stampinshauna
Disneyland, Walt Disney World, and Disney Cruise L
- Joined
- Aug 24, 2005
- Messages
- 2,652
We just got back from our third trip to Disneyland this year. We normally don't go that often, but DH has had some business in Orange County so we bought an AP for the year. This was the first trip without business.
Cast: DH & myself (both mid-20s)
We arrived around 3:00 and were able to check into our hotel at that time. We stayed at the Grand Californian for the first time (thanks to our DVC points). As we walked into the lobby, we were sure excited. We normally stay at the cheaper hotels, so this was luxury. It was probably the nicest hotel I've ever stayed in. The stained glass automatic door where we entered was beautiful. The atmosphere is peaceful, calm, and relaxing. I felt as if I'd stepped into another world. We went to our room and were admiring every detail of the hotel.
After taking our stuff to our room, we headed over to Disneyland for a couple of hours. The park was not too busy (we had just been there in August, so it didn't seem bad at all). Since we would be there a few days, we skipped any rides with long lines and figured we'd get back to them. I really wanted to ride the Davy Crockett Explorer Canoes as they only operate on the weekends, and even then they close early. We rushed over to the canoes and were able to ride them with only a 10 minute wait. The canoes are one of my favorite rides because I love doing something instead of just sitting. If it isn't crowded, I like to ride them twice to give both of my arms a workout. After the canoes we went over to the Sailing Ship Columbia (which I've never ridden). It closes at 4:30 because of Fantasmic, so we thought we were okay. We waited for about 10 minutes, then it unloaded and we were told that it wouldn't be taking any more passengers that day (it was 4:25). Too bad, but I can try it another trip. We went on a few more rides (including our favorite competitive ride Buzz) and then left the park to get some dinner.
We had reservations for Storyteller's Cafe, which we had never been to before. We got there and thought we'd be ordering off the menu until we saw the buffet menu, so we splurged and ordered the Buffet. It was YUMMY!!! Our server suggested the corn chowder and we're glad we listened. It was wonderful, I even crave it now. The buffet didn't have a huge variety, but it was good enough. There were salads, corn chowder, vegetables, salmon, chicken, prime rib, desserts, and ice cream. They brought bread to our table and it was delicious. The service was great, the atmosphere was nice, and the food was great. I'll definately be eating at Storyteller's again!
We then went back into Disneyland and met up with my sister, her DH, and 2 kids (3&5) who drove to California that day. We went on a few rides with the kids and then headed over to get a spot for Fantasmic! (since it was only showing once during our stay and DH and I haven't ever watched it together). It was a little more crowded than I thought it would be, but we staked out a spot behind the lights that go up just before showtime. There was only one group in front of us, but I was suprised how many people squeezed in around and even in front of us for the show. It was worth it to see my 3-year old neice get so excited to see the princesses at the end.
We headed to our hotels after the show. I was glad that we were staying so close because my feet were already tired and I'd only been there since 3pm. I loved the calm music and quiet surrounding while walking to the room. We slept great--I LOVE the mattresses at the Grand Californian. We need a new one at home and I'm going to try to get what they had.
When we got up on Monday, we went down to the pool to relax in the hot tub. I don't usually like to get up early, but it was so nice to hot tub in the morning. Since DH & I were resort guests, we went into Disneyland for early entry on Monday. We headed over to Buzz, rode it a few time, and had fun getting on the top 10 list. I was #2 and #10, DH was #5, 7, and 8. We took a picture of the screen that showed our scores because it was early in the day and we knew that we'd get knocked off the list. Once it was 10am, we left Disneyland and met up with my sister and her family and also my brother, his DW, and 2 kids (1&3). It worked out great because my brother was in San Diego with us for a few days before Disneyland and my sister drove up to meet us all at Disneyland. We went into California Adventure so we could get our free photos with our Disney Visas. The kids all LOVED Monster's Inc. We let the men go ride the thrill rides as we stayed with the kids. Every ride they went on they begged to go on over and over and would get mad when we took them to a new ride. But sure enough, they'd love the new ride and beg to go on it over and over. Flik's Fun Fair was great for the kids, they especially liked playing in the splash water area. The lines were short throughout the park. After lunch we headed back into Disneyland since my brother & his family only had one day before they had to go home. Lines at Disneyland weren't too bad either. Splash Mountain had the longest line, so we got fast passes and went back an hour or so later. It didn't seem to matter that the park closed at 8pm because the kids were worn out around 7pm. DH and I headed over to the French Market because I wanted to try the French Dip, but found out they only sell it at lunch. So we went back to the GCH to get a French Dip from Whitewater Snacks only to find out that they closed at 7pm. We ended up ordering room service since we were tired and didn't want to wander around Downtown Disney. Most of the room service items are the same as what they serve at Storyteller's. We ordered our food and 2 chocolate chip cookies, which were a great deal. Room service charges a $2 fee plus a 19% gratuity, so it is a better deal if you order more. The cookies were only $2.65 for 2 and they were big and they were YUMMY!!!
