You're Never Too Old To Be Young! Trip Report 7/4-8, 2022 - COMPLETE!

[mouschievous]

This trip was a bit of a lark. In January 2020, we rented DVC points and booked a 2 bedroom villa for a September 2020 trip to celebrate my parents' 50th anniversary. When that had to be canceled, the DVC rental place issued us a credit for the full amount spent. We used part of the credit for 2 nights at Wilderness Lodge when we went to WDW in January 2022, and used the rest to book a studio villa at GCH for 4 nights in July 2022.

Our trip to WDW was great for it's own reasons, but we both found ourselves missing DL something awful. WDW was big and huge and spread out, and we missed the homey cozy feeling of DL. So as soon as we got home I started looking for trips to DL and stumbled on this confirmed reservation for a VGC studio, checking in July 4 and checking out July 8. As H said, he needed to get the WDW taste out of his mouth, so we booked it and had something fun to look forward to!

The Travelers
Hi! I'm Mouschievous and this is Mr Mouse.


We're an adult couple in our 40s with 2 dogs and no kids. While past Disney trips have been with extended family, this time it was just us! I kept detailed notes about our trip, so this will be a long and detailed trip report. I welcome questions! We're done with Disney trips for a bit (there are other adventures out there!), but I love planning Disney trips and would be happy to help others figure out the best way to approach their own trip.

Our Strategy

• Rope drop and close the park, with a midday break. You'll notice that we go pretty hard. We rope drop every day and close the park every night. This style isn't for every one, but it works well for us - especially since we get a nap in the middle of the day, and I looooove a good nap.
• NO Genie+
• YES Park Hoppers
• YES Single Rider lines
• Shows are important too!
• Second performance for evening shows
• NO dining packages for shows
• NO camping out - we don't typically arrive to a show more than 30 minutes early because, for us, that wastes valuable park time
• Also, I have food allergies. I am allergic to walnuts, bell peppers and added sodium nitrates and nitrites in meat, with intolerances for processed sugar and gluten. Even with the allergies, we decided not to do many sit down meals. We mostly ate in the room, with quick service dinners and snacks.

So, here we go!
Arrival Day July 4: Happy Birthday America, and Happy Birthday to Me!
Park Day 1: A Disney Day to Remember
Park Day 2: Pal-ing Around, Pixar Style
Park Day 3: A Fantasmic Way to End
Departure Day: Relax to the Max

 

[mouschievous]

Arrival Day July 4: Happy Birthday America, and Happy Birthday to Me!

The Backstory: My birthday is January 4, 10 days after Christmas. When I was 3, my family gave me the option of celebrating on my birthday, or on my half birthday. I chose my half birthday, which happens to be July 4. So my whole life, we've celebrated my birthday on July 4. I was 6 before I understood that the fireworks weren't just for my birthday


Mr Mouse had to work on July 4, so we decided to take an afternoon flight. Of course, we booked it long before the airlines were having all the issues with canceling flights, so as we got closer I got scared. Thankfully, it all worked out. He got home from work, we dropped the dogs off with family, and then headed to the airport where we had a delightful meal of Mod Pizza.

It's tradition at PDX to take a photo of your feet on the carpet.


Thankfully, all my worrying was for nothing. We left right on time, landed at John Wayne Airport right on time and were in our Uber by 6:04 pm. It took 20 minutes to get the the Grand Californian Hotel, where our room was already ready. Vacation was off to a great start!

This was the view from our room, room 3509.


We dropped of our luggage and went down to bell services to pick up our Whole Foods delivery (ordered through Amazon). We had ordered things for breakfasts and lunches, partly to save money, partly to save time, and partly because of my allergies. Since we were staying in a VGC studio, we had a kitchenette, which included a coffee maker, microwave, dorm fridge and toaster. This allowed us to have bagels, sandwiches, hard boiled eggs (pre-cooked and peeled, delivered by Amazon!), fruit, and cold seltzers on hand.

