A Heat Wave, some Blips, and some Roundabout Waze: A First Time DLR/CA Trip Report 8/25-9/3! (UPDATED AND CONCLUDED 11/22)

[BroadwayHermione5]

Day 1: August 25th TRAVEL DAY


As previously mentioned, we found cheaper flights through Expedia out of our local airport and braved layovers and only using carryon luggage. Once we landed in Detroit we quickly got on the moving walkways in the cool light tunnel (couldn’t get pictures had very little time to make it from one point to the other) and over to our next area. Delta was awesome for both flights.


Since our first flight was just over an hour, it had no TVs or anything and limited snack service but that was fine-we had packed a few snacks and gotten drinks before boarding our first plane. Then we got on the gorgeous big plane from Detroit to Santa Ana. We did buy the extra food options on the plane (I will be dreaming of that white cheddar cheese spread from the bistro box) because we didn’t have time to grab breakfast.


I watched Doctor Strange Multiverse of Madness (holy smokes was that dark! I love dark stuff but that got deep lol) and a few episodes of season five of the Big Bang Theory (pulling a Roger DeBris from the Producers and moving my lips along with the actors as that season has many a glorious moment).

I managed a small nap, and occasionally watched the map. My parents and I were very happy with Delta, especially since neither of us had been on it in a while (I forget when my parents were last on it, but I actually flew to and from Ireland on Delta in college for a choral trip and loved it! Nice to see the pandemic didn’t deter it in terms of service).


We landed in Santa Ana/John Wayne Airport a little after 11 AM PST. What a BEAUTIFUL airport. All of you going to DLR need to fly here! Especially since renting a a car is cheaper here (even before the employee discount we used.)

After stopping at the bathroom and figuring out where we needed to go, we made our way down to National. We had a bit of a snafu, but once it was settled we actually got an upgrade! I have no clue what our original car was supposed to be, but we ended up with a 2022 Chevy Malibu. Considering we primarily drive Chevys, it was a no brainer to use.
Right off the freeway we saw the Matterhorn!

We were SHOCKED at how close we were to Disneyland. Shocked by all the u turns and that we could see the backs of rides as well. We were finally here!

After pulling our first of many u turns, we pulled into the Fairfield Marriott on Harbor Boulevard (yes the one with our beloved Panera). We were recommended this by a coworker of my dads and honestly it’s very nice, clean and perfect for people who are on the go. The pool is small and the general store is way overpriced if you forgot something but they are efficient. Plus you’re near the Panera and daily parking actually isn’t a lot (I think total for the 9 nights it was $134 in the end?).


Yes we love it here and since the one in our two and the next two closest ones closed it can take 30 minutes to get to the next closest ones so we were spoiled lol!

We did get slightly jealous of the Courtyard Marriott next door between the water slide and covered parking, but honestly we would not mind returning to the Fairfield.


Turns out the 4th floor which we were on leads to a hidden Mickey! Love seeing Disney magic in the good neighbors!



After checking in, checking the room (passed every test including the Peter Werner dust test!) and figuring out our safe and mini fridge situation, we hopped back in the Malibu and drove the short distance to Panera. There’s a reason we drove and I’ll get to that, but first I want to point out Panera has got some good deal going right now. First off make sure you have your rewards all ready to go because even though some nights we’d just get drinks it helped and we keep getting $ off and promos. Second is there is a great 4 breakfast sandwich with drinks included deal for like $20. We did it a couple of times (yes a bagel with cream cheese counts) and we saw many families doing it. And while we never had one, those flatbreads? Those things are huge and we saw many a group of siblings splitting one. Truly one of the highlights was being so close to something that was easily accessible. Strollers do have to be parked outside though and during weeknights they stop the iPad orders when you walks in at like 8 pm. But all in all worth it.

After that we headed to Target to get basics (and we somehow still forgot sunscreen hence the over priced general store comment). And headed back up to the room. Being on the 4th you could face the front or back or sides of the hotel. We happened to face the back of the hotel which we later discovered faced the hotels that were near the Garden Walk Anaheim. Most people who watched fireworks at our hotel go to the 8th/9th floor though as an FYI.


