Here right now--the parks are hopping!

[LisainCalifornia]

Hi all,
We arrived last night. We checked in to the Grand Californian, and have a downtown disney view room with bunk beds. Lots of high crowds, but that is expected, as these are unblocked days on the So Cal pass calendar. Looking forward to the blocked days ahead!

We grabbed dinner at White Water Snacks, and just ate on the balcony of our room. We are really enjoying the hotel this trip.

The Little Mermaid ride was so much better than I expected it to be. I had read a not so great review of it saying it was only for kids--but don't believe it! It was incredible.

We are off to the parks again. Fireworks tonight!

 

[BecBennett]

Thanks for the update. I think I want to splurge for a stay at the GC next time we go.

 

[engo]

Did you receive fastpasses at check-in? How was the line for Little Mermaid at night? We will be staying at VGC in August and I can hardly wait.

Have fun!

 

[kindakrazy2]

Thanks for the update!

Enjoy your trip!

 

[frank808]

Yes everyone gets those special fast passes. But I would save them to use at star tours.
If you are staying at any of the DL hotels, just use the GCH entrance at 9:00am. Little mermaid is open at 9:00 for all the guests staying at DL hotels. You can just walk right on no problem. You can ride go back and ride little mermaid again before the park opens at 9:30 for general public. You might be able to ride it 3 times before 9:32 and then wait for the rope drop for TSMM. I was there at rope drop and still waited in line for 45minutes to ride TSMM. On magic mornings I would highly recommend that you wake up and use the magic mornings. We got to ride star tours twice on sunday and stood in line to get a fast pass for star tours for later in the day. Have ridden star tours 3 times and each time was different. Will be there at rope drop tomorrow to try and ride star tours a couple times before the park opens.

 

[disneydenisel]

Hi all,
We arrived last night. We checked in to the Grand Californian, and have a downtown disney view room with bunk beds. Lots of high crowds, but that is expected, as these are unblocked days on the So Cal pass calendar. Looking forward to the blocked days ahead!

We grabbed dinner at White Water Snacks, and just ate on the balcony of our room. We are really enjoying the hotel this trip.

The Little Mermaid ride was so much better than I expected it to be. I had read a not so great review of it saying it was only for kids--but don't believe it! It was incredible.

We are off to the parks again. Fireworks tonight!

Thanks so much for the report! We will be there on Friday and haven't been since 2004. I am a little nervous , okay, very nervous! We are used to spreading out at WDW and DLR will be very different for us. Can't wait to hear more if you have time to post for all of us living vicariously through you .

 

[Caseystigger]

So glad you are having a good time! Thanks for the update about the Little Mermaid!

 

[LisainCalifornia]

Did you receive fastpasses at check-in? How was the line for Little Mermaid at night? We will be staying at VGC in August and I can hardly wait.

Have fun!

Hi! Yes, we got 2 fastpasses per person upon check in at the hotel, which was great.

We have been on Little Mermaid twice, but never at night.

 

[LisainCalifornia]

Today we saw the "Walk in Walt's Footsteps" tour. It was very neat, but I still like the Holiday (Christmas) tour the best. We had a great tour guide--she had so much personality and was very professional. We were very surprised when we found out it was her very first tour! They presented her with a pin. We all got collectors pins as well.

It was very warm here today, so after a quick ride on Grizzly River Run we ran up to our room and got into our swimsuits and went to the pool for a few hours. The lounge chairs at the Grand Californian are heavenly! They are a bit hard to find, but I was persistant and soon found 3 in a shady area. My girls loved the pool, and I loved listening to my ipod and relaxing. After we watched the parade and went on all the fantasy land rides we missed earlier.

We just finished watching the fireworks from our balcony. We have the perfect view of downtown disney and the fireworks! I have really been enjoying the Grand Californian this trip. We were given a great room, and the location just can't be beat. I love to watch all the people walk by without them knowing I am up there watching! My girls are a little old for the bunk beds (they are 11 and 14), but actually really wanted them so they wouldn't end up sharing a bed. It has worked out great for us. I especially love having a whole queen bed all to myself!

I find that I enjoy the parks more in small doses throughout the day. I like going for a few hours, and then going back to the hotel to relax at the pool or lobby or room. It makes the whole vacation much more enjoyable.

We haven't gotten on Star Tours yet, so that is on our list for tomorrow!

 

[minniecarousel]

We've stayed in rooms overlooking DD. I love that location.

We'll be arriving on Monday afternoon. I know that Monday & Tuesday are not blocked So-Cal Pass days, so we'll need to be more patient. Staying at VGC, we'll do the same thing - ride GRR, then back to the room to change and then off to the pool!

Can't wait!

 

[blackjackdelta]

Today we saw the "Walk in Walt's Footsteps" tour. It was very neat, but I still like the Holiday (Christmas) tour the best. We had a great tour guide--she had so much personality and was very professional. We were very surprised when we found out it was her very first tour! They presented her with a pin. We all got collectors pins as well.

It was very warm here today, so after a quick ride on Grizzly River Run we ran up to our room and got into our swimsuits and went to the pool for a few hours. The lounge chairs at the Grand Californian are heavenly! They are a bit hard to find, but I was persistant and soon found 3 in a shady area. My girls loved the pool, and I loved listening to my ipod and relaxing. After we watched the parade and went on all the fantasy land rides we missed earlier.

