Trip Report A Walk in Walt's Footsteps: Max's California Adventure

Hello to All - As the title suggests the Max family has returned from a fun adventure in the Golden State.

For those who have not read the PTR I have copied a link below:
http://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/...-going-to-do-i-am-going-to-disneyland.929704/

If you do not want to read the pre trip report I understand - there are so many PTR, TR ,Live reports on the go it is a lot of work to keep up with everything.

We will start with the players:

Me - Max - turned 51 a few days before we left (and yes I wore my Bday button proudly - more to come on that one though). Trip number 25 to a Disney Resort ( WDW, DLR, DLP and TDL)

My DW - T - age is just a number - She really likes Disney, really loves DCA and is over the moon on going back to San Diego (Trip number 23 to a Disney Resort (WDW, DLR and DLP)

My older DD - S - 22 - just finished her undergrad in Music Therapy, working at a summer camp and starting her mandatory intenrship to become certified in September. Trip number 20 (WDW,DLR,DLP)

My younger DD - C - 20 (not yet legal to drink in your country) - almost halfway through Biomedical Engineering - just finished a school term in August (co-op program) - starting to work in September - same trip count as her sister.

Next up: Day 1 travel day and first day in park all in one!!

 

[littleroo]

Wow! Just loving this trip report! How cool to be able to have made that connection with people from a cruise!

Have a great time in Hong Kong and looking forward to yet another trip report! Safe journey!

 

[Tuvalu]

We took a family vacation to SoCal in the late 90s. Our first stop was La Jolla so the kids could dip their feet in the (freezing!) Pacific Ocean. We lunched at a hole-in-the-wall burger joint that was one of our best meals of the trip (and we still talk about.)

Next stop was the San Diego Zoo where we were transported from the parking lot to the front gate in a rickshaw!!! Definite highlight for the entire family ~ so very fun! We were so sad we could not see the pandas because it was mating season. We really enjoyed our zoo day and I thoroughly enjoyed your zoo pics.

Woody and I LOVE model trains and could have spent hours at the museum you visited. Your pictures and commentary made me .

I’ve put the Pacific Terrace Hotel on my bucket list. Gorgeous. Spectacular.

Thanks for sharing the addendum to your DL/DCA vacation. I would have enjoyed what you guys did even more than the Disney part!

 

[D Hulk]

I need to get down to San Diego more often. Your family had a great time there. Has the San Diego Zoo now combined with the Wild Animal Park? The latter, when it premiered, was the world's first safari park, and a clear antecedent for Kilamanjaro Safaris in DAK.

San Diego also boasts the Hotel Coronado, an influence on the Grand Floridian, totally worth exploring even if not a guest. There's the USS Midway Museum, a fully exploitable vintage aircraft carrier. There's always more to see!

 

[75disney]

Thanks for the zoo pics. Did your daughter have trouble getting into the ice hole for the seal pic? Made my daughters pose for the same pic and they said it was a little tight. Balboa Park is beautiful. Felt like I was walking around Coronado Springs at WDW (favorite resort). I wanted to spend more time soaking in the atmosphere but the beauty was lost on two teenagers who wanted to get to the beach. If you ever get a chance, eat at The Prado; it was very good and we had great service.

 

[amjt660]

Genie's ad libs we're definitely what got me returning to the Aladdin show, plus generally high quality. Shame that Frozen has nothing similar.

Halloween hasn't fully begun at HKDL while I was there, just some decorations. They weren't yet doing the villain parade or the scare maze. I'd love to hear about those!

I think the Frozen show is high quality but not repeatable - you should go see it once.
Halloween was in full swing - I just arrived here in Japan - I will do a mini report when I get back home

You didn't do too bad of a job on the sunset photos yourself! Beautiful scene.

Much appreciated - sunsets on the beach are amazing.

I love seeing photos of the zoo & La Jolla! I really need to go back, I haven't been since 2013. Thanks for sharing all your lovely pictures

We did not do much in La Jolla this time - just dinner - but in the past we have done the Aquarium and walk around and explored the tidal pools.

Wow! Just loving this trip report! How cool to be able to have made that connection with people from a cruise!

Have a great time in Hong Kong and looking forward to yet another trip report! Safe journey!

It was the highlight of the San Diego portion to see D and R again.
And to be able to introduce them to our two daughters was really cool

Woody and I LOVE model trains and could have spent hours at the museum you visited. Your pictures and commentary made me .

I’ve put the Pacific Terrace Hotel on my bucket list. Gorgeous. Spectacular.

Thanks for sharing the addendum to your DL/DCA vacation. I would have enjoyed what you guys did even more than the Disney part!

Sounds like someone needs to go back to La Jolla and SD.
I have more pictures and videos of the train museum - to be honest I held off posting them all because I was not sure if anyone would be interested. You should check it out if you are in that neighborhood.
And thank you for the comments on the SD portion - I never know how much/if at all to add after the Disney portion
(again not sure if anyone is really interested).
When I do my HKDL trip I may add I few posts from Japan as well (not going to TDR this time)

I need to get down to San Diego more often. Your family had a great time there. Has the San Diego Zoo now combined with the Wild Animal Park? The latter, when it premiered, was the world's first safari park, and a clear antecedent for Kilamanjaro Safaris in DAK.

San Diego also boasts the Hotel Coronado, an influence on the Grand Floridian, totally worth exploring even if not a guest. There's the USS Midway Museum, a fully exploitable vintage aircraft carrier. There's always more to see!

We went to the Wild Animal park about 10 years ago on a different trip.
The Zoo and the WA park are connected - might be run by the same organization
And we have toured the Del Coronado and the Midway on other trips.
Not sure if you have seen the Tony Curtis/Jack Lemmon/Marylyn Monroe movie that was filmed there (Some like it Hot)
I had a great but short visit of the Midway - the girls were not into it - I was all Top Gun fanboi and they were meh.