We did a little bit of driving around before heading back to the hotel and trying to keep awake as we knew that staying awake was better than falling asleep. By this time it was mid afternoon, and we were getting hungry. So at around 5:30 we headed out and went to the exotic steakhouse known as the Outback (my dad made that joke on the phone to one of my aunts and we all got a kick out of it lol). It was really good. We honestly never have issues with Outback-it’s a solid chain restaurant wherever we go.

On our way out my dad mentioned stopping at the Italian ice place we saw driving around.

This place turned out to be Joe’s, which has been around since a couple years after Disneyland opened! If you are close enough to walk to it or can drive there I highly recommend it. We tried going again but between after school crowds and our schedules it never worked out, but it was delicious! Better than some of the places we have on the east coast for sure (and that’s saying something).



I got cookies and cream and it was delicious!


After that we headed back to the hotel as we knew we needed to shower and * attempt* get some sleep. Plus we needed to be up to get to our next location between the drive, premium parking and my mom renting a scooter!

Thank you all for following along and joining me on this trip report! Jet leg, work and a plethora of other things kept me from starting it earlier but I hope you enjoy!

 

[BroadwayHermione5]

Day 2: August 26th- UNIVERSAL STUDIOS HOLLYWOOD





Well spoiler alert none of us slept good due to jet lag! We were all up between 2 and 3 am as that was between 5 and 6 am EST which is when we normally wake up.



We finally admitted defeat and got up and ready and headed over to Panera for breakfast. This was the day we discovered the 4 breakfast sandwich deal I mentioned in my previous post!

The drive would be just over an hour according to all GPS apps. And for a Friday at around 8:45 it wasn’t horrible. But this is where the last part of the title comes in. Waze will get you off the highway and onto back streets to avoid traffic, so it can be slightly nerve wracking if you’ve never driven there before. It had us merge over the 6 lane highway and what not, and at one point it led us into LA near studios I can’t remember the name of, but I did recall seeing directional signs for the Disney Concert Hall. We also passed by the portion of the LA River where they filmed the car race in Grease. We eventually made it back on the highway. The only time I saw the Hollywood sign was during this time and I couldn’t get a picture of it between the smog and the sound walls on the highway.





Another cool looking building. A plus to Waze.

Anyhoo. We make it to studio city right before opening and pay for VIP Parking. DO THE VIP PARKING. We were legitimately parked in the front, mere one row over from the sidewalk. Everyone in the car was offered a small bottle of water and fruit snacks because we parked there. We waited a few minutes outside the gate and we were off at 10 am when it opened.



We immediately went to rent my mom a scooter and that’s when we were informed of their DAS system out there. My mom was given a card, and if the wait time was over 45 minutes, a TM would give a return time for us to use the Express Pass lane. If it was under, spending on the ride we would wait or be led through express pass due to her being in a scooter. That’s a major win in our book (though they aren’t accessible in other areas-I’ll get to that later).

After that, we booked it to Hogsmeade. We did some browsing and then my dad and I immediately jumped in line for Flight of the Hippogriff, which we haven’t done int Orlando since maybe 2015? Our 2019 trip made me realize I can’t do Forbidden Journey like I used to, and since being diagnosed with mild scoliosis I take it one day at a time and in the end I never went back to ride.



This tour is WORTH the price of admission. Our driver Tituss and tour guide Ellie were absolutely fantastic! And we got to see them setting up for terror tram! How I wish we could do HHN here just for that! Truly a brilliant hour of our time!


Here’s Norman saying hi!

And this day would be a thousand posts long if I kept uploading pictures lolololol.

We then were hungry as it was around 12 something and we decided to head to fast food Boulevard as it’s always a hit. This is where our first blip occurs. I try not to be negative, but I also recognize sometimes there are experiences that cause negative reaction. Plus I usually believe that for every pro there is a con. Much like Florida, the taco truck and duff gardens are separate from the eating areas. However, because they couldn’t put it all on one side like in Florida, the different fast food stops are on opposite sides of the street. So if you want Luigi’s but the rest of your party wants Krusty, you most likely will be walking your food across the way to meet up with your group. HOWEVER, there are some pros! For starters, the seating is plentiful and comfortable. While it’s plentiful in Florida, they were able to build up and back in Hollywood, allowing for more seating. They also use different and fresh ingredients. For example, my beloved chicken and waffle sandwich in Florida uses what can only be described as giant eggos for the waffles. Here they were rectangles of pure fluffiness and tasted like syrup was baked into them. The chicken was fresh and juicy and even for a state with a horrible drought right now the veggies and fruits can’t be beat. The third is spider pig. Does whatever a spider pig does.


