Must-do dining/experiences for mom's first visit?

[Duckbug.Ducktales]

Are you talking about changing a Fantasmic lunch at River Belle to a Fantasmic lunch at Blue Bayou and then going to Carthay Circle for dinner? If so, that is a ton of food.

Um, the day before (day 2) upgrading our regular Blue Bayou reservation to a Fantasmic package if the CM says it's an option. One can hope. If so, we wouldn't need the River Bell package on Day 3.

But to your point about food, I do worry about how much food we'll have on Day 3 even if we have to keep River Bell. That reservation is at 11:15 and dinner at Carthay is 6:15 pm, hopefully we'll be hungry enough by then but if not we'll split something.

 

[LKing]

Um, the day before (day 2) upgrading our regular Blue Bayou reservation to a Fantasmic package if the CM says it's an option. One can hope. If so, we wouldn't need the River Bell package on Day 3.

But to your point about food, I do worry about how much food we'll have on Day 3 even if we have to keep River Bell. That reservation is at 11:15 and dinner at Carthay is 6:15 pm, hopefully we'll be hungry enough by then but if not we'll split something.

Six hours is a long enough time to build up an appetite. If you are concerned, I would cut back on what you eat at RB rather than sharing something at Carthay Circle. But that is just me as I think Carthay Circle's food is good tasting and well prepared.

River Belle has a lot of carbs that you can eliminate - extra bread, fries, etc.

 

[Duckbug.Ducktales]

Six hours is a long enough time to build up an appetite. If you are concerned, I would cut back on what you eat at RB rather than sharing something at Carthay Circle. But that is just me as I think Carthay Circle's food is good tasting and well prepared.

River Belle has a lot of carbs that you can eliminate - extra bread, fries, etc.

Good advice, thanks! Really only eating at RB for the package seating. I've been there a couple of times for the same reason and it's ok, but definitely looking forward to Carthay Circle a lot more (will be my first time).

 

[wabbott]

5. Fifth Day: late character breakfast at Storyteller's Cafe. Then we head to our hotel by LAX to drop off luggage before going to see what's left of old Hollywood. Will of course look for Walt's star. I had wanted to see Inside Out 2 at El Capitan because she hasn't seen it and it would be special there, but they've switched to playing Deadpool and she definitely wouldn't like that. So instead we'll end the day by strolling around Santa Monica Pier/Beach.

You'll want to stop @ Grauman's and find Clarence "Ducky" Nash's cement imprint.

 

[Duckbug.Ducktales]

You'll want to stop @ Grauman's and find Clarence "Ducky" Nash's cement imprint.

For sure! Going to add that to my list so I don't forget

 

[Duckbug.Ducktales]

Hm, after laying out the plans in writing above, I'm actually starting to wonder if this itinerary is too packed and if I we should do another park day on Day 5 to spread things out a bit more and make sure we get to do everything... And the main thing that day, Hollywood, isn't all that pretty anymore anyway. I could actually add a quick stop there on arrival day before lunch at the Tam since that's the one day we'll have a car.

My mom also loves pictures and since G+ at DL includes photopass/magic shots, she'll likely want to do a lot of those and that'll eat up time. Won't have a car anymore so I'm thinking what I spend Ubering around LA to go to hotel, Hollywood, Santa Monica, and back to hotel I could spend on the extra day of tickets (which I could get at a bit of a discount through the D23 convention rate tickets). Or is 4 park days at DL a bit much?

Anybody have any thoughts?

 

[Tinkaboo]

Hm, after laying out the plans in writing above, I'm actually starting to wonder if this itinerary is too packed and if I we should do another park day on Day 5 to spread things out a bit more and make sure we get to do everything... And the main thing that day, Hollywood, isn't all that pretty anymore anyway. I could actually add a quick stop there on arrival day before lunch at the Tam since that's the one day we'll have a car.

My mom also loves pictures and since G+ at DL includes photopass/magic shots, she'll likely want to do a lot of those and that'll eat up time. Won't have a car anymore so I'm thinking what I spend Ubering around LA to go to hotel, Hollywood, Santa Monica, and back to hotel I could spend on the extra day of tickets (which I could get at a bit of a discount through the D23 convention rate tickets). Or is 4 park days at DL a bit much?

Anybody have any thoughts?

4 days are better than 3…and 5 is better than 4! You’re right, Hollywood is not pretty and filled with weirdness, not what people think it is or should be (I used to live there).
I would take park days any time !

