Trip Report Solo: A Disneyland Story - My first trip by myself!

Alright, I won't get too into it, but there's been a lot of rough stuff in my life the last several years. Depression, anxiety, family member deaths, family members battling (and surviving) cancer, issues with school. A bunch of stuff.

But, I'm graduating soon. I have, with plenty of therapy and counseling, gotten too a very liveable and manageable point with my mental health. Family member health is stable and safe.

Life was dark for a while, but I've made it out the other end and things are looking bright.

After saving up for about a year, I've finally got to the point where I can take my dream solo trip to Disneyland! My first time since 2005 when I was nine years old.

It's gonna be a real budget trip, but I'm so excited! I made it work and I can do it!

I'm in the airport now ready to fly across the country!

Today is a travel day, then I have four park days, then a travel day to take me back home!

1547978232374-2055139032.jpg


Next time I see the sun, I'm be in the air!
 
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Pi on my Cake

Pi on my Cake

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
In the Parks
Yes
TheOriginalTiki said:
Can't wait to hear your thoughts on Mr. Lincoln! Congrats on cracking out the entire park in a day. That's no small feat. I'm assuming you're going to save DCA for tomorrow?
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Loved Mr. Lincoln! A lot more similarities to American Adventure than I expected. But it had such a charming, intimate feel. Plus all the warm, fuzzy America feelings I was hoping for.

And no DCA tonight. A few ride redos. No park hopper.


When I get back to the hotel tonight, I'm gonna go through through a bunch of rides that are in both parks and compare. I probably won't do every ride, just ones I feel like I have something to say. And a quick overview of how we were able to do everything.

If there's any specific rides people want to hear about, let me know!
 
D Hulk

D Hulk

Well-Known Member
What a kooky night!

Somehow, rather than going straight home I wound up at Trader Sam’s instead. You know how these things go. Then this 50-year-old plutocrat buys everyone in the place free shots because it’s his wife’s 21st birthday. Uhhh...there’s a story there!

And then the teamster next to me gets all excited. It turns out he got evicted today, and he learned this from his landlord while in Disneyland of all places. Yikes! I was a sympathetic ear for a while. This poor guy was immensely drunk, and eventually he reached the “let’s start a fight” phase right around the time I paid my tab and left.

Also, Pi ‘n’ I rode nearly every ride in Disneyland today! (No teacups, Dumbo, Storybook Canal Boats.)
 
Pi on my Cake

Pi on my Cake

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
In the Parks
Yes
Day One Recap

Alright, so here's how we did the day. It was really low crowds, so we were able to do a ton of stuff without ever rushing or pushing or anything.

