B3rlingirl
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- May 12, 2018
- Messages
- 673
I finally found some time to write a short trip report... not that short actually but you experience a lot on 5 park days. I arrived Wednesday November 27th and left again on Thursday December 5th.
First, I have to say thank you for all those helpful threads I read throughout the last year... I got so much helpful information... but I guess the tips abut rain were the most important ones...I don't even wanna think about what I would have done without them...
My rain outfit: waterproof hiking boots (they got a little wet inside but they weren’t that expensive), waterproof pants (those were lifesavers), a rain jacket + a poncho, a quick-drying cap (I recommend wearing a cap if your hood doesn’t fit properly or doesn’t have a brim) and a dry bag for my back pack and a zip-lock bag for my phone.
That way I stayed almost completely dry (like mentioned above my left and right toes got a tiny bit wet) and I had no problem to stay at the parks the whole day open to close. It might sound like an overkill but I needed all of the mentioned stuff.
Thanksgiving dinner at storytellers:
It was great! I loved all the food. It was so delicious. I only wish that I could have eaten more but because of my cold, I didn’t quite have my normal appetite. The characters were fun, and the waiter was great. It was totally worth it and I hope I can repeat that with my parents next year. I also checked out the ginger bread house at the grand californian...lovely... (I do need to remember to plan for some additional time when I go again with my parents because my dad likes to search hidden mickeys...)
Friday:
DL was crowded!
I‘ve never seen DL more crowded. But even so, I got so much done.... my game plan ( not that I actually had one but my instincts were right) really worked out. A couple of times I arrived with a low wait time for the ride and after exiting it, the wait time skyrocketed and was more than doubled... (for example I waited 5 min for pirates and afterward it’s been 30 min wait-time or jungle cruise I waited for 10 and then the wait-time was 30 min)
I was a little unlucky/lucky (however you wanna call it) all of my FPs that day ( till the afternoon) were converted to replacement FPs. But for me that only meant more fun in the evening with stacked FPs...
I rode: dumbo, snow-white, the carrousel, Mainstreet vehicles, BTMR, pirates, haunted mansion, Disneyland railroad, monorail, jungle cruise, Indy, Tikki room, Matterhorn, HSM, star tours, buzz, autopia, Winnie the pooh, checked out SWGE (but didn't ride MFSR that day) and it's a small world...and I did repeats on my favorites as well... I also watched the parade and the fireworks (both from a spot with a great view close to It's a small world)
I think that was my most "productive" day ever even though it was the most crowded day I experienced at DL (so far)... I guess I got really, really lucky that day! But with high crowds, it saves so much time if you are solo and don't have to wait for anyone.
I actually rode almost everything I wanted to ride in DL that trip on my first day already (on the other days I added: MFSR, Peter Pan, Alice, and splash mountain)
On Saturday I started at California Adventure and rode my favorites there and tried TSMM for the first time... It was so much fun and I did some repeats of it that trip.
I also rode GOTG quite a few times. Though I actually don't I really know if I love it or hate it... but I just had ride do it over and over again. After the 10th time or so I was actually brave enough to wave into the camera with both hands. The first 3 times I frantically hold on to the handle with both hands.
As mentioned in Rob's thread I met WonkaKid on Sunday. It was just a little unfortunate that I was quite hoarse that day (I had caught a cold just 2 days before my trip...) but we managed to communicate.
I did the Blue bayou F! package for lunch and enjoyed that very much. Being alone I could really focus on the surroundings. I started my preparation for F! about 40 min before the "FP return time" and bought some hot chocolate and Christmas tree popcorn bucket. I started lining up for F! at pretty much the perfect time (about 30 min before the "FP return time") and got the perfect center spot right at the railing. I used my big, long scarf as a seat cushion (worked great) and enjoyed my snacks (and the rest of my Monte Cristo). I loved F! but fireworks were canceled...
