our 40th wedding anniversary. We are planning to go in Aug but I may be rethinkng it.

Thank you very much!!!

How awesome that you honeymooned at Disneyland!! My hubby's first time to Disneyland was 7mths after we were married back in 1984 but we only spent a day here.....wish I knew then what I know now. Those pictures would have been priceless!!

2018 That seems so far away......... maybe you'll be able to talk him into a 35th wedding anniversary at Disneyland!!!

 

[DizNee Luver]

The statue of Stanley.....complete with Santa hat!!

Well it's not how I would want my Christmas tree decorated, but all the hubcaps on this tree just seemed fitting!!

To the left of the Stanley Statue was a podium under an umbrella which is where you get a fastpass for people in wheelchairs or with a GAC for the Radiator Springs Racers. I believe they look at the return time for fastpasses given out by the machine and that is the time you return to do your ride. I think it's a wonderful system and would love to see them go to that on ALL the FP eligible rides!! So I got our FP's as Mike continued to snap pics.

The entrance to the Radiator Springs Racers.

Loved the garlands and wreaths made of air filters!!

Lizzie's Curio Shop:

Michayla:

So while I tried the restroom thing again with the twins, Mike stayed out on the road to get more pictures. As we were waiting, a CM Janitor came by and used a key to open one of the two rooms. It was out of order......well, a sign would have been nice!! After about 5 minutes, the other room finally opened and I was able to get both girls taken care of before it was too late!!

 

[DizNee Luver]

We group back together and Mike took a picture of the Route 66 tree.

Mator's Petting Zoo is one of the little tractors Mator's been known to startle by honking at them.

Another holiday tree fitting of CarsLand:

We decided to take the kids on Tow Mater's Junkyard Jamboree. Mike continued taking pics as we were in line.

Love these snowflakes!

I had Mike change his focus when I realized that Gwen Steffani had been in the line next to us (the wheelchair entrance) and then got escorted directly onto the ride. These are the pictures Mike was able to get of her and one of her sons without looking like a stalker!!

We were on the next go around and what a fun little ride this was!!!

 

[Trentmom]

What a great update

Loved all the window decorations. I just felt like I was walking along with you and your family. Such great pics

Carsland looked great!! I love all the car part decorations and car part trees

I love your fountain shots





forgot to mention, great photos of Gwen, especially the last one. She seems like a cool lady

 

[Sherry E]

Wow! You were not kidding when you told me that Mike got a really good pic of Gwen on the ride! That last shot of her is perfect! By the way, I think that's her oldest child, Kingston, with her. He has always been a cool, hip kid! I wonder where Gavin and the other child (and the nanny) were at that point.

If I had been where you guys were and saw Gwen on the ride, I probably wouldn't have hesitated to take a photo. At the point that I saw them (after you saw them) they were still in DCA but they were just standing there on Buena Vista Street. They were just a few feet from me and I could have gotten a nice clear shot - but they would have seen me and I just couldn't do it. But on the ride is different because they aren't really looking at who is taking pictures!

 

[donac]

Thank you very much!!!

How awesome that you honeymooned at Disneyland!! My hubby's first time to Disneyland was 7mths after we were married back in 1984 but we only spent a day here.....wish I knew then what I know now. Those pictures would have been priceless!!

2018 That seems so far away......... maybe you'll be able to talk him into a 35th wedding anniversary at Disneyland!!!

35th is this year and we are keeping it low keyed. We just spent 8 days in DW with our sons, their gf's and my sister and her family to celebrate ds2 graduating from college and the fact that my sons and her daughters are all in grad school or getting ready to go. In the next 3 years all 4 of them with have their Master's. We were also celebrating dh's last year of teaching. He is retiring at the end of this year.

In 2015 dh and I are going to Dw for our 60th birthdays and my retirement. Dh has always wanted to go at Halloween so that is what we plan to do.

DL was just something that came up in the last couple of weeks.

 

[DisneyStitch626]

Wow, such great details of Buena Vista St and Carsland! I can't wait to see it in person! So cool. Can't wait to check out all the little shops and things. Although I am guessing they have the same things as every other shop.

Great photos though! And how cool that you got to see Gwen!

 

[DizNee Luver]

What a great update

Loved all the window decorations. I just felt like I was walking along with you and your family. Such great pics

Carsland looked great!! I love all the car part decorations and car part trees

I love your fountain shots





forgot to mention, great photos of Gwen, especially the last one. She seems like a cool lady

Thanx Kelly!! I'm hoping the pics on Buena Vista Street were in order....it gets so confusing when Mike pops all over the place and then we had 2 more cameras taking pics......lol

The Christmas decorations in CarsLand was really themed perfectly!!! So many details went into making their new "land" absolutely amazing for the holidays!!

The fountain is beautiful in person!!

