Trip Report Go west they said. The weather is so perfect you'll never want to leave they said.

Greetings to all my Disney-fied, Pixie Dust-fried friends! Yep, it's that time again...moving on to the next adventure. This time we finally went west for our glorious (or not-so-glorious?) return to Disney parks.

The particulars:

Who? Me, Tracey (DH, @Sweetpee's Sugar Daddy), Chandler (DS18, @casutton96), & Brian (DS16)

What? Disneyland Resort family vacation

Where? Disneyland Hotel / Disneyland / California

When? April 26, 2104 - May 3, 2014


I'm not feeling extra wordy at the moment (rare, I know) so let's get started....
 

mrdrift

Well-Known Member
I just wanted to say that was a really good trip report and with some great pictures. Thank you for the time and effort in writing the report and sharing your families magical journey with us. Still have one question for you, what are your thoughts between Disney in California and Florida?
 

Goofy6294

Active Member
Cool! We know some folks from Thibodaux! Yeah, Gustav was the hurricane that turned and missed us. I was like 2 days post-op when we had to evacuate. I was not happy. Then a few weeks later Ike got us. We had more damage from Ike than we did with our house in Covington for Katrina. Go figure.

It's a small world! I gather from your posts that Tracey is in the oilfield or construction industries. My dad's done plant construction projects all over the country. It would be something if he and Tracey worked together.

I hope that you'll consider adding some comments about your DL experiences versus WDW. The fam's talked about heading out west a few times, but we've never seemed to be able to put the trip together.

Thanks again for the wonderful TR! I guess it's time for me to get back to work!
 

sweetpee_1993

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
I just wanted to say that was a really good trip report and with some great pictures. Thank you for the time and effort in writing the report and sharing your families magical journey with us. Still have one question for you, what are your thoughts between Disney in California and Florida?

I have flights booked for Tracey & I to return to California in late September for our anniversary. I haven't been on a WDW parks vacation since September 2011. As consumers we all have choices. I think of the MagicBands, the crowds, the planning, cost, etc. At this time my choice continues to be almost anything BUT a WDW parks vacation. I will say, we're really struggling with whether or not to change the flights to go on a cruise instead or not. We have the APs for Disneyland. But, parks are an active vacation. We're so spoiled to the more relaxed pace of the cruises. Its hard to wrap my brain around maneuvering crowds, strategizing FPs, park hours, blah blah blah. Give me a fruity drink and the sea. I'm good. ;)
 

sweetpee_1993

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Loved your comments on Mr. Toad's! I grew up spending summers in Wildwood NJ and there are certain places on the boardwalk that always take me back.

Don't get down on yourself about the pics in dark rides. The kit lens you have for the NEX-3 is not "fast" enough to capture those shots in the dark. The Sony E 50mm 1.8 is a great lens for $300 but sometimes
a bit long for some dark rides ( although I used it a lot in WDW ). The 35mm 1.8 would also work well and give you a wider view. It's also a better "carry around" lens to have on than the 50mm but it's more expensive and i don't
think the results are as good as the 50mm.

Loved Tarzan's tree house! The views alone are worth the climb. I hear you on messy bedrooms. :D Sterg's room causes constant angst between him and Val.

Awesome report!

Thanks for all the kindness, Chris!

Mr. Toad was so cool to ride again. I wish I'd been able to go thru it a few more times.

I'll have to look at those lenses. For now I'm not in dark rides enough to justify a big spend but I wouldn't rule it out entirely. If it had additional benefits to make it worthwhile, I just might pull the trigger.

Tarzan's Treehouse was neat. I thought my boys got more out of it than the Swiss Family version simply because Tarzan was one of their animated features when they were little guys. They both saw the Swiss Family Robinson movie but that was later like middle school. I would expect them to have more sentimental attachment to Tarzan. The views from both treehouses have been a long favorite of mine and definitely worthy of the climb even if you aren't imagining yourself living in each of the spaces within the tree branches.

I don't even look at Brian's room. Tracey pitches more fits than I do. He fusses about the dirty dishes, empty chips bags, empty soda cans, etc. I only intervene when I can smell the room. If I can smell your room there's a serious problem. LOL!


Ashley and I said the EXACT SAME THING about Snow White's Adventure! It's like oh no, there goes the Evil Queen toppling backwards with the rock and then... wait, that's it? It's over? No Prince? No seeing Snow White in all her glory and happy? It was bizarre for us!!

