Which way to Disneyland? TR (comparison update 7/26)

[pmama]

The girls' dresses look very cute! And comfortable, especially with the hot California weather

Glad you had such a good time on SM. I especially love the music playing during the ride.

Matterhorn is fun, but I always end up a little sore on the way out. It's still one of my favorites, though.

I enjoyed Matterhorn. It was simple but fun. Wish I had better memory. I can't remember anything about the music during SM ride.

What a great day so far! LOVE the pictures with Tink, I think we'll be stopping to see her, she is one of my favorites...

A lot of DL and WDW rides differ with the side by side and straddling seats. That was the first thing I noticed on our honeymoon to WDW, that Splash Mountain was side by side, not straddling- as all log rides in California are. And yes bobsleds can be interested if you aren't so cozy with the person you are riding with

Can't wait to see what is next, and can't wait to see your Universal Day too, it's been ages since I've been there.

Yes, "Cozy" is a good way to put it.

You made their dresses?!?! Wow! I'm impressed--wish I could sew! Love the pics with the fairies--how fun!! In WDW we saw Silvermist, Tinkerbell, and Fawn. Glad to hear you liked Space Mountain--it was closed for refurbishment when we were there--can't wait to ride it next time! And how cool that the girls got a driver's license--that's a cute addition to that ride--wish they had that at WDW. Great update!! Looking forward to more!

LOL No, I had the dresses "made". Not by me. I can not sew either. We will probably have to visit Pixie Hollow in WDW next time we're out there since they sound so different.

You're welcome. Glad you like your photos. I just caught up on your TR. We went to Utah last week while DD9 was on her one week break. She started 5th grade today!

Waiting for more....

I love Utah. Moab, it particular. Well it sounds like your DD's school schedule helps you to be able to hit the parks at less crowded times. That's nice.

I wonder if the castle is the same one DD got? If so be glad you shipped it home. DD wanted it with her and we had real fun getting that on the plane. The flight attendant made us take it out of the bag we purchased for it (the box would have been way too big) since it still didn't fit in the overhead compartment. Luckily we didn't loose any of the gazillion tiny pieces.

Wow, that's what we were afraid of. We were not sure if it was too big to carry on. We also considered just tagging it and checking it with our luggage but were concerned it would get damaged. Sounds like we made the right decision in having it shipped.

I go away for a week and miss a TON!!! Great updates! Yay, DH is there!! The girls must have been THRILLED! Love the girls little dresses, too cute! And the shades.....how funny are they when they open up? CUTE!! Looking forward to hearing more...and btw, love how you all coordinate together! nice job!!!

Silly glasses huh? Glad you're all caught up.

That SM looks cool. Looks like they added speakers...is their music or space sounds? What kind of music do they play? Love all the red lights in the load zone. Can't wait 'til this one opens back up.

The girls dresses are adorable! BUT what went wrong with the fellas? They're not color coordinated like you ladies! Lime green is what DH and papa needed.

Looks like you guys are having the time of your life. I can't wait to hear you compare them at the end.

The fairy pics are really cute but it looks more like the Honey I Shrunk the Kids playground! You think? WDW definitely wins the Fairy meet!

I thing the Honey I Shrunk the Kids playground is a fair comparison. Although the playground is much bigger. You are so right about the "fellas" not being coordinated. I wasn't around when DH packed and he wasn't as willing to play my matchy games with his father in town.

Another great installment! Pixie Hollow looks great - the girls' dresses are lovely.

Thanks, we enjoyed the dresses.

 

[pmama]

Well we are on our last day in Disneyland itself. So far we met the fairies at Pixie Hollow, and toured most of Tomorrowland. Before leaving Tomorrowland we stopped for lunch at the counter service restaurant near Star Tours. It was like some of those CS in WDW that has two different menus on each side. So you have no idea there are healthy options if you are on the hamburger side. I luckily remembered this as we got to the front. DFIL ended up moving to the burger side to stand in line. I came upon a nice CM who let me order from both menus so we did not have to stand in line twice.

As we left Tomorrowland we stopped in front of the castle for some more group photos.

To the side of the castle there was a churro stand and DH decided he wanted a churro. We ended up standing in line for about 10 minutes for his churro.

So, while waiting I decided it would be a good time to go check out the Snow White Wishing Well a hidden treasure in a corner near the castle. I'm glad we did this as I probably wouldn't have taken the time to do this otherwise.

It really is a calm, beautiful, uncrowded area.

Since Snow White's statue was roughly the same size as the dwarves, a visual effect called "forced perspective" was used. Major elements of the scene were scaled and angled to give the illusion of distance and height. When you view the scene from the wishing well, you "see" Snow White in perfect princess height way up on the crest of the waterfall.

You can hear Snow White singing "I'm wishing" from inside the window well. The girls loved this.

