June 5th to 8th Trip Report - Disneyland Hotel

[ThreeMountains]

Plenty of photos starting in post #2!

THE BACKGROUND AND OVERVIEW

When I found out my brother and his wife would be arriving for their first Disneyland trip the day I was leaving the Anaheim Convention Center from a work trip, I knew this was a golden opportunity (I’m from TX and they’re from FL). I added a few days on to the trip after they offered to let me stay with them at Disneyland Hotel, and the magic began.

I had been to DL twice before, but each time for only a single day to do both parks and staying off property. Those were hectic days where I got a lot of rides done but not a lot of time for soaking it all in and taking my time, which is what I prefer. This would be my first trip staying on property and having multiple days in the parks.

We’d be checking in Sunday June 5th in the morning when I left the convention and they flew in to John Wayne airport, then I’d leave Wednesday June 8th (currently sitting at SNA waiting to board) and they’d leave Thursday June 9th for an extra park day.

Needless to say, the anticipation during my work trip was palpable, but it was actually a great work trip, if tiring, so it was a perfect buildup to the Disneyland vacation (except for the fact that I was on my feet for two days straight before the DL portion of the trip, but you can’t get me down!).

I’ll be posting details and photos from each day as I have time, so stay tuned!

 

[ThreeMountains]

DAY 1 - Sunday June 5th

Arrival

After saying goodbye to work people and industry folk, I grabbed my suitcase and walked from the convention center over to Disneyland Hotel. I could have used a Lyft (most people probably would), but I enjoy the walk and building up the excitement. Takes about 15 minutes at my pace, which is quick.





I arrived a couple hours before their flight landed, so I had ample time to do something I NEVER have time to do on WDW trips: walk around and soak it all in at the hotel. I checked in, got our room keys (room wasn’t ready), checked my bags at the bell desk, then wandered the property experiencing all of the artwork, the Disney music (my favorite party of a Disney trip is first walking into a hotel and hearing that Disney music), checking out the store, then chilling at the pool for a bit until they showed up. There’s some great artwork around this hotel if you go exploring.







Check-in was also a breeze, as my brother had already paid and mobile checked-in, but there were few people there when I arrived, so the cast member near the desk simply checked on everything and printed our keys. Super-friendly.

Disneyland Park next…

 

[MaleficentMe]

Ready for more!

 

[ThreeMountains]

Disneyland

My brother and his wife arrived and, after checking their bags (room still wasn’t ready), we made our way to Disneyland Park to kick things off. They enjoyed walking through Downtown Disney for the first time, then into the park.

First impressions: they couldn’t believe how close everything was. All walking distance (hotels, parks, restaurants, etc.). They also couldn’t believe how small the castle was lol. The rest of the trip, we referred to it as a cabin and they had fun sending people photos taken from spots where a single tree blocked the entire castle. We know it’s the original, but when you grew up going to WDW for decades, the DL castle seems…underwhelming haha. But it looks great!





We got SO much done the first day, much more than we expected since we didn’t arrived in the parks until after 12pm. Thanks, Genie+! We had a great experience with Genie+ the entire trip, by the way. I know it’s controversial, and I have my gripes about aspects of it, but in the end it worked well for us.

Rides and Food

We kicked things off with Matterhorn after a stroll up Main Street USA, photos in front of the castle, and a churro (better than WDW). Next up was Small World, which I feel is more enjoyable than the WDW version. The outside scene and loading is incomparable, and I’m a fan of the movie characters scattered throughout. It keeps you looking and searching.













(the 10-photo limit per post means I'll have to break this up differently than I normally would, so stay tuned for plenty more...)

 

[ThreeMountains]

After that was Mr. Toad, a long-missed ride we grew up with at WDW, and still one of my favorite Disney rides of all time. A Mickey Bar - the best snack Disney has to offer - followed by a detour stroll through Galaxy’s Edge ensued on our way to Thunder Mountain. We all agreed the DL version of BTM outdoes the WDW version, and we spent much of the trip comparing various rides and attractions.













Hotel

We then received a text that our room was ready, so we headed back to check it out (something you wouldn't take the time to do in the middle of a day at WDW).

It was a third floor two queen bed room in the Fantasy Tower, and we were all impressed with the size and quality of everything. There was really nothing to gripe about and it was well-suited for our needs. The theming was tasteful without being gaudy or over the top Disney themed, even considering the wooden castle/fireworks headboard that lights up and plays music. I’m not sure when the last remodel of this tower was, but it looks good and is holding up (assuming it wasn’t too recent).



