March 90s Nite and Skywalker Ranch! UPDATE 7/14 TR COMPLETE

[OhioStateBuckeye]

So we're in Carsland. And it's nighttime. Neon!!!











We had a lot of fun Shh-booming around Route 66, but we had a maxpass for Incredicoaster.












Long story short: everyone is right, this coaster is much better at night.

Though a little chilly.

Speaking of chilly, look who we found:

 

[OhioStateBuckeye]

I love these billboards:








Emily had a fastpass for Fantasmic and we had dinner reservations for Lamplight Lounge, so we parted ways. We were a little early but we checked in and didn't have long to wait.

Love little Luxo! I remember when they used to have him opposite TSM in WDW and he'd move around a little on the roof.












Best signs ever.

 

[OhioStateBuckeye]

I got the text that our table was ready. And O M G!! We were led to the best table of my life!!!

It was pretty cold out, and we were sitting outside, but we were at a fireside table!!!






Look at that view!!!



Not only did we have the best table ever, but we both love the food here.

Brian got the Ratatouille, it's his favorite. Just like the movie.



I got the lobster nachos. It was a tight race between those and sushi, but there are plenty of places to have sushi and not that many places that have lobster nachos.




We had a great time eating, talking and being cozy by the fire.

If we hadn't seen WOC the night before, I definitely would have pushed to have remained at this table to watch it tonight.






I probably could have stayed here all night. But the fire and food and lack of sleep were making us drowsy and we were going to wimp out and head back to the hotel.

Best table ever!

 

[OhioStateBuckeye]

We slowly made our way to the exit. We hadn't had a chance to ride Monster's Inc yet so we stopped there before leaving.



Best part of a queue:



Who wants salt and fat in a can?!

I do!

We got to see Mickey and Minnie walking off hand in hand.









We collected our car and headed back to the La Quinta, all the while wishing we had stayed at the Disneyland Hotel.

The next day was our final parks day

DCA opened at 7 and we wanted to be there. Cause we're insane.

 

[dolewhipdreams]

the gate computer system ended up being down/broken for the remainder of the weekend, so we never got charged!!

Now THAT's Disney magic

I embarrassed everyone by letting him take a selfie with Mr. Toad.

Don't be embarrassed. OWN IT

Best breakfast buffet ever.

Ooo good to know!

Sorry kids, world traveling stuffed cats need attention too.

1. Kids need to learn that stuff at an early age, well done.

2. That interaction sounds absolutely incredible and pretty much sums up why Disney is the best ever.

How did that happen...very peculiar.

Curious. Very curious.

Speaking of chilly, look who we found:

Look at that view!!!

Wow that's incredible!

 

[paradesintherain]

Sounds like a great day! Looove the table you got at Lamplight Lounge, it all looks so pretty at night!

Gelatoni is adorable, and I'm glad he/she had fun with some characters haha!

 

[OhioStateBuckeye]

Now THAT's Disney magic


Don't be embarrassed. OWN IT


Ooo good to know!


1. Kids need to learn that stuff at an early age, well done.

2. That interaction sounds absolutely incredible and pretty much sums up why Disney is the best ever.


Curious. Very curious.





Wow that's incredible!

Oh I owned it. I just thought the others with me were embarrassed, but I asked Brian and he said he's used to it.

It is quite the good lesson for kids.

Always a good interaction at Storyteller's! I think you guys will be going there pretty soon.

Sounds like a great day! Looove the table you got at Lamplight Lounge, it all looks so pretty at night!

Gelatoni is adorable, and I'm glad he/she had fun with some characters haha!

That really was the dream table. Sigh.

I just need to get Gelatoni an outfit. If we make it to Hong Kong DL next year like we think, I'm sure there will be plenty to choose from.

 

[OhioStateBuckeye]

So we finally come to it. Our last day. As I'm writing this, about a month before my next trip. Hahah, best get this one finished.

To set the mood: it is Sunday, March 10. Looks like we had 5 hours and 48 minutes of sleep. Not bad.

We were up early to catch park opening. We got some fantastic pictures walking through the Disneyland Hotel and Downton Disney. There are some benefits to waking up early.













Our first stop was DCA.









Looks like we were headed to Carsland!

 

[OhioStateBuckeye]

First up was a little walk onto Radiator Springs Racers.




Next up: a few spins on TSMM. We are pretty intense about attempting high scores.



















We were able to just keep walking onto TSMM, there was no discernible line this early on in the day.

 

[OhioStateBuckeye]

After we tired ourselves out on TSMM, it was back to Carsland. I don't think Incredicoaster had opened yet.





I love Luigi's Rollickin Roadsters. It's such a fun little ride and the songs are all upbeat and I love how everyone puts up their hands at the end. The ride just makes me smile.





Mater's is always a fun time. It wouldn't be quite as much fun without the Mater narration and songs.





I was enchanted by this model of Carsland inside one of the shops. I love models.



