canadiandisneycruise
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jul 11, 2012
- Messages
- 252
I wrote this previously, but when I went to post, it said I wasn't logged in, so I hope this second one makes sense! 
Weve been to Disneyland several times previous, but Ive never done a trip report!
It was the first time we stayed at the DLH. Weve always stayed in a one or two bedroom suite with a kitchen, so I was really worried about being overcrowded! I was pleasantly surprised! My youngest dd loved the fold out couch as a bed, and my other two shared a queen. They LOVED the headboard this really surprised me because theyre 10, 13 & 16. They turned it on each night, and took many pictures and recorded the song! I was impressed with the bathroom separate toilet area, large double sink vanity with storage underneath and a ledge above. Even with 5 of us, I didnt find the room crowded. We had a 7th floor DD view in the Adventure tower. It was beautiful at night! (Im not sure what kind of room this is (standard, premium?). My daughter loved the pool area. We were there every afternoon. The best part of staying was the extra magic hour we were there early daily, and it was SO worth it! We got more accomplished in the first few hours than I ever thought! One morning, we rode California Screamin 7 times, Toy Story 4 times, the Ferris Wheel, Goofys sky school, the swings and Ariels ride all before 9:15 am!
I really think this might be more walking than if you stay in a hotel that has a shuttle or ART. We never took the monorail in the morning, and its a long walk through DD! My legs were so sore at the end of the five days!
It was busy because of Grad Nights. There was also a load of Cali girls staying at our hotel 1800 I was told! *I* found it busy, but Im comparing it to February. A CM told me it wasnt bad! We went early each morning we never got there before rope drop, but were always in the park shortly after it opened for the extra magic hour. I found it started to get busy in the afternoon, so this is when wed take a break at the hotel, and dd would swim. When we would go back just before dinner, things were much calmer. FPs were the way to go, and we never waited more than 15 minutes for a ride. Wed always send a runner as soon as a new window was opened, and wed ride that way. We gave away FPs that we pulled but couldnt use, and were rewarded twice with someone doing the same thing for us! It felt so good to pass on a bit of magic!
I LOVED Carsland. I made the girls watch the movie before we went, and it was SO worth it! It helped them notice the many details that are in Carsland my youngest even noticed the how the lights blinked! We went on our first night after spending the day at DL. I looked up what time the sun set, and we had dinner at Flos. It was beautiful to see it start to light up from RSR to the entrance. Im really glad we made the effort to be there for that! It was even more magical because dh and dds were talking to a CM about the best way to ride RSR. She gave the girls all the colors of buttons, and then presented us with a FP! She wanted us to have the opportunity to ride at night. It was a wonderful experience! SO lucky! We were able to basically walk right on, even though the standby line was over 2 hours. Wow it was a great ride. We did get FPs three other days, and it was only on our third ride that we found out there were two different experiences tires and paint! We got our FPs by having dh get in line 5-10 minutes prior to park opening. Thats the way to do it! Although I wanted another night ride, we always got times b/w 10 am 11 am. We enjoyed Maters ride, but Luigis ride wasnt really a hit. My oldest dd said it was a great idea, but the execution just wasnt there!
We saw WofC, Fantasmic, Aladdin, Pixar Parade, Newsboys, the Rapunzel show, and the Fireworks (x2). I was surprised that WofC had changed from when we saw it 2 years ago. It was beautiful, as was Fantasmic. I was a bit miffed when people brought strollers into the roped area, and stood at the fence with their kids on their shoulders. Yes, they got there early, but why should a stroller take up a front row spot. My dd asked the same question, and I thought it was maybe because a baby was sleeping.
No it sat empty. Then, they wanted out just before the show was ending to get to the fireworks. They kind of took away from the magic of the show. Loved Aladdin but I wouldnt sit in the orchestra seating again. Too hard to look straight up to see the carpet flying! Enjoyed the parade. My girls loved the Newsboys show honestly. They liked hearing the Walt Disney story, and it made them want to learn more about him. I didnt know if theyd appreciate the walking in Walts tour, but I know they would now! They are still singing the suitcase and a dream song. They also enjoyed the Rapunzel show and loved meeting Flynn Ryder and Rapunzel after! I would sit on the sides rather than the middle. They only let a limited number of people in, but you can watch from outside, but you dont have the opportunity to meet the characters after. Fireworks were great! For the first night, we watched from the area by the Walt statue. It was ok, but watching from the Plaza was fabulous. They had the heaters going, and the view was fantastic! (Not that it was COLD, but the heat felt nice!) We shared a dessert, and it was SO relaxing! The second night only Tinkerbell and Dumbo flew.
