A weekend trip: pre-trip questions and advice

[jiminy.cricket]

Hello! I'm back again. As you might have noticed, my friend and I (who live far apart) have been playing with the idea of visiting Disney together for, well, years. Between life, school, work, and for one reason or another, we've never followed through with it. However, it finally seems like the stars might be aligning for a trip to Disneyland in a few weeks! I was wondering if I might once again solicit any feedback you can provide regarding this trip. Any advice is much appreciated.

Here's a rough run-down of the schedule. It will be a short trip over a long weekend. I'll be arriving around noon and leaving a little less than three days later. Here's where I need a bit of help.

1. Since I'll be in Southern California, I feel obligated to carve time during the day to visit the beach. I was lucky enough to visit a few southern California beaches last year briefly (as well as California Adventure), and they're quite lovely. However, I want to make this trip Disney-centric and will only have a few days in town. I'm leaning toward spending all of my time (even partial days) at Disneyland Park. Is it too much time at the park and will I regret not spending any time at the beaches?
EDIT: This visit will be strictly Disney; I'll skip the beaches this time around since my time is limited. I'll plan to stay at Disneyland Park for 2.5 days.

2. I'm wondering how early I should try to find a spot for viewing Paint the Night and Disneyland Forever, which are musts for me! I was thinking of perhaps finding a different viewing area each night. I would love a fantastic view but ultimately would feel bad about blocking the view for any children.
EDIT: Planning to find a spot 45-60 minutes beforehand on the weekend and hoping that will be sufficient time. I'm not yet sure from where to watch the parade--either near the beginning or the end of the route.

3. Any must-sees for this Walt Disney World veteran? Paint the Night and Disneyland Forever are at the top of the list. I sort of want to visit everything. The last time I visited Disneyland was 2001 and I'm so excited to be going back! I'm thinking Mr. Toad, Hyperspace Mountain, Skipper School, Pirates, Haunted Mansion, Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln (Is that still there?), and exploring all of the nooks and crannies that we don't have on the east coast. I'd love to see New Orleans Square, the Main Street Firehouse, the Sleeping Beauty Castle walk-through. My friend wants to see Star Tours. We're both disappointed that the railroad, Matterhorn, and Fantasmic will be closed--all of the Anaheim gems we were looking forward to seeing.
EDIT: Itinerary listed below!

4. How about must-eats? I tried the legendary corn dogs at DCA last year and would love to try Cafe Orleans this year. How does it compare to Ralph Brennan's?
EDIT: Itinerary listed below!

Thank you if you read this far! I'm bouncing off the walls!

EDIT: I cannot get the Paint the Night soundtrack out of my head.

 

[George Lucas on a Bench]

Matterhorn Macaroons!!! You won't need the ride!

 

[ForeverAnna]

You'll find plenty to do at the parks in the time you have. No need to add beaches if you don't want to.

 

[GiveMeTheMusic]

Check out our tips thread here:

http://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/guide-to-dlr-for-wdw-veterans.875596/

 

[jiminy.cricket]

Thank you! Some further decisions have been made. I have been craving this trip so hard.

I have heard a lot about those macaroons! Everyone is raving about them so I'm leaning toward trying one. And it looks like the Matterhorn just might be operating for a couple of days during my visit! Yay!

Thank you! I agree and I have decided to make this visit strictly Disney, skipping the beaches this time around! No need to crowd my limited time with all of Southern California. Perhaps that will be another trip one day. For now, I'm planning to stay at Disneyland Park for 2.5 days, visiting the park the day that I arrive.

Thank you; I did check out that thread. It is a really great, straightforward resource!

Here is our current itinerary.
Day 1: DF begins the morning at DCA. I arrive in the afternoon and visit DL until closing. DF will hop over to DL at some point. We are both huge Disney nerds.
Day 2: DF and I spend the entire day exploring DL Park! DF leaves for the airport around dinner time. :sad1:
Day 3: My solo day to again explore DL Park!
Day 4: I take an early flight home. :sad1:

I'm hoping this will give me enough opportunity to maximize my experience and completely exhaust this craving, at least temporarily. I feel like hitting every experience on overdrive, and I want to make sure that I make moments to soak everything in!