We just finished watching the fireworks from our balcony. We have the perfect view of downtown disney and the fireworks! I have really been enjoying the Grand Californian this trip. We were given a great room, and the location just can't be beat. I love to watch all the people walk by without them knowing I am up there watching! My girls are a little old for the bunk beds (they are 11 and 14), but actually really wanted them so they wouldn't end up sharing a bed. It has worked out great for us. I especially love having a whole queen bed all to myself!

I find that I enjoy the parks more in small doses throughout the day. I like going for a few hours, and then going back to the hotel to relax at the pool or lobby or room. It makes the whole vacation much more enjoyable.

We haven't gotten on Star Tours yet, so that is on our list for tomorrow!

We loved our DTD view a few years ago. The people watching, the aromas and the night music were wonderful. The fireworks view was awesome. Hope you are having a great time.

Jack

 

[jory29]

Thanks for sharing details of your trip!! It makes me feel like we are right there, taking in everything. Your writing is very descriptive! That's nice that you got such a nice room with a great view. Glad you are all having fun on this trip. Enjoy the rest of your trip!

Thanks for sending the iced tea, my friend, you are such a kind hearted person to have offered to do that.

 

[Caseystigger]

Today we saw the "Walk in Walt's Footsteps" tour. It was very neat, but I still like the Holiday (Christmas) tour the best. We had a great tour guide--she had so much personality and was very professional. We were very surprised when we found out it was her very first tour! They presented her with a pin. We all got collectors pins as well.

I'm thinking about doing that tour it this year, so glad to hear you enjoyed it. Even more excited to hear you got a special pin. Just love pins!

 

[LisainCalifornia]

Today is our last day in the parks, as we check out tomorrow.

We finally got on Star Tours yesterday, and it was incredible. I was one of those people who use to get sick from the old Star Tours, and this version didn't make me seasick at all! The line decor is amazing too! This ride is now slightly similar to Soarin'--you are buckled in with the same kind of seats (but not lifted in the air) and the movie feeling (like you are flying along) feels similar. We loved it! Can't wait to go on again today.

The crowds seem just as high yesterday and today as they did on the unblocked Socal AP days. I would have thought yesterday would have been lighter crowds as it was a blocked day, but it was just as crowded as the day before. Which brings us to Tangled meet and greet....

My daughter really wanted to meet Rapunzel, but every time this week we have walked by the line has been 90 minutes long. We got in line yesterday at 11:30, and finally got to front of the line at 1:15 (so an hour and 45 minutes). The line is located in the baking hot sun, and it was a miserable wait. We got in, and discovered that Flynn (who my daughter really wanted to see) was gone (probably on his lunch break). Rapunzel said two sentences to my daughter, and I took 2 pictures (the photopass person wasn't there) and we left. We probably were in there with her for 20 seconds max. I asked the CMs if we could come back when Flynn was there, and they said no, it wasn't a gaurantee that he would be there. I have heard that other people have good luck with this meet and greet, but I found it poorly planned and poorly run. I even went to city hall to complain--knowing that it wouldn't help us, but it may help future guests. They need to figure out a way to make this line go smoother for guests, or have her be a character that is out in the parks or is at the Fantasy Faire. There were little girls crying in the line because it was just grueling! I kept thinking that Walt Disney would not like how this was set up. Even the space is very plain and tiny. It is just a small room (looked to be an old storage space that they remodeled to be for Tangled) off of the Village Haus restaurant.

So far our hotel experience at the Grand Californian has been so great. Our room has the perfect fireworks view from the balcony, and my girls love that. This morning I got up before my girls and ran down to White Water snacks to get mickey waffles (I have been doing that each morning--they are only 5.79 for 3 waffles), and a CM was giving out World of Color Fast Passes before the park even opened. All I had to do was show my room key. We had planned on going into California Adventure early to get them, but now we don't have to. We got Blue section at 9:00. It should make for a great last night.

Thanks for reading!

 

[DeluxePrincess]

Glad to hear good things about the hotel. We'll be checking in next week. I'm also glad that DD does not have too much interest in Tangled. We planned on doing that only if lines weren't ridiculous. Looks like we won't be paying Rapunzel a visit!

 

[the donut]

We got Blue section at 9:00. It should make for a great last night.

We did the blue wet section when we stayed there a couple of weeks ago. We didn't get too wet with our hoodies up (not GRR wet at least), and you're 5 minutes away from a change of clothes and a warm bed! Of course, it then has to be the last thing you do for the night. We showed up about 10 minutes before the show and the non wet section was packed, but we were about 4 rows back in the wet section. I'd only watched from the room before this and really enjoyed the show from the ground.

Thanks for the heads up on the Tangled Meet and Greet. It's kind of been on our list of things to do, but it doesn't sound like it's worth the wait for us.

 

[skiingfast]

So far our hotel experience at the Grand Californian has been so great. Our room has the perfect fireworks view from the balcony, and my girls love that. This morning I got up before my girls and ran down to White Water snacks to get mickey waffles (I have been doing that each morning--they are only 5.79 for 3 waffles), and a CM was giving out World of Color Fast Passes before the park even opened. All I had to do was show my room key. We had planned on going into California Adventure early to get them, but now we don't have to. We got Blue section at 9:00. It should make for a great last night.

Thanks for reading!

Was the CM handing WoC showpasses at the entrance before 9am, WWS or somewhere else?

 

[KCmike]

Finally caught up with you. Always exciting hearing from people that are there. My favorite part is that you loved the Little Mermaid Ride. I haven't really heard anyone think it was so good yet and it made me worried that they spent so much on it and it has such a big footprint for something that might be just so so.

GC is heavenly! I totally agree about those chaisse lounge chairs. They are amazing and worth the price of admission.

Glad to hear your having a good time.