After the first show of F! pretty much everything was walk-on. I did a couple of rides on BTMR (I love it at night) and then tried out the MFSR with almost no wait at all... I was gunner and engineer and I still don't quite know what to think about the ride...The idea is great but somehow they didn't go all the way. That is actually my impression of SWGE in general... I love the Imagineering and detail even though I am no star wars fan and just watched part 4,5,6 a few weeks before my trip to at least understand it a bit. But I somehow have the feeling they didn’t go all the way and that things are missing and not just ROTR but some more rides and entertainment. But maybe they will add some more stuff in the future. My personal wish would be something like an "interactive walk through the museum" so they could add some of the "original" stuff and characters without having to change the storyline of Batuu.
Rest day on Monday. I did some shopping at the malls of orange and watched the fireworks in the evening from the esplanade.
Tuesday I used my magic morning. That really didn't work out that great, to be honest... I was a little late and got into the queue by the turnstiles about 5 min before the start of MM. It took me 25 min to get scanned into the park! My line was, of course, the slowest.
An interesting thing I didn't know about: The CM at the turnstile made everyone show their paper ticket or DL resort room key to prove eligibility. She said the ticket loaded into the app wouldn't show that and that she needs to read the line saying "eligible for a MM", otherwise she couldn't let me in. This really made the line move slowly because no one had the paper tickets or room key out and ready... An afterthought I just came up with: if that's true they wouldn't know if you actually tried to do MM twice or more because they don't do anything with the ticket to mark it as "used MM"... as long as you have a valid ticket that states you have a MM you would be good to go... that sounds very strange to me. I also can't remember having to show my paper ticket last year for MM... The CM even complained a little about the IT and about having to ask every guest for their paper tickets /hotel keys and couldn't understand why the app wouldn't show that...definitely an odd thing! My MM experience didn't improve because fantasy land was already packed... But I didn't mind. After all, I already rode my must-dos on other days and just enjoyed repeats that day.
I had a drink at Ogas in the afternoon and totally enjoyed the experience. I had a place at the bar and had the fuzzy Tauntaum, which I really liked. (but if your lips are already a little sore because of your consistent running nose I might advise against it…). It started to rain about 30 min before the check-in time for the WOC dessert party but I changed in my rain gear and didn't mind. It actually stopped when they began the seating. I had a great table with a great view: the first one on the left when coming down the stairs. Desserts were great and you were all right (of course) it doesn't look like much but it is filling... For drinks, I had the 2 alcoholic drinks and a few cups of hot chocolate. The holiday version of WOC is simply fantastic! I loved it... and being able to sit and view it without hurting feet was a nice bonus. I am really glad I got persuaded by all of your great reports of the dessert party and splurged for it.
I didn't assume there would be fireworks that night, so I took my time on the way back. Naturally, there were fireworks that night and they started when I was between GRR and Soarin. I quickly decided to try to make it to Mainstreet in time to see the last bursts over the castle because I had already seen it twice from the esplanade. I think it was the right decision. I then caught the last train around the park and did some shopping in the parks and some night shots of the castle. I actually didn't know that the world of Disney store closed an hour after the park as well so I only barley slipped in (after official closing time) and was the last customer (oopsie)...
I rope-dropped Peter Pan on my last day Wednesday (I was in 24th place). It rained more or less the whole day. Sometimes more and some times less but it was very wet. I still had the time of my life because the lines were short and the rain was fun. (pretty much all kids love playing in the rain, right?) I rode the Incredicoaster 5 times and it was almost walk on. Dumbo was also a nice walk on in the (then) heavier rain.
I had one of my best character experiences that day as well. My favorites Donald and Chip 'n dale met together with a Photpass photographer. Though I neither wore my chip 'n dale cap nor my Donald cap, I at least wore my Christmas chip 'n dale shirt and my newly acquired Donald earrings. Those made for some fun interactions.
The rain stopped just in time for the first parade and I got a great front row spot at the hub. It started to rain again just as Santa came into view. (For the first time I saw a CM walking in front of the parade checking for wind speed, at least that’s what it looked like…interesting). I was happy to experience the parade a final time. I completely fell in love with the holiday parade. I think I watched about 4 times and each time by pure luck/pixie dust with a great 1st or 2nd-row spot with just walking up. Being solo really helps...