Here are our current must-sees and must-eats. I just need to arrange them in a logical order and hopefully will get to see everything that I really want to more than once.
Star Tours (Fastpass first thing in the morning)
Hyperspace Mountain x 2 (Single-rider line)
Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage
Pirates of the Caribbean
Indiana Jones (Single-rider line)
Storybookland Canal Boats
Mickey and the Magical Map
Matterhorn Bobsleds (Single-rider line)
Casey Jr. Circus Train
It's a Small World x 2
Peter Pan's Flight
Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin
The Enchanted Tiki Room
Sleeping Beauty Castle Walkthrough
Paint the Night x 3
Disneyland Forever x 3
Cafe Orleans
The French Market
Plaza Inn fried chicken
Ralph Brennan's beignets (I've heard lots of good things about these)

I really want to make time to slowly explore New Orleans Square and Main Street as well, including:
The Disneyland Story, featuring Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln
The Disneyland Firehouse
The Emporium window displays
The Main Street windows
Shops
The Disneyland Railroad exhibit
The Disney Gallery
I'd love to see these in the morning but I'm guessing they should probably be saved until the end of the day?

Here are our second tier choices if there is time! Some of these are borderline must-sees.
Mickey Mouse
Mr. Toad's Wild Ride
The Haunted Mansion
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad at night (Fastpass)
The Little Red Wagon corn dogs
Matterhorn Macaroon from the Jolly Holiday Bakery (everyone seems to be raving about them)
Harbour Galley
Dole Whip Floats

And here are our third-tier choices if there is time. I guess we just feel a little less urgency to see these, but maybe an obligation to since some of them aren't available on the east coast.
The Disneyland Band
Skipper School
Alice in Wonderland
Snow White's Scary Adventures
Pinocchio's Daring Journey
Tarzan's Treehouse
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
Splash Mountain (Single-rider line)
Buzz Lightyear's Astro Blasters

I've heard that people begin waiting for the parade and fireworks anywhere from 15 minutes to 2 hours prior; I'm guessing it being a weekend, I should probably stake out a spot 45-60 minutes beforehand. I'm not sure if I should park myself near the beginning or the end of the parade route.

Will hopefully get this more organized in the weeks to come! Any suggestions welcome!

 

[GiveMeTheMusic]

Thank you! Some further decisions have been made. I have been craving this trip so hard.

I have heard a lot about those macaroons! Everyone is raving about them so I'm leaning toward trying one. And it looks like the Matterhorn just might be operating for a couple of days during my visit! Yay!

Thank you! I agree and I have decided to make this visit strictly Disney, skipping the beaches this time around! No need to crowd my limited time with all of Southern California. Perhaps that will be another trip one day. For now, I'm planning to stay at Disneyland Park for 2.5 days, visiting the park the day that I arrive.

Thank you; I did check out that thread. It is a really great, straightforward resource!

Here is our current itinerary.
Day 1: DF begins the morning at DCA. I arrive in the afternoon and visit DL until closing. DF will hop over to DL at some point. We are both huge Disney nerds.
Day 2: DF and I spend the entire day exploring DL Park! DF leaves for the airport around dinner time. :sad1:
Day 3: My solo day to again explore DL Park!
Day 4: I take an early flight home. :sad1:

I'm hoping this will give me enough opportunity to maximize my experience and completely exhaust this craving, at least temporarily. I feel like hitting every experience on overdrive, and I want to make sure that I make moments to soak everything in!

Here are our current must-sees and must-eats. I just need to arrange them in a logical order and hopefully will get to see everything that I really want to more than once.
Star Tours (Fastpass first thing in the morning)
Hyperspace Mountain x 2 (Single-rider line)
Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage
Pirates of the Caribbean
Indiana Jones (Single-rider line)
Storybookland Canal Boats
Mickey and the Magical Map
Matterhorn Bobsleds (Single-rider line)
Casey Jr. Circus Train
It's a Small World x 2
Peter Pan's Flight
Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin
The Enchanted Tiki Room
Sleeping Beauty Castle Walkthrough
Paint the Night x 3
Disneyland Forever x 3
Cafe Orleans
The French Market
Plaza Inn fried chicken
Ralph Brennan's beignets (I've heard lots of good things about these)

I really want to make time to slowly explore New Orleans Square and Main Street as well, including:
The Disneyland Story, featuring Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln
The Disneyland Firehouse
The Emporium window displays
The Main Street windows
Shops
The Disneyland Railroad exhibit
The Disney Gallery
I'd love to see these in the morning but I'm guessing they should probably be saved until the end of the day?

