Edited: I just posted some pics of the trip on the Disneyland Board....there are more to come!
Well, hello everyone. We have just returned from our DLR trip and I'm pretty tired but wanted to post my report before I forget too much. This is my first TR so please bear with me. Here goes:
The Cast - Me, DH(James), DD(Madison, 4yo), DD(Ava, 18months), My sister(Alycia)
So, we left Monday afternoon around 2pm and arrived at our hotel, the Del Sol Inn around 3:15pm. Yes, we are lucky enough to live pretty close to DL. My sister met us at the hotel shortly after we arrived. The hotel was pretty basic but worked well for us. It had a fridge and micro which came in handy since we brought our own water, juices and fruit to snack on. It was conveniently located within just a few minutes walking distance to the gates of DL. For just $75 a night, it really couldn't be beat. Anyway, after we got our things unpacked we headed to DTD around 4pm for dinner and some shopping. We ate at the Rainforest Cafe. The food was OK, although the "chimi cha cha" appetizer we had was delish! But the surroundings were really fun especially for the kids. The funny thing was that Madison got a little scared during the "thunder storms" but her little sis, Ava, had no fear whatsoever(we'll see this later on at the parks as well). After dinner we got some ice cream at Hagen Daz, did some window shopping and Madison got to pick out her own oyster and they opened it and revealed her pearl which we had turned into a necklace. It was really neat! By now it was about 7pm so we headed back to the hotel to get ready for the next day.
Tuesday: We got to the gates of DL at 9am. The lines for EE were long but the line for regular park entry was small so once they opened at 9:30 it didn't take long to get in. As we entered the tunnel to the right we saw Mickey!
So, we waited and Madison got her autograph book signed. We then headed down MS and waited for the rope drop. Then it was off to fantasyland. We hit Dumbo, Carousel, Alice, Tea cups, and the Canal Boats. Then we were getting a bit hungry so we headed to Village Haus for lunch. After lunch, it was Mr. Toad, Snow White and Pinocchio. Ava fell asleep at this point so we made our way to Toontown to ride Gadgets Coaster and let Madison roam around Mickey and Minnie's house. Madison loved the coaster(it was her first one) and we got to see Mickey and Minnie too. Then DH took Madison on Roger Rabbit while my sister and I waited with Ava. By now Ava was waking up so we headed out and stopped by Small World. Both the kids loved this one of course! Now it was around 3pm so we went to check out DCA. On our way out of DL we saw Cruella DeVille so we stopped for autograph and picture. We went on Monsters Inc. which I thought was very well done and so smooth compared to other Dark rides. Then we went to Bugs Land and did the rides there during which we saw Ada from Bug's Life. Madison really liked her! We decided at this point to head back to DL since that was the focus of our trip and although there were other things we would have liked to have seen at DCA it'll have to wait for our next trip. So back at DL we headed to NOS and rode Pirates 
, Haunted Mansion(the Holiday decor is great and I love the inside even though I love the original too), Winnie the Pooh and Splash Mtn. Madison didn't like Splash so much. Not because of the drop but because she didn't like getting wet. She said the water was "cold". Ava didn't seem scared at all on anything! It was great! We stopped at Zocalo for dinner in Frontierland. It was yummy! My sister had the Chicken Ceasar and I decided we'd have to come back for lunch so I could have it! We then went back to Fantasyland to ride Casey Jr. and Peter Pan. Madison decided that Peter Pan was her favorite because she liked the stars. The park was closing so we headed out, exhausted, and went right to sleep. So, for the day we conquered all of Fantasyland, most of Toontown, Critter Country, and NOS and got autographs for 3 characters. We spotted others as well, like Cinderella, pluto, goofy, and yes, Capt. Jack. But the lines were either too long or they were leaving soon so we didn't get to meet with them.