Gwen noticed Mike taking the picture on the last one, so he stopped and aimed elsewhere so she wouldn't think he was doing the paparazzi thing on her.....lol

Wow! You were not kidding when you told me that Mike got a really good pic of Gwen on the ride! That last shot of her is perfect! By the way, I think that's her oldest child, Kingston, with her. He has always been a cool, hip kid! I wonder where Gavin and the other child (and the nanny) were at that point.

If I had been where you guys were and saw Gwen on the ride, I probably wouldn't have hesitated to take a photo. At the point that I saw them (after you saw them) they were still in DCA but they were just standing there on Buena Vista Street. They were just a few feet from me and I could have gotten a nice clear shot - but they would have seen me and I just couldn't do it. But on the ride is different because they aren't really looking at who is taking pictures!

I didn't realize it was her until someone in our line said that's Gwen Stefani......it was then I realized she and her son had been right next to us. (they have 2 lines in the wheelchair lines~1 for w/c & gac and the other is VIP/special FP's) Once I spotted her on the ride, I got Mike to snapping pics. I didn't see the rest of the family and then we rode right after she did, so I didn't see where she went after they got off. I did not see the rest of the family on the ride.

35th is this year and we are keeping it low keyed. We just spent 8 days in DW with our sons, their gf's and my sister and her family to celebrate ds2 graduating from college and the fact that my sons and her daughters are all in grad school or getting ready to go. In the next 3 years all 4 of them with have their Master's. We were also celebrating dh's last year of teaching. He is retiring at the end of this year.

In 2015 dh and I are going to Dw for our 60th birthdays and my retirement. Dh has always wanted to go at Halloween so that is what we plan to do.

DL was just something that came up in the last couple of weeks.

Congrats on all the upcoming Master's degrees!!! My oldest son is engaged and his fiance just got her Masters in Education. Now if she could only find a job teaching!!

Fun plans for your 60th!! We've never gone at Halloween either. One of these years I'd like too check it out.....but right now I think I'd like the twins to get a bit older. Not sure how they'd do with the villians!

Wow, such great details of Buena Vista St and Carsland! I can't wait to see it in person! So cool. Can't wait to check out all the little shops and things. Although I am guessing they have the same things as every other shop.

Great photos though! And how cool that you got to see Gwen!

You'll be blown away.....the pictures don't do either area any justice!! It will be like you'd never seen any of it in pictures when you see it for the first time!! I think each shop has something "different" from other shops. I found the Elias & Co. had shirts that we didn't see in other places. But yes, a lot of the same stuff from shop to shop.

Usually I don't see the celebrities but the time I did see one, I never had my camera ready!!

 

[Sherry E]

I did the same thing - I was about to take a clear shot of Gavin, and then he looked right at me so I quickly aimed at a wreath. I just didn't want to be caught taking a picture of any kind ...so I waited until he turned his back!

On the subject of the shops carrying the same stuff - you know what's interesting is that, just in the last couple of days, I've had at least a couple of different people (WDW vets) mention in the DLR Christmas Superthread that they were surprised to see that at DLR there are different items in each shop and that the merchandise is not all the same from store to store like it is at WDW! I was surprised to hear that! I didn't know that WDW's stuff was pretty much the same in each place, but apparently DLR scored points over WDW in that area! Yay, DLR!

 

[DizNee Luver]

I did the same thing - I was about to take a clear shot of Gavin, and then he looked right at me so I quickly aimed at a wreath. I just didn't want to be caught taking a picture of any kind ...so I waited until he turned his back!

On the subject of the shops carrying the same stuff - you know what's interesting is that, just in the last couple of days, I've had at least a couple of different people (WDW vets) mention in the DLR Christmas Superthread that they were surprised to see that at DLR there are different items in each shop and that the merchandise is not all the same from store to store like it is at WDW! I was surprised to hear that! I didn't know that WDW's stuff was pretty much the same in each place, but apparently DLR scored points over WDW in that area! Yay, DLR!

I'm sure they're used to people taking their picture.....but they are there for pleasure and not work.....so I do feel kinda bad "intruding" on their time.....but I'm sure there are people that go right up to them and bug them. At least we didn't do that.

I think each shop has their own "theme" of such......a few things that might only be available there or very limited shops....but for the most part.....there is a lot of repeats. That is interesting to hear that about WDW though. I wonder if it's like that at EPCOT too?? I would think, at least in the "countries" that the merchandise would be different.

 

[Escape2Disney]

I think each shop has their own "theme" of such......a few things that might only be available there or very limited shops....but for the most part.....there is a lot of repeats. That is interesting to hear that about WDW though. I wonder if it's like that at EPCOT too?? I would think, at least in the "countries" that the merchandise would be different.

I was surprised this year to find most stores had something that others did not. I saw a blanket in ToonTown and assumed it'd also be in the Emporium. I ended up having to go back to ToonTown to get it. We had similiar situations with shirts, ornaments, and other stuff. I'm glad to see more variety in the stores.