Here are our second tier choices if there is time! Some of these are borderline must-sees.
Mickey Mouse
Mr. Toad's Wild Ride
The Haunted Mansion
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad at night (Fastpass)
The Little Red Wagon corn dogs
Matterhorn Macaroon from the Jolly Holiday Bakery (everyone seems to be raving about them)
Harbour Galley
Dole Whip Floats

And here are our third-tier choices if there is time. I guess we just feel a little less urgency to see these, but maybe an obligation to since some of them aren't available on the east coast.
The Disneyland Band
Skipper School
Alice in Wonderland
Snow White's Scary Adventures
Pinocchio's Daring Journey
Tarzan's Treehouse
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
Splash Mountain (Single-rider line)
Buzz Lightyear's Astro Blasters

I've heard that people begin waiting for the parade and fireworks anywhere from 15 minutes to 2 hours prior; I'm guessing it being a weekend, I should probably stake out a spot 45-60 minutes beforehand. I'm not sure if I should park myself near the beginning or the end of the parade route.

Will hopefully get this more organized in the weeks to come! Any suggestions welcome!

Hyperspace Mountain does not have a single rider line. Get a FP for that instead of Star Tours first thing.

http://blog.touringplans.com/2014/06/26/disneyland-single-rider-lines/

Also, definitely go on Alice and Pinocchio. Alice in particular is wonderful. Pooh totally sucks but it never has a line. Our Buzz Lightyear is far better than WDW's, so that's a good one too. Star Tours is identical to WDW's, so I wouldn't be too overheated to get on it.

 

[George Lucas on a Bench]

There are some great attractions in your second and third tier lists. Reconsider immediately. Haunted and the Fantasyland dark rides (with the exception of Alice) will take barely any time out of your day! Haunted becomes a walk-on after dark and if you time Fantasyland right after the fireworks, you can knock out Snow White, Pinocchio and Toad in 20 minutes.

 

[GiveMeTheMusic]

Also only go to Cafe Orleans if you're going for the Monte Cristo sandwich. For anything other than that item, you will vastly overpay for not-that-great food.

 

[Stevek]

As for Paint the Night, we went mid-week October and 90 min prior to the parade...not a spot left with a good view. It sucks but you gotta either waste 90-120 minutes of your day waiting or hope to find a last minute spot to stand. Really depends on what's most important to you.

 

[GiveMeTheMusic]

Of course, if you go on a night with 2 PTN performances, see the second one.

 

[jiminy.cricket]

Thank you for all of the tips! Life has been quite busy, per usual, for the past few weeks. But I'm making the time to see my precious Disney! I can hardly believe I only have a few days to go.

Maybe I'll just put all of these, including the Fantasyland dark rides, on my must-see list! Given that I'll have 2.5 days at the parks, I hope I'll get to see everything at least once, or maybe twice. I could probably skip Pooh, and I'm actually reconsidering going for Star Tours. It's my friend who really wants to see it. Thank you for the Hyperspace Mountain tip! I'll get a FP for that first thing in the morning. It seems to have the longest wait, then Indiana Jones after that. I would really like to see Haunted Mansion and if you recommend Buzz, I'll try it too!

I know DL doesn't usually require as much planning as WDW, but I was wondering if anyone would recommend pursuing specific areas of the parks or rides during certain parts of the day. I was thinking of doing Space Mountain first, Fantasyland in the daytime, Thunder Mountain at night, fireworks and Paint the Night; everything else in between, with a lot of time in the afternoon to explore New Orleans Square (I almost called it POFQ!). I also want plenty of time to explore Main Street. Gah! Hopefully I won't be as crunched for time as I'm anticipating.

Food: Thanks for the Cafe Orleans tip. I think we'll be sticking with the French Market for the first day, Plaza Inn the second day. Corn dogs and other snacks too. I might pick up beignets from Ralph Brennan's.

PTN Parade: 90 minutes ahead of time? Yikes! That's not what I was expecting. We might have to have a portable dinner. Thanks for the heads up. Does it matter where I watch? I was thinking it might be nice to get it over with early at Small World.

It's almost time!

 

[ForeverAnna]

Small World is a good choice. It's less popular than Main Street and you won't need to get there as early.

 

[ran6110]

Thank you! Some further decisions have been made. I have been craving this trip so hard.