 

[wabbott]

We stayed @ The Hollywood Roosevelt for 3 nights back in 2021, and did a lot of footwork around the area. You are correct, Hollywood Boulevard is a bit dumpy in the glare of broad daylight. We didn't go out at night, as we are a bit old for "clubbing." We walked all the way down to the Sunset Strip and got some neat pics of Chateau Marmont and the Comedy Club. Even found the address of where 77 Sunset Strip used to be. The Walk of Fame is historic, as is Graumans. We had breakfast at Mel's Diner, which we enjoyed.

Perhaps our most memorable part of Hollywood (we've done this twice) is a trip up to Griffith Observatory at sunset to see all the lights come on across the LA Basin after dark. But this pretty much requires an overnight somewhere in the area.

And here's something that your Mom might like, even if it's a driveby visit. I recall a bit of discussion about this place on a thread here a couple of years ago.

https://www.facebook.com/DisneyMansion

You need to know that from Hollywood to DLR/DCA is a bit of a haul, and if you're driving in PM traffic, you could be looking at 2 hours. We've done the drive in the early AM (like 5:30) and managed to make rope drop @ DLR both times. Around 45-55 minutes, IIRC. Had we dawdled another 30 minutes, it would have been a 2 hour trip, judging from what I saw on Google maps.

We've driven the Pacific Coast Highway several times, and it is scenic. We've gone to Paridise Cove in Malibu, as that is where The Rockford Files was filmed. Decent food at the restaurant.

As for how much time to allocate to Hollywood/LA vs DLR/DCA, I can't answer that. If/when we go back, we will include enough time for some of both.

 

[DizMe]

I had forgotten about the merry-go-round. I went to see it on an ABD tour. I think I had heard that it's closed now/since COVID but will need to check. Would be a neat stop.

Planning on lunch at the Tam right after I pick her up at LAX. I tried to see if it was possible to reserve Walt's table online but I didn't see a way. We'll hope for the best.

I would have loved to take her to Walt's barn, but according to the Carolwood Foundation website, they're only open Aug 18 during the entire month. That happens to be the day we go home

While it's not the same as seeing it in person, this is a really cool video that talks all about Walt's barn and its history

 

[Duckbug.Ducktales]

While it's not the same as seeing it in person, this is a really cool video that talks all about Walt's barn and its history

Thanks, I'll share it with her. It'll have to do for this visit.

 

[Duckbug.Ducktales]

We stayed @ The Hollywood Roosevelt for 3 nights back in 2021, and did a lot of footwork around the area. You are correct, Hollywood Boulevard is a bit dumpy in the glare of broad daylight. We didn't go out at night, as we are a bit old for "clubbing." We walked all the way down to the Sunset Strip and got some neat pics of Chateau Marmont and the Comedy Club. Even found the address of where 77 Sunset Strip used to be. The Walk of Fame is historic, as is Graumans. We had breakfast at Mel's Diner, which we enjoyed.

Perhaps our most memorable part of Hollywood (we've done this twice) is a trip up to Griffith Observatory at sunset to see all the lights come on across the LA Basin after dark. But this pretty much requires an overnight somewhere in the area.

And here's something that your Mom might like, even if it's a driveby visit. I recall a bit of discussion about this place on a thread here a couple of years ago.

https://www.facebook.com/DisneyMansion

You need to know that from Hollywood to DLR/DCA is a bit of a haul, and if you're driving in PM traffic, you could be looking at 2 hours. We've done the drive in the early AM (like 5:30) and managed to make rope drop @ DLR both times. Around 45-55 minutes, IIRC. Had we dawdled another 30 minutes, it would have been a 2 hour trip, judging from what I saw on Google maps.

We've driven the Pacific Coast Highway several times, and it is scenic. We've gone to Paridise Cove in Malibu, as that is where The Rockford Files was filmed. Decent food at the restaurant.

As for how much time to allocate to Hollywood/LA vs DLR/DCA, I can't answer that. If/when we go back, we will include enough time for some of both.

Seeing the lights come on from Griffith's sounds very nice. I'll keep that in mind for a future trip.

 

[Duckbug.Ducktales]

Thanks for everyone's suggestions! Thinking about all the stress and long nights I have coming up at work before this trip, I think I would like to pace ourselves a little more and not feel too rushed during the vacation. Spoke to mom and she wants plenty of time for using the photopass, too. So A 4th park day it is to spread things out more. But she still would like an hour or so in Hollywood to take her selfie at the Chinese Theater and Walk of Fame so to accommodate that, we're skipping Tam O'Shanter for lunch on arrival day. This works better since we'll have a car that day, will just have to figure out parking. Will pack our patience for the rush hour traffic on the way to DL that day.