Told you he does whatever a Spider pig does.

After lunch we headed to Simpson’s where we were given a return time as it was a 55 minute wait. We headed over into Despicable Me and couldn’t believe our eyes when we saw Super Silly Fun Land! Such a cute area for kids! We then immediately got on the ride as it was a 20( yes 20) minute wait! Always a fun ride!



Seriously look how cute this is!

Afterwards we had a drink from the bar across the way and relaxed outside SLoP. We never made it on SLoP, but it was no loss to us. I am happy Universal seems to be breaking away from screens a bit more, and hopefully we see more of that in Epic Universe. We eventually meandered over to Simpsons and through the express. Unfortunately the ride stopped working and we were told to return and given a password to use at Express for later. So we decided to head down to the lower lot.


And here is where that issue I mentioned earlier happens. As those of you who have been to USH know, it’s built in the side of a mountain. The escalators and stairs to the lower lot are LONG AND HUGE. I didn’t snap a picture, but I know others have. You are still not prepared when you see it in person. There is an elevator that brings you down to where you meet a shuttle. Yes a shuttle. To drive you to the lower lot. They don’t start adding more shuttles until it gets busy. By the time we made it down there, it was a bust because every ride was over an hour and we didn’t want to wait since my mom doesn’t do Jurassic Park/World and we don’t like transformers and as much as we love Mummy, it’s not the best for tall people with knee issues or short humans with mild scoliosis. So we saw the raptor encounter and headed back to the shuttle waiting area which is dangerous because there is only one ramp in and out in the lower lot, where at least the drop off/pick up point for the upper lost has a separate exit. Also a lot of people abuse this shuttle, and often times it results in wheelchairs and ECVS being forced to wait. Thankfully another shuttle came immediately after the first one and we were back on the upper lot. Lesson learned: ECV/Wheelchair users go to the lower lot first.

Admitting defeat we went back on Simpsons with the password and enjoyed it as always. We then knew the last Waterworld was about an hour away, and we had time to catch Animal Actors. We always like these kinds of shows, but felt bad because it was so hot and those animals must’ve been hot and their trainers most likely were very concerned for them.


Here is an owl! So much bigger in person!

We then headed to Waterworld which a ton of humans had the same thought. Since we had the ECV we sat in the blue section away from the water. Those stunt performers were having way too much fun in the pre show. Be it my mom hasn’t seen it in years and I never saw it, my dad had to explain the film to us. And after this show, I watch to watch it so badly lol.

Absolutely worth it. And I love how during curtain call, they tell you what the most recent performance/stunt work the performer has done. I took pictures of their headshots and of course immediately imdb’d everyone lol.


The brilliant cast!

I didn’t really take a lot of photos and no video (was worried about things getting wet) and also just wanted to enjoy it. But I will tell you again it’s so worth it!

We then dropped of the scooter, picked up items we sent to the front of the park earlier and headed into City Walk. Now this was our first disappointment/blip that was caused by our previous experience. Finding out this CW had an Antojito’s was a happy discovery. We loved it down in Orlando. Well, we were soon disappointed. While the service was good and the food fresh and hot, it was severely lacking something in terms of the personality that made us love the one in Orlando. The bar was also out of various things (though again not their fault with supply issues) and their menu was far more limited than Orlando’s. It was a much needed lesson that we shouldn’t compare everything to what we knew in Florida both good and bad. We made our way out and the car was practically right there at the exit, and headed out. Saw a glorious sunset and horseback rider on the way back.




When we got back, we all showered and went to bed. We had another long day tomorrow, and we wanted to be refreshed.

 

[evilmommie]

Sounds like a great trip. Glad y'all made it out here to So Cal!

 

[BroadwayHermione5]

Sounds like a great trip. Glad y'all made it out here to So Cal!

Thank you! It was a great trip! We are already planning our return with more family lol!

