Mini Review : Thoughts, Feelings, Advice

[KCmike]

We just got back from our latest adventure out in Disneyland, San Diego, and Yosemite National Park. All in all it was an epic journey and one I hope the kids will carry with them for the rest of their lives. It unfortunately was probably our last vacation with the kids as my twins will be seniors next year and my oldest will start her third year in college. I am so blessed that we have shared with them all of these Disney vacations throughout the years from WDW to DL it has all been such a blessing.

On to the review..

We stayed from Tuesday through Sat Night. I have to say that Saturday was the least crowded until after 6pm which was a little shocking. The weekdays were the most crowded I have seen for this early in June.

Disneyland's three new entertainment offerings:
Disneyland Forever - I give it an A. It was entertaining and had surprises that I enjoyed. It's not as good as Remember Dreams Come True which I give an A+ but its a winner.

Paint the Night Parade - A. I was surprised on how much I enjoyed this. I know its from Tokyo but it really worked well in Disneyland. Catchy tune and the it really dazzles.

World of Color Celebrate - A. Shorter than the original I believe but just as good if not better. Puts the Christmas version to shame.

Matterhorn - the new animatronics are spectacular I just wish they would fix the seating. Need more cushioning.

Big Thunder Mtn Railroad - This is the first time I've rode it since the new track and the explosion sequence. It was all wonderful. The track is so smooth and the blast at the end is really well done. Bravo.

The park looked great. We missed Peter Pan as it was still in refurb. The castle looked great in my opinion and really sparkled so beautifully at night. The bunting on mainstreet looks a little cheap but that might be me being over critical. The banners and Diamond D on Carthay Circle Theater also was very well done.

Alright place I ate:
Plaza Inn - Just as good as I remember it. I ate there three days. Its that good. One night the line was all the way out to mainstreet. That was the first time I ever saw that.

Hungry Bear - Good as usual. Not great but serviceable.

Steakhouse 55 - This one pains me as we spent a pretty penny there that night and it just turned out ok. The steak was fine but not great and the service was the same. It was disappointing as the other time we ate there a few years ago it was one of the highlights of the trip.

Smokejumpers - same as usual

Swing Band Saturday Night - So this was one of the biggest highlights of the entire trip. My wife and I have been taking dance lessons for about 3 months now and we have been targeting this as one of the highlights of the trip. It didn't disappoint! We had such a blast dancing the night away. A true date night at Disneyland if you will. The band was amazing and the Andrea Miller, I believe that's her name, was outstanding as well. This is such a treat and I wish we had something similar in KC each Saturday night. It was fun to swing dance and then stop and enjoy the fireworks. Truly a hidden gem in DL.

Other highlights:
I got to meet fellow photographer Kent Freeman in DCA one night at the Mad T Party
Spent 17 and 1/2 hours in DL one day and followed it up with a 16 hr day two days later
Fairfield Inn - Still the best hotel on Harbor Blvd in my opinion.

Outside of Disney we did Yosemite National Park (rafted on the merced River with view of the falls and Half Dome), visited San Diego and the Hotel Del Coronado, and also got to visit Oceanside and La Jolla which we really enjoyed.

I hope my wife and I get back out there someday but it will probably be quite sometime so I hope to savor the special moments we were blessed to have. Thanks everyone out there for making the Disboards such a wonderful place to share memories, tips, tricks, and insights.

Take care,

Mike

 

[KCmike]

Disneyland Forever by Mike Day, on Flickr


Rafting on the Merced River by Mike Day, on Flickr


La Jolla Cove - Explore by Mike Day, on Flickr


The Del by Mike Day, on Flickr


Greetings from the Hotel Del Coronado - Wish you were here by Mike Day, on Flickr

I'll try to share more photos on the Disneyland picture of the day as I sift through the ones I think are post worthy. Thanks again.

 

[Disney Dory]

Wow, sounds like you all had a great trip and made many wonderful memories! Thanks for sharing! I always appreciate when people take the time to give their thoughts, feelings and advice. Great tips, too! I hope you and your family will get the opportunity to enjoy more family vacations when your kids are done with school. Maybe even enjoy some special times at DL with grandchildren one day!!

 

[mom2rtk]

I'm so glad to hear you had a great trip and made more fun family memories.

The raft trip sounds fabulous! What camera did you take with you on the river?

The shots look fabulous. How early did you have to stake out your spot for Disneyland Forever?

