Trip Report From East to West … Two Besties Tackle Disneyland (LIVE 2/20-2/26)

It’s been a long 22 months. It’s been the best of times, and the worst of times. And it was during one of those “worst of times” that the promise of this trip began.

I remember the moment exactly. Me, bawling in a supermarket parking lot, just completely and totally overwhelmed by lockdown after lockdown after lockdown, and my Bestie @NYwdwfan promising that we will make this trip happen.

And here we are. Exactly 5 weeks out, God willing.

So much has happened since my last live trip report … not all COVID-related. Some gains - a brand new hip, and a puppy that is the light of our lives. Some losses - our 2020 WDW trip, and 50 lbs.

Here are the 5 W’s:

Who?
Me - JenniferS - Canadian, huge Blue Jays fan. After almost 2 years of spending every second together, I’ll be travelling without my usual ride or die Mike … aka Hubby.
I have been to WDW more than a dozen times, starting in 1991.

I will let Bestie introduce herself.
Ideally this will be a tandem trip report, with regular input and photos from her as well.

What?
A first time visit (for both of us!) to the OG park. We will cry the first time we walk down MSUSA. Guaranteed!

We have 5 day ParkHopper passes, and plan on utilizing both Genie+ and ILL,

Where?
Disney’s Grand Californian Resort and Spa. I’m a Moderate girl, whereas Bestie has often stayed Deluxe at WDW.

When?
We arrive at LAX within 20 minutes of each other on Sunday, February 20th.
Park Days: 21st - starting at DL
22nd - starting at DCA
23rd - starting at DL
24th - starting at DCA
25th - starting at DL
26th - morning departures from LAX

Why?
Why not? Our original plan was to stay off-site, but an email discount code for GC was just too attractive to pass up.

If you’ve read any of my previous reports, you know I post live. Mike has always been a good sport about it. Hopefully Bestie will be equally accommodating.

We will eat well (oh boy, will we eat well), hit most of the rides (together and separately, because someone doesn’t like big drops or going boing boing), and will savour every second of our time together. It has incredibly been 3 years since we have seen one another in person.

I’ll share our dining plans in a separate post.

Me, ‘cause it’s been a long time!
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Mikey. Says he’s not sorry to have been excluded:
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And Daisy, the best thing to come out of all this COVID carp:
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erstwo

Well-Known Member
Very excited to read your trip report! I will be there exactly one week before y’all on President’s Day Weekend. I have been obsessively checking the wait times all day today and yesterday trying to judge how crowded it will be on a holiday weekend!
I’m an East coast-er as well (but much more southern east coast! :)) and haven’t been inside a DL park since 2015 or 2016 (whichever year DL turned 60!) so I don’t remember a ton, but I remember enough to know you are going to love your time there!
 

erstwo

Well-Known Member
DLR turned 60 in 2015 but the celebration spilled over into 2016 so it could have been either year

(we went in 2016 to celebrate)

Max
I had to go back through my photos but I figured it out. It was 2015! June 4, 2015 to be exact! I hope I’m attaching this correctly.

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(Both of the kids are taller than me now - yikes! Feels like yesterday but - Time flies!)
I just remember how calm DL was compared to WDW.
 

NYwdwfan

Well-Known Member
Very excited to read your trip report! I will be there exactly one week before y’all on President’s Day Weekend. I have been obsessively checking the wait times all day today and yesterday trying to judge how crowded it will be on a holiday weekend!
I’m an East coast-er as well (but much more southern east coast! :)) and haven’t been inside a DL park since 2015 or 2016 (whichever year DL turned 60!) so I don’t remember a ton, but I remember enough to know you are going to love your time there!
Have a great trip - and let us know if you have any last minute tips!
 

JenniferS

When you're the leader, you don't have to follow.
Original Poster
Great start

Cafe Orleans was a bad experience for me in Nov 2019 - hope yours is better

Following along your visit to my favorite resort

Max
May I ask what made it a negative experience? Was it the service or the actual food?

Any QS restaurants that you found to be either really good or really meh? As Sheryl has already intimated, I watch a lot of YouTube vloggers, but there don’t seem to be as many of them in DL as compared to WDW.

