"I Want to walk where Walt walked." WDW Nut makes a Pilgrimage-TR Wrap-Up 5/14

[that's nice]

I never knew there were characters in DLs Small world. Neat!

I love the outdoor boarding too!!!

Your BFs lunch did look much better than yours... sorry you had to try and eat that... but it left you more room for beignets!!!

And your kitchen looks great!!!!

 

[wdwgirl03]

That is so cool they added characters to IASW. I remember reading somewhere that they were doing that.

You might have said this but what did you think of the Buzz Lightyear ride? I thought it was so much better than the WDW version...the guns were so much easier to control plus they would light up and vibrate when you hit a target! I wish WDW would take some notes and update theirs.

 

[onelilspark]

No just that you are a female and you like pretty things even if they are practical.

Yes, we'll go with that

Wow, what a difference. You have a whole new kitchen Really like your selection.

Your trip report is Great! I am so enjoying all the pictures and information. Thank you for being so detailed. We leave a week from tomorrow, your imput has helped me finalize our plans. Thank you.



Angel 16

Thanks! I love my new kitchen

You must be getting so excited for your trip!

The DL Toontown looks AWESOME!! Chip and Dale's treehouse...how precious! You are making me want to go to DL (and I never really wanted to before!). Looks very nicely themed and fun!

Your food looked good at Cafe Orleans! Especially your dessert

Toontown was so adorable. It really beat out WDW's version by a mile!

That flat top stove rocks! I'm sure the other appliances were an upgrade, but the flat top stove is the most obvious. I hope you enjoy. I know I LOVE mine!

Get out your Epcot F&W cookbook and get to work!

My boyfriend is excited about the side by side fridge. He's 6'2", so he hated the freezer on top because every time he got something out of the fridge he'd have to bend in half to look! The dishwasher is so much quieter, it's amazing! I need to re-learn how to cook though, the stove top is much hotter than my last one!

I'm so happy I've found your trip report!

We always go to WDW, but they recently added a direct flight from our hometown to LAX. We decided to hop down to DL in August. I was thinking about staying at HOJO.

Can't wait to see more updates! Thanks!

We really liked the Hojo. I mean, nothing special, but it was clean, within walking distance, and not pricey!

Hi, just read your whole report. I'm really enjoying it, you take some great photos! Too bad most of your Cafe Orleans meal was just meh. It LOOKED good, so that's what counts to me right now.

Nice new appliances, we just bought a new fridge as our old one kinda died after we had a party and the door got left open all night long. We'll get a nice new flat top stove soon (already had a new dishwasher when we moved in).

Cafe Orleans, if I'm being honest, was a bit of a disappointment. But everyone said you should order the Monte Cristo and I didn't listen...

I suppose if you leave the door open that long, it will die.

I never knew there were characters in DLs Small world. Neat!

I love the outdoor boarding too!!!

Your BFs lunch did look much better than yours... sorry you had to try and eat that... but it left you more room for beignets!!!

And your kitchen looks great!!!!

I heard they had recently put them in (like within the last year or so) so I was anxious to see the characters in Small World. They were very cool. And the whole facade & outdoor boarding? Loved it!

That is so cool they added characters to IASW. I remember reading somewhere that they were doing that.

You might have said this but what did you think of the Buzz Lightyear ride? I thought it was so much better than the WDW version...the guns were so much easier to control plus they would light up and vibrate when you hit a target! I wish WDW would take some notes and update theirs.

I like the WDW version better just because I know where all the secret spots are, so I can really jack up my score I like winning.

 

[onelilspark]

After lunch we decided to punish our stomachs a bit and headed over to Big Thunder Mountain. It was only a 15 minute wait, so we hopped in line:

DL definitely wins the competition with the line, it was done beautifully! But once on the ride, I swear DL's version is smaller. My boyfriend (who is very tall) kept hitting his knees and found it very painful. The ride itself was very similar, but because WDW's version doesn't hurt, we went with the winner of the two being WDW!

While we were in Tomorrowland earlier we picked up Fastpasses for Space Mountain. Since we hdn't punished our stomachs enough, we went over to use them:

Space Mountain wins hands down at DLR. Though I kept bouncing into the side and it really hurt my elbow I haven't done the rehabbed version at WDW yet, but I have a feeling that DLR still wins!

Once done torturing ourselves, we decided to head out of the park for some shopping On the way we saw the band outside the firehouse:

We pretty much only went to the World of Disney for shopping. What's interesting is in WDW, the World of Disney is always packed. At DLR? It was so empty!! It was kind of eerie. We had a mini-shopping spree. We picked up a hat for my boyfriend, a couple pins (one for my friend), a couple magnets (one for my parents), a DLR history book (my Nana has them from her trips in the 70s and early 80s to WDW...it's so neat to look back!), scrapbooking stuff, and a DLR CD (we got that in the park at some point later, but I don't remember when!) It was a rather successful trip. Once we were done, we headed back to the Hojo for a nap

For dinner that night we decided to go to the pizza place in Tomorrowland (this picture is from the next day...sorry!)

