Finally I am done with my DLR trip report. Just a background, I haven’t been to Disneyland since 1995 and I haven’t even been inside DCA ever. I only had one day, Tuesday November 13, to spend in those two parks and the park hours are from 10-8! So I have to make sure I hit the attractions that I pinpointed as must-do.
The hotel we stayed at was the antiquated Clarion by Harbor near the convention center. I arrived at the hotel around 9 pm Monday night so with nothing to do I figured I’d walk to Downtown Disney. I assumed the quickest route was to take Katella and then turn right on the main entrance and it was sort of a longish walk. Anyway I got to Downtown Disney and walked around for about 45 minutes. I liked how the Lego store had Beauty and The Beast outside and Aladdin inside. I also made sure to visit World Of Disney, which seemed less chaotic than the one down here, however it didn’t seem like it had a lot of merch. A big plus though for it being sort of orderly even though it was crowded.
Tuesday was the big day. I wore my EPCOT 30 shirt and brought my WDW 40 jacket. I needed to pick up a rental so I walked to the Avis and then picked up the car and drove to Target to pick up “Brave.” I decided that I would just drive and pay for parking so I can experience that as well. I arrived at the Mickey and Friends “parking structure” - don’t call it a parking garage now! - and paid the $15. I ended up at the Mickey level.
The parking trams a.k.a. hayrides were waiting for guests downstairs so I boarded and off we went. It was kind of a long ride but at least I didn’t have to walk. I planned on going to DL first, then have a lunch there, and then hit DCA, spend time there, and back to DL at dark and then once more back to DCA for “World Of Color.” It was a great feeling entering Disneyland. I noticed you don’t have to do the finger thingy but all they did was scan the ticket and I’m in. Main Street looked different as of course, it was smaller there, however I admired the intimacy of it and it does not look overwhelming like in MK. So much history and nostalgia! All the vehicles were in full force that day but I did not hop on. I took pictures of Main Street, and then at the hub had some photos by the “Partners” and with the castle as a backdrop. Speaking of which the castle was decorated for the holidays already and it looked nice and I was told at night it looks like ice too.
First area I went to was NO Square, by way of Adventureland. I went on Pirates, there was only about a 5 minute wait, and it was great! Two drops, extra scenes, this is the definitive version of the ride indeed. I noticed that there was no water smell unlike MK’s Pirates. I also liked the fact that there’s no speedramp when you leave the boat as the boats themselves go up to the unloading area. I then got a fast pass for Haunted Mansion Holiday, then explored NO Square. What a nice area, the theming is great and it was designed really well. After taking some pics, I headed to Critter Country but did not ride Splash. I did stop by the Pooh area and saw Pooh running away from paparazzi. Then it’s on to Frontierland. I like how BTMRR was just plopped there unlike MK’s which is on the top left corner. I did not ride it but I walked around it and noticed that towards the back they had something called Jingle Jungle Jamboree but I did not explore that area.
After Frontierland it’s on to Fantasyland! Nice to see Dumbo where it’s supposed to be, by the carousel and in the middle of Fantasyland. No Dueling Dumbos here! I rushed to Toad and as I went on it I can’t help but think of all the fun times I had growing up riding our Toad and while this is different it was still a Toad ride. Fantasyland looks nice, it’s clean, the theming is top-notch, and it does not have the “warehouse” environment prevalent at MK.
Next on the menu was Pinocchio, which we don’t have down here and I don’t recall riding it back then. Classic dark ride. I went past the open-air teacups and fell in line for the Alice ride, but as I was about to board they said the ride was down and will be down for about an hour! Boo! Hiss! I had no choice but to leave. I saw that it was about time for my HM Fastpass but I ignored it and instead headed to IASW Holiday.
IASW Holiday is amazing in every sense of the word! I’ve always liked the building, and the fact that you ride outdoors. Once inside the ride, I didn’t mind the Disney and Pixar characters that they integrated, maybe if I grew up riding that version of the ride I’ll be sort of upset, but I think it actually works! The holiday overlay and music were pretty cool and it’s such a treat being able to experience it!
I skipped Toontown and made my way to Tomorrowland and I was gonna try the Finding Nemo Sub ride but there was a line, so I figured I’d chill for a bit and board the monorail. The monorail had plastic seats, it seemed like a ride instead of a transportation system, but I guess it’s historical so it was kept there. I just did the round trip ride. I noticed that the monorail actually goes to the Downtown Disney and it had a stop there and several people boarded it which was a good idea. I heard from a couple people that the Downtown Disney parking ticket machine was down so they parked there for free and took the monorail instead of walking to the park entrance.
