Short Disneyland Business Trip March 16-18

[mvf-m11c]

I was heading on a short business trip to Anaheim and decided that I can go to the park when I finish my work on St. Patrick Day on Wednesday. I was going to the resort solo for the first time and I was kind of nervous, but got excited to go by myself without my family. I was going to be in Anaheim for 3 days decided to go to the parks for all three days and was exciting.

I left Sacramento early Tuesday morning around 7am and had a long drive on I-5 down south to Anaheim and took me around 7 hours to get to the hotel. The weather heading over to Anaheim was nice, but it got hotter during the day when I was driving.

I got to Anaheim around 2pm and got to check into the hotel earlier than usual. I am once again staying at my favorite hotel, the Best Western Park Place & Inn Suites. When I got to the hotel, they added a automatic ticket parking gate at both sides of the hotel, luckily it was not active yet. (But on the last day March 18th, they had activated the gate and if the hotel guests want to leave the hotel, we had to get a parking ticket from the front desk so we won't be charge for parking.) That is kind of ridiculous that if we don't get a the parking ticket from the hotel, you have to pay even more. Even if you ate at Captain Kidd's restaurant and want to park the car in the BWPPI and CK restaurant, I believe they charge more than $10 for the first half hour and more later during the day. I got to stay in a one King bedroom. It was a standard room that has a sofa, flig, microwave, the standards.

Then I head over to DLP around 5pm and saw that it was really crowded. Just like the time when I went to DL in December when it was really dead, it was the opposite and it was crowded. I didn't ride any rides at DL for the first time and it kind of felt weird of not riding any rides at DL. Most of the rides on that day were at least of average of 20 min of waiting. The longest was Splash, Indy and Space around 1 hour + and everywhere was just crowded.

The Rivers of America is drained and refurbishment on all the river, TSI, and the Mark Twain and Columbia.

Then I decided to wait in front of the hub and got to see RDCT fireworks. Before I head over to the hub, I decided to go to one of my favorite counter service restaurant Royal Street Veranda for the Steak Gumbo. Then I head over to the hub and got a good viewing area of Sleeping Beauty Castle. I had to wait around 2.5 hours in front of the hub to see the fireworks. It was great to have the best seat to watch RDCT, they mostly make everyone stand up during the fireworks. But got to videotape the whole show that night. It was great to see RDCT fireworks, it is way better than Magical Fireworks during last summer except the Dumbo part.

After RDCT fireworks, most of the rides were at least 25 min long even the monorail which is my favorite had a long line going down to the walkway right next to the waterfall right by FNSV, I have never seen all the rides that crowded, but without F!,the lines were longer without another nighttime show.

Then I decided to just go back to the hotel earlier than I usually do around 1 hour when the park closes, but I had to go on my business meeting the next day. It was fun to see RDCT fireworks back at DL and it was kind of weird not to ride any rides at DL.

The next day will be posted later and pictures too.

 

[goofycathy]

On our last few days (friday and saturday) it was so crowded so I know how you feel. Ive never been to DL by myself but it sounds like fun to me. Im always the one that goes where im told so it would be nice to go wherever I wanted to go! excited to hear about day 2!

 

[mvf-m11c]

Day 2 on my solo business trip to DL and it is on St. Patrick's Day.

I woke up very early in the morning around 7am and went to Captain Kidd's restaurant to have my continental breakfast. After that, I head over to the DL park entrance.

Got there during rope drop and it was crowded than a typical usual rope drop for me when I head over to DL park. I first got my FP for Space and got on the ride immediately. I mostly never like to use my FP, I just like to collect the FP tickets for my scrapbook. It was about 5 min wait, then when I got out more and more people started to head over to SM. I also did FNSV and it was a 20 min wait since they moved more subs out of the siding and onto the main track. When I got out a lot of the rides started to get more and more guests and when I saw the Tomorrowland Matterhorn line, it was already at 30+ min wait. Then I decided to head out of DL and head over to DCA, it opened earlier at 9am instead of the usual 10am opening.

I got to DCA immediately when they had the rope drop and there were at least hundreds of people waiting to get over to PP and get on TSMM. Luckily I had to wait around 15 min to get on TSMM around 9 am. I got to go by myself and had a 300,000+ score game on the ride. When I head out, the line was already at least an hour wait already. The line was going out near the walkway, just in the morning.

Then after TSMM, then I head over to Mickey's Sun Wheel and got on the non-swinging gondola and took pictures of all the construction of WOC, viewing sitting area of WOC, Little Mermaid ride, Silly Symphony Swings, and Cars Land.

After Mickey's Fun Wheel, I headed out of the park and head over to my business meeting. I left around 11am. Got my car at the hotel and head over to my destination. It took around 4 hours of my day to do my business, then I head back to my hotel and got ready to go back to the park.

I got back to the park around 4pm and I was told from one of my friends that they ask me to tape the Celebrate! Street Parade. I am not a huge fan of the CSP, but they wanted it for there kid. So I used part of my day and got a good view of the CSP right next to the hub for the 4:30 show. It's a ok show, but the past parades are way better than CSP, but that is my opinion. After the show, I went around and like to take pictures around the park and saw that most of the ride lines got even worse since this morning. Most of the big rides like Indy, Splash, and Space were at least over 1+ hour wait and the other rides were at least on average 15 to 30 min wait. Then I went over to Captain EO and it was nice to see a Disneyland classic back. I went on the Disneyland monorail like I always go on when I am there. After the monorail, I head over to Main Street and got to see the Sherman Brothers window tribute.

