Disneylanders/ Californians meet-up

Californian Elitist

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
I admit to rarely visiting the DLR forum these days... in the past, I'd come by whenever I logged onto WDWMagic but hardly see any regular activity, so I started checking in much less frequently. But it does look like there is more activity here now, which is good to see.

That seems to be due in no small part to the large number of posters here who have literally no experience with any Disney parks other than the ones in WDW. It always surprises me to find out how many forum regulars have never been to DL, let alone one of the international parks.

And I'm not talking about a 16-year-old who might not have had the opportunity yet to travel extensively, but the large numbers of 30- and 40-somethings who have been visiting WDW for decades, are in the parks five or six days a week (and can insta-Tweet hourly updates on the length of the queue for Dole Whips), yet have no apparent inclination to get on a plane to check out the park that started it all.

To be fair, this is a WDW centered site. I think one can expect only a handful that post Disneyland news, updates, etc. The same thing happens on MiceChat, which is primarily a Disneyland site. The WDW section barely gets any posts. Nothing wrong with that. I like the small group here. It's like our own club and I like that we can keep each other updated and even possibly hang out in September.

I'm not surprised at all that a lot of WDW vets don't even think twice about visiting DL. "It's so much smaller!" "Sleeping Beauty's castle looks like a miniature golf figurine." "Why go to California when we've got twice as many parks, water parks, golf courses, etc?" "There's no bubble around Disneyland and I can see a freeway and some hotels from the Monorail!" (this complaint is my favorite) I've even heard "quantity over quality". I've seen countless people bash Disneyland, for no apparent reason, and they've never even been. Too bad, too sad because they're the ones missing out on the only park Walt Disney designed, built, lived in and walked in. And they call themselves Disney fans. That also means less of a wait for Indy, Space and RSR for me and the other locals.

In Disneyland's opening speech, Walt Disney said "Disneyland is your land" and the western part of this country has really taken that to heart, IMO. There's a great sense of ownership of the park and pride in Disneyland fans and I'm glad to be one of them. Sucks for those who don't want to see it.
 

WDW1974

Well-Known Member
I love the DLR and wish I still lived within an hour's drive. I'm very much looking forward to seeing all the new things in DCA when I'm back in LA for some much-needed R&R in September -- part of me is almost as excited to get back in the Bobsleds again as it is to try out RSR!
biggrin.gif

Me too. I've heard complaints on the new sleds, but being a rather small Spirit (height more than weight unfortunately!) I've never had issues and can't imagine having them on these tighter ones. ... And, believe me, I greatly miss having a second residence in 90210 and being able to get down there in 50 minutes on good days (and back in 30 at 2 a.m. with all those empty lanes of asphault!)


I admit to rarely visiting the DLR forum these days... in the past, I'd come by whenever I logged onto WDWMagic but hardly see any regular activity, so I started checking in much less frequently. But it does look like there is more activity here now, which is good to see.

I can't say I was ever regularly here, but I pop into almost all park/resort boards. It does seem when a DLR news item pops, it winds up getting all the attention when placed in the WDW News and Rumors board ...


That seems to be due in no small part to the large number of posters here who have literally no experience with any Disney parks other than the ones in WDW. It always surprises me to find out how many forum regulars have never been to DL, let alone one of the international parks.

And I'm not talking about a 16-year-old who might not have had the opportunity yet to travel extensively, but the large numbers of 30- and 40-somethings who have been visiting WDW for decades, are in the parks five or six days a week (and can insta-Tweet hourly updates on the length of the queue for Dole Whips), yet have no apparent inclination to get on a plane to check out the park that started it all.

I still remember vividly my first DL visit as a high schooler. I'd already been to WDW many times and really enjoyed it, and it just seemed natural that someone who loved WDW would have an innate desire to check out the park in Anaheim -- especially since it had that nifty snow-covered mountain that was missing in Florida! I saved up for a long time to pay for my own park ticket and the cost of souvenirs, but it was well worth it.

Sure, plane tickets are expensive, but so is going to WDW day in and day out and dropping untold thousands on QS snacks and pins over the years. With a little digging around, one can usually find roundtrip airfare between the East Coast and Southern California for less than the cost of a single night in an AoA suite...

I have issues with fans who say they are Disney fans, but mean that to say WDW fans. They visit WDW 24 times (always staying on property and spending absurd sums of money) but haven't made it out to DLR. Those folks grate on me. That's not like living in FLA ... or only going a couple of times.

But again, I am park royalty having been to every park Disney has! (Imiss the old king smiley we used to have here!)
 

Maryssa*

Well-Known Member
Yeah I originally found this forum looking for WDW stuff not DL :x I grew up going to WDW and have still been there more times than DLR even though I moved to Cali in '03!
 

Kuhio

Well-Known Member
But again, I am park royalty having been to every park Disney has! (Imiss the old king smiley we used to have here!)

