So we've just returned. I'm not sure I've fully recovered from the red eye flight.
It might take a couple of posts before my tired brain covers my reactions to everything, but feel free to ask questions.
So as I mentioned previously, I was in the area for work. I work in auto racing. As with most events, I arrive on a wednesday, and usually work from early AM, to midnight or later through Saturday or Sunday. This was no exception. My family came out on Thursday to watch the race. We finished on Saturday. So from Sunday AM, we were on family time until we left at 12:42 am Wednesday morning.
I'm use to that work schedule, but my wife and son are not. While I was working, they toured the San Pedro/Long Beach area. Being Vermonters, the time change played a big role in our energy level. It was also unseasonably hot when we actually ended up at Disney.
Ultimately, we had 2 full days in the parks(and a half day at downtown Disney). We went rope drop to park close on Monday, and Tuesday slept in a bit and went into the parks around 10am, and had tickets to the Halloween party, sadly having to leave the park at 9:45, to grab our rental car and get to the airport. We timed it right, being at the gate of the flight about 15 minutes before boarding.
So what were the big differences to me?
Walking from the hotel to the park, was a nice change. We stayed at the Fairfield as I get Marriott points through work, and paid for our 2 nights with them. I'd say the hotel is pretty typical for the brand. It was very clean, and well kept. It's architecture and room size give away that the building isn't the newest one on the block, despite that it has been kept up very well. We were lucky enough to be upgraded to a "family" suite on the 7th floor, with a moderate view of the park. You could really only see the Matterhorn if I'm honest. However, we were able to watch the fireworks on the night we checked in from our balcony. I'd say the room itself is better than a florida Value property, closer but not quite as good to a moderate. The staff were very nice, and did their job well.
While the walk was convenient, you did realize you were in the real world, as you would encounter a few folks down on their luck along the way.
I liked having Downtown Disney attached to the exterior of the parks, we spent Sunday afternoon there. We did some shopping and had dinner at the rain forest cafe, before retiring to our room to watch the fireworks. That being said, it's noticeably smaller than Disney Springs. We grabbed our tickets for the park on our way out so that we wouldn't have to deal with it in the morning.
Disneyland is so familiar but unique. As mentioned, the castle is smaller. I do appreciate how the WDW expanded the center of Magic Kingdom in front of the castle, in Disneyland it felt quite tight, with less bypass routes. In terms of attractions, the Indiana Jones ride was one of my favorites, waaaay better than it's cousin Dinosaur, in both theme and ride quality. I liked pirates better than the Florida version. Splash mountain was basically the same to me. Big Thunder was closed. Space Mtn Ghost Galaxy was neat, it felt darker inside the ride, and therefore harder to judge the upcoming changes in direction. I think Autopia was a better executed version of Tomorrowland speedway. I enjoyed the nemo submarine ride, mostly because I miss 20,000 leagues in Florida. I liked Matterhorn, but my body didn't. I have a less than stellar back, and I just couldn't bend right to fit in the bobsleds. I'm not a big person (5' 8", 180), but could stand to eat a salad more often. I just couldn't get my hips to open up enough to fit right in there, as a result the bumps on the ride were less pleasant. If it were the ride vehicle from just about any disney coaster, I'd be fine. So that was a bummer for me(still went on it 3 times). We all thought the California yeti was much better than Florida. We loved that there seemed to be more "dark" rides. Those scream Disney to me, and we really enjoy them. Gadgets go coaster was also a hit with my son who really enjoys goofy's barnstormer in FLA.
I liked the maxpass system, I think that is a good fit for the california parks. I wouldn't hate seeing it end up in florida. I was a little disappointed in photopass, in that there are not nearly as many photographers around the park.
That's the quick and dirty about Disneyland. I'll share my thoughts on DCA and the halloween party in my next post in a little bit.