And Ashley and I both have VERY fond memories of Mr. Toad from MK when we were younger. We had this silly little game we played that the person driving was taking their drivers test and the person not driving was the teacher. And obviously every time, whoever is driving fails because really, you take the car through Hell... That's enough to fail right there! haha. I will say after we got off the first time riding it at DL I teared up a little. It was one of our favorites when we were kids and I miss it.

Yes! Snow White lacks the Happily Ever After!

We always debated who would be the "driver" on Mr. Toad. Then we'd tell each other how sucky the driving was. "Your driving was so bad we died and went to HELL! Way to go, loser!" LOL!


OK, I'm in tears now! :cry: Reading about your last look at the light in Walt's apartment did me in. As did the very last picture. I was there when you took that! And when you took the opening picture! :)

That coconut cake looks AMAZING! I love coconut and yellow / white cake so that''s right up my alley!

So gross about the woman changing the diaper on the table. I would've said something. No way would I let something like that take away my appetite. Clearly these people have zero class or respect for others. If they do that at DCA, imagine what other things they do in their everyday lives...

And is Brian trying to look up Minnie's skirt in that last pic of him?! Barney Stinson indeed!! lol

Seriously though, thanks for hanging out with us and allowing us to be part of your first DLR vacation! As I've said 85 times before, we had a blast! :) Hope to see you all again soon!

Awww.... looking back at Walt's light was a little moment for me, too. That's going to be my looking-back thing at DL. Yes! You were THERE when I took both the beginning and ending pictures! How awesome is THAT?! I do that, too. I look at pictures that I was present for but not in from the girls cruise and I remember watching those pics being taken. It's a total surreal geek moment for me.

That coconut cake haunts Tracey and me. We dream about it.

Yes, Brian was totally pervin' on the Minnie statue. You know him & his humor. He calls me over and says, "Take a picture of this!" And he stands there doing that face. It's so funny I can't not do it! LOL! I have to show you the inappropriate picture he did at the front of the sailing ship Columbia. That was funny as all heck. Funnier still is we turned after we snapped the pic and there was a CM right there. Dude just smiled, looked away, and kept on walking. LOL!

No way! Thank YOU to you and Ashley for hanging with our goofy bunch. It made the trip what it was. So for the 86th time now, we had a blast, too! I hope we get to cross vacations again. Y'all felt like you belonged with us and we belonged with you! Awwwwww....:inlove:


You. Are a troublemaker!!!

I was all set with my pre- pre- pre- trip plans for a return to WDW next May, and then I read this!

DL looks so wonderful! I'm seriously thinking about changing our destination.

Obviously, I enjoyed your report. Nice work, as always. :) It's nice to see how you enjoy the moments with your family. Life is about the moments.

And by the by, you ARE well loved around here. Your wit and insight, and (more importantly) sass is much appreciated! Who doesn't love a girl with a big heart and a smart mouth?

If you haven't been to DL you should give it a try. At the very least when there's conversation about the 2 you can intelligently contribute. DL is wonderful. It's not WDW. If you can go and love it for what it is vs. what it isn't you'll find so many things that impress themselves within your pixie-dusted soul. It's worth it.

Life is so about the moments. I wouldn't give any of them back for anything.

On another forum in another realm (not Disneyfied) my username is sugarnspice. I think that describes me pretty well. Big heart and a smart mouth? Yep. I own that. Thanks so much for your kindness. I appreciate it a lot more than I know how to gracefully say. ;):happy:
 

sweetpee_1993

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Being a high school teacher I run into those attitudes all the time! The school that I teach at has a high poverty rate. I try to tell my kids all the time that they can go after what they want in life, but they have to work for it. And I love to read about people's lives where that does come true.

No DL does not work at all like a piece of cake. This report is making me want to go back!

I've never heard of StoryCorps. I'll have to check it out. Your family is very entertaining to read about. The men in your life remind me a lot of the men in mine.

You are absolutely right that the ups and downs are all part of the journey. There are so many things that Jordan and I could choose not to do to have more money in the bank. We've been very responsible with our finances (I'm the bookkeeper too and it gets stressful sometimes!), but at the end of the day we've had so much fun with the opportunities we've been blessed with instead of the size of our savings account. I'm with you, I don't want to have any regrets. Someday we will have a family, and I want them to experience the world, and it's really cool how y'all have given your boys that opportunity.