Tuesday morning we went into Disneyland again for early entry. DH and I rode Space Mountain a few times and loved not waiting in line. My sister and her family met us around 10am and DH and I took the kids so she and her DH could go on the thrill rides. The kids enjoyed the Autopia, but the line was LONG. It wasn't really that long of a line, but it took a long time. My neice (3) was loving the thrill rides so far (Thunder & Splash Mtn) and she was tall enough, so we went to Space Mountain. There was only a couple minute wait. My nephew (5) liked Space last year, but this year he was chickening out on things. We promised the kids a treat (aren't we bad) if they went on it. My nephew said he didn't want to do it again and my niece said it was fun and it was bumpy. She said it wasn't too scary like Star Tours was. Phew, we didn't want to traumatize the kids. They were excited to tell their parents that they had gone on Space Mountian. We watched the kids so their parents could eat at the Blue Bayou for the first time. We had lunch at the French Market (so that we could finally get our French Dips) and they were pretty good. I like to try the different foods at Disneyland and I'd have this again. We had the kids share a chicken kids meal, which was enough food for the two of them. We went back for a swim in the afternoon and then finished up the day at Disneyland. For dinner DH and I went to Cafe Orleans and split a Monte Cristo (I think it is just as good as the one at the Blue Bayou). After dinner we headed to ToonTown and went through Mickey's house (which I've never been through before). I can definately say that this is the best time to go. It was 7:45 and we walked right through (I can't imagine standing in line throughout the house because it keeps going and goin). We had to wait about 5 minutes to see Mickey, which wasn't bad. In fact, we didn't even know that he was there we just wanted to check out the house. After taking a few pictures, we met up with the kids on Gadget's Go Coaster. They had already ridden it about 10 times and my sister was happy that we could take them on it because she was getting sick of it. We rode it 4 times without getting off. It was funny because nobody was in line, so everytime it was time to get off, everyone on the ride just said again and the CM's would send us again. Finally at 8pm we had to get off because Disneyland was closing.
Wednesday was a sad day because we had to check out of the hotel before going into the parks. We took advantage of one last morning swim before packing. I hated to leave the Grand Californian. It was everything I expected and more. We loved leaving the parks and stepping into another world, a calm and serene world. We left our bags with the Bell Hop and went to California Adventure. We got another free photo with our Disney Visa (at Ariel's Grotto) and hit a few of the thrill rides. Then we headed to Disneyland for our last few hours of fun. The lines seemed a lot longer than they were the day before, which I thought was weird. I did hear one guy in line say that his daughter was out of school, so maybe a lot of locals were there or something. We got fast passes for Splash Mountain (my favorite ride) and then had lunch. For lunch we tried the Fettucinni at the Plaza Inn. I had never eaten there before either. Again, it was YUMMY. DH and I split it and I'm glad we did because it was a BIG portion. We returned to Splash Mountain and then only had 30 minutes left in Disneyland before we had to leave for the airport. We went on Buzz again with the kids and then DH and I finished up our trip with one last ride on Space Mountain.
It is always sad for me to have to leave Disneyland, but it helps knowing that I get to go back. We are going in December with DH's whole family and we're staying at the Paradise Pier. After trying out the Grand Californian, I really want to change our reservation, but unfortunately the GCH is already booked. December will be the last trip with our AP's (I love the dining discount). I'll just have to work on DH and convince him to stay at the GCH next time (whenever that will be).
The 50th has been fun and 2006 has been great. We've enjoyed a couple short trips on our own, but love to be with our families as well. I never would have guessed that I'd go 4 times in one year. It has been a great ride!!! People ask if I get sick of it but I don't. 3 days or so at a time is enough, but as soon as I get home, I miss it and look forward to the next trip.
