Trip Report **COMPLETED** Welcome to Radiator Springs!

Hey everyone!
I never wrote a pre-trip report so aside from my instagram friends not sure if anyone even knows I went on another trip :)

Who?
The usual suspects - my Mom (Mary) and me (Megan)
This is a picture of us from our last trip!
IMG_7635.JPG


Where?
California!!! Woohoo!! San Diego and DisneyLAND!!! Disneyland Hotel was where we stayed :)
DSC_0870.JPG


When?
Total trip length was October 4-14, 2018

Why?
I had a work conference in San Diego and we figured - hey while we are in California why not go to Disneyland as well??? When you are a Disney addict anyway...:hilarious:

October 4-7, 2018 were all San Diego
I won't bore you with San Diego pictures but I figured I would at least include our usual travel date pictures - oh and a picture of us with the Grand Floridian ?? Just kidding its Hotel del Coronado :joyfull:
DSC_0652.JPG

DSC_0654.JPG

IMG_8898.JPG

Anyway...on to the actual TR!

Disneyland Day 1 October 8, 2018
We spent our morning in San Diego having some breakfast, walking around the water and riding some scooters :)
Then, we packed up our 4 suitcases (come on...is anyone surprised we have 4) and grabbed a taxi to the...train station! Yep, we were taking a train from San Diego to Anaheim! My Mom was very excited and I was just nervous because we had never taken one before and I wasn't sure how it all worked :)
Our taxi ride was eventful as our luggage almost fell out the window and the guy dropped us off way far away from the station :joyfull:
Then, we walked into the station with all our luggage and I freaked out that our luggage was too big. Thankfully, an Amtrak employee saw the distressed looks on our faces and checked our luggage with no problems! P.S. we were the only ones who checked our bags on the entire train :facepalm:
The San Diego downtown train station is really cool inside (if not a bit dingy as well).
DSC_0810.JPG

A light photo for all of you...
DSC_0813.JPG

Some more train station photos
IMG_8849.JPG

IMG_8850.JPG

IMG_8852.JPG


Next up: more train station photos
 

Doc Disney

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Look at your first fountain pic without your mom
On the ground is a plate that if you step on it that instrument in the fountain plays for you

Max

Noooo we missed it!!!

The chills you got from the ride in the fire truck iare the same I get when I walk out of DL and look up at the apartment above the firehouse
Especially at night when you can better see the light in the window

Max

That gives me chills too!!
 

Doc Disney

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Day 5 continued
After our swim we decided to head back to DL because we had some FPs
We wanted to make sure we took a full train trip so we headed there first
IMG_9356.JPG

DSC_0065.JPG

DSC_0069.JPG

DSC_0071.JPG

IMG_9357.JPG
DSC_0070.JPG

DSC_0072.JPG

Then we headed to Indiana Jones for our next FP. We got ALL the way to the front - as in next to load - when the ride shut down.
IMG_9360.JPG

I just assumed we would stand there for a bit but nope....they were emptying the entire ride. If any of you have ever ridden this ride you know that the que is VERY long and we were in the front so it took forever to get out of there. Plus we were told to turn around but no one else was so everyone had to pass the message along the way but no one really believed anyone else. It was a mess.
IMG_9361.JPG

IMG_9363.JPG

Finally we got out of there and got a bonus FP added to our tickets to use at DL for the rest of the day. Only it was a Halloween party night so the "rest of the day" was like an hour :joyfull:

Next up: more DL
 
Last edited:

Doc Disney

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Day 5 continued
We actually had a FP for Buzz so we headed there next
IMG_9364.JPG

DSC_0079.JPG

We considered using our bonus FP on Space Mountain but the line was long and we were getting a bit pressed for time so we rode Buzz for the second time :)
It was closing in on 6 so we headed out of the park.
IMG_9355.JPG

82653174.jpeg

82653240.jpeg

82652652.jpeg

Then, we headed over to DCA for one more FP. Guardians of the Galaxy at night! After 4 pm it turns into a different ride with a much darker theme about monsters. It was cool to see how even the inside was so different and so was Rocket's part in the holding room. I tried to take pictures but it was super dark so I could not get any except for this terrible Rocket picture :(
IMG_9366.JPG