After getting settled, we went to Downtown Disney. We wandered around a bit, then went to Tortilla Jo's, where we had a 7:30 dinner reservation. I made sure the server knew I was gluten free, and he made sure I didn't order anything that would be bad for me. This was really helpful because Mr Mouse and I decided to share everything. We had the guacamole and chips (delicious, but WOW that price is high for what you get), tortilla soup (bottom of the photo) and nachos (top of the photo).


After dinner, we got ready for fireworks. We had intended to take the tram to the Mickey & Friends parking garage to watch, but Mr Mouse suggested we just check out the esplanade. It was definitely packed! We didn't even try to get to the center, we just stood off to the side. The view wasn't perfect, but it worked for us. Here's a terrible fireworks shot to show you where we stood


After fireworks it was a short walk back to the hotel to get ready for Rope Drop the next morning!!

 

[mouschievous]

Park Day 1: A Disney Day to Remember

We got up at 6 to shower, eat breakfast and get on with our day. We used the GCH entrance to Downtown Disney, which comes out between Sephora and the Dress Shop, across from Salt & Straw. We went through security there and then were in line at the DL gates by 7:15. They started letting us in at 7:30


We were standing just a few people back from the rope at Adventureland within minutes. I'd say we were in the 4th or 5th row of people, so not right at the front but pretty close. This was our view of the castle while we waited


At 7:59, people started counting down. The best part was that when they got to "3...2...1..." nothing happened - it was still 7:59 But the rope dropped a few minutes later and we were off!

Our strategy was to hit our favorite rides, which happen to mostly be in Adventureland, NOS and Frontierland, first because they tend to get long lines later in the day. We chose NOT to ride ROTR or MFSR this trip, so we didn't worry about those at rope drop at all. Had we wanted to ride ROTR, our morning would have looked much different! But we rode it twice when we were in WDW and it wasn't a priority for this trip.

When the rope dropped we went straight to Indy. We chose it first due to it's usual long lines and propensity to break down. Our morning went like this:

1. Indiana Jones
2. Pirates of the Caribbean
3. Haunted Mansion
4. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
5. Pinocchio
6. Snow White
7. Mr Toad's Wild Ride
8. Mad Tea Party/Tea Cups
9. Matterhorn Single Rider
10. It's a Small World

And all that before 10:30!

After that we took a short break. We did the Sleeping Beauty Castle walk through, looked through the shops (where I got my birthday pin a day late ), we sat on a bench in the hub to eat a snack and listen to the Dapper Dans, and then we went to Great Moments with Mr Lincoln before we headed out for a rest. We left the parks around noon to go back to the room where we ate lunch and took a nap.

We left the room again around 3 and decided to hit up DCA. I mean, it's so easy to enter from GCH and we figured we had to take advantage of the great location!

Mr Mouse did Incredicoaster Single Rider while I got an Incredicookie, which is Gluten Friendly (not gluten free because there could be cross contamination when manufactured)



Then we did Little Mermaid together and both did Radiator Springs Racer Single Rider. It took about 25 minutes because of a 10ish minute stop of the ride due to...something.

After that we mobile ordered the Chef Salads at Galactic Grill. Mr Mouse had the regular one with the ranch dressing. I thought it was strange that he got a dressing option, but when I clicked on the GF version it did not give me a choice of dressing. When I picked up our salads the chef confirmed that there is gluten in the ranch, so I got the Italian by default.

The salads were great, fresh and refreshing, and good sized for a decent price. We recommend them!

After dinner we did

1. Pirates
2. Jungle Cruise (said 30 min, took 3)
3. Indy (which broke down while we were in line, but only for a few minutes)
4. Star Tours
5. Alice in Wonderland
6. Storybook Land Canal Boats (9:30, during fireworks)
7. Pirates again
8. The 10:45 MSEP (with ice cream - we made it our own dessert party!)
9. Big Thunder
10. Big Thunder
11. Big Thunder

Some stories...