I have heard a lot about those macaroons! Everyone is raving about them so I'm leaning toward trying one. And it looks like the Matterhorn just might be operating for a couple of days during my visit! Yay!

Thank you! I agree and I have decided to make this visit strictly Disney, skipping the beaches this time around! No need to crowd my limited time with all of Southern California. Perhaps that will be another trip one day. For now, I'm planning to stay at Disneyland Park for 2.5 days, visiting the park the day that I arrive.

Thank you; I did check out that thread. It is a really great, straightforward resource!

Here is our current itinerary.
Day 1: DF begins the morning at DCA. I arrive in the afternoon and visit DL until closing. DF will hop over to DL at some point. We are both huge Disney nerds.
Day 2: DF and I spend the entire day exploring DL Park! DF leaves for the airport around dinner time. :sad1:
Day 3: My solo day to again explore DL Park!
Day 4: I take an early flight home. :sad1:

I'm hoping this will give me enough opportunity to maximize my experience and completely exhaust this craving, at least temporarily. I feel like hitting every experience on overdrive, and I want to make sure that I make moments to soak everything in!

Here are our current must-sees and must-eats. I just need to arrange them in a logical order and hopefully will get to see everything that I really want to more than once.
Star Tours (Fastpass first thing in the morning)
Hyperspace Mountain x 2 (Single-rider line)
Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage
Pirates of the Caribbean
Indiana Jones (Single-rider line)
Storybookland Canal Boats
Mickey and the Magical Map
Matterhorn Bobsleds (Single-rider line)
Casey Jr. Circus Train
It's a Small World x 2
Peter Pan's Flight
Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin
The Enchanted Tiki Room
Sleeping Beauty Castle Walkthrough
Paint the Night x 3
Disneyland Forever x 3
Cafe Orleans
The French Market
Plaza Inn fried chicken
Ralph Brennan's beignets (I've heard lots of good things about these)

I really want to make time to slowly explore New Orleans Square and Main Street as well, including:
The Disneyland Story, featuring Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln
The Disneyland Firehouse
The Emporium window displays
The Main Street windows
Shops
The Disneyland Railroad exhibit
The Disney Gallery
I'd love to see these in the morning but I'm guessing they should probably be saved until the end of the day?

Here are our second tier choices if there is time! Some of these are borderline must-sees.
Mickey Mouse
Mr. Toad's Wild Ride
The Haunted Mansion
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad at night (Fastpass)
The Little Red Wagon corn dogs
Matterhorn Macaroon from the Jolly Holiday Bakery (everyone seems to be raving about them)
Harbour Galley
Dole Whip Floats

And here are our third-tier choices if there is time. I guess we just feel a little less urgency to see these, but maybe an obligation to since some of them aren't available on the east coast.
The Disneyland Band
Skipper School
Alice in Wonderland
Snow White's Scary Adventures
Pinocchio's Daring Journey
Tarzan's Treehouse
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
Splash Mountain (Single-rider line)
Buzz Lightyear's Astro Blasters

I've heard that people begin waiting for the parade and fireworks anywhere from 15 minutes to 2 hours prior; I'm guessing it being a weekend, I should probably stake out a spot 45-60 minutes beforehand. I'm not sure if I should park myself near the beginning or the end of the parade route.

Will hopefully get this more organized in the weeks to come! Any suggestions welcome!

Some of your list seems to be by ride and not location.
For example you should include Astro Blasters with Star Tours since it's right across the way from it and then visit Hyperspace Mountain.

Get the Disneyland app (or an online map) and plan your trip so you don't spend too much time walking back and forth.

Special hint, save the The Disneyland Story, featuring Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln for the afternoon with a Dole Whip, it's a great place to cool off and catch your breath! The old style theater seats can be very comfortable for slouching down and relaxing.

 

[ForeverAnna]

Just be sure you finish your Dole Whip before Mr Lincoln starts. Food isn't allowed in the theatre.

 

[jiminy.cricket]

Well, the day is finally here! Thank you for all of the information; it's much appreciated! I think I'm going to start my Fastpasses with Tomorrowland and work my way counterclockwise, maybe stopping at Main Street in the middle of the day. As for the rest, we're going to wing! I hope this works!