I’ve been Keto for more than a year, so I’ll be eating a lot of meat and salad, but I took this screenshot from a YT video. THIS looks amazing.

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JenniferS

When you're the leader, you don't have to follow.
Original Poster
Very excited to read your trip report! I will be there exactly one week before y’all on President’s Day Weekend. I have been obsessively checking the wait times all day today and yesterday trying to judge how crowded it will be on a holiday weekend!
I’m an East coast-er as well (but much more southern east coast! :)) and haven’t been inside a DL park since 2015 or 2016 (whichever year DL turned 60!) so I don’t remember a ton, but I remember enough to know you are going to love your time there!
We arrive on the 20th. What day do you depart?
 

JenniferS

When you're the leader, you don't have to follow.
Original Poster
We leave the 20th! Will just miss you - so sorry I mixed up the dates! I am on a different trip Feb 11-13 and I keep thinking that's the dates of President's Day weekend/ the dates I'll be in Disneyland (I'm wishing my DL time would arrive earlier I guess! 😂 )
If it makes you feel any better, as a Canadian, I have NO IDEA when President’s Day falls. 😂
 

JenniferS

When you're the leader, you don't have to follow.
Original Poster
My favorites from a few months ago were Ronto Roasters for breakfast, Smokejumpers Grill, and Jolly Holiday Cafe (if they still have the roja chicken sandwich 😋)

Looking forward to your report! I remember enjoying your TRs in the past!
I’ve had the Ronto Roasters breakfast wrap at WDW. Agreed, it was very good.

This is new at Jolly Holiday. I saw Janelle and Migvee (Magic Journeys) sample this the other day. It looked so good. Right up Bestie’s alley. Hopefully she tries this for us.
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I can have any of the burgers or sandwiches offered at Smokejumpers or Jolly Holiday provided I don’t eat the bun, and Bestie eats the fries or onion rings. I know she loves onion rings, so I don’t think I’ll have to twist her arm too hard.
 
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amjt660

Well-Known Member
May I ask what made it a negative experience? Was it the service or the actual food?
Combination of both

DW has food allergies ( dairy, corn, gluten) - the server did not respond well to inquires - seemed annoyed - and then the food was not that great - even mine - I will try to go back my tr to see if I can get some specifics

Stay tuned

from my TR in 2019

Our dinner you ask?
Worst ever at a Disney park
Poor service ( slow, annoyed that we have dairy allergies)
The food was terrible - my so called cooked carrots were rock hard
Never again



Sorry - not much more detail than I already wrote above!!

Max
 
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NYwdwfan

Well-Known Member
One small warning, friends. I don’t drink. At all.

Hopefully Bestie will indulge y’all by ordering a different fancy drink each evening. You’re definitely going to get bored of seeing ice water with lemon at every meal if she doesn’t.
I shall be happy to oblige! I’m not a huge drinker either but one with dinner on a vacation where I don’t need to keep track of anyone but myself sounds pretty fantastic.
I’ve had the Ronto Roasters breakfast wrap at WDW. Agreed, it was very good.

This is new at Jolly Holiday. I saw Janelle and Migvee (Magic Journeys) sample this the other day. It looked so good. Right up Bestie’s alley. Hopefully she tries this for us.
View attachment 614796
View attachment 614808
View attachment 614809

I can have any of the burgers or sandwiches offered at Smokejumpers or Jolly Holiday provided I don’t eat the bun, and Bestie eats the fries or onion rings. I know she loves onion rings, so I don’t think I’ll have to twist her arm too hard.
I’m all over the creme brulee. If it’s on the menu anywhere, I am ordering it. And I like the onion rings plan!
Combination of both

DW has food allergies ( dairy, corn, gluten) - the server did not respond well to inquires - seemed annoyed - and then the food was not that great - even mine - I will try to go back my tr to see if I can get some specifics

Stay tuned

from my TR in 2019

Our dinner you ask?
Worst ever at a Disney park
Poor service ( slow, annoyed that we have dairy allergies)
The food was terrible - my so called cooked carrots were rock hard
Never again



Sorry - not much more detail than I already wrote above!!

Max
Note to self: no cooked carrots
 

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