Have you ever regretted a DL trip.....

[Disneyland1084]

And couldn't get out of it for some reason or another? Or perhaps you went there, and you didn't have a good time? I'm going to DL in August. I wouldn't say I regret buying tickets, but am a little bummed about some of the closures. When I bought the tickets back in February, I knew it was very likely Haunted Mansion would still be closed. Yeah, that sucks. But that's only one ride I like, so no big deal. Then I heard about the closure of Winnie the Pooh and Hungry Bear restaurant. We always eat at Hungry Bear multiple times each trip. I suppose there's a chance Winnie the Pooh will be open, but I'm not holding my breath. I saw some pictures of the construction, and this looks like WAY more than just a construction project of laying concrete. Sigh!!! I know I should just be grateful I'll be at DL, and I am. But it still sucks.

 

[Iceman93]

What food items do you like at Hungry Bear? It's likely we can recommend some other spots with the same types of food. Or is just the ambiance over in that quiet corner of the park that keeps bringing you back to the Hungry Bear?

 

[Bad Pink Tink 2.0]

No, and especially not since the shut down and re open.

Its a privilege to to be able to go to Disneyland. From March 2020 to November 2021 international tourists were banned from entering America. Disneyland and Walt Disney reopened, I had the money and time off from work but I was banned from entering America.

After that I will never take international travel and being able to go to Disneyland for granted.

I remember the long months of 2020 and 2021, watching YouTube streams of locals in Disney parks. There were times when I didnt know if I would ever get back to California again, and I remember thinking I would give anything to sit on a bench at The Hub in front of The Castle in the Californian sun.

So now when I go to Disneyland, I stop and just remember how I felt back then. A not so good day at Disneyland is far better than not being there at all.

 

[Karin1984]

The trip shortly after my father passed away was one I shouldn't have done. I was miserable and went home a day early.

Never regretted going because a ride was closed. There is always something else to do. And sometimes it can help to get out of your comfort zone. Do something you havent done in a long time, or have never done.

 

[bcwife76]

We are going in August, will be there just before Halloween season starts. While I'm bummed that HM will not be open still the rest of it doesn't matter (to us, it obvs matters to others). In all our trips I don't think we have ever eaten at Hungry Bear and Winnie the Pooh has never been a ride we've prioritized. I'm more concerned about the bottleneck the construction will cause getting to and from GE.

 

[Kooks and Bay Bay]

I've been twice.
Overall I don't regret it but I will say I was underwhelmed and prefer WDW.
That said there's a chance I'll be going back to DLR next year.

 

[TinkAgainU]

Nope. With the possible exception when an adult in our party had a meltdown due to over tired. I think if you arrive early (before the crowds and heat) so you can enjoy the full ambiance and maybe even grab a map to highlight some "let's try this!" things, you'll have a blast. I should mention we take a mid day break so we are perky in the evening for the lights and night ambiance too. Think of missing HM and Pooh as a reason to return, and do all the other fun things so you can really focus on HM and Pooh next trip! I bet you find some New Favorites to add to your list!

 

[Pluto468]

I haven't regretted going, but I've rearranged trips over closures before. One time Pirates was closed so we changed our dates in order to be there when it reopened.

 

[wabbott]

No.

 

[katyringo]

Your tickets hold their value toward future tickets so you could wait. Tho- With Disneyland Forward and the like I have a feeling ride closures and construction walls are going to be a norm at DLR for the foreseeable future.

Our 2018 trip- I don't regret it per se.. but I was miserably uncomfortable most of the trip. It was the moment I realized I needed to change my health. I've lost 170lbs since then.

Last summer June 2023 my husband and I did a solo trip to WDW and we will NEVER go back to Orlando in the summer. Most my memories from that trip were memories of avoiding heat stroke.

 

[TinkAgainU]

... We always eat at Hungry Bear multiple times each trip. ...

There is a small table seating area on the north side of the loading area to the Mark Twain. Grab food (maybe the BBQ place?) walk over and sit there. It's not Hungry Bear, but it is right on the water, with a cute, quiet river view.

 

[Tinkaboo]

In the pouring rain…freezing at night on cold ground watching Fantasmic…blazing sun in Avengers Campus and GE…

NO…never any regrets. All of it just makes the trip more memorable! Even when I lost my Anna braids and Frozen toque on the takeoff of Cali Screamin’…(and that was a $20 beanie that was embroidered with Let It Go)….i just laughed and said”well, somebody is gonna get a laugh when they drain that lake!”

I have so many memories from DL, over many decades. From my first trip with my grandma and grandpa at age 11, hanging with friends, date nights to many trips with my family and now solo trips…even so very special. My best purchase so far - the sweatshirt I got last trip that says “it’s good to be home” with the castle on it.

 

[Disneyland1084]

There is a small table seating area on the north side of the loading area to the Mark Twain. Grab food (maybe the BBQ place?) walk over and sit there. It's not Hungry Bear, but it is right on the water, with a cute, quiet river view.

Thanks for the suggestion.

 

[xApril]

I think there is always little moments you can find that are memorable to make each trip special. Usually for me, if I miss something it encourages me to go back sooner to catch it. Pirates is my fave and I know whenever I end up catching it down, I’m always super sad. You can try to do fun pictures around the area to try and commemorate the trip! They make it very tricky by announcing the refurb schedule so close to trips.