 

[jiminy.cricket]

I knew that this report would be overdue; I've finally found a bit of time to put it all together! Thanks again for all the advice. I had been dreaming of a trip like this for years and finally decided to go for it a month prior to the trip after I found myself craving it and kicking myself for not planning the trip earlier. So, without further ado, here is my trip report, with a long build-up! I hope I can remember most of the details.

Trip Report, Part I:

I was counting down a month before:


It had been a busy month, so when the day finally came, the magic hit me as I made my way down the airport terminal to begin a long weekend. To the magic!


Here we are at takeoff on the runway! The attendant announced that "This plane is departing for Orange County. If you do not wish to go to Orange County, please de-board at this time." I thought to myself: "Who in her or his right mind would want to do that?"


And just a few short hours later, coming in over the beautiful, lush-looking Santa Ana mountains.


It looked a bit drier as we drew nearer to the coast and the cities.


I could hardly believe it when we landed at John Wayne. Thank goodness for a smooth and safe flight. I had never been on a solo trip like this before. I was free to roam Southern California! The skies had opened and the weather was glorious! It was temperate and warm and dry and colorful, just as it always seems to be in the media. The beaches and seaside towns were just a few minutes' drive away! *Sigh* But I couldn't be distracted; I had a mission to accomplish, involving pixie dust, exclusively.

I had booked a SuperShuttle seat the week before with a discount and I was able to check in and hop into the one nearest to my exit at the airport. It was quite convenient. After we had loaded up with a few more families, we were off down the freeway from Santa Ana to Anaheim!

We dropped off one group first; I was second. I had booked a room at the newly renovated Grand Legacy at the Park (formerly Ramada) at a good rate, and it was within walking distance of the Esplanade. I arrived shortly after lunchtime and luckily, I was allowed to check my bag in at the front desk while the room was being prepared. I was internally giddy and after grabbing sunglasses and essentials, shed my sweater and made my way out of the lobby and down Harbor Boulevard.

I should have taken pictures of this walk. I could not believe how close I was--literally half a block north and west across the street was the walkway to the Esplanade. I repeatedly told myself that I couldn't believe I was there, crossing the street with guests and Cast Members as Disneyland buses turned in and out of the entrance. The music grew louder once I stepped behind the shrubbery and onto the green walkway. People from all walks of life were enjoying themselves and preparing to enjoy their weekend in the parks. Finally, after going through security, there I was in the plaza. I just stood and spun in a circle for a minute, inhaling through my nostrils, feeling the warm breeze and sun on my skin as my senses took it all in--California Adventure, Disneyland Park, and the ticket booths. This is where it all started! I was so close! By myself! As an adult!

Okay; it was time to complete the mission. I stepped over to the cluster of ticket booths, where there was hardly a line! The Cast Member was friendly. I ordered a 3-day, 1-park ticket, using my credit card as well as a Disney gift card that my friend had generously gifted me before the trip. Before I knew it, I was through the gates. *Dramatic pause*

Part II is next.

 

[ForeverAnna]

Super Shuttle is great. Can't wait to hear the rest.

 

[jiminy.cricket]

Part II: Through the Gates

Inching closer to the train station, I stared at the Disneyland Railroad, wishing it were in operation but hoping I'd make it back to see its return. I then found myself on Main Street, just as I had (vaguely) remembered it from fifteen years ago. This time, I paid more attention to the windows, the firehouse, the atmosphere, the height of the buildings. There, at the end of Main Street, decked out like a jewel box, stood the storybook-sized Sleeping Beauty Castle as it had for the past sixty years.

I wandered around close to the castle for a bit, not fully believing I was on my own, free to roam this land and standing right in front of the castle! This was it! After a pause, I started scrolling through a list I had made based on the tips on this thread. Although my plan on the fly was to begin in Tomorrowland and work my way counterclockwise, I wasn't sure about Fastpass availability since we were halfway through the day. I also wasn't set on a specific plan, and my friend, who had arrived the night before, had spent the morning at California Adventure. I had informed him that I arrived and we soon found each other at the hub. It was a bit difficult! We were excited to see each other and both weren't sure what to tackle first.

I did know that I was hungry not having eaten that day, and one of my to-dos was the French Market, so we headed all the way past the wild, wild West and into the unique waterfront gem known as New Orleans Square. Boy, was that exciting! The western part of the park feels so expansive as opposed to Tomorrowland and Fantasyland. We queued up and although I'm not really one to take pictures of my meals, take my word that this one was delish. I chose the Shrimp Po' Boy and DF chose...something I don't recall now. In any case, we both ended up with delicious mint juleps and had to try the 60th Anniversary multi-layer cake, which included chocolate mousse, apricot preserves, and a white chocolate diamond. We sat on the terrace where we encountered some very, very talented live musicians! What a treat! Picnic and outdoor concert in New Orleans Square?

