Now that I’m home and settled back into reality, I thought I’d get started on my second trip report. While having been to Disney World more frequetly than I can count, I’d only visited the original park three times; all of which were several years apart. As I mentioned in my pre-trip report, I relocated out west for work not long after mine and my niece’s WDW adventure last summer; and despite now living fairly close by, I hadn’t yet had the chance to visit Disneyland. With my last several birthdays having been rough to say the least, I thought I’d do something more low key and relaxing; and what better way to celebrate than with the fab five, and copious amounts of churros!
To recap:
Who: Me (D)
What: Solo birthday trip
When: Sunday 9.21 - Thursday 9.25
Where: Disneyland Resort and Disney California Adventure
Why: To break my birthday slump
Day One:
Since I wasn’t leaving the state, I decided to drive this time around (that, and I may still be a bit traumatized from missing the flight with S
). After taking an extra long walk with my dog, and then subsequently coaxing her off of my suitcase with peanut butter, I was ready to hit the road. The travel Gods must’ve been with me, because I managed to reach Anaheim in just about 90 minutes; which for late Sunday morning on the 5, is damn near miraculous.When visiting Disney World, I always stay on property; but with Disneyland, there are a large number of hotels within walking distance; a lot of which I can use points for, so I decided to go that route. This time around, I stayed at the Westin on W. Katella, and I’m very glad that I did. The property itself is quite sizable, with a gorgeous lobby, and is surprisingly reminiscent of Coronado Springs Resort in Orlando. Once I finished handing over the car to the valet, and having my bags loaded onto the luggage cart, I headed straight to the check in desk; hoping and praying that my room would be ready. Imagine my surprise when, while speaking to the lovely woman at the front desk, she informs me that my suite is indeed good to go…Thinking I’d heard her wrong, I asked that she double check to make sure that she was looking at the right reservation; as it turns out, the travel Gods weren’t yet done with the gifts, because the hotel decided to upgrade me for my birthday(and the status I've accrued with Marriott, thanks to the seemingly endless work trips)!
After offering multiple rounds of profuse gratitude, I headed upstairs to a beautiful multi room layout with a living room type space/kitchen/dining room/large bathroom (which comes in REAL handy when you’re as girly as I am, and travel with enough skin care, etc. to keep you comfortable for twice as long as you’d be out of your house), and bedroom with the softest king size bed I’ve ever felt; topped off with a view of Disney California Adventure. I’ll admit, it did feel kinda silly to have all of that space for one person; but I would quickly get over that once the park days began. I literally never remember to take room pics, so here are the ones from the hotel website, to give you an idea:
After making a quick grocery store run and getting settled in, I noticed that my lunch reservation was approaching; so after changing, I headed out to Downtown Disney (anyone wanna guess how many times I called it Disney Springs?). One of the many good things about SoCal is that while it remains warm for most of the year, it’s a forgiving dry heat; so the walk was not only enjoyable, but didn’t leave me covered in a layer of sweat by the time I reached my destination. As a native NYer, I tend to walk pretty fast, so what Google Maps estimated as a 15 minute walk to the gates took me less than 10. Having already built in extra time, I decided to take my time, and have a look around as I made my way to the Grand Californian. Originally, I was a bit nervous about potentially missing out on the 70th Anniversary decorations, since we all know how big they go for Halloween and Christmas. I was quite happy to see that they’d found a great way to marry the two; without one outshining the other.
After taking some photos for my nieces, I popped into World of Disney to find the merch they’d requested. A sweatshirt for S
and a Tigger plushie for her sister, I. The mobile checkout really is a godsent, because all three check out counters were mobbed; so after quickly showing my receipt to the CMs, I continued on; making it to the GC with five minutes to spare; and thankfully so, because I’d forgotten how spacious that resort is! When making dining reservations, I remembered really enjoying the Craftsman Bar from my previous stay, so I figured why not head back for lunch on arrival day. Since at this point, it was ~ 1:00 PM, the pool area was fairly empty; which made for a lovely time taking in the sights of the resort (even with construction going on). Disneyland, as I would come to learn, also does a great job of celebrating Dia de Los Muertos during this time of year; as such, the Craftsman was offering multiple food and drink options in celebration. I decided to go with the “Receurdame,” after the song from Coco
* Casamigos Reposado, Passion Fruit Syrup, Hibiscus Liqueur, and Lemon Juice*
When I say that drink was good, I mean it was GOOD! Light, refreshing, with just the right amount of kick to it; 10/10 highly recommend. While savoring this beauty, I chose the Sticky Chicken Wings for lunch, and man, was that a wise decision; lightly fried and covered in Gochujang Korean BBQ sauce, with a side of sticky rice. Everything about the meal was exactly what I wanted, and I devoured every bit.
After settling the bill, I noticed that there was quite a commotion coming from the bar; turns out the Rams/Commanders game was on, and as girly as I may be, I love football. I decided to sit and watch for a bit; getting to know a few of the other guests, and finishing another Recuerdame, before heading back towards Downtown Disney. Fun Fact- even if you are going to Downtown Disney, and not the parks themselves, you still have to go through security on your way out of the hotel. Which, when doing so at the exact same time that Oogie Boogie Bash (Disneyland’s Halloween Party) is about to start, will cost you close to 20 mins
.
Still a bit full from lunch, I explored the opposite end of Downtown Disney; stopping into a few shops before coming across some beautiful Mickey themed kitchenware. FaceTiming my significant other (C) to share in my joy, he convinced me to only get the coupe glasses (but as he would learn when I got home, the charcuterie board also found its way into my trunk
)
Right outside the HOME store was this beautiful Encanto floral installation; celebrating Colombian culture and heritage featuring Isabella on this end of DD, and Mirabelle towards the other. The photos truly don’t do justice to how lovely they were:
With a few hours until dinner, I took my time walking back to the hotel; enjoying the fact that Anaheim allows for not having to drive pretty much everywhere you go.
