DLR Trip Report! With Pics, Food Porn, and Videos

[spaceace510]

Hi all! Once again thanks for all your help!
Now here is my trip report: (4-27 more pics on page 2)
4/11/2008
After a long day at school, it was time to head for the airport for a 5:30 flight. The flight was on Southwest. Security was a hassle as always with me. This was my first time flying on Southwest with their new boarding policy. DM and my self were separated in the boarding process, she was able to checkin online, while I had to checkin at the airport. The flight was uneventful. Upon landing at LAX we gathered our luggage! We were almost there We headed out to the super shuttle position. We waited about 5 minutes for our van to pul up. We were the first ones on so we got our choice of seats. Navigating LAX was a complete mess. We left terminal 1 and made stops at terminals 2, 3, 4, and 5. After filling the van we left for DISNEY!!

Supershuttle drivers may not be safest ones out there, but it was pretty good overall. I would do it again. Our first stop was the DLH. Then was our stop the GCH!!! As we got closer we saw that the design was absolutely beautiful.
The outside of the GCH lobby (taken on a different day)

The main door to the lobby (taken on a different day)

We waited about 10 minutes for check-in. Our cast member was very helpful and funny. He didn't really mention anything about the resort, but did give some info and dvc perks (we are members).
Then we waited 1 minute for our bellman Mike. Mike is SUPER! He was so informational. On our way to our room he was sooo friendly. Once we got to our room, he unloaded our bags, and went to check he we could see the fireworks from our room. He went out onto the porch and looked. We could!

We must of spent 10 minutes on the porch. He went over EVERYTHING in DTD and a few things about the resort and the parks! He was SUPER!!! He got a huge tip!!!!
So after we left, we got settled. We saw the fireworks a little later, and then ordered some room service (we were very tired and didn't want to leave the room) It was very good. They were very quick too...
BBQ Shrimp (sorry for the blur)

Chicken Quesadillas

Shrimp and Linguine

That was my first night at DLR

 

[spaceace510]

4/12
Breakfast was at Storytellers. It was good. We had an ok amount of character time. The was also ok. I will go again, but it isn't my favorite...We spent the first part of our day in CA! I love that park. It has some great rides and other attractions. My top rides being: Soarin' over CA, and the Sun Wheel. Some CA pics:
California Screamin'

Grizzly Peak

Sun Wheel

Walking through the park, we saw Cat Cora giving a demonstration. We had come just in time for the beginning of Food and Wine. We would later go to her book signing which was very nice and orderly

We were in the park until about 3, when we went back to our room for a little break. Then we went on the explore DTD. Thanks to Mike, this was really enjoyable! DL DTD is, in my opinion, much nicer than WDW DTD. I think it is really much for like a downtown. With the street performers and everything!
I'm going to try something. here is a video i took from our room of a good violinist. I hope this works (just click and it opens a new link)

We had dinner at Ralph Brennan's Jazz Kitchen. It was very good. Time for more food porn!
Garlic Bread

Bourbon Street Sampler

Crab Stuffed Gulf Shrimp

Drunken Chicken Breast

Banana Fosters in the making

And last but not least, some Beignets we brought back to our room

We did some shopping in Wide World of Disney and called it a day, again we saw the fireworks from our room.

 

[spaceace510]

4/13
We started today by heading out to Goofy's Kitchen for breakfast. The was very good. A LARGE variety. The characters were great. They took pictures and signed autographs. They spent a lot of time at the table. We then took the monorail over to DL.
My favorite rides are: Haunted Mansion, Pirates (no one told me you would get wet...), Indiana Jones, Autopia, Star Tours, and the monorail (if u call it a ride). Throughout the day we say New Orleans group perform and on our way out for our daily break,lol, we came upon the flag lowering. It was a very good ceremony, honors all the different people from the armed forces and everyhting...
The Matterhorn and the monorail

The Castle and Partners

The Temple from Indiana Jones Adventure (one of my new favs)

DOLE WHIP!!!!

New Orleans Band and Show

The Band from the flag lowering

The Mickey light-up flower, just outside of Main Street

We went back to our room for our break (it was over 90 degrees today and yesterday) Then had dinner at the rain forest cafe. No food porn =( soory. We then went back into CA for the Electrical Parade of Lights. It was pretty amazing. (I recorded the whole thing and can post if anyone wants to see). After the parade we began walking out when DL fireworks started. We watched some, by Grizzly River Run, some by Soarin', then the rest in between the parks. Once in DL we walked around and then saw Fantasmic. Again, it was amazing. That was it for that day.