I was worried about food, because we always had a hotel that had a full breakfast.
Actually, breakfast was our favourite meal! We loved Earl of Sandwich for breakfast the oatmeal and breakfast sandwiches were really good. We also loved Flos. We would order three French toasts one for dh, and two for the four of us girls to share. If anyone has the French toast recipe, Id love if youd share! Wed also order a fruit plate order the kids plate because you also get a drink with it! We also enjoyed the apple granola pancakes at Carnation Café. DD also loved her omelet. Lunches were great at Earl of Sandwich we had the best BLT, Tuna, grilled cheese, and one other. I loved the berry almond salad. We also had lunch at the pool. The Hawaiian burger on the pool menu was awesome! We also went up to the Terrace and had flatbread pizza. I preferred the burger. Our favourite dinners were at Flos liked the pork with cola BBQ sauce, but dd found the turkey too peppery. We also enjoyed Rainforest Café. We ate at the Plaza too kids would share pastas, and dh and I would share the chicken. I would also love a recipe for Maters Tulsa Tea found it really refreshing. For the first time, I also tried a mint julep that was also different but refreshing!
I havent ordered my disc yet, but I had over 180 pictures on my photo pass+. We had LOTS of pics taken, and the photographers were willing to take family pics, individuals, and just the girls. Loved it! It was also nice to add all our ride pics. If you do this, make sure to ask around for photographers who do the magic pics pics of Tinkerbell in their hands, holding balloons, with Mickey/Minnie on a bench, Stitch, etc.
We rode all the rides we wanted many of them several times!
A highlight for me was riding Buzz, and getting over 999 999. Unfortunately, my pic didnt come through .but I made sure dd saw my score!
I learned not to plan too much. The best plans often just wont work! Even though during one magic morning we rode California Screamin 7 times, Toy Story 4 times, the Ferris Wheel, Goofys sky school, etc., the next time when we thought wed do the same thing, CS wasnt working .Wed check wait times, and use FPs.
I used Disboards as a resource for a few months prior, and I learned so much! I printed off posts, and took them with me to read on the plane on the way there. THANK YOU! If I can help at all, please ask away!
Weve been to Disneyland several times previous, but Ive never done a trip report!
It was the first time we stayed at the DLH. Weve always stayed in a one or two bedroom suite with a kitchen, so I was really worried about being overcrowded! I was pleasantly surprised! My youngest dd loved the fold out couch as a bed, and my other two shared a queen. They LOVED the headboard this really surprised me because theyre 10, 13 & 16. They turned it on each night, and took many pictures and recorded the song! I was impressed with the bathroom separate toilet area, large double sink vanity with storage underneath and a ledge above. Even with 5 of us, I didnt find the room crowded. We had a 7th floor DD view in the Adventure tower. It was beautiful at night! (Im not sure what kind of room this is (standard, premium?). My daughter loved the pool area. We were there every afternoon. The best part of staying was the extra magic hour we were there early daily, and it was SO worth it! We got more accomplished in the first few hours than I ever thought! One morning, we rode California Screamin 7 times, Toy Story 4 times, the Ferris Wheel, Goofys sky school, the swings and Ariels ride all before 9:15 am!
I really think this might be more walking than if you stay in a hotel that has a shuttle or ART. We never took the monorail in the morning, and its a long walk through DD! My legs were so sore at the end of the five days!
It was busy because of Grad Nights. There was also a load of Cali girls staying at our hotel 1800 I was told! *I* found it busy, but Im comparing it to February. A CM told me it wasnt bad! We went early each morning we never got there before rope drop, but were always in the park shortly after it opened for the extra magic hour. I found it started to get busy in the afternoon, so this is when wed take a break at the hotel, and dd would swim. When we would go back just before dinner, things were much calmer. FPs were the way to go, and we never waited more than 15 minutes for a ride. Wed always send a runner as soon as a new window was opened, and wed ride that way. We gave away FPs that we pulled but couldnt use, and were rewarded twice with someone doing the same thing for us! It felt so good to pass on a bit of magic!