My recent January was a bit of regret. I ended up not being able to do my race and we had booked separate and I could’ve cancelled the hotel and moved the flight to another time. So much entertainment was down. We also brought someone with us we had never traveled with (I had asked her way in advance then realized my current travel buddy was a better fit but my original person still wanted to go, so I rolled with it) and she was not great to travel with and my friend now hates her. I can’t look at those pictures without remembering the drama, even though there were pockets of joy.

 

[Disneyland1084]

What food items do you like at Hungry Bear? It's likely we can recommend some other spots with the same types of food. Or is just the ambiance over in that quiet corner of the park that keeps bringing you back to the Hungry Bear?

I like their burgers and fries, and just the relaxation of sitting there enjoying the view. We've eaten at other places, but I'd appreciate any recommendations, any cuisine is fine. Thanks.

 

[Disneyland1084]

Your tickets hold their value toward future tickets so you could wait. Tho- With Disneyland Forward and the like I have a feeling ride closures and construction walls are going to be a norm at DLR for the foreseeable future.

Our 2018 trip- I don't regret it per se.. but I was miserably uncomfortable most of the trip. It was the moment I realized I needed to change my health. I've lost 170lbs since then.

Last summer June 2023 my husband and I did a solo trip to WDW and we will NEVER go back to Orlando in the summer. Most my memories from that trip were memories of avoiding heat stroke.

The idea of putting our tickets to a future visit crossed my mine, but I'm not THAT "sad" about the ride closures, just a little bummed. And you're SO right about DL Forward construction/ride closures. Congrats on losing so much weight. I bet you feel amazing and so healthy.
I'm curious, what didn't you like about going to WDW last year in June? I went in June of 2017 and loved it. Arriving at the airport in Orlando felt like walking into an oven.We were waiting for the park shuttles at 630 in the morning and were already sweating. I guess the heat and humidity are too much for some. I was told by a WDW expert if you can only go in the summer to avoid July and August at all costs. I would love to experience WDW another time of the year, but unlikely that will ever happen.

 

[katyringo]

The idea of putting our tickets to a future visit crossed my mine, but I'm not THAT "sad" about the ride closures, just a little bummed. And you're SO right about DL Forward construction/ride closures. Congrats on losing so much weight. I bet you feel amazing and so healthy.
I'm curious, what didn't you like about going to WDW last year in June? I went in June of 2017 and loved it. Arriving at the airport in Orlando felt like walking into an oven.We were waiting for the park shuttles at 630 in the morning and were already sweating. I guess the heat and humidity are too much for some. I was told by a WDW expert if you can only go in the summer to avoid July and August at all costs. I would love to experience WDW another time of the year, but unlikely that will ever happen.

It was just so hot. The parks were fine and great.. it was just incredibly hard to escape the heat and still enjoy the time. Picture my husband and I seeing the frozen show so we could sit in AC.. but waiting for Fantasmic we almost had to leave because the heat was becoming overwhelming and I was starting to feel nauseous. Hubby went and bought a cooling towel and we started carrying a cup of ice just to run on our necks.

 

[DizMe]

Only once, way long ago. My sister and I went down to OC because I had a job offer in San Clemente and they invited me to come and look around. My sister's in-laws had a condo there and let us stay with them. Unfortunately, the job pay was so far below what I could get where I already lived that I couldn't even consider making that move.

But we were in OC, had free time, and decided to go to DL for a day. It was SLAMMED. I've never seen it that busy, before or since. I was actually scared because I'm 5'1+ and at that time 100 lbs. I couldn't see, I could barely breathe, and I was terrified I'd lose my sister and be unable to get out of the mass of people. This was before cell phones. I hung on to my sister's sleeve and we both had the same thought--"Let's Get Out of Here!!"

Other than that, no. I've been through horrendous weather, all kinds of glitches, had a kidney stone attack, etc but have always managed to enjoy my trip with that one exception. That would have been around 1986.

 

[BriannaRuth]

Our 2018 trip- I don't regret it per se.. but I was miserably uncomfortable most of the trip. It was the moment I realized I needed to change my health. I've lost 170lbs since then.

Last summer June 2023 my husband and I did a solo trip to WDW and we will NEVER go back to Orlando in the summer. Most my memories from that trip were memories of avoiding heat stroke.

This was my thought exactly when we went to Orlando about 10 years ago. OMG. Thought I was going to pass out every time I stepped out of my hotel in the morning. And I grew up in Texas, so am no stranger to heat. The humidity just adds an entirely different dimension to it.

Congrats on the weight loss! That's awesome and a huge commitment!

 

[BriannaRuth]

Not yet, but I'm having trouble staying enthusiastic about our upcoming July trip. I knew Splash would be down when I booked it, but didn't know about HM and Pooh. Just when I've adjusted to that, seeing that the DLH entrance may be closed is REALLY annoying. I've always been a "first in line at the gate" person, so hearing we might have to take another entrance after paying for that perk by staying at the DLH does not make me happy. I guess that's yet to be seen, though.

I'm not actually able to cancel this trip because my husband scheduled a business trip specifically so we'd be able to go. It will probably be great, but hopefully nothing else comes up on Disney's part to chip away at the magic.