It’s Always Sunny in California!..Eh?...L’il Bit!

[jenseib]

We used the CA entrance into GC and it was really neat to have an entrance like that. That is a real nice perk!
Going into the resort…all I can say is WoW!



You do get a Wilderness Lodge feel from it, but it is different. I really did like this resort and I bet it is beautiful during the holidays.

We headed to the check in desk to see if our packets for the conference had arrived. See the CM lady in the middle? That’s Linda and we end up working with her on the next day and she is really nice and the last original CM at GC that has been at the resort since opening day.



It was a little busy, but we didn’t have to wait too long to be seen.



When it was our turn we asked and got the deer in the headlight look. Too bad we didn’t have Linda today, because I bet she would’ve at least known what we were talking about. Our CM did go and ask and was told nothing yet today and probably not till tomorrow. This was disappointing, but we kind of expected it. In the past, with conferences like this, you could pick up your packet at least a day early and of course you usually knew your itinerary for the most part a few weeks in advance. We heard things were being changed and the person in charge is now different too, and basically at this point nothing was going smoothly. We could live without the itinerary, but it was annoying, especially when trying to plan out the rest of the week, but we also received tickets in that packet and Cass and I wanted that ticket in our hand as soon as possible as we wanted to do early entry into Disneyland the next morning. The current tickets we had were only 2 day tickets and today was day 2 of using them.

We thanked the CM for looking, grumbled amongst ourselves and headed to find some food.



Of course I had to take some pictures of the resort while we were there.







We decided to see if Story Tellers had any openings. This is a table service restaurant that also does character meals for breakfast. Lunch was just basic lunch. Cass had eaten here the day before and said it was pretty good.



We were in luck and seated right away. The place was practically empty. That is another difference between here and WDW. You can often get walk up reservations for many of the sit down meals, especially lunch.







We made our selections and I chose a flatbread pizza.

I went outside while we waited for the food to find a map and I think I called home and did something else. While out there I got a text from Cass who said they wanted to know what I wanted on my pizza and I told them just plain. I think I had the choice of adding chicken. When I came back she said she told them plain, but it appears my text didn’t come through, or at least in time. We did have this issue a lot. Our texts were not always going back and forth with each other. I guess it was because she has a Canadian phone, and though she had paid for unlimited texting, she had turned off all the other functions and I guess the phone was confused at times. LOL Or my phone didn’t like her phone?

Anyways, the food came and it was very good. Cass had ordered a sandwich but it came with avocado on it. She asked not have that and they brought it to her on the side instead. She said she never had avocado before and tasted it and it wasn’t anything special to her and she slide it over and I ate a l’il bit of it too.

My pizza was good and I think I ate the whole thing. I forgot to take a picture till I was half done.



Once I was done eating, I took a few more pictures and then made a run to the restroom.











After lunch we headed back to CA as we still had a few things we wanted to accomplish today. We walked by Soarin’ which was down while we were there, so I never did get a chance to ride that, but I hear it’s pretty much the same thing as WDW.





Sooooo…..we’re just strolling down this road and I sort of look up and tell Cass….”Look how blue the sky is with all those white puffy clouds”….and then it hits me….it’s not the real sky I am looking at, but that back drop.



We had quite a good laugh over that one. Of course it became a joke with us during the rest of the week.







We never rode one of these, but I guess if I can get back with the family it might be fun to do for a short little trip.

 

[mickeystoontown]

I had to play catch-up again. Loved all of the pictures in the Carsland area. Super cute! And, you do NOT look like a dork! You look like you're having a great time and having fun.

I agree with you on ferris wheels and swings being death traps. I've done both....once....and never again. Those two simple rides scare the beejeezers out of me.

The GC does remind me of the Wilderness Lodge but, like you said, it's different. It looks beautiful in your pictures. The pizza looks delicious!

