longtimedisneylurker
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Apr 20, 2010
- Messages
- 5,651
Had a great 4-night stay at Hojos, building 2, deluxe queen room, Feb. 19-23.
Made good time down I-5 and got in by 2 something in the afternoon on Saturday. They had our room ready right away.
Headed down Harbor to Buca di Beppo because the family wanted something different. The service was very, very slow, but the food was tasty. Fed the whole family for $40 with tax and tip since I had a coupon.
Finally walked through the Disneyland gates around 5 PM Saturday evening as a light rain began. Ducked into the art gallery, and the downpour began. Looked outside to see hoards of people leaving the park. Got to enjoy the gallery exhibit and watched the 50th movie next door yet again. Boys really didn't want to see Abe Lincoln again; one of the few things at Disney they actually find boring. Downpour stopped and it rained off and on for the rest of the evening. It was perfect though. We never got too wet. We were able to get Indy fastpasses for an hour out, walk onto Pirates and Mansion, and enjoy one set of the swing dancing music. Then headed to DCA where we rode Toy Story FOUR times and watched WoC from the backside. Headed out of the park just after 10 PM.
Rest of the trip was very mellow for us. Pretty much got to do everything we wanted and had an overall very good time. Weather was better after Saturday, and the crowds were there too. Not terrible by any means but busy. For example, saw wait times for Space of 65 minutes on Sunday at one point and 85 minutes on Monday (it had been down for a while). Toy Story went back to being consistently busy. DS11 and I waited 50 minutes to ride it one evening, and wait times when we checked other times that day had varied between 45 and 60 minutes.
A few more observations/comments:
The Mardi Gras event in New Orleans on Sunday was ok. I really enjoyed seeing the characters in their different costumes. We got to do the Meet and Greet with Mickey and Minnie together and Chip and Dale together. The other characters were out as part of the little parade which was fun and festive, and we got a few pictures. We don't like how that part of the activity devolves into a mob all pushing and shoving, trying to get a photo op with the characters. I enjoyed the other parade/show which featured Princess Tiana, but it is pretty much the same as what they've been running since the movie came out. The music is nice though. The extra little decorations in New Orleans were a nice touch.
We finally tried Mickey beignets from the Mint Julep bar, and they were very tasty.
Rode the train once. The boys were hoping for a peek into Splash Mountain, but it is dark/covered up, so no view. It does look like a bit of work might be going on in Critter Country in that the Winnie the Pooh queue looked kind of messy, but nothing looked particularly obvious about what they were doing. Probably just touch-ups here and there in the land since they closed it down.
Buzz Lightyear without a fastpass moves pretty well. We often experienced waits of only 10-20 minutes for that ride, even later in the day.
Star Traders is temporarily located in Starcade. Kind of funky with the video games there. The regular store is getting a refurbishment though and should look fresh and nice when it returns.
Finally tried the potatoes at Troubadour Tavern, and they were really yummy and filling. They were big enough to make a meal of, so that makes them one of the better Disneyland food bargains. This place seems to be open the same hours as the Princess Fantasy Fair. We went Monday evening, about 45 minutes before closing, and the area was very peaceful and nice with plenty of available seating.
Tried the apple strudel and black forest cupcake at Village Haus since they were new items, and we had never eaten anything before at that location. The CM at the cash register was very proud of their new menu and encouraged me to return sometime to try some of the other items. We shared both desserts, and DH and I thought they were decent. I'm not sure I would go out of my way to get them again, but it was nice to find something unique.
We ate at Storyteller's for the character breakfast for the first time in almost 5 years. DH and I thought the food was a step up from Goofy's and some of the other Disney food, but variety is lacking. Also, the character interaction is pretty poor, and DS9 was disappointed. We probably would not try this meal again anytime soon. We do very much enjoy the non-character dinner buffet though and have done that for Thanksgiving for a few years now.
We still can't bring ourselves to invest real time or money into the WoC experience. We saw it a couple weeks after it opened from the red section which admittedly is not that great a view. Since we got in late Saturday night and it was raining, we found we could get a perfect railing spot dead center looking at the backside of the show a couple minutes before it started. Yes, not the way the show is meant to be viewed, but no heads in front of us, and since it was raining, no one else even around to talk or bump and jostle us. The music is nice. The fountains and color are awesome, and the technology is amazing. The water screens don't do much for me; I admit I always found that to be the least interesting part of Fantasmic as well even though I love Fantasmic as a show overall. The run time for WoC just feels so long too. DH would still like to view WoC properly from the front, ideally in blue section, and will probably get around to it someday. DS9 and DS11 who have on occasion sat and waited for Fantasmic for 2 or more hours say they don't want to bother with WoC. They say they don't feel wowed by anything they see or hear and don't care to wait in the lineup, and I kind of feel the same way. We'll probably see it properly eventually, but I'm thinking WoC just isn't all that appealing to our family. I guess we're more Fantasmic and fireworks people. Fantasmic is one of DS11's all-time favorite things about Disneyland.
My sons are really into vinylmation and did a lot of buying and trading. There are currently no Star Wars ones to be found which was a disappointment but one we were prepared for. A D-Street employee said they might be back in 2-3 weeks. We ran into some really nice people outside D-Street who were trading their duplicate vinylmations. They were happy to take anything in trade from my sons, so younger DS was thrilled to get to trade a clear and an urban for a muppet one he had been looking for and a Star Wars one.
Well, that's it for now with the random musings. I'm happy to answer questions if I'm able.
Made good time down I-5 and got in by 2 something in the afternoon on Saturday. They had our room ready right away.