You mean this one, "your Majesty"?
crown.gif


Here, take one of these as well -- handy for responding to trolls!
341737r84u7cndtx.gif


And if visiting every Disney park makes one "park royalty," I guess I'm park royalty too.
crown.gif
hurray.gif


(Not only that, I was crowned before you were!
wave.gif
yelrotflmao.gif
)

OK... gonna stop now... smiley overload!
 

Kuhio

Well-Known Member
Speaking of places to eat, have people here been to the Tam O'Shanter in Glendale?

I'd wanted to go for years because of the history with Walt Disney and the studios... finally got around to it earlier this year.

I didn't have extremely high expectations for the food, but the prime rib I had was delicious, as were the creamed corn and creamed spinach. I'd love to go back and try some of their other stuff, especially the Yorkshire pudding.
 

WDW1974

Well-Known Member
I haven't been to Farmer's Market in a while and I want to go badly. Or even Andre's. Spirit, have you been to Andre's Restaurant in LA?

I never miss the Farmer's Market ... hell, there were times I would walk there when I lived in 90210. Love the Grove.

Nope on Andre's.
 

WDW1974

Well-Known Member
You mean this one, "your Majesty"?
crown.gif


Here, take one of these as well -- handy for responding to trolls!
341737r84u7cndtx.gif


And if visiting every Disney park makes one "park royalty," I guess I'm park royalty too.
crown.gif
hurray.gif


(Not only that, I was crowned before you were!
wave.gif
yelrotflmao.gif
)

OK... gonna stop now... smiley overload!

Yeah ... my old
crown.gif
crown.gif
crown.gif
... how I miss them.

And actually, if you visit every Disney Park you are considered to be Fanboi Royalty (not parks royalty, typed that when half asleep) ... My brother (also Fanboi Royalty) hates this term, although he is not as big a fan of the parks as I have. He's just somehow managed to visit all of them ... and have APs for all except Tokyo from time to time!
crown.gif
 

WDW1974

Well-Known Member
Speaking of places to eat, have people here been to the Tam O'Shanter in Glendale?

I'd wanted to go for years because of the history with Walt Disney and the studios... finally got around to it earlier this year.

I didn't have extremely high expectations for the food, but the prime rib I had was delicious, as were the creamed corn and creamed spinach. I'd love to go back and try some of their other stuff, especially the Yorkshire pudding.

No. Always wanted to go.

Had plans at least 2-3 times to go (once with a celeb Imagineer who suddenly decided he wanted Wolfgang Puck's pizza at City Walk instead!!!)

But it's a place I really want to go to.
 

Walt Disney1955

Well-Known Member
As a WDW vet I didn't really think about travelling to Disneyland until our last trip in March 2010. After that trip I said to my wife that after we go to the Dominican, let's try and save for Southern California. Lots to see there and there is Disneyland of course. We had planned to have our son soon, but wouldn't start trying until the summer. What are the odds that my wife would be pregnant in September? Well, she was two months by then, so we had to postpone the trip. Now my son is 16 months and that elusive trip for just the two of us is on the horizon in a month.

I couldn't understand why someone who loves Disney would not want to visit the sister parks. WDW is grand, like nothing you will ever see and it morphs you into another world but at the same time there seems to be a charm of Disneyland that lures me. On paper Disneyland looks to be the better park compared to the Magic Kingdom. Those Fantasyland rides alone will be something unique since they differ from MK's. California is a long ways away from Toronto (1 hr. from me) so there might not be a lot of opportunity for me to get back, who knows? But I wanted to experience the original park at least once and for the life of me I can't understand on either side of the fence why someone wouldn't want to visit each coast.
 

Mukta

Well-Known Member
As a WDW vet I didn't really think about travelling to Disneyland until our last trip in March 2010. After that trip I said to my wife that after we go to the Dominican, let's try and save for Southern California. Lots to see there and there is Disneyland of course. We had planned to have our son soon, but wouldn't start trying until the summer. What are the odds that my wife would be pregnant in September? Well, she was two months by then, so we had to postpone the trip. Now my son is 16 months and that elusive trip for just the two of us is on the horizon in a month.

I couldn't understand why someone who loves Disney would not want to visit the sister parks. WDW is grand, like nothing you will ever see and it morphs you into another world but at the same time there seems to be a charm of Disneyland that lures me. On paper Disneyland looks to be the better park compared to the Magic Kingdom. Those Fantasyland rides alone will be something unique since they differ from MK's. California is a long ways away from Toronto (1 hr. from me) so there might not be a lot of opportunity for me to get back, who knows? But I wanted to experience the original park at least once and for the life of me I can't understand on either side of the fence why someone wouldn't want to visit each coast.

I hope you enjoy it. I certainly love WDW too, but my home park really is something special. The details, live performances and plethora of rides means that I prefer DL over the MK.
 

SirNim

Well-Known Member
My brother (he's a bit of a lurker on this site) and I just moved to Glendale. This is something he might be interested in, I'll have to ask him. :)

And yeah, we're right up the road from the "Tam." Really cool place, looks like a scaled-up Toad Hall inside and out. In fact, that's the dish I got. "Toad in the Hole" lol. Some awesome memorabilia on the walls too.
 

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