Just got back from Disneyland! IT WAS AWESOME!

[Lebestiole]

Hello everyone! Mom and I just got back from Disneyland a few days ago and I thought it would be nice to leave our opinions about the park here. Of course this is from the perspective of two Disney World freaks!

First of all, we had an amazing time. We loved it and we are planning another trip for next year, yup, Disney World will have to wait another year. We had been to Disneyland before, but I was around 8 years old so while I did remember my first trip, I would also mix up my first trip to Disney World with Disneyland, so I was glad I could finally understand the differences between parks.

We stayed at the Castle Inn and Suites, very nice hotel. Clean, comfy with plenty of space, and the staff was perfect. The walk from our hotel to Disneyland was OK, only 9 minutes to get to the parks, and the price was reasonable, so we're probably staying there again next time.

So, the first thing that caught my attention was how you could see some of the rides above the trees on your way to the parks!! Mom actually laughed at me because I was like: they are right there!!! xD It felt strange to "see" Disneyland like that because we are used to buses and the Monorail, etc. So yeah, it was weird but not bad. Just different.

Disneyland is just so cute and charming. Main Street was beautiful and while it did feel smaller than DW's Main Street, I adored it anyway. The Halloween decorations made everything look warmer. At first we had mixed reactions when the Castle came into view. We did miss Cinderella's. Now, don't get me wrong, by the end of our trip we couldn't get enough of Sleeping Beauty's Castle, but it took a lil while to get used to it. It was, of course, beautifully decorated, and at night it looked magnificent. I took tons of pictures in front of it because I just couldnt help it!!

The thing is that, while we loved Disneyland, it didnt feel like home. You know what I mean? We knew where we where, we had a great time, but it wasn't Disney World. And it's not because we think one is superior to the other, nope, not at all, we actually think some rides are way better in Disneyland, it's just that we've been to DW so many times that it became our home. We don't need maps to navigate DW because we know it so well, and in Disneyland mom and I found it amusing that we couldnt go anywhere without a map.

The fireworks were spectacular, we loved Disneyland Forever and Halloween Screams. The parades were the best we've seen in years. Paint the Night was breathtaking, and Mickey's Soundsational parade made me feel like a child again, it was just too wonderful.

Fantasmic was... eeeh. We liked the one at DW better. I really don't know why, tho. Maybe because it's longer or has more villains? Maleficent is way better in Disneyland, tho. We so need a dragon like that for DW.

Disney's California Adventure was great! We had so much fun in Cars Land. We also got to see a preview of The Good Dinosaur, yay! The rides were fun and the lines were decent. Sometimes it reminded me a bit of Disney's Hollywood

So yeah, we had a great time and we will come back!! I really want to thank you all for helping me when I needed advice! This forum is the best!!!


(Sorry if there are some grammar mistakes! English is not my 1st language!)

 

[Lebestiole]

Here are some pictures of our trip!!

 

[Bud Ice]

Nice, sounds like you had a great time. Got a lot of the park in during the trip.

 

[grnflash]

Thanks for sharing! Sounds like you had a wonderful trip!

 

[theluckyrabbit]

So glad you had fun! And, yes, it's totally understandable that WDW feels like your "home" park the way DLR feels like mine. Nothing wrong with that! It just adds more excitement and adventure to exploring the other parks.

 

[Mividadisney]

Cute pictures! Glad you had fun!

 

[the donut]

Sounds like you had a great time! And your English is fantastic. I wish I could write that well in another language.

 

[BSOGfam]

Looks like you guys had a great trip! Thanks for your wonderful report

 

[emmybee]

I really enjoyed your report, the enthusiasm was very apparent! I did chuckle when you talked about needing a map for DL...For me, I know exactly where I'm going in DL, whereas I'm sure I would be clutching my map everywhere in DW!

 

[smiley_face2]

Great pictures! you are having so much fun! reminds me of when I went to Disneyland with my 2 dear daughters, we had such a good time! That is the one thing that scares me about doing a WDW trip, is the sheer size of it!! with health issues, I get really worn out just doing Disneyland, I don't know how I would do there!! And the one thing we really like in Disneyland, is the ability to just walk everywhere, not having to rely on any shuttles. But We really do want to see WDW!! some of the resorts there look amazing!!

 

[bryanb]

Thanks for sharing your awesome trip report! I grew up with Disneyland and also worked there in college, so I feel like it is home for me and I know it so well. For me, the Magic Kingdom is this strangely familiar place that vaguely is like Disneyland. I tried exploring it without a map and it felt like someone had rearranged my house! Its so much fun to see the differences between the parks and I hope to get to Tokyo, Paris, Hong Kong, and Shanghai someday for an even more familiar/bizarre experience!

I'm really proud of "my" resort in Anaheim, so I'm glad you had a great time. It's funny how we get attached to certain things. For me, the Frontierland Fantasmic! show is the one with true heart. Using the massive Columbia, Mark Twain, and Tom Sawyer's Island as massive sets is so brilliant. The peaceful waterfront by day, where you were just strolling hours, maybe playing on the ships or standing right on that island, is transformed before your eyes. It's almost odd to me that no such show takes place on the river at MK.

But I fell for WDW a few years ago, and now I am going back 1-2 times a year. There's so much more to explore at a completely different, immersive pace. The sheer size of the operation amazes me, and it's always fascinating to see what changes they made in version 2.0 with traffic flow, ride design, and the like. And just like you can't find California Adventure anywhere else, I really wish we had our own World Showcase in California with all that great food and detail!

I'm so glad you liked it and will be back. I can't wait to go WDW too!

 

[grannyminnie]

Thanks for your honest review. As a WDW vet, I had the same feelings as you when I first visited DL. ("not the same", too unfamiliar to navigate without a map, etc) Now, I want to go back again and again because it's becoming as dear to me as my "home park", WDW. No matter where you call "home", it's our happy place!

 

[Khokhonutt]

(Sorry if there are some grammar mistakes! English is not my 1st language!)

Thanks for the info. Be very proud of your post. There are far too many people these days, for whom English is supposed to be their first language, who can't express themselves as well as you did in your post.

 

[msr709]

Great report. Loved your enthusiasm, it came through your writing. Loved the pictures also. Did you use Photopass? I'm an avid fan of WDW so I know what you mean about it feeling like home. Since we're in the East Coast, its not that easy to get to DL but I want to show my DGS at least once for now. Thanks again for your report, it was very sweet.