Even our neighbors are getting convinced!

 

[evilmommie]

Thank you! It was a great trip! We are already planning our return with more family lol!

Even our neighbors are getting convinced!

Yay! Yes, come back. Love your pics and info about Universal. I haven't been there in 5-6 years maybe...and your report makes me want to go back!

 

[BroadwayHermione5]

Yay! Yes, come back. Love your pics and info about Universal. I haven't been there in 5-6 years maybe...and your report makes me want to go back!

YAY! Happy to do some convincing!

 

[BroadwayHermione5]

DAY 3 Part 1: August 27th: WARNER BROS STUDIO TOUR





Once again another night of waking up in the middle of the night to our EST counterparts.

We got up and headed to Panera around 8, and headed for Burbank. Waze was actually good to us this time lol. I wish I had known that right off the exit was the Disney Studios because I got no pictures lol. Would’ve attempted a tour there as well!



We found WB not too far away, and discovered we were so early that we drove around a bit. If only I had the money-Burbank is gorgeous. Plus it has our North eastern salvation: DUNKIN DONUTS. Yes we immediately went there, got some drinks and waited it out to head back to WB.


Truth be told I fell in love with this area-if only
I had the money.


Our original tour time was 10 am and we decided at around 9:20 to leave Dunkin and head for WB. We were taken in, and were told we could get on earlier. So we took it. We were led into a small theatre where we watched a quick highlight reel and then we’re off with our guides.
These Statues are in the front of the main building of the tour!

The first hour is the tram (well really giant golf cart) driving you around and getting out and seeing the sights. Our Young Sheldon, Big Bang Theory and Friends loving hearts as well as my cinema fan parents hearts were filled. Did you know both the 1982 and 1999 Annie filmed on the lot? Did you know their orphanage entrances are right next to each other? Did you know one part of Santa Fe in Newsies was filmed on the same fire escape Prince took his photos for Purple Rain? It’s amazing what we found out.


The infamous tower! Home of the Animaniacs!

We saw facades being put up for Abbott Elementary (Warner has an open lot policy so as long as you pay you can film there if you aren’t a Warner production). We got to see a lot of familiar sites, some instantly recognizable and others done up for whatever was filming. We took pictures at the gazebo aka the Stars Hollow gazebo from Gilmore Girls and went into Ross and Monica’s parents house from Friends. We also got to tour a soundstage All American was currently filming on. This first hour was a true delight, and we were very happy.

(While I got photos, there are some rules. So a couple I can’t fully post. But I got photos. This Big Bang Theory and Young Sheldon loving human is very happy!)

We were then dropped off at part 2. This is where the Central Perk Cafe and big friends store are.


We decided to go through the exhibit first, which includes the Friends and TBBT set (I sat in Sheldon’s spot thank god Jim Parson was a tall man that thing was sunken in!), you can take pictures on various things (like a batmobile or a broom) and do various things like ADR (automated dialogue replacement aka film sets are loud you need to re record lines) and see how sound is mixed.




Some TBBT related content for you.

After that, we grabbed some delicious drinks and snack plates at Central Perk to split (keep in mind you have to finish your drinks before continuing the tour. Even though it was a weekend and nothing was filming, sets are still considered hot).


We then spent a nice chunk of time in the final portion, which is back where you started. Here includes various costumes and props from DC and HP/FB. You can also hold an Oscar here (I did some major manifesting on that one), and then shop to your hearts content in a gorgeous store. All in all went spent about 3.5 hours at WB and loved every minute of it.


A section of the FB costumes.


Most recent Batman costumes.


The Music Man oddly followed me throughout this whole trip. Both Universal and Disney had music from it, Warner Brothers had this. Must be some sort of sign!

I’ll continue part 2 in a separate post as it was hard enough choosing which photos to use!

 

[erinch]

Loving your report!

 

[BroadwayHermione5]

Loving your report!

Thank you!

