diberry
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- May 5, 2004
Wednesday 17th August
We arrived in Anaheim at about 6.20 p.m. Out hotel was a Best Western directly across Harbor Boulevard from Disneyland a very different set-up from WDW!! Wed looked at the 3 onsite Disney hotels but as the cheapest of them was nearly 3 times more than the Good Neighbor hotels across the road, it wasnt a hard decision!! The room was very similar to WDW rooms but with the addition of a nice sitting area, fridge, microwave, iron & ironing board (which didnt get used!!!) and all for £53 a night. There was also a pool and jacuzzi plus plenty of restaurants nearby. After checking in we went for a walk. It was so exciting to be in the original Disneyland and as soon as we walked into the entrance plaza we heard the Pirates of the Caribbean music and Its a Small World etc brilliant!!! We picked up our hopper tickets and then had a long wander around Downtown Disney
we wanted to go into the park of course but it would have wasted a whole days ticket for one evening. Downtown is very similar to the one in WDW - huge with many different types of shops (including the World of Disney store of course!!) and restaurants. We had a couple of drinks in the ESPN bar and a sandwich at the La Brea bakery before wending our way home (just across the street).
Thurs 18th
It was so exciting just being there with all the familiar sights and sounds Disney music is so emotive. They call the 50th Anniversary year the Happiest Homecoming on Earth and as we went through the ticket booth the lady said: Welcome Home. It was all I could do to stop myself from blubbing and even worse as we walked into Town Square and saw all the familiar buildings, Main Street vehicles etc and heard the music!!! Main Street is almost exactly like the ones at WDW and DLP with the same Victorian style shops, Town Square, the hub with the "partners" statue, the vehicles, band, dapper Dans etc etc - oh, and that wonderful happy music!!! It really is a magical place to be for us. The castle is much smaller than at WDW or DLP but very pretty in its own way and beautifully decorated for the 50th anniversary.
Tinkerbell even came out to say;Hello!!
I liked the thought that Walt Disney had actually walked through that castle.
As always we started with a grand circle tour of the park on the railroad which has Grand Canyon and Primeval World dioramas like at DLP!!! Afterwards we just wandered up Main Street taking it all in. It was quite busy but not madly so. The temperature was nice too not too hot but sunny and warm.
The first ride we went on was Jungle Cruise there are 50 logos like this around the park all themed to whichever land theyre in.
The ride was excellent as always there were a few new bits including what seemed like hundreds of piranha fish which gave us a good laugh as they made the water froth up as they jumped up at us.
Next came Pirates of the Caribbean which is also excellent and very much like the one at DLP. There is also a restaurant by the waters edge, called the Blue Bayou here it looks lovely.
We went to the Haunted Mansion which again is very similar to DLPs version and was very good indeed.
Then of course we had to go on Splash Mountain which is our favourite ride at WDW excellent as always. Then we went on the Winnie the Pooh ride and had lunch at the Hungry Bear restaurant in Critter Country which is at the back of Frontierland.
We were lucky to get a table right by the river and had excellent views of the Mark Twain.
After lunch Dave decided to have a go on the Davy Crockett Explorer Canoes but it looked too much like hard work for me! After that we had a ride on the Sailing Ship Columbia a 3-masted windjammer and below deck you can view the galley and living quarters as they would have been for an 18th century ships crew.
By this time we were feeling pretty shattered and it was hot so we decided to come back for a rest by the pool. The pool is really nice and the jacuzzi was full of foam like an outdoor bubble bath!!
After a couple of hours we decided to go back to the park and started off in Tomorrowland this time. We went on Honey, I Shrunk the Audience which we always enjoy.
Then of course we had to have a go on Buzz Lightyears Astro Blasters which is new this year. Its a longer ride than in WDW and afterwards you can e-mail your photo from the ride to people at home.
We had a long wander round Innoventions and played on all the interactive computer games etc. It used to be the Carousel of Progress building and still rotates very slowly. We had a ride on the monorail which goes round both parks and Downtown Disney and along Harbor Boulevard right past our hotel!!
Back in the Magic Kingdom I had a go on the Indiana Jones ride which was good fun but a bit jerky for me. Its a lot different from the one at DLP but just like Dinosaur at the Animal Kingdom at WDW (except without the dinosaurs!!!!). In the queue area there are interactive elements such as poles to push which make the ceiling appear to be collapsing etc there are signs telling you not to touch them which are intended to make you do just that!! We were feeling peckish by now so went back to Downtown Disney where we had several Budweisers and a lovely steak meal at the ESPN zone. Then wandered back to the hotel absolutely shattered.