 

[luulu1999]

OMG I rode Goofy's Sky school with my DS 5 and I felt the same about thinking we were gonna fly off the track And also on Maters I was trying to hold on to keep from squishing my kids but laughed the whole way thru both of them

 

[jenseib]

I had to play catch-up again. Loved all of the pictures in the Carsland area. Super cute! And, you do NOT look like a dork! You look like you're having a great time and having fun.

I agree with you on ferris wheels and swings being death traps. I've done both....once....and never again. Those two simple rides scare the beejeezers out of me.

The GC does remind me of the Wilderness Lodge but, like you said, it's different. It looks beautiful in your pictures. The pizza looks delicious!

We did have so much fun and Cass was a perfect match for me! We really hit it off!
It's weird how certain rides that would scare others don't bother me, but other ones that seem simple are just horrid!!!
The GC is really beautiful and I am so happy that we got to stay there the rest of the trip. I probably never would have even considered it before because of the cost. I was so happy that the conference put us up there. Honestly all the on site resorts were pretty nice and i wouldn't mind staying at any of them, but I still think Disneyland hotel is my favorite.

OMG I rode Goofy's Sky school with my DS 5 and I felt the same about thinking we were gonna fly off the track And also on Maters I was trying to hold on to keep from squishing my kids but laughed the whole way thru both of them

We were laughing the whole time on Mater. We did npt expect that at all. I am sure I smashed Cass into a pancake.

 

[dizneeat]

And here she goes again ....... Miss Update Queen!

Isn't the GC beautiful. We checked it out in 2006 on our coast to coast tour. And we ate at the SC too! It was one of the best meals we have had - we had dinner.

Love that you mistook the backdrop for real sky. They must have been doing it right. I really want to ride those streetcars. They remind me a lot of the old streetcars we had here when I was a kid. I am OLD!!!!!!!!!!

 

[crystal1313]

Anyways, the food came and it was very good. Cass had ordered a sandwich but it came with avocado on it. She asked not have that and they brought it to her on the side instead. She said she never had avocado before and tasted it and it wasn’t anything special to her and she slide it over and I ate a l’il bit of it too.

NEVER had avocado!?! I always scan the restaurant menus for anything with avocado on it! Alone it can be bland, but on a sandwich is wonderful

I'm loving your trip report! Universal looked amazing! Love your DLH room photos. Haven't stayed there since the renovation. Can't wait to read more!

 

[dolphingirl47]

I love the Grand Californian. I have 4 nights waitlisted in a DVC studio for November. Please keep your fingers crossed that the waitlist comes through for us.

We have had breakfast, lunch and dinner at Storyteller's Cafe over the years. We love the food there.

Corinna

 

[JKSWonder]

Wonderful updates. Definitely think Disneyland is in our near future. Michael would love Carsland. And I would love seeing California again.

 

[KatMark]

That hotel is gorgeous, as is the restaurant (I made a note of that restaurant in my California "hopeful" trip file).

That is too funny about you saying how blue the sky was.

 

[Poolrat]

Isn't the GC magnificent???

I hope you had a great meal at Storytellers. The flatbread looks good.

I was nervous on the wheel too. Not sure why I never made it to Goofy's but PW does freak me a bit with the turns.

 

[luulu1999]

NEVER had avocado!?! I always scan the restaurant menus for anything with avocado on it! Alone it can be bland, but on a sandwich is wonderful

I'm loving your trip report! Universal looked amazing! Love your DLH room photos. Haven't stayed there since the renovation. Can't wait to read more!

Im with ya on the Avacado!! LOVE it....I like it alone with a little salt to though

 

[KelleyK75]

Just caught up. Loved the updates. Carsland looks awesome and I hope to get my nephews there soon. The deathtrap talk cracked me up. I am iffy on ferris wheels, too. The hotel looks amazing! I will definitely check into staying there if we make it out to DL. I noticed the "ghost" in your picture too....how funny! Looks like you girls are having a blast!

 

[mom2rtk]

Time to play catch-up again!

I enjoyed the Carsland photos. I felt like I was right back there again. I'm still kicking myself though for not going back through the single rider line. We just always felt like we had more ground to cover. We had 5 very long days and still didn't feel like we did it all.

