3rd Times the Charm - Day Family takes on the California Coast, Yosemite, and DL

[QueenDoOver]

Really great report and love all the photos. We hope to do a trip like that with our kiddos eventually, starting in the Seattle area and working our way down.

Can't wait to hear how your family found DLR.

 

[tinkermell]

Great update!

Your pictures of the Grand are some of the best I've seen. You should post them onto the Disneyland Resorts stickey page!!

 

[kaoden39]

I have lived in California my whole life and I have never and would never petted a squirrel. They carry bubonic plague. That is a no no. Not only that they are rodents.

But on a high note I love your trip report. I love the pictures. It has been years since I have been to Yosemite. San Francisco, well we are only 45 miles a way. But I still think it is beautiful.

 

[melk]

Beautiful pictures, thank you for sharing them.

We are considering a similar trip next year and I notice you are a family of 5, like us. Did you have to get two hotel rooms or were you able to find accommodations that fit all of you (I was thinking more about when you were in Yosemite and San Francisco...we own DVC so Disneyland acommodations wouldn't be an issue for us).

Thanks!

 

[Sleepless Knight]

Beautiful pics Mike. Sometimes I forget how amazing Yosemite is.

 

[chickyann]

great photos... you may just have inspired me to try a CA road trip one day

 

[KCmike]

Beautiful pictures, thank you for sharing them.

We are considering a similar trip next year and I notice you are a family of 5, like us. Did you have to get two hotel rooms or were you able to find accommodations that fit all of you (I was thinking more about when you were in Yosemite and San Francisco...we own DVC so Disneyland acommodations wouldn't be an issue for us).

Thanks!

Thanks for all the nice comments. We had a blast indeed. I usually don't like to write alot of how our trip went and all that other verbage but show my trip through pictures.

We ended up staying just north of Monterey in a Holiday Inn Express in Marina. It had two beds and a pull out sofa for my son. We spent the day in SF and then drove to Yosemite. We stayed in Yosemite View Lodge (not The Yosemite Lodge at the FAlls which is inside the park). They had a weird setup. There was a loft that had a queen and then downstairs had a king and it was my wife, son, and I. We had never done that before. Usually we get the extra roll away or sofa pullout. It worked okay this time.

 

[KCmike]

Here are some more random shots. The first few are of Disneyland Hotel.

Random thoughts about this trip:

- This is was the most days we've stayed at the resort and we rode the fewest rides of anytime we've gone. (The pool, shops, and general "taking it easy" happened more on this trip than our usual commando style type of vacationing)....could it really mean I am getting older?

- Magical Fireworks show was very disappointing. Short and not so magical for me. RDCT is still the best fireworks show I've seen at either WDW or DL.

- Splash Mountain is my all time favorite ride at WDW. At DL it is Pirates or HM when the overlay is on.

- I would like to see DL open their operating calendar up sooner for out of towners who like to visit from afar. I would also like to see them perform the Electrical Parade, Fireworks, and Fantasmic! year round at least on the weekends. We pay alot of money for these special things and we deserve it.

- Why don't they sell the music for the new parades at their stores why it is current? Don't they want more money?

- I love the little things at DL....Sleepy's walk through, the penny arcade, magic shop, all the dark rides in fantasyland etc...

Next installment brings my wife and I to our very 1st Disney tour. We have always wanted to see the utilidors at WDW but our first tour was DL's A WALK IN WALT'S FOOTSTEPS. Stay tuned.

 

[KCmike]

We spent most of our days inside Disneyland Park. I think of the 5 days at the resort only about a day and less than a half were at DCA.

I love N.O. Square

My wife and I ended up taking the Walk In Walt's Footsteps tour on our third day there. We were fortunate to have relatives there so they could be with the kids while we did this alone. I didn't get the tickets till the night before. I walked into City Hall and inquired about the tour and got them for the next day. The CM working the counter was from Kansas City and ended up giving me a "Hometown Buddy" prize. Our tour guide the next morning was named Kelly. She was young but knew her stuff. Warning spoiler alert about this tour.....

We started the tour at the Flag Pole that also has the dedication plaque. We listened to Walt's Dedication Speech on our headphones that were provided on the tour. The headphones you wear allow you to wonder a little distance away from the guide but still be able to hear her talking. She plays snippets on her IPOD around the various areas of the park. We then ventured down Main Street. We were explained to how famous disney workers are awarded their names on the windows. We then headed to the famous Partners Statue. It was very interesting to hear how the statue started out. We heard about how Walt designed the spokes that lead into all of the different parks. We also heard how he went to other parks for inspiration and how they had "weenies" to entice people into those areas of the parks. Weenies you say, well that meant that they would give away free hot dogs to entice people. Walt's weenies were the icons of Tiki Room, Adventureland sign, Sleepy's castle with the carousel, and the rocket in tommorowland. I hope I remember this all correctly. It was off to the tiki room where we got to watch the show and then see a very famous flower.
This was one of the original flowers.