On a side note: I forgot to write in my last post that on my first trip to DL we ate at Blue Bayou. I had the Monte Cristo (didn't care for it) too. I couldn't believe how expensive it was! The atmosphere was really cool, but it was just not worth it to me.

Ugh! I know. A younger relative recently overheard Tracey talking to his dad about his pay rate and this <20 person who has a bit of a problem with school and steady employment was rather insulted that they can't make that kind of money right now. "It's not fair." So fair is working your butt off for over 20 years to get to this pay rate while some <20 kid thinks they're entitled to walking on a job and having the same pay rate. That's fair, huh? Fair is a little thing that comes to town once a year with rides, games, and artery-clogging foods. It's not life. Get to work. Amen. I'm with ya, Rachel!

StoryCorps is awesome. It's regular old people telling their stories in recorded and/or written word. It's often done as an interview. I happened upon one of their books years ago then went to the website where the archives are. I guess it was the 2nd or 3rd anniversary of Katrina that I found it. I was still having a hard time with some things from that so it was helpful for me to listen to others process their things from the storm. I started writing my story on the 1st anniversary and finished it shortly after finding the StoryCorps a few years later. Every human has a story to tell. When people die their stories shouldn't die with them. I'm glad I found StoryCorps when I did. I couldn't take my grandmother to do an actual interview with her but it prompted me to ask and learn more of her stories. I always knew she was a remarkable woman. I had no clue just how incredible she was. The best part...the boys were with me for most of this time with her. They heard her stories, too. They heard her telling them which now means the world. One of my cousins just had a baby within the past few months. His son will never have heard her voice. He will never have heard her tell her stories. StoryCorps. Trust me. You want to check it out.

Ah, that's the beauty of motherhood, girl. Show your children the world the way you think you should. Definitely has it's challenges but the pros outweigh the cons by a long shot. Your family will go on their own journey wherever that may be. I try to stay open to the possibilities and let it all happen the way it should. I love that part.

Blue Bayou! Yes! I'm glad we did it. No regrets. It is rather pricy and not something I'd feel is a must-do now that I've done it.


Loved every minute of your report!!!
Thank you for bringing us along :D

Thanks for coming along for the ride! :)


For awhile I had been looking and thinking about Disneyland instead of WDW. Everything just sounded better. Then I saw you planning your trip in the DLR forum and read MANY good points in others recommendations. I was all excited and ready for that to be our next trip. Your trip report just made DLR even more appealing. Then DCL announces the return to Galveston and all bets are off after that. :D Maybe after Dec 2015, but Disneyland IS going to be the trip we go on next... after our uhhh next trip. :)

Disneyland isn't going anywhere. When Mickey sails away from Galveston again you'll have that destination waiting for you. I'm excited that Mickey is coming back to Texas! Not just because I'm sure to sail a time or two from here. I can go down to Galveston to see it! :p


I really want to travel with your family. Y'all seem so fun! Anywho, LOVE the trip report! I've become a DLR convert since the opening of cars land! If only we could drive to DLR like we can to WDW! :rolleyes:

Looking forward to your next report! I assume it is a cruise!

I really wish I could travel with more Magic friends! When we're fun I think we're tons of fun. When we're grumpy boogers I think we are really good at being grumpy boogers. I hear ya on driving to DL. WDW is pretty much the threshold for driving distance for us. DL is just a little too far to be realistic. 3 days coming & going would add up to 6 days. Doesn't leave much vacation time in between the driving.

Next report....yeeeeees, it's a cruise. I'm actually going on a 4-night Dream cruise with a small group of the WDWMagic girls that cruised the Dream last year. We'd love to add more ladies! The more the merrier!

After the cruise Tracey & I will be going somewhere for our anniversary. Currently that's slated to be DL again but's always subject to change. We'll see what cruise specials appear over the summer. You never know where we might land.


What a fabulous TR. The DL info is very helpful for our upcoming first DL trip in Sept. Loved reading about all family your adventures. Every trip really is an adventure, isn't it? Also meeting up with WDWMagic friends sounds awesome. I can't wait to do that myself someday. Thanks for taking the time to write this report.

Oh yay! I hope the info does help. If you have questions, ask away. Reading TRs is how I learn a lot of the details.

Every trip truly is it's own adventure. WDWMagic friends definitely ramps up the fun. I highly recommend it and hope to meet more friends in the future!