Back in Tomorrowland I can’t help but notice the Space Mountain which seemed like an afterthought as it does not have the size and scale of the one at MK. I walked towards the exit and saw the Wreck It Ralph meet and greet area, then checked out the shops. This is also the area where the Captain EO theater exit is located and while I did not try it, the music seemed louder as it can be heard outside. I did not bother with Innoventions, Star Tours, and Astro Orbiter.
With the Fastpass already way past, I figured I’d get something to eat, which is the good part! I noticed good food in NO Square but also, from reading these boards I heard of Bengal Barbecue. I went back to Adventureland, and ordered a Banyan Beef and a Veggie Kabob from Bengal Barbecue and practically inhaled the delicious meal. It is absolutely delicious and I agree with everyone’s reviews of that place! I am a fan! However it was not enough so I went to NO Square and ordered a gumbo in a bread bowl from Royal Street Veranda. I liked how they had a huge sign outdoors touting the gumbo. I haven’t seen anything like that in MK restaurants, imagine if Cosmic’s had a huge sign saying “Try our ribs!” it might disrupt the theming, I dunno, but it works here in NO Square. I sat down and as I partook in the steak gumbo I noticed people gawking at my food and they keep asking where I got it from. The gumbo was good but the ratio of gumbo to sourdough bread was off. I ate the gumbo and I was still left with the entire bowl shell and since there was no more gumbo I just chucked it.
After the satisfying meals I had time for one more ride so I headed to HM where there wasn’t a long line at all. Haunted Mansion Holiday is weird. Different ghost host, different everything. Now I didn’t really like it but that could just be me. I mean it was interesting, but I’m not really a fan of it. I liked how the Doom Buggy area does not have the extreme crowding and it does not have the infamous MK HM scent which is a combination of BO and other nastified scents. Maybe it’s because of the spacing in the loading area.
So before I crossed to DCA, which is literally, a park hop, of course, I explored the cool shops at Main Street including the magic shop, bookstore, and of course the Emporium. I then stopped by the Disneyland Story and watched the Lincoln pre-show which was a Disneyland history flick hosted by Steve Martin, then it was on to DCA!
DCA Trip Report will be on the next part! Stay tuned!
The hotel we stayed at was the antiquated Clarion by Harbor near the convention center. I arrived at the hotel around 9 pm Monday night so with nothing to do I figured I’d walk to Downtown Disney. I assumed the quickest route was to take Katella and then turn right on the main entrance and it was sort of a longish walk. Anyway I got to Downtown Disney and walked around for about 45 minutes. I liked how the Lego store had Beauty and The Beast outside and Aladdin inside. I also made sure to visit World Of Disney, which seemed less chaotic than the one down here, however it didn’t seem like it had a lot of merch. A big plus though for it being sort of orderly even though it was crowded.
Tuesday was the big day. I wore my EPCOT 30 shirt and brought my WDW 40 jacket. I needed to pick up a rental so I walked to the Avis and then picked up the car and drove to Target to pick up “Brave.” I decided that I would just drive and pay for parking so I can experience that as well. I arrived at the Mickey and Friends “parking structure” - don’t call it a parking garage now! - and paid the $15. I ended up at the Mickey level.
The parking trams a.k.a. hayrides were waiting for guests downstairs so I boarded and off we went. It was kind of a long ride but at least I didn’t have to walk. I planned on going to DL first, then have a lunch there, and then hit DCA, spend time there, and back to DL at dark and then once more back to DCA for “World Of Color.” It was a great feeling entering Disneyland. I noticed you don’t have to do the finger thingy but all they did was scan the ticket and I’m in. Main Street looked different as of course, it was smaller there, however I admired the intimacy of it and it does not look overwhelming like in MK. So much history and nostalgia! All the vehicles were in full force that day but I did not hop on. I took pictures of Main Street, and then at the hub had some photos by the “Partners” and with the castle as a backdrop. Speaking of which the castle was decorated for the holidays already and it looked nice and I was told at night it looks like ice too.