Later around 6pm, I went to eat at the River belle Terrace and had the River Belle's Roast New York sandwich. Then I got ready to set myself up again and videotape RDCT fireworks from the front of the hub again. Why am I doing this again for the 2nd consecutive night? I am a nighttime show person who loves to watch the fireworks and night shows like F!. It was a usual 2+ hour wait. It was kind of weird that night, when it was about time to stand up like always around the hub. The CM never told anyone that night to stand up and I was confused. Mostly they always tell people to stand up when it is time to watch the fireworks. When it started, some of the people in the front and next to me on my right hand side were standing up, and some people were sitting down. A lot of the people were irate and saying to the other people to sit down. Not everyone sit down while 1/3 of the people around the hub was sitting down including me. But I at least no one was standing in front of me and I got to videotape the show.

When the fireworks was over, and decided to go on a few rides, almost every ride was just as long as the other night. I decided to ride the DL Railroad at the Tomorrowland station.I had to wait to for another train to ride on around since the Tomorrowland station had a lot of people waiting and a lot of people were on the trains. When I got on, I got the Ward Kimball with the Holiday 4 car set and just circle around toward Mickey's Toontown station. It was just as crazy that whole night, seeing a lot of people on St. Patrick's day.

Then I decided to go to the Emporium and I bought a very nice St. Patrick's Day mickey ears hat with a nice leporcon hat on top. It was still crowded, so I just decided to head out of the park and get ready for the next day.

 

[incruzcontrol2]

Nice trip report. Wow.. that's really crowded though.. can't wait to read more.

 

[mvf-m11c]

Day 3 my last day @ DL before I head back home to Sacramento.

It was another usual morning of getting up early around 7am and got my continental breakfast at Captain Kidd's restaurant. The weather was really nice in the morning, but was expected to get hotter later during the day.

Then I head over to the DL park main entrance and was waiting since 7:30 in the morning to get into the park. It was a MM and had to wait, there was a lot of people entering the MM gate entrance. I have seen lots of people go during MM, but I have never seen that many people after all they years I been to DL on MM days.

When the park opened to all the general public, it was kind of very busy and there were a lot of people around the park. I first decided to head over to Indy and get a FP, then I jolted over to Splash and get in line. It was about 15 min to get on Splash.

When I got off, it started to pick up and more and more people got in line or got a FP in the morning. Then, I head off to Fantasyland and check out the other rides. PP was around 30+ wait like always in the morning. I walk toward the Matterhorn and saw that the lines on both sides were at least 30+ min waiting. Then I head over to Tomorrowland and saw that FNSV was at least 25+ min, while Space was over 30+ again. I head back over to Adventureland and got on Indy, I had to wait 10 min to get on Indy with the FP since the line was at least 30+ min.

After Indy, I went out of the park and head over to DCA and hope to get on TSMM. When I got there around 9:10 the line was at the walkway and it was at least 50+ min wait already. I just decided not to go on TSMM since I have done it many times and just walked around instead of riding any rides at DCA.

I went over to Pacific Wharf Cafe and bought a couple of sourdough round bread to bring back to my family. Then I just walk around and saw that the big rides at DCA like Soarin was over 20+ min wait, GRR was over 15+ min but got larger during the day and TOT was at least 15+ min. It was not as bad as DL, but it got worse later.

I head back over to DL to ride my favorite rides, when I got back there were long lines to get on the DL railroad and decided just to walk around. I head over to Indy and saw the lines went all the way up to 50+ min wait, then POTC was at least 20+ min wait, HM was 15+ min, Splash went up to 50+ min wait, BTMRR was at 20+ min wait. The west side of DL was really crowded.

Then I decided to go over to Fantasyland and Tomorrowland and saw that most of the ride lines were at least 10+ min on almost every ride. Matterhorn was still at least 30+ min wait. When I went back to Tomorrowland, a lot of the rides except Star Tours and the Monorail was at least 20+ min wait.

I decided not to ride anymore rides and just keep taking pictures. I took at least 100+ pictures with my Nikon DSLR camera and tooks pictures of the building, ride vehicles, characters, etc. that was very interesting.

When it was time for me to head back home to Sacramento, I decided to go back to DCA and eat at the Cocina Cucamonga Mexican Grill restaurant and had the Fire Grilled Citrus Chicken. It was decent, but I really like Rancho del Zocalo restaurant better than Cocina Cucamonga Mexican Grill restaurant.

After eating at CCMG, I head back to the hotel and got packed all my stuff in my car and had another 7 hour drive back to Sacramento.

It was a nice short business trip to Anaheim and got to experience to be by myself and it was fun to be alone since I could do anything I want to do without anyone with me. But it does kind of feel very strange of going to DL without anyone that I know. If I had to do it over again, I would like to do it again.

I'm looking forward to my big vacation of going back to Florida and head back over to the Walt Disney World Resort. This will be my sixth time to go back to WDW and I'm looking forward to it. This might be my best WDW trip, since I am on the best website for information on the resort.

Thanks