Next up was a maxpass for Guardians. We had so much we booked another maxpass for use 10 minutes after we got off and went right back on.



We decided to take a few minutes to relax. I love this building and these screens.

 

[OhioStateBuckeye]

Since we'd been so successful with attractions already, it was time to move onto characters!

Elsa only had a few people in line so we joined them. Sadly, adorable Olaf was not meeting at the moment but we had a good time with the Queen.

Today was one of the first days that Captain Marvel was meeting. Sadly, her awesome fighter plan backdrop wasn't ready yet. We just missed her on her first set, and no one was really waiting in line so we went next door to the Disney visa meet and greet and saw Stitch, who was fabulous.






Sigh. Weird new DISboards, still can't figure out how to rotate these pics. We ended up waiting half an hour for her, mostly because we were just sitting near the front of the line waiting for her to come out. I'm not sure if Captain Marvel was really in touch with her movie at this point. We asked about Goose the cat and she didn't really seem that into it.



We wanted to head over to DL to finish our the trip, but first I'd wanted to try a hot dog from Award Weiners and the other two got some nachos from a food and wine booth.



I really enjoyed my hot dog and totally want to eat there again.

With that finished, it was time to bid goodbye to DCA.

Saying goodbye to DCA isn't too sad though, when you're just headed across the esplanade to Disneyland!

Odie was waiting to give us a ride down Main Street.



No one should be surprised that we made our first stop at the Tropical Hideaway.

Dole whip, I presume?



After that, we came to the realization that we had never been to the Tom Sawyer Pirate's Lair of Disneyland. So after cramming into a boat with 100 of our newest friends, we steamed on over and explored the island.








Do you know what is the absolute worst? When you're at the end of a great vacation but your feet are killing you because you just Had to wear your authentic 20 year old airwalks to a themed party. Sigh. The spirit was willing to run around the island but the feet were definitely not.

 

[OhioStateBuckeye]

Next up was a train ride over to the Tomorrowland Station. There were a few more drinks to be had at Trader Sam's and the monorail was going to take us there!



We decided to get some food as well, so we ordered these nachos. I feel like I've heard people on the boards complain about them but I thought they were Delicious!!





Gelatoni is ready for drinks!



I would be the happiest person ever if I could have one of these windows in my house.



After we were finished with our refreshments we headed back to the monorail. We were down to the last few hours so we had to make the best of it. I had picked us up a maxpass for Star Tours.







Our time was running low. I hadn't got to meet my favorite character yet. So I set off by myself to see if I could find him while Brian and Emily went to get us a last minute snack at Bengal BBQ.



I was very pleased to arrive just in the nick of time. I was the last person allowed in Donald's line. And then, ugh, why do other guests have to be so terrible? After the CM told me I was last in line, another family tried to join a few minutes later. The poor CM told them the line was closed and that Donald had to go off and check on the nephews. The mother was terrible to him. She claimed they had already been in line a long time (which was patently untrue, as I had been told 5 minutes before I was the last one and they'd just walked up). She argued with the poor CM and just generally made everyone uncomfortable. After berating the poor CM for 5 minutes they finally ended up leaving. Poor guy. I have the utmost sympathy for character attendants, people probably yell at them all day long.



All that aside I had a great interaction with Donald and we discussed how he was the ultimate number one duck. He loved my loungefly Donald backpack.



The other two caught up just as I was finishing with Donald. We made our sad, tired way out of the parks.

 

[OhioStateBuckeye]

But first, here were our snacks from Bengal BBQ:





The skewer was good but we thought the drinks were meh.

On our way out, we also grabbed some consolation snacks for home. Disney bakery snacks tend to take the edge off of the after Disney depression.




Anyway, we were on our way back to the car. There was one more Disney surprise left in store for us!



Disney cat in the parking lot!!!

Yay!

The trip to LAX was uneventful. We were all more than happy to get on our planes and conk out.

And that's pretty much it!

A whirlwind Skywalker Ranch/Disneyland trip.

 

[soniam]

Great pics of the sunrise at DLH. I love that hotel, and not just because Trader Sam's is there

We love Luigi's and Mater too. Mater reminds me of my dad, because he loves Larry the Cable Guy. I think he would really enjoy that ride and laugh the whole time. I liked the original Luigi's Flying Tire, but the new one is way cuter and way more satisfying. I have never seen that Radiator Springs model; I will have to seek it out in August.

That hot dog looks really good, and I am always game for dole whip. Are those nachos the Kalua pork ones? Are the Minnie and Mickey heads rice krispy treats? We had such a hard time finding them on our last DLR trip. Maybe they were covered up more than WDW, so I didn't recognize them. Those look so good. Rice Krispy treats, especially from Disney, are just somehow so amazing. We have a tradition at WDW of getting the custom ones from Goofy's at Disney Springs every trip.