First area I went to was NO Square, by way of Adventureland. I went on Pirates, there was only about a 5 minute wait, and it was great! Two drops, extra scenes, this is the definitive version of the ride indeed. I noticed that there was no water smell unlike MK’s Pirates. I also liked the fact that there’s no speedramp when you leave the boat as the boats themselves go up to the unloading area. I then got a fast pass for Haunted Mansion Holiday, then explored NO Square. What a nice area, the theming is great and it was designed really well. After taking some pics, I headed to Critter Country but did not ride Splash. I did stop by the Pooh area and saw Pooh running away from paparazzi. Then it’s on to Frontierland. I like how BTMRR was just plopped there unlike MK’s which is on the top left corner. I did not ride it but I walked around it and noticed that towards the back they had something called Jingle Jungle Jamboree but I did not explore that area.
After Frontierland it’s on to Fantasyland! Nice to see Dumbo where it’s supposed to be, by the carousel and in the middle of Fantasyland. No Dueling Dumbos here! I rushed to Toad and as I went on it I can’t help but think of all the fun times I had growing up riding our Toad and while this is different it was still a Toad ride. Fantasyland looks nice, it’s clean, the theming is top-notch, and it does not have the “warehouse” environment prevalent at MK.
Next on the menu was Pinocchio, which we don’t have down here and I don’t recall riding it back then. Classic dark ride. I went past the open-air teacups and fell in line for the Alice ride, but as I was about to board they said the ride was down and will be down for about an hour! Boo! Hiss! I had no choice but to leave. I saw that it was about time for my HM Fastpass but I ignored it and instead headed to IASW Holiday.
IASW Holiday is amazing in every sense of the word! I’ve always liked the building, and the fact that you ride outdoors. Once inside the ride, I didn’t mind the Disney and Pixar characters that they integrated, maybe if I grew up riding that version of the ride I’ll be sort of upset, but I think it actually works! The holiday overlay and music were pretty cool and it’s such a treat being able to experience it!
I skipped Toontown and made my way to Tomorrowland and I was gonna try the Finding Nemo Sub ride but there was a line, so I figured I’d chill for a bit and board the monorail. The monorail had plastic seats, it seemed like a ride instead of a transportation system, but I guess it’s historical so it was kept there. I just did the round trip ride. I noticed that the monorail actually goes to the Downtown Disney and it had a stop there and several people boarded it which was a good idea. I heard from a couple people that the Downtown Disney parking ticket machine was down so they parked there for free and took the monorail instead of walking to the park entrance.
Back in Tomorrowland I can’t help but notice the Space Mountain which seemed like an afterthought as it does not have the size and scale of the one at MK. I walked towards the exit and saw the Wreck It Ralph meet and greet area, then checked out the shops. This is also the area where the Captain EO theater exit is located and while I did not try it, the music seemed louder as it can be heard outside. I did not bother with Innoventions, Star Tours, and Astro Orbiter.
With the Fastpass already way past, I figured I’d get something to eat, which is the good part! I noticed good food in NO Square but also, from reading these boards I heard of Bengal Barbecue. I went back to Adventureland, and ordered a Banyan Beef and a Veggie Kabob from Bengal Barbecue and practically inhaled the delicious meal. It is absolutely delicious and I agree with everyone’s reviews of that place! I am a fan! However it was not enough so I went to NO Square and ordered a gumbo in a bread bowl from Royal Street Veranda. I liked how they had a huge sign outdoors touting the gumbo. I haven’t seen anything like that in MK restaurants, imagine if Cosmic’s had a huge sign saying “Try our ribs!” it might disrupt the theming, I dunno, but it works here in NO Square. I sat down and as I partook in the steak gumbo I noticed people gawking at my food and they keep asking where I got it from. The gumbo was good but the ratio of gumbo to sourdough bread was off. I ate the gumbo and I was still left with the entire bowl shell and since there was no more gumbo I just chucked it.
After the satisfying meals I had time for one more ride so I headed to HM where there wasn’t a long line at all. Haunted Mansion Holiday is weird. Different ghost host, different everything. Now I didn’t really like it but that could just be me. I mean it was interesting, but I’m not really a fan of it. I liked how the Doom Buggy area does not have the extreme crowding and it does not have the infamous MK HM scent which is a combination of BO and other nastified scents. Maybe it’s because of the spacing in the loading area.
So before I crossed to DCA, which is literally, a park hop, of course, I explored the cool shops at Main Street including the magic shop, bookstore, and of course the Emporium. I then stopped by the Disneyland Story and watched the Lincoln pre-show which was a Disneyland history flick hosted by Steve Martin, then it was on to DCA!
DCA Trip Report will be on the next part! Stay tuned!