After a short rest, we headed back to DL via the monorail - my FIRST DL monorail ride, which was enjoyable - as we had dinner reservations at Cafe Orleans. They really wanted Blue Bayou, which had actually reopened, but without the view of Pirates, we decided not to deal with the walkup situation.





Food review and more rides up next...

 

[TTechmom]

Following along. We are going to DLR in September and have only been once before more than 15 years ago. We’ve been to WDW a lot so it’s very interesting to read Your comparisons. Thanks also for posting the pics!

 

[ThreeMountains]

Following along. We are going to DLR in September and have only been once before more than 15 years ago. We’ve been to WDW a lot so it’s very interesting to read Your comparisons. Thanks also for posting the pics!

Thanks! Since you're interested in comparisons, I'll try to include any that come to mind or that we discussed during the trip.

Example, the DLR monorail is fun, but unlike the WDW version, it's small, only two stops (Downtown Disney and Tomorrowland), and not really useful for much other than as a ride itself or possibly saving some steps from Downtown to Tomorrowland (or vice versa) if it puts you close to where you need to go. It also took waiting for multiple monorails to show up before there was room for us to board even though there weren't too many people at the Downtown stop when we got in line. It seems a lot of people get on in Tomorrowland just to ride the loop, so if they don't get off, there are few seats remaining for those at the other station waiting to get on.

 

[ThreeMountains]

I hadn't read much about Cafe Orleans, so I didn't know what to expect, but it was a good meal. I got a soda (yes, it's "soda", not anything else ), a Caesar salad, and the steak-frites. Expensive? Yes, but that was one thing I expected, being a sit down restaurant in the middle of Disneyland.











The Caesar salad had more dressing that I've probably ever seen on a salad, not even including the extra "side" of it on the plate to dip the bread in, but it was all very tasty with plenty of zing. I'm a fan of extra dressing anyway, and I'm definitely a fan of dipping delicious bread into a side of dressing.

The steak-frites would have been just ok and overpriced, but the dipping sauces actually brought it up into "good" territory. I thought the steak would be tough and bland based on presentation, but it had a little flavor - helped out a lot by the "salsa verde" - and it was actually pretty tender. The fries were fine, but I'm a french fry snob for sure, and the remoulade was solid (I am not a remoulade snob, so YMMV).

Overall, I was pleasantly surprised with the meal, and the ambience inside was well-suited to the vibe of New Orleans Square.

 

[ThreeMountains]

Next up was the ride we'd all been waiting for, a family favorite: Space Mountain.

But no, wait...not JUST Space Mountain...HYPERSpace Mountain!

I'm one of the biggest Space Mountain fans you'll find, and while I like Star Wars, I'm not some huge Star Wars fan. But this was great. I can honestly say all three of us enjoyed it more than "normal" Space Mountain, and we all thought it was a superior ride to the WDW version, which is saying something since it's always been my favorite WDW ride. The Hyperspace version really elevated it with the sound effects and music being timed perfectly throughout the ride.

NOTE: while the ride itself is superior at DL, and the Hyperspace version is even better, I still prefer the building, exterior area, queue, and (normal) exit/shop of the WDW version, maybe with the exception of the giant ship in the loading area at DL.











We followed this up with Star Tours, as a LL was available and we were in the area. Still strange to me that Star Tours is in Tomorrowland, although it fits well with the theme. Just so used to it being in a different park. Always a good time, though.

 

[TTechmom]

good Tips on the monorail, and the differences. We are also thinking of getting an ADR for Cafe Orleans. The steak frites look good and also the Monte Cristo. I’m sure DD will be happy for us to order both and share.

We are big Star Wars geeks and are looking forward to Hyperspace Mountain. We rode ROTR at WDW in May four times as well as MFSR. Your ride pic looks great!

 

[fflmaster]

I hadn't read much about Cafe Orleans, so I didn't know what to expect, but it was a good meal. I got a soda (yes, it's "soda", not anything else ), a Caesar salad, and the steak-frites. Expensive? Yes, but that was one thing I expected, being a sit down restaurant in the middle of Disneyland.

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The Caesar salad had more dressing that I've probably ever seen on a salad, not even including the extra "side" of it on the plate to dip the bread in, but it was all very tasty with plenty of zing. I'm a fan of extra dressing anyway, and I'm definitely a fan of dipping delicious bread into a side of dressing.

The steak-frites would have been just ok and overpriced, but the dipping sauces actually brought it up into "good" territory. I thought the steak would be tough and bland based on presentation, but it had a little flavor - helped out a lot by the "salsa verde" - and it was actually pretty tender. The fries were fine, but I'm a french fry snob for sure, and the remoulade was solid (I am not a remoulade snob, so YMMV).