After walking through puddles and in the rain for a good part of the day I decided to try out splash mountain as the last ride of the day and my trip. It' s one of my favorites but I was afraid of getting soaked and didn't think it would help with my cold. So I thought I would do the responsible thing and not ride it on that trip... but oh well... don't ask small kids to do the responsible thing... I had a blast. I rode it 3 times and once I was alone in the raft. My rain gear saved me from getting completely soaked. (Pro tip: if you don't wanna get soaked just ride alone in the raft… that helps a lot).
I grabbed a hot chocolate on my way back to Mainstreet and decided against better judgment to look for a spot for fireworks. I was pretty sure they would be canceled. But the rain had stopped earlier that evening, so I just gave it a shot. I was able to secure a spot at the rope on the right of the castle just 30 min before the fireworks (well, technically I was in row 2 but I had an unobstructed view). However, I was so exhausted that I almost fell asleep standing and waiting there. Though seeing the balloon rise in the sky awoke me quite fast.. and I was lucky again and the fireworks were shown. What a fabulous end of a fabulous day and a fabulous trip!
I really enjoyed my first solo trip even though it was so spontaneous. I had already played with the idea of doing a solo trip someday but not that soon. But still, sometimes I felt a bit lonely and missed my parents. ( For those who don't know... I planned to do a longer vacation DL + Hawaii with my parents but my mom broke her wrist about 2 weeks before the trip and wasn't able to make the trip. So we all canceled the trip and only I rebooked for the DL part of the trip.) After all, I had planned this family trip for almost a year and was looking forward to experiencing all of the great holiday stuff together with my parents... I think it is different if you plan a solo trip the whole time. But no regrets, I had the most amazing time and DL with its holiday stuff was just as great as I had hoped!
I can't wait to come back and hope to be able to show all that to my parents next year!
I keep my fingers crossed that I find a job soon enough and that taking almost 4 weeks off won't be a problem.
First, I have to say thank you for all those helpful threads I read throughout the last year... I got so much helpful information... but I guess the tips abut rain were the most important ones...I don't even wanna think about what I would have done without them...
My rain outfit: waterproof hiking boots (they got a little wet inside but they weren’t that expensive), waterproof pants (those were lifesavers), a rain jacket + a poncho, a quick-drying cap (I recommend wearing a cap if your hood doesn’t fit properly or doesn’t have a brim) and a dry bag for my back pack and a zip-lock bag for my phone.
That way I stayed almost completely dry (like mentioned above my left and right toes got a tiny bit wet) and I had no problem to stay at the parks the whole day open to close. It might sound like an overkill but I needed all of the mentioned stuff.
Thanksgiving dinner at storytellers:
It was great! I loved all the food. It was so delicious. I only wish that I could have eaten more but because of my cold, I didn’t quite have my normal appetite. The characters were fun, and the waiter was great. It was totally worth it and I hope I can repeat that with my parents next year. I also checked out the ginger bread house at the grand californian...lovely... (I do need to remember to plan for some additional time when I go again with my parents because my dad likes to search hidden mickeys...)
Friday:
DL was crowded!
I‘ve never seen DL more crowded. But even so, I got so much done.... my game plan ( not that I actually had one but my instincts were right) really worked out. A couple of times I arrived with a low wait time for the ride and after exiting it, the wait time skyrocketed and was more than doubled... (for example I waited 5 min for pirates and afterward it’s been 30 min wait-time or jungle cruise I waited for 10 and then the wait-time was 30 min)
I was a little unlucky/lucky (however you wanna call it) all of my FPs that day ( till the afternoon) were converted to replacement FPs. But for me that only meant more fun in the evening with stacked FPs...
