A Tale of Two Trips: Disneyland and Hawaii July 2014 Long Way Home: The End 9/13 p.40

[petals]

great updates. I actually can't wait to see Carsland. The Theming looks so like the movie!

 

[natebenma]

Wow, I cannot believe how much you did on your arrival day. It makes me tired just thinking about it!

That pizza looks so yummy! So cool you could see the fireworks from your balcony.

I love all the pictures! I cannot wait to see Cars Land in person!
So glad Ben enjoyed California Screamin’! I love the theming in that area of the park.

Very cool to see the differences between attractions in Florida vs. California
I love your picture from ToT! Wow 3 times? That’s awesome!

It is amazing how much you can accomplish with a little adrenaline and excitement even when you are dead-tired! That's the way we roll!

Pizza and fireworks were a great way to end our evening after an exhausting day.

The details in Carsland are absolutely amazing. I think it is the best theming in a Disney park. When Gavin is old enough (and tall enough to ride RSR), you guys will love it. I've heard rumors that they will be adding Carsland to HS in WDW. I don't know if it is true, but it would be really cool!

The Paradise Pier area is beautiful, especially at night! I'm glad Ben loved California Screamin' too. Now I think he is ready to tackle almost any coaster at Disney and Universal.

Yes, pretty amazing that Ben was able to ride RSR 3 times while we were at ToT. If you remember, we rode RSR all together first thing that morning and we have a FP in our hands for after lunch. And that may not be all...

Stay tuned!

I can't believe how much you have already accomplished in one day. How great that EMH starts at 7am! That is really awesome.

So this Mickey's Wheel of Death you speak of - I have heard of it before but didn't know that you can choose between moving and non-moving cages. Are they located on different sections of the ferris wheel?

ToT looks just like the one at WDW, but I bet there are some difference. Looks fun and woo hoo for 3 rides on the Racers. That's amazing!

We had a great arrival day, and we were pretty happy with what we had done so far that morning at California Adventure. 7 am opening was great, especially since we were still pretty much on East Coast time. Easy-peasy!

Yes, there are two different types of cages. You get in a line depending on which experience you want. The swinging and non-swinging cages alternate, but I can't remember if it every other one swings, or for two stationary, one swings.

The swinging ones were more intense than we expected. It wasn't even that they were swinging, they rolled along a bar, side to side, really quickly!



As I mentioned above, Ben really tallied up the rides on RSR that day!

I can't believe you rode both of the Death Traps! You really were taking your lives into your hands!

Yay for Ben riding RSR 3 times in a row.
I had the same scene 3 times and only my last ride did I get the other one...of course I no longer which one I had more.

After riding in the swinging section, the regular cages were no problem.

Ben got lots of rides on RSR. It was a fantastic and safe place for him to wait for us. He would keep getting updates from us about how long we thought we would be, and he would get in line again.

The second scene (Luigi's Tires) turned out to be as elusive as the Cowboy Scene on the Great Movie Ride!

great updates. I actually can't wait to see Carsland. The Theming looks so like the movie!

Disney knocked it out of the park with Radiator Springs. It is impressive during the day and breathtaking at night! Just like the movie!!!

Fun rides, too.

 

[mickeystoontown]

No way, no how would I have been able to step foot in the swinging car on the wheel of death. You and Ben are much braver than I. I do have to say though that the views look great in the two pictures that you posted.

I know that I said it over on Jen's report and I think here too but I will say it again. I love the Bug's Land section of the park. Bug's Life is one of my favorite Disney movies.

I saw that ToT wait time was 25 minutes. So, Ben was able to ride the racers 3 times in a half hour or so? Wow!

 

[DisneyKid4Life]

I bet bypassing the resort entrance was a good idea in this case. I've heard it can get pretty backed up.

Bahahaha.... well it's hard not to take pictures.

"“auto”animatronic"... NICE!

California Screamin' really is fantastic!! I rode it a lot as well. I wish RnRC lasted as long.

Wow, Done That Mama's done a lot.

I wish I had done the swinging cars myself, but my ride mate would have none of that. But I imagine the regular is the MUCH better option for photos.

 

[KatMark]

Wonderful updates, Dee.

Radiator Spring Racers in Carsland is one of the main reasons I want to go to DL.

I will tell yout that California Screamin' is definitely NOT one fo the reasons I want to go to DL.

I would have been accidentally been elbowing "Mama's Been There" during the ride.

Great pictures throughout DL. I don't think I'd be doing those swinging things or that Goofy thing either...especially if it is similar to Primevil HURL!