Overall, I was pleasantly surprised with the meal, and the ambience inside was well-suited to the vibe of New Orleans Square.

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Did anyone in the group get the Monte Cristo? I have heard that is a sandwich you must try when in DL.

 

[ThreeMountains]

Did anyone in the group get the Monte Cristo? I have heard that is a sandwich you must try when in DL.

No, actually all three of us got the steak-frites haha. I was tempted (and I'm sure it's delicious), but I wasn't feeling too much fried food that day. Now I know for next time, though!

 

[ThreeMountains]

Our next LL selection took us across the park to Haunted Mansion via Adventureland. As you'll notice, we made ride selections more based on what we felt like and what made sense time-wise, rather than location-wise. We're all (relatively) young and fast walkers, so getting from one place to the next was never really an issue (although it did further tire us out by the time late night hit and may be one of the reasons we never stayed until park close at midnight, something I would typically do every chance I get).







I prefer the exterior design, location, and overall queue of the WDW Haunted Mansion, but a few key points on the ride itself make the actual ride in DL better, among them the hatbox ghost and the well-done shadow playing the piano in the bride's room.

Winnie the Pooh was next since there was basically no wait and we were close by before heading to Splash Mountain, which was also basically a walk-on. Winnie the Pooh broke down about halfway through the ride and we had to be escorted off and out. I was surprised no Lightning Lane or anything was offered since we had to wait a bit before they could unload us and walk us out, but we didn't make a big deal out of it.





Splash Mountain was fun, as expected, but I strongly prefer the WDW version. The single row with no restraints is exciting, but this one felt like it was going too fast to take in the scenes and soak up the atmosphere. You also get wet enough that you really have to plan when (or if) to go on it. It's one of those rides where it's obvious they learned a lot from the first design before building the second.



We caught a bit of Fantasmic and The Main Street Electrical Parade on our way out, then I stopped at the Lego store in Downtown Disney to get ideas for my four year old before going back to the hotel for the night. Hearing the music from the Electrical Parade was one of the most nostalgic things I've experienced at a Disney park. I hadn't heard/seen it in person since I was a kid at Magic Kingdom, and it brought me right back. What a treat!

Day two coming soon with PLENTY of photos!

 

[ThreeMountains]

Day 2

I heard it can be tough to get breakfast on DL property if you're looking to get to the parks early, but I found the little coffee shop at DL Hotel to be perfectly adequate with bagels, muffins, and other pastries/continental breakfast-style items. And the coffee wasn't bad (regular coffee, didn't try any of the fancy stuff), plus I only had a few people in front of me at 7am.





We strolled through Downtown Disney on our way to California Adventure, snapping photos and soaking in the atmosphere along the way. Can I just mention again how much I LOVE being able to walk to both park entrances from the room in about 10 minutes? It takes 10 minutes to get to the bus stop from the room at most WDW hotels.

Oh, and we had gorgeous weather the entire trip. Cloudy and cool a couple mornings, sunny and warm to hot during the day, and clear and cool at night. Quite a difference between southern CA and central FL where even a sunny forecast could still mean rain showers at any time, or all day.



Does anyone know what this building is or was?

 

[DL1WDW2]

Yes it was originally part of the Disney Travel Company Store.
I think.
That would have been back in the 1980s

 

[DL1WDW2]

It’s so weird but whenever I visit WDW I still have flashbacks of this is where “…” is and then I realize I am not at DL and then it happens again when I am at DL and I have to remind myself !
I used to walk down MainStreet instead of counting sheep to fall asleep because I knew every step of the way .
But I am living the dream and finally moved to WDW and live next door in Celebration just across the street from the World!

 

[MaleficentMe]

I think most recently, that building was the ESPN zone.

 

[DLgal]

Yes it was originally part of the Disney Travel Company Store.
I think.
That would have been back in the 1980s

Nope. It was ESPN zone. It is currently hosting a Jazz Exhibit for summer.

 

[DLgal]

Yes it was originally part of the Disney Travel Company Store.
I think.
That would have been back in the 1980s

Nope. It was ESPN zone. It is currently hosting a Jazz Exhibit for summer.

That building did not exist prior to 2000.

 

[ThreeMountains]

Nope. It was ESPN zone. It is currently hosting a Jazz Exhibit for summer.

They’re hosting a jazz exhibit right now? That would be too bad since I’m a musician and missed it, if so!