Trip Report!! ABD Disneyland Resort & Southern CA - 4/20 - 4/25/25 Updated 8/14/25

[sayhello]

Storytellers Cafe is a beautifully Craftsman-style decorated restaurant. It's a buffet, which is very extensive, but fairly ordinary.





When we arrived at our seats, these were waiting for us!



After dinner, we headed over to Disneyland Park. We were given a bit of free time before we were to meet up at the firehouse on Main Street. A few of us took our ears over to the hat shop to have them personalized. Dean had said to just tell them we were with ABD, and they'd do it (since we didn't have receipts). We did have to pay for any embroidery we wanted. But the folks in the shop had never heard of Adventures by Disney and had no idea what we were talking about. (They were pretty fascinated by our explanation of it!) Fortunately, one of them called a supervisor who *did* know what was going on. I got my first name and "ABD 2025" embroidered on it in gold.

We then headed over to the firehouse for our exclusive tour of Walt's apartment.



If anyone doesn't know, Walt Disney had an apartment built for himself and his family and guests above the firehouse on Main St. He could sit up there and look out the window at what was going on on Main St. It's not open to the general public, and is generally only accessible via a few different tours. You can see a lamp in the window above the Fire Dept. sign. It's always lit.



I had been there several years ago on the "Walk in Walt's Disneyland Footsteps" tour. It was still a very special event! We had both Dean and a VIP tour guide whose name I've forgotten, who told us about the history of the apartment and Walt's time there.



Photos are not allowed in Walt's apartment, except for a photo op where Dean took photos of us at the window that looks out over Main St. (Plus a few general shots he also took).









After the tour, we had some time to do whatever we wanted in Disneyland until it closed. I'm sure I rode a ride or two, but I was pretty pooped, and eventually headed back to the hotel, because the next morning was going to be an early start!

Next up: Day 4: Adventure Awaits - Disney California Adventure Park

 

[sayhello]

ArcLight and Pacific Theatres tanked financially due to COVID… it will never open again as it went out of business.

I assume you're talking about the Cinerama Dome? I suppose it's always possible someone else may buy it and it could eventually re-open. Hope dies hard!

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[dt14890]

I did this trip in September 2019 and I have a picture of me holding both an Emmy from Jim Hanson’s Studio and an Oscar from the Disney Archives so the Oscar part is typical for the trip.

 

[sayhello]

I did this trip in September 2019 and I have a picture of me holding both an Emmy from Jim Hanson’s Studio and an Oscar from the Disney Archives so the Oscar part is typical for the trip.

Thanks! I didn't remember that the Jim Henson one was an Emmy, but that makes sense!

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[Eastridge]

I was on the Short Escape version of this trip, and yes we got to hold the Oscar statuette at the archives. It is heavy (8.5 pounds):

https://www.oscars.org/oscars/statuette

Sorry to hear that the buffet at Storytellers was just ordinary. It was good for many years. Last time I dined there, they had discontinued the corn chowder and I was very disappointed by that.

It appears they keep rotating "Walt's lamp" in the firehouse. I haven't seen that particular lamp previously.

 

[sayhello]

I was on the Short Escape version of this trip, and yes we got to hold the Oscar statuette at the archives. It is heavy (8.5 pounds):

https://www.oscars.org/oscars/statuette

Sorry to hear that the buffet at Storytellers was just ordinary. It was good for many years. Last time I dined there, they had discontinued the corn chowder and I was very disappointed by that.

It appears they keep rotating "Walt's lamp" in the firehouse. I haven't seen that particular lamp previously.

Cool!

Corn chowder sounds wonderful. Oh, well. I rarely have high hopes for buffets.

I didn't realize the lamp was rotated, I guess it makes sense. When I went before, it was actually a lit Christmas tree. Even the lamp behind the couch is different!



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[peppers]

Interesting how you were given the Mickey ears at dinner. When my late father and I took the trip last August, we were given the Mickey ears the following morning that we had to be at Disneyland before the park opened, AND our names were already embroidered on the back. So, did you have to pay for the embroidery?

Do you recall which side in the apartment Walt slept in - was it to the right or the left if you were facing the lamp looking outside? I cannot remember that detail, and it's been driving me nuts.

I'm so thankful I went on this trip with my dad, because it was truly a gift from God that my dad was able to enjoy it and participate. Within 3 months after our return home, he was diagnosed with terminal cancer and passed away 5 months later.

 

[KyleD]

Do you recall which side in the apartment Walt slept in - was it to the right or the left if you were facing the lamp looking outside? I cannot remember that detail, and it's been driving me nuts.

We were told that he slept on the left side as you stood facing the lamp.

 

[sayhello]

Interesting how you were given the Mickey ears at dinner. When my late father and I took the trip last August, we were given the Mickey ears the following morning that we had to be at Disneyland before the park opened, AND our names were already embroidered on the back. So, did you have to pay for the embroidery?

Yes, we had to pay for the embroidery. That really sucks. That they dropped a perk like that so recently. It's not like it's super expensive, either. Did it just have your first name? Maybe people complained they wanted something different? Still sucks.

