Just got back from our recent trip and overall had a great time!! So many great tips from the board made things go even smoother- this was my first trip back to DL in decades and a first for hubby and our two daughters (8, 10).
Our flights/travel went smoothly which is nice. We did a flat rate Yellow Cab out of Long Beach to The Grand Californian, $47 (actually less) plus tip. Easy to catch the ride and got a discount using the app.
Overall we were very happy with the hotel- I was there for a conference, so wouldn't have otherwise chosen such an expensive place, but it was very convenient. Hubby was impressed with the lobby/decor. Our room wasn't anything special, but what I'd expect for a hotel. The service was all fantastic, and while we typically opt out of housekeeping, we had a middle of the night vomiting incident that required a call and some cleaning/linens at midnight and they were so helpful. The convenience of location and DCA entrance were a major plus for the hotel. I had booked DLR as our first resort 3 of our 4 park days, but ended up changing it to DCA the night before 2 of those nights since I would be at meetings and it was easier for the rest of the fam to just go scan in and go back to the room. (our early entry plans didn't pan out like I had planned)
Arrival day:
We were at the hotel by about 11, I had done the online check in, so we didn't really need to stop at the desk, but I didn't know that. So we stopped and they got us a pool card. We were starving, so we went to the Craftsman Grill for lunch... It was just okay and VERY expensive... I was shocked by the bill, in part since it was our first disney pricing, but it was also a little extreme IMO. Fountain soda was 5.75, not included with the kids meal. The kids meal was $10 and was a tiny slider burger. My 8 yo was not impressed. We also got the nachos to share, and since we ordered the meat on the side (kids were being whiny/disagreeing on the meat) they forgot some of the other toppings. Taste wise it was fine and we were all hungry, so it worked, but not worth the price.
Our room was ready by the time we were done eating, so we went up and got settled. the kids wanted to swim, though the weather this week was quite cold 60-70 every day and cloudy. That didn't stop the swimming, but it was unexpected weather.
We had dinner reservations for Goofy's Kitchen that night, but weren't rushed anywhere. The dinner was good for a buffet. Lots of food choices, the kids even ate some fruits and vegetables. They did also get desserts on their first pass at the buffet, but hey, it's vacation. The carved meats were really good and I felt there was a nice variety of options. Too many dessert choices so we were all very full by the end. The walk through downtown disney between hotels was nice- we are a big Star Wars family, so the Star Wars outpost had lots of nice things to see/ plan for souvenirs. We went to bed early after a long travel day and with plans to rope drop for our 1 full day in the parks.
Thursday-
A grad night at DCA, but I don't think that made much difference in the crowds- they were similar our whole trip. We timed it right that they opened the back gate at DCA right where we were in line, so we made it to the turnstiles at DL before 7:30. We did detour to city hall to get printed tickets- the person at the gate was very unhelpful and I had to ask several times how to get printed tickets before she said city hall. I have our only smart phone, so using a phone to scan everything wouldn't work for us... and I wasn't buying more magic bands. I get wanting to go digital, but it's really inconvenient and you could see it slowing everything down checking into the parks and lightening lanes with having to find everything on people's phones. We were able to just scan our tickets and move on.
Anyway- we made it to space mountain for our rope drop ride- hubby just walked through, he doesn't do rollercoasters. But the kids and I had fun. After that there wasn't really time for anything else, so we headed across the park to wait to be let in near Frontierland. Indy was our next goal. It's my favorite ride and what I had been looking forward to the most in returning to DL.
They did announce at the rope that Rise was not opening with the parks. It was a mad dash, but we made it and didn't have to wait long to ride Indy. I was also able to start booking LL when the park opened, so we did our best to make use of that. Surprising, the rides were all running really well our first day, so no MEPs. After indy we were able to hit pirates and jungle cruise. We were also able to get on Smugglers run without much wait, had some blue milk and other park snacks while we waited for our next lightening lanes. I was able to set up Indy, space mountain, Guardians and incredicoaster as the day went on. Hopping was really easy, so we made good use of it. We snuck in Soarin and some time at the Redwood play area before the big rides at DCA. The 10 yo and I did RSR single rider while the others went back to the room for a bit, and then we returned to DL later for more lightening lanes and a few of the rides without LL. Overall waits for things like pirates and jungle cruise never got too long. Indy and space were probably the worst.
Lightening lanes mostly went fast, though we had an evening space mountain one that took forever- but the standby was up to 70 minutes and it was shortly before the grad night started, so I wonder if the timing was just bad to have a lot of people show up at once.
We managed to ride space 3 times that day, soarin, little mermaid, incredicoaster, guardians, jungle cruise twice (day and night) pirates twice, haunted mansion, nemo submarines. We also took the train all around the park at the end of the night which was cool.
For food, the mobile ordering was a huge help- though typing in the gift card number every time was a pain- but I like using the gift cards for food to help keep track of the spending. We mobile ordered Flo's V8 for lunch and had a close arrival time, later in the night we ordered Little Red Wagon Corn dogs, it was great since the line was really long and we didn't have to wait. After figuring that out on the first day, we used it a lot.