I could have stayed all day in any other setting but we both knew there was more to explore in this park. After running into some friendly folks, we decided to try the Haunted Southern Mansion, in whose queue I gleefully educated DF about the history of the attraction and the differences between it and its Floridian cousin.

 

[jiminy.cricket]

There stood the Antebellum mansion. We could actually feel ourselves descending on the elevator (so much fun in the dark with everyone) and the detail in the queue kept me on my toes.

Next, since it was nearby, we absolutely had to get ourselves on Pirates. I remember loving it in 2001 and today, it still is superior to the Orlando version. The queue for this attraction is amazing, snaking around every square foot of space on both levels of the plaza--down stairs, under ivy-covered trellises, around trees and stantions in the courtyard. It's beautiful but quarters are cramped. The main annoyances were the presence of lines and lack of space, but more on that later. As full as the line was, it was remarkable how quickly it moved. Maybe it's just remarkable because most of it is so visible at once. We passed the boats and were at the dock across from the Blue Bayou before we knew it. The ride was, as expected, just as fantastic as previously. It had been so long.

We spent most of the afternoon in the west, figuring we'd tackle the eastern side of the park the next day. I can't remember exactly what we did next. We spent the rest of the afternoon cavorting about the park, entering the single rider line for Splash Mountain (on which the camera caught me with a most interesting face--we'll leave it at that) and joining Pooh on his adventures. Around dusk, we queued up for the Indiana Jones Adventure, which made me excited and nervous. Again, the queue was cramped. We spent 45 minutes snaking around stone snakes, more stantions, under Tarzan's Treehouse, with a group of others we got to chatting with. We made it inside the temple and the bottom of the stairwell, right in front of the vehicle load when, after several minutes, it was announced that the ride had to shutting down.

Needless to say, we were all disappointed. However, we were given Fastpasses to any attraction (Except Hyperspace Mountain ), which we decided to use for the Matterhorn Bobsleds, since they would be closing soon. So, we headed east and boy, was that a bit of a thriller! I didn't keep my eyes open the whole time. It was so nice to experience a Disneyland classic, at night. As we exited the ride, the first parade of Paint the Night passed so close to us! We had a great view. Since we were already in Fantasyland, we decided to try to catch the fireworks and the second parade. As would be the pattern for the rest of the trip, the fireworks I'd been looking forward to seeing were cancelled at the last minute due to the winds. I was also looking forward to Paint the Night, whose soundtrack I'd memorized while dancing in the shower weeks beforehand. DF happened to be hungry, and we found sustenance at the nearby Galactic Grill with the Star Wars-themed meals. And we did stay in Fantasyland to catch the second parade and take a ride on It's a Small World, another Disneyland classic. It was just wonderful.



The park was near closing and we were both pretty tired, so we headed all the way from the back of Fantasyland toward the Main Street Train Station. We were some of the last people out of the park and took advantage of the photo opportunity in front of the glittering castle. I also had to stop to catch a glimpse of the legendary firehouse lamp and thank Walt.

Good night, Walt!

 

[jiminy.cricket]

We awoke early the next morning in the hotel room after having checked in upon our return the previous evening. We had just moved to Pacific Time, but due to fatigue from the previous day, ended up just lying in bed for a while before heading to the pool for a continental breakfast of bagels, bananas, oatmeal, and juice. We were soon off, back to the park, with more of a strategy this time. DF is a big Star Wars fan and wanted to check out the new offerings. We were going to attack the Fastpasses and reasonable morning waits on the eastern side of the park and work our way counterclockwise. We also had to make sure DF could leave the park on time to catch his red eye flight.