From there we proceeded to Club 33. We actually only got to go into the lobby area and into the elevator. These pictures came out very poorly.
I think it was because I was in such a rush.

Then we rode the train from NO Square to Fantasyland. Of course everyone has heard the story that in NOS station they play Walt's speech via morse code.

We stopped off at IASM. There we heard the story about how it was introduced at the Worlds Fair.

We talked a little about the Matterhorn as we walked up to the front of Sleepy's castle. We saw this on the way. How do you think they trim the bushes around Disneyland?

One of my favorite stories was that of the Snow White's statues to the right of Sleepy's Castle. When they ordered them and then received them they were wrong. Snow White was the same size as the dwarfs. Oops. So they added a small character at the top to be beside her to show size difference.

They also decided to add water so it wouldn't look like a grave site.

We then walked back down main street and back into a small area to have lunch. Of course there were many other things that the CM talked about than what I have just covered. Most of it I knew already but some of it I didn't know. It was fun. It was neat to hear Walt speak about his park. The final moment of the tour was when we were taken to the front gate and were looking up at the train station right in front of the floral mickey. The CM explained how Walt loved the Sherman Brothers and how much he loved the movie Mary Poppins (my personal favorite disney film). I guess he would go around at the studios and ask the Sherman Brothers to play "Feed the Birds" everytime he would pass by them. When they first played the song to him for the movie he became very emotional. He told the Sherman Bros. that this is what life is all about. She then explained how Walt passed away and the date of his passing.

I will load more pictures of the different areas we stopped by on my next update. We stopped by Golden Horseshoe, the Petrified tree, Walked by Rivers of America and pointed out the WD and RD that are now in Gold on the railing above the dream suite and a few other things.

 

[Sleepless Knight]

Your comment about Walt and the Sherman Brothers reminded me of a great story I heard from Richard Sherman on Lou Mongello's WDW Radio podcast.

I don't remember the specific occasion other than it was some sort of an event at Disneyland paying tribute to Walt. Richard Sherman related that he was asked to play the piano at this tribute. He shared a little bit about Feed the Birds and how much Walt loved it before playing it on the piano. He said that as he finished playing Feed the Birds, a flock of birds flew came down and landed at that moment.

 

[DisneySuiteFreak]

So the relatives called Disney and asked how they could have the RRI as a good neighbor and told them of the circumstances. They offered them a deal to move over with us to DL hotel. As they walked into the lobby thy immediately felt a sense of relief.

DCA is fun no matter what anyone says. Toy Story Mania is fun indeed. Soarin is amazing especially when you visited the Golden Gate Bridge and Yosemite National Park a few days before. Mosters Inc is cute, Screamin is a blast, and my favorite part is the Alladin Show. Perfecto.

Wow, that is great that Disney stepped up and made it right! I agree about DCA; it's fun! It'll be even better when they finish everything they're doing to it.
I love the photos and the TR! If I did a TR, it would probably be a lot like yours, few words and lots of pictures.
I did that same drive from SF-DL twice in my life, and I would so do it again! It is soooooo beautiful - words just can't describe it. It is one of those that you just have to see for yourself. Thanks for posting your photos and your T/R.

 

[kylieh]

Thank you for your TR. Yosemite is beautiful and so are the photos. DH and I have on our list a driving trip around California, I can't wait to show him in the morning your shots.

 

[KCmike]

One day my son and I got to meet Tony Baxter and Ed Grier as we were walking down mainstreet. They were standing just outside the Emporium. We rushed out of the DL hotel one morning and I forgot my camera. Still cool that I got to meet them though. I usually don't get star struck but thought that was kind of cool.

More thoughts:

If I do ever go back I would like to go at Christmas time. I love the HM overlay and would love to see the decorations.

I really need to get back to WDW to see how the world is nowadays.

I'm excited for the World of Color show but I probably won't be back until they finish the Little Mermaid and Carsland.

It's funny how I started on the disboards in the WDW category and then migrated to the DL side and am now having fun in the photography section and doing a little research in the Disney Cruise, Adventures by Disney, and others.

I have plenty of more pictures but I think I will save them for the POTD.

See you all on the DL POTD.

 

[Sleepless Knight]

By all means, you have to experience Disneyland at Christmastime. The park is absolutely beautiful and it's loaded with the spirit of Disneyland and the spirit of the holidays.

 

[DisneySuiteFreak]

If I do ever go back I would like to go at Christmas time. I love the HM overlay and would love to see the decorations.
I really need to get back to WDW to see how the world is nowadays.
I'm excited for the World of Color show but I probably won't be back until they finish the Little Mermaid and Carsland.
It's funny how I started on the disboards in the WDW category and then migrated to the DL side and am now having fun in the photography section and doing a little research in the Disney Cruise, Adventures by Disney, and others.