  • Overslept a bit because my hotel room's clock was set with AM and PM backwards (I was using the hotels clock instead of my phone because deep down I'm a 75 year old man)
  • Still made it to meet up with @D Hindley next to the partners statue a few minutes before rope drop.
  • Rope dropped Peter Pan and got on with only about a five minute wait. Loved it of course. Riding this really shines a light on how desperately Florida needs a similar effects upgrade
  • Followed that up with Alice, MR.Toad, Snow White, and Pinocchio.
  • Alice was incredible and the new effects blend seemlessly with the old. Perhaps my favorite of the Fantasyland Dark rides.
  • Mr. Toad is a lot of fun and its amazing to me how simple and small it is while still being so effective. Not much in it is any more high-tech or special than a regular State Fair haunted house, and yet they created such a great ride with it!
  • Snow White was great, loved that one back when it was in Florida. I think the Florida version was better going from dungeon to woods to cottage to mine to finale. Whereas California went mines to cottage to dungeon to woods to finale. Basically the same scenes, but I think the order flowed better in the Florida version rather than this one.
  • Pinocchio was good. Probably my least favorite of the bunch. But still a great ride. You can really tell this one was made later than a lot of the others just by how much underutilized space there is compared to Toad and Pan and all where every single inch is covered and walls feel always withing arms reach.
  • We then went over to single rider Matterhorn. Loved it so much! One of my favorite exclusives. Did the Tomorrowland side.
  • Then we picked up fastpasses for Star Tours and single ridered Space Mountain. As a Florida native, it was really nice to be able to ride space mountain without feeling like the whole thing could collapse at any moment. And the better effects are nice. The bigger, more open dome in Florida gives it more of a feel of going through space though. This one felt kinda cramped comparatively. But the better effects helped make up for it.
  • Picked up Buzz fastpasses on our way to star Tours. I swear I have some kind of curse on me that I always get the jar jar Binks ending.
  • Then Buzz, lot better than Florida. Nicer effects, more figures, better visuals, nicer guns.
  • Early lunch right at noon at Plaza Inn because I skipped breakfast. The fried chicken is southerner approved.
  • Again, everything I've said so far was done by noon.
  • Next step was picking up Indiana Jones fast passes.
  • Then Jungle Cruise. Missing some stuff from the Florida version. And scenes are more cramped together. But the lack of breathing room also means a lack of empty space which helps make it feel more alive.
  • This is a common difference between Disneyland and Disney World. Disneyland is smaller and lacks breathing room, which means there's no empty space amd every inch has something. There's plusses and minuses to this, but it does make things like Jungle Cruise feel more alive.
  • Then we did Pirates. An amazing ride. Love the Barker bird and the bayou and the extended cave scenes. Still think I prefer WDW version. I'll go more in depth at some point. But I think they are both titans as far as theme park rides go.
  • Next was Haunted Mansion. Kinda really liked the queue. Outside and in. And hatbox ghost is amazing. Though this another one where WDW wins in my book.
  • Them Splash Mountain. It moves a lot faster than Florida. Florida is a slow moving boat ride with drops that give it speed. In Cali it never really slowed that much. It made the dark ride portions a lot less enjoyable. But the ride itself was more fun and kept the energy consistent throughout. So, I'm not sure what id count as the better experience over all
  • Then Pooh. I think the rustic outside queue/loading area is amazing. Really plussed the whole experience. Too bad the ride itself just didn't have half the scenes from florida. And tended to shorten the scenes it did have.
  • Then Indy. Absolutely loved it! Lives up to the hype! Is it my imagination or does it move faster than Dinosaur? Like, it felt almost like a rollercoaster at times! Plus, the amazing queue of course.
  • Dole whips in the tiki room. A classic. I love the fountain in the middle of tiki room. It is so much prettier than whatever that centerpiece in Florida is.
  • Then we picked up thunder mountain fast passes.
  • Next was Casey Jr. Very enjoyable ride. Sat in the very back row facing backwards!
  • Then we did the riverboat. So much more to see on it here compared to florda!
  • Then back to Thunder. It is a shame not having the town showscene, but larger amount of animals scattered about the ride made the mountain feel more alive! Plus the cool dynamite scene.
  • We did submarines at some point earlier. Maybe after space mountain? I'm blanking on when lol. Loved the submarine ride and the gimmick. But horribly uncomfortable to ride.
  • Then we tok the train from New Orleans to toon town.
  • Rode small world holiday. Last day before it goes from refurb I believe. It's weird to me that the water is just the path of the boat and not the whole room flooded. But the smaller boats and less water means smaller, closer scenes.
  • Then Roger rabbit and a quick tour through toon town. Love toon town. Loved Roger rabbit.
  • Autopia (which is light-years above Florida speedway!).
  • Train to main Street. The dinosaurs are amazing and epic and cool. Its like all the good parts of universe of energy without 35 more minutes of Ellen and Bill's B-roll around it
  • Great Moments with Mr Lincoln was inspiring and fantastic.
  • Space and Matterhorn again (Fantasyland side this time, tomorrowland side is better).
  • Then D went off to drink and write reviews.
  • I spent the rest of my time wandering around enjoying details and ducking into shops and back alleys before hopping I Peter Pans queue just before park close for a last ride. Book ends for my day.
  • Leisurely stroll down main Street and McDonald's on way back to my hotel for quick food and sleep because I'm so tired. Rope drop might not happen tomorrow lol
 
Pi on my Cake

Pi on my Cake

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
In the Parks
Yes
D Hindley said:
What a kooky night!

Somehow, rather than going straight home I wound up at Trader Sam’s instead. You know how these things go. Then this 50-year-old plutocrat buys everyone in the place free shots because it’s his wife’s 21st birthday. Uhhh...there’s a story there!

And then the teamster next to me gets all excited. It turns out he got evicted today, and he learned this from his landlord while in Disneyland of all places. Yikes! I was a sympathetic ear for a while. This poor guy was immensely drunk, and eventually he reached the “let’s start a fight” phase right around the time I paid my tab and left.

Also, Pi ‘n’ I rode nearly every ride in Disneyland today! (No teacups, Dumbo, Storybook Canal Boats.)
Click to expand...
Wow, i really missed out on some stuff not leaving with you lol
 
Pi on my Cake

Pi on my Cake

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
In the Parks
Yes
So, was going to skip rope dropping for an extra hour of sleep considering the nice, low crowds level and how tired i am. Then I realized that California Adventure doesn't open till 10 tomorrow anyways. So, I'm not gonna guarantee a "rope drop" but I'll be there at about park open tomorrow.
My plan is to head right tobget a fastpass for mission breakout and also get in line. I love tower and i love gaurdians. Plus, Radiator springs and incredicoaster have single rider lines, so im not super worried about fast passes on those.
 

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