I can't believe you hadn't been to Tom Sawyer's Island. We got at both resorts pretty much every trip. The places make me feel like a kid again, and they are so relaxing. You get to view the madness and hear the noise from a distance. Plus, you get really good views of the activity on the river.

I love Trader Sam's. I would marry him if I wasn't already marriedI agree about the window. It would make my life complete.

Can't wait until next month!

 

[Jaina]

I finally got my head on straight enough to catch up on your report! (Moving took me out of the loop for like a month...) So many awesome things! I love how much they played with the world traveling cat. I really want to do a character meal someday, but just haven't been able to talk myself into spending the money. So much fun though! And your table at the Lamplight Lounge was awesome! And pretty much everything else too! Such an epic trip, and I hate that it had to end too!

 

[OhioStateBuckeye]

Great pics of the sunrise at DLH. I love that hotel, and not just because Trader Sam's is there

We love Luigi's and Mater too. Mater reminds me of my dad, because he loves Larry the Cable Guy. I think he would really enjoy that ride and laugh the whole time. I liked the original Luigi's Flying Tire, but the new one is way cuter and way more satisfying. I have never seen that Radiator Springs model; I will have to seek it out in August.

That hot dog looks really good, and I am always game for dole whip. Are those nachos the Kalua pork ones? Are the Minnie and Mickey heads rice krispy treats? We had such a hard time finding them on our last DLR trip. Maybe they were covered up more than WDW, so I didn't recognize them. Those look so good. Rice Krispy treats, especially from Disney, are just somehow so amazing. We have a tradition at WDW of getting the custom ones from Goofy's at Disney Springs every trip.

I can't believe you hadn't been to Tom Sawyer's Island. We got at both resorts pretty much every trip. The places make me feel like a kid again, and they are so relaxing. You get to view the madness and hear the noise from a distance. Plus, you get really good views of the activity on the river.

I love Trader Sam's. I would marry him if I wasn't already marriedI agree about the window. It would make my life complete.

Can't wait until next month!

DLH is pretty fabulous.

Yeah, Brian and I enjoyed the old Luigi's ride, but the new one just makes me smile. Larry the Cable guy as Mater is pretty epic and hilarious. That was a character who was written for him.

Yep, those are rice krispy treats. They traveled pretty well too. I think those were just at the bakery on Main Street.

We'd been to Tom Sawyer's at WDW several times, just never made the time to get to the DL one. Oooh, we should all do the canoes if they are open Have you done them before?

Trader Sam's and Adventureland is just my jam. Love everything about that whole vibe.

I finally got my head on straight enough to catch up on your report! (Moving took me out of the loop for like a month...) So many awesome things! I love how much they played with the world traveling cat. I really want to do a character meal someday, but just haven't been able to talk myself into spending the money. So much fun though! And your table at the Lamplight Lounge was awesome! And pretty much everything else too! Such an epic trip, and I hate that it had to end too!

So you got your house?? Did you post any pics in your trip report (that I need to catch up with anyway)?? How exciting!!

I don't blame you for not doing character meals. We felt a bit sick paying for this one just for two people. So I can only imagine how you'd feel. The prices are getting ridiculous. This was a breakfast too!! It's just too much.

Thanks for coming along with me on my trip!

 

[soniam]

DLH is pretty fabulous.

Yeah, Brian and I enjoyed the old Luigi's ride, but the new one just makes me smile. Larry the Cable guy as Mater is pretty epic and hilarious. That was a character who was written for him.

Yep, those are rice krispy treats. They traveled pretty well too. I think those were just at the bakery on Main Street.

We'd been to Tom Sawyer's at WDW several times, just never made the time to get to the DL one. Oooh, we should all do the canoes if they are open Have you done them before?

Trader Sam's and Adventureland is just my jam. Love everything about that whole vibe.

Love the canoes! I mean where else can you do something that requires your own strength and has some element of risk. We have done them on both of our DL trips. Rice krispy treats

 

[dolewhipdreams]

We got some fantastic pictures walking through the Disneyland Hotel and Downton Disney.

Wow that photo of the sorcerer hat sign in the sunrise is phenomenal!

The ride just makes me smile.

I think it's scientifically impossible to ride through that entire ride without a single smile.

Sigh. Weird new DISboards, still can't figure out how to rotate these pics. We ended up waiting half an hour for her, mostly because we were just sitting near the front of the line waiting for her to come out. I'm not sure if Captain Marvel was really in touch with her movie at this point. We asked about Goose the cat and she didn't really seem that into it.

Weird that she didn't really talk about Goose who is arguably the real hero of the film.

When you're at the end of a great vacation but your feet are killing you because you just Had to wear your authentic 20 year old airwalks to a themed party

I salute your dedication to authenticity.

He loved my loungefly Donald backpack.

His outfit is so cute! Was this a special birthday outfit for Mickey or something?

we also grabbed some consolation snacks for home

So glad I'm not the only one who does this.

Looks like a fun and full last day! And now only a month to go until you're back.