While in line for Indy we met a really sweet family who were all there for the first time, Mom, Dad and Daughter who was probably around 8. They were so cute, going through and marking things off on the map that they'd done that day. It was the first time they were ever going to ride Indy...and then the ride broke down. I was so sad for them! Thankfully the break down was short and they got to ride.

While we were in line for the Storybook Land Canal Boats, they told us that the ride would shut down for fireworks, then start again when they were done. We had just loaded into the boat when they said we had to stop. We watched the fireworks from the boat - they were so close!



We'd decided beforehand that our strategy for nighttime entertainment was to do the second shows. We headed to main street for the 10:45 MSEP, and while we were there we mobile ordered a sundae from Gibson Girl. We found a spot to stand and watch right in front of GG (and I think we got there around 10:30).


We waited until the parade was over to hit "I'm here, make my order" and then we ate our Sundae before starting rides again.


Yes, that is a garbage can that we used as a table!

We got on BTMRR about 11:50 and got off and back on again for 3 rides in a row. The last two were walk-ons. Then we left the park, headed back to the hotel to get some rest. The next day we would be rope dropping DCA!

 

[mouschievous]

Park Day 2: Pal-ing Around, Pixar Style

Getting up on Day 2 was a little harder! But since we were starting at DCA, we knew we could sleep in a bit. We were up around 6:30, and I think we left the room just before 7:30 after making coffee and grabbing breakfast in the room (bagel sandwich for the win!). We used the GCH entrance into DCA and while the line looked long when we got down there, it went very fast.

We got in to the rope and were just a couple people back. There were not a lot of people there. Since our plan was to do Single Rider for both Radiator Springs Racers and Webslingers (as well as Incredicoaster for Mr Mouse), we decided to rope drop Pixar Pier since some of those rides can get long lines and they don't have single rider options. The crowd at the GCH entrance was low, we assume because everyone else was trying to RD RSR and WS, which is more quickly accessed from the front of the park.

While in line we had a great chat with a couple other people. It was fun to talk Disney with them and hear about their experiences.

When the rope dropped we were off! Our first stop was Toy Story Midway Mania. I love this ride, Mr Mouse tolerates it. I was excited to get to do it without a long line, especially since we were trying not to buy Genie+. We rode it at WDW for the first time, and it's the same ride, but the queue at WDW is far superior! Actually, all of Toy Story Land is far superior to Pixar Pier.

I did not win, but it was still fun.



After that we did the following:

1. Pixar Pal Around Non Swinging
2. Silly Swings
3. Monsters Inc
4. Turtle Talk with Crush
5. Single Rider Web Slingers (took 11 minutes to get to the preshow, we were off the ride within 25 minutes)
6. 10 am Spiderman Show
7. Avengers Show (Black Widow and Captain America)
8. Single Rider RSR
9. SR Incredicoaster for Mr Mouse

At this point it was time for a treat! We got the It's Chile-Lime Mango! from Adorable Snowman




At this point it was 11:30 and while the day had started a bit overcast, the sun was starting to break through and it was getting very warm. We hit Little Mermaid and then went for our first ever ride on Grizzly River Run. We got in line for GRR at 11:44 when it said 30 minute wait. Within about 10 minutes that wait had jumped up to 60 minutes; seems everyone had the same idea we did - get on the water ride once it's warm! We were glad we anticipated that and got in line before the masses; the 30 minute wait turned out to be accurate for us.

We ride GRR with a really lovely family from New York and, surprisingly, we didn't get all that wet! Even so we decided it was time for a break so we headed back to the room for lunch and a nap.

We went back to DCA about 5 and had dinner at Boardwalk Pizza and Pasta. Mr Mouse had the Chicken Sun Dried Tomato Pesto, which looked fantastic. There are no gluten free options listed on the menu, but when I asked they told me they do have GF pasta and pizza. For the pasta, they do a GF penne made to order. The only sauce that is GF is the pomodoro, and the only GF meat option is the grilled chicken. The pizza is made to order and you can have any of the regular toppings. I was told that the size of the pizza is about the size of the kids pizza. Since we'd just had pizza 2 days before, I opted for the pasta.