The line was out the door! What is with it here?! We made our way in, I got a slice of pizza and the boyfriend got an Asian Salad. Once again, he made the better choice. The pizza was eh, but I kind of expected that. His salad though was delicious.

Our goal for the evening was to see the Electrical Light Parade over at DCA, so we headed across the street after we ate. I wanted some popcorn to enjoy with the parade...easier said than done! We walked all over that freaking park and finally found a stand wayyyyyy back at Paradise Pier! I mean, in WDW the popcorn carts are everywhere! At DLR they had churros. I don't get the fascination with churros, I mean, sure, they're tasty, but they're no Disney Popcorn!

After finally getting my popcorn we headed back to find a spot for the Parade. We wound up right behind a family with strollers. We figured once we stood, we'd be all set. It was a pretty good spot.

Here's some videos of the parade:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4uXxVgwefA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhPpnaTBsF0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGSPA3TU1Xs

I was glad I got a chance to see it. I know it's moving to WDW for the summer, but I'm not sure how long it's staying there!
After the parade? It was bed time!!

 

[franandaj]

Space Mountain wins hands down at DLR. Though I kept bouncing into the side and it really hurt my elbow I haven't done the rehabbed version at WDW yet, but I have a feeling that DLR still wins!

I rode the rehabbed SM at MK in Jan, and was severely disappointed. It was jerky, bumpy and really not many stars. I haven't been on DLR's SM for a few years now, but I'm definitely going on it sometime in the next month while I'm there. Is the giant chocolate chip cookie in the sky still there?

 

[onelilspark]

I rode the rehabbed SM at MK in Jan, and was severely disappointed. It was jerky, bumpy and really not many stars. I haven't been on DLR's SM for a few years now, but I'm definitely going on it sometime in the next month while I'm there. Is the giant chocolate chip cookie in the sky still there?

I don't know, I wasn't paying that close attention

 

[katiebelle21]

Which did you prefer the Electrical Light Parade or Spectromagic? Spectro is my favorite, and I'm a little bummed that I am missing it this year.

 

[deejdigsdis]

I rode the rehabbed SM at MK in Jan, and was severely disappointed. It was jerky, bumpy and really not many stars. I haven't been on DLR's SM for a few years now, but I'm definitely going on it sometime in the next month while I'm there. Is the giant chocolate chip cookie in the sky still there?

Sadly, the giant chocolate chip cookie is gone. I loved that thing!

 

[franandaj]

Sadly, the giant chocolate chip cookie is gone. I loved that thing!

Man, I loved watching that thing spin in the sky. Oh well, I'll still have to go back on the ride anyways.

 

[that's nice]

Great update! The parade looks really cool.

I think you will be pleasantly surprised the next time you ride SM in MK. The cue is really cool with games you can play and I feel like somehow the track has been smoothed out. (Maybe it hasn't but it felt smoother!)

 

[RweTHEREyet]

We went through the tunnel and eventually saw this:

...wait...where's the Castle? I knew from reading the Disboards that I needed to prepare myself for the size of the Castle, but even with that, I was still surprised. Every time I walked by, I commented on it. It's that much different!





I am so enjoying your TR!! I am also a WDW vet who is visiting DL for the 1st time this July! Wow-- your pic of Main Street with the castle just looks so odd!! The Castle is so pretty but so different from the one in WDW. I keep telling myself it will be a lot smaller but I still think I will be surprised when I see it. I am looking forward to more reports-- I am so excited for my trip to DL!!

Believe me, no matter how prepared you think you are to see a smaller castle, it is a huge shock. We saw it for the first time in January. Believe me compared to Cinderella's castle in WDW, Sleeping Beauty's castle looks like the guest house. It is really pretty, epecially when the sun shines on it, but you will be so shocked at how squatty it is that you won't believe it.

And, one word of warning, the DL people are sensitive about their castle.

 

[KCmike]

Nice choice on the refrigerator decorations....we've got the same Disneyland magnet on ours. I can't believe I'm going back to Disneyworld this summer, I'm really going to miss DL so much especially with World of Color opening.

 

[onelilspark]

Which did you prefer the Electrical Light Parade or Spectromagic? Spectro is my favorite, and I'm a little bummed that I am missing it this year.

You know, I honestly can't tell much of a difference between them. I know, I'm a horrible Disney fan But if forced to chose, I'd probably go with the Electrical Light Parade because I like the music a little more.

Sadly, the giant chocolate chip cookie is gone. I loved that thing!

Man, I loved watching that thing spin in the sky. Oh well, I'll still have to go back on the ride anyways.

I'm sure it's still enjoyable!

Great update! The parade looks really cool.