Nice that Ben got on Radiator three times while the rest of you went to TOT.

 

[natebenma]

No way, no how would I have been able to step foot in the swinging car on the wheel of death. You and Ben are much braver than I. I do have to say though that the views look great in the two pictures that you posted.

I know that I said it over on Jen's report and I think here too but I will say it again. I love the Bug's Land section of the park. Bug's Life is one of my favorite Disney movies.

I saw that ToT wait time was 25 minutes. So, Ben was able to ride the racers 3 times in a half hour or so? Wow!

I don't know what we were thinking!

The little details in Bug's Land were really cute, but we didn't spend much time there. The rides were all kiddie rides, I think, so it was mostly a pass-through land for us. The bug lights were adorable, though!

Ben had about 40 minutes for his 3 rides, the 25 minute wait and the time it took us to walk to and from ToT back to Carsland.

Single Rider Line is definitely a great way to get multiple rides on RSR!

I bet bypassing the resort entrance was a good idea in this case. I've heard it can get pretty backed up.

Bahahaha.... well it's hard not to take pictures.

"“auto”animatronic"... NICE!

California Screamin' really is fantastic!! I rode it a lot as well. I wish RnRC lasted as long.

Wow, Done That Mama's done a lot.

I wish I had done the swinging cars myself, but my ride mate would have none of that. But I imagine the regular is the MUCH better option for photos.

We didn't want to get caught up in a long bag-check process. I'm not sure if we saved time or not, but the main entrance was easy enough to get to.

I guess I just couldn't not take a picture.

That play on words came "auto"matically! (someone stop me, please)

California Screamin' was so smooth and it really did last a long time. Loved the funky music, too.

Done That Mama has done everything except practice using her indoor voice!

Well, I wish I could tell you that my family would ride with you in the swining cards in a future visit. But we wont!

Wonderful updates, Dee.

Radiator Spring Racers in Carsland is one of the main reasons I want to go to DL.

I will tell yout that California Screamin' is definitely NOT one fo the reasons I want to go to DL.

I would have been accidentally been elbowing "Mama's Been There" during the ride.

Great pictures throughout DL. I don't think I'd be doing those swinging things or that Goofy thing either...especially if it is similar to Primevil HURL!

Nice that Ben got on Radiator three times while the rest of you went to TOT.

Carsland is great!

Say, how close to DL are Mary and the girls...

I am lucky that I can do rollercoasters without issue, but I can't hack any spinny rides.

I like the way you think. But then on her next ride she would be saying "Mama got poked in the ribs on Soarin'"

I actually thought of you when we were on Goofy's Sky School and said to myself "Kathy would NOT like this!"

It worked out well for all of us during the separation. I felt good knowing Ben was doing something fun while we were on ToT

 

[Wood Nymph]

It is a good thing that you had that big lunch otherwise one pizza wouldn't have been enough for teenage boys.

I think I need a map to get the "lay of the land" at DL. Was it hard to find your way around?

Did you ever see the kind of crowds at DL that they get at WDW? Your early morning rope drop didn't look very crowded. It looks like you got a lot done.

 

[natebenma]

It is a good thing that you had that big lunch otherwise one pizza wouldn't have been enough for teenage boys.

I think I need a map to get the "lay of the land" at DL. Was it hard to find your way around?

Did you ever see the kind of crowds at DL that they get at WDW? Your early morning rope drop didn't look very crowded. It looks like you got a lot done.

The pizza was really large, but I am surprised we were able to get by with just one. If I recall correctly, I just had one piece and Nate had 3.

As soon as we had booked the trip, I contacted Brenda (emmysmommy) and asked if she would mind sending me maps of DL and CA. They were very helpful as we were planning our trip, and I will extend the offer to you if you would like me to send you some maps. PM your contact info to me.

The parks are small, so they weren't too hard to navigate but a lot of things are in different areas than they are in WDW (Pooh is near Splash, Star Tours is in Tomorrowland, Pirates and HM are in the same land). Then other things are tucked away. We almost missed Peter Pan in DL and we never saw the Monsters Inc or Muppets at CA (Hollywoodland).

DL definitely felt more crowded than CA, which is more spread out. Mornings were better than afternoons and evening- our last night at DL was miserable with the crowds. Wait times were mostly under an hour, except for Radiator Springs Racers. Space and Indiana Jones had times of around 45 minutes. Toy Story was 30 minutes, Soarin- 15 to 25 minutes.