After taking my order, they gave me one of those buzzer things and told me the chef would personally hand me my meal. We found a table, and it was only a couple of moments before my food was ready. It was very tasty, and filling! Also, each of our meals was around $11, which I thought was a good price.

After dinner, Mr Mouse thought about another ride on Incredicoaster, but the Single Rider line was really long, so he decided to skip it. Instead, we went to Mickey's Philharmagic (first time!) and loved it. I appreciated that it had the same vibe as the Muppets show in WDW, but was a different show.

We tried to go to the Dr Strange show, but the line was too long and we couldn't get in. We decided to go do Luigi's Roadsters instead.



When we were done there, we went back to Dr Strange. While we were in line the 2nd time, I mobile ordered a sundae from Clarabelle's for us to eat before World of Color.

The Dr Strange show was ok. You do have to sit on the ground, so be prepared for that, and there were not as many tricks as I thought there would be. But I'm a stage manager in my non-Disney life so I had fun watching their stage manager and after the show I chatted with her for a minute. Technicians need love too!

We rode RSR single rider one more time, then stopped by the hotel so I could put on more clothes as our intention was to watch WOC and then hop to DL for the last hour. I changed quickly, then we jumped on Soarin', which had a relatively short wait.

Our sundae from Clarabelle's was delicious! We got the Oswald, which has chocolate covered frozen bananas



By this point it was time to head to WOC. We swam upstream (it seemed like everyone was leaving the park!) to go find a place. This was one thing I hadn't researched very well and we were a little confuzzled on where we should stand. I was about to ask a cast member when a local Dream Key holder overheard us talking and offered assistance. She said to go down past the main part, where everyone was gathering, and wait at the rope entrance by Silly Swings. We followed her down there, chatted for a few minutes, and then we were able to find a spot. It was a great show and we're really glad we were finally able to see it, as it was out of commission the last time we were there (2018).

After WOC we headed over to DL for the last hour or so of the night. We did

1. Star Tours - this one was really hard for me. Earlier in the day, my left eye started to sting, like it had sunscreen in it, but even with flushing it and taking a nap, it didn't improve. It got red and puffy, and by the time we went to DL I had a migraine starting. I toughed it out, but Star Tours was less than enjoyable for me, which was a bummer because it's one of my favorite rides
2. Matterhorn single rider - we caught hung up in the second MSEP and then found that the night time ride on Matterhorn was terrifying!
3. BTMRR
4. Haunted Mansion - Our audio didn't work through the coffin and hall of doors scenes, so that was weird. It started again with the "swingin' ghosts, they'll be expecting me" spiel
5. Pirates - we squeaked in with about 10 seconds to go! Again, with the migraine this was a hard one, so I kept my eyes closed through a good portion of the ride. Thankfully I know it so well I knew exactly where we were just by the sounds!

This was my last photo for that night.


Pirates is a long ride, so we got back to the hotel pretty late, which would prove to make RD the next morning pretty tough. Just one more park day left!

 

[mouschievous]

Park Day 3: A Fantasmic Way to End

Another day of rope dropping at DL. Getting up this day was HARD. After two early mornings and late nights, lots of outside time, walking 20,000+ steps daily...it took it's toll. But we were up and to the gate before they started letting people in, so while we were further back in the line than we wanted, we were still there in plenty of time. Unfortunately, we picked the worst line and it took about 30 minutes to get scanned in, even though we were only about 20 people back.

We finally got into the park at 7:50-something, which was cutting it awfully close for an 8 am rope drop! In fact, we made it to the rope (well, the back of the rope crowd) with just 1 minute to spare. Yikes!