Do you recall which side in the apartment Walt slept in - was it to the right or the left if you were facing the lamp looking outside? I cannot remember that detail, and it's been driving me nuts.

I'm glad @KyleD had the answer for you, because I totally don't remember!

I'm so thankful I went on this trip with my dad, because it was truly a gift from God that my dad was able to enjoy it and participate. Within 3 months after our return home, he was diagnosed with terminal cancer and passed away 5 months later.

I am *SO* sorry for your loss!! But I'm so glad you got that last chance with your dad! You just never know. What a wonderful memory!

We were told that he slept on the left side as you stood facing the lamp.

Thanks for remembering. I totally do not!

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[peppers]

Yes, we had to pay for the embroidery. That really sucks. That they dropped a perk like that so recently. It's not like it's super expensive, either. Did it just have your first name? Maybe people complained they wanted something different? Still sucks.

I'm glad @KyleD had the answer for you, because I totally don't remember!
I am *SO* sorry for your loss!! But I'm so glad you got that last chance with your dad! You just never know. What a wonderful memory!

Thanks for remembering. I totally do not!

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Thanks for your kind words. Yes, they put only my first name on the ears; I think that is ridiculous that you had to pay, considering how expensive the trip is.

 

[peppers]

We were told that he slept on the left side as you stood facing the lamp.

Thanks so very much, Kyle! I had planned on writing down more details of the trip, and I never got around to it.

 

[sayhello]

Thanks for your kind words. Yes, they put only my first name on the ears; I think that is ridiculous that you had to pay, considering how expensive the trip is.

I have to agree with you!

Sayhello

 

[Rowlf the Dog]

Interesting how you were given the Mickey ears at dinner. When my late father and I took the trip last August, we were given the Mickey ears the following morning that we had to be at Disneyland before the park opened, AND our names were already embroidered on the back. So, did you have to pay for the embroidery?

I was on the tour October 23, so still with Jim Henson Studios (which was the USP for me), and we also got the ears on our pre-opening day of Disneyland, but without embroidery.
We would have to pay for it.

I'm so thankful I went on this trip with my dad, because it was truly a gift from God that my dad was able to enjoy it and participate. Within 3 months after our return home, he was diagnosed with terminal cancer and passed away 5 months later.

So sorry for your loss.
I would love to do this exact trip again with my parents for the memory, but I don't think this will ever be happen. They barely speak English and my father (the biggest Muppets-Fan) isn't good at walking.

 

[AquaDame]

Yes, we had to pay for the embroidery. That really sucks. That they dropped a perk like that so recently. It's not like it's super expensive, either. Did it just have your first name? Maybe people complained they wanted something different? Still sucks.

I imagine that is the case... not everyone wants their name on there. Some parents may not like having their kids' names on things either for safety concerns. It is likely just easier to not than deal with special cases, especially since its fairly cheap.

 

[sayhello]

Day 4: Adventure Awaits - Disney California Adventure Park

Today's meetup was in the Lobby of the Grand Californian at 7:45 am to walk as a group over to California Adventure for breakfast at Pym Test Kitchen at the Avengers Campus. It's a cute quick-service place. The breakfast menu is pretty limited, but everyone seemed to find something to eat, and it *was* tasty! They have an EXTREMELY over-sized pretzel there that is bigger than a person's head. I had the Impossible Quantum Garden Breakfast (plant-based folded omelet with Impossible™ Breakfast Sausage, crispy potato bites and focaccia toast). I've had Impossible "meat" before, and I find it enjoyable. The focaccia toast was super yummy.

Since I had not been actually *in* either of the Parks since just prior to Covid, this whole Avengers Campus area was new to me.





After breakfast, we had a couple of photo ops on our way over to Web Slingers: A Spider-Man Adventure.







I am usually pretty BAD at these shooting gallery/video-game type rides. But I think because all you have to do is gesture with your hands vs. actually aiming something and pulling a trigger, I did pretty well on this one! (While not fabulous, if I remember correctly, I got the second-highest score of our group!)

Another photo op!



Our next stop was riding Radiator Springs Racers. Always a fun time, and our car won!



Ah, the hair!!





Next was our backstage experience. We were taken on a tour of the Radiator Springs Racer's maintenance garage. It was a very, very cool place. Even as a strictly backstage area, it was nicely themed! We had a cast member explain to us how the maintenance of the racers works, and how they monitor them and extract/re-enter them into the ride and stuff like that. So interesting!

After our backstage experience, Dean took us out to get a treat off one of the carts on the Mouse (most of us got Mickey bars!) and then we were set loose for the rest of the day. We had been given several multi-lightning lanes, so it made it relatively easy to get on many of the rides (plus it was not a super busy day).