Again thanks for the share! Love to see al the DLC pictures! Love the Mr Toads part! It seems that we have to say that DLC has to be on our wishlist for the future :) But one thing at the time so first still have great pre feelings about WDW in Octover :)

Definitely keep DL on your list of vacation destinations. It's an amazing place. So excited for your upcoming trip in October. I know you've been anticipating and planning for so long. You'll have the most fabulous time. I hope it's everything you wish for and more. :)


:( It's over. :( :'( I'm so sad.

So glad you had such a fantastic time, and as always (okay, well over the last almost year), I love reading about your family and your adventures. I've said this several times, but I read trip reports when I'm in a "down" period at work, and yours are always able to put a smile on my face. Kelly, your family is just so sweet and amazing. :)

I'm sad, too! :(

I'm sl glad you enjoy reading about our trips. I'm not traveling quite as much this year as last year. I love to read TRs, too. Right now I'm in Aulani mode. I'm reading a lot about that place and I'm thinking it may need to be a destination maybe in 2016. Hmmmm... Thanks for the sweet little sentiment about my family. I think they're pretty darned awesome, too, but I might be just a wee bit biased.


I just wanted to say that was a really good trip report and with some great pictures. Thank you for the time and effort in writing the report and sharing your families magical journey with us. Still have one question for you, what are your thoughts between Disney in California and Florida?

So glad you enjoyed our trip and thanks so much for the kindness. Writing TRs *is* a lot of work. It's a lot when I get home but it starts with note-taking during the trip itself. ;)

Final thoughts. I'm going to get to that very soon. I need to give this thing a final wrap up, a final hug before I leave it.


Great trip report!

Thanks, Raven! You and the others on the DL board were such a huge help in all the research and planning. Then during the trip when I was wearing my pity panties about the crappy weather y'all were there to at least let me whine. :p I appreciate y'all more than you know.
 

sweetpee_1993

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
It's a small world! I gather from your posts that Tracey is in the oilfield or construction industries. My dad's done plant construction projects all over the country. It would be something if he and Tracey worked together.

I hope that you'll consider adding some comments about your DL experiences versus WDW. The fam's talked about heading out west a few times, but we've never seemed to be able to put the trip together.

Thanks again for the wonderful TR! I guess it's time for me to get back to work!

Tracey does piping design work. It's Engineering without a degree. :p He's up to Lead/Sr. Piping Designer which is something he worked his way to over 20 years. You gathered correctly! He worked at Monsanto in Luling for almost 10 years. He's worked in various industrial facilities, chemical plants, refineries, etc. Being over here in Texas, naturally it's more refineries and other energy-type facilities. LNG. That sort of thing. When we lived in Louisiana he worked at Monsanto from January 1996 - October 2005. Then he worked for Wink Engineering in St. Rose from April 2006 - April 2007. That's when we came to Texas and we've been here since. So much more $$ here in his field of work. Not even Alaska contracts pay as much.

Glad you enjoyed the TR. Definitely will do a full wrap up. DL is definitely different to plan than WDW but that's not a bad thing. It's not more difficult. It's just different. If you have questions feel free to ask. ;)
 

sweetpee_1993

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
WRAPPIN' IT UP - A final hug goodbye to our first DL vacation.


I know people are interested in what I thought about DL vs. WDW. I know I mentioned comparisons to what I remember some within our experiences as I wrote them in this report but I don't think it's entirely fair for me to do a full-blown comparison. WDW is ever-changing. I haven't planned or gone on a WDW vacation in going on 3 years because, quite honestly, I burned out on it. Now with all the FP+ stuff and the many changes I wouldn't even know where to begin. Frankly, I don't feel very motivated to relearn it either. That's terrible in itself and I know I shouldn't be that way. I'm trying to slowly reconcile my brain to it. I am. In the meantime, I can only compare to what I remember from nearly 3 years ago. That just doesn't seem like it'd be a very accurate thing to do.

I know WDW vets who've not been to DL look for validation that what's out west is as great as what they love about the resort in the east. It's a need to feel okay with letting go of a WDW vacation in exchange for a DL vacation. I felt that way at one time, too. Then I got sidetracked with cruising for a bit which pushed DL a little further down the line. I was definitely bored with WDW. I grew to loathe the planning process altogether. Each person will have their own feelings so it's hard to say with absolute certainty that every person will go to DL and feel like it's every bit as wonderful as WDW. Do I think it is? Yes. But I didn't go to DL looking for any resemblance to WDW. I went there wanting it to be different as much as possible.

