Disneyland or Bust: A Mother-Daughter Coastal Road Trip

[jedijill]

Boo for the rain and humidity but yay for getting on RSR and TSM so quickly!

Jill in CO

 

[pkondz]

"I can't be late on the first day!"

Dang. Late to the party again.

To say that we were excited to be back at Disneyland would be an understatement for sure.

Elated? Thrilled? All atingle and agog?

Willow woke me up this morning at 5:45 - too excited to sleep!

While we sometimes joke about "There's no crying in Disney World" (and yes. I know you're on the other coast) I do believe, especially for most DISers:
"There's no sleeping in in Disney World (Land.... happy?)

Oh, boy. Someone looks slightly stoked!

When we stepped outside, however, we were shocked to discover that it was raining! See - check out DTD!

What??? They didn't put up the dome??

Luckily, the rain did not last long, but it did leave behind a level of humidity for which we were not prepared, having expected the dryer heat of the West Coast.

Humid heat is way, waaaaay worse than a dry heat.

We watched the CMs having a little meeting.

The Monty Python purist in me is going: "Morning!" "Morning." "Morning!!"

But in reality the conversation was probably more like.
"Humid, huh?"
"Yup. Humid."
"Hey, Carl. How about that humidity?"
"Yep. Pretty humid."
"Hey, guys? Is it humid or what?"
"Yeah, I'd say it's pretty humid."
"Hot, too."
"Yeah. Hot... and humid."

etc.

Disneyland was looking a little lonely over there as it wasn't opening until 8.

Aw. You should go visit some day.

We were pretty psyched to head on in at 7:00.

Nothing better than being first at the turnstyle.

Why don't you walk along with us through CarsLand?

Sure!


Nice pics... although it looks a little humid.

and an awesome racing segment at the end in which your car races another carload of guests. Super-fun!!!

Super-fun? Does that mean you won?

Willow spotted a candy shop window that she didn't want to leave.

Wellll.... YEAH! Hellooo! Candy!!

Our destination? TSMM, of course! Now, this attraction does not get as crowded at DCA as it does at DHS by any means; however, it was the height of summer, so we figured it would be a valuable use of our EMH time.

Did you happen to see the wait times later on?

As you can see, we are not exactly TSMM fanatics or experts.

Perhaps.
I also see that Willow is almost three times the expert you are.

At least I assume she scored higher than you.

Up Next: Day 10B

Thanks for the update!

 

[KatMark]

You know, I never thought it rained at DL during the summer, and yours is the second TR I've read that had rain at DL. I hope this will be the end of it.

I loved your journey to Radiator Springs...love seeing pictures of the park I've never been to.

How great is that there is no line for TSM? I would love that to save me more time to do TOT (my favorite).

Can I just say again that Willow is adorable?

 

[afwdwfan]

How about that... rain and humidity at a Disney park... I'm sorry that you had a little surprise from the weather that morning, but at least it didn't turn out to be too bad. RSR really looks amazing. I can't wait to see it all for myself.

 

[DisneyKid4Life]

AHHHHHHH I'm so excited to see myself on the contest board. I can die happy now. Mission complete

7am Magic Hour, and you were ready!!! Kudos!! You can't waste that opportunity.

Rain in So-Cal??? Well the one plus is the locals will all stay indoors.

Aww that picture of Willow at the *gasp* turnstiles is super adorable.

I wish RSR had been open when I was there. Nothing but praise I hear.

LOVE LOVE LOVE Paradise Pier. And the TSMM low wait time is just so Twilight Zone. But given all the other attractions (that DHS does not have), I get it.

 

[RGirl]

Nemo in Finding Nemo.

Jill in CO

Ooooh, a swing and a miss!

A drive by contest entry:

The slug from Monster's University?

2 points!!!!!

Boo for the rain and humidity but yay for getting on RSR and TSM so quickly!

Jill in CO

The rain and humidity really took us by surprise, but it wasn't going to stop us from having a great time!

 

[RGirl]

Elated? Thrilled? All atingle and agog?

Yes! Perfect, Mr. Thesaurus.

While we sometimes joke about "There's no crying in Disney World" (and yes. I know you're on the other coast) I do believe, especially for most DISers:
"There's no sleeping in in Disney World (Land.... happy?)

So true.

Oh, boy. Someone looks slightly stoked!

Right? There's nothing like that first morning and heading out to a park you love.

What??? They didn't put up the dome??

Seriously - it's not supposed to rain in SoCal in the summer!!!

Humid heat is way, waaaaay worse than a dry heat.

It is - especially when it is completely unexpected. We're prepared for that in Florida, not so much Cali.

The Monty Python purist in me is going: "Morning!" "Morning." "Morning!!"

But in reality the conversation was probably more like.
"Humid, huh?"
"Yup. Humid."
"Hey, Carl. How about that humidity?"
"Yep. Pretty humid."
"Hey, guys? Is it humid or what?"
"Yeah, I'd say it's pretty humid."
"Hot, too."
"Yeah. Hot... and humid."

etc.