We arrived in Anaheim at about 6.20 p.m. Out hotel was a Best Western directly across Harbor Boulevard from Disneyland a very different set-up from WDW!! Wed looked at the 3 onsite Disney hotels but as the cheapest of them was nearly 3 times more than the Good Neighbor hotels across the road, it wasnt a hard decision!! The room was very similar to WDW rooms but with the addition of a nice sitting area, fridge, microwave, iron & ironing board (which didnt get used!!!) and all for £53 a night. There was also a pool and jacuzzi plus plenty of restaurants nearby. After checking in we went for a walk. It was so exciting to be in the original Disneyland and as soon as we walked into the entrance plaza we heard the Pirates of the Caribbean music and Its a Small World etc brilliant!!! We picked up our hopper tickets and then had a long wander around Downtown Disney
we wanted to go into the park of course but it would have wasted a whole days ticket for one evening. Downtown is very similar to the one in WDW - huge with many different types of shops (including the World of Disney store of course!!) and restaurants. We had a couple of drinks in the ESPN bar and a sandwich at the La Brea bakery before wending our way home (just across the street).
Thurs 18th
It was so exciting just being there with all the familiar sights and sounds Disney music is so emotive. They call the 50th Anniversary year the Happiest Homecoming on Earth and as we went through the ticket booth the lady said: Welcome Home. It was all I could do to stop myself from blubbing and even worse as we walked into Town Square and saw all the familiar buildings, Main Street vehicles etc and heard the music!!! Main Street is almost exactly like the ones at WDW and DLP with the same Victorian style shops, Town Square, the hub with the "partners" statue, the vehicles, band, dapper Dans etc etc - oh, and that wonderful happy music!!! It really is a magical place to be for us. The castle is much smaller than at WDW or DLP but very pretty in its own way and beautifully decorated for the 50th anniversary.
Tinkerbell even came out to say;Hello!!
I liked the thought that Walt Disney had actually walked through that castle.
As always we started with a grand circle tour of the park on the railroad which has Grand Canyon and Primeval World dioramas like at DLP!!! Afterwards we just wandered up Main Street taking it all in. It was quite busy but not madly so. The temperature was nice too not too hot but sunny and warm.
The first ride we went on was Jungle Cruise there are 50 logos like this around the park all themed to whichever land theyre in.
The ride was excellent as always there were a few new bits including what seemed like hundreds of piranha fish which gave us a good laugh as they made the water froth up as they jumped up at us.
Next came Pirates of the Caribbean which is also excellent and very much like the one at DLP. There is also a restaurant by the waters edge, called the Blue Bayou here it looks lovely.
We went to the Haunted Mansion which again is very similar to DLPs version and was very good indeed.
Then of course we had to go on Splash Mountain which is our favourite ride at WDW excellent as always. Then we went on the Winnie the Pooh ride and had lunch at the Hungry Bear restaurant in Critter Country which is at the back of Frontierland.
We were lucky to get a table right by the river and had excellent views of the Mark Twain.
After lunch Dave decided to have a go on the Davy Crockett Explorer Canoes but it looked too much like hard work for me! After that we had a ride on the Sailing Ship Columbia a 3-masted windjammer and below deck you can view the galley and living quarters as they would have been for an 18th century ships crew.
By this time we were feeling pretty shattered and it was hot so we decided to come back for a rest by the pool. The pool is really nice and the jacuzzi was full of foam like an outdoor bubble bath!!
After a couple of hours we decided to go back to the park and started off in Tomorrowland this time. We went on Honey, I Shrunk the Audience which we always enjoy.
Then of course we had to have a go on Buzz Lightyears Astro Blasters which is new this year. Its a longer ride than in WDW and afterwards you can e-mail your photo from the ride to people at home.
We had a long wander round Innoventions and played on all the interactive computer games etc. It used to be the Carousel of Progress building and still rotates very slowly. We had a ride on the monorail which goes round both parks and Downtown Disney and along Harbor Boulevard right past our hotel!!
Back in the Magic Kingdom I had a go on the Indiana Jones ride which was good fun but a bit jerky for me. Its a lot different from the one at DLP but just like Dinosaur at the Animal Kingdom at WDW (except without the dinosaurs!!!!). In the queue area there are interactive elements such as poles to push which make the ceiling appear to be collapsing etc there are signs telling you not to touch them which are intended to make you do just that!! We were feeling peckish by now so went back to Downtown Disney where we had several Budweisers and a lovely steak meal at the ESPN zone. Then wandered back to the hotel absolutely shattered.
i'm glad you enjoyed it so much! You will have to bring your photos to the notts meet!
He'll be so thrilled!!!!
me remember of our trips overthere !!! 
dream !!!!