I rode: dumbo, snow-white, the carrousel, Mainstreet vehicles, BTMR, pirates, haunted mansion, Disneyland railroad, monorail, jungle cruise, Indy, Tikki room, Matterhorn, HSM, star tours, buzz, autopia, Winnie the pooh, checked out SWGE (but didn't ride MFSR that day) and it's a small world...and I did repeats on my favorites as well... I also watched the parade and the fireworks (both from a spot with a great view close to It's a small world)
I think that was my most "productive" day ever even though it was the most crowded day I experienced at DL (so far)... I guess I got really, really lucky that day! But with high crowds, it saves so much time if you are solo and don't have to wait for anyone.
I actually rode almost everything I wanted to ride in DL that trip on my first day already (on the other days I added: MFSR, Peter Pan, Alice, and splash mountain)
On Saturday I started at California Adventure and rode my favorites there and tried TSMM for the first time... It was so much fun and I did some repeats of it that trip.
I also rode GOTG quite a few times. Though I actually don't I really know if I love it or hate it... but I just had ride do it over and over again. After the 10th time or so I was actually brave enough to wave into the camera with both hands. The first 3 times I frantically hold on to the handle with both hands.
As mentioned in Rob's thread I met WonkaKid on Sunday. It was just a little unfortunate that I was quite hoarse that day (I had caught a cold just 2 days before my trip...) but we managed to communicate.
I did the Blue bayou F! package for lunch and enjoyed that very much. Being alone I could really focus on the surroundings. I started my preparation for F! about 40 min before the "FP return time" and bought some hot chocolate and Christmas tree popcorn bucket. I started lining up for F! at pretty much the perfect time (about 30 min before the "FP return time") and got the perfect center spot right at the railing. I used my big, long scarf as a seat cushion (worked great) and enjoyed my snacks (and the rest of my Monte Cristo). I loved F! but fireworks were canceled...
After the first show of F! pretty much everything was walk-on. I did a couple of rides on BTMR (I love it at night) and then tried out the MFSR with almost no wait at all... I was gunner and engineer and I still don't quite know what to think about the ride...The idea is great but somehow they didn't go all the way. That is actually my impression of SWGE in general... I love the Imagineering and detail even though I am no star wars fan and just watched part 4,5,6 a few weeks before my trip to at least understand it a bit. But I somehow have the feeling they didn’t go all the way and that things are missing and not just ROTR but some more rides and entertainment. But maybe they will add some more stuff in the future. My personal wish would be something like an "interactive walk through the museum" so they could add some of the "original" stuff and characters without having to change the storyline of Batuu.
Rest day on Monday. I did some shopping at the malls of orange and watched the fireworks in the evening from the esplanade.
Tuesday I used my magic morning. That really didn't work out that great, to be honest... I was a little late and got into the queue by the turnstiles about 5 min before the start of MM. It took me 25 min to get scanned into the park! My line was, of course, the slowest.
An interesting thing I didn't know about: The CM at the turnstile made everyone show their paper ticket or DL resort room key to prove eligibility. She said the ticket loaded into the app wouldn't show that and that she needs to read the line saying "eligible for a MM", otherwise she couldn't let me in. This really made the line move slowly because no one had the paper tickets or room key out and ready... An afterthought I just came up with: if that's true they wouldn't know if you actually tried to do MM twice or more because they don't do anything with the ticket to mark it as "used MM"... as long as you have a valid ticket that states you have a MM you would be good to go... that sounds very strange to me. I also can't remember having to show my paper ticket last year for MM... The CM even complained a little about the IT and about having to ask every guest for their paper tickets /hotel keys and couldn't understand why the app wouldn't show that...definitely an odd thing! My MM experience didn't improve because fantasy land was already packed... But I didn't mind. After all, I already rode my must-dos on other days and just enjoyed repeats that day.
I had a drink at Ogas in the afternoon and totally enjoyed the experience. I had a place at the bar and had the fuzzy Tauntaum, which I really liked. (but if your lips are already a little sore because of your consistent running nose I might advise against it…). It started to rain about 30 min before the check-in time for the WOC dessert party but I changed in my rain gear and didn't mind. It actually stopped when they began the seating. I had a great table with a great view: the first one on the left when coming down the stairs. Desserts were great and you were all right (of course) it doesn't look like much but it is filling... For drinks, I had the 2 alcoholic drinks and a few cups of hot chocolate. The holiday version of WOC is simply fantastic! I loved it... and being able to sit and view it without hurting feet was a nice bonus. I am really glad I got persuaded by all of your great reports of the dessert party and splurged for it.