 

[BroadwayHermione5]

DAY 3 Part 2: August 27th: Academy of Motion Pictures Museum


We then headed to Downtown LA. But this is where the Waze issues started. My phone refused to talk, even on Google maps. My mom got hers working and it didn’t type in the correct address (right street wrong number). The Academy of Motion Pictures Museum (some people call it Academy Awards museum) is on 6067 Wilshire….my moms phone didn’t type in the 0. So after going one way we had to hope back on another 20 minutes the other way. Turns out the actual museum is right next to the La Brea Tar Pits! We pulled into valet parking, and put in masks and headed inside (masks are still mandated here).



Here was our next blip. While it had many a great item, it still felt lacking. Don’t get me wrong-I somehow shockingly did not cry seeing the actual Ruby Slippers or Louis Armstrong’s trumpet. I marveled at Lena Horne’s dress, Paul Newman’s watch and the animation room was stunning (thank god Buzz and Woody didn’t end up like their concept art lol). Some exhibits were reaching its end (like Wizard of Oz and I believe the Spike Lee exhibit), by others felt not full (some due to tragedies such as nitrate film fires, but most due to just not being full). Granted it is a museum about film and yes film clips should be everywhere and they were, but even the fullest rooms like the animation room, felt lacking. Almost like the Smithsonian was holding things hostage (did we mess up letting Kahmunrah getting the tablet that one time? Anyone get the joke? Lol).



*the* Ruby slippers.


Costume worn by Lupita N’Yongo in Us



I said what I said about Buzz and Woody lol.



Lena Horne’s dress





It definitely felt like there could’ve been more. I did learn a lot though. So much history preserved while so much else lost. We still have a long way to go in terms of being more equitable. But I’m happy to see some things finally being recognized, good and bad.


Hopefully they work out everything in the future and build up on it. It could be beyond brilliant, but it still needs some work. I will say it does have one of the best senior discounts around, so 55+ look into those deals.


Then came the scary part of Waze. Upon leaving the museum, we got back on the highway but due to an accident Waze took us off. We were still estimated to be back at our original time (about an hour and 10 minutes away) but we were getting off and then back on to avoid an accident. Well we wound up in a train yard area of LA. For a huge stretch we saw very well kept warehouses and shipping containers. But we had no clue where we were. Which can cause some anxiety. We finally made it back on the highway, and my dad agreed no more Waze for the rest of the trip!

We found this blow up advertisement hilarious for some reason lol.


We went to the hotel to freshen up and headed out to find food. We remembered seeing a Red Lobster, so we decided to head there. This place must be brand spanking new, and the service was great and food was delicious and affordable, but also so heavy on the portions. We headed back to the room where we showered and eventually fell asleep because jet lag was still kicking our butts.

 

[Gaub]

Day 1: August 25th TRAVEL DAY


As previously mentioned, we found cheaper flights through Expedia out of our local airport and braved layovers and only using carryon luggage. Once we landed in Detroit we quickly got on the moving walkways in the cool light tunnel (couldn’t get pictures had very little time to make it from one point to the other) and over to our next area. Delta was awesome for both flights.


Since our first flight was just over an hour, it had no TVs or anything and limited snack service but that was fine-we had packed a few snacks and gotten drinks before boarding our first plane. Then we got on the gorgeous big plane from Detroit to Santa Ana. We did buy the extra food options on the plane (I will be dreaming of that white cheddar cheese spread from the bistro box) because we didn’t have time to grab breakfast.

View attachment 700842
I watched Doctor Strange Multiverse of Madness (holy smokes was that dark! I love dark stuff but that got deep lol) and a few episodes of season five of the Big Bang Theory (pulling a Roger DeBris from the Producers and moving my lips along with the actors as that season has many a glorious moment).

I managed a small nap, and occasionally watched the map. My parents and I were very happy with Delta, especially since neither of us had been on it in a while (I forget when my parents were last on it, but I actually flew to and from Ireland on Delta in college for a choral trip and loved it! Nice to see the pandemic didn’t deter it in terms of service).


We landed in Santa Ana/John Wayne Airport a little after 11 AM PST. What a BEAUTIFUL airport. All of you going to DLR need to fly here! Especially since renting a a car is cheaper here (even before the employee discount we used.)

After stopping at the bathroom and figuring out where we needed to go, we made our way down to National. We had a bit of a snafu, but once it was settled we actually got an upgrade! I have no clue what our original car was supposed to be, but we ended up with a 2022 Chevy Malibu. Considering we primarily drive Chevys, it was a no brainer to use.View attachment 700843
Right off the freeway we saw the Matterhorn!