I can't believe you didn't do the ferris wheel. Now, don't get me wrong..... no WAY were you going to get me into one of the swinging cars. But the stationary one was nice. It offered some great views of the parks. I just wish there had been an opening to stick my camera out for better photos.

You're killing me with all the talk about "death traps" and "bodies flying all over the place"! Katie actually loved the Jumpin Jellyfish ride. Go figure. It was pretty lame, but still different enough to be mildly interesting. And we both loved the swings. See, I figured I hadn't read any news stories about bodies flying around at CA, so surely it had to be safe?

Your pizza looked really good. We did try it for breakfast one day. It's really a very lovely restaurant.

 

[jenseib]

And here she goes again ....... Miss Update Queen!

Isn't the GC beautiful. We checked it out in 2006 on our coast to coast tour. And we ate at the SC too! It was one of the best meals we have had - we had dinner.

Love that you mistook the backdrop for real sky. They must have been doing it right. I really want to ride those streetcars. They remind me a lot of the old streetcars we had here when I was a kid. I am OLD!!!!!!!!!!

GC is beautiful! REally the whole resort is nice.
I have a feeling we are probably pretty close in age, so you are VERY young!!!!!

NEVER had avocado!?! I always scan the restaurant menus for anything with avocado on it! Alone it can be bland, but on a sandwich is wonderful

I'm loving your trip report! Universal looked amazing! Love your DLH room photos. Haven't stayed there since the renovation. Can't wait to read more!

LOL. I was really surprised..she never had guacomole either!!!
DLH was really nice. It's at the top of my list for the next trip out there.

I love the Grand Californian. I have 4 nights waitlisted in a DVC studio for November. Please keep your fingers crossed that the waitlist comes through for us.

We have had breakfast, lunch and dinner at Storyteller's Cafe over the years. We love the food there.

Corinna

I hope it goes through for you!!!
Storytellers was very good and on my list to go again in the future.

Wonderful updates. Definitely think Disneyland is in our near future. Michael would love Carsland. And I would love seeing California again.

Yes, Carland was really neat. I know Claire would love it too. It is a fun place, different than WDW, but still very fun!

That hotel is gorgeous, as is the restaurant (I made a note of that restaurant in my California "hopeful" trip file).

That is too funny about you saying how blue the sky was.

We ate at some really good places and some not so great. Actually I think they were even good, I just didn't order what I should have to like it more.
I typically do goofy things like that with the sky. I was glad to give Cass a laugh!

 

[jenseib]

Isn't the GC magnificent???

I hope you had a great meal at Storytellers. The flatbread looks good.

I was nervous on the wheel too. Not sure why I never made it to Goofy's but PW does freak me a bit with the turns.

It really is, but all the resorts there were pretty nice in my opinion. But GC being so close to everything is a really major selling point!
The flatbread was very good!
No need to ever go on Goofy's. It's a death trap!

Im with ya on the Avacado!! LOVE it....I like it alone with a little salt to though

My oldest daughter Paige told me about eating it with salt not too long ago and I have started eating them that way. They are really good like that!

Just caught up. Loved the updates. Carsland looks awesome and I hope to get my nephews there soon. The deathtrap talk cracked me up. I am iffy on ferris wheels, too. The hotel looks amazing! I will definitely check into staying there if we make it out to DL. I noticed the "ghost" in your picture too....how funny! Looks like you girls are having a blast!

I hope you can get them there too. It's a fun area.
There are a lot more death traps at DLR than WDW!!!
I was impressed by all the onsite hotels.
I wonder who that little ghost is...and why he didn't do a better job at warning me about Cass!!!!!

Time to play catch-up again!

I enjoyed the Carsland photos. I felt like I was right back there again. I'm still kicking myself though for not going back through the single rider line. We just always felt like we had more ground to cover. We had 5 very long days and still didn't feel like we did it all.

You really need to go through the single rider line! it was so fast in the morning. In the evening....not so much.