Thanks for the zoo pics. Did your daughter have trouble getting into the ice hole for the seal pic? Made my daughters pose for the same pic and they said it was a little tight. Balboa Park is beautiful. Felt like I was walking around Coronado Springs at WDW (favorite resort). I wanted to spend more time soaking in the atmosphere but the beauty was lost on two teenagers who wanted to get to the beach. If you ever get a chance, eat at The Prado; it was very good and we had great service.

She did comment that the ice hole was easier the last time (she is now 20 and was probably closer to 13 last time)
The beauty of Balboa is resonating more with my 22 and 20 year old then it did in the past.
Give it time - we held off on Europe (Paris/DLP/London) till they were 16 and 14 for the same reason.
Did not eat at Prado but I will store that one in the memory banks for next time.
We basically tried to walk to dinner (other than the short drive to La Jolla from Pacific Beach)
The main reason was to freely have a few drinks and to be able to catch the sunsets.

Max

 

[PacNWTigger]

That's a bummer you didn't get in to see the Royal Suite on your tour. My guy and I went on the tour last year for his birthday, and we got to go in. It was AMAZING!! Only one picture was allowed...this one...LOL!

I think I would've preferred getting to see Walt's apartment over the Royal Suite though. They didn't have that open for us on that tour, so I guess it's a fair trade.

Sorry about the "like" overload...I've been doing that a lot lately as I've been trying to catch up on my TR's that I missed out on the past couple of weeks.

 

[amjt660]

Hello all
I just landed from Tokyo and I am being driven home now after 2.5 weeks in Japan for work

Lucky to get out when I did
A Cat 3 typhoon is going to hit Japan on Sunday/ Monday
My workmates will hunker down and ride it out

I will finish up the last day on this TR soon and then start a shorter TR about Hong Kong DL

Max

 

[riverside]

Hello all
I just landed from Tokyo and I am being driven home now after 2.5 weeks in Japan for work

Lucky to get out when I did
A Cat 3 typhoon is going to hit Japan on Sunday/ Monday
My workmates will hunker down and ride it out

I will finish up the last day on this TR soon and then start a shorter TR about Hong Kong DL

Max

Glad you’re back safe!!

 

[Stacey LeDuc]

Just read your trip report...what a great trip. We live in SD and D-land is our playground. I loved reading and seeing about the fun your family had here on the WC. Thank You for sharing.

 

[gdisneyfans]

Fast forward 24 YEARS later - we have stayed in touch through email and eventual Facebook

I love stories like this So neat you kept in touch after all these years.

Glad you're back safe and sound!

Really enjoyed your San Diego report and pictures. The sunset pictures are gorgeous!!

 

[littleroo]

Welcome home!! Glad you are safe. Can't wait to hear all about Clarence's adventures!

 

[amjt660]

I think I would've preferred getting to see Walt's apartment over the Royal Suite though. They didn't have that open for us on that tour, so I guess it's a fair trade.

I had mentally prepared myself and the Max family that we would not be going into Walt's apartment
Then Carlos told us we would be , and I was stunned and speechless
The dream suite looks awesome though - wish we could have gone in both!!
Thanks for reading the report
The Matterhorn macaron was a good call!!

Glad you’re back safe!!

Yes and I received word from all of my coworkers and they are safe too!!

We live in SD and D-land is our playground. I loved reading and seeing about the fun your family had here on the WC. Thank You for sharing.

I envy your living location - maybe someday!!

I love stories like this So neat you kept in touch after all these years.

Glad you're back safe and sound!

Really enjoyed your San Diego report and pictures. The sunset pictures are gorgeous!!

The reunion was wonderful - I cannot believe it took us that long to actually see each other!!

The sunsets are amazing - more pictures to come from the last day

Welcome home!! Glad you are safe. Can't wait to hear all about Clarence's adventures!

Clarence's DLR adventures are done (but there is always HKDL to look forward too!!!)

Max

 

[amjt660]

Day 8 - Sept 2 cont'd
OK , lets try to finish this one off
If you remember I was trying to finish before my business trip but ran out of time

So after some pics around the resort and some breakfast in the room we headed back to Balboa park to see a few more museums.
First up was the Air and Space Museum

Overall it was a good but not great one
Some interesting stuff but looked a little run down.

and yes that is Snoopy on the wing of a "red baron plane"

 

[amjt660]

Day 8 cont'd
More helicopters, planes and rockets/space capsules
I very small tribute to challenger - should have been more in my opinion

 

[amjt660]

Day 8 cont'
Next up was a walk over to our next destination
Some shots of the sights on the way over (and yes it was stinking hot again - over 100 degrees F)

There was this outdoor pavilion and seating area

I thought it was ironic that I was heading to Japan in about a month and we found this nice spot in San Diego

Historical site plaque

 

[amjt660]

Day 8 cont'd - Museum of Art
We arrived at the San Diego Art Museum next
This one was primarily for S so we took her picture in front

There were some interesting pieces inside (I will leave it at that)

 

[amjt660]

And a few more pics from the art museum

 

[amjt660]

Day 8 cont'd
Went back to the Pacific Terrace and chilled out.
Went to a non-eventual sushi place near the hotel
And after dinner we headed down to the beach to walk along the shoreline and watch the last SD sunset
Tried to capture the resort from the beach - it truly is a beauty!

 

[Tuvalu]

Gorgeous sunset pictures!

 

[amjt660]

Day 8 cont'd
C was having fun behind me during all of these selfies

And the final shot of the surfers and sunset