We were SHOCKED at how close we were to Disneyland. Shocked by all the u turns and that we could see the backs of rides as well. We were finally here!

After pulling our first of many u turns, we pulled into the Fairfield Marriott on Harbor Boulevard (yes the one with our beloved Panera). We were recommended this by a coworker of my dads and honestly it’s very nice, clean and perfect for people who are on the go. The pool is small and the general store is way overpriced if you forgot something but they are efficient. Plus you’re near the Panera and daily parking actually isn’t a lot (I think total for the 9 nights it was $134 in the end?).

View attachment 700844
Yes we love it here and since the one in our two and the next two closest ones closed it can take 30 minutes to get to the next closest ones so we were spoiled lol!

We did get slightly jealous of the Courtyard Marriott next door between the water slide and covered parking, but honestly we would not mind returning to the Fairfield.

View attachment 700845
Turns out the 4th floor which we were on leads to a hidden Mickey! Love seeing Disney magic in the good neighbors!



After checking in, checking the room (passed every test including the Peter Werner dust test!) and figuring out our safe and mini fridge situation, we hopped back in the Malibu and drove the short distance to Panera. There’s a reason we drove and I’ll get to that, but first I want to point out Panera has got some good deal going right now. First off make sure you have your rewards all ready to go because even though some nights we’d just get drinks it helped and we keep getting $ off and promos. Second is there is a great 4 breakfast sandwich with drinks included deal for like $20. We did it a couple of times (yes a bagel with cream cheese counts) and we saw many families doing it. And while we never had one, those flatbreads? Those things are huge and we saw many a group of siblings splitting one. Truly one of the highlights was being so close to something that was easily accessible. Strollers do have to be parked outside though and during weeknights they stop the iPad orders when you walks in at like 8 pm. But all in all worth it.

After that we headed to Target to get basics (and we somehow still forgot sunscreen hence the over priced general store comment). And headed back up to the room. Being on the 4th you could face the front or back or sides of the hotel. We happened to face the back of the hotel which we later discovered faced the hotels that were near the Garden Walk Anaheim. Most people who watched fireworks at our hotel go to the 8th/9th floor though as an FYI.


We did a little bit of driving around before heading back to the hotel and trying to keep awake as we knew that staying awake was better than falling asleep. By this time it was mid afternoon, and we were getting hungry. So at around 5:30 we headed out and went to the exotic steakhouse known as the Outback (my dad made that joke on the phone to one of my aunts and we all got a kick out of it lol). It was really good. We honestly never have issues with Outback-it’s a solid chain restaurant wherever we go.

On our way out my dad mentioned stopping at the Italian ice place we saw driving around.

This place turned out to be Joe’s, which has been around since a couple years after Disneyland opened! If you are close enough to walk to it or can drive there I highly recommend it. We tried going again but between after school crowds and our schedules it never worked out, but it was delicious! Better than some of the places we have on the east coast for sure (and that’s saying something).

View attachment 700849

I got cookies and cream and it was delicious!
View attachment 700852

After that we headed back to the hotel as we knew we needed to shower and * attempt* get some sleep. Plus we needed to be up to get to our next location between the drive, premium parking and my mom renting a scooter!

Thank you all for following along and joining me on this trip report! Jet leg, work and a plethora of other things kept me from starting it earlier but I hope you enjoy!

Just returned from the Fairfield yesterday. Parking was $35 a day. 9 nights x $35 is $315 for parking. Just want to clarify that for people reading your post. Also, why would you need to drive to the Panera? It's in the same parking lot as the Fairfield. Probably about 50 yards away.

 

[BroadwayHermione5]

Just returned from the Fairfield yesterday. Parking was $35 a day. 9 nights x $35 is $315 for parking. Just want to clarify that for people reading your post. Also, why would you need to drive to the Panera? It's in the same parking lot as the Fairfield. Probably about 50 yards away.

Thank you for the clarification! I believe it was $34 when we went and I didn’t want to give wrong information.


Honest answer: Mobility issues, wanting to drive around afterwards and the entrance to our room was towards the back of the hotel which is where we would park. We did walk a couple of times to it (especially after long park days on our way back). But that’s the honest answer.