You continue to tempt me to try the Fairfield Inn. Love hearing you enjoyed it again.

Sorry Steakhouse 55 was a disappointment. I still remember how much you loved it last time.

Can't wait to see more photos!

 

[KCmike]

Wow, sounds like you all had a great trip and made many wonderful memories! Thanks for sharing! I always appreciate when people take the time to give their thoughts, feelings and advice. Great tips, too! I hope you and your family will get the opportunity to enjoy more family vacations when your kids are done with school. Maybe even enjoy some special times at DL with grandchildren one day!!

It would be an honor to take my grandchildren one day. Hopefully not soon though! I feel to young to be in that arena! LOL

 

[McNs]

Great report, would love to hear more about Yosemite as we are heading there this year. I also like you attitute to family holidays. They cost a pretty penny, and occasionally I wonder if I am better saving the money. But the memories we have from our family vacations we will always treasure.

And awesome photos too!

 

[KCmike]

I'm so glad to hear you had a great trip and made more fun family memories.

The raft trip sounds fabulous! What camera did you take with you on the river?

The shots look fabulous. How early did you have to stake out your spot for Disneyland Forever?

You continue to tempt me to try the Fairfield Inn. Love hearing you enjoyed it again.

Sorry Steakhouse 55 was a disappointment. I still remember how much you loved it last time.

Can't wait to see more photos!

Ok Fairfield Inn is the best we've stayed at on Harbor. We've done BWPPI and Hojo as well. It's not the worlds best but you can't beat the location, the price, and having a pizza hut express on the third floor and a McDonalds right outside for a quick bite.

The rafting was the HIGHLIGHT of the trip. I chickened out and only took my Iphone 6 with me to capture video and photos but they came out sparkling. I had one foot in the river and as we floated down water. It was so breathtaking. We also got under the lower falls of Yomsemite Falls which was a blast. My wife and daughter climbed up Vernal Falls which was a major feat as well.

The Disneyland Forever shot was with my iphone on that take. Not great but I posted while on vacation. It was right after the show ended. We were actually on main street for the show.

People were lining up 5 hours for the Paint the Night Parade and the Fireworks start immediately after. The parade starts at 8:50pm and by the time the parade has finished its route you have about 5-7 min to position yourself on the street before they start.

 

[kylie71]

WoW, Mike! So happy to hear you had a Great trip once again!
Looking forward to your pictures on the POTD thread!

Thank You for taking the time for a great review!

--Lori

 

[KCmike]

Great report, would love to hear more about Yosemite as we are heading there this year. I also like you attitute to family holidays. They cost a pretty penny, and occasionally I wonder if I am better saving the money. But the memories we have from our family vacations we will always treasure.

And awesome photos too!

Thanks so much. It's a choice people have to make for sure. Disney vacations are pricey to say the least and we certainly have spent more than we should have by going so much but life is short and its something we all treasure.

 

[KCmike]

WoW, Mike! So happy to hear you had a Great trip once again!
Looking forward to your pictures on the POTD thread!

Thank You for taking the time for a great review!

--Lori

Thanks Lori! Been awhile hasn't it? Did you already visit this year?

 

[kylie71]

No, I will be there for 5 days in the park in Sept. It will be a year in Nov since I was there.
I haven't seen you here in awhile either, but you we're traveling.

Excited for your pictures as always.

--Lori

 

[theluckyrabbit]

Glad to hear you and your wife enjoyed the swing dancing! The Royal Swing Ball is a hidden gem at DL. We try to go as often as we can. There are some really special folks there in the Disney swing dance community (and it really is a community!). If you ever plan another trip, please post something here. The dancers would love to welcome you.

About S55, we've noticed a drop in the quality of food and service as well. It's not bad, but it isn't great like it used to be. Let Disney know about your experience and how it wasn't as good as previous visits. Something isn't right there and needs to be addressed.

 

[delaney's mom]

I wonder if we saw you. We spent Tuesday in DL, checked out of Fairfield Wednesday and saw the Zoo on Thursday. Hope you guys had as much fun as we did.

 

[KCmike]

Glad to hear you and your wife enjoyed the swing dancing! The Royal Swing Ball is a hidden gem at DL. We try to go as often as we can. There are some really special folks there in the Disney swing dance community (and it really is a community!). If you ever plan another trip, please post something here. The dancers would love to welcome you.