The ride was super fun (still, yet, again?)
82677049.jpeg

I was super bummed about not getting us Halloween tickets for this night too. We picked the other day since it was a Tuesday and I figured it would be less crowded (and it was). However, I kept kicking myself (not literally) for not just buying both days so we could enjoy it twice. This day the party sold out the week the tickets came out. At one point I did go to the Disneyland Hotel desk to ask if they had tickets because I read they sometimes keep tickets on hold but they did not have any. Anyway, the whole point of this ramble is that when we got off Guardians it was pouring! So, I guess things do happen for a reason :) It would have been a miserable and cold party!
Since it was raining it took us forever to get back to the hotel. We made a dining reservation at the hotel for this night since we knew it would be super crowded at DCA because of the Halloween party. We got back with just enough time to change and pop over to Goofy's Kitchen!
IMG_9369.JPG

IMG_9370.JPG


Next up: dinner!
 

Doc Disney

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Day 5 continued
After checking in (and paying right away which is kind of nice) we got in line for the PP picture. It was a slow line and I worried we would miss our name but we made it through before they called us. When it was our turn the PP CM said to me : weren't you guys already here (in a super nasty tone). I said no - super confused - and all she said was oh and shoved me over to Mickey.
IMG_9389.JPG

When we first got our picture I had my app ready to scan and she said they don't accept PP you can only buy the pictures (again in a very not nice tone). I felt like a. that information would have been helpful to know because I would have asked them to take one with my phone and b. why did I just wait 20 minutes for this so I could get yelled at? However, later when they came around with the photo to buy the guy said that because I had Max Pass I could have it. Another case of one CM saying one thing and another something else :banghead:
I feel like I was getting a bit grumpy at this point. That whole PP encounter was a bummer and we waited well over 30 minutes for our table. It all turned around pretty quickly though as the CM who sat us was very sweet and our waitress was great too!
The lighting was kind of weird in there and we rushed the pictures a bit so I apologize they are not high quality/half of them are blurry :joyfull:
DSC_0086.JPG
DSC_0087.JPG
DSC_0088.JPG

Pluto was up first
DSC_0089.JPG

DSC_0090.JPG

Then we grabbed some food:
chicken, salad, mashed potatoes, ribs
DSC_0091.JPG

chicken nuggets, pizza, mac and cheese, spaghetti, chips and salsa
DSC_0093.JPG

DSC_0094.JPG

Then Dale came around
DSC_0096.JPG

The characters were actually quite playful which was nice!

Next up: more dinner
 

Doc Disney

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Day 5
I thought the food was pretty good and they had a ton of options. Probably more than Chef Mickey's which is essentially the same restaurant. As many options as they had for food, though, they had almost the same amount of dessert options! So many!!!
DSC_0105.JPG

DSC_0111.JPG

DSC_0112.JPG

Chip came by next
DSC_0114.JPG
DSC_0115.JPG
DSC_0116.JPG
DSC_0117.JPG

Then we waited...and waited...and waited for Goofy. He would walk by us and several other tables many times but never stopped.
Pluto stopped by again - I asked him where Goofy was :joyfull:
IMG_9374.JPG

IMG_9375.JPG


Next up: finishing dinner
 

Doc Disney

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Day 5 continued
Eventually most of the tables around us gave up on Goofy. I was being a bit stubborn about it and I wanted to see Goofy since it was his restaurant. :hilarious::hilarious:
A CM was walking around trying to get everyone out since it was closing soon and I told her we did not see Goofy yet. She said he is "very busy" in the kitchen and Max is causing trouble at home :joyfull::joyfull: She did assure us he would come over though.
And...he did!
DSC_0118.JPG

DSC_0119.JPG

We did actually have a FP for RSR but we were at Goofy's Kitchen much longer than anticipated and it was cold and raining so we decided to just go to bed instead.
But first I made us model for IG :joyfull::joyfull::joyfull:
IMG_9381.JPG

IMG_9383.JPG


Next up: a very rainy last day :confused:
 

Cetta

Well-Known Member
I have been enjoying your trip. I have always wanted to go to DL, like you said its more nostalgic since Walt has actually been there and rode things. I have been searching high and low for a backpack for our trip back to WDW in January....I love your moms, where did she get it? I am hoping not at the park so I can buy it before our trip! Thank you!
 