I loved Disneyland. I loved Disneyland for all the things that are lovable about it. I loved that it wasn't massive. I loved that it was smaller and easily accessible. I loved that it was urban vs. isolated. I very much felt the historical value of the place. You really do feel Walt's presence in the details of his park. I loved the finite details. I loved the CMs who you could tell loved their parks. I loved all the locals who loved their "home". I loved that it was a place new to my eyes. I grew up going to WDW so I don't remember walking down Main Street for a true "first" look. WDW was always familiar to me.

On that note, I think I'd be remiss if I didn't bring up how surreal DL park initially was. You see so many of the same familiar elements that you're used to from WDW but it's not the same. And everything is "off" in it's arrangement from what is familiar for these familiar things. It's really surreal at first. How to describe it. Hmmm.... Okay. Stand in the middle of your living room, close your eyes, and spin around really fast several times. Now open your eyes and GO! Kinda weird. You know the place. But whoa! It's all shifted about so you're trying to get your bearings and sort it out. That's what it was like at first.

I loved that I didn't have to plan so much. I went with 2 dining reservations total and never felt like I was missing anything. I love that there's such a vast array of quick-service dining options. I love that the quick-service restaurants still served your food on a real plate with real silverware. It seems like a silly detail to point out but in the moment it makes a difference. Maybe it made me feel more welcome like I was important enough to bring out the dishes for. I dunno. But it was something that stood out and we liked.

I loved DCA. I loved it dearly. When I imagine going back that's what I most think about. I think of Tracey & I walking along holding hands there specifically. DL is where I think of going to hit attractions and ride rides. DCA is where I think of going to stroll and soak in the ambiance. DL being the older park, the walkways are much more narrow so it tends to feel congested very easily. If a place feels congested we''ll leave. Not the best translation for us, I know. And I know we miss a lot because of it.

I do think the west coast resort is in a bit of a transition. There's a LOT more people going now than in years past. We saw sooooo many people wearing 'First Visit' buttons. It seems a lot of folks are venturing out west to experience things like Carsland and the amazing detailed counterparts to the east coast incarnations. Pair the large influx of tourists with the large locals presence and it adds up quickly. Multiplies, really. The west coast parks are gaining a lot in the way of reputation and interest. Understandable. Those are 2 truly amazing parks that pack in as much to do and see as the 4 parks in the east. The west coast parks population will only grow from here.

I wish beyond wish we could be the people who go to the parks when it's shoulder-to-shoulder people and have an amazing time. Unfortunately, that's not the case. We aren't those people. So as the parks on both coasts keep packing in the people we'll be less and less likely to go join them. That makes me sad in a way. I love the Disney parks when I feel like I can enjoy the parks, not dodge people, strategize, schedule & plan, etc. I just want to show up and stroll where I can see my surroundings, not all the people shoe-horned into my surroundings. I guess it's okay, though, because there's so much to do and see in this world we'll not be relegated to our sofa at home. LOL!

The Disneyland Hotel. That was probably the coolest room I've ever stayed in! In that aspect, I was not disappointed. I'd love to stay at the Grand Californian for the resort experience. I'm still trying to reconcile myself to that price tag. Ha! We'll see. Would I stay at the DLH again? Sure I would! It's really a great grown-up interpretation of a nice Disney hotel. I enjoyed the sense of humor in the little details while still feeling modern and warm. Not kiddie at all. Intelligent. It's intelligent Disney theming.

Carsland. I dream of going back to Carsland. There's so much hype about it but it truly is warranted. Go to Carsland. Ride Radiator Springs Racers. Be in Radiator Springs because it's truly like you walked into the movie. This is what Disney does. It's amazing.

I think we really struggled with the active aspect of the parks vacation after being so spoiled to the relaxed, laid-back pace of the cruises. It definitely was a hurdle when we were there. It's definitely a consideration when deciding on future vacation destinations. That's where we did a lot of comparing. It was DL vs. DCL. Being at DL reminded us a lot of what we love most about cruising.