Thankfully, it didn't screw us up. We were in line for Indy by 8:04 and we didn't stop until we got to the bottom of the stairs (the loading area) at 8:13. Of course, part of that was because people didn't seem to know that when you get to the stairs you can choose to go left or right. Everyone, and I mean EVERYONE, was going left, so we went right and just kept right on walking. Seriously, we didn't see another person on that side until we got to the cast member asking "how many?" at the bottom of the stairs, where there was another party of 2 waiting already.

Our morning rides were

1. Indy
2. BTMRR
3. Star Tours
4. Jungle Cruise
5. Haunted Mansion
6. Train - and the Lilly Belle was on the train! We couldn't go in, but we sat in the last car so we were able to see it

Since I love the Snow White ride and it had a posted 15 minute wait, we decided to get off at Toon Town/Fantasyland and get in line. Unfortunately, it was actually a 30 minute wait and WOW there's no shade in that queue!

After that wait we decided it was time for a snack break. We mobile ordered a corn dog to share at Little Red Wagon



And followed that up with Dole Whips while we waited for the Tiki Room. And yes, I said Dole Whips - that was one treat we decided not to share!


I had heard great things about the Lion King show, so once we got done in the Tiki Room we decided to head over there. We had a bad experience with a long line at Lion King in WDW, and we only had about 40 minutes until the show, so we figured we'd wander over and wait in line. It wasn't long yet, so we decided to just go ahead and jump in line and wait. And again with the lack of shade!



The Lion King show was FANTASTIC!! Highly recommend. Of course, I work in the theatre industry so I had to take photos of all the lights

After the show, it was pretty warm so we thought about doing Splash Mountain, since we figured it would be our last chance before the retheme. However, the line was a posted 80 minute wait and looked longer than that. Even the Single Rider line looked ridiculously long. At this point we realized we were both feeling kind of worn out. It was day 3, it was hot, and it was crowded. Lines were long and maneuvering the park was getting difficult and frustrating. Lines at DCA didn't look as bad though, so we decided to hop over there.

When we got to DCA, we hit GRR. The regular line was long, but Single Rider was super short. When we got to the front, they asked for our single rider ticket. Apparently we missed that memo! So know that if you do GRR SR you need to go get a SR ticket/pass from the gift shop first. They let us on anyway and we ended up in the same boat as each other, as well as with another couple who'd also been in the SR line, also didn't realize they needed the ticket , and also magically ended up in the same boat!

By this point it was close to 2 pm so we got off the ride and headed back to the hotel for a rest and a snack.

We had reservations at Trader Sam's at 4, which was delicious. Mr Mouse had the ramen and I had the poke bowl.




Neither of us had a fancy drink, but it was fun to watch the shenanigans when others ordered. The inside is fun and funky, and I'm glad we were able to sit inside because, while the food is good, the atmosphere is what makes it so special.



After our early dinner, we went into DCA and did a few things

1. RSR Single Rider
2. Turtle Talk with Crush (I love that show)
3. Animation Academy for me while Mr Mouse rested in the lobby. I learned to draw Olaf!
4. Little Mermaid

Again with the being tired and not wanting to wait in lines, so we went back to the hotel for another break. While I don't want to always pay the price for GCH, it sure is handy!

When we came back, we decided to swing by RSR as I really wanted to ride once in the dark. Unfortunately it was down, so we headed to DL to get ready for the second show of Fantasmic.

Once in DL, we rode the train from Main Street to Tomorrowland. Since the parade was going, this was an easy way to get around it and also to save our feet a little. When we got off in Tomorrow Land we hopped on Star Tours real quick before making our way over to Rivers of America for Fantasmic. My research here told me that the bridge over Pirates was a good place to watch, so we hopped into place about 30 minutes before the show. I mobile ordered a funnel cake from Stage Door and went to pick it up while Mr Mouse held our spot, and then we ate that while we waited for the show.