I didn't assume there would be fireworks that night, so I took my time on the way back. Naturally, there were fireworks that night and they started when I was between GRR and Soarin. I quickly decided to try to make it to Mainstreet in time to see the last bursts over the castle because I had already seen it twice from the esplanade. I think it was the right decision. I then caught the last train around the park and did some shopping in the parks and some night shots of the castle. I actually didn't know that the world of Disney store closed an hour after the park as well so I only barley slipped in (after official closing time) and was the last customer (oopsie)...
I rope-dropped Peter Pan on my last day Wednesday (I was in 24th place). It rained more or less the whole day. Sometimes more and some times less but it was very wet. I still had the time of my life because the lines were short and the rain was fun. (pretty much all kids love playing in the rain, right?) I rode the Incredicoaster 5 times and it was almost walk on. Dumbo was also a nice walk on in the (then) heavier rain.
I had one of my best character experiences that day as well. My favorites Donald and Chip 'n dale met together with a Photpass photographer. Though I neither wore my chip 'n dale cap nor my Donald cap, I at least wore my Christmas chip 'n dale shirt and my newly acquired Donald earrings. Those made for some fun interactions.
The rain stopped just in time for the first parade and I got a great front row spot at the hub. It started to rain again just as Santa came into view. (For the first time I saw a CM walking in front of the parade checking for wind speed, at least that’s what it looked like…interesting). I was happy to experience the parade a final time. I completely fell in love with the holiday parade. I think I watched about 4 times and each time by pure luck/pixie dust with a great 1st or 2nd-row spot with just walking up. Being solo really helps...
After walking through puddles and in the rain for a good part of the day I decided to try out splash mountain as the last ride of the day and my trip. It' s one of my favorites but I was afraid of getting soaked and didn't think it would help with my cold. So I thought I would do the responsible thing and not ride it on that trip... but oh well... don't ask small kids to do the responsible thing... I had a blast. I rode it 3 times and once I was alone in the raft. My rain gear saved me from getting completely soaked. (Pro tip: if you don't wanna get soaked just ride alone in the raft… that helps a lot).
I grabbed a hot chocolate on my way back to Mainstreet and decided against better judgment to look for a spot for fireworks. I was pretty sure they would be canceled. But the rain had stopped earlier that evening, so I just gave it a shot. I was able to secure a spot at the rope on the right of the castle just 30 min before the fireworks (well, technically I was in row 2 but I had an unobstructed view). However, I was so exhausted that I almost fell asleep standing and waiting there. Though seeing the balloon rise in the sky awoke me quite fast.. and I was lucky again and the fireworks were shown. What a fabulous end of a fabulous day and a fabulous trip!
I really enjoyed my first solo trip even though it was so spontaneous. I had already played with the idea of doing a solo trip someday but not that soon. But still, sometimes I felt a bit lonely and missed my parents. ( For those who don't know... I planned to do a longer vacation DL + Hawaii with my parents but my mom broke her wrist about 2 weeks before the trip and wasn't able to make the trip. So we all canceled the trip and only I rebooked for the DL part of the trip.) After all, I had planned this family trip for almost a year and was looking forward to experiencing all of the great holiday stuff together with my parents... I think it is different if you plan a solo trip the whole time. But no regrets, I had the most amazing time and DL with its holiday stuff was just as great as I had hoped!
I can't wait to come back and hope to be able to show all that to my parents next year!
I keep my fingers crossed that I find a job soon enough and that taking almost 4 weeks off won't be a problem.
Hope your mom's recovery is going well, too.
I have the idea of a solo trip brewing, but personal circumstances are such that I don't feel comfortable planning for it. Will do it last minute if or when the moment is right. Where did you stay during your trip?