Wed: Well. this was our second and final day at DL. Since we got a lot accomplished the first day this day was more relaxing and went at a leisurely pace. Also, the crowds were significantly smaller today. Yesterday was good too, we never waited more than 20 min. But today we walked on almost everything. Today there was no EE but we still got there at 9am for the 9:30 opening. The lines at this point were short but I wouldn't recommend coming much later b/c the lines grew quickly. We heard the countdown and the gates opened! We were in the park in a flash and when we entered through the tunnel there was Goofy! We met with him and then right as we were finishing up, Belle came out just a few feet away
. We ran over there and Madison loved her! She was beautiful and Madison said her dress was sooo pretty. So, in 10 min. we got 2 character autographs! Not bad! We then headed down MS looking in the stores to see what we would buy later than night. When the rope dropped we went to Peter Pan since that was Madison's favorite and she wanted to ride again. We only waited about 5 min. Then she wanted to ride the Carousel too. After that we went around to Thunder Mtn. This was to be Madison's coaster test to see if she would really enjoy herself and be able to handle Space later on, and she did ! She loved it and went on again with my sister(who was watching Ava when we went on the first time). After BTMRR we made our way to Adventureland and grabbed Fastpasses for Indiana (although the wait was only 10-15min. all day!) We went next door and rode Jungle Cruise. The paranas were great! Then we explored Tarzan's Treehouse and then had lunch at Zocalo's. This is my new favorite place to eat. The food is good and the portions big! Great for sharing! By now our FP time was up so Dh and I rode Indiana while my sister watched the kids(this is the only ride that Madison isn't tall enough for). Then my sister and Dh rode again while I took the kids to see the Tiki Room show and had a Dole whip! The show was great fun and the dole whip scrumptous! 
Ava began falling asleep so we decided it was a good time to head over to Tommorowland. Dh, Madison, and I all rode Star Tours. Madison and James loved it! I really like the ride but it does make me a bit sick. While we were on that my sister grabbed FP for Space. Since it was only a 10 min. wait at space, Dh and Madison and my sister rode standby and we got a baby swap (these are great if you don't know about them!) While I was waiting at the Space exit with Ava Mickey showed up. I had fun watching everyone interacting with him. My family came out and Madison loved Space! She is officially a coaster fanatic!!! So her and I went right back on with the babyswap pass. After Space, Ava was still sleeping so we went to Innoventions to look around a bit. This place was pretty cool....I had never been before and would have like to stay longer but it'll have to be next time. Ava started waking up so we headed to BLAB. Madison and DH decided to go on Space one more time with the FP we had got earlier. So I took this time to change Ava and give her a snack. When they came out of Space we went on BLAB with only a 5 min. wait. This was a very entertaining ride and I like that you could spin the cars around too! We all scored L-3....oh well, maybe we'll do better next time. From here we went to Tom Sawyer's Island. We spent about 1/2 hr. going through tunnels and over bridges. Madison really liked the treehouse and Ava really liked the ducks. I think ducks and birds were her favorite part of the trip 
. We returned from the Island and went on Pirates and Haunted Mansion again.....both were walk ons! On our way out of Pirates we saw Capt. Jack again with a parade of people following.....it was really funny to watch. We had a little while to spare before we needed to get a spot for the parade so we boarded the DL Railroad and took a spin around DL. Madison really liked the dinosaur part. AFter this we got our spot for the parade(around 6:15) and then Dh and I ran over to Pizza Port to get dinner and bring it back. We ate while we waited and then the parade began. This was definitely the highlight of our trip. I had never really sat down for a whole parade before and the kids, especially Ava, absolutely loved it. Ava was waving and blowing kisses to everyone and got to interact with the characters and dancers a lot. I will cherish those memories foverever! Watching the video of it brought tears to my eyes because the look in her eyes was pure magic and wonderment! 
It was beautiful! After this Ava was getting tired so Dh decided to call it a night and go back to the hotel with her. Madison wanted to ride Dumbo again so my sister and I went on Dumbo with her and then headed out to buy our souveniers. We got back to the hotel around 9pm and went to sleep. So today we went on 15 rides/attractions(more if you count the ones we went on more than once), got 2 autographs and saw the parade. That was the end of our trip. I was sad to see it end 
but excited about all the memories we made and all the fun we had. It was really fabulous.
I grew up in Southern California so I went to DL many times as a kid but going back with my own kids now is so different and exciting. It's like seeing it all for the first time through their eyes. We decided that we will be back for our vacation next year but this time for at least 3 days. There were some things we didn't get to do this time that we'd like to do on a return trip. Well, thanks for reading this and if anyone has any questions ask away! And thanks for all the wonderful advice and tips!