With just an hour left until park closing, we wanted to get on BTMRR once more but it was down so we headed back to Star Tours for another ride and I'm so glad we did. For the first time in ages we got all new middle and end! Indy said 25 minutes so we went back thinking it wouldn't actually be that long. Unfortunately, it really was 25 minutes. While we were in line, BTMRR came back up. We debated if we should get out of line or not, but we decided to risk it. We got off Indy with just a couple minutes to go and speed walked our way out of there. We got in line for BTMRR at 11:59, making it the last ride of our trip, which is perfect since it's my favorite ride. What a great end to our days in the parks!

 

[mouschievous]

Departure Day: Relax to the Max
Finally a day to sleep in! Our flight home wasn't until 6:45pm, so we were able to have a very relaxing day. We purposely chose not to have a 4th day on our park tickets so that we could slow down and just enjoy the resort on our final day, since we knew we'd be go-go-go anytime we had park access.

We got up and had a small bite to eat, since we knew we had Storyteller's reservations at 11:15. We also made a couple of sandwiches to take with us for the afternoon, just in case.

We went down to check out just before 11 - along with everyone else who was checking out! It wouldn't have been so bad except that we needed bell services to hold our bags and we weren't the only ones. I was getting nervous about the wait, thinking we were going to be late for our Storyteller's reservation but the line moved faster than I expected and we were right on time for brunch.

After being seated (which happened with next to no wait), our server checked in about my allergies and said he'd bring a chef over since I'm not as simple as just being gluten free. Chef came quickly and walked through the buffet with me. He apologized that the eggs benedict wasn't GF and I asked if he could make me GF eggs benedict and he seemed surprised he hadn't thought to offer! He said of course he would, and he did. I ate so well (and so much!)

From the buffet, I thoroughly enjoyed the top sirloin with one of the sauces (only one is gluten free), some scrambled eggs, the asparagus with golden beets and the smoked salmon/lox. The green beans were too oniony for me, and the potato salad was fine.

I also ordered GF mickey waffles, which are made to order, GF eggs benedict, and a GF chocolate muffin, which was my favorite thing all day and they even made me one to go!



Mr Mouse had many of the same things, except he had the regular waffles since he isn't gluten free. He also ordered an omelet from the brunch menu, which he really enjoyed.

We expected to see Mickey, Minnie, Chip & Dale, based on information we found online. Mickey came around 3 times and we had a great conversation about our food.



Chip also came around a couple of times, and we saw Minnie in the restaurant once but she never came to our table. We didn't see Dale in the restaurant at all. Had we had littles with us, I would have asked a character handler about having Minnie come around, but since it was just use I didn't worry about it. I will say that our experience at Topolino's in WDW was far superior in the character interactions, but it was still a lovely time and if you're looking for a character breakfast with great food, this is the one (though if character interactions are the priority I'll recommend Plaza Inn every time).

Once we finished our meal (which we took at a very relaxed pace and never felt rushed by anyone), we headed to the pool. It was pretty crowded but we managed to snag a couple of lounge chairs and alternated between resting and floating in the pool. It was a great end to the trip!



Finally it was time to head to the airport. Our flight home from SNA was uneventful and we arrived home on time.

Until next time, Disneyland!

 

[MonocularVision]

We rope drop every day and close the park every night.

This is the way.

 

[acerry]

Ooohhh, this sounds so similar to what and how I want my trip to be!
... So, as a fellow gluten-sensitive person, was the GF incredicookie worth it? ... Or is it just an average, dry, GF cookie?

 

[Elk Grove Chris]

Thanks for sharing, sounds like you guys had a great time.

 

[mouschievous]

Ooohhh, this sounds so similar to what and how I want my trip to be!
... So, as a fellow gluten-sensitive person, was the GF incredicookie worth it? ... Or is it just an average, dry, GF cookie?

It was pretty good! I debated glutening myself because the Jack Jack cookie looked UHMAYZING but I resisted and while it definitely wasn't UHMAYZING, it satisfied my need! The sugar cookie part of it was light and fluffy, and it had a light lemon taste to it (very light, and not artificial tasting). The jam was good too. My only complaint was that the jam was warm, but it was a warm day.