What's next? Will we go back to DL again? Well, we have APs so it's entirely possible. As mentioned several times, Tracey & I have airfare booked to go back for a week at the end of September without the boys. We're totally on the fence about it. Very unsure. Part of us does want to go back. I imagine the earlier times in the parks and that's heavenly. But the parks get busier and busier as the days go on and before you know it we're not enjoying ourselves so much as we're navigating point to point to point. September is more the "normal" time to get the crazy Santa Ana winds. We all know THAT isn't very appealing to me. LOL! When I think about going back west I think more about driving the coast more and seeing more of California. Right about now we're craving our solitude in our little stateroom with our verandah door open listening to the sea. We're craving that relaxation level. Tracey itches for his total disconnect. It's hard to say where we'll end up going. Our future plans as of right now include 3 Disney cruises by the end of 2015. Perhaps a 4th. Both our boys have said they'd be interested in going back to DL someday....but first they want to go on another cruise with Mickey.

I love that we went to Disneyland. Make no mistake. I'd totally recommend it to anyone who has a love or appreciation for what Disney does.

If you go, do not go looking for DL to be WDW. If you do you'll be setting yourself up for a whole lotta disappointment. Go to DL looking for all the things that DL is. It's really a remarkable place rich in history, incredible detail, and love. DL is a very loved place and you can feel it. Go with an open heart and mind. You won't be disappointed. If you never go you'll never know. So do you live with curiosity or do you satisfy it?

:happy:
 

flynnibus

Premium Member
Well put.

Like I warned you before... You have to let go of how you think things are 'supposed to be' when moving around, etc. those that can not do that get flustered and hold it against the park... Those that can go through that 'surreal' phase and then adapt :)

I would recommend going again. With a little planning and more familiarity you can avoid the largest crowd spikes and know which parts to avoid.

Plus, you ended up skipping fantastic right?

And next time don't be put off by the lines at the turnstiles... With that close proximity you also get that high level of movement between parks and DTD... So there are always periods of spikes at the gates. Don't think twice about it
 

sweetpee_1993

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Well put.

Like I warned you before... You have to let go of how you think things are 'supposed to be' when moving around, etc. those that can not do that get flustered and hold it against the park... Those that can go through that 'surreal' phase and then adapt :)

I would recommend going again. With a little planning and more familiarity you can avoid the largest crowd spikes and know which parts to avoid.

Plus, you ended up skipping fantastic right?

And next time don't be put off by the lines at the turnstiles... With that close proximity you also get that high level of movement between parks and DTD... So there are always periods of spikes at the gates. Don't think twice about it

Thanks, Flynn.

Yeah, I think even with the most diligent of mindsets it's still hard to un-know what you've known to be true from past experiences. We really struggled with the whole activity level difference from the relaxed rhythm of the cruises. Then, both remembering and trying to ignore what we knew to be parks knowledge from our feels-like-forever-ago WDW experiences. We're even out of practice maximizing the old-school FP system. Yikes! Definitely don't hold it entirely against the park. Are the walkways pretty narrow? Yeah. Are some of those queues made for much smaller people? Yeah. But a lot of our issues was definitely us. I know that without a doubt.

We still debate daily the pros and cons of switching September to a cruise. There's 1 scenario that if the $$ was right we probably would but we do both still want to return to DL, too. We'll see. I do want to give it another shot again. I really do.

We did skip Fantasmic. And we have yet to see the fireworks from the hub. That's prob'ly more important than Fantasmic to me. ;)

I've been hearing this about the lines at the turnstiles quite a bit since. And more than a few people have said we shouldn't have walked away that final night when we did. I really regret that. Definitely something to address with a redo, right?
 

flynnibus

Premium Member
We did skip Fantasmic. And we have yet to see the fireworks from the hub. That's prob'ly more important than Fantasmic to me. ;)

I've been hearing this about the lines at the turnstiles quite a bit since. And more than a few people have said we shouldn't have walked away that final night when we did. I really regret that. Definitely something to address with a redo, right?

Sure, more reason to go again :)

Yeah, skipping Fantasmic... now I remember why I wasn't going to speak to you again! j/k

Remember... is a great fireworks show to see in the park because much like they altered the idea of what a parade was by adding all these non-traditional elements.. that's what they did with a fireworks show too. Is it my favorite? No.. because it lacks the big high aerials that you get with Wishes.. but impressive? Most certainly.. and has elements to for (while some segments do drag for me).

F! is just an entirely different beast from the MGM version because of the different setting and changes.