Cast: DH & myself (both mid-20s)
We arrived around 3:00 and were able to check into our hotel at that time. We stayed at the Grand Californian for the first time (thanks to our DVC points). As we walked into the lobby, we were sure excited. We normally stay at the cheaper hotels, so this was luxury. It was probably the nicest hotel I've ever stayed in. The stained glass automatic door where we entered was beautiful. The atmosphere is peaceful, calm, and relaxing. I felt as if I'd stepped into another world. We went to our room and were admiring every detail of the hotel.
After taking our stuff to our room, we headed over to Disneyland for a couple of hours. The park was not too busy (we had just been there in August, so it didn't seem bad at all). Since we would be there a few days, we skipped any rides with long lines and figured we'd get back to them. I really wanted to ride the Davy Crockett Explorer Canoes as they only operate on the weekends, and even then they close early. We rushed over to the canoes and were able to ride them with only a 10 minute wait. The canoes are one of my favorite rides because I love doing something instead of just sitting. If it isn't crowded, I like to ride them twice to give both of my arms a workout. After the canoes we went over to the Sailing Ship Columbia (which I've never ridden). It closes at 4:30 because of Fantasmic, so we thought we were okay. We waited for about 10 minutes, then it unloaded and we were told that it wouldn't be taking any more passengers that day (it was 4:25). Too bad, but I can try it another trip. We went on a few more rides (including our favorite competitive ride Buzz) and then left the park to get some dinner.
We had reservations for Storyteller's Cafe, which we had never been to before. We got there and thought we'd be ordering off the menu until we saw the buffet menu, so we splurged and ordered the Buffet. It was YUMMY!!! Our server suggested the corn chowder and we're glad we listened. It was wonderful, I even crave it now. The buffet didn't have a huge variety, but it was good enough. There were salads, corn chowder, vegetables, salmon, chicken, prime rib, desserts, and ice cream. They brought bread to our table and it was delicious. The service was great, the atmosphere was nice, and the food was great. I'll definately be eating at Storyteller's again!
We then went back into Disneyland and met up with my sister, her DH, and 2 kids (3&5) who drove to California that day. We went on a few rides with the kids and then headed over to get a spot for Fantasmic! (since it was only showing once during our stay and DH and I haven't ever watched it together). It was a little more crowded than I thought it would be, but we staked out a spot behind the lights that go up just before showtime. There was only one group in front of us, but I was suprised how many people squeezed in around and even in front of us for the show. It was worth it to see my 3-year old neice get so excited to see the princesses at the end.
We headed to our hotels after the show. I was glad that we were staying so close because my feet were already tired and I'd only been there since 3pm. I loved the calm music and quiet surrounding while walking to the room. We slept great--I LOVE the mattresses at the Grand Californian. We need a new one at home and I'm going to try to get what they had.
When we got up on Monday, we went down to the pool to relax in the hot tub. I don't usually like to get up early, but it was so nice to hot tub in the morning. Since DH & I were resort guests, we went into Disneyland for early entry on Monday. We headed over to Buzz, rode it a few time, and had fun getting on the top 10 list. I was #2 and #10, DH was #5, 7, and 8. We took a picture of the screen that showed our scores because it was early in the day and we knew that we'd get knocked off the list. Once it was 10am, we left Disneyland and met up with my sister and her family and also my brother, his DW, and 2 kids (1&3). It worked out great because my brother was in San Diego with us for a few days before Disneyland and my sister drove up to meet us all at Disneyland. We went into California Adventure so we could get our free photos with our Disney Visas. The kids all LOVED Monster's Inc. We let the men go ride the thrill rides as we stayed with the kids. Every ride they went on they begged to go on over and over and would get mad when we took them to a new ride. But sure enough, they'd love the new ride and beg to go on it over and over. Flik's Fun Fair was great for the kids, they especially liked playing in the splash water area. The lines were short throughout the park. After lunch we headed back into Disneyland since my brother & his family only had one day before they had to go home. Lines at Disneyland weren't too bad either. Splash Mountain had the longest line, so we got fast passes and went back an hour or so later. It didn't seem to matter that the park closed at 8pm because the kids were worn out around 7pm. DH and I headed over to the French Market because I wanted to try the French Dip, but found out they only sell it at lunch. So we went back to the GCH to get a French Dip from Whitewater Snacks only to find out that they closed at 7pm. We ended up ordering room service since we were tired and didn't want to wander around Downtown Disney. Most of the room service items are the same as what they serve at Storyteller's. We ordered our food and 2 chocolate chip cookies, which were a great deal. Room service charges a $2 fee plus a 19% gratuity, so it is a better deal if you order more. The cookies were only $2.65 for 2 and they were big and they were YUMMY!!!