It started off swimmingly as we walked down Main Street, past the infectious Dapper Dans and east toward Tomorrowland. We used the Disneyland app to check wait times (as we had been doing weeks before). Hyperspace Mountain had a reasonable wait. We obtained Fastpasses for the new Star Tours and Buzz Lightyear, then went straight for the Hyperspace Mountain queue. It was not a long wait and we knew that it would get incredibly long later in the day. We were both excited--DF for the Star Wars overlay and I for the smooth track and soundtrack I'd remembered from 2001. The ride was fantastic! It was the right amount of thrill and action and was complemented by the soundtrack. It was a great way to wake up. No wonder it was so popular. After catching our breath, we conquered Star Tours, which was quite nice and did not make me dizzy. It took me until the end of the ride to fully comprehend the story, with a bit of help from DF. Buzz Lightyear was next. It was quite fun, although I was a bit bummed for a second that DF beat my score.

DF and I also checked out the Star Wars museum in the former Innoventions, where he educated me on the philosophy and history behind the film series and why it was so groundbreaking. I was intrigued, yet not enough to become a Star Wars fan yet. Upon finding this Han Solo costume, I realized that many of the outfits that I'd been drawn to in the past were probably inspired by Star Wars costuming! This is the contemporary and unique look I wanted!



It was time to make our move counter-clockwise toward the Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage standby queue. It was a reasonable wait and also quite a nice ride. It had been ages since either of us had ridden in the submarine of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea in Florida. For most of our youth, it had been turned into a playground and meet-and-greet area before morphing into New Fantasyland.

Lunch break at the Plaza Inn, Walt's favorite dining haunt we had heard so much about. I had to take pictures of the Tiffany and turn-of-the-century molding and decor on the wall and ceiling. There was something whimsically nice about it. It just oozed pink and parlor pretty. Of course, we both had to try the renowned chicken.



It was quite good. I tend to be using that adjective a lot. I wasn't blown away but I thoroughly enjoyed myself; all of my experiences had been delightful. We also kept an eye on the Little Red Wagon nearby peddling the famed corn dogs. We would be back later. Back through the castle to Fantasyland...



Past a magical Pixie Hollow fountain we don't have on the east coast!



We caught Mickey and the Magical Map at some point early in the afternoon. I can't exactly remember when. I had been looking forward to it and DF didn't know what to expect. We both really, really enjoyed the live performance full of very talented vocalists and dancers. The use of technology was neat. I didn't try to capture any of it since it can be viewed online.

We went even further back to Toontown for Fastpasses on Roger Rabbit's Cartoon Spin, then backtracked through caught a ride on the Casey Jr. Circus Train, which neither of us had tried, and which was also delightful. DF caught many lovely shots of Storybookland, including of Elsa and Anna's castle in the fjord.



We then returned to redeem our Fastpasses. I had ridden this in 2001 and remembered how interesting it was. It still was interesting but loud; as DF spun the car, I hoped that my ear wouldn't end up next to a speaker. We also passed a Mickey meet-and-greet, but I think we were both a bit too shy to line up for a photo op.

I think it was at this point that DF headed back over to DCA to explore further while I... Well, I can't remember what I was doing. Strange. In any case, we ended up reuniting in seemingly no time at all and grabbing Fastpasses for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. We explored Tarzan's Treehouse, which provides a beautiful view of Disneyland, and then returned to conquer Thunder Mountain while the sun was still out...I think. It was amazing how much we were able to accomplish in one day but we weren't finished yet. We again lined up for Indiana Jones and thankfully, we got on this time! Even better, I, the fraidy cat, was able to sit in the middle of the car while enjoying all the ride had to offer. Something about sitting on the side on a dark ride just unnerves me.

We took a break with skewers from Bengal Barbecue, then happened upon the original Enchanted Tiki Room! What?! Of course we had to see it. We waltzed right in and caught a seat. All the birds sang words and the flower crooned. Finally, DF treated me to a Dole Whip float. At this point, we were a bit parked-out and needed to get away for a while. We decided to have dinner at the Tony Roma's across the street from the Esplanade before DF packed up and headed for the airport.

The annoying thing about Disneyland is the small space and the crowds. Apparently, crowds have been larger this year. Lines are manageable and people are friendly, but it does feel a lot like we are all crawling on top of each other. The lines are not wide and there always seems to be a line for everything--every ride and attraction, shows, restaurants, refreshment carts, restrooms...everything. It usually feels a bit more relaxed and that there is more room to breathe at WDW--probably because there is more room to breathe and relax. At DL, there were always people swirling around you within a few feet and it became a bit overwhelming. Harbor Boulevard gave us a break. We strolled out of the park with our Dole Whips, down the esplanade and walkway, and across the street.

To be continued...