Knowing your style.. bailing mid-day and all.. you probably could have used a longer stay and take it at a different pace. What did the Shark say in Finding Nemo?? 'Theme parks are not cruises!' - get in shape already :D
 

DAKOTADISNEY

Active Member
Maybe you could take the September cruise from Vancouver to San Diego, then hit Disneyland again before you went home. Best of both worlds! Loved reading your trip report. Our first disney trip was to Disneyland with our kids and it will always hold a special place in our heart.
 

sweetpee_1993

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Sure, more reason to go again :)

Yeah, skipping Fantasmic... now I remember why I wasn't going to speak to you again! j/k

Remember... is a great fireworks show to see in the park because much like they altered the idea of what a parade was by adding all these non-traditional elements.. that's what they did with a fireworks show too. Is it my favorite? No.. because it lacks the big high aerials that you get with Wishes.. but impressive? Most certainly.. and has elements to for (while some segments do drag for me).

F! is just an entirely different beast from the MGM version because of the different setting and changes.

Knowing your style.. bailing mid-day and all.. you probably could have used a longer stay and take it at a different pace. What did the Shark say in Finding Nemo?? 'Theme parks are not cruises!' - get in shape already :D

Yeah, I saw F! once at DHS and was sorta miffed afterwards. I went thru all that crap to see the show for that?! We weren't impressed. Did it once in 2006 then never again. ;) I do want to see it in DL, tho. I can't really say I would compare the 2 because the only thing that was memorable about DHS's version was the disappointment afterward. Maybe I can compare the sentiment after at DL. LOL!

Oh definitely. We were in the parks out in California for 6 days and feel like we missed half of what's there. Then again, we weren't trying to go all commando either. Tracey & I both had a solid wake-up call with all the suffering from the walking. Changing footwear when we did helped a good bit. He's worked 6 & 7 days a week for almost 18 months. That ended last week. I wasn't in terrible shape but not as good as I should be. We both want to get ourselves in better physical shape in the coming months, not just because we want to survive another 6 days of west coast parks. At our ages, it's kinda a good idea all the way around. It doesn't get easier or better from here without investing some time & effort. ;)
 

sweetpee_1993

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Maybe you could take the September cruise from Vancouver to San Diego, then hit Disneyland again before you went home. Best of both worlds! Loved reading your trip report. Our first disney trip was to Disneyland with our kids and it will always hold a special place in our heart.

I wish! I have a prior engagement the week before we are booked to go back to DL. It'd be lovely to do the repo + DL! Awwww...that's sweet! I think first trips anywhere hold a certain specialness you can never lose. Thanks for reading! :D
 

Disneyfalcon

Well-Known Member
Ack! I missed the updates!
Oh my word, you were stuck in hell!! Hilarious.
So glad you got the Pomme Frites!! I wish they'd gotten the ham and cheese Monte Cristo! It's soooo good!
I love your Screamin' photos!! That capture on the hill is amazing!
Wheel of Death story cracked me up.
I love that you knew the Tangaroa Terrace people! How sweet they got you cake!
You didn't pack your clothes?!! Oh my word!! Lol!
That was (not surprisingly) an awesome trip report. I'm go glad you loved Disneyland and are already planning another trip. I'm extra glad that you invited me over. I had a blast with your family. They're all adorable, thoughtful, generous, sweet and precious and I'll vacation with you anytime! :)
 

wishes2013

Well-Known Member
Wow! Your reports are always so entertaining and informative, I love following along with your family's adventures. I have been wanting to get out to DLR for years, but the rest of the family can't get past the idea that it isn't WDW. I'll get there someday!
Great report, and wonderful photos!
 

HopLow

Member
Great report, Kelly, as usual!! I've been reading your TRs for a few years and it's so crazy to see how the boys have grown up! You all seem like such a wonderful family and it's such a pleasure "getting to know you all" through your reports. What a bummer that so many rides were closed while you were there... but there's your excuse for another DL trip!

And that coconut cake looks craaaaazy delicious.

I'm following along on Instagram, waiting anxiously for your next Disney adventure! Thank you so much for sharing!
 

Longers

Well-Known Member
Just caught up and read your TR in fact it made me late for work as I got so engrossed and I have done no work since I have been at work as I wanted to finish it!

Wow, loved it and normally I only read the WDW reports but always wondered what it was like in California and now I feel like I have been there though your report.

So many things to comment on but I am sure everyone has already mentioned (as I didn't read others comments just your report)

Love that they have random characters, that's what I miss now in WDW

Thanks for sharing, now back to work!
 

Disney80

Active Member
Wow Kelly! On my first day back, I got to enjoy your trip report... and I must say you are awesome at taking pictures and I have more than enjoyed your trip report.

One more reason for me to consider going to DL.... eventually!
 

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