 

[cinder-ellah]

Arrival Day July 4: Happy Birthday America, and Happy Birthday to Me!

The Backstory: My birthday is January 4, 10 days after Christmas. When I was 3, my family gave me the option of celebrating on my birthday, or on my half birthday. I chose my half birthday, which happens to be July 4. So my whole life, we've celebrated my birthday on July 4. I was 6 before I understood that the fireworks weren't just for my birthday


Mr Mouse had to work on July 4, so we decided to take an afternoon flight. Of course, we booked it long before the airlines were having all the issues with canceling flights, so as we got closer I got scared. Thankfully, it all worked out. He got home from work, we dropped the dogs off with family, and then headed to the airport where we had a delightful meal of Mod Pizza.

It's tradition at PDX to take a photo of your feet on the carpet.
View attachment 683347

Thankfully, all my worrying was for nothing. We left right on time, landed at John Wayne Airport right on time and were in our Uber by 6:04 pm. It took 20 minutes to get the the Grand Californian Hotel, where our room was already ready. Vacation was off to a great start!

This was the view from our room, room 3509.
View attachment 683350

We dropped of our luggage and went down to bell services to pick up our Whole Foods delivery (ordered through Amazon). We had ordered things for breakfasts and lunches, partly to save money, partly to save time, and partly because of my allergies. Since we were staying in a VGC studio, we had a kitchenette, which included a coffee maker, microwave, dorm fridge and toaster. This allowed us to have bagels, sandwiches, hard boiled eggs (pre-cooked and peeled, delivered by Amazon!), fruit, and cold seltzers on hand.

After getting settled, we went to Downtown Disney. We wandered around a bit, then went to Tortilla Jo's, where we had a 7:30 dinner reservation. I made sure the server knew I was gluten free, and he made sure I didn't order anything that would be bad for me. This was really helpful because Mr Mouse and I decided to share everything. We had the guacamole and chips (delicious, but WOW that price is high for what you get), tortilla soup (bottom of the photo) and nachos (top of the photo).
View attachment 683349

After dinner, we got ready for fireworks. We had intended to take the tram to the Mickey & Friends parking garage to watch, but Mr Mouse suggested we just check out the esplanade. It was definitely packed! We didn't even try to get to the center, we just stood off to the side. The view wasn't perfect, but it worked for us. Here's a terrible fireworks shot to show you where we stood
View attachment 683352

After fireworks it was a short walk back to the hotel to get ready for Rope Drop the next morning!!

Love your trip report !!! All the pictures are great ! And yes, we always do the PDX carpet pic.

 

[Pluto468]

Thanks for the great report! I have many of those PDX carpet pictures

Glad they had so many gluten free meals for you. The cookie looked good!

 

[DizMe]

Ooooo, looks so fun and the food pics are awesome! Thanks for sharing!

 

[limace]

Hello to a fellow Oregonian Disney fan! Your trip sounds so lovely.

 

[cccory]

Great trip report. Thank you for sharing.

 

[shosh1530]

Enjoying the trip report so far! Nice to see that one can manage the parks without Genie+.

I'm planning to take a trip one of these days with one of my friends who has numerous allergies (gluten, dairy, egg, plus others). So it nice to hear about your experience. I think booking a room with at least a microwave and fridge will be crucial so she can do at least some easy meals in the room. Hoping to possibly luck into a GCH DVC rental as well!

 

[mouschievous]

Enjoying the trip report so far! Nice to see that one can manage the parks without Genie+.

I'm planning to take a trip one of these days with one of my friends who has numerous allergies (gluten, dairy, egg, plus others). So it nice to hear about your experience. I think booking a room with at least a microwave and fridge will be crucial so she can do at least some easy meals in the room. Hoping to possibly luck into a GCH DVC rental as well!

Good luck! If I can help in anyway, please let me know. While I felt I had way more options at WDW, DL did a good job too and I never felt like I was missing out on anything.