Well, hello everyone. We have just returned from our DLR trip and I'm pretty tired but wanted to post my report before I forget too much. This is my first TR so please bear with me. Here goes:
The Cast - Me, DH(James), DD(Madison, 4yo), DD(Ava, 18months), My sister(Alycia)So, we left Monday afternoon around 2pm and arrived at our hotel, the Del Sol Inn around 3:15pm. Yes, we are lucky enough to live pretty close to DL. My sister met us at the hotel shortly after we arrived. The hotel was pretty basic but worked well for us. It had a fridge and micro which came in handy since we brought our own water, juices and fruit to snack on. It was conveniently located within just a few minutes walking distance to the gates of DL. For just $75 a night, it really couldn't be beat. Anyway, after we got our things unpacked we headed to DTD around 4pm for dinner and some shopping. We ate at the Rainforest Cafe. The food was OK, although the "chimi cha cha" appetizer we had was delish! But the surroundings were really fun especially for the kids. The funny thing was that Madison got a little scared during the "thunder storms" but her little sis, Ava, had no fear whatsoever(we'll see this later on at the parks as well). After dinner we got some ice cream at Hagen Daz, did some window shopping and Madison got to pick out her own oyster and they opened it and revealed her pearl which we had turned into a necklace. It was really neat! By now it was about 7pm so we headed back to the hotel to get ready for the next day.
Tuesday: We got to the gates of DL at 9am. The lines for EE were long but the line for regular park entry was small so once they opened at 9:30 it didn't take long to get in. As we entered the tunnel to the right we saw Mickey!
So, we waited and Madison got her autograph book signed. We then headed down MS and waited for the rope drop. Then it was off to fantasyland. We hit Dumbo, Carousel, Alice, Tea cups, and the Canal Boats. Then we were getting a bit hungry so we headed to Village Haus for lunch. After lunch, it was Mr. Toad, Snow White and Pinocchio. Ava fell asleep at this point so we made our way to Toontown to ride Gadgets Coaster and let Madison roam around Mickey and Minnie's house. Madison loved the coaster(it was her first one) and we got to see Mickey and Minnie too. Then DH took Madison on Roger Rabbit while my sister and I waited with Ava. By now Ava was waking up so we headed out and stopped by Small World. Both the kids loved this one of course! Now it was around 3pm so we went to check out DCA. On our way out of DL we saw Cruella DeVille so we stopped for autograph and picture. We went on Monsters Inc. which I thought was very well done and so smooth compared to other Dark rides. Then we went to Bugs Land and did the rides there during which we saw Ada from Bug's Life. Madison really liked her! We decided at this point to head back to DL since that was the focus of our trip and although there were other things we would have liked to have seen at DCA it'll have to wait for our next trip. So back at DL we headed to NOS and rode Pirates , Haunted Mansion(the Holiday decor is great and I love the inside even though I love the original too), Winnie the Pooh and Splash Mtn. Madison didn't like Splash so much. Not because of the drop but because she didn't like getting wet. She said the water was "cold". Ava didn't seem scared at all on anything! It was great! We stopped at Zocalo for dinner in Frontierland. It was yummy! My sister had the Chicken Ceasar and I decided we'd have to come back for lunch so I could have it! We then went back to Fantasyland to ride Casey Jr. and Peter Pan. Madison decided that Peter Pan was her favorite because she liked the stars. The park was closing so we headed out, exhausted, and went right to sleep. So, for the day we conquered all of Fantasyland, most of Toontown, Critter Country, and NOS and got autographs for 3 characters. We spotted others as well, like Cinderella, pluto, goofy, and yes, Capt. Jack. But the lines were either too long or they were leaving soon so we didn't get to meet with them.Wed: Well. this was our second and final day at DL. Since we got a lot accomplished the first day this day was more relaxing and went at a leisurely pace. Also, the crowds were significantly smaller today. Yesterday was good too, we never waited more than 20 min. But today we walked on almost everything. Today there was no EE but we still got there at 9am for the 9:30 opening. The lines at this point were short but I wouldn't recommend coming much later b/c the lines grew quickly. We heard the countdown and the gates opened! We were in the park in a flash and when we entered through the tunnel there was Goofy! We met with him and then right as we were finishing up, Belle came out just a few feet away