Headed down Harbor to Buca di Beppo because the family wanted something different. The service was very, very slow, but the food was tasty. Fed the whole family for $40 with tax and tip since I had a coupon.
Finally walked through the Disneyland gates around 5 PM Saturday evening as a light rain began. Ducked into the art gallery, and the downpour began. Looked outside to see hoards of people leaving the park. Got to enjoy the gallery exhibit and watched the 50th movie next door yet again. Boys really didn't want to see Abe Lincoln again; one of the few things at Disney they actually find boring. Downpour stopped and it rained off and on for the rest of the evening. It was perfect though. We never got too wet. We were able to get Indy fastpasses for an hour out, walk onto Pirates and Mansion, and enjoy one set of the swing dancing music. Then headed to DCA where we rode Toy Story FOUR times and watched WoC from the backside. Headed out of the park just after 10 PM.
Rest of the trip was very mellow for us. Pretty much got to do everything we wanted and had an overall very good time. Weather was better after Saturday, and the crowds were there too. Not terrible by any means but busy. For example, saw wait times for Space of 65 minutes on Sunday at one point and 85 minutes on Monday (it had been down for a while). Toy Story went back to being consistently busy. DS11 and I waited 50 minutes to ride it one evening, and wait times when we checked other times that day had varied between 45 and 60 minutes.
A few more observations/comments:
The Mardi Gras event in New Orleans on Sunday was ok. I really enjoyed seeing the characters in their different costumes. We got to do the Meet and Greet with Mickey and Minnie together and Chip and Dale together. The other characters were out as part of the little parade which was fun and festive, and we got a few pictures. We don't like how that part of the activity devolves into a mob all pushing and shoving, trying to get a photo op with the characters. I enjoyed the other parade/show which featured Princess Tiana, but it is pretty much the same as what they've been running since the movie came out. The music is nice though. The extra little decorations in New Orleans were a nice touch.
We finally tried Mickey beignets from the Mint Julep bar, and they were very tasty.
Rode the train once. The boys were hoping for a peek into Splash Mountain, but it is dark/covered up, so no view. It does look like a bit of work might be going on in Critter Country in that the Winnie the Pooh queue looked kind of messy, but nothing looked particularly obvious about what they were doing. Probably just touch-ups here and there in the land since they closed it down.
Buzz Lightyear without a fastpass moves pretty well. We often experienced waits of only 10-20 minutes for that ride, even later in the day.
Star Traders is temporarily located in Starcade. Kind of funky with the video games there. The regular store is getting a refurbishment though and should look fresh and nice when it returns.
Finally tried the potatoes at Troubadour Tavern, and they were really yummy and filling. They were big enough to make a meal of, so that makes them one of the better Disneyland food bargains. This place seems to be open the same hours as the Princess Fantasy Fair. We went Monday evening, about 45 minutes before closing, and the area was very peaceful and nice with plenty of available seating.
Tried the apple strudel and black forest cupcake at Village Haus since they were new items, and we had never eaten anything before at that location. The CM at the cash register was very proud of their new menu and encouraged me to return sometime to try some of the other items. We shared both desserts, and DH and I thought they were decent. I'm not sure I would go out of my way to get them again, but it was nice to find something unique.
We ate at Storyteller's for the character breakfast for the first time in almost 5 years. DH and I thought the food was a step up from Goofy's and some of the other Disney food, but variety is lacking. Also, the character interaction is pretty poor, and DS9 was disappointed. We probably would not try this meal again anytime soon. We do very much enjoy the non-character dinner buffet though and have done that for Thanksgiving for a few years now.
We still can't bring ourselves to invest real time or money into the WoC experience. We saw it a couple weeks after it opened from the red section which admittedly is not that great a view. Since we got in late Saturday night and it was raining, we found we could get a perfect railing spot dead center looking at the backside of the show a couple minutes before it started. Yes, not the way the show is meant to be viewed, but no heads in front of us, and since it was raining, no one else even around to talk or bump and jostle us. The music is nice. The fountains and color are awesome, and the technology is amazing. The water screens don't do much for me; I admit I always found that to be the least interesting part of Fantasmic as well even though I love Fantasmic as a show overall. The run time for WoC just feels so long too. DH would still like to view WoC properly from the front, ideally in blue section, and will probably get around to it someday. DS9 and DS11 who have on occasion sat and waited for Fantasmic for 2 or more hours say they don't want to bother with WoC. They say they don't feel wowed by anything they see or hear and don't care to wait in the lineup, and I kind of feel the same way. We'll probably see it properly eventually, but I'm thinking WoC just isn't all that appealing to our family. I guess we're more Fantasmic and fireworks people. Fantasmic is one of DS11's all-time favorite things about Disneyland.
My sons are really into vinylmation and did a lot of buying and trading. There are currently no Star Wars ones to be found which was a disappointment but one we were prepared for. A D-Street employee said they might be back in 2-3 weeks. We ran into some really nice people outside D-Street who were trading their duplicate vinylmations. They were happy to take anything in trade from my sons, so younger DS was thrilled to get to trade a clear and an urban for a muppet one he had been looking for and a Star Wars one.
Well, that's it for now with the random musings. I'm happy to answer questions if I'm able.
We will be park hopping to DCA mid day and I wouldn't mind trying to fit this in on our Tuesday evening. However, I'm just not able to get FP's early in the morning and DH does NOT want to commit so much time to WOC. He would rather skip it in favor of rides and I have to agree.
The hotel walk is a variable. You can change it based on how close your hotel is.
I trade of that constant 30 minutes in the morning for the variable length of lines on the rides.