Christmastime at DL is just magical! Its super special! If you can go before the holiday rush when all the kid get out of school, it's even more awesome! In years prior, they kept the park open late and everything was running. Of course we both know how this year has been a year of change in that area!
Anyway, I agree with everything you said. Although we got APs this year, we probably won't be renewing any time soon. We'll probably wait until everything is up and running. I know what you mean about the Disboards. I actually started on Dl, went over to WDW when Ithought we were going there again, changed our mind and ended up back on the DL boards and photo boards. It's all addicting!

 

[KCmike]

Christmastime at DL is just magical! Its super special! If you can go before the holiday rush when all the kid get out of school, it's even more awesome! In years prior, they kept the park open late and everything was running. Of course we both know how this year has been a year of change in that area!
Anyway, I agree with everything you said. Although we got APs this year, we probably won't be renewing any time soon. We'll probably wait until everything is up and running. I know what you mean about the Disboards. I actually started on Dl, went over to WDW when Ithought we were going there again, changed our mind and ended up back on the DL boards and photo boards. It's all addicting!

How many hours are you away from the Land DisneySuiteFreak?

 

[DisneySuiteFreak]

How many hours are you away from the Land DisneySuiteFreak?

We're about a 6.5 flight away. Way too far away!

 

[KCmike]

And your an AP holder? How do I talk my wife into that?

How many visits do you need (estimate) to get your money's worth of the AP?

 

[merrrydeath]

And your an AP holder? How do I talk my wife into that?

How many visits do you need (estimate) to get your money's worth of the AP?

APs definitely aren't just for locals, which I guess a lot of people think.

If you go just twice and stay for two days(that's two 2-day park hoppers at $143 a piece) you pay for a deluxe AP. If you stay longer or take more trips it is an even better deal. After you've paid for the AP in visits, for subsequent trips you only have to pay for hotel and travel(and souvenirs ).

 

[DisneySuiteFreak]

And your an AP holder? How do I talk my wife into that?How many visits do you need (estimate) to get your money's worth of the AP?

APs definitely aren't just for locals, which I guess a lot of people think.If you go just twice and stay for two days(that's two 2-day park hoppers at $143 a piece) you pay for a deluxe AP. If you stay longer or take more trips it is an even better deal. After you've paid for the AP in visits, for subsequent trips you only have to pay for hotel and travel(and souvenirs ).

This is exactly right!

Mike, I have heard of many non locals getting it and doing this. What a lot of people do (and what I originally intended to do) was to get the AP and use it twice. The 2nd trip would have been just before the AP expired. But, we got our AP on Jan 3, so as DAP holders we are blocked out during most of the holidays anyway. My son is in college now so he won't get out for Xmas break until our block out dates. So that's another reason why we took a trip this summer instead. My DH and I are also taking a short side trip in September. (We got free airfare because we were bumped on our return trip this past June.) I have more paid leave from work that will expire if I don't use it so were going! If we didn't have the AP, we would not go period. But basically, it's a free trip except for hotels and meals.

When we go, we usually get the 5 day passes, so the DAP is worth it for us. You can literally get 2 trips for a little more than the price of one trip. This past year, they were discounted online for $239 and a 5 day pass would've been $199. They only started discounting that to $179 after we bought the DAP. Also Costco's in SoCal, and later online, had them at $269 with a $50 Disney gift card! We would've bought that, but since we eat most of our meals out of the park and don't buy that much in souvenirs, it made more sense for us to get the DAP for $239. I heard recently that Costco's in Southern Cali just renewed their DAP discount through the end of this year. Not sure if it's true, but if it is, it may be worth looking into for you Mike. With a family of four, that would be $200 in Disney Gift cards. (Sorry I don't recall if you have 2 or more kids.) That's a lot of meals or souvenirs in the park.

Next time we'll have to time it better. I know my DH has had more than enough Disney for the rest of his life, so I think we'll let these passes expire in January, and then get another one after all the new stuff is done next year. No sense in getting it in January since we're blocked out through the entire 2nd half of December and first few days of January... It would make more sense to get the DAP in the Summer and then we have more leeway as far as block out dates. For example, say next year we get them July 5, 2010. They won't expire until July 5, 2011. So we could go again, the following year say June 15 2011 -- and they would still be good to use! 2 trips for a little more than the price of one! We are blocked out on Saturdays during peak Summer and some major holidays like July 4, IIRC. We just do other things on those days. Some people just use it as a relaxation day to hang out by the pool.

To be honest, I've been talking about getting APs for years. My DH kind of just tunes it out because he could take it or leave it. But I sat him down before our January trip and explained the benefits, and how much we could save if we used it like 2 trips for the price of 1, and he bought into it. So if you want to talk your wife into getting APs, that's the way to do it. I just think it's important to find out the DAP block out dates so you can plan around it. I should have looked into this part of it better. We found out that we really liked the weather in the summer, so I think if we get APs again, that's the way to do it. Plan one trip for mid-late summer, and a 2nd trip the following year for early summer. 2 for 1! The only downside of APs is no early entry, but honestly, even when we went and it was crazy busy, we still got to ride a lot of rides in the early morning before 12 noon and utilizing FP because no one can access FPs until general park opening anyway.