 

[Kit Jackson]

If you are thinking about a future trip or this trip: The Walk of Fame to me, was a disappointment. I thought it would be totally amazing, but it was just meh. I absolutely loved the forecourt at Grauman's (now the TCL) Chinese Theatre. That was even better than I had expected. Griffith Park/Griffith Observatory was something I really enjoyed. You get a great view of the Hollywood sign.

 

[gardenrooms]

Seeing the lights come on from Griffith's sounds very nice. I'll keep that in mind for a future trip.

Talk about seeing lights, it is fun to be in Radiator Springs at sunset and see the lights come on if she likes Cars (I'm 75, so it's not my era, but I personally love Cars - when my grandson was 3 that was his favorite movie, so we watched it over and over, and every time I hear that music on RSR as we round the curve, I'm right back there).

As for Hollywood, if you make another trip to do Hollywood, might I suggest The Magic Castle if you like magic? Very cool! (The one time I got to go there, one of the Sherman brothers was right in front of us in the main theater!)

 

[Duckbug.Ducktales]

Never had a chance to post a trip report, but wanted to share some highlights from my mom's first Disneyland trip. To recap, she's been to WDW numerous times but has wanted to go to Disneyland for a long time. I was glad to have the means to take her.

My mom absolutely loved Disneyland. We had a blast. I loved, loved seeing her so giddy about so many little things. Some highlights/thoughts, while bolding her favorite things:

• Arrival Day: On her arrival day we walked around Hollywood, took pictures with some of the stars on the walk (including Walt and Mickey, of course), then we ate at Tam O'Shanter. Couldn't get Walt's table but went over to see it. Then had a tour of the studio lot. We both very much enjoyed that, especially visiting Walt's office. The tour guide made it very special, they get folks who are really knowledgeable and passionate about Disney/Disney history (rightly so, for that job!)
• The first night we stayed at the Disneyland Hotel--she loved seeing all the pictures of famous folks with Walt in the first floor of Fantasy Tower. I told her the story of how Walt accidentally kidnapped VP Nixon on the monorail. Then she told me stories about a lot of the other famous people on the wall, and about the anticipation of the time when Disneyland was being built. She was too young to remember but her older sisters apparently passed down the hype. This hotel is just so charming. We ate at Tangaroa Terrace and I had a drink (she doesn't drink), then we went to Downtown Disney so she could get herself an ears headband that said "Disneyland"--but of course!
• Park Day 1 highlights:
  • Lunch at Blue Bayou by the water, then rode Pirates right after. The food was great, and she said that Pirates at Disneyland is even better than WDW because it's longer.
  • We mixed rides with pictures. Since Genie+ included PhotoPass and she's a picture fiend, we made ample use of it. She loves pictures and was sporting her new ears.
  • Tour of Walt's Apartment in the late afternoon: she was crying... what more can I say? Glad I ponied up for both this and the studio tour, at the encouragement of folks on this thread.
  • Checked into Grand Cal - she loved the room, we relaxed a little before going back and saw Fantasmic! We bought the dining package when we ate at Blue Bayou. It's my favorite show at any Disney park ever so I couldn't wait to experience Disneyland's version with her. She loved it, of course. We both do like WDW's better because of the purpose-made amphitheater, but that didn't stop us from having a smile across our faces the whole time. The Peter Pan scene is awesome. And I just love the ending scene in either version, makes me feel like a child again.
  • Closed out the park, last ride was Matterhorn - she had been wanting to go on that ride for so long so I left it for last to make it extra special!
• Park Day 2 - took it a bit slower, this time mostly explored DCA.
  • Also took a lot of pictures with characters. We kept missing the time when Clarabelle shows up. That's her favorite, along with Minnie. No idea why that's her favorite, but we couldn't see her. But we did take pictures with 1920s Minnie, Daisy, Goofy, and Donald. Also, Pluto, Anna, Elsa, and Snow White.
  • The rides at DCA are plenty cool! She loved Radiator Springs, she watched Cars the week before in preparation. I convinced her to go on Incredicoaster with me (she doesn't do anything that goes upside down, normally), and she loved it! Also really enjoyed Guardians, though it made her a little bit dizzy. Rested in the room for an hour.
  • Had dinner at Carthay Circle, it was an excellent meal.
  • World of Color - One. We both loved this show. I had seen it once before and liked it, but I liked it even more the second time. Didn't do the dessert party but got VQs, worked well for us.
• Park Day 3 - early room service breakfast. surprise! Very tasty and I actually think it's a relatively good value. We then rope dropped Radiator Springs Racers, then we went and did the rides in Avengers campus.
  • Character photos at DCA this day: Groot, Dr. Strange, Captain America, Mater, Lightning McQueen, Woody, Buzz, Jesse, Nick Wilde & Judy Hopps, Mr. Incredible, Mrs. Incredible, Anger, and Hiro & Baymax (bahlalalala) - Yeah, she's really into character pictures. STILL COULD NOT FIND CLARABELLE even at the posted times.
  • Went on Grizzly River Run, then went to room and changed clothes and rested for an hour.
  • Went over to DL and had a late lunch at Cafe Orleans. We split a Monte Cristo and it was fabulous. Took a picture with Redd. Then did The Enchanted Tiki Room - can you believe such an old attraction was one of her highlights? Maybe because this was Walt's Tiki Room. I concede, it's an oldie but goodie.
  • Watched Magic Happens Parade on Main Street - I love this parade so much! I love the dancing, beat, and the mix of old and new characters.
  • Did the rides at Toontown and took pictures at Mickey's and Minnie's houses, of course. Then went back to DCA and watched World of Color, had a great view from the front center of the second tier from the water.
• Park Day 4 - last park day, had breakfast in the room again but split one meal as the day before it was too much. Took it a bit slow today. At this point we had been on pretty much every ride at least once, and we sprinkled in a few in but mostly focused on characters and taking in the sights and sounds more slowly.
  • Went to both parks to get more character pictures and autographs, with Luca & Alberto, Chip and Dale, the Evil Queen, Mad Hatter, Aladdin, Gepetto, Alice, Miguel, Mirabel, regular clothes Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy, and Pluto. Can't remember where we had lunch on this day... But did do It's a Small World for like the 4th time, lol. That's her favorite ride at WDW, and she loved DL's version.
  • It was a bit hot so decided to do the water ride again, so went back to DCA and guess who we saw on the way to Grizzly River Run: CLARABELLE! Of course, it finally happened when we weren't looking for her. My mom was so happy, she told Clarabelle that we had been looking for her for days and that she was her favorite character. Clarabelle took my mom's hand and went over from the corner of Carthay Circle Restaurant where the meet-and-greet was to near the center of the circle so they could have a picture in the sun with good lighting. This was just magical, my mom will talk about this forever now.
  • Watched Magic Happens parade again, at my request. I love it, so upbeat. We had a reservation at Lamplight, but my mom had me cancel it because she wanted dinner at Cafe Orleans again. She really liked that Monte Cristo, go figure. She said she's going to try to make it.
  • Sat on a bench in the hub with view of the Castle. An older gentleman eventually sat next to my mom and they chatted for like an hour. He's a local and has been coming "since Walt was around," so naturally she wanted to hear all about that. Nice moment of bonding between two long-time Disney fans.
  • Ended the day by watching the Pixar fireworks by the castle, then Matterhorn once more.
• Departure Day: flew home to NC together, then she flew back to her home in FL the next day.

This was a great trip and a great way to celebrate both my mom's recovery from a condition she had for a couple of years, and her Disney fandom that she passed down to me. She told every server and tour guide and pretty much everyone who would listen that this was her first time at Disneyland but that she had been wanting to see it since she was little, and how happy I had made her by bringing her. Already thinking of doing it again in 2026, hopefully the 70th celebration will extend into that year.

 

[Duckbug.Ducktales]

Wow, that was much longer than I thought it would be! Here's a picture of the view from our room at the Grand Cal, which my mom helped us score (I think) with her story about her first DL trip, lol

 

[OKW Lover]

Sounds like it was a great trip for the both of you!!!

 

[marcyb342]

Don't miss jolly holiday bakery and the breakfast chimichangas. There is also something so magical about eating beignets and listening to some live jazz music in New Orleans Square!!

 

[wabbott]

Hope you took thousands of pics and videos!! Would love to see some of them, if you're so inclined. What restaurant did your Mom like best?

 

[Duckbug.Ducktales]

There is also something so magical about eating beignets and listening to some live jazz music in New Orleans Square!!

We did that! It was nice. I'm glad we did 4 days/5 nights so we wouldn't have to rush just going ride to ride.