About S55, we've noticed a drop in the quality of food and service as well. It's not bad, but it isn't great like it used to be. Let Disney know about your experience and how it wasn't as good as previous visits. Something isn't right there and needs to be addressed.

A few years ago we noticed it one Saturday night and fell in love with it. The band was playing Sinatra's Summer Wind. You can tell its a tight knit group and they were all having a blast. We got out there and didn't feel out of place at all. There were people of all ages and different skill levels. It was so much fun. Dancing has put a new wrinkle in our lives and has provided so much new energy for us. It really is so much fun. My favorite part is looking into my wife's eyes while we dance the night away!

I will have to leave a note for Disney about Steakhouse 55. I hate to say how much we spent but with a family of five we shared 3 steaks and they are priced at $41 each. Sides, drinks, and a dessert put a nice dent in our wallets. Wish it was a better experience. Again I have to say it wasn't horrible just not the top notch experience we had on our first time.

 

[KCmike]

I wonder if we saw you. We spent Tuesday in DL, checked out of Fairfield Wednesday and saw the Zoo on Thursday. Hope you guys had as much fun as we did.

Tuesday was a blast for us. We got a lot accomplished but were sad that they had to cancel the fireworks that night.

 

[czmom]

We are headed to Yosemite and DLR in August (except we are doing San Francisco instead of San Diego).

How long were you in Yosemite for? We have 2.5 days.

And how long did it take you to drive from Yosemite to DL?

Great photos!!

 

[delaney's mom]

Tuesday was a blast for us. We got a lot accomplished but were sad that they had to cancel the fireworks that night.

Oh I had forgotten about the fireworks! I remember them being cancelled at least once (maybe twice?) while we were there (high winds I think). My LOs don't like fireworks (weird, I know) so we never saw them. We were walking near the crowd and I remember hearing everyone groan when they announced a cancellation. I felt so bad!

 

[KCmike]

Great report, would love to hear more about Yosemite as we are heading there this year. I also like you attitute to family holidays. They cost a pretty penny, and occasionally I wonder if I am better saving the money. But the memories we have from our family vacations we will always treasure.

And awesome photos too!

Where are you staying in Yosemite?
We ended up doing the Tenaya Resort in Fish Camp and felt it was too far away. It took us about 45-55 min each way. We stayed in El Portal the time before and it is much closer but motel/hotel was just so so. Tenaya Lodge was a step up but not worth it because of the distance. I would love to stay on the valley floor.

We ended up hiking the Mist Trail (Vernal Falls but couldn't make it to Nevada falls), explored Yosemite Falls (the water flow was so low people were getting out onto the rocks which was very dangerous. We found a nice safe secret path to the left of the lower falls and had a great experience. We also drove up to Glacier Point and watched the sunset and saw all the starts come out. We saw Jupiter and Venus. There is a great free app for stargazing that a park ranger told us about that really helped us. Make sure you go on a clear night or when there is a full moon. We missed the full moon but I tracked the forecast and picked the night that was clear.
And again the best of all was the rafting down the Merced River. The cost was $31 per person and it includes life vests, paddles, and boat. The trip took about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. It felt like we took about a half hour. It was so much fun.

If I can answer anything else I would be happy to help.

Mike

 

[KCmike]

We are headed to Yosemite and DLR in August (except we are doing San Francisco instead of San Diego).

How long were you in Yosemite for? We have 2.5 days.

And how long did it take you to drive from Yosemite to DL?

Great photos!!

3 days in Yosemite. I remember it taking a little over 5 hours but we were in the South part in Fish Camp which gave us a head start towards Disneyland. Unfortunately it made for quite a drive in and out of the park each day in Yosemite to the valley floor. The kids hated the drive each day as it goes through cliffs that could make for deadly mistakes. May I ask where you are staying?

 

[czmom]

3 days in Yosemite. I remember it taking a little over 5 hours but we were in the South part in Fish Camp which gave us a head start towards Disneyland. Unfortunately it made for quite a drive in and out of the park each day in Yosemite to the valley floor. The kids hated the drive each day as it goes through cliffs that could make for deadly mistakes. May I ask where you are staying?

Our first 2 nights are at Yosemite Lodge. The last night is at Wawona Lodge. I'll need to see where Fish Camp is in comparison. 5 hours isn't bad at all! I am counting on 7 hrs with a couple stops.

My kids are much younger (8 and 6), but any must dos in Yosemite are most welcome!