I think you will be pleasantly surprised the next time you ride SM in MK. The cue is really cool with games you can play and I feel like somehow the track has been smoothed out. (Maybe it hasn't but it felt smoother!)

I've heard that it's smoother. Hopefully! I always felt like I was 3x my age getting off that ride!

Believe me, no matter how prepared you think you are to see a smaller castle, it is a huge shock. We saw it for the first time in January. Believe me compared to Cinderella's castle in WDW, Sleeping Beauty's castle looks like the guest house. It is really pretty, epecially when the sun shines on it, but you will be so shocked at how squatty it is that you won't believe it.

And, one word of warning, the DL people are sensitive about their castle.

It is a really pretty castle, I like it from the back, you feel like you really are within the castle walls.

Nice choice on the refrigerator decorations....we've got the same Disneyland magnet on ours. I can't believe I'm going back to Disneyworld this summer, I'm really going to miss DL so much especially with World of Color opening.

Thanks! I do have a lot of Disney stuff around!

Isn't it nice to complain that you can only go to one park



I'm going to try to get another update up tonight! Stay tuned!

 

[onelilspark]

Since we hadn't used our Magic Morning on Thursday, we were able to use it Saturday. We didn't get there right at 7am, but were leaving the hotel around that time. Our mission for the morning was to get to the Matterhorn before park opening, really the last major ride that we hadn't done yet!

I really liked walking over every morning and going under this sign:

Main Street was pretty empty...I love that

We made our way over to the Matterhorn and....it was down We stayed in the general area and decided to ride the Alice ride:

Again, didn't actually ride the tea cups, just watched & took a picture!

The Matterhorn still wasn't up and running (they were doing test runs, so soon!) We wandered into Fantasyland and decided to do an extinct attraction and take a creepy picture. Mr Toad's Wild Ride:

Really, I don't see the big deal. It was kind of creepy. I know it has a cult following but I really don't get it

Finally...the Matterhorn was open! We jumped in line (Fantasyland side) and were quickly on the ride.

I knew that a lot of adults rode it individually instead of together, but being the geek that I am, I decided that we would do it the way Walt intended. So I sat in my boyfriend's lap. O.M.G. it was so uncomfortable! His knees kept banging into my hand! Another ride...I don't get the hype. It hurt! If I never ride it again...I'd be totally okay with that!

We attempted to find breakfast next. We wanted more pastries, but couldn't find a place that had them in Fantasyland or Tomorrowland. Finally, we decided to just head back to the Blue Ribbon Bakery. On our way, we stumbled across a deserted Castle area!

The people standing here were getting ready for Rope Drop. We crossed the rope area (unknowingly) so while having breakfast, we got to see everyone line up.

At the Blue Ribbon Bakery, we split a Cinnamon Twist & a Double Chocolate muffin:

Next up: The masses arrive.

 

[onelilspark]

After breakfast we saw a Photopass Photographer at the Castle...with no one around! We quickly made our way over for a photo...

We still had a decent amount of time before our tour started, so we wandered through the Castle Walkthrough...Sleeping Beauty is my favorite Disney movie, so I narrated the whole thing for my boyfriend

From there we hopped on the Storybookland ride. I know it's not really an adult ride, but it's something we can't get in FL!

The day before we weren't able to ride Roger Rabbit, so we made it a goal for this day. We waited for Toon Town to open up, grabbed a Fastpass for later, then made our way to the front of the park for our tour!

Next up: Walk in Walt's Footsteps Tour

 

[kaoden39]

Did you like Roger Rabbit? I am not a real fan, but I know people who swear by it.

 

[KCmike]

We did the same tour last summer. I will be interested in hearing how you liked it. My favorite part was at the end in front of the train station.

 

[wdwgirl03]

Wow, those are some great pictures. I love the entrance to DL...it looks so festive and fun!

Gotta love an empty Main Street.

Can't wait to hear about the tour. I'm sure that was neat.

 

[onelilspark]

Did you like Roger Rabbit? I am not a real fan, but I know people who swear by it.

It was okay...I'm glad we did it, but I wouldn't go out of my way.

We did the same tour last summer. I will be interested in hearing how you liked it. My favorite part was at the end in front of the train station.

I'll give you a preview: I liked it

Wow, those are some great pictures. I love the entrance to DL...it looks so festive and fun!

Gotta love an empty Main Street.

Can't wait to hear about the tour. I'm sure that was neat.

An empty Main St might be my favorite thing in the world

 

[BippityBoo]

All caught up!!

Sounds like most of the rides hurt at DL

I just love all of the empty streets and shops! I agree that it would be quite odd to shop in an empty store at DW!

LOVE the Alice Cups. I liked how it is so themed. Your snacks were to die for! I agree---the popcorn at DW is the BEST popcorn ever!

Absolutely beautiful pics of the castle. Can't wait to see what you do next!