 

[Gaub]

Thank you for the clarification! I believe it was $34 when we went and I didn’t want to give wrong information.


Honest answer: Mobility issues, wanting to drive around afterwards and the entrance to our room was pearls the back of the hotel which is where we would park. We did walk a couple of times to it (especially after long park days on our way back). But that’s the honest answer.

Thank you for the clarification! I understand better now.

 

[BroadwayHermione5]

DAY 4: August 28th- DOWNTOWN DISNEY AND RELAXING

Sorry to have kept you waiting! It’s been a busy weekend into the week for me and only going to get crazier! But let’s continue shall we?



After a long couple of days, we attempted to sleep in and then got out the door for 8:30 (lol we did not sleep in) and head to Denny’s. We went to the one attached to the hotel on Harbor I think it’s a Best Western. It was horrible-and that was with every manager and higher up moving their butts to get orders out. You’d think we know to stick to the fast food chains for breakfast but alas!

We went back to the hotel and decided to drive around and to DTD to get our bearings and see other places. Holy smokes is the Anaheim convention center is HUGE!

This photo is from later in the day! One day I’ll get to D23….one day!

Anyhoo we made our way into the parking lot and through security.

Monorail!

We made our way to DTD, got to Splittsville and had a great time bowling.


We really want to go back the next time we are in Disney Springs and to possibly eat there as well! This was so much fun (even though on one of the rounds I scored a 1 for the longest time….yes a one. Lol)

After this we decided to walk around. However, we kept tying to see where we could get our lanyards that we had vouchers for because we booked through Costco, and no one exactly knew. So we just did some shopping (and at the home store there was an issue when we went to ship it home. Mild chaos ensued but it was quickly fixed). At that point it was a little after noon and we wanted to head back to the hotel and go swim as it was getting hot. We had tried to get reservations for Naples, and they told us to come and do the walk up list later that evening. So to the hotel we headed.

Now as you know on the boards I try not to be negative, but I do feel I need to say this. Especially given it involves pool and water safety. While at the pool, we had a rough time. Kids swimming over other kids, people jumping and diving when it says no diving. I am begging parents and adults to teach kids water safety. There were some scary moments, and thankfully no one got hurt. But it was enough to make us not want to return (and also next time stay at the courtyard next door with the water slides and ample pool area as part of this pools problem was it was a basic rectangular pool.)

We made our way back upstairs by 3:30, showered and were heading to DTD around 5. I managed to snag a walk up time and we were told we had 45 minutes to kill. So into World of Disney we went! We finally got the lanyards and bought a few items and shipped them home as well. After about a half hour, I got the text saying our table was ready and we headed in.



Now given our first comparison disappointment with Antojitos and knowing Naples was run by the same people who run Via Napoli, we decided not to get out hopes up. Naples exceeded expectations so well! We split a Caesar salad and the panzerotti which are little calzones that are perfect.

Seriously bring the panzerotti to Via Napoli!

We then got dinner and went simple (lol). Mom got spaghetti and meatballs, dad got eggplant parm and I got chicken parm. It was so freaking good. So if you enjoy Via Napoli and are looking for something at DLR, Naples is the way to go.




After that we walked around a bit more and did some more shopping.

Love this poster for nuimos putside WoD (PS how does one pronounce nuimos? We’ve been trying to figure it out since our Florida trip last year and have been failing.)

After some more exploring, we headed back to the car and went the other way from where we entered so we got to pass by the Grand Californian….one of these days I’ll make it there!


Because of our redirect around the back way, I got this shot of Galaxy’s Edge at Sunset as we came over the overpass.

We then went back to the hotel and had one of our better nights of sleep. Tomorrow would be an exciting day for my mom!

 

[Camilo]

Interesting that you decided to make Anaheim your base for the whole trip, including the LA/Hollywood part. Do you regret that?

We were in La Puente when visiting LA (chose to stay in an AirBnB) and this is the ONE THING I would do differently next time. I would try to stay more to Hollywood/Santa Monica side, as the drive back and forth every day became too much.

One day in particular, we went to Hollywood, came back to La Puente to shower/change and decided to go back to Santa Monica for sunset. This was almost 5 hours of the day driving that day!!!!

