Kitty-chan
Cheese is always the answer
- Joined
- Nov 13, 2004
- Messages
- 1,083
I was on a business trip to LA July 28-August 5, and didn't have a free day, but couldn't resist squeezing in a little time at the parks. So, we did it all "wrong" but managed to have fun anyway. 
We arrived at LAX 7/28 around noon. It's a long story, but we couldn't start driving towards DL until about 1:45, and we were leaving from downtown LA. Traffic was worse than we'd imagined, mid-day and all! Nonetheless we were walking into the park by 3PM. By the end of the day we'd done BTMR (stand-by, 30 min wait), Indiana Jones (FP), POTC, Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, and caught a little of the fireworks. I loved the fireworks, and I'm not usually a fireworks fan! I think it was because this show was so rides-oriented, and to me the rides are where it's at. We also caught the 50 year anniversary movie on Main Street, very nice. We also hit DCA, ate dinner on the pier, and saw It's A Bugs Life. My friend went to Muppets 3D, but I skipped it to walk around for pin trading. We left the parks around 11PM.
At the end of the trip, I arrived at LAX Friday morning 8/5 only to be told my flight was cancelled and they were gonna have to put me on the red-eye home that night. I had 11 hours before my flight! I grumbled and moaned and complained, then asked myself, "hmm, what's the best way to Disneyland?" I was sitting on a bench calling AAA for car rentals when a shuttle pulled up offering rides to DL for $15, so I just hopped on.
I wasn't sure what to do with my carry-on luggage (the big suitcase was checked), but a CM walked me through to the picnic area lockers, and was very helpful.
I hadn't even had breakfast that morning, so my breakfast was at 1PM, grabbing trail mix and a pineapple spear from the cart on Main Street. The crowds were awful -- I guess Fridays really are a lot worse than Wednesdays! Space Mountain kept closing, and I think it hurt the lines at Indiana Jones -- given the timing for my flight home that night I couldn't use FP, so I waited in line for about 90 minutes. But it was worth it -- this is my favorite new ride, fer sure! I also rode Matterhorn (45 min line) Haunted Mansion (20 min line), and went to the Tiki Room (which I love at DL but have no interest in it anywhere else due to "new management."
I wasn't sure how I'd get back to the airport, so partway through the day I stopped at the Info booth on Main Street, and the CM there got me info on the bus that runs from DL hotel to LAX. I ended up watching the parade from right in front of the Main Street stop of the Disneyland Railroad, and then booking it through Downtown Disney to get my bus. Apparently I went too fast because I still had plenty of time to linger in the DL hotel gift shops! But it was nice to see the DL hotel lobby anyway. Last time I stayed at the Best Western next to Captain Kidd's, a 5 minute walk to the main gates; I think I'd do that again, given that the DL hotel was actually further!
It was great to spend a day in the park all by myself, nobody to negotiate with about rides or meals or anything. I hadn't done that before -- I'm gonna have to try to do it again sometime! DS9 and I usually do the Disney trips with just the two of us, but my parents are going to join us in Orlando for a couple days on our next trip there, so that should give me a chance to hit the rides that DS can't stand. (I have not been on Space Mountain since I was 15 years old!)
I'm usually pretty rigid in my approach to Disney parks. DS and I strictly observe an afternoon break at the hotel, use FastPasses extensively, arrive early, etc. So I knew I couldn't hit as many attractions as usual. I wasn't sure if I'd even have much fun. I'm really glad I went and got that little dose of magic to tide me over until I'm at DLRP in about a month!
We arrived at LAX 7/28 around noon. It's a long story, but we couldn't start driving towards DL until about 1:45, and we were leaving from downtown LA. Traffic was worse than we'd imagined, mid-day and all! Nonetheless we were walking into the park by 3PM. By the end of the day we'd done BTMR (stand-by, 30 min wait), Indiana Jones (FP), POTC, Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, and caught a little of the fireworks. I loved the fireworks, and I'm not usually a fireworks fan! I think it was because this show was so rides-oriented, and to me the rides are where it's at. We also caught the 50 year anniversary movie on Main Street, very nice. We also hit DCA, ate dinner on the pier, and saw It's A Bugs Life. My friend went to Muppets 3D, but I skipped it to walk around for pin trading. We left the parks around 11PM.
At the end of the trip, I arrived at LAX Friday morning 8/5 only to be told my flight was cancelled and they were gonna have to put me on the red-eye home that night. I had 11 hours before my flight! I grumbled and moaned and complained, then asked myself, "hmm, what's the best way to Disneyland?" I was sitting on a bench calling AAA for car rentals when a shuttle pulled up offering rides to DL for $15, so I just hopped on.
I wasn't sure what to do with my carry-on luggage (the big suitcase was checked), but a CM walked me through to the picnic area lockers, and was very helpful.I hadn't even had breakfast that morning, so my breakfast was at 1PM, grabbing trail mix and a pineapple spear from the cart on Main Street. The crowds were awful -- I guess Fridays really are a lot worse than Wednesdays! Space Mountain kept closing, and I think it hurt the lines at Indiana Jones -- given the timing for my flight home that night I couldn't use FP, so I waited in line for about 90 minutes. But it was worth it -- this is my favorite new ride, fer sure! I also rode Matterhorn (45 min line) Haunted Mansion (20 min line), and went to the Tiki Room (which I love at DL but have no interest in it anywhere else due to "new management."
I wasn't sure how I'd get back to the airport, so partway through the day I stopped at the Info booth on Main Street, and the CM there got me info on the bus that runs from DL hotel to LAX. I ended up watching the parade from right in front of the Main Street stop of the Disneyland Railroad, and then booking it through Downtown Disney to get my bus. Apparently I went too fast because I still had plenty of time to linger in the DL hotel gift shops! But it was nice to see the DL hotel lobby anyway. Last time I stayed at the Best Western next to Captain Kidd's, a 5 minute walk to the main gates; I think I'd do that again, given that the DL hotel was actually further!
It was great to spend a day in the park all by myself, nobody to negotiate with about rides or meals or anything. I hadn't done that before -- I'm gonna have to try to do it again sometime! DS9 and I usually do the Disney trips with just the two of us, but my parents are going to join us in Orlando for a couple days on our next trip there, so that should give me a chance to hit the rides that DS can't stand. (I have not been on Space Mountain since I was 15 years old!)
I'm usually pretty rigid in my approach to Disney parks. DS and I strictly observe an afternoon break at the hotel, use FastPasses extensively, arrive early, etc. So I knew I couldn't hit as many attractions as usual. I wasn't sure if I'd even have much fun. I'm really glad I went and got that little dose of magic to tide me over until I'm at DLRP in about a month!