 

[spaceace510]

4/14
We had room service for breakfast. Very good, what Disney food isn't?
Whip cream shaped as Mickey ears, with a white chocolate face

French Toast with Banana Foster

Mickey Waffle with Banana Foster

We then headed into DL to ride some of the rides we didn't get to yesterday. Nemo was the best of that day. After riding more rides and spending quite a bit of time in Innoventions, we headed over to Blue Bayou for lunch. Very nice atmosphere, even though it was very dark. We were literally in the middle of the Pirates ride. No food pron, it was too dark, and i didn't want to bother other people with my flash. We explored DL some more, took our break then came back for the Parade of Dreams. It was very nice.

Dinner was at House of Blues. Very good. Great service and good food. We then did our final round of shopping through DTD.

 

[spaceace510]

4/15
Room Service again for breakfast (dull i know, but it fit our schedule). We head out to CA to go buy some Mickey shaped Boudin bread to take back with us. We saw Turtle Talk with Crush, it was very good DUDE!!!!!!! lol. That was it we flew back to Oakland. And Disney withdrawal hurts...But i loved my trip! I can't wait to go back!
Pics of our room and the GCH

And i will close with one of my fav shots. I waited 20 minutes for this to happen! I was all smiles when it happened.

Please leave your comments and ask you questions. I you would like me post more pics and videos i will be more than happy to. I have movies of just about everything form the parades and rides to the monorail. And tons of pics. Just ask! I want to post more!
I hope you enjoyed!
Ben

 

[prettyprincessbelle]

Awesome pictures! And I love your food porn! I'm sitting here contemplating where to make PS's for our trip and your pictures are making it harder! lol

 

[spaceace510]

Awesome pictures! And I love your food porn! I'm sitting here contemplating where to make PS's for our trip and your pictures are making it harder! lol

I would make Ralph Bernanns a must... it was so good!!

 

[Jaybird79]

Great pictures, loved the food! Yummy!

 

[bonita_babe232]

great pics! Every time i read someone trip report i wanna go back I'm glad you had a great time!

 

[bumbershoot]

Very cool!

The beignet picture made me whimper, and I didn't even like the JK's beignets! (Cafe Orleans' version I loved, though)

And your picture of the Bourbon Street Sampler made me wish I ate meat.

Crazy! Good report!

 

[spaceace510]

but the only real meat on that sampler is the chicken at the top, everything else was seafood...

 

[bumbershoot]

Ah, same thing to me. And I gave up seafood about a decade before I gave up meat-meat, so to want whatever was on that plate was even MORE odd!

It was a good picture!

 

[spaceace510]

Ah, same thing to me. And I gave up seafood about a decade before I gave up meat-meat, so to want whatever was on that plate was even MORE odd!

It was a good picture!

really? Thats very interesting. But thanks!

 

[Albort]

dang it dang it, those pictures of those food are making me hungry!

DARN YOU!

 

[tink too]

Great photos! All these TR's are getting me really excited about our 1st trip to DL next month!

It's almost lunch time here in the UK, but I'm craving Mickey waffles and french toast! No chance of getting any off those around here though!

You mentioned you had dinner at House of Blues - can you give any suggestions or recommendations of what to order there?

 

[Disneynut71]

Awesome Pics. I am taking my first trip next month.

Thank you for sharing

 

[VegasMike21]

awesome pics, thank you for sharing!

 

[spaceace510]

Great photos! All these TR's are getting me really excited about our 1st trip to DL next month!

It's almost lunch time here in the UK, but I'm craving Mickey waffles and french toast! No chance of getting any off those around here though!

You mentioned you had dinner at House of Blues - can you give any suggestions or recommendations of what to order there?

for a starter the calamari and the catfish nuggets w/ sweat potato fries were both very good. for the main course, i would suggest the po boy. it was very good!

 

[stagemomx3]

Jazz Kitchen looks yummy.

Your room photos make me miss GC sooo much!

 

[rentayenta]

Great pictures and now I am jonesing for a Dole Float!