It was good to have the legacy FP in parks that we didn't know well. It would have been difficult to prebook FP not knowing typical wait times and exactly where things are located.

Hope that helps!

 

[ddluvsdisney]

I have been so busy with my new job I haven't been on much. I'm loving hearing all about DL since we'll probably never make it there. Thanks for taking me along for the ride.

 

[natebenma]

I have been so busy with my new job I haven't been on much. I'm loving hearing all about DL since we'll probably never make it there. Thanks for taking me along for the ride.

Hope the year is going well for you!!!

So glad to have you following along on this trip. We really enjoyed our time at Disneyland. Vive la difference!

I can't remember, have you made it over to the report for my Beach Club DIS meet? You may enjoy some of the antics over there. The link for "What Happens at the Beach Club" is in my signature and I know you will love the latest installment "SAB Synchronized Pool Tube Team" featuring Ninja Mom.

 

[natebenma]

Our planned meeting spot with Ben was at Flo’s V-8 Café in Carsland. We had to wait a few minutes for him as he finished up his third ride in a row at Radiator Springs Racers.

Although I don’t recall if they show the interior of the diner in the movie Cars, the theming of this place was spot-on amazing inside and out.















And check out the view from the dining room!





But enough about how the place looks- how was the food?


Here are pictures of the menu:







I really liked that you could choose a couple of sides with the dinners and that you were able to choose a side with the sandwiches as well.


Ben chose the roast beef dinner with pasta salad and mashed potatoes, $12.49.




I had the turkey dinner with pasta salad and cole slaw, $11.99




Mark and Nate both ordered the roast beef and cheddar sandwich (mashed potatoes, cole slaw), $10.49. Mark and I split our dinners.




Ben got a shake to go with his meal.






Everything was really good, but portions were large and we didn’t all finish our meals. I think we could have managed 3 meals for the 4 of us. Ben declared it his favorite meal of the trip. He wanted to go back and eat there again, but we never found the chance to do that.

Total bill for 4 meals, 2 shakes and 2 sodas was $65.25.


Next up: More California Adventure

 

[luvpoohandcompany]

That looks like really good food for a decent price and wow what a view

 

[ddluvsdisney]

Hope the year is going well for you!!!

So glad to have you following along on this trip. We really enjoyed our time at Disneyland. Vive la difference!

I can't remember, have you made it over to the report for my Beach Club DIS meet? You may enjoy some of the antics over there. The link for "What Happens at the Beach Club" is in my signature and I know you will love the latest installment "SAB Synchronized Pool Tube Team" featuring Ninja Mom.

Thanks I'll check it out.
I forgot to tell you my DH was in CA for work last week, and my DS13 asked if he was going to DL? Nope. He was in San Jose
When he told me about his flights I was like no way would I be able to handle being on a plane and in airports ALL day. He had 2 layovers on the way there, Chicago and Phoenix. On the way home only 1 layover and he started at 1:30 pm pacific time and got home at 12:00 am our time. UGH!! How miserable. I'm sure your flights were better since he got his at the last minute.

 

[petals]

Your pictures from flos helped me decide what I'm getting there in November lol it's so sad it's 57 days away and I already know what I'm eating everywhere

 

[MEK]

What a cute restaurant and what an amazing view. That food looks pretty good too. I'd say its a winner!

 

[tiggerfan77]

Great update Dee Radiator Springs looks so awesome! It really does look just like the movie! Was that the first time Ben was on his own in the park? It was cool he got to ride RSR 3 times in a row! Looks like a really fun ride.
That poor kid on Mickey's Fun Wheel! I can totally relate. The first time I took EJ on Pirates, he screamed bloody murder which is how I found out he was afraid of dark rides for a while.

 

[natebenma]

That looks like really good food for a decent price and wow what a view

for Flos. I would recommend it.

Thanks I'll check it out.
I forgot to tell you my DH was in CA for work last week, and my DS13 asked if he was going to DL? Nope. He was in San Jose
When he told me about his flights I was like no way would I be able to handle being on a plane and in airports ALL day. He had 2 layovers on the way there, Chicago and Phoenix. On the way home only 1 layover and he started at 1:30 pm pacific time and got home at 12:00 am our time. UGH!! How miserable. I'm sure your flights were better since he got his at the last minute.

That sounds like a horrible flight schedule!!!

Our trip out to CA was not bad- 6 am from Logan (that required a 3 am wakeup), landing at 9 am PST. The flight to CA was actually pretty great- I loved being able to watch all of the scenery we flew over.