We did pretty much open to close that day, but hit all of the major rides we wanted to go on, so even if we'd only had one day, I would have been pretty satisfied. We have been on Rise at WDW, so didn't make a huge effort to ride it- We didn't pay for any ILL this trip, G+ was expensive enough.
Friday-
I had meetings from 7-12, but was able to get scanned in and get the family up and scanned in to DCA on my morning break. They played a little while at the redwood area, but then just went back to the room until my meetings were done. But, it gave us a couple hour lead to book some rides. I started us with incredicoaster and after 2 hours could book Indy, hoping either for it to go down and give us an MEP or just to ride it, since I love that ride. The modify feature is great- I was able to push back IC until the time we needed while still having the clock ticking for our next LL booking window.
Once we were in the parks we did Incredicoaster and then RSR single rider since the other 2 hadn't ridden it yet. It still moved pretty fast, though there was a few minute breakdown while we were in line. It resolved quickly, so that was good.
We had lunch reservations at Blue Bayou so didn't spend much time at DCA. We scanned into DL and hopped on the train to the first stop. We checked in a little early and requested a water side table, which was granted. My 10yo spent the first 10 minutes waiving at every boat until her arm got tired. We really enjoyed the BB. I had gumbo and the Monte Cristo- it was delicious. Hubby shared my plate, also ordered gumbo and the scallops appetizer. Both kids ordered the kids steak, but when we got their meals, there was a huge discrepancy in steak size- one seemed appropriate and the other was like a sliver of a steak. I usually don't like to complain, but when we pointed it out to the waiter, he mentioned that those cuts are always inconsistent and that they would take care of it (it looks like they cook a steak and then cut it in half to split between meals, but don't cut very evenly) they brought a full new plate with a normal sized piece of meat and additional sides, so the kids had a little more filling of a meal. We were very happy with the service we received and everything tasted great. I would definitely dine there again, but more for the lunch menu since the Monte Cristo isn't on the dinner menu. (Oddly, this meal was way less expensive than the meal at Craftsman on our first day...)
We went on pirates right after our meal and waved at our now empty table. We had an LL for Indy, but when we got there the ride was down... but after riding jungle cruise, it was back up and we now had an MEP that made it easier to make use of the remaining LL for the night. We did Indy and space mountain, buzz, hit the storybook canal boats and then rode BTMRR and Millenium falcon, haunted mansion, pirates, Indy again with the MEP and I think jungle cruise again on the way out of the parks.
TBC
Our flights/travel went smoothly which is nice. We did a flat rate Yellow Cab out of Long Beach to The Grand Californian, $47 (actually less) plus tip. Easy to catch the ride and got a discount using the app.
Overall we were very happy with the hotel- I was there for a conference, so wouldn't have otherwise chosen such an expensive place, but it was very convenient. Hubby was impressed with the lobby/decor. Our room wasn't anything special, but what I'd expect for a hotel. The service was all fantastic, and while we typically opt out of housekeeping, we had a middle of the night vomiting incident that required a call and some cleaning/linens at midnight and they were so helpful. The convenience of location and DCA entrance were a major plus for the hotel. I had booked DLR as our first resort 3 of our 4 park days, but ended up changing it to DCA the night before 2 of those nights since I would be at meetings and it was easier for the rest of the fam to just go scan in and go back to the room. (our early entry plans didn't pan out like I had planned)
Arrival day:
We were at the hotel by about 11, I had done the online check in, so we didn't really need to stop at the desk, but I didn't know that. So we stopped and they got us a pool card. We were starving, so we went to the Craftsman Grill for lunch... It was just okay and VERY expensive... I was shocked by the bill, in part since it was our first disney pricing, but it was also a little extreme IMO. Fountain soda was 5.75, not included with the kids meal. The kids meal was $10 and was a tiny slider burger. My 8 yo was not impressed. We also got the nachos to share, and since we ordered the meat on the side (kids were being whiny/disagreeing on the meat) they forgot some of the other toppings. Taste wise it was fine and we were all hungry, so it worked, but not worth the price.
Our room was ready by the time we were done eating, so we went up and got settled. the kids wanted to swim, though the weather this week was quite cold 60-70 every day and cloudy. That didn't stop the swimming, but it was unexpected weather.
We had dinner reservations for Goofy's Kitchen that night, but weren't rushed anywhere. The dinner was good for a buffet. Lots of food choices, the kids even ate some fruits and vegetables. They did also get desserts on their first pass at the buffet, but hey, it's vacation. The carved meats were really good and I felt there was a nice variety of options. Too many dessert choices so we were all very full by the end. The walk through downtown disney between hotels was nice- we are a big Star Wars family, so the Star Wars outpost had lots of nice things to see/ plan for souvenirs. We went to bed early after a long travel day and with plans to rope drop for our 1 full day in the parks.