"But why is it so humid?"
"Yeah, I know, this isn't Florida."

Aw. You should go visit some day.

We just might!

Nothing better than being first at the turnstyle.

I do love being up there in front.

Nice pics... although it looks a little humid.

Super-fun? Does that mean you won?

RSR is so fun that it doesn't even matter.

Wellll.... YEAH! Hellooo! Candy!!

Did you happen to see the wait times later on?

They definitely are higher in the summer than when we usually go in January. In January, we tend to skip it if the wait time gets to be 20 minutes. I'm sure there were times when it was about an hour while we were there this summer. But it's not one of Willow's big faves so we don't check it a lot.

Perhaps.
I also see that Willow is almost three times the expert you are.

At least I assume she scored higher than you.

Yes, let's assume that.

Thanks for the update!

Thanks for following along and taking the time to comment. More soon!

 

[RGirl]

You know, I never thought it rained at DL during the summer, and yours is the second TR I've read that had rain at DL. I hope this will be the end of it.

I really don't think it usually does. Our SoCal friends were shocked - in fact, she texted me that night stunned that it was raining.

I loved your journey to Radiator Springs...love seeing pictures of the park I've never been to.

Thanks! I am just crazy about CarsLand - I think it's one of the best themed lands Disney has ever done.

How great is that there is no line for TSM? I would love that to save me more time to do TOT (my favorite).

I know the line definitely gets "long" in the summer, but just nothing like DHS. And Willow and I would always choose ToT over TSMM too!

Can I just say again that Willow is adorable?

Awww - thank you!

How about that... rain and humidity at a Disney park... I'm sorry that you had a little surprise from the weather that morning, but at least it didn't turn out to be too bad. RSR really looks amazing. I can't wait to see it all for myself.

Yeah - it wasn't awful, just seemed worse because it was so unexpected.

RSR is, in my opinion, one of the best attractions Disney has done in years if not ever. It is such a great experience. And we would know - there have been times when we have just done it over and over and over.

AHHHHHHH I'm so excited to see myself on the contest board. I can die happy now. Mission complete

I have higher goals for you, Rob - I expect to see you stage a major come-back now that you're on the boards.

7am Magic Hour, and you were ready!!! Kudos!! You can't waste that opportunity.

Oh, of course we were! I will say that we were certainly longing for the 8AM Magic Hour of off season later in the week.

Rain in So-Cal??? Well the one plus is the locals will all stay indoors.

Yep, it was a surprise for sure. I think that is only the second time we have experienced rain at DLR. The first was on the last day of a January trip, and it was awesome - no one else seemed to be in the park at all.

Aww that picture of Willow at the *gasp* turnstiles is super adorable.

Thanks! We like to be right up front whenever possible!

I wish RSR had been open when I was there. Nothing but praise I hear.

Oh, man, I wish you could have experienced it. It is really one of the best things Disney has done - so much fun. I guess you will have to make another trip to DLR.

LOVE LOVE LOVE Paradise Pier. And the TSMM low wait time is just so Twilight Zone. But given all the other attractions (that DHS does not have), I get it.

Yeah, it's weird, isn't it, when you're used to DHS? It kind of cracks me up every time we ride TSMM at DCA.

 

[pkondz]

RSR is so fun that it doesn't even matter.

Sooooo.... You lost.
Check.

How's Willow feeling today?

 

[RGirl]

Sooooo.... You lost.
Check.

How's Willow feeling today?

Worse! I have absolutely no memory of whether we won or lost!

She was still feeling pretty awful early this morning, but she finally seems to be bouncing back now - even ate a piece of toast. Thanks so much for asking.

 

[dizneeat]

Unexpected rain? No thank you!

But I love that you braved it and were able to get on some rides pretty quickly.

The park looks awesome so empty.

 

[RGirl]

Unexpected rain? No thank you!

I know! We were not pleased - luckily, it did not last or return.

But I love that you braved it and were able to get on some rides pretty quickly.

Gotta suck it up and make it happen when on a Disney vacation, right?

The park looks awesome so empty.

If only it could have stayed that way.....

 

[RGirl]

Well, I'm at home with a sick kiddo for the second day in a row, so why not update again, right???

The Contest: First person to provide the movie title from which the chapter heading comes get a point; two points if the character who utters the line is also identified. If the first person doesn’t name the character, the first poster to do so will get a point.

Current Standing:
Courtney (courtneybelle): 6 points
Jill (jedijill): 18 points
pkondz: 4 points
Megan (MonsterWDWmom): 2 points
Shannon (shan23877): 6 points
Lori (STLMickeyMom): 3 points
petals: 1 point
Rob (DisneyKid4Life): 2 points

"Oh, I don't know why, but I've always loved the idea of summer, and sun, and all things hot...."​

Day 10B - Sunday, 3 August 2014 - Disneyland Resort

When I last left you, we had just enjoyed a spin on TSMM during EMH. From there, we were headed to one of Willow's long-time favorite attractions - Tower of Terror! (We were not doing DCA with any rhyme or reason this morning - we had a lot of plans in DL, so we were just trying to hit a few faves during EMH.) Hey, why don't you join us as we make our way from Paradise Pier to Hollywood Land.