. We ran over there and Madison loved her! She was beautiful and Madison said her dress was sooo pretty. So, in 10 min. we got 2 character autographs! Not bad! We then headed down MS looking in the stores to see what we would buy later than night. When the rope dropped we went to Peter Pan since that was Madison's favorite and she wanted to ride again. We only waited about 5 min. Then she wanted to ride the Carousel too. After that we went around to Thunder Mtn. This was to be Madison's coaster test to see if she would really enjoy herself and be able to handle Space later on, and she did ! She loved it and went on again with my sister(who was watching Ava when we went on the first time). After BTMRR we made our way to Adventureland and grabbed Fastpasses for Indiana (although the wait was only 10-15min. all day!) We went next door and rode Jungle Cruise. The paranas were great! Then we explored Tarzan's Treehouse and then had lunch at Zocalo's. This is my new favorite place to eat. The food is good and the portions big! Great for sharing! By now our FP time was up so Dh and I rode Indiana while my sister watched the kids(this is the only ride that Madison isn't tall enough for). Then my sister and Dh rode again while I took the kids to see the Tiki Room show and had a Dole whip! The show was great fun and the dole whip scrumptous! Ava began falling asleep so we decided it was a good time to head over to Tommorowland. Dh, Madison, and I all rode Star Tours. Madison and James loved it! I really like the ride but it does make me a bit sick. While we were on that my sister grabbed FP for Space. Since it was only a 10 min. wait at space, Dh and Madison and my sister rode standby and we got a baby swap (these are great if you don't know about them!) While I was waiting at the Space exit with Ava Mickey showed up. I had fun watching everyone interacting with him. My family came out and Madison loved Space! She is officially a coaster fanatic!!! So her and I went right back on with the babyswap pass. After Space, Ava was still sleeping so we went to Innoventions to look around a bit. This place was pretty cool....I had never been before and would have like to stay longer but it'll have to be next time. Ava started waking up so we headed to BLAB. Madison and DH decided to go on Space one more time with the FP we had got earlier. So I took this time to change Ava and give her a snack. When they came out of Space we went on BLAB with only a 5 min. wait. This was a very entertaining ride and I like that you could spin the cars around too! We all scored L-3....oh well, maybe we'll do better next time. From here we went to Tom Sawyer's Island. We spent about 1/2 hr. going through tunnels and over bridges. Madison really liked the treehouse and Ava really liked the ducks. I think ducks and birds were her favorite part of the trip . We returned from the Island and went on Pirates and Haunted Mansion again.....both were walk ons! On our way out of Pirates we saw Capt. Jack again with a parade of people following.....it was really funny to watch. We had a little while to spare before we needed to get a spot for the parade so we boarded the DL Railroad and took a spin around DL. Madison really liked the dinosaur part. AFter this we got our spot for the parade(around 6:15) and then Dh and I ran over to Pizza Port to get dinner and bring it back. We ate while we waited and then the parade began. This was definitely the highlight of our trip. I had never really sat down for a whole parade before and the kids, especially Ava, absolutely loved it. Ava was waving and blowing kisses to everyone and got to interact with the characters and dancers a lot. I will cherish those memories foverever! Watching the video of it brought tears to my eyes because the look in her eyes was pure magic and wonderment! It was beautiful! After this Ava was getting tired so Dh decided to call it a night and go back to the hotel with her. Madison wanted to ride Dumbo again so my sister and I went on Dumbo with her and then headed out to buy our souveniers. We got back to the hotel around 9pm and went to sleep. So today we went on 15 rides/attractions(more if you count the ones we went on more than once), got 2 autographs and saw the parade. That was the end of our trip. I was sad to see it end but excited about all the memories we made and all the fun we had. It was really fabulous. I grew up in Southern California so I went to DL many times as a kid but going back with my own kids now is so different and exciting. It's like seeing it all for the first time through their eyes. We decided that we will be back for our vacation next year but this time for at least 3 days. There were some things we didn't get to do this time that we'd like to do on a return trip. Well, thanks for reading this and if anyone has any questions ask away! And thanks for all the wonderful advice and tips!