Folks split up, and I made plans to meet up with the Grifdogs later in the day over in Disneyland. The objective: check out Galaxy's Edge and most specifically, ride Rise of the Resistance! I had never been to the Galaxy's Edge in Disneyland. The one in WDW was one of the last places I went just before the shutdown in early 2020, so I had ridden on Rise of the Resistance back then, right after it first opened. They were still doing the virtual queue, which you were lucky to get in (generally only by being physically in the park exactly as the park & the queue opened in the morning and praying a lot!) I *did* make it in, and got through with no mechanical issues. It is, hands down, one of THE most fabulous rides I've ever been on. Between the tech and the visuals and the cast member interactions, I just utterly ADORED it. But back then, you were only allowed to ride it once per day, and I was only in Hollywood Studios for the one day. So I'd only had that one ride since 2020. So it left me LONGING to ride it again!!

In the meantime, I rode a couple of rides at DCA. Soarin' (always a favorite!), The Little Mermaid, Monster's, Inc. I think. I also spent some time watch shopping because my watch (which I'd had the works replaced on!) was acting up. But I didn't find anything I wanted at a price I was willing to pay! I really wasn't hungry enough for an actual meal at that point, so I grabbed some popcorn, and decided to head to Disneyland. I have to admit, DCA is my least favorite park of all the ones I've been to (and I've been to them all! I'm not a fan of a lot of the rides there, and I just don't care for the atmosphere. There, I said it!

At Disneyland, I did a bit more watch shopping, but they didn't have anything different than what the shops at DCA did. So I headed over to New Orleans Square, as I really wanted to ride Tiana's Bayou Adventure, which I'd never been on.

I was a bit dismayed to find people in line in ponchos. I did not realize you could get *that* wet on it! This was April, and it was really not warm enough yet to get really wet. Fortunately, I was able to get in the back, and had a hoodie on, so I managed to escape getting too wet!



I do like the new theming! It's still a fun ride!

Continued in next post.

 

[sayhello]

Eventually I was able to meet up with the Grifdogs, who had arrived at Galaxy's Edge. We wandered a bit, taking in the incredible theming and attention to detail.





Then we were off to Rise of the Resistance!! The line was not *too* bad (of course, the Lightning Lanes weren't good for that!) Eventually, we were in, and winding our way through their extensive & detailed queue.





OK, now I'm excited!!







Anyways, I don't want to post too many pics, just in case someone hasn't been on it yet (GO!!) but man, oh man!!! What a fabulous ride!! It was just as wonderful as I remembered. SO MUCH FUN!!! My inner (and outer) geek just had a field day!! I can't remember, but I *think* it was the Grifdogs' first time on RotR. I'm sure I'll be corrected if that wasn't so! But I was one seriously happy camper!!

Next, it was time for dinner, and I recommended Ronto's Roasters for a yummy Ronto Wrap.



Next, we headed over to Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run. Again, I am not really great at this kind of thing, but the queue and the ride are just so cooly themed and decorated, and as long as I wasn't a gunner, I was happy.





Continued in next post.

 

[sayhello]

We did some more wandering around, and some souvenir shopping, and ended up in Fantasy Land, riding some classic rides such as the Matterhorn (Mrs. Grifdog was NOT amused!!) and the wonderful carousel.





Eventually, it was time to head back to the Grand Californian, as we had a VERY early morning the next day for our ABD Disneyland day!!

Next up: Day 5: Main Street Memories - Disneyland Park

 

[Eastridge]

I guess this trip no longer goes behind the scenes at Soarin?

I'm a bit surprised the group was released before lunch, so you had lunch and dinner on your own and no evening event (parade, fireworks or World of Color). I infer the feedback to ABD is that guests want lots of "on your own" time and Lightning Lane passes. But there are other ways to reduce the time waiting in lines. For this trip, I would most value the behind the scenes experiences and exclusive access.

I was in Disneyland in July and rode Tiana's. When boarding, the cast member gave me a choice of first seat or last. With trepidation, I hesitantly said "uh, first?" And got more soaked than I have ever been previously on a log ride. Felt like three buckets of water got poured onto me, and my shoes were soaked from the water sloshing around the log. Took the rest of the day for my clothes to dry, and my shoes and socks never did dry out. At the Magic Kingdom in Disney World, I didn't get too wet on that version of Tiana's.

 

[sayhello]

I guess this trip no longer goes behind the scenes at Soarin?

I'm a bit surprised the group was released before lunch, so you had lunch and dinner on your own and no evening event (parade, fireworks or World of Color). I infer the feedback to ABD is that guests want lots of "on your own" time and Lightning Lane passes. But there are other ways to reduce the time waiting in lines. For this trip, I would most value the behind the scenes experiences and exclusive access.

No, we didn't do backstage at Soarin'. We *did* do World of Color the next day after the farewell dinner. I wish we'd had more behind the scenes time, also. As great as the backstage time we had was, it was a *LOT* of OYO time!

I was in Disneyland in July and rode Tiana's. When boarding, the cast member gave me a choice of first seat or last. With trepidation, I hesitantly said "uh, first?" And got more soaked than I have ever been previously on a log ride. Felt like three buckets of water got poured onto me, and my shoes were soaked from the water sloshing around the log. Took the rest of the day for my clothes to dry, and my shoes and socks never did dry out. At the Magic Kingdom in Disney World, I didn't get too wet on that version of Tiana's.

Yikes!! I could see how wet the seats in front were! I definitely wanted the back!

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