Our flight home was a bit longer since it was from Hawaii. 11 PM flight to San Fran. An hour and a half layover. Flight at 8 am from SF to Boston, landing at 5 PM. We had been on the go from 7 am Friday morning with our helicopter/volcanoes tour and didn't stop until we arrived home at 5 Saturday night.

Your pictures from flos helped me decide what I'm getting there in November lol it's so sad it's 57 days away and I already know what I'm eating everywhere

Your trip is coming up quickly!!! Maybe not for you, but it won't be long now.



Do tell- what will you be having?

Not at all weird that you know what you are eating so far in advance. For most of my trips to WDW, I know what I am having 180 days out, sometimes longer. One of my favorite Disney quotes is

"I don't know what I am having for dinner tonight, but I know what I am having in 6 months!"

What a cute restaurant and what an amazing view. That food looks pretty good too. I'd say its a winner!

We definitely recommend Flo's. I was afraid it was going to be really crowded since Carsland can be crazy, but it was like 11 am, so we didn't have any issues. Not sure how busy it is later in the day.

Great update Dee Radiator Springs looks so awesome! It really does look just like the movie! Was that the first time Ben was on his own in the park? It was cool he got to ride RSR 3 times in a row! Looks like a really fun ride.
That poor kid on Mickey's Fun Wheel! I can totally relate. The first time I took EJ on Pirates, he screamed bloody murder which is how I found out he was afraid of dark rides for a while.

You know what- I think you are right, it probably was the first time Ben was on his own. He did great, especially in a park that was new to him. We actually thought Nate and Ben would split off together from us more during the trip than they actually did.

Disney sure got Radiator Springs right! It would great if they struck magic again with Carsland at Hollywood Studios.

Never quite know what will make the kids uncomfortable. My boys still refuse to go to It's Tough to Be a Bug after I didn't prepare them for the effects the first time we went. Ben had an issue with the stretching room at Haunted Mansion for a long time (I think it was all of the other guests screaming when the lights go out) and he still doesn't like Tower of Terror- which is why he got to ride RSR solo.

Poor EJ (and poor you, having to skip Pirates for a time)

 

[luvpoohandcompany]

Is it bad that reading you trip reports has me wanting to photograph my food whenever I eat out anywhere
Don't know who I'd show the photos to but seriously everytime I eat out now since reading TRs on here I think "ooh should take a pic before diving in"! I'd love to see my family's faces if I did

 

[jmskinner]

Playing catch up yet again. Loving all of your photos and what a great idea to explore the parks the night before you plan to tackle them. Great way to take it slow for us picture takers. I laughed when I saw the pic of your guys backs'. I have so many of those pictures.

So glad you got away from the kids at Soarin', but sorry about the Mom that has done it all.

Wow, can't believe Ben got to ride RSR so many times. That is .

Flo's looks amazing and the prices don't seem that bad.

Looking forward to more, but I'll be playing catch up yet again, I'm about to head to the airport.

 

[natebenma]

Is it bad that reading you trip reports has me wanting to photograph my food whenever I eat out anywhere
Don't know who I'd show the photos to but seriously everytime I eat out now since reading TRs on here I think "ooh should take a pic before diving in"! I'd love to see my family's faces if I did

That is funny!

Occasionally I will take food photos in "civilian" situations. My family makes fun of me and my friends shake their heads. But another friend has started doing it and proudly shows me her photos.

My comment for Disney Food Porn is "I paid a lot of money for that meal. I am going to take a picture so it lasts forever!"

Playing catch up yet again. Loving all of your photos and what a great idea to explore the parks the night before you plan to tackle them. Great way to take it slow for us picture takers. I laughed when I saw the pic of your guys backs'. I have so many of those pictures.

So glad you got away from the kids at Soarin', but sorry about the Mom that has done it all.

Wow, can't believe Ben got to ride RSR so many times. That is .

Flo's looks amazing and the prices don't seem that bad.

Looking forward to more, but I'll be playing catch up yet again, I'm about to head to the airport.

Thanks! Exploring CA the night before really helped us get around the next morning.

Yup, if I ever need the police to find my family I can say "This is what they look like from behind."




I can't believe that we were 2-for-2 on annoying experiences on Soarin'



Single rider is the way to go on RSR. And day ain't over yet!

We loved Flo's!

OMG!!! Your trip is here!!! Have a fantastic time!


(but not so much)
Last Monday, I went before our towns School Committee in support of the 8th grade Disney class trip. We are a go for Ben's trip in June. I can email you the details if you want.