Great review, by the way... We were at Warner Brothers on the same day, but our tour was around 3 PM.

 

[BroadwayHermione5]

Interesting that you decided to make Anaheim your base for the whole trip, including the LA/Hollywood part. Do you regret that?

As of right now: no. While I did initially want to do a split stay trip we realized most of it would be in Anaheim/Orange County so it was best. I’m going to do a final thoughts at the end. Maybe it will change!

We were in La Puente when visiting LA (chose to stay in an AirBnB) and this is the ONE THING I would do differently next time. I would try to stay more to Hollywood/Santa Monica side, as the drive back and forth every day became too much.

One day in particular, we went to Hollywood, came back to La Puente to shower/change and decided to go back to Santa Monica for sunset. This was almost 5 hours of the day driving that day!!!!

that’s the one thing a lot of my friends say: everything is so spread apart. And five hours holy smokes!

Great review, by the way... We were at Warner Brothers on the same day, but our tour was around 3 PM.

Thank you! Someone else on the boards that I commented on was there that day too!

 

[BroadwayHermione5]

I swear I haven’t forgotten about you all! Just been really busy! Hope to get back to reporting tomorrow or Thursday!

 

[BroadwayHermione5]

DAY 5: August 29th: ANAHEIM AND AQUARIUM OF THE PACIFIC

I AM BACK!!! Sorry for the delay all-life got in the way big time!

This day was a big day for my mom. See she lived in CA when she was younger when my grandfather was stationed there. They even went to Disneyland back when it was essentially what Walt envisioned! My mom kept in touch with some friends for a long time and eventually fell out until Facebook bought them back together.

We ended up meeting one of my moms friends at the Original Pancake House in Anaheim for breakfast. First off: eat here. Excellent food and service. Just get there early for parking. Second off, it was so amazing to see these two women reunite after not having seen each other physically for 50 years. She’s hoping to get out to us, so we are happy. Turns out her daughter was friends with Jasmine, Pocahontas, the Evil Queen and many others back in the day and had a fun time dealing with visions fantasmic.

She recommended a bunch of places for us to try and get to, and we decided to head to the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach. (And yes we used Google Maps this day!)



Long Beach is such a beautiful city and it combines a lot of familiar places I know on the east coast.



One of my friends who I didn’t get a chance to see lives in Long Beach! Right here is a model of a coaster near the outlets (which is right before the aquarium). Said friend says this is actually an homage to the amusement park that used to be there and the outlets are named after that!

The aquarium was cute. Definitely a fun day trip if you have nothing to do as there are a bunch of restaurants and an outlet nearby. I saw otters. I was happy.





I will say if you are renting a car and have a day of not knowing what to do-there is so much in Long Beach. And it’s only about a 45 minute trip!


The Yacht clubs near the center with all the restaurants. Behind them? The Pacific Ocean.


I really didn’t take a lot of pictures on this day! It was definitely a day to relax and reminisce.

We headed back to the hotel and napped. Around 5 we woke up and headed to Tony Roma’s. We had a really good meal and decided to get cold stone and head back to the room and see what movies were available to rent (we didn’t remember our Netflix password and didn’t bring our firestick so we were stuck with renting).

So we showered, had our ice cream and decided upon Jurassic World Dominion. Problem was we couldn’t get it to stop buffering every 30 seconds. We admitted defeat, called the front desk, asked it to get it off our bill and I believe we watched the parent trap? I forget lol. We were so tired and the next day was DLR so we needed to catch some zzzzzzzzs!

 

[Camilo]

We were supposed to go to Aquarium of the Pacific, we even had tickets to it (part of GoCity card). I regret not doing it

Looking forward for the next day...

 

[BroadwayHermione5]

We were supposed to go to Aquarium of the Pacific, we even had tickets to it (part of GoCity card). I regret not doing it

Looking forward for the next day...

It definitely isn’t a full day activity, but it is a nice little aquarium and you can make a nice day out of it especially if you decide to do the beach or the outlets.

I’m gonna have to remember the go card for next time!

I’m definitely going to be splitting up my DLR days lololol. So much info, so many pictures, so little an amount we can post at once lol