I LOVED Carsland. I made the girls watch the movie before we went, and it was SO worth it! It helped them notice the many details that are in Carsland my youngest even noticed the how the lights blinked! We went on our first night after spending the day at DL. I looked up what time the sun set, and we had dinner at Flos. It was beautiful to see it start to light up from RSR to the entrance. Im really glad we made the effort to be there for that! It was even more magical because dh and dds were talking to a CM about the best way to ride RSR. She gave the girls all the colors of buttons, and then presented us with a FP! She wanted us to have the opportunity to ride at night. It was a wonderful experience! SO lucky! We were able to basically walk right on, even though the standby line was over 2 hours. Wow it was a great ride. We did get FPs three other days, and it was only on our third ride that we found out there were two different experiences tires and paint! We got our FPs by having dh get in line 5-10 minutes prior to park opening. Thats the way to do it! Although I wanted another night ride, we always got times b/w 10 am 11 am. We enjoyed Maters ride, but Luigis ride wasnt really a hit. My oldest dd said it was a great idea, but the execution just wasnt there!
We saw WofC, Fantasmic, Aladdin, Pixar Parade, Newsboys, the Rapunzel show, and the Fireworks (x2). I was surprised that WofC had changed from when we saw it 2 years ago. It was beautiful, as was Fantasmic. I was a bit miffed when people brought strollers into the roped area, and stood at the fence with their kids on their shoulders. Yes, they got there early, but why should a stroller take up a front row spot. My dd asked the same question, and I thought it was maybe because a baby was sleeping.
No it sat empty. Then, they wanted out just before the show was ending to get to the fireworks. They kind of took away from the magic of the show. Loved Aladdin but I wouldnt sit in the orchestra seating again. Too hard to look straight up to see the carpet flying! Enjoyed the parade. My girls loved the Newsboys show honestly. They liked hearing the Walt Disney story, and it made them want to learn more about him. I didnt know if theyd appreciate the walking in Walts tour, but I know they would now! They are still singing the suitcase and a dream song. They also enjoyed the Rapunzel show and loved meeting Flynn Ryder and Rapunzel after! I would sit on the sides rather than the middle. They only let a limited number of people in, but you can watch from outside, but you dont have the opportunity to meet the characters after. Fireworks were great! For the first night, we watched from the area by the Walt statue. It was ok, but watching from the Plaza was fabulous. They had the heaters going, and the view was fantastic! (Not that it was COLD, but the heat felt nice!) We shared a dessert, and it was SO relaxing! The second night only Tinkerbell and Dumbo flew.I was worried about food, because we always had a hotel that had a full breakfast.
Actually, breakfast was our favourite meal! We loved Earl of Sandwich for breakfast the oatmeal and breakfast sandwiches were really good. We also loved Flos. We would order three French toasts one for dh, and two for the four of us girls to share. If anyone has the French toast recipe, Id love if youd share! Wed also order a fruit plate order the kids plate because you also get a drink with it! We also enjoyed the apple granola pancakes at Carnation Café. DD also loved her omelet. Lunches were great at Earl of Sandwich we had the best BLT, Tuna, grilled cheese, and one other. I loved the berry almond salad. We also had lunch at the pool. The Hawaiian burger on the pool menu was awesome! We also went up to the Terrace and had flatbread pizza. I preferred the burger. Our favourite dinners were at Flos liked the pork with cola BBQ sauce, but dd found the turkey too peppery. We also enjoyed Rainforest Café. We ate at the Plaza too kids would share pastas, and dh and I would share the chicken. I would also love a recipe for Maters Tulsa Tea found it really refreshing. For the first time, I also tried a mint julep that was also different but refreshing!I havent ordered my disc yet, but I had over 180 pictures on my photo pass+. We had LOTS of pics taken, and the photographers were willing to take family pics, individuals, and just the girls. Loved it! It was also nice to add all our ride pics. If you do this, make sure to ask around for photographers who do the magic pics pics of Tinkerbell in their hands, holding balloons, with Mickey/Minnie on a bench, Stitch, etc.
We rode all the rides we wanted many of them several times!
A highlight for me was riding Buzz, and getting over 999 999. Unfortunately, my pic didnt come through .but I made sure dd saw my score!
I learned not to plan too much. The best plans often just wont work! Even though during one magic morning we rode California Screamin 7 times, Toy Story 4 times, the Ferris Wheel, Goofys sky school, etc., the next time when we thought wed do the same thing, CS wasnt working .Wed check wait times, and use FPs.
I used Disboards as a resource for a few months prior, and I learned so much! I printed off posts, and took them with me to read on the plane on the way there. THANK YOU! If I can help at all, please ask away!
I appreciate that photopass tips as well 