I can't believe you didn't do the ferris wheel. Now, don't get me wrong..... no WAY were you going to get me into one of the swinging cars. But the stationary one was nice. It offered some great views of the parks. I just wish there had been an opening to stick my camera out for better photos.

Nope, I absolutely hate the ferris wheels....even will miss a picture opportunity on that one!

You're killing me with all the talk about "death traps" and "bodies flying all over the place"! Katie actually loved the Jumpin Jellyfish ride. Go figure. It was pretty lame, but still different enough to be mildly interesting. And we both loved the swings. See, I figured I hadn't read any news stories about bodies flying around at CA, so surely it had to be safe?

I m sure you saw a few bodies flying around here and there too...right? They keep it really quiet. Disney is good about hiding bodies!

Your pizza looked really good. We did try it for breakfast one day. It's really a very lovely restaurant.

It was really good. I tell you I just didn't have enough days to go and eat everwhere I would have liked to. Always a next time...right?

 

[mom2rtk]

It was really good. I tell you I just didn't have enough days to go and eat everwhere I would have liked to. Always a next time...right?

I think one of the things we did wrong was spending too much time at TS restaurants. I plan to do less next time, if I can talk Katie into it.

LOL on the flying bodies! I'll have to watch closer next time. And yeah, I bet Disney has someone in charge of hushing that stuff up!

We did miss Goofy's Sky School. But now I want to try it! We wanted to do it, but it was closed when we tried, and we never made it back.

 

[jenseib]

Princess Sofia was out and I took a quick picture on the way by.



Hey! Look who is in the streetcar!





Our destination is just ahead.



Actually we were just getting Fastpasses. Oh how I wish WDW still had the paper FP’s. I am already dreading how it will work on my upcoming trip with magic bands. (and now that I am back, let’s just say the whole My Disney Experience at WDW was much WORSE than I even imagined…not a fan at all)

After getting our passes, we still had some time to kill, so we went this way.



I tried to get this window shot, but I got a lot of reflection instead.



This was on the wall as we entered and I got a terrible shot of it.



We went in here to see something Cass wanted to look at and we came into this room….. I was not expecting this. It was really neat in here.





Cass had a mission. She wanted to see the Zoetrope.



This thing was so cool and pictures can NOT show how it works. I found this youtube video and it explains what a zoetrope is and at the end it shows this one in motion. Basically with strobe lights, it plays tricks on your brain and makes it look like everything is in motion. Cass tried to take video of it and it didn’t turn out right. I have seen some on youtube by others, but again, they can’t capture what you actually see. I strongly suggest you watch the youtube video to understand and see it. (it’s only 2 minutes)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5khDGKGv088











This thing was super cool and I am glad we spent some time here watching it and seeing it.

Next we headed to Turtle Talk since we had some time still.









This theatre was nicer than the one at WDW, it had real seats instead of benches.



The show itself is pretty much the exact same though.

 

[mom2rtk]

We never made it into the Animation Building. I really want to do that next time. For being so busy, we sure seemed to miss a lot!

 

[CraftyMommy]

Forget the parks. I'll lounge here all day with an unlimited bar tab. Between this place and the pool, I'd be in Heaven.

 

[jenseib]

I think one of the things we did wrong was spending too much time at TS restaurants. I plan to do less next time, if I can talk Katie into it.

LOL on the flying bodies! I'll have to watch closer next time. And yeah, I bet Disney has someone in charge of hushing that stuff up!

We did miss Goofy's Sky School. But now I want to try it! We wanted to do it, but it was closed when we tried, and we never made it back.

There really is just not enough time. I am amazed how they say that the avarage person doesn't stay a full 5 days and no one stays longer. I could have easily stayed longer and enjoyed myself.

We never made it into the Animation Building. I really want to do that next time. For being so busy, we sure seemed to miss a lot!

We did so much but reading other TR's now, I see so much we missed too. But honestly, we did a ton and I was impressed with all we tackled with the limited time we had. Cass was a very good tour director too.