I have great video of this I'd love to share. Unfortunately I did something wrong with the video I uploaded so I have to wait for DH's help on that one.

Awe, look! Another picture with just the four of us.

Oh, and look at the big baby we found in the Disney stroller.

In DLR they give out free strollers to Disney Visa Card Holders. Far cry from the over $200 we spent renting a double stroller in WDW.

We then made our way toward the Indy ride. DD5 was too small so we decided to do the jungle cruise while DH and Papa did Indiana Jones. They tried to use our FPs from 2 days ago but were not permitted.


Poor Granita, she stood in line for the Jungle Cruise with us and finally when we got on the boat she turned and said, "I thought we were in line for the big boat." She thought we were in line for the Liberty Boat. We weren't even in that area. While on the Jungle Cruise I became sleepy and noticed the girls also seemed a bit sleepy.

So after some debating I decided to take the girls back for a nap. I really wanted to see the fireworks that evening and felt we would not make it without a nap. So, I called DH to let him know the plans. He and Papa of course wanted to stay and get in all the rides possible since it was their only day in Disneyland.

I felt like a good mother on the way back when I looked down to see DD5 already asleep in the stroller. Yeah, I knew that would happen. So all the ladies came back and tucked in for a nap. I had hopes to be back in CA for their parade at 5 p.m.

Up Next: Did we make it to Disney's Pixar Play Parade?

 

[princess&her4princes]

Aww, I love the pics of the Snow White waterfall and the well that you can hear the music! Wish they had that in WDW....it seems so peaceful and so neat!!

I hope after the girls nap they made it back for the fireworks being your last night at DL! I can't believe this portion of the trip is almost over!! It's going by so fast!!!

 

[Sherry E]

I love love LOVE that very first PhotoPass picture in your last post of all of you in front of the Castle with the confetti border! That is perfect! The border works so well as a frame for that lovely picture! Just great!

Yes, the Snow White Wishing Well is one of those great gems that some people overlook while in DL. It is really pretty and calming. A real hidden treasure, indeed!

Looking at your Jungle Cruise photo, I am reminded of a bit of trivia that always amazes me - all the waterways or bodies of water in DL are connected to each other and circulated around. That means the water in Jungle Cruise is connected to the water on Spalsh Mountain which is connected to the Rivers of America, which is connected to the water under the Castle moat, etc. I always found that fascinating!!

 

[JPFamilyMom]

Did DH say if the Churro was worth the wait? I love DL Churros

And Snow Whites wishing well is def. something everyone should visit at least once. I'm glad you were able to take time to see it and get some GREAT photos.

WOW! on the free stroller

can't wait to see what happens after the nap

 

[magicallyDisney001]

The Snow White waterfall area is a very nice place to stop and rest.......or wait for a churro

Looking closer at the wishing well, I noticed on the inside upper part that it said "Your wishes will help children everywhere." I knew that Disney donated the money, but I never knew they had it on the inside of the well! Something to look for the next time time

Anyway, looking forward to the rest of the update! Hope you guys managed to catch the parade!

 

[ladybugmom]

Aww!! LOVE the family pic in front of the castle!! Snow White's wishing well looks really neat!! And YAY for free strollers!! That's awesome!

 

[cannp123165]

Great pictures - the Wishing Well looks lovely!

 

[pmama]

Aww, I love the pics of the Snow White waterfall and the well that you can hear the music! Wish they had that in WDW....it seems so peaceful and so neat!!

I hope after the girls nap they made it back for the fireworks being your last night at DL! I can't believe this portion of the trip is almost over!! It's going by so fast!!!

Yes, the Disney portion of our trip went way too fast.

I love love LOVE that very first PhotoPass picture in your last post of all of you in front of the Castle with the confetti border! That is perfect! The border works so well as a frame for that lovely picture! Just great!

Yes, the Snow White Wishing Well is one of those great gems that some people overlook while in DL. It is really pretty and calming. A real hidden treasure, indeed!

Looking at your Jungle Cruise photo, I am reminded of a bit of trivia that always amazes me - all the waterways or bodies of water in DL are connected to each other and circulated around. That means the water in Jungle Cruise is connected to the water on Spalsh Mountain which is connected to the Rivers of America, which is connected to the water under the Castle moat, etc. I always found that fascinating!!

That is amazing trivia about the waterways in DL. Pretty neat! Thanks for sharing.

Did DH say if the Churro was worth the wait? I love DL Churros

And Snow Whites wishing well is def. something everyone should visit at least once. I'm glad you were able to take time to see it and get some GREAT photos.

WOW! on the free stroller

can't wait to see what happens after the nap

DH was annoyed with the wait but was happy to get his churro. If he hadn't gotten the churro we probably wouldn't have taken the time to check out Snow White's Wishing Well. Yes, the free stroller was great.