MerMom1981

Well-Known Member
My main goal was to hit up every ride in Fantasyland that we don't have in WDW

SAME! Did you guys have a favorite DL Fantasyland attraction?
We'll only have one day at DL and one at DCA, so I want to have realistic goals. I know we won't have time to do and see everything, but what do you think shouldn't be missed?
 

Doc Disney

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
I have been enjoying your trip. I have always wanted to go to DL, like you said its more nostalgic since Walt has actually been there and rode things. I have been searching high and low for a backpack for our trip back to WDW in January....I love your moms, where did she get it? I am hoping not at the park so I can buy it before our trip! Thank you!

Thank you for reading! I got it for her from amazon :) Its a jansport backpack

SAME! Did you guys have a favorite DL Fantasyland attraction?
We'll only have one day at DL and one at DCA, so I want to have realistic goals. I know we won't have time to do and see everything, but what do you think shouldn't be missed?

Alice in Wonderland I think is mine. My Mom said hers is the Storybook Land Canal Boats :) I think both of those are super unique compared to WDW
 

amjt660

Premium Member
Thank you for reading! I got it for her from amazon :) Its a jansport backpack



Alice in Wonderland I think is mine. My Mom said hers is the Storybook Land Canal Boats :) I think both of those are super unique compared to WDW
Agree on Alice and Storybook
Add in Mr Toad, Snow White and Pinocchio ( not in Florida)
Skip PP but go on small world to see the integrated Disney Characters

And that is just FL!!

Max
 

Doc Disney

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Day 6 October 13, 2018
We got up and ready and headed out the door into...rain. I thought it never rained in California o_O:rolleyes:
We didn't even pack most of our rain stuff! We went right back inside to put sneakers on so we did not fall because Disneyland is not made for the rain. Anyway we finally hopped on the monorail to Disneyland figuring that would be the better bet in the rain. However, I read online that RSR does not typically close in the rain so we popped over there as fast as we could.
But.....we ran right into a wall of CMs indicating that the ride was closed :cry::cry::cry::cry:
So, we took some pictures instead.
DSC_0136.JPG

DSC_0137.JPG

DSC_0138.JPG

DSC_0139.JPG

IMG_9391.JPG

file 5.jpg
file 8.jpg

I'm light on photos this whole day because of the rain but we did ride Mater which was interestingly open in the rain.
Then we headed to Flo's V8 Cafe for breakfast. We both got waffles...
DSC_0123.JPG

They were soggy...just like the outside :joyfull::hilarious:
There was really no sign of the rain stopping so we decided to ride Guardians of the Galaxy which was only a 20 minute wait.
IMG_9398.JPG

IMG_9397.JPG


Next up...more rain
 

Doc Disney

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Day 6 continued
82719217.jpeg

Then we did Monsters Inc
IMG_9400.JPG

IMG_9402.JPG

Then, since it was pouring and it was close, we headed to see the Nutcracker preview. It looks really good I think I will see it (but maybe on DVD).
IMG_9403.JPG

I made us a FP for TSM so we headed there next.
IMG_9404.JPG

It was very much so a slow pass and we waited over 20 minutes for it but thats OK…we weren’t in a hurry with the rain anyway. It was our first time riding this in DL - it was just the same and just as fun!
IMG_9405.JPG

IMG_9407.JPG
IMG_9408.JPG

IMG_9409.JPG


Next up: a few more TSM pictures
 

Doc Disney

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Day 6 continued
The exit of TSM is set up super cute!
IMG_9411.JPG

IMG_9412.JPG

IMG_9413.JPG

The rain had lightened up a bit so we headed to see if RSR was open yet
IMG_9414.JPG

IMG_9415.JPG

It....wasn't....:cry:
82730622.jpeg

82730609.jpeg

We had kind of run out of things to do in the rain so we decided to head out for lunch. The only good news was I collected quite a few FPs along the way.
We decided upon Splitsville for lunch! We were seated outside…
DSC_0143.JPG

DSC_0144.JPG

There were heaters at least :joyfull::joyfull::hilarious:

Next up: more lunch
 

Register on WDWMAGIC. This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.

Back
Top Bottom