Isn't the bug area so cute???

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We walked through a cereal box.

​

I loved this version of what would be a typical “employees only” sign anywhere else.

​

Ahhhh - an old fave.

​

It was about 8:00 when we arrived, and there was no wait at all yet.

​

After a terrifying ride on ToT, we retraced our steps a bit through “a bug’s land.”

​

And headed back into Carsland from the back.

​

Up Next: Day 10B (cont.)

 

[RGirl]

Day 10B - Sunday, 3 August 2014 - Disneyland Resort (cont.)

We needed to get our RSR ride photo! Of course, the best way to get that was to ride again! But we are not fans of standing in line for over an hour, so we noted that the single-rider line was completely empty. We fixed that!

​

And by 8:20, we were ready to ride again - same car, different rows.

​

The first vehicle you come across when you enter the interior part of the ride.

​

Uh oh! Better slow down!

​

Hi Mater! Let's tip some tractors!

​

Oh no!!! Hurry!!!!!

​

Phew! Made it into town.

​

We finally got the paint job side! (At this point on the ride, your car goes onto one of two tracks - one takes you to get your tires changed, the other to get a new paint job. We have done this ride a LOT, and this was only the second time we have ever gotten the paint side. )

​

We got our racing tips.

​

And then we were off!

​

Up Next: Day 10B (cont. again)

 

[RGirl]

Day 10B - Sunday, 3 August 2014 - Disneyland Resort (cont. again)

I totally want to stay at Comfy Caverns on our next road trip. They have a Lincoln Continental Breakfast!

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Here's our ride pic from earlier in the morning.

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By this point, we were feeling the gross humid weather that we had not expected. We decided to make a quick pit stop at Flo's for some unsweetened iced tea (me) and an orange juice box (Willow).

​

We paused for some PP pics on the way out of CarsLand.

​

It was about 8:40 now, and we headed to the front of the park.

​

We stopped at a shop or two along the way - me all the time trying to explain that shopping would be better done during the heat and crowds of midday. Willow had a purchase that she just HAD to make today though, so it was imperative that she look things over at every possible opportunity.

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Willow: That’s my way!

Finally, we were at the front of the park.

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And soon we were walking across the plaza area to Disneyland!

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Up Next: Day 10C

 

[jedijill]

Olaf in Frozen

Wow, you guys covered a lot of ground that morning! The park looks empty...I love the single rider lines! WDW needs more of them.



Jill in CO

 

[DisneyKid4Life]

Holy updates Bat... um... Woman. While it is great to see, I can't say I'm happy about the how. Hoping for a quick recovery for Miss Willow.

I have higher goals for you, Rob - I expect to see you stage a major come-back now that you're on the boards.

Um, yeah, I don't see that happening.

Oh, man, I wish you could have experienced it. It is really one of the best things Disney has done - so much fun. I guess you will have to make another trip to DLR.

THAT on the other hand is a never say never. I did say after my one trip that I was done because the travel is so long. But I am starting to get that urge...


I too liked the Bug's Life area. I didn't do anything (although my friend did ride the bumper cars which of course I found hysterical).

Aren't the genius "Employees Only" signs well... Genius? I love how they do that.

Overall a pretty calm Tower group EXCEPT fort that one kid. OMG! Just a little excited.

WOW!! Willow does single rider? I know you ended up in the same car, but that's some guts right there.

"We have done this ride a LOT, and this was only the second time we have ever gotten the paint side" This sounds like getting the Cowboy scene on the Great Movie Ride.

"Lincoln Continental Breakfast"

"Willow: That’s my way!" That would be my way too!

 

[petals]

Great updates.

Boo to rain.

I find it interesting that you say you've only ever gotten the paint job twice on RSR

Carsland is amazing!

Hope Willow is feeling better btw

 

[KatMark]

Roni, I am so sorry that Willow is still unwell. I hope with the weekend here that she will be her usual self by Monday.

That bug area is absolutely adorable.

my favorite ride -- TOT. Are they the same in both parks?

Fun pictures during the ride on RSR and cute ride photos.

And I love the photopass pics of Willow. However why are you not in any of them?

 

[STLMickeyMom]

wow--what a fun (early) morning! I don't blame willow for being ready to get into a park. it's hard to sleep in on the first park day!

I wasn't worried about the rain--I know you WDW troopers aren't scared of a few rain drops!

i'm wondering what willow's shopping for......

your rides on RSR look so fun! man I can't wait to get there! the paint side of the ride looks bright and fun. and flo's looks like a fun stop too!