 

[tmkinney]

Great updates. Love the girls Tinkerbell dresses, too cute. Also love yours and Granita's color coordinated shirts! Looks like your DH was enjoying his churro! Too cool about the Snow White Wishing Well.

 

[pmama]

The Snow White waterfall area is a very nice place to stop and rest.......or wait for a churro

Looking closer at the wishing well, I noticed on the inside upper part that it said "Your wishes will help children everywhere." I knew that Disney donated the money, but I never knew they had it on the inside of the well! Something to look for the next time time

Anyway, looking forward to the rest of the update! Hope you guys managed to catch the parade!

You must have great eyes. I tried to read what it said in the upper part but could not make it out. You are right thought, that is what it says.

Aww!! LOVE the family pic in front of the castle!! Snow White's wishing well looks really neat!! And YAY for free strollers!! That's awesome!

Thanks, yes free strollers at Disney was a score.

Great pictures - the Wishing Well looks lovely!

It was lovely.

 

[pmama]

Great updates. Love the girls Tinkerbell dresses, too cute. Also love yours and Granita's color coordinated shirts! Looks like your DH was enjoying his churro! Too cool about the Snow White Wishing Well.

Thanks, Granita bought that shirt in Disney without seeing the purple shirt I brought. We just turned out lucky that they matched.

 

[pmama]

Well, everyone ended up napping. About an hour and a half later it was time for us to get up and boogy. I briefly considered letting everyone sleep but quickly came to my senses. We are in Disneyland after all.

It took some coaxing but we made it out the door and had only minutes to spare when we headed into CA. DH and DFIL did not have "hopper" tickets so they could not join us for the parade in CA. Rest assured, I think they felt fortunate. Neither are "into" parades like the girls and I are.

So, last minute we were able to snatch some corner front row seats.

We enjoyed this parade. We are huge Incredibles fans. If you saw my last TR you may remember how we dressed like them for MNSSHP. I think DH would have enjoyed this parade.

So, after enjoying the parade we waited a little while for the crowd to sort of clear so we could take a picture with the photopass photog. by the train in CA. She had us do a fun pose and stand in a train.

Next we made our way out to finally hook back up with DH and DFIL. We found this handsome fella.

First on our agenda were the Nemo subs. I had read all about how terrible the lines are for this attraction. The unofficial guide recommended doing it during a parade. Since we had already seen the parade at DL we thought this would be a good time. I'm not so sure our plan helped. The line was still crazy long. We must have waited at least an hour. I have no pictures but I did take video. Wish I could show you all that but I'm having trouble accessing that video on my computer right now. So, is the Nemo sub ride worth it? In my opinion the WDW version in the clams is better. In WDW it looks more like Nemo and friends are actually swimming with the fish. At DLR it doesn't appear that way and there were no real fish in the water. I'm glad I experienced this attraction once and would do it again if there were ever a short line but probably would never waste over an hour in line for it again.

Next we headed to IASW. DH and DFIL had not seen the updated version. And it is Granita's favorite ride so she looked forward to riding it again.

I like this picture.

IASW is gorgeous at night.

We had dinner somewhere, I do not remember. Then the girls really wanted to Tea Cups again before it closed. Fantasyland closes a little before fireworks. Granita rode with them while DH, DFIL, and I watched.

Faith had been given "Five Moneys" (five dollar bills) by Grandma at home for her birthday. I figured there wasn't going to be anything for $5 at DLR but Faith found this great light up necklace to buy with her "five moneys".

By now it was time to find a spot for the fireworks. As we made our way back to the hub I could not believe how many people were already sitting, standing around reserving their spot for fireworks. We were over 30 minutes early and it looked like there was absolutely nowhere to go. I got a little frustrated and almost wanted to leave. (Boy am I glad I did not do that.) So finally we saw people standing, sitting in the middle of the street just past the hub. So, we sat down right there in the middle of the street to what would turn out to be the BEST VIEW EVER!!

Here is a picture of everyone behind us that we took holding up the camera.

Apparently the DLR fireworks have changed recently but we saw the Dreams Come True fireworks. Many have said they are far better than WDW. I had thought how can that be? Well, ladies and gentlemen. The DLR were AWE-mazing!!!!! Yes, they totally outdid WDW. DH still thinks MNSSHP HalloWishes was better but I think it even outdid HalloWishes. The castle was directly ahead and we had a perfect view of everything. Fireworks were constantly going off around you. We had no idea where to look next. The theme was great. They played music from attractions at each Land in DLR. Tinkerbell indeed does fly all around the castle for a long time. I feel so fortunate to have experienced this. It was amazing. There really are no words that give it justice.