Tuesday morning we went into Disneyland again for early entry. DH and I rode Space Mountain a few times and loved not waiting in line. My sister and her family met us around 10am and DH and I took the kids so she and her DH could go on the thrill rides. The kids enjoyed the Autopia, but the line was LONG. It wasn't really that long of a line, but it took a long time. My neice (3) was loving the thrill rides so far (Thunder & Splash Mtn) and she was tall enough, so we went to Space Mountain. There was only a couple minute wait. My nephew (5) liked Space last year, but this year he was chickening out on things. We promised the kids a treat (aren't we bad) if they went on it. My nephew said he didn't want to do it again and my niece said it was fun and it was bumpy. She said it wasn't too scary like Star Tours was. Phew, we didn't want to traumatize the kids. They were excited to tell their parents that they had gone on Space Mountian. We watched the kids so their parents could eat at the Blue Bayou for the first time. We had lunch at the French Market (so that we could finally get our French Dips) and they were pretty good. I like to try the different foods at Disneyland and I'd have this again. We had the kids share a chicken kids meal, which was enough food for the two of them. We went back for a swim in the afternoon and then finished up the day at Disneyland. For dinner DH and I went to Cafe Orleans and split a Monte Cristo (I think it is just as good as the one at the Blue Bayou). After dinner we headed to ToonTown and went through Mickey's house (which I've never been through before). I can definately say that this is the best time to go. It was 7:45 and we walked right through (I can't imagine standing in line throughout the house because it keeps going and goin). We had to wait about 5 minutes to see Mickey, which wasn't bad. In fact, we didn't even know that he was there we just wanted to check out the house. After taking a few pictures, we met up with the kids on Gadget's Go Coaster. They had already ridden it about 10 times and my sister was happy that we could take them on it because she was getting sick of it. We rode it 4 times without getting off. It was funny because nobody was in line, so everytime it was time to get off, everyone on the ride just said again and the CM's would send us again. Finally at 8pm we had to get off because Disneyland was closing.
Wednesday was a sad day because we had to check out of the hotel before going into the parks. We took advantage of one last morning swim before packing. I hated to leave the Grand Californian. It was everything I expected and more. We loved leaving the parks and stepping into another world, a calm and serene world. We left our bags with the Bell Hop and went to California Adventure. We got another free photo with our Disney Visa (at Ariel's Grotto) and hit a few of the thrill rides. Then we headed to Disneyland for our last few hours of fun. The lines seemed a lot longer than they were the day before, which I thought was weird. I did hear one guy in line say that his daughter was out of school, so maybe a lot of locals were there or something. We got fast passes for Splash Mountain (my favorite ride) and then had lunch. For lunch we tried the Fettucinni at the Plaza Inn. I had never eaten there before either. Again, it was YUMMY. DH and I split it and I'm glad we did because it was a BIG portion. We returned to Splash Mountain and then only had 30 minutes left in Disneyland before we had to leave for the airport. We went on Buzz again with the kids and then DH and I finished up our trip with one last ride on Space Mountain.
It is always sad for me to have to leave Disneyland, but it helps knowing that I get to go back. We are going in December with DH's whole family and we're staying at the Paradise Pier. After trying out the Grand Californian, I really want to change our reservation, but unfortunately the GCH is already booked. December will be the last trip with our AP's (I love the dining discount). I'll just have to work on DH and convince him to stay at the GCH next time (whenever that will be).
The 50th has been fun and 2006 has been great. We've enjoyed a couple short trips on our own, but love to be with our families as well. I never would have guessed that I'd go 4 times in one year. It has been a great ride!!! People ask if I get sick of it but I don't. 3 days or so at a time is enough, but as soon as I get home, I miss it and look forward to the next trip.
. You will love PP, too. Try for the DCA view, even if you have to pay extra. I think it is the best hotel view room, even if it is the furthest to walk to. I can't wait to go again!