Next Up: Speakeasies and Fireworks
To recap:
Who: Me (D)
What: Solo birthday trip
When: Sunday 9.21 - Thursday 9.25
Where: Disneyland Resort and Disney California Adventure
Why: To break my birthday slump
Day One:
Since I wasn’t leaving the state, I decided to drive this time around (that, and I may still be a bit traumatized from missing the flight with S
). After taking an extra long walk with my dog, and then subsequently coaxing her off of my suitcase with peanut butter, I was ready to hit the road. The travel Gods must’ve been with me, because I managed to reach Anaheim in just about 90 minutes; which for late Sunday morning on the 5, is damn near miraculous.When visiting Disney World, I always stay on property; but with Disneyland, there are a large number of hotels within walking distance; a lot of which I can use points for, so I decided to go that route. This time around, I stayed at the Westin on W. Katella, and I’m very glad that I did. The property itself is quite sizable, with a gorgeous lobby, and is surprisingly reminiscent of Coronado Springs Resort in Orlando. Once I finished handing over the car to the valet, and having my bags loaded onto the luggage cart, I headed straight to the check in desk; hoping and praying that my room would be ready. Imagine my surprise when, while speaking to the lovely woman at the front desk, she informs me that my suite is indeed good to go…Thinking I’d heard her wrong, I asked that she double check to make sure that she was looking at the right reservation; as it turns out, the travel Gods weren’t yet done with the gifts, because the hotel decided to upgrade me for my birthday(and the status I've accrued with Marriott, thanks to the seemingly endless work trips)!
After offering multiple rounds of profuse gratitude, I headed upstairs to a beautiful multi room layout with a living room type space/kitchen/dining room/large bathroom (which comes in REAL handy when you’re as girly as I am, and travel with enough skin care, etc. to keep you comfortable for twice as long as you’d be out of your house), and bedroom with the softest king size bed I’ve ever felt; topped off with a view of Disney California Adventure. I’ll admit, it did feel kinda silly to have all of that space for one person; but I would quickly get over that once the park days began. I literally never remember to take room pics, so here are the ones from the hotel website, to give you an idea:
After making a quick grocery store run and getting settled in, I noticed that my lunch reservation was approaching; so after changing, I headed out to Downtown Disney (anyone wanna guess how many times I called it Disney Springs?). One of the many good things about SoCal is that while it remains warm for most of the year, it’s a forgiving dry heat; so the walk was not only enjoyable, but didn’t leave me covered in a layer of sweat by the time I reached my destination. As a native NYer, I tend to walk pretty fast, so what Google Maps estimated as a 15 minute walk to the gates took me less than 10. Having already built in extra time, I decided to take my time, and have a look around as I made my way to the Grand Californian. Originally, I was a bit nervous about potentially missing out on the 70th Anniversary decorations, since we all know how big they go for Halloween and Christmas. I was quite happy to see that they’d found a great way to marry the two; without one outshining the other.
After taking some photos for my nieces, I popped into World of Disney to find the merch they’d requested. A sweatshirt for S
and a Tigger plushie for her sister, I. The mobile checkout really is a godsent, because all three check out counters were mobbed; so after quickly showing my receipt to the CMs, I continued on; making it to the GC with five minutes to spare; and thankfully so, because I’d forgotten how spacious that resort is! When making dining reservations, I remembered really enjoying the Craftsman Bar from my previous stay, so I figured why not head back for lunch on arrival day. Since at this point, it was ~ 1:00 PM, the pool area was fairly empty; which made for a lovely time taking in the sights of the resort (even with construction going on). Disneyland, as I would come to learn, also does a great job of celebrating Dia de Los Muertos during this time of year; as such, the Craftsman was offering multiple food and drink options in celebration. I decided to go with the “Receurdame,” after the song from Coco
* Casamigos Reposado, Passion Fruit Syrup, Hibiscus Liqueur, and Lemon Juice*
When I say that drink was good, I mean it was GOOD! Light, refreshing, with just the right amount of kick to it; 10/10 highly recommend. While savoring this beauty, I chose the Sticky Chicken Wings for lunch, and man, was that a wise decision; lightly fried and covered in Gochujang Korean BBQ sauce, with a side of sticky rice. Everything about the meal was exactly what I wanted, and I devoured every bit.
After settling the bill, I noticed that there was quite a commotion coming from the bar; turns out the Rams/Commanders game was on, and as girly as I may be, I love football. I decided to sit and watch for a bit; getting to know a few of the other guests, and finishing another Recuerdame, before heading back towards Downtown Disney. Fun Fact- even if you are going to Downtown Disney, and not the parks themselves, you still have to go through security on your way out of the hotel. Which, when doing so at the exact same time that Oogie Boogie Bash (Disneyland’s Halloween Party) is about to start, will cost you close to 20 mins
.Still a bit full from lunch, I explored the opposite end of Downtown Disney; stopping into a few shops before coming across some beautiful Mickey themed kitchenware. FaceTiming my significant other (C) to share in my joy, he convinced me to only get the coupe glasses (but as he would learn when I got home, the charcuterie board also found its way into my trunk
)Right outside the HOME store was this beautiful Encanto floral installation; celebrating Colombian culture and heritage featuring Isabella on this end of DD, and Mirabelle towards the other. The photos truly don’t do justice to how lovely they were:
With a few hours until dinner, I took my time walking back to the hotel; enjoying the fact that Anaheim allows for not having to drive pretty much everywhere you go.
Next Up: Speakeasies and Fireworks
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