After the tremendous fireworks we had FPs for one attraction that we just couldn't miss. DD8 would have swam through shark infested water to get to it. (And she pretty much did.) Immediately the entire crowd turned and started walking our way toward the exit. We needed to get the other way. It was crazy and took a lot of patience and manuvering but we eventually made it to BTMR. This is DD8's favorite ride and there was no way she was missing this.

Granita was getting tuckered and chose not to do BTMR so Faith stuck behind with her. When we came off the ride we found this dead animal on DD5.

That is something I would never buy my children myself but I guess that is what grandparents are for.

Before heading out we stopped for one final photopass picture in Disneyland.

Up Next: Universal Studios

 

[BippityBoo]

Great TR!! I am new to DIS and found you on Becky's TR! Your kids are adorable Really enjoying reading and can't wait to hear about your cruise! We are going to take one during Christmas 2010 so I am anxious to hear how it is!

 

[OneTreeHillAddict]

There goes the hat! You told me it would show up in the TR somewhere. Your hubby's bag is great! Where'd he get that? Sidney would want one.

The CA parade looks like a lot of fun! We love the Incredibles too. (Wish they'd make a second one...) And your costumes last year were the best! I need to come up with something a little cooler this year. Last year we were sooooooooooooo hot dressed up as NBC characters.


That firework show sounds nice! I have to get out there! Are you gonna do a side by side comparison of the two parks? I'd love to hear your views!

Can't wait to see what the CA US looks like!

 

[Princess_K]

It really looks like you all had a great trip! And your girls looked like little models every day

 

[yupikgal]

Wow! What a great TR and beautiful, clear, colorful pictures! I love it...I think I'm going to do the photopass this trip. I wish we would have done that in WDW in 2003 when the kids were 7 and 11. Now they are going to be 14 and 17! What a fantastic sounding time you had...memories for years and years to come! It's great that the grandparents could be there too. I'm envious of you going on the "big red boat" (the old name for the original cruise line) have fun on that too! We did the 3 day Wonder on the same trip in 2003 to WDW. It was sooo much fun, Castaway Cay is the best!

Thanks again for sharing!

 

[Sherry E]

More great pictures! I will say that I have not been fortunate enough to get to WDW at all (yet), so I cannot compare their Nemo attraction with ours at DLR, but I agree with you - I do NOT think an hour in the Nemo line is worth it. I would sooner stand for an hour in the Toy Story Midway Mania line than in the Nemo line. You know what my problem with the Nemo Sub is? I LOVE Finding Nemo, the movie, and I grew up riding the old retro version of the Sub ride at DL in the '70s and '80s, so it has a nostalgic place in my heart. But I don't think that the Nemo theme enhanced the Sub ride in any way, nor did the Sub ride enhance the Nemo story in any way. I realize they probably spent a lot of money to put that together, but to me, it just seems like they stuck a bunch of screens that show clips from the movie under the water in the existing Sub layout, and I would have MUCH preferred to see an all Animatronic- ride with all the Nemo characters actually swimming around (not just Darla). Even The Little Mermaid as a story may have worked better in the Sub ride......but now it sounds as if the much-anticipated Little Mermaid ride that is coming to DCA in a couple of years (yay!) will have the clamshell vehicles like what you said the Nemo attraction has in WDW!!

I think Nemo should have had a totally separate attraction not connected to the Sub somewhere in DCA and the Little Mermaid ride should have been in Disneyland. But I guess that it's better to have some kind of Nemo thing going on than to have NO Nemo at DLR at all!! I was just underwhelmed by the Nemo Sub and I think it could have been much better.

 

[Sherry E]

Wow! What a great TR and beautiful, clear, colorful pictures! I love it...I think I'm going to do the photopass this trip. I wish we would have done that in WDW in 2003 when the kids were 7 and 11. Now they are going to be 14 and 17! What a fantastic sounding time you had...memories for years and years to come! It's great that the grandparents could be there too. I'm envious of you going on the "big red boat" (the old name for the original cruise line) have fun on that too! We did the 3 day Wonder on the same trip in 2003 to WDW. It was sooo much fun, Castaway Cay is the best!

Thanks again for sharing!

I know how you feel. I did not fully educate myself on PhotoPass soon enough, and I missed a couple of opportunities to get some GREAT PhotoPass pictures - particularly in December 2007, when I had a certain group of friends with me that had not seen each other in years. I am very happy with the PhotoPass pictures I have taken since then (on both of my 2008 trips), but I wish I had learned about it sooner.

 

[princess&her4princes]

I can't believe it was your last day DL but it seemed like a great last day there! Love all the pics, they turned out so nice and I laughed about the pic of DH with Faith's birthday ears and the new hat Faith got, too! Cute!! You're right, what are grandparents for, to do all the things we never would!! Sounds like the last fireworks show was amazing...I don't think I'll ever get to DL (the flight would be way to expensive all the way from the East coast to the West coast for the 5 of us!), so it's nice to read all about it, thanks for sharing!!