Thursday-
A grad night at DCA, but I don't think that made much difference in the crowds- they were similar our whole trip. We timed it right that they opened the back gate at DCA right where we were in line, so we made it to the turnstiles at DL before 7:30. We did detour to city hall to get printed tickets- the person at the gate was very unhelpful and I had to ask several times how to get printed tickets before she said city hall. I have our only smart phone, so using a phone to scan everything wouldn't work for us... and I wasn't buying more magic bands. I get wanting to go digital, but it's really inconvenient and you could see it slowing everything down checking into the parks and lightening lanes with having to find everything on people's phones. We were able to just scan our tickets and move on.
Anyway- we made it to space mountain for our rope drop ride- hubby just walked through, he doesn't do rollercoasters. But the kids and I had fun. After that there wasn't really time for anything else, so we headed across the park to wait to be let in near Frontierland. Indy was our next goal. It's my favorite ride and what I had been looking forward to the most in returning to DL.
They did announce at the rope that Rise was not opening with the parks. It was a mad dash, but we made it and didn't have to wait long to ride Indy. I was also able to start booking LL when the park opened, so we did our best to make use of that. Surprising, the rides were all running really well our first day, so no MEPs. After indy we were able to hit pirates and jungle cruise. We were also able to get on Smugglers run without much wait, had some blue milk and other park snacks while we waited for our next lightening lanes. I was able to set up Indy, space mountain, Guardians and incredicoaster as the day went on. Hopping was really easy, so we made good use of it. We snuck in Soarin and some time at the Redwood play area before the big rides at DCA. The 10 yo and I did RSR single rider while the others went back to the room for a bit, and then we returned to DL later for more lightening lanes and a few of the rides without LL. Overall waits for things like pirates and jungle cruise never got too long. Indy and space were probably the worst.
Lightening lanes mostly went fast, though we had an evening space mountain one that took forever- but the standby was up to 70 minutes and it was shortly before the grad night started, so I wonder if the timing was just bad to have a lot of people show up at once.
We managed to ride space 3 times that day, soarin, little mermaid, incredicoaster, guardians, jungle cruise twice (day and night) pirates twice, haunted mansion, nemo submarines. We also took the train all around the park at the end of the night which was cool.
For food, the mobile ordering was a huge help- though typing in the gift card number every time was a pain- but I like using the gift cards for food to help keep track of the spending. We mobile ordered Flo's V8 for lunch and had a close arrival time, later in the night we ordered Little Red Wagon Corn dogs, it was great since the line was really long and we didn't have to wait. After figuring that out on the first day, we used it a lot.
We did pretty much open to close that day, but hit all of the major rides we wanted to go on, so even if we'd only had one day, I would have been pretty satisfied. We have been on Rise at WDW, so didn't make a huge effort to ride it- We didn't pay for any ILL this trip, G+ was expensive enough.
Friday-
I had meetings from 7-12, but was able to get scanned in and get the family up and scanned in to DCA on my morning break. They played a little while at the redwood area, but then just went back to the room until my meetings were done. But, it gave us a couple hour lead to book some rides. I started us with incredicoaster and after 2 hours could book Indy, hoping either for it to go down and give us an MEP or just to ride it, since I love that ride. The modify feature is great- I was able to push back IC until the time we needed while still having the clock ticking for our next LL booking window.
Once we were in the parks we did Incredicoaster and then RSR single rider since the other 2 hadn't ridden it yet. It still moved pretty fast, though there was a few minute breakdown while we were in line. It resolved quickly, so that was good.
We had lunch reservations at Blue Bayou so didn't spend much time at DCA. We scanned into DL and hopped on the train to the first stop. We checked in a little early and requested a water side table, which was granted. My 10yo spent the first 10 minutes waiving at every boat until her arm got tired. We really enjoyed the BB. I had gumbo and the Monte Cristo- it was delicious. Hubby shared my plate, also ordered gumbo and the scallops appetizer. Both kids ordered the kids steak, but when we got their meals, there was a huge discrepancy in steak size- one seemed appropriate and the other was like a sliver of a steak. I usually don't like to complain, but when we pointed it out to the waiter, he mentioned that those cuts are always inconsistent and that they would take care of it (it looks like they cook a steak and then cut it in half to split between meals, but don't cut very evenly) they brought a full new plate with a normal sized piece of meat and additional sides, so the kids had a little more filling of a meal. We were very happy with the service we received and everything tasted great. I would definitely dine there again, but more for the lunch menu since the Monte Cristo isn't on the dinner menu. (Oddly, this meal was way less expensive than the meal at Craftsman on our first day...)
We went on pirates right after our meal and waved at our now empty table. We had an LL for Indy, but when we got there the ride was down... but after riding jungle cruise, it was back up and we now had an MEP that made it easier to make use of the remaining LL for the night. We did Indy and space mountain, buzz, hit the storybook canal boats and then rode BTMRR and Millenium falcon, haunted mansion, pirates, Indy again with the MEP and I think jungle cruise again on the way out of the parks.
TBC
Last edited:
and then split up until our dining reservation at Oga's.
